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being watered, this one draws water with gladness from the springs of the Savior. And the gladness, how great it becomes for those deemed worthy to draw from there, you will understand from the image adopted by David, that "My soul has thirsted for God, the strong, the living." For the exceeding greatness of the desire creates a certain irresistible gladness in those who obtain what is eagerly sought. And he who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night (about whom it is said, that "The mouth of the righteous will meditate on wisdom"), searching the Scriptures and by seeking correctly finding the Lord, through the gladness at the discovery understanding the spiritual will of the Scriptures, will draw water with gladness. Therefore, when we ourselves are filled with the drink from the springs of salvation, then we also take on others, exhorting them and saying: "Praise the Lord, cry aloud his name." Now the cry is a voice having greatness, able to reach even those who are far off. Cry aloud, therefore; instead of thinking small things about God, but contemplating the things concerning him with a great mind, so theologize that your word may be heard even by those who are far from salvation, because of the clarity of the teaching. And what follows declares this mind: "For declare" (he says) "among the nations his glorious deeds, tell of his wondrous works." Show the foolish the order concerning the world, that they may be brought to the love of the God who created all things. "Praise his name, because he has done lofty things." Either tell of the wonders in the world, that they are lofty and inaccessible, or of the powers in the heavens, that he himself made the lofty things there; or of the goodness in us, that he exalts the humble and contrite in heart. For the Lord exalts the righteous. Therefore, he has made lofty and, having been humbled by sin, he has highly exalted by his own glory.

13.t CHAPTER 13

13.255 A vision against Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz saw. This vision is not some sensible thing, nor is it seen through bodily eyes, but is perceived by the mind, God enlightening it and granting it to see him. What is Babylon and what things will befall it? It is clear that the Prophets did not speak in a state of ecstasy. For those possessed by evil spirits, their minds being deranged, do not see but misperceive the fantasies that arise in them from the demons. Just as those possessed by demons see rivers and mountains and beasts that are not present; and certain colors seem to them to be present, and the faces of men, friends or unknown, to appear, none of which is a vision, but a delirium and ecstasy of a confused mind that has lost its own activity. But it is not so with the Saints. For God himself says: "I have multiplied visions." But the Lord, granting a vision, does not blind the mind, which he himself fashioned, but enlightens it and makes it clearer by the presence of the Spirit. For this reason the Prophets were also called seers, because the vision of their mind was, as it were, intensified by the presence of the Spirit who enlightened them. Who then made the seeing and the blind? seeing, clearly, the Prophet, because he is able with the keenness of his mind to gaze beforehand on what is to come; but blind (he who is blinded by wickedness) so that profane eyes may not see the sights of the blessed. For this reason the Lord also says, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." 13.256 Who then is Babylon, against which the vision was seen? According to history, then, it seems that what is called Babylon is the

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ποτιζόμενος, οὗτος ἀντλεῖ ὕδωρ μετ' εὐ φροσύνης ἐκ τῶν πηγῶν τοῦ Σωτηρίου. Τὴν δὲ εὐφροσύνην, ἡλίκη ἐγγίνεται τοῖς καταξιουμένοις ἐκεῖθεν ἀρύεσθαι, νοήσεις ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος τῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ παρειλημμένης, ὅτι Ἐδί ψησεν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν ἰσχυρὸν, τὸν ζῶντα. Τὸ γὰρ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἀμήχανόν τινα τὴν εὐ φροσύνην ἐμποιεῖ τοῖς ἐπιτυγχάνουσι τῶν περισπουδάστων. Καὶ ὁ μελετῶν τὸν νόμον Κυρίου ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς (περὶ οὗ εἴρηται, ὅτι Στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν) ἐρευνῶν τὰς Γραφὰς καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὀρθῶς ζητεῖν εὑρίσκων τὸν Κύριον, διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ εὑρέσει εὐφροσύνην συνιεὶς τὸ πνευματικὸν βούλημα τῶν Γραφῶν, ἀντλήσει ὕδωρ μετ' εὐφροσύνης. Ὅταν οὖν αὐτοὶ ἐμπλησθῶμεν τοῦ πόματος τῶν ἐκ τοῦ σωτηρίου πηγῶν, τότε καὶ ἑτέρους προσλαμβάνομεν, ἐγκε λευόμενοι αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγοντες· Ὑμνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, βοᾶτε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Ἡ δὲ βοὴ φωνή ἐστι μέγεθος ἔχουσα, δυνάμενον διικνεῖσθαι καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πόῤῥω. Βοᾶτε οὖν· ἀντὶ τοῦ μὴ μικρὰ περὶ Θεοῦ φρονεῖτε, ἀλλὰ μεγάλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐννοοῦντες, οὕτω θεολογεῖτε, ὥστε καὶ τοῖς μακρὰν οὖσι τῆς σωτηρίας δυνηθῆναι ἐξάκουστον ὑμῶν τὸν λόγον, διὰ τὸ τρανὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας γενέσθαι. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τὸν νοῦν τοῦτον τὰ ἐφεξῆς· Ἀναγγείλατε γὰρ (φησὶν) ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἔνδοξα αὐτοῦ, εἴπατε αὐτοῦ τὰ θαυμάσια. ∆είξατε τοῖς ἀνοήτοις τὴν περὶ τὸν κόσμον διά ταξιν, ἵνα προσαχθῶσι τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Κτίσαντος τὰ ὅλα, Θεοῦ. Ὑμνήσατε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὑψηλὰ ἐποίησεν. Ἢπερὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θαυμάτων διηγήσασθε, ὅτι ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἀπρόσιτα, ἢ περὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δυνάμεων, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐποίησε τὰ ἐκεῖ ὑψηλά· ἢ περὶ τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν χρηστό τητος, ὅτι ὑψοῖ τοὺς τεταπεινωμένους καὶ συντεριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν. Κύριος γὰρ ὑψοῖ δικαίους. Ὑψηλὸν οὖν ἐποίησε καὶ, ταπεινωθέντα τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τῇ ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ ὑπερύψωσεν.

