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For the sake of dogmas, thus; but again, as to life, the fornicators, the lovers of money, of glory, of all other things, are dragged on the ground; they do not have their loins standing firm, so that when they are weary they may rest, but if they become weary, they do not place their hand and stand, but are undone. But he who is girded with the truth, in the first place, will never grow weary; and in the second place, even if he should grow weary, he will rest upon the truth itself. For what, tell me? Will poverty make him grow weary? By no means; for he rests upon true wealth, and through poverty he will know true poverty. But will slavery make him grow weary? By no means; for he knows true slavery. But sickness? Not even this; Let your loins, says Christ, be girded, and your lamps burning, so as to have the light unquenchable. This also those who were coming out of Egypt were commanded to do, and girded they ate the Passover. And for what reason, he says, did they eat thus? Do you wish to learn the whole reason according to history, or according to anagogy? I, therefore, will speak of both; but you, hold fast to them. For I do not do this simply, that I may only give the explanation, but that our words may also become a deed in you. They were, he says, girded, and their staves in their hands, and their sandals on their feet, and thus they ate the Passover. Awful and fearful are the mysteries, and having great depth. But if in the types they are so fearful, much more so in the truth. They are coming out of Egypt, they are eating the Passover. Pay attention, the posture is that of travelers; for to have sandals, and staves in their hands, and to eat standing, declares nothing else than this. Do you wish to hear the history first, or the anagogy? The history is better. What then does the history mean? The Jews were ungrateful, and continually forgot the benefits of God. Wishing, therefore, that these things should come to their remembrance even unwillingly, He legislates this manner of eating the Passover. Why so? That at every season, having necessity to keep the law, they might of necessity remember also the God who brought them out 62.166. Not then by the time only did God bind His benefits to them, but also by the posture of those who were eating. For this reason they eat girded and with sandals on, that when asked they might say, that we were ready for a journey, and that we were about to depart from Egypt to the land of promise. This is the type according to history; but the truth is this. We too eat a Passover, Christ; For our Passover was sacrificed, Christ, he says. Therefore we too eat a Passover much better than the legal one. Therefore we ought to eat with sandals on and girded. Why? That we too may be ready for the exodus, for the departure hence. Let no one of those eating this Passover look towards Egypt, but towards heaven, towards the Jerusalem above. For this reason you eat girded, for this reason with sandals on, that you may learn that as soon as you begin to eat the Passover, you ought to be departing and journeying. And it signifies two things: both the need to depart from Egypt, and that while remaining, to remain henceforth as in a foreign land; For our citizenship, he says, is in heaven, and to be always prepared all our life, so that when called we may not delay, but say: Our heart is ready. But Paul was able to say this, who was conscious of nothing against himself; but I, who need much time for repentance, am not able to say it. And that being girded belongs to a watchful soul, hear God saying to that righteous man: But gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. This He says also to all the saints, and this also to Moses. And He himself appears girded in Ezekiel; or rather, the angels also appear to us girded, as being soldiers. From girding oneself. comes standing nobly, just as from standing, comes girding oneself. Therefore let us also gird ourselves; for we too are about to depart, and there are many difficult things in between. When we have passed through this plain, the devil immediately stands by, doing and contriving all things, so that those saved from Egypt, so that those who the

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δογμάτων μὲν ἕνεκα, οὕτω· βίου δὲ πάλιν, οἱ πόρνοι, οἱ χρημάτων ἐρῶντες, οἱ δόξης, οἱ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, χαμαὶ σύρονται· οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἑστηκυῖαν αὐτὴν τὴν ὀσφὺν, ὥστε καμόντες ἐπαναπαύεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐὰν κάμωσιν, οὐ τιθέασι τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἑστήκασιν, ἀλλὰ διαλύονται. Ὁ μέντοι ἐζωσμένος τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πρῶτον μὲν οὐδέποτε καμεῖται· δεύτερον δὲ, κἂν κάμῃ, εἰς αὐτὴν ἐπαναπαύσεται τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι; πενία αὐτὸν καμεῖν ποιήσει; Οὐδαμῶς· ἐπαναπαύεται γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν ὄντως πλοῦτον, καὶ διὰ τῆς πενίας εἴσεται τὴν ὄντως πενίαν. Ἀλλὰ δουλεία ποιήσει αὐτὸν καμεῖν; Οὐδαμῶς· οἶδε γὰρ τὴν ὄντως δουλείαν. Ἀλλὰ νόσος; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο· Αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν, φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἔστωσαν ἐζωσμέναι, καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι, ὥστε τὸ φῶς ἔχειν ἄσβεστον. