Homiliae spirituales 50 (collectio H)

 of the wild beasts, and the bull of the tame animals, and man of the created things, so also are the more royal reasonings of the soul, I mean the wil

 of a most foul odor, and worms crawl into the rotten flesh and there they feed and eat and make their dens but when the salt comes, the worms feeding

 the evil one of darkness and there it is held fast, as Paul also says, calling it the body of sin and the body of death: that the body of sin might be

 from the kingdom, and as one wounded, always cry out to the Lord and ask faithfully, so that you also may be deemed worthy of this true life. For just

 Amen. HOMILY 2 1 The kingdom of darkness, the evil ruler, having taken man captive from the beginning, thus encircled and clothed the soul in the powe

 of the night of darkness, of the devil, and being in night and darkness he is shaken by the terrible wind of sin blowing, and his whole nature is shak

 day and night they are not able to persevere, but some of them devote themselves to prayer for six hours and wish to read, while others eagerly serve,

 to carry off the rewards of victory against sin. But even if he is tested in these things, sin still lays man low, until he comes to a perfect man, to

 a garment of a tunic because of his inattention and slackness and sloth. But if he does not pay attention well and straight ahead with his eye, he him

 having been made nimble by that which is foreign to their own nature, having taken the oil in the vessels of their heart, that is, the grace of the Sp

 in an image, their bodies happen to be subtle according to the subtlety of their nature. Just as in substance this body is dense, so also the soul, be

 and to each of the holy prophets in one way to Elijah, in another to Moses. And I think that Moses, at every hour on the mountain during the forty da

 to repent in truth, but he himself has great compassion for us, being long-suffering, for when, having turned, we might approach him and our inner man

 worship and covenant. how many things they sinned, how often they turned aside, and He did not abandon them completely, but for a temporary time He ha

 they greatly stumbled, having pursued after the people of God. Therefore also the divine justice utterly consumed and destroyed them and drowned them

 more readily the redemption of healing? according to his word: how much more will the heavenly Father bring about justice for those who cry to him da

 with earthly and worldly things, unstably taking captive and shaking and luring the whole sinful race of Adam, as the Lord foretold to the apostles th

 and confusion and cowardice as all men have and in outward appearance and in the estimation of the world they differ and in certain external accompli

 unmanliness and laxity of will, or cowardice, or through some earthly love. For those who truly wish to go through to the end in a good way of life ou

 is any practice whatsoever of evil. Sometimes even seemingly good practices are performed for the sake of glory and the praise of men, which in the si

 are snatched away, suppose for me that some house is set on fire, and one man, wishing to save himself, having perceived the conflagration, fled naked

 of a love perfected by will towards the uprightness of the Lord? Thus also those who wish to become co-heirs of these things ought to love nothing apa

 as the apostle also says, “through many tribulations we are able to enter into the kingdom of heaven,” and the Lord: in your patience possess your sou

 bare trees, opening up the earth this one brings forth joy to all the animals this one shows cheerfulness to all this is the first month of the Chr

 those who have fallen asleep from of old, according to the holy scriptures and he will set everyone into two parts, and those having his own sign, th

 of thoughts, but to gather them when they are wandering from all directions, distinguishing the natural thoughts from the evil ones. For the soul, bei

 the Christians receive in that age, are not created things (and those who say so speak wrongly), but the transformed Spirit reveals these things. What

 that the power of God enters into him and takes possession of his members and his heart and captures the mind unto the love of God. When they seized P

 being with man as one substance, but in many ways as it wishes it manages man for his benefit. Sometimes the fire is kindled more and burns, and at ot

 Since I also have partially, at certain times, entered into that measure and I know, having learned, how man is not perfect. 20Question:20 Tell us, wh

 having been brought up in royal enjoyment and luxury. And so afterwards, having been found approved by God and faithful through much long-suffering, s

 to the heavenly goods of love from which love nothing in heaven or on earth or under the earth will be able to separate them, as the apostle Paul tes

 we are occupied, may the mind not be separated from love and seeking and longing for the Lord, so that by striving with such a mind and traveling the

 is disposed to labor for the virtues and even if she should be deemed worthy to receive diverse gifts of the spirit or even revelations and heavenly

 the fire likewise made an idol of the vessels cast into it, and so in what was seen they committed idolatry. As therefore the three youths, reckoning

 but in the law Moses was called the savior of Israel for he led them out of Egypt. So also now the true redeemer Christ passes into the secret places

