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of death, and 65.10 he became for me "righteousness and sanctification and redemption"; righteousness, by loosing sin through faith in him; sanctification, by freeing through water and spirit and in his word; redemption, by giving himself for me, his blood a ransom of a true lamb, a propitiation for the purification of the world, a reconciliation of all things in heaven and on earth, fulfilling at the appointed times "the mystery hidden for ages and generations". 65.11 He himself "will transform our lowly body to be conformed to his glorious body, by the power that also enables him to subject all things to himself". "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily". 66.1 The vessel, therefore, of wisdom and of deity, Christ mediating, "reconciles all things to God in himself, not counting their trespasses," fulfilling hidden mysteries by faith of his covenant which was promised beforehand by the law and the prophets, proclaimed Son of God, called Son of David; for both, God and man, "mediator between God and men," a true "house of God," a "holy priesthood," the giver of the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews all things again to God; because "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," and "we have seen his glory, glory as 66.2 of the only Son from the Father." The rain, being naturally assimilated by trees and plants, produces a body and each of the fruits according to its likeness; and in the olive tree it becomes rich oil, taking from it its essence, and in the vine sweet wine is colored, and in the fig tree the fig is sweetened, and in each of the seeds it 66.3 increases the growth according to its kind. So, I think, the Word of God became flesh in Mary and was found as a man in the seed of Abraham according to the promise. "For we have found the Messiah, of whom Moses wrote." As Moses said, "May my teaching drop as the rain," and David, "May he come down like rain upon the fleece, and like drops that water the earth." 66.4 So wool receiving the dew increases the fleece's yield, and the earth receiving the rain increases the fruit of the farmers' hope, by receiving the master's command, readily contributing its nature, and 66.5 having more zeal to receive from him, so also the virgin Mary, when she says, "How will I know" "that this will be to me," heard, "The spirit of the Lord shall be upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born of you will be holy and will be called the Son of the Most 66.6 High." Christ speaks in the angel, and the Master reshapes himself in his own creation, "taking the form of a servant," and Mary draws up the Word for conception, as the earth does the rain, and the Word of God shows himself to be the holy fruit. taking on a mortal 66.7 nature. This was he who came from her drawing him up as earth and fleece, the fruit of true hope, for the saints in expectation; as Elizabeth said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb," which the Word, being impassible, took on from humanity, and suffered; 66.8 This is "the living bread, which came down from heaven" and gives life; This is the fruit of the true olive tree, the oil of anointing and of composition, which Moses prefigured; This is "the true vine," which 66.9 the Father alone cultivates, having produced for us a cluster of joy; This is "the living water, which if a thirsty person takes, he will not thirst again, but it is in his belly, springing up into eternal life." Taking from this, the new husbandmen imparted it to the world, but the old 66.10 husbandmen dried it up and destroyed it through unbelief. By his own blood he sanctifies the nations, and by his own Spirit he leads the called up to heaven. "For all who are led by his Spirit, they" live for God; but as many as are not, are still reckoned for death, being carnal or

