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of him"; having worked, he obtained the rule, but the work was not from vice to virtue- "He committed" for "no sin"-, but the guarding of perfection; thus he was also king in respect to his humanity, the Word of God having the eternal and innate and essential kingdom, not <from> work or toil. And he comes "to the high oak", and since many of the trees and plants signify certain spiritual things, as the things in Isaiah which says: "With joy," it says, "you will go out, and with gladness you will be taught; for the mountains and the hills will leap up, receiving you with joy, and all the trees of the field will clap with their branches", which signifies nothing perceptible, but the departure of the refined, who depart not with weeping, but with joy. So a wicked person says, "If death is so bitter", but concerning Abram it is said that he slept and was gathered to his fathers, "nurtured in a good old age". So when the just depart from this life, "the mountains and the hills", <the> angels and the just, will receive them with joy, rejoicing together over the one sheep. And along with these, "all the trees of the field will clap", rejoicing, which are the rational beings in paradise. Then it says, "Instead of the nettle shall come up the cypress", instead of the fruitless and thorny, the useful and fragrant—for this is what the repentant person becomes—, "and instead of the flea-bane shall come up 216 the myrtle tree", the foul smell changing to a sweet fragrance. Since, therefore, we have trees taken spiritually, it is necessary also to consider the oak, to which Abram comes, under which, sitting, he was also deemed worthy of a vision, when he also received the promise concerning Isaac. Through works, therefore, and toils, advancing to the heights, he goes forward, partaking of the sweet fragrance and contemplation of high and divine thoughts. But you will also consider what is noted, that "the Canaanites were still dwelling in the land", whether we might understand that for one who is advancing, not everything is immediately liberated, but he has some things of his old habit—for this is what "still" signifies—, which you might understand concerning the followers of the holy one who are not yet perfect. xii, 7. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: To your seed I will give this land. And Abram built there an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him. Consistently, God appears to the one who has obeyed what was commanded by him, making him more certain with a good hope for the things expected; for he promises to give the land to his seed also. Consistently, the holy one also, being thankful, builds an altar to the one who proposed the promise. And let these things be said by way of interpretation. But it is worthwhile to contemplate "God appeared to Abram", for since God is invisible, as is demonstrated in the Gospel, which says "No one has ever seen God", and "Not that anyone has seen the Father", but also Paul saying about God: "Whom no one among men has seen or can see", which signifies what is invisible by nature. For some visible things we do not see, but we are able to see, even if this does not follow; those things are of a visible nature. But the invisible is not such because it is not seen, but because it is invisible it is not seen. It is clear, therefore, that seeing is twofold, the one according to sense, the other according to thought; and the one is perceptive of visible things, the other of invisible things, 217 which is a pure mind, according to which God appeared to Abram. And the passage has another observation. For it is not said, "Abram saw God", but "God appeared to Abram". For insofar as we relate to created nature and its weakness, the thing is not attainable; but insofar as we relate to the philanthropy of God, it becomes possible, as he through goodness gives himself over to be understood by him. But if ever instead of "appeared" the word "saw" is used, as in Isaiah: "I saw the Lord sitting" and what follows, we are taught from what happened to Abram that this happens when God gives himself. That seeing

