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"a sabbath rest that remains for the people of God" having obtained and found through Jesus "rest for the soul"-"for you will find rest for your souls"-these are in the true sabbath and are named after it through the "seven". they are called "eight bites of men," those who after the coming of the savior have approached the gospel and are wearying and "biting" the enemy. And his labor, which he had when the gospel called all, the word signifies in different ways, at one time his "crushing"-"the God of peace will crush Satan"-, at another his labor—the "being bitten"-, at another the loosing of his harm-"for I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm you". The "shall harm" here means "shall injure".

11,2b3ab because you do not know what evil will be under the earth. if they are filled the clouds with rain, they pour it out on the earth. 11,2b Since you are ignorant of the "evil on the earth," either that which is done contrary to the good or the labor that produces the "evil" which succeeds human affairs-, for this reason do what I command you: "give a portion to the seven and to the eight"; for from these two writings "you will know" that which is "evilly" done and the "evil" that is coming upon those who do evil. For this reason "give a portion to the seven and to the eight". For instance: Are you then the one "giving to the seven"? 320 -he cannot otherwise "know". as if you were to say: read the scripture, because you do not know what must be done and what not. For this reason "know what things are," what must be done and what not. Similar to this is also "test all things". And why "test"? So that "you may hold fast to what is good" and "abstain from every form of evil".

11,3ab If the clouds are filled with rain, they pour it out upon the earth. And as to the literal meaning, it is true. When things are going well, when those ministered to by providence are well, then "the clouds, being filled, pour out upon the earth". For if the water flows into the sea, it is not useful for sowing. Even if in some other way all things that happen by providence are useful, nevertheless it profits the "earth" nothing, if it flows into the Adriatic or into the sea. As for the literal meaning, this is regarding the sense. The souls who minister the "word of salvation" happen to be "clouds being filled with rain". Moses, being one "cloud," said: "Let my speech be awaited as rain." And concerning all those who "rain upon" the spiritual "vineyard," the "house of Israel," a "command" was given, when instead of "grapes" it produced "thorns," "not to rain upon it." And further in Isaiah himself it is said: "Let the clouds rain down righteousness, let the earth sprout mercy." The "sprouting of mercy" does not come from the perceptible "earth," but from that which is called "good earth," a "good heart," where the "seed" of Jesus, having fallen, "bore fruit." And when are these "clouds" "filled with rain," that is, with the word, but when "the word of the Lord comes to" them, so that each one says: "Thus says the Lord to me." Behold the "rain". Then the "clouds are filled with rain," when "they pour out upon the earth." If one is not "filled" with the word, he cannot "rain"; but he cannot "water" another; such as are the false teachers who know nothing and seem "to hold all things." And "upon the earth," that is, either humanity or the "heart" of each, prepared for reception; behold a "seed" of a waterer.

11,3cd If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will remain. 321 It is clear that this is being allegorized and for anagogical interpretation. For who does not know that, whenever someone cuts "trees," "there the tree will remain, where it falls"? But not even this is true according to the literal account; for this "tree" is cut, not so that "there

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"ἀπολειπόμενον σαββατισμὸν τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θε οῦ" ἐσχηκότες εὕροντες διὰ Ἰησοῦ "ψυχῆς ἀνάπαυ σιν"-"εὑρήσετε" γὰρ "ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν"- οὗτοι ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ σαββάτῳ εἰσὶν καὶ παρονομάζονται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ "ἑπτά". λέγο̣νται̣ "ὀκτὼ δήγματα ἀν θρώπων" οἱ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ ςωτῆρος προσεληλυθότες τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ καὶ καταπονοῦντες καὶ "δάκνοντες" τὸν ἐχθρόν. καὶ τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἔσχεν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου πάντας καλέσαντος, διαφόρως ὁ λόγος σημαίνει ὁτὲ μὲν "συν τριβὴν" αὐτοῦ-"ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης συντρίψει τὸν σατανᾶν"-, ὁτὲ δὲ τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ-τὸ "δάκνεσθαι"-, ὁτὲ τὸ λελῦσθαι τὴν βλάβην αὐτοῦ-"δέδωκα" γὰρ "ὑμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶ σαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς οὐ μὴ ἀδική σει". τὸ "ἀδικήσει" ὧδε τὸ "βλάψει" σημαίνει.