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θανάτου, καὶ 65.10 ἐγένετό μοι «δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις»· δικαιοσύνη μέν, διὰ πίστεως αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν λύσας· ἁγιασμὸς δέ, δι' ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος καὶ ἐν ῥήματι αὐτοῦ ἐλευθερώσας· ἀπολύτρωσις δέ, τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀμνοῦ ἀληθοῦς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἑαυτὸν παραδούς, ἱλαστήριον καθάρσεως κόσμου, καταλλαγῆς ἁπάντων οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, «μυστήριον τὸ ἀπόκρυφον πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ γενεῶν» 65.11 πληρῶν καιροῖς τοῖς ὡρισμένοις. ὁ αὐτὸς «μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι σύμμορφον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα». «ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς». 66.1 Τὸ δοχεῖον τοίνυν τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς θεότητος, ὁ Χριστὸς μεσιτεύων «καταλλάσσει τὰ πάντα τῷ θεῷ ἐν αὐτῷ, μὴ λογιζόμενος ἁμαρτίας», ἀπόκρυφα μυστήρια πληρῶν πίστει διαθήκης αὐτοῦ τῆς προεπηγγελμένης ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, υἱὸς θεοῦ κηρυσσόμενος, υἱὸς ∆αυὶδ λεγόμενος· ἄμφω γάρ, θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος, «μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων», ἀληθινὸς «οἶκος θεοῦ», «ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον», ἁγίου πνεύματος δοτὴρ τοῦ ἀναγεννῶντος καὶ ἀνακαινίζοντος αὖθις τὰ πάντα τῷ θεῷ· ὅτι «ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν» καὶ «εἴδομεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ ὡς δόξαν 66.2 μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός». ὁ ὑετὸς δένδρεσι καὶ φυτοῖς συμφυσιούμενος σῶμα ἀπεργάζεται καὶ τῶν καρπῶν καθ' ὁμοιότητα ἕκαστον, καὶ ἐν μὲν τῇ ἐλαίᾳ ἔλαιον πῖον γίνεται προσλαμβανόμενος ἐξ αὐτῆς τὸ οὐσιῶδες, ἐν δὲ ἀμπέλῳ οἶνος ἡδὺς χροΐζεται, ἐν δὲ συκῇ σῦκον γλυκαίνεται καὶ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν σπερμάτων πρὸς τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ 66.3 αὔξει φυήν. οὕτως οἶμαι ὁ Λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Μαρίᾳ σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐν σπέρματι Ἀβραὰμ ἄνθρωπος εὑρίσκετο κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. «εὑρήκαμεν γὰρ Μεσσίαν, ὃν ἔγραψε Μωυσῆς». ὡς δὲ Μωυσῆς ἔφη «καταβήτω ὡς ὑετὸς τὸ ἀπόφθεγμά μου» καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ «καταβήτω ὡς ὑετὸς ἐπὶ πόκον καὶ ὡς σταγόνες στάζουσαι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν» 66.4 ἔριον τοίνυν δεχόμενον τὴν δρόσον αὔξει πόκου γονήν, γῆ δὲ δεχομένη τὸν ὑετὸν αὔξει καρπὸν ἐλπίδος γεωργῶν τῷ δέχεσθαι προστάγματι τοῦ δεσπότου προσδιδοῦσα τὴν φύσιν προθύμως τῷ τε 66.5 λαμβάνειν παρ' αὐτοῦ πλέον ἔχειν σπουδήν, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ παρθένος Μαρία «κατὰ τί γνώσομαι» ὅτε φησίν «ὅτι ἔσται μοι τοῦτο», ἤκουσε «πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι· διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἐκ σοῦ ἅγιον ἔσται καὶ υἱὸς ὑψίστου κληθή66.6 σεται». Χριστὸς ἐν ἀγγέλῳ λαλεῖ, ἀναπλάττει δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ πλάσει ὁ δεσπότης «μορφὴν δούλου λαβών», καὶ Μαρία μὲν ἀνιμᾶται τὸν Λόγον εἰς σύλληψιν, ὡς ὑετὸν ἡ γῆ, ἑαυτὸν δὲ καρπὸν ἅγιον ἀποδείκνυσιν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Λόγος. προσλαμβανόμενος θνητοῦ 66.7 φύσιν. οὗτος ἦν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀνιμώσης ὡς γῆ καὶ πόκος, ὁ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἐλπίδος καρπός, ἁγίοις ἐν προσδοκίᾳ· καθὼς Ἐλισάβετ ἔλεγεν «εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶ καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου», ὃν προσελάβετο ἐξ ἀνθρωπότητος παθὼν ἀπαθὴς ὢν ὁ Λόγος· 66.8 οὗτος «ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν, ὁ καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ» καὶ ζωὴν διδούς· οὗτος ὁ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἐλαίας καρπός, τὸ ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως καὶ τῆς συνθέσεως, ὃ προετύπωσε Μωυσῆς· οὗτος «ἡ ἀληθινὴ ἄμπελος», ἣν 66.9 γεωργεῖ μόνος ὁ πατήρ, βότρυν χαρᾶς γεννήσας ἡμῖν· οὗτος «τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν, ὃ ὁ διψῶν ἄνθρωπος λαβὼν οὐ διψήσει πάλιν, ἀλλ' ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἁλλόμενον εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον». ἐκ τούτου λαβόντες μετέδωκαν οἱ νέοι γεωργοὶ εἰς τὸν κόσμον, παλαιοὶ δὲ 66.10 γεωργοὶ ἐξήραναν καὶ ἔφθειραν διὰ ἀπιστίαν. αἵματι μὲν ἑαυτοῦ ἁγιάζει τὰ ἔθνη, πνεύματι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἰδίῳ ἀνάγει τοὺς κλητοὺς εἰς οὐρανούς. «ὅσοι γοῦν πνεύματι αὐτοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι» ζῶσι θεῷ· ὅσοι δὲ μή, ἔτι θανάτῳ λελογισμένοι εἰσί, ψυχικοὶ ἤτοι