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐξιόντες ποιεῖν ἐπετάττοντο, καὶ ἐζωσμένοι τὸ πάσχα ἤσθιον. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, οὕτως ἤσθιον; Βούλει μαθεῖν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἅπασαν καθ' ἱστορίαν, ἢ κατὰ ἀναγωγήν; Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἀμφότερα ἐρῶ· ὑμεῖς δὲ κατέχετε. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς, ἵνα μόνον εἴπω τὴν λύσιν, ποιοῦμαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ἔργον ἐν ὑμῖν γένηται τὰ ἡμέτερα ῥήματα. Ἦσαν, φησὶν, ἐζωσμένοι, καὶ αἱ βακτηρίαι αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ, καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἐν τοῖς ποσὶ, καὶ οὕτως ἤσθιον τὸ πάσχα. Φρικτὰ καὶ φοβερὰ τὰ μυστήρια, καὶ πολὺ τὸ βάθος ἔχοντα. Εἰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς τύποις οὕτω φοβερὰ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐξέρχονται, τὸ πάσχα ἐσθίουσι. Πρόσεχε, τὸ σχῆμα ὁδοιπορούντων ἐστί· τὸ γὰρ ὑποδήματα ἔχειν, καὶ ῥάβδους ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ, καὶ ἑστῶτας ἐσθίειν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Βούλεσθε τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀκοῦσαι πρῶτον, ἢ τὴν ἀναγωγήν; Τὴν ἱστορίαν ἄμεινον. Τί οὖν ἡ ἱστορία βούλεται; Ἀγνώμονες ἦσαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ συνεχῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπελανθάνοντο τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν. Βουλόμενος οὖν καὶ ἄκοντας εἰς μνήμην αὐτῶν ἔρχεσθαι, τὸν τρόπον τῆς βρώσεως τοῦ πάσχα τοῦτον νομοθετεῖ. Τί δήποτε; Ἵνα καθ' ἕκαστον χρόνον ἔχοντες ἀνάγκην τὴν νομοθεσίαν τηρεῖν, μνημονεύωσιν ἀναγκαίως καὶ τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἐξαγαγόν 62.166 τος Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἄρα οὖν τῷ χρόνῳ μόνον κατέδησεν αὐτοῦ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σχήματι τῶν ἐσθιόντων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐζωσμένοι καὶ ὑποδεδεμένοι ἐσθίουσιν, ἵνα ἐρωτώμενοι λέγωσιν, ὅτι Πρὸς ὁδοιπορίαν ἦμεν ἕτοιμοι, καὶ ὅτι Ἐμέλλομεν ἐξιέναι ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Τοῦτο μὲν ὁ καθ' ἱστορίαν τύπος· ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια, αὕτη. Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσθίομεν πάσχα, τὸν Χριστόν· Τὸ γὰρ πάσχα ἡμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστὸς, φησίν. Ἄρα καὶ ἡμεῖς πάσχα ἐσθίομεν πολὺ τοῦ νομικοῦ κρεῖττον. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὑποδεδεμένοι καὶ ἐζωσμένοι ὀφείλομεν ἐσθίειν. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἕτοιμοι ὦμεν πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον, πρὸς τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν. Μηδεὶς τῶν τὸ πάσχα τοῦτο ἐσθιόντων πρὸς Αἴγυπτον βλεπέτω, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, πρὸς τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐζωσμένος, διὰ τοῦτο ὑποδεδεμένος ἐσθίεις, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἅμα τῷ ἄρξασθαι ἐσθίειν τὸ πάσχα, ἀποδημεῖν ὀφείλεις καὶ ὁδεύειν. ∆ύο δὲ αἰνίττεται· καὶ τὸ δεῖν ἐξιέναι ἀπὸ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ τὸ μένοντας, ὡς εἰς ἀλλοτρίαν λοιπὸν μένειν· Ἡμῶν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ τὸ πάντα τὸν βίον ἀεὶ ἐμπαρασκεύους εἶναι, ὥστε κληθέντας μὴ ἀναβάλλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ λέγειν· Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν Παῦλος ἠδύνατο λέγειν, ὁ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδώς· ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ πολλοῦ χρόνου δεόμενος εἰς μετάνοιαν, οὐ δύναμαι εἰπεῖν. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ ἐζῶσθαι γρηγορούσης ψυχῆς, ἄκουε τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος τῷ δικαίῳ ἐκείνῳ· Μὴ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου· ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. Τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς πάντας ἁγίους φησὶ, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Μωϋσέα. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ φαίνεται ἐζωσμένος ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιήλ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἡμῖν ἐζωσμένοι φαίνονται, ἅτε στρατιῶται ὄντες. Ἀπὸ τοῦ περιζώσασθαι. τὸ στῆναι γίνεται γενναίως, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ στῆναι, τὸ ζώσασθαι. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιζώσωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξιέναι μέλλομεν, καὶ πολλὰ μεταξὺ τὰ χαλεπά. Ὅταν τὸ πεδίον τοῦτο διέλθωμεν, ὁ διάβολος ἐφέστηκεν εὐθέως, πάντα ποιῶν καὶ μηχανώμενος, ὥστε τοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου σωθέντας, ὥστε τοὺς τὴν