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upon anything else than upon his full armor and his own strength and greatness. And he was also arrogant; for which reason he was not saved. For the one armed "in the name of the Lord" took him and cast him down. And indeed we find many great men in the scriptures cast down, since they thought great things of themselves. Amalek was prepared for war and seemed to be stronger than Israel; for Israel was not at all prepared for warfare, and yet when Moses lifted up his hands Amalek was worn down and humbled, and the lifting of the hands prevailed over him, and he was not saved by his own strength. We say again: if someone fighting against God, having "lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God," trusts in the strength he has and acts haughtily, he is not by any means saved. Sometimes the one wise in God reasons with him and casts him down from the arrogance he has. 17 A horse is a false thing for salvation. Many again are proud of their horse, but the divine word shows that even the snorting of horses is easily dissolved; for "these in chariots and these in horses, but we will be magnified in the name of the Lord our God." Behold, "a horse is a false thing for salvation." Pharaoh promised with many horses to take the Hebrews. But they did not have even one horse, 181 and their salvation became false, it missed the mark, it failed. And it is also in Proverbs: "A horse is prepared for the day of war, but salvation is from the Lord." You see that it is false for salvation, unless it comes from the Lord. Let this be according to the literal sense. But according to the spiritual sense: the body is often called the horse of the soul, and the soul is its rider or mounter; "I will strike," he says, "every horse with ecstasy and its rider with madness." When someone, therefore, being carried by the body, living luxuriously, fulfilling its desires, receives madness, then salvation comes. The horse is struck by God with ecstasy, it becomes outside of itself; for henceforth, being buffeted and brought into subjection, it no longer goes according to its own impulses, but stands apart from them. And Bardesanes lived in former times, in the days of Antoninus the emperor of the Romans. He was at first of the school of Valentinus, he moved to the church, he became a presbyter. 17 and in the greatness of his power he will not be saved. Either the one using the horses or the power of many horses; for in either case it is true that "a horse is a false thing for salvation," even if it be much; for it is not about one horse only. Often the entire cavalry is a horse. Therefore, either the abundance of power does not save the rider who uses the cavalry, or the abundance and power of the horses. 18 Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him. It is the same as: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous." And this he says again in the twelfth psalm: "Look upon me, hear me, O Lord my God." "The eyes," therefore, "of the Lord are upon those who fear" not simply, but "him"; for there is also a passionate fear, which perfect love casts out from those who have the fear of God. There is fearing and there is fearing God; for the fear of God is not passionate, but signifies his preeminence over all things. Thus he says: "The fear of the Lord has surpassed all," and: "There is no want to those who fear him." Being righteous, they are worthy of being watched over by God. 18 Those who hope in his mercy. Observe: those who fear God hope in his mercy; for having done all things in their power, they await to be shown mercy by him, as was said a little before: "It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy." And no one can guard his own city, whether of the body or of the soul, so that it is not taken, unless God guards it with him. "Those who hope in his mercy;" fearing him, he has mercy. 19 to deliver their souls from death. For this reason "his eyes are upon those who fear him" and

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ἐπ' ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ ἐπὶ παντευχίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἰσχύϊ καὶ μεγέθει. ἦν δὲ καὶ ὑπε̣ρ̣ήφανος· διὸ καὶ οὐκ̣ ἐσώθη· ὁ γὰρ "ὀνόματι κυρίου" ὁπλισάμενος εἷλεν αὐτὸν καὶ κατέβαλεν. καὶ πολλούς γε εὑρίσκομεν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς μεγάλους καθαιρεθέντας, ἐπεὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς μέγα ἐβάλοντο. ὁ Ἀμαλὴχ παρεσκευασμένος ἦν εἰς πόλεμον καὶ ἐδόκει ἰσχυρότερος εἶναι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· οὐ πάνυ γὰρ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ παρεσκεύαστο πρὸς τὰ πολεμικά, καὶ ὅμως ἐπαίροντος Μωϋσέως τὰς χεῖρας κατεπονεῖτο καὶ ἐταπεινοῦτο ὁ Ἀμαλήχ, καὶ ἡ ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν περιεγίνετο αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐσώθη διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἰσχύν. λέγομεν πάλιν· ἐάν τις θεομάχος ἔχων "ὑψώματα ἐπαιρόμενα κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ" βάλληται ἐπὶ τῇ ἰσχύϊ ᾗ ἔσχεν καὶ βρενθύηται, οὐ πάντως σῴζεται. ἐνίοτε ὁ θεόσοφος συνλογίζεται αὐτὸν καὶ καταβάλλει αὐτὸν ἀφ' οὗ ἔχει φρυάγματος. 