 For in the dead body is life here is the redemption, here is the light, here the Lord comes to death and speaks with it and commands it to cast out t

 of the gulf of that water, may plunge down there and bring up the one who was sunk and is among wild beasts and the water itself, whenever it sees so

 the Lord is nearer to come and open the closed doors of the heart and to grant us heavenly wealth. For he is good and loves mankind, and his promises

 in caves, in the holes of the earth. Likewise also the apostles say, “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are reviled, a

 Still in the testimonies they say: you burn me, you burn me. Did they not then know the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The transgression of A

 the world is divided into parts, and there becomes one dark flock which goes into everlasting fire, and one full of light which is brought up to the h

 has chosen.” But after a time, those things which Martha eagerly did in her service brought her to that gift for she also received a divine power in

 likened to their father), so also Christ the true master himself created all things and nourishes the evil and the ungrateful, but the children, whom

 they make alive what is commanded. Just as there is light entering through a window, but the sun sends its rays over the whole inhabited world, so the

 a bride, the heavenly bridegroom Christ to his own mystical and divine communion, and she may taste of heavenly riches, with much eagerness she ought

 should he enter the palace to serve, he receives the vessels for service from the king's possessions, but he himself enters naked and in the king's ve

 For the God-fearing are masters of all things. But again, those lax in faith and sinners are slaves of all things, and fire burns them and stone and s

 a soldier and he puts away his armor into someone's house, whenever he wishes he has authority to go in and out of that house, so also sin has authori

 and they have no danger in this respect, because they are unassailable and are secure concerning their own salvation, because of having been trained o

 of thoughts is sin. But all who deny this are convicted and mocked by sin itself, which does not want to be triumphed over for evil strives to be hid

 they are held by wickedness. Therefore you ought to seek a lamp that it may be lit, and you may find pure thoughts for these are the natural ones, wh

 but to flee as from fire. In the visible world, if a very small nation should rise up against the king for war, he himself does not weary himself with

 the mind as governor, the conscience convicting, thoughts accusing and defending for it says: their thoughts among themselves accusing or even defend

 he entrusted this treasure, for I am poor, and when he wishes, he takes it from me. But if someone says: I am rich, it is enough, I have acquired it,

 he learns the letters, and when he becomes first there, he goes to the school of Latin and is the last of all. Again when he becomes first there, he g

 and if it happens that that house has some impurity, it is put in order and much adornment is done and perfumes are poured out, how much more does the

 having in the mind itself also its illumination, they know from where these things are moved. For the world suffers the passion of evil and does not k

 thorny for God said to man: “thorns and thistles the earth shall bring forth to you.” Therefore, there is need of much toil and labor, that one might

 it has seized. And so when a person is in the depths and is rich in grace, there is still a remnant of wickedness with him he has the helper assistin

 beauty. For those who want to make vessels and to weave in figures of animals first model them in wax, and thus they pour in the likeness of that, so

 him for the robbers are coming. Just as if someone, having fallen into many public services and financial losses, escapes with much labor and after t

 HOMILY 17. 1 The perfect Christians who have been deemed worthy to come to the measures of perfection and to become very near to the king, these are a

 of Christ and is with the Lord night and day, in the same way that the body of the Lord, having been joined to the Godhead, is always with the Holy Sp

 Some however were sufficient for themselves, while others, receiving from worldly people, gave to the poor and this is more worthy. For those who hav

 being unrestrained and insatiable and greedily seeking and eating. Or just as if someone is thirsty and is given a sweet drink, then having begun to t

 from God, and having found and possessing the heavenly treasure of the Spirit, the Lord Himself shining in their hearts, they accomplish all righteous

 souls of those hearing the spiritual word, and they do not fear that they will be in need because they possess within themselves a heavenly treasure

 he takes the heavenly weapons of the spirit and descends upon the enemies and wars and subjugates them under his feet. At other times the soul rests i

