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self-condemned. For it is clear that in the sacred teachers the condition of those who approach is also revealed. But others understood the phrase "after a first and second admonition" thus, as meaning, after the teaching from the Old and New Testament.

"For he was accustomed to this": Note that the apostolic tradition handed down the nocturnal canons of psalmody.

"Without turmoil": The negative particle "not" must be construed with "without turmoil," so that the whole is as follows: He rises, not having enjoyed many sleeps, because they are interrupted, (15∆_452> nor being without turmoil, because his sleeps are also interrupted.

"He was asking of God by some fiery whirlwind": A fiery whirlwind is a spiral motion of fiery air from above to below. And such a thing burns, whence it is also said from the verb to burn.

"Of countless ones in human form": Note that angels also appear to the saints in human form.

"By their own feet": Note the phrase "by the instability of their own feet," which indicates the instability of their will; for not willing it, they were not falling.

"Into the chasm": Note how the devil casts men into the outer darkness, which here he calls a chasm, that is, an abyss, either deceiving or pushing those who are persuaded by him. And sometimes he even takes licentious men as his collaborators in the deception of others, as also the idolater who was now deceived, about whom is the account. Therefore in the vision he also sees men among the serpents, that is, the demons, dragging those who have been conquered by the devil, from whom may the Lord deliver us.

"By the evil": Note the phrase "by the evil," that is, of sin, which we say is properly evil, born in the will. But the phrase "unwillingly and forced" should not be understood as some compelling power, that is, the devil, as seems to the Manichaeans and Messalians; but that by being persuaded to do evil, we give place to the deceiver to continually attack us, taking his strength from us against us; but he will be powerless if we are not persuaded, because the help of God is near us, taking hold with us, as what follows indicates.

"And to stretch out a good hand": Note the ineffable compassion of the Lord.

"His hand already being stretched forth": That is, the hand of Carpus. (15∆_454> "Not others": That is, of those who crucify, says to Carpus the

Lord. "Of good and philanthropic ones": Note that the Lord Himself also calls good and

philanthropic the angels. ON THE NINTH EPISTLE § 1. This Saint Titus is the one known to the Apostle, whom also of Crete

he appointed bishop, as the Epistle written to him, Titus, by the divine Paul says.

"But in the Symbolical": What the "Symbolical Theology" of the great Dionysius contains.

"They wipe off upon": To wipe off upon is to impress and cast something into one's own mind, from the metaphor of painters, who, paying attention to the truth, paint the icons. And he calls the prophets "fathers of the ineffable wisdom."

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αὐτοκατάκριτος. ∆ῆλον γάρ, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς διδασκάλοις ἀποκαλύπτεται καί ἡ τῶν προσιόντων κατάστασις. Ἕτεροι δέ, τό «μετά πρώτην καί δευτέραν νουθεσίαν», οὕτως ἐνόμισαν, ἀντί τοῦ, μετά τήν ἐκ τῆς Παλαιᾶς καί Νέας ∆ιαθήκης διδασκαλίαν.

«Εἰώθει γάρ εἰς τόνδε»: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι ἡ ἀποστολική παράδοσις τούς νυκτερινούς τῶν ψαλμῳδιῶν κανόνας παρέδωκεν.

«Ἔξω ταραχῆς»: Τό «οὐ» ἀρνητικόν μόριον πρός τό «ἔξω ταραχῆς» συντακτέον, ἵνα ᾖ τό ὅλον τοιοῦτον· ∆ιανίσταται, οὐδέ τῶν ὕπνων πολλῶν ὄντων, διά τό ἐγκόπτεσθαι αὐτούς, ἀπολαύσας, (15∆_452> οὐδέ ἔξω ταραχῆς ὑπάρχων, διά τό καί τούς ὕπνους ἐγκόπτεσθαι.

«Ἐδεῖτο τοῦ Θεοῦ πρηστῆρί τινι»: Πρηστήρ ἐστιν ἑλικοειδής κίνησις ἄνωθεν κάτω ἀέρος διαπύρου. Καίει δέ τό τοιοῦτον, ὅθεν καί παρά τό πιμπρᾷν λέγεται.

