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for manifestation, and in fecundity for the increase of good things that have been sought, and desired, and loved, and known, and manifested. Thus the hundred, multiplied tenfold according to the law of nature, becomes a thousand. And a fourth progress is the ascent through contemplation and knowledge of the natural law according to the given division toward the more principial *logos* of each commandment, according to which the myriad, being gathered together, is contemplated, being known by the element of the first monad.

For he who has simply activated the commandments, and again according to the activation of each has taken the others along with it, and again with the summary of these has joined the discernment of the natural law, and has gnostically elevated this again toward the *logos* of each commandment, has gathered the four myriads, having been honored in each progress with the mystery of the monad, to which the *logos* of the myriad is gathered.

Or again, the four myriads signify the so-called four general states of dispassion. For the first dispassion(15) is the complete abstinence from evils in practice, being observed in those who are being introduced, the second(16) is the complete rejection of thoughts according to the mind concerning consent to evils, occurring in those who pursue virtue with reason, the third(17) is the complete immobility according to desire with respect to the passions in those who through figures contemplate intellectually the *logoi* of visible things, the fourth dispassion(18) is the complete purification even from the mere fantasy of the passions, established in those who through knowledge and contemplation have made the ruling faculty a pure and transparent mirror of God.

Therefore, he who has purified himself from the activity of passions and freed himself from consent to them according to the mind, and has come to a stop from movement toward them according to desire, and has established his mind unpolluted (14Γ_068> from their mere fantasy, having the four myriads, goes out from matter and material things, and hastens toward the divine and peaceful cessation of intelligible things.

Thus, therefore, let the four myriads be understood by us. But the three thousand(19) signify the perfect and orthodox and pious theological account concerning the holy and consubstantial Trinity, according to which the holy, tri-hypostatic monad is hymned and believed by us as one God.

The three hundred here indicates the account concerning providence, not only because by the shape of the letter(20) the power extending from above to below and embracing the extremities on either side is signified—which ineffably declares the providence that binds all things together—but also because it has been honored by the type of the cross, in which the great and first and hidden mystery of providence was accomplished. For the great mystery of the incarnation of God has been established as an ineffable mode of providence; perhaps emboldened by this type, along with the name of the one nailed to it for our sakes, the great patriarch Abraham with three hundred and eighteen, that is, the type and the name of Jesus, went out and wrestled down the opposing powers signified by the kings. For Scripture often knows how to reveal its own purpose even from the shapes of the letters to those who are being purified for this.

But if anyone wishes to consider the intention of holy Scripture also from the number, he will find providence thus revealed through it; for it is the work of providence not only to preserve nature undiminished according to its own *logos* of being, but also to show it to be without defect according to the acquired *logos* of well-being by grace. Therefore, by joining the hundred to the two hundred one makes the three hundred, signifying nature and virtue. For they say that the number two hundred (14Γ_070> often signifies nature, as existing from matter and form, since matter is tetradic because of the four elements, and form is pentadic because of the perception that shapes the material into form

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πρὸς ἔκφανσιν, καὶ τῇ γονιμότητι πρὸς αὔξησιν τῶν ζητηθέντων καὶ ἐπιθυμηθέντων καὶ στερχθέντων καὶ γνωσθέντων καὶ ἐκφανθέντων καλῶν. Γίνεται γοῦν ἡ ἑκατοντάς, κατὰ τὸν νόμον δεκαπλουμένη τῆς φύσεως, χιλιάς. Τετάρτη δὲ προκοπή ἐστιν ἡ διὰ θεωρίας καὶ γνώσεως τοῦ φυσικοῦ νόμου κατὰ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν διαίρεσιν πρὸς τὸν ἑκάστης ἐντολῆς ἀρχικώτερον λόγον ἀνάβασις, καθ᾽ ἣν ἡ μυριὰς συναγομένη θεωρεῖται, τῷ τῆς πρώτης μονάδος στοιχείῳ γνωριζομένη.

Ὁ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐνεργήσας τὰς ἐντολάς, καὶ πάλιν κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστης ἐνέργειαν τὰς ἄλλας συμπαραλαβών, καὶ αὖθις τῇ περιλήψει τούτων τὴν τοῦ φυσικοῦ νόμου συζεύξας διάκρισιν, καὶ τοῦτον πάλιν πρὸς τὸν ἑκάστης ἐντολῆς λόγον γνωστικῶς ἀναβιβάσας τὰς τέσσαρας μυριάδας συνήγαγεν, καθ᾽ ἑκάστην προκοπὴν τῷ τῆς μονάδος τιμηθεὶς μυστηρίῳ, πρὸς ἣν ὁ τῆς μυριάδος συνάγεται λόγος.