 Then one must compel himself to every good thing and to all the commandments of the Lord, because of the sin that is with him. For example, let him co

 faith and trust towards God, since he has not known himself, he has not tested not having, and has labored in affliction seeking from the Lord to have

 he never falls. For from where can he fall, being underneath all things? Great humiliation is high-mindedness, and great exaltation and honor and dign

 righteousness (which is the Lord, “who,” it says, “became for us righteousness and redemption”), he labors in vain and to no purpose. For all the conc

 sent forth the voice of angels (for he was saying: Son of David, have mercy on me), and thus by believing he received healing, when the Lord came to h

 of wickedness, and another contest lies ahead. And thus by remaining and calling upon the Lord in unwavering faith and much patience, and awaiting the

 for whom now there are abiding angels and holy spirits surrounding and guarding them, and when they depart from the body, the choirs of angels receive

 HOMILY 24. 1 Christians are like merchants trading for the greatest profits. For just as those gather earthly profits from the earth, so these, throug

 nature of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, unless the heavenly leaven of the Spirit and the good holy salt of the Godhead from that age and from that count

 to a man, having cleansed himself and been strengthened by the one who said to the apostles: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpent

 «partakers of the divine nature». We have not yet become a genuine royal purple nor an unadulterated divine image. We have not yet been wounded by div

 thorns and stubble. “For our God is a consuming fire,” giving “vengeance on those who do not know him in a flame of fire and on those who do not obey

 silver both tarnishes and is destroyed and if the human mind knows how to measure out burdens for the beast of burden and for the camel or for any ot

 despair, evil thoughts, afflicting the soul, that he may make it lax and alienate it from the hope of God. But the prudent soul, being in evils and in

 scatters expenses likewise also the one building a house and the one farming first scatters many things of his own for the hope of future income, so

 trains him for the wars, and the two persons spring forth from within, both the light and the darkness, and the rest and the affliction. they pray in

 But it is written, that when the farmer sees the “branch bearing fruit,” he cleans it, so that it may bring forth more but the one not bearing fruit

 to depart, then only is it able to be without affliction and temptations for there there is no longer care or affliction or labor or old age or satan

 HOMILY 27. 1 Know your nobility, O man, and your dignity, how honorable you are, a brother of Christ, a friend of the king, a bride of the heavenly br

 in the heavenly church. And He is the firstborn from the dead, and they also are firstborn. But although they are such, chosen and approved by God,

 is Satan shown to be much weaker? For where there is day, how can there be night? 20Answer:20 not that grace is extinguished or is weak, but so that y

 and to give and to carry away the prizes of victory. So also in spiritual matters, it is one thing to recount words with some knowledge and intellect,

 he was driving out, but he also healed those who were bound hand and foot and had terrible afflictions through the laying on of his hands. Then, becom

 part, there would no longer be contests or seasons of wars or a race, but without toil, if he only heard, he would have come to rest and the perfect m

 ages. Amen. HOMILY 28. 1 Just as God, once angered with the Jews, delivered Jerusalem openly to its enemies, and those who hated them ruled over them,

 they are still in sin, having the same activity of pleasures, subject to the same punishment, not yet having eyes that see the Father. For each one ou

 gifts immediately upon approaching with faith and asking without toils and sweats and labors, but there are times when, while they are still in the w

 resting and being bound willingly, but always speaking against material reasonings, expect only the help and assistance of God, whereupon to souls und

 ages. Amen. HOMILY 50. 1 Those who hear the word ought to show the work of the word in their own souls for the word of God is not an idle word, but h

 Let not its master impress the image from his own light. Therefore we must gaze upon him, believing and loving him, having cast aside all things and a

 of an evil power. Therefore he put on darkness in his own soul, a bitter and evil darkness for he was ruled by the prince of darkness. This was the o

 when he comes in truth he might gather it. But since the future is uncertain, let it hope yet more in the pilot, hoping well, and let it remember how

 a soul, where it also eats, either from this age or from the spirit of God. And God is nourished there and lives and rests and abides. Henceforth, if

 from now on Christians receive an invisible and heavenly gift and garment. Just as sheep or camels, finding grass, approach their food eagerly and qui

 should remain behind and not receive the mixture and communion of the heavenly nature, it has been corrected in nothing, but has remained naked and bl

 in secret. But for a time He allows you to be disciplined, and grace directs you even into tribulations. And when you come into rest, it reveals itsel

 of impurity and disorder there sirens and demons dwell, according to the prophet for in the desolate house are cats and dogs and every impurity. W

 while resting one will give heed to the other, and in giving heed they will immediately shine forth again into truth, into a true vision of ineffable

 a true, delightful, holy sabbath and they celebrate a festival of the spirit, of joy and inexpressible gladness and they offer a worship pure and we

 preferring what is dear to God and the good of the Spirit above all things, not in word only or bare knowledge, but in word and deed through the thing

 of God. But lest someone say that the Spirit was given to them as apostles, but to us it is by nature unattainable, elsewhere praying he says: that G

