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the building of the tower. But if they do not repent, then others will enter, and these will be cast out completely. For all these things I gave thanks to the Lord, because He had compassion on all those who call upon His name, and sent the angel of repentance to us who had sinned against Him, and renewed our spirit, and when we were already corrupted and had no hope of life, He restored our life. Now, I say, Lord, show me why the tower is not built on the ground, but on the rock and on the gate. Are you still, he says, foolish and without understanding? I must, I say, Lord, ask you everything, because I can understand nothing at all; for all things are great and glorious and hard for men to understand. Listen, he says. The name of the Son of God is great and incomprehensible, and it supports the whole world. If, then, all creation is supported by the Son of God, what do you think of those who are called by Him and bear the name of the Son of God and walk in His commandments? Do you see, then, whom He supports? Those who bear His name with their whole heart. He Himself, therefore, became a foundation for them and gladly supports them, because they are not ashamed to bear His name. Show [me,] I say, Lord, the names of the virgi[ns] and of the women clothed in black garments. Listen, he says, to the names of the stronger virgins, those stationed at the corners. The first is Faith, the second is Continence, the third is Power, and the fourth is Long-suffering. And the others standing between these have these names: Simplicity, Innocence, Purity, Cheerfulness, Truth, Understanding, Concord, Love. He who bears these names and the name of the Son of God will be able to enter into the kingdom of God. Listen, he says, also to the names of the women who have the black garments. And of these, four are more powerful: the first is Unbelief, the second is Incontinence, the third is Disobedience, and the fourth is Deceit. And their followers are called Grief, Wickedness, Wantonness, Quick-temper, Falsehood, Folly, Slander, Hatred. The servant of God who bears these names will see the kingdom of God, but he will not enter into it. But the stones, I say, Lord, which were fitted from the deep into the building, who are they? The first, he says, the ten placed in the foundations, are the first generation; the twenty-five are the second generation of righteous men; the thirty-five are the prophets of God and His ministers; the forty are the apostles and teachers of the preaching of the Son of God. Why then, I say, Lord, did the virgins also hand over these stones for the building of the tower, having carried them through the gate? For these, he says, were the first to bear these spirits, and they were not separated at all from one another, neither the spirits from the men nor the men from the spirits, but the spirits remained with them until their falling asleep. And if they had not had these spirits with them, they would [not have] been useful for the building of this tower. Show me yet more, I say, Lord. What, he says, are you seeking? Why, I say, Lord, did the stones come up from the deep and were placed in the building of the tower, having borne these spirits? They had need, he says, to come up through the water, that they might be made alive; for they could not otherwise enter into the kingdom of God, unless they put away the deadness of their former life. Therefore, these who had fallen asleep also received the seal of the Son

