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strengthened by the fear of God; "the fear of the Lord surpasses all," and; "there is no want for those who fear him." "in this I hope." I am confident that this heart becomes all things to me. The virtues are the weapons of piety. "Let us put on the armor of light, let us put off the works of the flesh." The armor of light are the virtues, the pious thoughts, the mysteries and dogmas of truth. Fortified in this full armor, one fears no one, having a hope that does not disappoint. "In this" therefore "I hope," not simply in my understanding, but in that which is thus fortified. 4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek. God is the giver of many good things; for "he will give good things to those who ask him," and he fills their desire with his good things; for "who satisfies your desire with good things." One can therefore say more persuasively that these good things are the virtues according to kind, the mysteries of truth according to kind. When one has, so to speak, the genus of virtues, he has them all. Therefore he asks one request, all virtue. When one does not yet have approved virtues, he does not send up one request; for if he is progressing and becoming greater in other things, he again needs a request and does not ask one request. But he who sends up a prayer for all virtue and for the piety of the dogmas, sends up one. It is also possible to say this: the stages of progress are many. And these are signified by the name of the tabernacle, as has often been demonstrated. If, therefore, one is in some stage of progress and asks God to be a helper and an assistant, he does not remain in this request; for he passes from one stage of progress to another. He is becoming better than himself. Many are called tabernacles, but one is the house. Therefore, he who has come to perfection makes one request. "One thing" therefore "I have asked of the Lord." This is also possible: their help, so that they may be prepared for those who stir up war and the battle lines, is not sought as one request. They seek many kinds of help, military equipment, the strength of walls, constructions. But he who has God himself as a helper and asks for him, makes one request. "All in all" he becomes, so that each of the perfected has him as all things, as bread, as light, as teacher, as shepherd. "One thing" therefore "I have asked, this I will seek." He who says "I seek" and "I have asked" shows that he who is seeking and desiring to find does not yet have it. No one yet has perfection unless he reaches the very limit and end of virtue and of union with God. 4 That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. I did not begin to ask now, but even at the beginning I began for the sake of the end; for indeed he who begins a craft begins for the sake of the end of the craft. Those who have reached this dwell. "Blessed are all who dwell in your house." He who has the blessed life is in days, he is not in nights. And if ever he is in night, but begins to desire life, he gets out of the night. 4 To behold the delight of the Lord and to visit his temple. Just as I dwell all the days in the house of God, so on all days I behold the delight of the Lord and visit his temple. And the delight of the Lord is participation in him. And his temple is the state in which God is found, in which God dwells. Perfect virtue is the house of God. "But Christ as a son over his house, whose house we are," and; "do you not know that you are the temple of God"? Except that we might call virtue and complete holiness a house, and secondarily also faithful men. For this reason they become a house, because they have virtue and holiness. It is not virtue that is called the house of God from those who partake of it, but because of virtue those who share in it. The end in all things is especially described. But since this does not come about all at once, we call the things before the end, ends; for there are also ends before the end; "of all perfection

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ἐνδυναμουμένῃ θεικῷ φόβῳ· "φόβος κυρίου πάντα ὑπερέβαλεν", καί· "οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρη μα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν". "ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω". θαρρῶ ὅτι αὕτη ἡ καρδία ἀντὶ πάντων μοι γίνεται. αἱ ἀρεταὶ τὰ ὅπλα εἰσὶν τῆς εὐσεβείας. "ἐνδυσώμεθα ὅπλα φωτός, ἀποθώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός". τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτὸς αἱ ἀρεταί εἰσιν, αἱ εὐσεβεῖς νοήσεις, τῆς ἀληθείας μυστήρια καὶ δόγματα. ἐν ταύταις ταῖς παντευχίαις ἠσφαλισμένος οὐδένα δεδίττεται, τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἀκαταίσχυντον. "ἐν ταύτῃ" οὖν "ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω", οὐ τῇ νοήσει μου ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τῇ οὕτως ἠσφαλισμένῃ. 