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αὐτοῦ"6· ἐργασά- μενος ἔσχεν τὴν ἀρχήν, ἔργον δὲ οὐ τὸ ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετήν- "6Ἁμαρτίαν"6 γὰρ "6οὐκ ἐποίησεν"6-, ἀλλὰ τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς τελ̣ε̣ι̣ότητος· οὕτω καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον βασιλεὺς ἦν, τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τὴν ἀΐδιον καὶ σύμφυτον καὶ οὐσιώδη ἔχοντος βασιλείαν, οὐκ <ἐξ> ἔργου ἢ πόνου. Ἔρχεται δὲ καὶ "6ἐπὶ τὴν δρῦν τὴν ὑψηλήν"6, καὶ ἐπεὶ πολλὰ τῶν δένδρων καὶ φυτῶν νοητά τινα δηλοῖ, ὡς τὰ ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ λέγοντι· "6Ἐν χαρᾷ"6 φησιν "6ἐξελεύσεσθε καὶ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ διδαχθήσεσθε· τὰ γὰρ ὄρη καὶ οἱ βουνοὶ ἐξολου῀̣νται προσδεχόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἐν χαρᾷ καὶ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἐπικροτήσει τοῖς κλάδοις"6, ἅπερ οὐδὲν αἰσθητὸν σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔξοδον τῶν ἀστείων, οἳ οὐ μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ ἀπέρχονται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ χαρᾶς. Φαῦλος οὖν τίς φησιν· "6Εἰ οὕτω πικρὸς ὁ θάνατος"6, περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἀβρὰμ λέγεται ὅτι ἐκοιμήθη καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ, "6τραφεὶς ἐν γήρει καλῷ"6. Τῶν δικαίων οὖν ἀναχωρούντων τοῦ βίου, "6τὰ ὄρη καὶ οἱ βουνοί"6, <οἱ> ἄγγελοι καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι, προσδέξονται αὐτοὺς ἐν χαρᾷ, συγχαίροντα διὰ τὸ ἓν πρόβατον. Σὺν τούτοις δὲ "6καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ ἀγροῦ ξύλα ἐπικροτήσει"6 χαίροντα, ἅπερ ἐστὶν τὰ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ λογικά. Εἶτα λέγει· "6Ἀντὶ στοιβῆς ἀναβήσεται κυπάρισσος"6, ἀντὶ ἀκάρπου καὶ ἀκανθώδους χρήσιμον καὶ εὐῶδες-τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ μετανοῶν γίνεται-, "6καὶ ἀντὶ κονύζης ἀναβήσεται 216 μυρσίνη"6, τῆς δυσωδίας εἰς εὐωδίαν μεταβαλούσης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔχομεν δένδρα νοητῶς λαμβανόμενα, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ περὶ τῆς δρυὸς θεωρῆσαι, εἰς ἣν ὁ Ἀβρὰμ ἔρχεται, ὑφ' ἣν καθεζόμενος καὶ ὀπτασίας ἠξιώθη, ὅτε καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίαν ἐδέξατο. ∆ι' ἔργων οὖν καὶ πόνων ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη προκόπτων πρόεισιν μεταλαμβάνων εὐωδίας καὶ θεωρίας τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ θείων νοημάτων. Σκοπήσεις δὲ καὶ τὸ παρασημανθέν, ὅτι "6οἱ δὲ Χαναναῖοι ἔτι κατῴκουν τὴν γῆν"6, μήποτε δυνάμεθα νοῆσαι ὅτι τῷ προκόπτοντι οὐκ εὐθὺς ἅπαντα ἐλευθεροῦται, ἀλλ' ἔχει τινὰ καὶ τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας-τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ "6ἔτι"6 δηλοῖ-, ἅπερ ἂν νοήσειας περὶ τῶν ἀκολούθων τῷ ἁγίῳ μήπω τελείων τυγχανόντων. χιι, 7. Καὶ ὤφθη Κύριος τῷ Ἀβρὰμ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην. Καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ Ἀβρὰμ θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ ὀφθέντι αὐτῷ. Ἀκολούθως τῷ πειθαρχήσαντι τοῖς κελευομένοις ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιφαίνεται, ἐλπίδι ἀγαθῇ τῶν προσδο- κωμένων αὐτὸν βεβαιότερον ποιῶν· ἐπαγγέλλεται γὰρ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῷ δώσειν τὴν γῆν. Ἀκολούθως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἅγιος, εὐχάριστος ὤν, θυσιαστήριον οἰκοδομεῖ τῷ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν προτείναντι. Καὶ ταῦτα ὡς μεταφράσεως τρόπῳ εἰρήσθω. Ἄξιον δὲ θεωρῆσαι εἰς τὸ "6Ὤφθη ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβράμ"6, τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ ἀοράτου τυγχάνοντος, καθὰ τὰ ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ ἀποδείκνυται, λεγομένου "6Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε"6, καὶ τοῦ "6Οὐχ ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα ἑώρακέν τις"6, ἀλλὰ καὶ Παύλου λέγοντος περὶ Θεοῦ· "6Ὃν εἶδεν οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν δύναται"6, ὅπερ σημαίνει τὸ φύσει ἀόρατον. Ἔνια γὰρ τῶν ὁρατῶν οὐχ ὁρῶμεν, ἀλλὰ ἰδεῖν δυνάμεθα, κἂν μὴ ἀκολουθήσῃ δὲ τοῦτο· τῆς τῶν ὁρωμένων φύσεώς ἐστιν ἐκεῖνα· τὸ δὲ ἀόρατον οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀόρατον οὐχ ὁρᾶται. ∆ῆλον οὖν ὅτι τὸ ὁρᾶν δίττον, τὸ μὲν κατ' αἴσθησιν, τὸ δὲ κατὰ διάνοιαν· καὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν ὁρατῶν ἀντιλημπτικόν, τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀοράτων, 217 ὅπερ ἐστὶν νοῦς καθαρός, καθ' ὃν ὤφθη [ὁ] Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβράμ. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν παρατήρησιν ὁ λόγος. Οὐ γὰρ εἴρ[η]ται "3εἶδεν ὁ Ἀβρὰμ τὸ<ν> Θεόν"3, ἀλλ' "6ὤφθη ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβράμ"6. Ὅσον γὰρ ἦμεν πρὸς τὴν γενητὴνφύσιν καὶ τὸ ταύτης ἀσθενές, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐφικτὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα· ὅσον δὲ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν, δυνατὸν γίνεται, αὐτοῦ δι' ἀγαθότητος ἐπιδιδόντος ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατανόησιν. Εἰ δέ ποτε ἀντὶ τοῦ "6ὤφθη"6 τὸ "6εἶδεν"6 κεῖται ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ· "6Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον"6 καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, παιδευώμεθα ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβρὰμ γεγενη- μένου ὅτι, Θεοῦ ἐπιδιδόντος ἑαυτόν, τοῦτο γίνεται. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ ὁρᾶν