Maximus the Confessor, PG 91AGI

a state filled with good. Therefore, everyone who neglects this disposition according to the old Israel, (14__530> is dragged down again to the slavery of the passions, being deprived of the freedom that was given.

2.49 (μθ΄) It should be noted that none of the saints appears to have gone down to Babylonia voluntarily. For it is not lawful, nor is it of rational understanding, for those who love God to choose worse things instead of good things. But if some of them were brought there with the people by force, we understand through these the ones who not by prior design, but by circumstance, for the sake of the salvation of those needing 1148 guidance, having left the higher logos of knowledge and pursuing the teaching concerning the passions; according to which the great Apostle also judged it more profitable to be in the flesh; that is, in ethical teaching, for the sake of the disciples; though having the whole desire to depart from ethical teaching and to be with Christ, through supramundane and simple contemplation according to the intellect.

2.50 (ν΄) Just as the blessed David gave rest to Saul when he was being choked by the evil spirit, by playing the harp; so also every spiritual word, sweetened with gnostic contemplations, gives rest to the epileptic mind, freeing it from the evil conscience that chokes it.

2.51 (να΄) Ruddy with beautiful eyes, according to the great David, is he who has the word of knowledge shining together with the brightness of a life according to God; according to which both practice and contemplation consist; the one, being made brilliant by the ways of the virtues; the other, being illumined by divine thoughts.

2.52 (νβ΄) The kingdom of Saul is an image of the bodily worship of the law; which the Lord abolished, as having perfected nothing. For, he says, the law perfected nothing. But the kingdom of the great David is a prefiguration of the evangelical worship; for it perfectly contains all the desires in the heart of God.

(14__532> 2.53 (νγ΄) Saul is the natural law; who at the beginning was allotted by the Lord to rule over nature. Since he transgressed the commandment through disobedience, sparing Agag, king of Amalek; that is, the body; and slid down towards the passions; he is cast out of the kingdom, so that David may receive Israel; that is, the law of the Spirit, who begets the peace that manifestly builds for God the temple of contemplation.

2.54 (νδ΄) Samuel is interpreted as obedience to God. Therefore, as long as the logos serves as a priest in us according to obedience, even if Saul spares Agag; that is, the earthly mind; nevertheless, the priest Logos, being zealous, will kill him, and strikes, putting to shame, the sin-loving mind, as a transgressor of the divine ordinances.

2.55 (νε΄) When the mind, becoming high-minded, should cease to inquire through 1149 fitting investigation about what should and should not be done, from the teaching word that anointed it against the passions, it is certainly captured by the passions out of ignorance; through which, being partially separated from God, in involuntary circumstances it resorts to demons, deifying the belly; wishing to find from there consolation for its afflictions. And let Saul persuade you, who in all things did not take Samuel as a counselor, of necessity turning to idolatry, and enduring to consult the Ventriloquist as if she were some God.

2.56 (νστ΄) He who prays to receive the supersubstantial bread, does not in every case receive the whole as the bread itself is; but as the receiver himself is able. For the bread of life, as one who loves mankind, gives himself to all who ask, but not in the same way to all; but to those who have done great works of righteousness, more, and to those who have done less than these, less; to each as his worthiness according to the intellect is able to receive.

ἀγαθοῦ πεπληρωμένη κατάστασις. Πᾶς οὖν ὁ ταύτης κατά τόν παλαιόν Ἰσραήλ ἀμελῶν τῆς ἕξεως, (14__530> πρός δουλείαν πάλιν κατασύρεται παθῶν, τῆς δοθείσης ἐλευθερίας στερούμενος.

2.49 (μθ΄) Σημειωτέον, ὡς οὐδείς τῶν ἁγίων ἑκουσίως φαίνεται κατελθών εἰς τήν Βαβυλωνίαν. Οὐ γάρ θέμις, οὔτε συνέσεώς ἐστι λογικῆς, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνθαιρεῖσθαι τά χείρονα, τούς τόν Θεόν ἀγαπῶντας. Εἰ δέ τινες αὐτῶν κατά βίαν ἐκεῖ τῷ λαῷ συναπήχθησαν, νοοῦμεν διά τούτων τούς μή προηγουμένως, ἀλλά κατά περίστασιν, σωτηρίας ἕνεκεν τῶν χρῃζόντων 1148 χειραγωγίας, ἀφέντας τόν ὑψηλότερον τῆς γνώσεως λόγον, καί τήν περί παθῶν μετερχομένους διδασκαλίαν· καθ᾿ ἥν καί ὁ μέγας Ἀπόστολος ἐν σαρκί λυσιτελέστερον ἔκρινεν εἶναι· τουτέστι, τῇ ἡθικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, διά τούς μαθητάς· ὅλον ἔχων τόν πόθον ἀναλῦσαι τῆς ἠθικῆς διδασκαλίας, καί σύν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι, διά τῆς κατά νοῦν ὑπερκοσμίου καί ἁπλῆς θεωρίας.