17 ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν. πολλοὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ ἵππῳ μέγα φρονοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς λόγος δείκνυσιν ὅτι καὶ ἵππων τὸ φρύαγμα εὐκατάλυτόν ἐστιν· "οὗτοι" γὰρ "ἐν ἅρμασιν καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἱππάσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀ νόματι κυρίου θεοῦ ἡμῶν μεγαλυνθησόμεθα". ἴδε, "ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν". πολλοῖς ἐπηγγέλλετο Φαραὼθ ἵπποις ἑλεῖν τοὺς Ἑβραίους. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐδὲ ἕνα ἵππον εἶχον, 181 καὶ ψευδὴς ἡ σωτηρία αὐτῶν γέγονεν, διήμαρτεν, ἀπέτυχεν. ἔνι δὲ καὶ ἐν Παροιμίαις· "ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου, παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ σωτηρία". ὁρᾷς ὅτι ψευδής ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐὰν μὴ παρὰ κυρίου αὕτη ὑπαρχθῇ. ἔστω καὶ κατὰ ῥητόν. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· λέγεται πολλάκις τὸ σῶμα ἵππος τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τούτου δὲ ἐπιβάτης ἢ ἀναβάτης ἡ ψυχή· "πατάξω", φησίν, "πάντα ἵππον ἐν ἐκστάσει καὶ τὸν ἐπιβάτην αὐτοῦ ἐν παραφρονήσει". ὅταν τις οὖν φερόμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡδυπαθῶν, ἐπιθυμίας αὐτοῦ ἐκτελῶν παραφρόνησιν λάβῃ, τότε γίνεται σωτηρία. πατάσσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ἵππος ἐν ἐκστάσει, ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ γίνεται· λοιπὸν γὰρ ὑπωπιαζ̣ομένου αὐτοῦ καὶ δουλαγωγουμένου οὐκέτι κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ὁρμὰς χωρεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐξίσταται τούτων. διῆγεν δὲ ὁ Βαρτησάνης ἐν τοῖς ἔνπροσθεν χρόνοις, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἀντωνίνου τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων. οὗτος δὲ κατ' ἀρχη`̣ν τῆς σχολῆς ἦν Οὐαλεντίνου, μετέστη εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, γέγονεν πρεσβύτερος. 17 ἐν δὲ πλήθει δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ οὐ σωθήσεται. ἤτοι ὁ χρώμενος τοῖς ἵπποις ἢ ἡ δύναμις τῶν πολλῶν ἵππων̣· ε῾̣κατέρως γὰρ ἀληθές ἐστιν τὸ· "ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν", κἂν πολὺς ᾖν· οὐκ ἐπὶ ἑνὸς ἵππου γὰρ μόνο̣ν. πολλάκις ὅλον τὸ ἱππικὸν ἵππος. ἤτοι οὖν τοῦ ἱππέως τοῦ χρωμένου τοῖς ἱππεῖσιν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς δυνάμεως οὐ σῴζει αὐτὸν ἢ τῶν ἵππων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ ἡ δύναμις. 18 ἰδοὺ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν. ἴσον ἐστὶν τό· "ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους". καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐν δωδεκάτῳ ψαλμῷ λέγει ὅτι· "ἐπίβλεψον, εἰσάκουσόν μου, κύριε ὁ θεός μου". "οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ" οὖν "τοῦ κυρίου ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους" οὐ κ̣αθάπαξ, ἀλλ' "αὐτόν"· ἔστιν γὰρ καὶ παθητικὸς φόβος, ὃν ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων τὸν φόβον θεοῦ. ἔστιν φοβεῖσθαι καὶ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν θεόν· ὁ φόβος γὰρ ὁ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν οὐ παθητικός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πάντων ὑπεροχὴν σημαίνει. οὕτω γοῦν λέγει· "φόβος κυρίου πάντα ὑπερέβαλεν", καί· "οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρημα τ̣οῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν". ἄξιοι τοῦ ἐφορᾶσθαί εἰσιν ὑπὸ θεοῦ δίκαιοι ὄντες. 18 τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. θεώρει· οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν θεὸν ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ· ποιήσαντες γὰρ πάντα τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκδέχονται παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεηθῆναι, ὡς ἐλέγετο μικρῷ πρότερον· "οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεῶντος θεοῦ". καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀκαθαίρετον ἑαυτοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἢ τὴν τοῦ σώματος̣ ἢ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς φυλάξαι, ἐὰν μὴ θεὸς συνφρουρῇ. "τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ"· φοβουμε´̣νους αὐτὸν ἐλεᾳ῀̣. 19 ῥύσασθαι ἐκ θανάτου τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν. διὰ τοῦτο "οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ" αὐτοῦ "ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτὸν" καὶ