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οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ μετανοήσωσι, τότε ἄλλοι εἰσελεύσονται, καὶ οὗτοι εἰς τέλος ἐκβληθήσονται. ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ κυ ρίῳ, ὅτι ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς μετανοίας εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἁμαρτήσαντας εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀνεκαίνισεν ἡμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἤδη κατεφθαρμένων ἡμῶν καὶ μὴ ἐχόντων ἐλπίδα τοῦ ζῆν ἀνενέωσε τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν. Νῦν, φημί, κύριε, δήλωσόν μοι, διατί ὁ πύργος χαμαὶ οὐκ ᾠκοδόμηται, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην. Ἔτι, φησίν, ἄφρων εἶ καὶ ἀσύνετος; Ἀνάγκην ἔχω, φημί, κύριε, πάντα ἐπερωτᾶν σε, ὅτι οὐδ' ὅλως οὐδὲν δύναμαι νοῆσαι· τὰ γὰρ πάντα μεγάλα καὶ ἔνδοξά ἐστι καὶ δυσνόητα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἄκουε, φησί· τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ μέγα ἐστὶ καὶ ἀχώρητον, καὶ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον βαστάζει. εἰ οὖν πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ βαστάζεται, τί δοκεῖς τοὺς κεκλημένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα φοροῦντας τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πορευομένους ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ; βλέπεις οὖν ποίους βαστάζει; τοὺς ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας φοροῦντας τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. αὐτὸς οὖν θεμέλιος αὐτοῖς ἐγέ νετο καὶ ἡδέως αὐτοὺς βαστάζει, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπαισχύνονται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ φορεῖν. ∆ήλ[ωσόν μοι,] φημί, κύριε, τῶν παρθέ[νων τ]ὰ ὀνόματα καὶ τῶν γυναι κῶν τῶν τὰ μέλανα ἱμάτια ἐνδεδυμένων. Ἄκουε, φησί, τῶν παρθένων τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἰσχυροτέρων, τῶν εἰς τὰς γωνίας σταθεισῶν. ἡ μὲν πρώτη Πίστις, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα Ἐγκράτεια, ἡ δὲ τρίτη ∆ύναμις, ἡ δὲ τετάρτη Μακρο θυμία· αἱ δὲ ἕτεραι ἀνὰ μέσον τούτων σταθεῖσαι ταῦτα ἔχουσι τὰ ὀνόματα· Ἁπλότης, Ἀκακία, Ἁγνεία, Ἱλαρότης, Ἀλήθεια, Σύνεσις, Ὁμόνοια, Ἀγά πη. ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα ὁ φορῶν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνήσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν τὰ ἱμάτια μέλανα ἐχουσῶν. καὶ ἐκ τούτων τέσσαρές εἰσι δυνατώτεραι· ἡ πρώτη Ἀπιστία, ἡ δευτέρα Ἀκρασία, ἡ δὲ τρίτη Ἀπείθεια, ἡ δὲ τετάρτη Ἀπάτη. αἱ δὲ ἀκόλουθοι αὐτῶν καλοῦνται Λύπη, Πονηρία, Ἀσέλγεια, Ὀξυχολία, Ψεῦδος, Ἀφροσύνη, Καταλαλιά, Μῖσος. ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα ὁ φορῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δοῦλος τὴν βασιλείαν μὲν ὄψεται τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς αὐτὴν δὲ οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται. Oἱ λίθοι δέ, φημί, κύριε, οἱ ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ ἡρ μοσμένοι εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τίνες εἰσίν; Oἱ μὲν πρῶτοι, φησίν, οἱ ι οἱ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια τεθειμένοι, πρώτη γενεά· οἱ δὲ κε δευτέρα γενεὰ ἀνδρῶν δικαίων· οἱ δὲ λε προφῆται τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ· οἱ δὲ μ ἀπόστολοι καὶ διδάσκαλοι τοῦ κηρύγματος τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. ∆ιατί οὖν, φημί, κύριε, αἱ παρθένοι καὶ τούτους τοὺς λίθους ἐπέδωκαν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύρ γου, διενέγκασαι διὰ τῆς πύλης; Oὗτοι γάρ, φησί, πρῶτοι ταῦτα τὰ πνεύ ματα ἐφόρεσαν, καὶ ὅλως ἀπ' ἀλλήλων οὐκ ἀπέστησαν, οὔτε τὰ πνεύματα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὔτε οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπὸ τῶν πνευμάτων, ἀλλὰ παρέμει ναν τὰ πνεύματα αὐτοῖς μέχρι τῆς κοιμήσεως αὐτῶν. καὶ εἰ μὴ ταῦτα τὰ πνεύματα μετ' αὐτῶν ἐσχήκεισαν, ο[ὐκ ἂν] εὔχρηστοι γεγόνεισαν τῇ οἰ κοδομῇ τοῦ πύργου τούτου. Ἔτι μοι, φημί, κύριε, δήλωσον. Τί, φησίν, ἐπιζητεῖς; ∆ιατί, φημί, κύριε, οἱ λίθοι ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ ἀνέβησαν καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου ἐτέθη σαν, πεφορηκότες τὰ πνεύματα ταῦτα; Ἀνάγκην, φησίν, εἶχον δι' ὕδατος ἀναβῆναι, ἵνα ζωοποιηθῶσιν· οὐκ ἠδύναντο γὰρ ἄλλως εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ τὴν νέκρωσιν ἀπέθεντο τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν τῆς προτέρας. ἔλαβον οὖν καὶ οὗτοι οἱ κεκοιμημένοι τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῦ υἱοῦ