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Having fallen from the Kingdom, I speak of the vision of You, Savior, what other salvation, (110) what comfort or in what other place will we be able to find? Truly nowhere, not at all, even if it seems foolish to some, for foolish is the one who says this. But someone perhaps answering will say these things: How outside the Kingdom, how outside the bridal chamber and the choir of the righteous will there not be another place of salvation or of rest? Fool, said love, do you not hear that Adam in paradise, your forefather, by transgressing one commandment, was stripped of divine glory, and Eve with him were immediately banished from paradise, receiving in exchange for pleasure, oh, death wretchedly and a life full of sweat and toils, alas, and being justly appointed by Him to live and to die? Thus understand for me also then, when the judgment comes, that whoever should be found truly stripped of divine glory like him, will immediately be driven out of paradise, yes indeed, and of the kingdom and of the heavenly bridal chamber (111). And even if he does not have sin, but is without virtues, he stands stripped bare. And of all virtues the first, queen and lady, is truly love.

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Βασιλείας ἐκπεσόντες, τῆς σῆς θέας λέγω, Σῶτερ, ποίαν ἄλλην σωτηρίαν, (110) ποίαν δέ παραμυθίαν ἤ ἐν ποίῳ ἄλλῳ τόπῳ δυνηθῶμεν ἐφευρέσθαι; Ὄντως οὐδαμοῦ οὐδ᾿ ὅλως κἄν δοκῇ τισιν ἀφρόνως, ἄφρων γάρ ὁ τοῦτο λέγων. Ἀλλ᾿ ἀποκριθείς τις ἴσως ἐρεῖ ταῦτα˙ Πῶς ἐκτός τῆς βασιλείας, πῶς ἐκτός δέ τοῦ νυμφῶνος καί χοροῦ τοῦ τῶν δικαίων ἄλλος τόπος σωτηρίας ἤ ἀνέσεως οὐκ ἔσται; Ἄφρων, εἶπεν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐκ ἀκούεις, ὅτι μίαν ὁ Ἀδάμ ἐν παραδείσῳ ἐντολήν, ὁ σός προπάτωρ, παραβάς ἀπεγυμνώθη δόξης θείας, καί ἡ Εὔα σύν αὐτῷ τοῦ παραδείσου ἐξωρίσθησαν εὐθέως, ἡδονῆς ἀντιλαβόντες ὤ τόν θάνατον ἀθλίως καί τόν ἱδρώτων γέμοντα καί πόνων, οἴμοι, βίον, καί ζῆν καί θνῄσκειν παρ᾿ αὐτῷ δικαίως ὁρισθέντες; Οὕτως νόει μοι καί τότε, ὅτε γένηται ἡ κρίσις, ὅτι ὅς ἄν εὑρεθείη δόξης θείας ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἀληθῶς γεγυμνωμένος, ἔξω τε τοῦ παραδείσου, ναί δή, καί τῆς βασιλείας καί τοῦ νυμφῶνος οὐρανίου (111) ἐλαθήσεται εὐθέως. Κἄν ἁμάρτημα μή ἔχῃ, ἀρετῶν δ᾿ ὑπάρχῃ δίχα, ἵσταται γεγυμνωμένος. Ἀρετῶν πασῶν δέ πρώτη, βασιλίς τε καί κυρία ἔστιν ὄντως ἡ ἀγάπη.