2.50 (ν΄) Ὥσπερ πνιγόμενον τῷ πονηρῷ πνεύματι τόν Σαούλ, ψάλλων μετά τῆς κιννύρας ἀνέπαυεν ὁ μακάριος ∆αβίδ· οὕτω καί πᾶς λόγος πνευματικός, γνωστικοῖς ἡδυνόμενος θεωρήμασιν, ἀναπαύει τόν ἐπιληπτευόμενον νοῦν, τῆς πνιγούσης αὐτόν πονηρᾶς ἐλευθερῶν συνειδήσεως.

2.51 (να΄) Πυῤῥάκης μετά κάλλους ὀφθαλμῶν ἐστι κατά τόν μέγα ∆αβίδ, ὁ τῷ φαιδρῷ τοῦ κατά Θεόν βίου, τόν τῆς γνώσεως λόγον ἔχων συνεπιλάμποντα· καθ᾿ οὕς ἡ πρᾶξίς τε καί ἡ θεωρία συνεστήκασιν· ἡ μέν, ἀρετῶν λαμπρυνομένη τρόποις· ἡ δέ, θείοις φωτιζομένη νοήμασιν.

2.52 (νβ΄) Ἡ μέν τοῦ Σαούλ βασιλεία, τῆς σωματικῆς τοῦ νόμου λατρείας ἐστίν εἰκών· ἥν ὁ Κύριος κατήργησεν, ὡς μηδέν τελειώσασαν. Οὐδέν γάρ, φησίν, ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος. Ἡ δέ τοῦ μεγάλου ∆αβίδ βασιλεία, τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ἐστι λατρείας προδιατύπωσις· πάντα γάρ τά ἐν καρδίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ θελήματα τελείως περιέχει.

(14__532> 2.53 (νγ΄) Ὁ Σαούλ, ὁ φυσικός ἐστι νόμος· ὁ κατ᾿ ἀρχάς κυριεύειν τῆς φύσεως παρά τοῦ Κυρίου λαχών. Ὅς ἐπειδή παρέβη τήν ἐντολήν διά παρακοῆς, φεισάμενος τοῦ Ἀγάγ βασιλέως Ἀμαλήκ· τουτέστι τοῦ σώματος· καί πρός τά πάθη κατώλισθεν· ἐξωθεῖται τῆς βασιλείας, ἵνα παραλάβῃ τόν Ἰσραήλ ὁ ∆αβίδ· τουτέστιν ὁ νόμος τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὁ γεννῶν τήν εἰρήνην τήν οἰκοδομοῦσαν περιφανῶς τῷ Θεῷ τόν τῆς θεωρίας ναόν.

2.54 (νδ΄) Σαμουήλ ὑπακοή Θεοῦ ἑρμηνεύεται. Οὐκοῦν ἕως ἄν καθ᾿ ὑπακοήν ὁ λόγος ἐν ἡμῖν ἱερατεύῃ, κἄν φείσηται τοῦ Ἀγάγ ὁ Σαούλ· τουτέστι, τοῦ χοϊκοῦ φρονήματος· ἀλλ᾿ οὖν ἀποκτενεῖ τοῦτον ζηλώσας ὁ ἱερεύς Λόγος, καί πλήττει καταισχύνων τόν φιλαμαρτήμονα νοῦν, ὡς παραβάτην τῶν θείων δικαιωμάτων.

2.55 (νε΄) Ἐπάν ὁ νοῦς ὑψηλοφρονήσας, τόν κατά παθῶν αὐτόν χρίσαντα τῆς διδασκαλίας λόγον, διά τῆς 1149 προσηκούσης ἐρεύνης ἐπερωτῶν περί τῶν ποιητέων καί οὐ ποιητέων παύσαιτο, τοῖς πάθεσι πάντως ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἁλίσκεται· δι᾿ ὧν κατά μέρος τοῦ Θεοῦ χωριζόμενος, ἐν ταῖς ἀκουσίοις περιστάσεσι προσχωρεῖ τοῖς δαίμοσι, τήν κοιλίαν θεοποιῶν· ἐκεῖθεν εὑρέσθαι θέλων τῶν πιεζόντων παράκλησιν. Καί πειθέτω σε Σαούλ, ἐν πᾶσι σύμβουλον μή λαμβάνων τόν Σαμουήλ, ἐξ ἀνάγκης πρός εἰδωλολατρίαν μεταστρεφόμενος, καί τήν Ἐγγαστρίμυθον ὡς δή τινα Θεόν ἐπερωτᾷν ἀνεχόμενος.

2.56 (νστ΄) Ὁ τόν ἄρτον εὐχόμενος λαβεῖν τόν ἐπιούσιον, οὐ πάντως ὅλον δέχεται καθώς αὐτός ὁ ἄρτος ἐστίν· ἀλλά καθώς αὐτός ὁ δεχόμενος δύναται. Πᾶσι μέν γάρ ἑαυτόν δίδωσι τοῖς αἰτοῦσι ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἄρτος ὡς φιλάνθρωπος, οὐ κατά τό αὐτό δέ πᾶσιν· ἀλλά τοῖς μὲν μεγάλα δικαιοσύνης ἔργα πεποιηκόσι, πλείονως τοῖς δέ τούτων ἥττοσιν, ἡττόνως· ἑκάστῳ καθώς ἡ κατά νοῦν ἀξία δέξασθαι δύναται.