98

beautiful in his apparel, mighty with strength." For not even human apparel covered the divine beauty; but even clothed in this, he sent forth flashes from his beauty, so as to compel and charm those who see him to love. This the holy bride also says, speaking to him in the Song of Songs: "Your name is ointment poured out. Therefore have the maidens loved you, they have drawn you, after you they have run to the fragrance of your ointments." For youthful souls, partaking of your fragrance, run, longing to apprehend you; and as if held by a kind of chain by the fragrance, they do not endure to break the bond; for this is sweet and willingly placed upon them. With these the words of the divine Paul also agree: "For we are the aroma of Christ to those who are being saved and to those who are perishing, to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life." 31.20 Therefore, being taught by the divine scripture that he is beautiful, and has unspeakable wealth, and is a fountain of wisdom, and can do as much as he wishes, and uses immeasurable love for mankind, and causes rivers of gentleness to gush forth, and through all things wishes only to benefit men. And being taught the myriad kinds of benefits, beyond number, by the God-bearing men, they were wounded by the sweet arrows of love, and being members of the bride, they cry out with her: "We are wounded by love." For the great John cries out: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." And the prophet Isaiah prophesied future things as though they had already happened, saying: "He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his stripes we were healed," and all the other things he relates concerning the saving passions. Paul also preaches, crying out: "He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" And again: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him." 31.21 Finding these and similar things among those who have become servants of the divine Word, they receive from all sides the goads of divine love, and looking down on all things, they imagine the beloved, and before the hoped-for incorruption they have made the body spiritual. Let us too receive this love-potion, and being charmed by the beauty of the bridegroom, and desiring the promised good things, and revering the multitude of his benefits, and fearing the penalties for ingratitude, let us lovingly become guardians of his laws. For this is the definition of friendship, to love the same things, and to hate the same things; for this reason also he said to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you." And David said to him: "To me your friends have been greatly honored, O God." And again: "Have I not hated those who hate you, O Lord, and wasted away because of your enemies? I have hated them with a perfect hatred; they have become enemies to me." And elsewhere: "I have hated transgressors, but I have loved your law." And in another place: "How I have loved your law, O Lord! It is my meditation all the day." Therefore, a clear proof of love for God is the keeping of his divine laws; "For he who loves me will keep my commandments," said the Lord Christ, with whom to the Father be glory with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

98

ὡραῖος ἐν στολῇ αὐτοῦ, βία μετὰ ἰσχύος." Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπεία στολὴ τὸ θεῖον κατεκάλυψε κάλλος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην περιβεβλημένος, μαρμαρυγὰς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἀφίησιν, ὡς τοὺς ὁρῶντας βιάζεσθαι καὶ καταθέλγειν εἰς ἔρωτα. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ἁγία νύμφη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων διαλεγομένη φησί· "Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο νεάνιδες ἠγάπησάν σε, εἵλκυσάν σε, ὀπίσω σου εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων σου ἔδραμον." Αἱ γὰρ νεανικαὶ ψυχαί, τῆς σῆς εὐωδίας μεταλαμβάνουσαι, θέουσι καταλαβεῖν σε ποθοῦσαι· καὶ οἷον ἁλύσει τινὶ τῇ ὀσμῇ κατεχόμεναι, διαρρῆξαι τὸν δεσμὸν οὐκ ἀνέχονται· γλυκὺς γὰρ οὗτος καὶ ἐθελουσίως αὐταῖς περικείμενος. Τούτοις συμφωνεῖ καὶ τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου τὰ ῥήματα· "Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν." 31.20 Καὶ καλὸν τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς θείας γραφῆς διδασκόμενος, καὶ πλοῦτον ἄφραστον ἔχοντα, καὶ σοφίας ὄντα πηγήν, καὶ τοσαῦτα δυνάμενον ὅσα βούλεται, καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρώμενον ἀμετρήτῳ, καὶ ἡμερότητος ποταμοὺς ἀναβλύζοντα, καὶ διὰ πάντων εὐεργετεῖν μόνον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐθέλοντα. Καὶ τὰ μυρία καὶ ἀριθμοῦ κρείττονα τῶν εὐεργεσίων εἴδη ὑπὸ τῶν θεοφόρων ἀνδρῶν διδασκόμενοι, τοῖς γλυκέσι τῆς ἀγάπης ἐτρώθησαν βέλεσι, καὶ μέλη τῆς νύμφης ὄντες, μετ' ἐκείνης βοῶσι· "Τετρωμένοι ἀγάπης ἡμεῖς." Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μέγας Ἰωάννης βοᾷ· "Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου." Ὁ δὲ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας ὡς γεγενημένα τὰ ἐσόμενα προεθέσπισε λέγων· "Αὐτὸς ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ' αὐτόν· τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν", καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα περὶ τῶν σωτηρίων παθῶν διεξέρχεται. Κηρύττει καὶ Παῦλος βοῶν· "Ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσηται;" Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν· δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ θεῷ· τὸν γὰρ μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη ἐν αὐτῷ." 31.21 Ταῦτα καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα παρὰ τοῖς ὑπηρέταις τοῦ θείου λόγου γεγενημένοις εὑρίσκοντες, δέχονται πανταχόθεν τῆς θείας ἀγάπης τὰ κέντρα, καὶ πάντων ὑπερφρονοῦντες φαντάζονται τὸν ἐρώμενον, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐλπιζομένης ἀφθαρσίας τὸ σῶμα πνευματικὸν ἀπετέλεσαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ φίλτρον δεξώμεθα, καὶ τῷ κάλλει τοῦ νυμφίου καταθελγόμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐφιέμενοι, καὶ τὸ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἐντρεπόμενοι πλῆθος, καὶ τὰς τῆς ἀχαριστίας δεδιότες εὐθύνας, ἀγαπῶντες δὲ φύλακες αὐτοῦ τῶν νόμων γενώμεθα. Οὗτος γὰρ ὅρος φιλίας, τὸ ταὐτὰ φιλεῖν, καὶ ταὐτὰ μισεῖν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἔλεγεν· "Εὐλογήσω τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε, καὶ τοὺς καταρωμένους σε καταράσομαι." Καὶ ὁ ∆αβὶδ πρὸς αὐτόν· "Ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ θεός." Καὶ πάλιν· "Οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε, κύριε, ἐμίσησα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐξετηκόμην; Τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτούς, εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐγένοντό μοι." Καὶ ἑτέρωθι· "Παρανόμους ἐμίσησα, τὸν δὲ νόμον σου ἠγάπησα." Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· "Ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, κύριε, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελέτη μού ἐστιν." Ἐναργὲς οὖν τεκμήριον τῆς περὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀγάπης, τῶν θείων αὐτοῦ νόμων ἡ τήρησις· "Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν με τὰς ἐντολάς μου φυλάξει", εἶπεν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.