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a sound having gone out and his words having reached the ends of the inhabited world. And each of those who contain God's glory, being called his tabernacle, can be placed in the sun of righteousness, that is, in Christ; for the base and foundation of such tabernacles is the true light. But perhaps also since the Savior is called Light of the world and true Light and Sun of righteousness, it is not possible for one who approaches that which surpasses sensible things to have grasped the concept of this light while being ignorant of the sensible light. And the sun, receiving an image of the noetic light from the concept of this, one will find the true light as it were dwelling in the sensible sun. For one must not pay attention to certain heterodox who say that after the resurrection from the dead the Savior deposited the body which he wore in the solar sphere to be kept until his second and glorious coming. In the sun he has set his tabernacle, and what follows. Besides the literal sense, you will understand anagogically, that the sun of righteousness proceeding from the bridal chamber of the Father's bosom, according to "I came forth from God and am come," comes forth as a bridegroom having as spouse the rational nature, that is, the glorious church; of which John says: "He that has the bride is the bridegroom." For having emptied himself he took the form of a servant; rejoicing and exulting he completes the course of the economy which he willingly undertook, taking up the impulse of a most strong giant. And he, having the beginning of his going out from the end of heaven, arrived at the end of heaven, ascending to where he also set out from the beginning. For he says; "If you see the Son of man ascending where he was before," and "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of man." But also from his heat no one is able to be hidden; for all partake of the fire which he came to cast upon the earth, so that some become fervent in spirit. 156 Ps 18,8b-10 The testimony of the Lord, which he witnesses by good works and by the knowledge of the truth, is faithful; it is called [so], not from believing but from being worthy of being believed, just as also "Faithful is the word" is said from its being trustworthy, and concerning God himself it is said "God is faithful and there is no unrighteousness in him" and "Faithful is God by whom you were called." For he was so named because of being reliable and worthy of being believed, but also because of being firm and unchangeable. Thus the faithful testimony of the Lord makes wise those who have turned and become as children according to the will of Jesus. And it makes wise also the newborn babes, those born through the gospel. And perhaps it also makes wise those infants, those not brought up in ascetic practices and with exercises of human words but the unlettered and simple. And the statutes of the Lord, being outside of all crookedness, are right, making right those who receive them, so that also having cast off all sorrow the soul comes to be in divine gladness. And the fear of God is said to be pure, not being a passion like that which is cast out by perfect love but being the same as piety and divine reverence. And this makes pure those who have received it, but also extends until the age to come, not being temporary and short-lived. The judgments of the Lord are true. He who accomplishes and judges all things according to his own truth judges truly; of which the apostle says: "For we know that the judgment of God is according to truth upon those who do such things." Therefore the things which God judges according to truth are true judgments - and they are called true in contrast to false and unjust judgments. These true judgments are justified together, whenever they come to be at once and together. For perhaps if someone should wish to see each one by itself, he will not clearly see its truth and righteousness; for they depend on each other, so that what each one is is testified by the next. 157 Ps 18,11.12 These things previously considered by the
