§57. Above all, so live that you may have the right to eat of this tree of knowledge and life, and so come to eternal joys. Doxology.

But for the searching of the Scriptures and true knowledge of them, an honourable life is needed, and a pure soul, and that virtue which is according to Christ; so that the intellect guiding its path by it, may be able to attain what it desires, and to comprehend it, in so far as it is accessible to human nature to learn concerning the Word of God. 2. For without a pure mind and a modelling of the life after the saints, a man could not possibly comprehend the words of the saints. 3. For just as, if a man wished to see the light of the sun, he would at any rate wipe and brighten his eye, purifying himself in some sort like what he desires, so that the eye, thus becoming light, may see the light of the sun; or as, if a man would see a city or country, he at any rate comes to the place to see it;—thus he that would comprehend the mind of those who speak of God must needs begin by washing and cleansing his soul, by his manner of living, and approach the saints themselves by imitating their works; so that, associated with them in the conduct of a common life, he may understand also what has been revealed to them by God, and thenceforth, as closely knit to them, may escape the peril of the sinners and their fire at the day of judgment, and receive what is laid up for the saints in the kingdom of heaven, which “Eye hath not seen160    1 Cor. ii. 9., nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,” whatsoever things are prepared for them that live a virtuous life, and love the God and Father, in Christ Jesus our Lord: through Whom and with Whom be to the Father Himself, with the Son Himself, in the Holy Spirit, honour and might and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν ἔρευναν καὶ γνῶσιν ἀληθῆ, χρεία βίου καλοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς καθαρᾶς καὶ τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν ἀρετῆς, ἵνα δι' αὐτῆς ὁδεύσας ὁ νοῦς τυχεῖν ὧν ὀρέγεται καὶ καταλαβεῖν δυνηθῇ, καθ' ὅσον ἐφικτόν ἐστι τῇ ἀνθρώπων φύσει περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου μανθάνειν. Ἄνευ γὰρ καθαρᾶς διανοίας καὶ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους τοῦ βίου μιμήσεως, οὐκ ἄν τις καταλαβεῖν δυνηθείη τοὺς τῶν ἁγίων λόγους. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἴ τις ἐθελήσειεν ἰδεῖν τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου φῶς, πάντως τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἀποσμήχει καὶ λαμπρύνει, σχεδὸν ὅμοιον τῷ ποθουμένῳ ἑαυτὸν διακαθαίρων, ἵνα οὕτως φῶς γενόμενος ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου φῶς ἴδῃ, ἢ ὡς εἴ τις θελήσειεν ἰδεῖν πόλιν ἢ χώραν, πάν-τως ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἀφικνεῖται τῆς θέας ἕνεκεν· οὕτως ὁ θέλων τῶν θεολόγων τὴν διάνοιαν καταλαβεῖν, προαπονίψαι καὶ προαποπλῦναι τῷ βίῳ τὴν ψυχὴν ὀφείλει, καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀφικέσθαι τῇ ὁμοιότητι τῶν πράξεων αὐτῶν, ἵνα σὺν αὐτοῖς τῇ ἀγωγῇ τῆς συζήσεως γενόμενος, τὰ καὶ αὐτοῖς ἀποκαλυφθέντα παρὰ Θεοῦ κατανοήσῃ, καὶ λοιπὸν ὡς ἐκείνοις συναφθεὶς ἐκφύγῃ μὲν τὸν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κίνδυνον καὶ τὸ τούτων πῦρ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ἀπολάβῃ δὲ τὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποκείμενα ἐν τῇ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείᾳ, “ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, οὐδὲ οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπων ἀνέβη, ὅσα ἡτοίμασται τοῖς” κατ' ἀρετὴν βιοῦσι, καὶ “ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Θεὸν” καὶ Πατέρα, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ αὐτῷ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τῷ Υἱῷ ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, τιμὴ καὶ κράτος καὶ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.