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of the true vine, about which clarity has often already been given. 3.277 What will result from the drinking of the divine wine, if not to be gladdened by contemplating the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens and whatever else has a lofty contemplation, after which one will see God, having approached with a pure heart “the character of his substance,” so as to say of him who is the “image” and character “of the invisible God”: “He who has seen me has seen the Father”? 3.278 Not only will these themselves to whom the promises are made enjoy the sacred sights, but also the very children whom they have begotten by divine instruction and by imitation of the best life. Indeed, the Apostle in Christ writes to the Corinthians and Galatians, to the one: “Through the gospel I have begotten you,” and to the other: “My children, for whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” And Peter, indeed, the chief of the apostles, writes the epistle he composed as to his own children: “As children of obedience, not conforming yourselves to your former way of life.” And Barnabas, too, himself appointed an apostle with Paul to the uncircumcision, having sent an epistle to the faithful according to the gospel, addresses it as to sons and daughters. And the psalmist also addresses those begotten of him according to virtue: “Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves to see good days?” 3.279 The children of the aforementioned, seeing these things, will rejoice in mind, which is called heart, in nothing other than the Lord their God, who says to each of those who live according to the divine Gospel: “Enter into the joy of your Lord.” 3.280 Zach. X, 8-10: I will signal to them and I will gather them, because I will redeem them, and they will be multiplied as they were many; and I will sow them among the peoples, and those far off will remember me. They will raise their children and will return. And I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and from the Assyrians I will gather them, and into Gilead and into Lebanon I will bring them, and not even one of them will be left behind. 3.281 The Lord, proposing to receive those who have been alienated by way of captivity, does not do this suddenly, but by signaling the benefit to those who will receive it. This contemplation is especially found in the Gospels; for Jesus, wishing to give rest to souls, says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and you will find rest for your souls; and take my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ·····as having judged to receive them to himself so that they might take up his yoke that is easy and the light burden, he signals to them, saying: “Come to me and I will give you rest.” 3.282 This divine exhortation is also found in Isaiah, with the Holy Spirit crying out: “Be enlightened, be enlightened, Jerusalem, for your light has come upon you, and the glory of your God has risen upon you. Behold, darkness and gloom will cover the earth upon the nations; but upon you the Lord will appear.” For having signaled that it is fitting to be enlightened by the Savior who is the true light, he has added: “But upon you the Lord will appear, and the glory of your God will be seen upon you,” so that the royal souls, which the King of all rules, may proceed by the light of the one who receives both them and the called nations into the gospel by the splendor of the glorious Church, which is Jerusalem anagogically, since it sees “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” on account of its perfect height and royal preeminence. 3.283 And for what reason he signals and receives them, he harmoniously adds, saying: “Because I will redeem them and I will multiply them as they were many.” And he redeems them from cruel and inflexible tyrants who, by the law of captivity, have led them away from their own polity. 3.284 The manner is found in other scriptures and how the entrance into has been