 But when the will is not present, not even God himself does anything, although he is able, on account of free will. The completion of God's work there

 an advocate within and has brought up into His kingdom. Therefore let us also reign with Him in Jerusalem, His city, in the heavenly church, in the ch

 to attain, which is Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen. HOMILY 40. 1 Concerning visible asceticism and what practice happens to be greater and fir

 will conquer the one who opposes), thus there is in the heart of those who struggle a theater of evil spirits wrestling with the soul, and of God and

 Let us compare the soul and sin mixed together, just as when there is a very large tree, having many branches, and it has its roots in the deepest par

 to those who approach, whether good or evil, they prove to be kind, as the Lord says: Be kind as your heavenly Father is. For that which harms and d

 are able to withstand the power of the fire, but are immediately burned up, so also the demons, wishing to war against a man deemed worthy of the spir

 they have desolated the soul. Just as the eye is small in comparison to all the members, and the pupil itself, being small, is a great vessel, for it

 laid waste by the passions through the transgression, having mixed it with His own Spirit of divinity. He came to make a new mind and a new soul, new

 He seeks blameless and pure souls. For, he says, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. For the soul that truly believes in Christ mus

 of God? just as if a tyrant, having seized some captives, leads them away, and then is overtaken by the true king, so also Paul, because he was acted

 and images of men, in those things they have been eager to display their own virtue others have undertaken to make likenesses of statues and of certa

 to have a den, and from there to have life. He created also two worlds the one above for the ministering spirits, and He ordained that they have thei

 bound by earthly bonds, so also he who is possessed by a carnal disposition that is, being a man of the world, if he should wish to hear the word of

 Therefore, the soul of the sinner is so light and swift-winged that his mind is not hindered from distant places, much more the soul from which the ve

 To them a law was given written on tablets of stone, but to us spiritual laws are inscribed on tablets of fleshly hearts for he says: giving my laws

 of the Egyptians. But first it cries and groans, and then it receives the beginning of redemption, and this in the month of new blossoms, being rede

 destruction, he dared to pursue for having yoked his chariots with haste and with all his people, he hurried to destroy them. And when he was about t

 of the bondage of Pharaoh and having established his own throne and house and temple and a pure bride, and having brought it into a kingdom of eternal

 to hope that the Lord is in all things the provider for those who flee to him for refuge. But for the most part, they are the gifts of the eternal and

 and he prepared medicines, and the practices of physicians for the passions of the body, having ordained that the body, which is from the earth, shoul

 “Let the dead bury their own dead ” for “the dead will not praise you, Lord, but we who live will bless you.” For just as the sun, having risen upon t

 I think that the ruler of heaven himself sat within his mind, and through his tongue the word of God prevented rain from coming down upon the earth. A

 of grace and peace. And again, he who is helped by the Lord and finds himself in spiritual gladness and heavenly gifts, if he thinks that he is no lon

