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he puts forth. Praying, I cried to you, going away again, that you might hear this voice, which I cried out to you. For not everyone who cries out according to the inner man cries out to God, but the one who says the things of God, the one who brings a request to him. The Sodomites also cry out, but not to God: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has multiplied and their sins are very great." And concerning the Ninevites it is said that: "the cry of their wickedness has gone up," the multitude of their wickedness. And in Isaiah: "I waited for it to do justice, but it made a cry." The cry of the Sodomites, therefore, is an intensification of wickedness. But the one who prays cries out to God when he uses an intense voice, when he prays for great things, not for paltry and contemptible things, the one asking that good things be given to him. And the other evangelist interpreted "the good things" as the Holy Spirit; for writing on the same topic, Matthew says: "he will give good things to those who ask him," Luke: "he will give the Holy Spirit." And the Spirit, being one, is a multitude of good things according to its various gifts; for he who has the Holy Spirit has the gifts of the Spirit, which are many good things. And in essence it is one, but in concepts, many good things. Just as God is also one in essence. But he is also called many things according to different concepts: good, unchangeable, unalterable, source, light; and again the Savior, likewise being one in substance, is called life, truth. "Ask," he says, "for the great things, and the small things will be added to you." So that he who asks for small things speaks to God, but not with an intense voice. "Ask," he says, "for the heavenly things, and the earthly things will be added to you." He therefore who primarily sends up a prayer for perceptible things does not cry out to God; he speaks gently to him. But he who asks for those things which are truly great and heavenly and deifying cries out to God. And the thought is the cry. 7-8 Have mercy on me and hear me, my heart said to you. My mind said to you: I ask for mercy from you. My heart expects mercy from you and says to you, "hear me." These things are reciprocal to each other: he who is shown mercy by God is heard, and he who is heard is shown mercy. It is not possible, therefore, to say one is before the other. But hearing precedes having mercy. But not always chronologically prior. And just as it is not possible to speak of a surface before a color nor a color before a surface. If there is color, there is a surface. If there is a surface, it has been colored. The surface is preconceived. 110 There must be a surface, so that there can be color. But I take "must" not according to time, but according to thought. "My heart said to you." It signifies persons. In every utterance the three persons are signified: the one speaking, and the one to whom he speaks, and the one about whom he speaks. Therefore, the one now reporting is the person of the one praying. And he reports the supplication to no other than to God. 8 I have sought out your face. My heart which says: "Have mercy and hear me." I did not seek before now. your face, not only now have I besought the saying: "Show your face and we will be saved." And it signifies an intense seeking, if I have sought out. 8 Your face, Lord, I will seek. My heart will seek your face, Lord. Even if I "sought out" and had it shining on me, yet I do not stop at this. Again I seek it out. 9 Do not turn your face from me. The eye that is healthy and preserves its faculty of sight, when light is present, has a longing for it, it is never sated with it; for light is insatiable to the eyes; "it is sweet to the eyes," as Ecclesiastes says. But no one gets their fill of what is sweet. There are sweet things that produce satiety, such as the sweetness from honey. But that which is from light has no satiety, especially when the sight has its proper excellence. Hence, from perceptible things to intelligible things: the eye or the eyes of the inner man are never sated nor do they get their fill of the face of God; for appearing, it always illuminates and increases the longing. "was marked" therefore "upon