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ἀμπέλου τῆς ἀληθινῆς, περὶ οὗ πολλάκις ἤδη σαφήνεια γέγονεν. 3.277 Τί δ' ὑπάρξεται ἐκ τῆς πόσεως τοῦ θείου οἴνου, ἢ τὸ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ θεωρεῖν τὰ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν μυστήρια καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὑψηλὴν ἔχει θεωρίαν, μεθ' ἣν ὄψεταί τις τὸν Θεὸν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ προσβαλὼν «τῷ χαρακτῆρι τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ», ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν ὄντα «εἰκόνα» καὶ χαρακτῆρα «τοῦ ἀοράτου Θεοῦ» λέγειν· «Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα»; 3.278 Οὐ μόνον δ' αὐτοὶ οὗτοι πρὸς οὓς αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι ἀπολαύσουσιν τῶν ἱερῶν θεαμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτὰ ἃ ἐγέννησαν θείᾳ παιδεύσει καὶ μιμήσει ἀρίστου βίου. Ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ γοῦν Ἀπόστολος Κορινθίοις καὶ Γαλάταις ἐπιστέλλει, τοῖς μέν· «∆ιὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα», τοῖς δέ· «Τέκνα μου οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρι οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν.» Καὶ Πέτρος γοῦν ὁ τῶν ἀποστόλων πρόκριτος ὡς τέκνοις ἑαυτοῦ γράφει ἣν ἐχάραξεν ἐπιστολήν· «Ὡς τέκνα ὑπακοῆς, μὴ συσχηματιζόμενοι κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφήν.» Καὶ Βαρναβᾶς γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ Παύλου ἀπόστολος ταχθεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκροβ̣υστίας, τοῖς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πιστοῖς ἐπιστολὴν διαπεμψάμενος, προσφωνεῖ αὐτὴν ὡς υἱοῖς καὶ θυγάτρ̣α̣σιν̣. Καὶ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς δὲ τοῖς κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννωμένοις προσφωνεῖ· «∆εῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς. Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωὴν καὶ ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς;» 3.279 Ὀψόμενα τῶν προειρημένων τὰ τέκνα χαρήσεται νῷ, καρδίᾳ ὀνομαζομένῳ, οὐκ ἐπ' ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ αὐτῶν, λέγοντι πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν πολιτευομένων κατὰ τὸ θεῖον Εὐαγγέλιον· «Εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου σου.» 3.280 Zach. X, 8-10: Σημανῶ αὐτοῖς καὶ εἰσδέξομαι αὐτούς, διότι λυτρώσομαι αὐτούς, καὶ πληθυνθήσονται καθότι ἦσαν πολλοί· καὶ σπερῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν λαοῖς, καὶ οἱ μακρὰν μνησθήσονταί μου. Ἐκθρέψουσιν τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσιν. Καὶ ἐπιστρέψω αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξ Ἀσσυρίων εἰσδέξομαι αὐτούς, καὶ εἰς τὴν Γαλααδῖτιν καὶ εἰς τὸν Λίβανον εἰσάξω αὐτούς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπολειφθῇ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς. 3.281 Προθέμενος ὁ Κύριος εἰσδέξασθαι τοὺς ἀλλοτριωθέντας αἰχμαλωσίας τρόπῳ, οὐκ ἀθρόως τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ σημάνας τὴν εὐεργεσίαν τοῖς ἀναδεξομένοις αὐτήν. Αὕτη ἡ θεωρία ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις μάλιστα φέρεται· ἀναπαῦσαι γὰρ τὰς ψυχὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς βουλόμενος, «∆εῦτε, φησίν, πρὸς ἐμὲ πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν· καὶ ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ· ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν.» ·····ως εἰσδέξασθαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν κρίνας ἵνα ἄρωσιν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ χρηστὸν ὄντα καὶ τὸ ἐλαφρὸν φορτίον, σημαίνει αὐτοῖς φάσκων· «∆εῦτε πρὸς ἐμὲ κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς.» 3.282 Ἡ θεία αὕτη προτροπὴ καὶ ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ φέρεται, τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βοῶντος· «Φωτίζου, φωτίζου, Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἥκει γὰρ τὸ φῶς σου ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκεν. Ἰδοὺ σκότος καὶ γνόφος καλύψει γῆν ἐπ' ἔθνη· ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ φανήσεται Κύριος.» Σημάνας γὰρ ὡς προσήκει φωτισθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὑπάρχοντος φωτὸς ἀληθινοῦ, ἐπενήνοχεν· «Ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ φανήσεται Κύριος, καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ σὲ ὀφθήσεται», ὡς πορεύεσθαι τὰς βασιλικὰς ψυχὰς ὧν κρατεῖ ὁ παμβασιλεὺς τῷ φωτὶ τοῦ εἰσδεχομένου καὶ τὰ κληθέντα ἔθνη εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῇ λαμπρότητι τῆς ἐνδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, κατ' ἀναγωγὴν οὔσης Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἐπείπερ ὁρᾷ «τὴν Θεοῦ εἰρήνην πάντα νοῦν ὑπερέχουσαν» διὰ τέλειον ὕψος καὶ βασιλικὴν ὑπερ̣οχήν. 3.283 Τίνος δ' ἕνεκα σημαίνει καὶ εἰσδέχεται αὐτούς, ἁρμονίως ἐπιφέρει φάσκων· «∆ιότι λυτρώσομαι αὐτοὺς καὶ πληθυνῶ αὐτοὺς καθότι ἦσαν πολλοί.» Λυτροῦται δ' αὐτοὺς ὠμῶν καὶ ἀτέγκτων τυράννων νόμῳ αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπαγαγόντων αὐτοὺς τῆς οἰκείας αὐτῶν πολιτείας. 3.284 Κεῖται ἐν ἑτέραις γραφαῖς ὁ τρόπος καὶ πῶς ὑπῆρκται ἡ εἰς