Ἢ πάλιν, τὰς λεγομένας τέσσαρας γενικὰς ἀπαθείας αἱ τέσσαρες μυριάδες σημαίνουσιν. Πρώτη γάρ ἐστιν ἀπάθεια(15) ἡ παντελὴς ἀποχὴ τῶν κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν κακῶν, ἐν τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις θεωρουμένη, δευτέρα(16) δὲ ἡ παντελὴς κατὰ διάνοιαν περὶ τὴν τῶν κακῶν συγκατάθεσιν ἀποβολὴ λογισμῶν, ἐν τοῖς μετὰ λόγου τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιοῦσι γινομένη, τρίτη(17) ἡ κατ᾽ ἐπιθυμίαν περὶ τὰ πάθη παντελὴς ἀκινησία ἐν τοῖς διὰ τῶν σχημάτων τοὺς λόγους νοητῶς θεωμένοις τῶν ὁρωμένων, τετάρτη ἀπάθεια(18) ἡ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ψιλῆς τῶν παθῶν φαντασίας παντελὴς κάθαρσις, ἐν τοῖς διὰ γνώσεως καὶ θεωρίας καθαρὸν καὶ διειδὲς ἔσοπτρον τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιησαμένοις τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν συνισταμένη.

Ὁ τοίνυν καθάρας ἑαυτὸν ἐνεργείας παθῶν καὶ τῆς ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς κατὰ διάνοιαν συγκαταθέσεως ἐλευθερώσας καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτὰ κατ᾽ ἐπιθυμίαν κινήσεως στάσιν λαβὼν καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν (14Γ_068> ψιλῆς φαντασίας τὸν νοῦν καταστήσας ἀμόλυντον τὰς τέσσαρας μυριάδας ἔχων ἐξέρχεται τῆς ὕλης καὶ τῶν ὑλικῶν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν θείαν καὶ εἰρηνικὴν τῶν νοητῶν ἐπείγεται λῆξιν.

Οὕτω μὲν οὖν νοείσθωσαν ἡμῖν αἱ τέσσαρες μυριάδες. Αἱ δὲ τρεῖς χιλιάδες(19) τὸν τέλειον καὶ ὀρθὸν καὶ εὐσεβῆ περὶ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος θεολογικὸν σημαίνουσιν λόγον, καθ᾽ ὃν ἡ ἁγία τρισυπόστατος μονὰς εἷς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ὑμνεῖται Θεὸς καὶ πιστεύεται.

Οἱ δὲ τριακόσιοι τὸν περὶ προνοίας ἐνταῦθα παραδηλοῦσι λόγον, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον τῷ σχήματι τοῦ γράμματος(20) ἡ ἄνωθεν ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω διήκουσα καὶ τῶν ἑκατέρωθεν πλαγίων τὰ ἄκρα περιλαμβάνουσα σημαίνεται δύναμιςὅπερ τὴν τὸ πᾶν διασφίγγουσαν ἀρρήτως δηλοῖ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι καὶ τῷ τοῦ σταυροῦ τύπῳ τετίμηται, ἐν ᾧ τὸ μέγα καὶ πρῶτον καὶ ἀπόκρυφον τῆς προνοίας ἐπετελέσθη μυστήριον. Προνοίας γὰρ καθέστηκε τρόπος ἀπόρρητος τὸ μέγα τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ μυστήριον· ᾧ τύπῳ μετὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς προσηλωθέντος τάχα θαρρήσας ὁ μέγας πατριάρχης Ἀβραὰμ μετὰ τριακοσίων δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, τουτέστι τύπου καὶ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ, τὰς δηλουμένας διὰ τῶν βασιλέων ἀντικειμένας ἐξελθὼν κατεπάλαισε δυνάμεις. Πολλάκις γὰρ οἶδεν ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι σχημάτων τὸν ἴδιον φανερῶσαι σκόπον τοῖς ἐπὶ τούτῳ καθαιρομένοις.

Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ βούλεταί τις τὸ βούλημα σκοπῆσαι τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς, καὶ οὕτω τὴν πρόνοιαν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ μηνυομένην εὑρήσει προνοίας γὰρ ἔργον οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὸν ἑαυτῆς τοῦ εἶναι λόγον φυλάξαι τὴν φύσιν ἀμείωτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἐπίκτητον τοῦ εὖ εἶναι χάριτι λόγον ἀνελλιπῶς ἔχουσαν δεῖξαι. Οὐκοῦν τοῖς διακοσίοις τὰ ἑκατὸν συνάψας τις ἀποτελεῖ τὸν τριακόσια, δηλοῦντα φύσιν καὶ ἀρετήν. Φασὶν γὰρ τὸν διακόσια (14Γ_070> πολλάκις σημαίνειν ἀριθμὸν τὴν φύσιν, ὡς ἐξ ὕλης καὶ εἴδους ὑπάρχουσαν, εἴπερ ἡ ὕλη τετραδικὴ διὰ τὰ τέσσαρα στοιχεῖα, τὸ δὲ εἶδος πενταδικὸν διὰ τὴν αἴσθησιν τὴν τὸ ὑλικὸν πρὸς εἶδος σχηματίζουσαν