13.t ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ιγʹ

13.255 Ὅρασις κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος, ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμώς. Οὐκ αἰσθητή τίς ἐστιν, οὐδὲ διὰ σωματικῶν ὀφθαλμῶν θεωρουμένη αὕτη ἡ ὅρασις, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ κατανοου μένη, τοῦ Θεοῦ φωτίζοντος αὐτὸν καὶ χαριζομένου ὁρᾷν αὐτόν. Τίς ἡ Βαβυλὼν καὶ τίνα τὰ ἀπαντησόμενα αὐτῇ; ∆ῆλον δὲ, ὅτι οὐ κατ' ἔκστασιν ἐλάλουν οἱ Προφῆται. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πονηροῖς πνεύμασι κάτοχοι, παραφερόμενοι τὸν νοῦν, τὰς ἐκ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῖς ἐγγινομένας φαντασίας οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ἀλλὰ παρορῶσιν. Ὥσπερ οἱ δαιμονῶντες πο ταμοὺς βλέπουσι καὶ ὄρη καὶ θηρία τὰ μὴ παρόντα· καὶ χρώματα δοκεῖ τινα αὐτοῖς παρεῖναι, καὶ ὄψεις ἀνθρώπων, φίλων ἢ ἀγνοουμένων, ἐμφαντάζεσθαι, ὧν οὐδέν ἐστιν ὅρασις, ἀλλὰ παραφορὰ καὶ ἔκστασις τοῦ νοῦ τεθολωμένου, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν ἀπολωλεκότος. Ἐπὶ μέντοι τῶν Ἁγίων οὐχ οὕτως. Αὐτὸς γάρ φησιν ὁ Θεός· Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα. Ὅρασιν δὲ χαριζόμενος ὁ Κύ ριος, οὐκ ἀποτυφλοῖ τὸν νοῦν, ὃν αὐτὸς κατεσκεύασεν, ἀλλὰ φωτίζει αὐτὸν καὶ διαυγέστερον ποιεῖ τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ οἱ Προφῆται ἐχρημάτιζον ὁρῶντες, διὰ τὸ οἱονεὶ ἐπιτετάσθαι αὐτοῖς τὴν τοῦ νοῦ διά βλεψιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ φωτίζοντος αὐτοὺς Πνεύματος παρουσίας. Τίς οὖν ἐποίησε βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν; βλέποντα δηλονότι τὸν Προφήτην, διὰ τὸ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν τῇ ὀξυωπίᾳ τῆς διανοίας προενατενίζειν τῷ μέλλοντι· τυφλὸν δὲ (τὸν διὰ τὴν κακίαν ἀποτυφλωθέντα) ἵνα μὴ ὀφθαλμοὶ βέβηλοι τὰ τῶν μακαρίων ἴδωσι θεάματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος, Εἰς κρίμα ἐγὼ (φησὶν) εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἦλθον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέπωσι, καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τυφλοὶ γένωνται. 13.256 Τίς οὖν ἡ Βαβυλὼν, καθ' ἧς ἡ ὅρασις ἑώραται; Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἱστορίαν δοκεῖ Βαβυλὼν κεκλῆσθαι ὁ