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προτείνει. εὐχόμενος ἐβόησα πρὸς σὲ πάλιν ἀπιών, ἵνα εἰσακούσῃς ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς, ἧς πρὸς σὲ ἐκέκραξα. οὐ πᾶς γὰρ ὁ κράζων κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον πρὸς θεὸν κράζει, ἀλλὰ ὁ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγων, ὁ αἴτησιν πρὸς αὐτὸν προσάγων. κράζουσιν καὶ Σοδομ̣ῖται, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· "κραυγὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρων πεπλήθυνται καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα". καὶ περὶ Νινευιτῶν λέγεται ὅτι· "ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν", τὸ πλῆθος τῆς κακίας. καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσαίᾳ· "ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι δικαιοσύνην, ἐποίησεν δὲ κραυγήν". ἐπίτασις οὖν κακίας ἐστὶν ἡ κραυγὴ Σοδομιτῶν. κράζει δὲ πρὸς θεὸν ὁ εὐχόμενος ὅταν ἐπιτεταμένην φωνήν, ὅταν περὶ μεγάλων εὔχηται, οὐ περὶ εὐτελῶν καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτων, ὁ αἰτούμενος ἵνα δοθῇ αὐτῷ ἀγαθά. τὰ δὲ ἀγαθὰ ἑρμήνευσεν ὁ ἕτερος εὐαγγελιστὴς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· τὸν αὐτὸν γὰρ τόπον γράφοντες ὁ μὲν Μαθαῖος λέγει· "δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν", ὁ Λουκᾶς· "δώσει πνεῦμα ἅγιον". τὸ πνεῦμα δὲ ἓν ὂν κατὰ τὰ διάφορα αὐτοῦ χαρίσματα πλῆθος ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν· ὁ γὰρ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἔχων ἔχει τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγαθὰ ὄντα πλείονα. καὶ τῇ μὲν οὐσίᾳ ἕν ἐστιν, ταῖς δὲ ἐπινοίαις πολλὰ ἀγαθά. ὡς καὶ ὁ θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν κατ' οὐσίαν. λέγεται δὲ καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους ἐπινοίας πολλά· ἀγαθός, ἄτρεπτος, ἀναλλοίωτος, πηγή, φῶς· καὶ πάλιν ὁ σωτὴρ ὡσαύτως εἷς ὢν κατ' ὑποκείμενον λέγεται ζωή, ἀλήθεια. "αἰτεῖτε", φησίν, "τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται". ὥστε ὁ μικρὰ αἰτούμενος λέγει μὲν πρὸς θεόν, οὐκ ἐπιτεταμένην δὲ φωνήν. "αἰτεῖτε", φησίν, "τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια ὑμῖν προστεθήσεται". ὁ περὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν οὖν προηγουμένως εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπων οὐ κράζει πρὸς τὸν θεόν· ἠρέμα πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει. ὁ δὲ αἰτούμενος ἐκεῖνα ἀληθῶς μεγάλα καὶ ἐπουράνια καὶ θεοποιοῦντα κράζει πρὸς θεόν. ἡ νόησις δέ ἐστιν ἡ κραυγή. 7-8 ἐλέησόν με καὶ εἰσάκουσόν μου, σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου. ὁ νοῦς μου σοὶ εἶπεν· τὸν ἔλεον παρὰ σοῦ αἰτῶ. ἡ καρδία μου τὸν ἔλεον παρὰ σοῦ προσδοκᾷ καὶ λέγει σοὶ ὅτι "ἐπάκουσόν μου". ταῦτα ἀντιστρέφει πρὸς ἑαυτά· ὁ ἐλεώμενος ὑπὸ θεοῦ εἰσακούεται καὶ ὁ εἰσακουόμενος ἐλεᾶται. οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν θάτερον πρὸ θατέρου εἰπεῖν. προηγεῖται δὲ τοῦ ἐλεῆσαι τὸ εἰσακοῦσαι. οὐ πάντως δὲ χρόνῳ πρότερον. καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιφάνειαν πρὸ χρώματος εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ χρῶμα πρὸ ἐπιφανείας. εἰ ἔστιν χρῶμα, ἔστιν ἐπιφάνεια. εἰ ἔστιν ἐπιφάνεια, κέχρωσται. προεπινοεῖται ἡ ἐπιφάνεια. 110 δεῖ ἐπιφάνειαν εἶναι, ἵν' οὕτω χρῶμα. τὸ δὲ "δεῖ" οὐ κατὰ χρόνον λαμβάνω, ἀλλὰ κατὰ νόησιν. "σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου". πρόσωπα σημαίνει. κατὰ πᾶν ῥῆμα τὰ τρία πρόσωπα σημαίνεται, τὸ λέγον, καὶ πρὸς ὃ λέγει, καὶ περὶ οὗ λέγει. πρόσωπον οὖν ἐστιν τοῦ εὐχομένου τὸ νῦν ἀπαγγέλλον. ἀπαγγέλλει δὲ τὴν δέησιν οὐκ ἄλλῳ ἢ τῷ θεῷ. 8 ἐξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου. ἡ καρδία μου ἡ λέγουσα· "ἐλέησον καὶ εἰσάκουσόν μου". οὐ νῦν πρότερον ἐζήτησά. σου τὸ πρόσωπον, οὐ νῦν μόνον παρεκάλεσα τό· "ἐπίφανον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ σωθησόμεθα". ἐπιτεταμένην δὲ ζήτησιν σημαίνει, εἰ ἐξεζήτησα. 8 τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, κύριε, ζητήσω. ἡ καρδία μου τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, κύριε, ζητήσει. εἰ καὶ "ἐξεζήτησα" καὶ ἔσχον αὐτὸ καταλάμπον με, ἀλλ' οὐ παύομαι μέχρι τούτου. πάλιν ἐκζητῶ αὐτό. 9 μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁ ὑγιαίνων καὶ σῴζων τὴν ὁρατικὴν ἀρετήν, ὅτε πάρεστιν φῶς ἐστιν, πόθον αὐτοῦ ἔχει, οὐ κορέννυται αὐτοῦ ποτε· ἀκόρεστον γὰρ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐστιν τὸ φῶς· "γλυκύ ἐστιν ὀφθαλμοῖς", ὡς ὁ ἐκκλησιαστὴς λέγει. οὐδεὶς δὲ τοῦ γλυκέος κόρον λαμβάνει. ἔστιν γλυκέα τὰ τίκτοντα κόρον, οἷον ἡ ἐκ μέλιτος γλυκύτης. ἡ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ φωτὸς οὐκ ἔχει κό ρον, μάλιστα, ὅταν ἔχῃ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετὴν ἡ ὄψις. λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐπὶ τὰ νοητά· ὁ τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου ὀφθαλμὸς ἢ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ οὐδέποτε κορέννυνται οὐδὲ κόρον λαμβάνουσιν τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐπιφαινόμενον γὰρ ἀεὶ φωτίζει καὶ αὐξάνει καὶ τὸν πόθον. "ἐσημειώθη" γοῦν "ἐφ'