11,2b3ab ὅτι οὐ γιγνώσκεις τί ἔσται πονηρὸν ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν. ἐὰν πληρωθῶ σιν

τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσιν. ̣11,2b ἐπεὶ ἀγνοεῖς τὸ "ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πονηρὸν" ἤτοι τὸ πραττόμενον ἐναντίως τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἢ τὸν πόνον ἐνποιῆσαν τὸ "πονηρὸν" τὸ διαδεξάμενον τὰ ἀνθρώ πινα πράγματα-, διὰ τοῦτο ποίησον, ἃ ἐντέλλομαί σοι· "δὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀκτώ"· ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ τῶν δύο γραφῶν "γνώσει" τὸ "πονηρῶς" πραττόμενον καὶ τὸ ἐπελευσόμενον "πονηρὸν" κατὰ τῶν τὸ κακὸν ποι ούντων. διὰ τοῦτο "δὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀκτώ". ἐπερ· σὺ οὖν ὁ "διδοὺς τοῖς ἑπτά"; 320 -οὐ δύναται ἄλλως "γνῶναι". ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃς· ἀνάγνω θι τὴν γραφήν, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδας τί δεῖ πρᾶξαι καὶ τί οὐ. διὰ τοῦτο "γνῶθι τίνα ἔστιν", τίνα δεῖ πράττειν καὶ τί να μή. τούτῳ ὅμοιόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ "πάντα δοκιμάζετε". διὰ τί δὲ "δοκιμάζετε"; ἵνα "τὸ καλὸν κατέχητε" καὶ "ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχησθε".

11,3ab ἐὰν πληρωθῶσιν τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐκχέουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. καὶ πρὸς τὸ

ῥητὸν ἀληθές ἐστιν. ὅτε εὖ ἔχει τὰ πράγματα, ὅτε οἱ διακονούμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας καλῶς ἔχουσιν, τὸ τηνικάδε "τὰ νε´̣φ̣η πληρωθέντα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσιν". τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐὰν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος ῥέῃ, μὴ γὰρ χρησιμεύει πρὸς σπόρον. εἰ καὶ ἄλλως πως πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας γινόμενα χρησιμεύει, ὅμως εἰς τὴν "γῆν" οὐδὲν λυσιτελεῖ, ἐν τῷ Ἀδρίᾳ ἢ ἐν τῷ πελάγει ἐὰν ῥέῃ. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν, τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς διάνοιαν. "νέφη πληρούμενα ὑετοῦ" τυγχάνουσιν αἱ διακονοῦσαι τῷ "λόγῳ τῆς σωτηρίας" ψυχαί. μία "νεφέλη" ὢν Μωϋσῆς ἔ λεγεν· "προσδοκάσθω ὡς ὑετὸς τὸ ἀπόφθεγμά μου". καὶ περὶ πάντων τῶν "βρεχόντων" τὸν πνευματικὸν "ἀμπελῶνα", τὸν "τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οἶκον", "ἐντολὴ" δέδοται, ὅτε ἀντὶ "σταφυλῆς" "ἀκάνθας" ἠγίοχεν, "μὴ βρέχειν εἰς αὐτόν". καὶ ἔτι ἐν̣ α̣ὐτῷ τῷ Ἰσαΐᾳ λέγεται· "αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην, βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ ἔλεος". ἡ "βλάστη τοῦ ἐλέου" οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσθητῆς "γῆς" γίνεται, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἐκείνης τῆς λεγομένης "ἀγαθῆς γῆς" "καλῆς καρδίας", ἔνθα πεσὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦ "σπόρος" "ἐκαρποφόρησεν". ταῦτα δὲ τὰ "νέ φη" πότε "πληροῦται τοῦ ὑετοῦ", τουτέστιν τοῦ λόγου, ἢ ὅτε "γίνεται ὁ τοῦ κυρίου λόγος πρὸς" αὐτοὺς ὡς ἕ καστον λέγειν· "τάδε λέγει πρός με κύριος". ἰδοὺ ὁ "ὑετός". τότε δὲ "πληροῦται τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ", ὅτε "ἐκ χέουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν". ἐάν τις μὴ "πληρωθῇ" τοῦ λόγου, οὐ δύναται "βρέχειν"· ἀλλὰ οὐ δύναται ἕτερον "ποτίζειν"· οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ ψευδοδιδάσκαλοι οἱ μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενοι καὶ δοκοῦντες "πάντα κατέχειν". "ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν" δὲ ἤτοι τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἢ τὴν "καρ δίαν" ἑκάστου, τὴν εὐτρεπισμένην πρὸς ὑποδοχήν· ἰδοὺ "σπόρος" ποτιστοῦ.

11,3cd ἐὰν πέσῃ ξύλον ἐν τῷ νότῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ βορρᾷ, τόπῳ, οὗ πίπτει, ἐκεῖ

μενεῖ. 321 φανερὸν ὅτι ἀλληγορούμενον καὶ πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν τοῦτο. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι, ὁπότε ἄν τις ἐκκόπτῃ "ξύλα", "ἐκεῖ μενεῖ" τὸ "ξύλον, ὅπου πίπτει"; οὐδὲ τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀληθές ἐστιν· τέμνεται γὰρ τοῦτο "ξύ λον", οὐχ ἵνα "ἐκεῖ