«Ἀπείρων ἀνθρωποειδῶς»: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι καί ἀνθρωποειδῶς τοῖς ἁγίοις ἄγγελοι ἐπιφαίνονται.

«Ὑπό τῆς τῶν οἰκείων ποδῶν»: Σημείωσαι τό «ὑπό τῆς τῶν οἰκείων ποδῶν ἀστασίας», ὅ δηλοί τό εὐπαράφορον τῆς προαιρέσεως μή βουλόμενοι γάρ, οὐκ ἔπιπτον.

«Εἰς τό ἀχανές»: Σημείωσαι, πῶς ὁ διάβολος ρίπτει τούς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τό σκότος τό ἐξώτερον, ὅπερ ἐνταῦθα ἀχανές καλεῖ, τουτέστι βάραθρον, ἤ ἀπατῶν ἤ ὠθῶν τούς πειθομένους αὐτῷ. Ἔστι δέ ὅτε καί ἀσελγεῖς ἀνθρώπους συνεργούς αὐτοῦ λαμβάνει εἰς τήν ἑτέρων ἀπάτην, ὡς καί τόν εἰδωλολάτρην ἐπί τοῦ νῦν ἀπατηθέντα, περί οὗ ὁ λόγος. ∆ιό καί ἐν τῇ ὀπτασίᾳ ἄνδρας ὁρᾷ μεταξύ τῶν ὄφεων, τουτέστι τῶν δαιμόνων, ἕλκοντας τούς ὑπό τοῦ διαβόλου νικηθέντας, ὧν ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος ἐλευθερῶσοι.

«Ὑπό τοῦ κακοῦ»: Σημείωσαι τό «ὑπό τοῦ κακοῦ», τουτέστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὅπερ κυρίως κακόν ἐν προαιρέσει τικτόμενόν φαμεν. Τό δέ «ἄκοντες καί βιαζόμενοι» μή ἀναγκαστικήν τίνα δύναμιν, τουτέστι τόν διάβολον νοητέον, ὡς Μανιχαίοις καί Μεσαλιανοῖς δοκεῖ· ἀλλ' ὅτι πειθόμενοι τό κακόν πρᾶξαι, τῷ ἀπατῶντι χώραν διδόαμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιτίθεσθαι, ἐξ ἡμῶν καθ' ἡμῶν λαμβάνοντα τήν ἰσχύν· ἀδυνατήσει δέ, μή πειθομένων ἡμῶν, ἐπειδή ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἡ βοήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεπιλαμβανομένη, ὡς δηλοῖ τά ἑξῆς.

«Καί χεῖρα ἀγαθήν ὀρέγειν»: Σημείωσαι τήν ἄφατον τοῦ Κυρίου εὐσπλαγχνίαν.

«Τῆς χειρός ἤδη προτεταμένης»: Τῆς χειρός τοῦ Κάρπου δηλονότι. (15∆_454> «Μή ἄλλων»: Τῶν σταυρούντων δηλαδή, τῷ Κάρπῳ φησιν ὁ

Κύριος. «Ἀγαθῶν καί φιλανθρώπων»: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι καί αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἀγαθούς καί

φιλανθρώπους καλεῖ τούς ἀγγέλους. ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ Θ' § 1. Ὁ ἅγιος Τίτος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ γνώριμος, ὅν καί Κρήτης

κατέστησεν ἐπίσκοπον, ὡς ἡ πρός αὐτόν Τίτον γραφεῖσα Ἐπιστολή παρά τοῦ θείου Παῦλου φησίν.

«Ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ Συμβολικῇ»: Τί περιέχει ἡ «Συμβολική θεολογία» τοῦ μεγάλου ∆ιονυσίου.

«Ἐναπομόργνυνται»: Ἀπομόρξασθαι ἐστί τό ἐναπομάξασθαι καί ἐμβαλεῖν τι εἰς τήν ἑαυτοῦ διάνοιαν, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν ζωγράφων, οἵ, προσέχοντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ γράφουσι τάς εἰκόνας. «Τῆς ἀπορρήτου δέ σοφίας πατέρας» τούς προφήτας φησίν.