he learns the letters, and when he becomes first there, he goes to the school of Latin and is the last of all. Again when he becomes first there, he goes to the school of the grammarians and is again there the last beginner of all. Then when he becomes a scholar, he is a beginner and the last of all the lawyers. Again when he becomes first there, then he becomes a governor; and when he becomes a ruler, he takes for himself an assistant, a colleague. If, then, visible things have so many stages of progress, how much more do the heavenly mysteries have progress and increase by many degrees; and then through much training and many trials the one who has escaped becomes perfect. For Christians who have truly tasted of grace and have the sign of the cross in their mind and heart, they, from kings to beggars, consider all things to be dung and a stench, and they are able to know that the whole earthly world and the treasures of the king and wealth and glory and the words of wisdom are in a kind of illusion, not having a solid foundation, but passing away. and whatever is under heaven is easily despised by them. Why? Because strange and wonderful are the things above the heavens, which are not in the treasures of kings, nor in the wisdom of words, nor in worldly glory and honors or wealth, such as those they possessed, having the Lord and creator of all in the innermost man, a possession that does not pass away but remains. For Christians know the soul to be honorable above all creatures; for man alone was made "in the image and likeness" of God. Behold how exceedingly great is the heaven and the earth, and the creatures in them are honorable and great are their vessels. But man is more honorable than all the vessels, since in him alone the Lord was well pleased, although the sea monsters and the mountains and the beasts are greater than man in appearance. See, therefore, your dignity, how honorable you are. Because God made you higher than the angels, since he himself through himself came to the earth for your sake and redemption. God, therefore, and the angels came for your salvation. For a king, the son of a king, held a council with his father, and the Word was sent and, clothing himself in flesh and hiding his own divinity, that through the like he might save the like, he laid down his soul upon the cross. So great is the love of God for man; the immortal one chose to be crucified for you. See, therefore, how "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for them"; "how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" And again elsewhere he says: "Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions." And he shows elsewhere that the angels are ministers of the saints. For when Elijah was on the mountain and the foreigners came against him, the boy said: Many are coming against us and we are alone; then Elijah answers: Do you not see the camps and multitudes of angels with us, helping us round about? Do you see that the Master and the multitudes of angels are with his servants. How great, then, is the soul and how it has been honored by God, that God and the angels seek it for their own fellowship and for a kingdom. But Satan and his powers seek it for their own part. For as in visible things the king is not served by common men, but by beautiful and well-educated ones, so also in the heavenly palace those serve the heavenly king who are blameless, irreproachable, pure in heart. And just as in the palace beautiful maidens who have no blemish, most fair in form, go into the company of kings, so also in the spiritual realm: souls adorned in all good ways, these commune with the heavenly king. In the visible world, where a ruler goes to stay,