4 μίαν ᾐτησάμην παρὰ κυρίου, ταύτην ἐκζητήσω. πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ὁ θεὸς δοτήρ ἐστιν· "δώσει" γὰρ "ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν", καὶ ἐνπιμπλᾷ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἑαυτοῦ· "τὸν ἐμπινπλῶντα" γὰρ "ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν σου". δύναταί τις οὖν τῷ πιθανώτερον εἰπεῖν ὅτι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ταῦτα αἱ κατ' εἶδός εἰσιν ἀρεταί, τὰ κατ' εἶδος μυστήρια τῆς ἀληθείας. ὅταν τις οὖν αὐτό, ἵν' οὕτω εἴπω, τὸ γένος ἔχῃ τῶν ἀρετῶν, πάσας ἔχει. μίαν οὖν αἴτησιν αἰτεῖ, πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρετήν. ὅταν τις οὐκ ἔχῃ ἤδη εὐδοκιμούσας τὰς ἀρετάς, οὐ μίαν αἴτησιν ἀναπέμπει· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν ἐστὶν καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις μείζω γινόμενος, πάλιν χρῄζει αἰτήσεως καὶ οὐ μίαν αἴτησιν αἰτεῖ. ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ ὅλης τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας τῶν δογμάτων εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπων μίαν ἀναπέμπει. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· αἱ προκοπαὶ πολλαί εἰσιν. σημαίνονται δὲ αὗται τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς σκηνῆς, ὡς πολλάκις ἀποδέδεικται. ἐάν τις οὖν ἔν τινι προκοπῇ γένηται καὶ αἰτῆται θεὸν ἔχειν βοηθόν, ἔχειν καὶ ἐπίκουρον, οὐ μένει ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ αἰτήσει· μεταβαίνει γὰρ ἀπὸ προκοπῆς εἰς προκοπήν. ἐστὶν κρείττων ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος. σκηνώματα δὲ πολλὰ λέγεται, εἷς δὲ ὁ οἶκος. μίαν οὖν αἴτησιν αἰτεῖται ὁ εἰς τελειότητα ἐλθών. "μίαν" οὖν "αἰτησάμην παρὰ κυρίου". δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο· ἡ βοήθεια αὐτῶν, ἵνα παρεσκευασμένοι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπεγείροντας πόλεμον καὶ τὰς παρεμβολὰς δύνωνται, οὐ μίαν αἴτησιν αἰτεῖται. πολλὰς βοηθείας ζητοῦσιν, στρατιωτικὴν περιβολήν, τειχῶν ἐρυμνότητα, κατασκευάσματα. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν ἔχων βοηθὸν καὶ τοῦτον αἰτούμενος μίαν αἴτησιν αἰτεῖται. "πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν" γίνεται ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν τελειωθέντων ἔχειν αὐτὸν πάντα, ὡς ἄρτον, ὡς φῶς, ὡς διδάσκαλον, ὡς ποιμένα. "μίαν" οὖν "ᾐτησάμην, ταύτην ἐκζητῶ". ὁ λέγων "ἐκζητῶ" καὶ "ᾐτησάμην" δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὔπω ἔχει ὁ ἐκζητῶν καὶ ποθῶν εὑρεῖν. οὔπω δὲ οὐδεὶς ἔχει τὴν τελειότητα πλὴν εἰ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ τέρμα καὶ τὸ τέλος φθάσῃ τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς πρὸς θεὸν ἑνώσεως. 4 τοῦ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου. οὐ νῦν ἠρξάμην αἰτεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχόμενος τοῦ τέλους 102 ἕνεκα ἠρξάμην· καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀρχόμενος τέχνης διὰ τὸ τέλος τῆς τέχνης ἄρχεται. κατοικοῦσιν οἱ εἰς τοῦτον φθάσαντες. "μακάριοι πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου". ὁ ἔχων τὴν μακαρίαν ζωὴν ἐν ἡμέραις ἐστίν, ἐν νυξὶν οὐ γίνεται. κἄν ποτε ἐν νυκτὶ γένηται, ἀρχὴν δὲ λάβῃ τοῦ ποθῆσαι τὴν ζωήν, ἔξω γίνεται τῆς νυκτός. 4 τοῦ θεωρεῖν με τὴν τερπνότητα κυρίου καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθαι τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ. ὥσπερ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ κατοικῶ, οὕτως ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις θεωρῶ τὴν τερπνότητα κυρίου καὶ ἐπισκέπτομαι τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ. τερπνότης δὲ κυρίου ἐστὶν ἡ μετουσία αὐτοῦ. καὶ ναὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἡ κατάστασις, ἐν ᾗ θεὸς εὑρίσκεται, ἐν ᾗ θεὸς οἰκεῖ. ἡ τελεία ἀρετὴ οἶκός ἐστιν θεοῦ. "Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, οὗ οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς", καί· "οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε"; πλὴν εἰ καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν παντελῆ ἁγιότητα εἴπομεν οἶκον, δευτέρως δὲ καὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς ἀνθρώπους. διὰ τοῦτο οἶκος γίνονται, ὅτι ἔχουσιν τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν ἁγιότητα. οὐχ ἡ ἀρετὴ ἐκ τῶν μετεχόντων οἶκος λέγεται θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν οἱ κοινωνοῦντες αὐτῇ. τὸ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τέλος ὑπογράφεται μάλιστα. τῷ δὲ μὴ ἀθρόως τοῦτο παραγίνεσθαι, τὰ πρὸ τοῦ τέλους τέλη λέγομεν· εἰσὶν γὰρ καὶ τέλη πρὸ τέλους· "πάσης συντελείας