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ἐξεληλυθὼς φθόγγος καὶ τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης φθάσαντα. δύναται δὲ καὶ εκαστος τῶν χωρούντων θεοῦ δόξαν, σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὀνομαζόμενος, ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τουτέστιν Χριστῷ τεθεῖσθαι· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων σκηνωμάτων κρηπὶς καὶ θεμέλιος τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν. τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐπεὶ Φῶς τοῦ κόσμου καὶ Φῶς ἀληθινὸν καὶ Ηλιος δικαιοσύνης ὁ σωτὴρ λέγεται, οὐχ οιόν τε τούτου τοῦ φωτὸς νόησιν εἰληφέναι ἀγνοοῦντα τὸ αἰσθητὸν φῶς ὁ προσβαλὼν τῷ ὑπερέχοντι τῶν αἰσθητῶν. εστιν δὲ ὁ ηλιος ἐκ τῆς τούτου νοήσεως φαντασίαν λαμβάνων τοῦ νοεροῦ φωτός, ωσπερ οἰκοῦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἐν τῷ αἰσθητῷ ἡλίῳ εὑρήσει. οὐ γὰρ προσεκτέον τισὶν ἑτεροδόξοις λέγουσιν οτι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τῇ ἡλιακῇ σφαίρᾳ ἀπέθετο ο ἐφόρεσεν σῶμα φυλάττεσθαι μέχρι τῆς δευτέρας καὶ ἐνδόξου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. ̓Εν τῷ ἡλίῳ εθετο τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. πρὸς τῇ λέξει νοήσεις κατὰ ἀναγωγήν, οτι ὁ ηλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐκ παστοῦ τῶν κόλπων τῶν πατρικῶν ἐκπορευόμενος κατὰ τὸ ̓Εγὼ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ηκω, ἐκπορεύεται οια νυμφίος σύζυγον εχων τὴν λογικὴν φύσιν, τουτέστι τὴν ενδοξον ἐκκλησίαν· ῃ φησιν ὁ ̓Ιωάννης· ̔Ο εχων τὴν νύμφην νυμφίος ἐστίν. ἑαυτὸν γὰρ κενώσας μορφὴν δούλου ελαβεν· γεγηθὼς καὶ ἀγαλλόμενος ἀνύει τὸν δρόμον τῆς οἰκονομίας ης ἑκουσίως ἀνεδέξατο, ἰσχυροτάτου γίγαντος τὴν ὁρμὴν ἀναλαμβάνων. ουτος δὲ ἀπ' ακρου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἐξόδου εχων κατήντησεν εἰς ακρον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀναβαίνων ἐκεῖ οθεν καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ωρμησεν. φησὶν γοῦν· ̓Εὰν ιδητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνοντα οπου ην τὸ πρότερον, καὶ Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ τὴν θέρμην αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς οιός τέ ἐστιν ἀποκρυβῆναι· τοῦ γὰρ πυρὸς ου ἐλήλυθεν βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πάντες μεταλαμβάνουσιν, ως τινας τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντας γενέσθαι. 156 Ps 18,8b-10 ̔Η τοῦ κυρίου μαρτυρία, ην μαρτυρεῖ τοῖς καλοῖς εργοις καὶ τῇ γνώσει τῆς ἀληθείας, πιστή ἐστιν· οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πιστεύειν ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξία ειναι τοῦ πιστεύεσθαι κέκληται, ωσπερ καὶ τὸ Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιοπίστου ειρηται καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ειρηται ̔Ο θεὸς πιστὸς καὶ οὐκ εστιν ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ Πιστὸς ὁ θεὸς δι' ου ἐκλήθητε. διὰ γὰρ τὸ ἀξιόχρεως καὶ τοῦ πιστεύεσθαι αξιος ειναι ουτως ὠνομάσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἀμετάβλητον. ̔Η ουτως γοῦν πιστὴ τοῦ κυρίου μαρτυρία σοφοὺς ποιεῖ τοὺς στραφέντας καὶ γενομένους ὡς τὰ παιδία κατὰ τὸ βούλημα ̓Ιησοῦ. σοφίζει δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη, τὰ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου γεννηθέντα. τάχα δὲ κἀκείνους τοὺς νηπίους σοφίζει, τοὺς μὴ ἐντραφέντας ἀσκήσεσιν καὶ σὺν γυμνασίαις λόγων ἀνθρωπίνων ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀγραμμάτους καὶ ἰδιώτας. Τὰ δὲ δικαιώματα κυρίου πάσης σκολιότητος ἐκτὸς οντα εὐθεῖά ἐστιν, εὐθεῖς ποιοῦντα τοὺς παραδεχομένους αὐτά, ωστε καὶ πᾶσαν λύπην ἀποβαλόντας ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ θείᾳ γενέσθαι τὴν ψυχήν. ̔Αγνὸς δὲ ειρηται ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος, οὐκ ων παθητικὸς οιος ὁ ἐκβαλλόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς τελείας ἀγάπης ἀλλ' εὐλαβείᾳ καὶ θείῳ σεβασμῷ ὁ αὐτὸς ων. ουτος δὲ τοὺς προσηκαμένους ἁγνοὺς ἀπεργάζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρεκτείνει μέχρι τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, οὐκ ων πρόσκαιρος καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος. Τὰ κρίματα τοῦ κυρίου ἀληθινά. ὁ πάντα ὁ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιτελῶν καὶ κρίνων ἀληθινῶς κρίνει· ῃ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· Οιδαμεν γὰρ οτι τὸ κρίμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἐπὶ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντας. α ουν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν κρίνει ὁ θεός, κρίματά ἐστιν ἀληθινά- ειρηται δὲ ἀληθινὰ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν ψευδῶν καὶ ἀδίκων κριμάτων. ταῦτα δὴ τὰ ἀληθινὰ κρίματα δεδικαιωμένα ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, οτ' αν αμα καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ γένηται. τάχα γὰρ εἰ εκαστον καθ' ἑαυτὸ θελήσοι τις ἰδεῖν, τὴν ἀληθότητα καὶ δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ τρανῶς οὐκ οψεται· ηρτηνται γὰρ ἀλλήλων ὡς εκαστον τοῦ ἐχομένου μαρτυρεῖσθαι οιόν ἐστιν. 157 Ps 18,11.12 Ταῦτα τὰ προτεθεωρημένα τῷ