μανθάνει τὰ σημεῖα, καὶ ὅταν γένηται ἐκεῖ πρῶτος, ἀπέρχεται εἰς τὴν σχολὴν τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν καὶ ἔστιν ὅλων ἔσχατος. πάλιν ἐκεῖ ὅταν γένηται πρῶτος, ἀπέρχεται πρὸς τὴν σχολὴν τῶν γραμματικῶν καὶ ἔστι πάλιν ἐκεῖ ὅλων ἔσχατος ἀρχάριος. εἶτα ὅταν γένηται σχολαστικός, ὅλων τῶν δικολόγων ἀρχάριος καὶ ἔσχατός ἐστι. πάλιν ὅταν ἐκεῖ γένηται πρῶτος, τότε γίνεται ἡγεμών· καὶ ὅτε γένηται ἄρχων, λαμβάνει ἑαυτῷ βοηθὸν τὸν συγκάθεδρον. εἰ οὖν τὰ φαινόμενα τοσαύτας ἔχει προκοπάς, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὰ ἐπουράνια μυστήρια ἔχει προκοπὰς καὶ βαθμοὺς πολλοὺς αὐξάνει· καὶ τότε διὰ πολλῆς γυμνασίας καὶ πολλῶν πειρατηρίων ὁ διαφυγὼν γίνεται τέλειος. Οἱ γὰρ Χριστιανοὶ οἱ γευσάμενοι τῆς χάριτος ἐξ ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἔχοντες τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐν τῷ νῷ καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, οὗτοι ἀπὸ βασιλέων ἕως πτωχῶν κοπρίαν καὶ δυσωδίαν ἡγοῦνται τὰ πάντα καὶ οὗτοι δύνανται εἰδέναι, ὅτι ὅλος ὁ κόσμος ὁ γήϊνος καὶ οἱ θησαυροὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ οἱ τῆς σοφίας λόγοι ἐν φαντασίᾳ τινί εἰσι, μὴ ἔχοντα στερεὰν βάσιν, ἀλλὰ παρερχόμενα. καὶ εἴ τί ἐστιν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, τούτοις ἐστὶν εὐκαταφρόνητα. διὰ τί; ὅτι ξένα καὶ θαυμαστὰ τὰ ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὰ μὴ ὄντα μήτε εἰς θησαυροὺς βασιλέων μήτε εἰς σοφίαν λόγων μήτε εἰς δόξαν κοσμικὴν καὶ ἀξιώματα ἢ πλοῦτον οἷον ἐκεῖνοι ἐκτήσαντο, τὸν κύριον καὶ κτίστην πάντων ἔχοντες ἐν τῷ ἐνδοτάτῳ ἀνθρώπῳ, κτῆμα τὸ μὴ παρερχόμενον, ἀλλὰ παραμένον. Οἱ γὰρ Χριστιανοὶ τιμίαν οἴδασι τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ δημιουργήματα· μόνος γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος «κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν» θεοῦ ἐγένετο. ἰδοὺ ὁ οὐρανὸς πόσον ἐστὶν ὑπερμεγέθης καὶ ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς κτίσματα τίμια καὶ μεγάλα τὰ σκεύη αὐτῶν. ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ σκεύη τίμιός ἐστιν, ἐπειδὴ εἰς αὐτὸν μόνον εὐδόκησεν ὁ κύριος, καὶ τὰ κήτη δὲ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὰ θηρία εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον μείζονά εἰσι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. βλέπε οὖν σου τὸ ἀξίωμα, πῶς εἶ τίμιος. ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἀγγέλους ἐποίησέ σε ὁ θεός, ὁπότε καὶ αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ εἰς σὴν πρεσβείαν καὶ λύτρωσιν παρεγένετο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ὁ θεὸς οὖν καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰς τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν ἦλθον. βασιλεὺς γάρ, υἱὸς βασιλέως συμβούλιον ἐποιήσατο μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπεστάλη ὁ λόγος καὶ σάρκα ἐνδυσάμενος καὶ κρύψας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ ὁμοίου τὸ ὅμοιον σώσῃ, ἔθηκε τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ. τοσαύτη ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ᾑρετίσατο ὁ ἀθάνατος σταυρωθῆναι διὰ σέ. βλέπε οὖν πῶς «ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησε τὸν κόσμον, ὅτι τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ υἱὸν ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν»· «πῶς οὐχὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται;» καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· «ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ καταστήσει αὐτόν». δείκνυσι δὲ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τοὺς ἀγγέλους λειτουργοὺς εἶναι τῶν ἁγίων. καὶ γὰρ Ἠλίας ὅτε ἦν εἰς τὸ ὄρος καὶ ἦλθον κατ' αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι, τὸ παιδίον ἔλεγε· πολλοὶ ἔρχονται καθ' ἡμῶν καὶ ἡμεῖς μόνοι ἐσμέν· τότε ἀποκρίνεται Ἠλίας· οὐχ ὁρᾷς παρεμβολὰς καὶ πλήθη ἀγγέλων μεθ' ἡμῶν κύκλῳ βοηθούντων ἡμῖν; ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὁ δεσπότης καὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἀγγέλων σύνεστι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ. πόση οὖν ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ πῶς τετίμηται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι ταύτην ἐπιζητοῦσιν εἰς κοινωνίαν ἰδίαν καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν. ὁ δὲ σατανᾶς καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ ταύτην ἐπιζητοῦσιν εἰς τὸ ἴδιον μέρος. Ὡς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐ διακονεῖται ὑπὸ ἀγελιμαίων ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ὡραίων καὶ καλῶς πεπαιδευμένων, οὕτω καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐπουράνιον παλάτιον ἐκεῖνοι διακονοῦσι τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ βασιλεῖ οἱ ἄμωμοι, οἱ ἀνεπίληπτοι, οἱ καθαροὶ τὴν καρδίαν. καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ ὡραῖαι κόραι καὶ μὴ ἔχουσαι μῶμόν τινα, εὐειδέσταται, ἐκεῖναι εἰς κοινωνίαν βασιλέων ἀπέρχονται, οὕτως καὶ εἰς τὸ πνευματικόν· ψυχαὶ αἱ ἐν πᾶσι τρόποις ἀγαθοῖς κεκοσμημέναι, αὗται κοινωνοῦσι τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ βασιλεῖ. Εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον, ὅπου ἀπέρχεται ἄρχων μεῖναι,