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of the soul. And if the soul was in the body, but it already practices being outside of it, disciplining the body and bringing it into subjection. Thus indeed it is said concerning those who are of such a mind: "you are not in the flesh." And yet they had flesh, but they were not in the mind-set of the flesh. And further, "the mind-set of the flesh is enmity towards God." And further: "But those who are in the flesh cannot please God." If he speaks concerning this flesh, all the saints, being in it, pleased God. But in the mind-set, to think according to the flesh, to depend wholly on the flesh, finally, to become carnal. And who is he who becomes carnal but the one who sells himself to sin? "For I am carnal, sold under sin." "He has devised iniquity upon his bed." According to the higher meaning: as if on a bed, in the body, he devised iniquity. But it was necessary, while remaining on this bed, to lament for oneself and to be pitied, because in the devising there is transgression, so as to cry out: "I will wet my couch with my tears." The voice of one repenting; but he who repents does not devise iniquity. And concerning others it is said in Micah the prophet: "He came to be devising evils upon his bed and at daybreak he accomplished them." They often consider transgressions during the nights and at daybreak they accomplish them. But it is necessary, if ever transgression has occurred upon the bed, to be pierced with compunction; for this the word commands: "Be angry and do not sin; what you say in your hearts, upon your beds be pierced with compunction." For if you are pierced with compunction, the devil finds no place. 5 He has stood in every way that is not good, and he has not abhorred evil. He has turned aside from every good way. And the virtues are the ways. At any rate, the apostle says to Elymas the magician: "Will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?" They are straight and good. And the virtues are called straight because they are mean states; for in a straight line there is no deviation. "God knows the ways on the right, but those on the left are crooked." And it is good also to say "not good"; for he did not say "wicked." What is not good is not entirely evil. It is impossible for someone to stand in every evil way because there are contrarieties even concerning evils. The cowardly man cannot also be reckless, nor the impious man superstitious. Therefore these things are not good. In the negation they are the same, but in the affirmation they are not the same. "He has not abhorred evil." 6 O Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth reaches to the clouds. We speak concerning those who dwell on the earth according to their mind-set, "of those who mind earthly things," whom God the Word accuses in the prophet Jeremiah, saying: "You have made your dwelling deep in the earth," if it is possible, you even wish to be lower than the earth, thinking nothing elevated, not having "your citizenship in heaven," not having your heart there with those who say: "Let us lift up our heart to the high one in heaven." Therefore this is also said again concerning some: "But they have sought my soul in vain; they shall go into the lowest parts of the earth." And Moses, in a song of victory against Pharaoh and those with him, said: "You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them." And yet the earth had not swallowed them according to the history, but water. For indeed it is said: "They immediately sank like lead in the mighty water." And indeed, if God stretches out his right hand against the wicked, they are swallowed by the earth, they become wholly earthly, they are given over "to dishonorable passions," they are given over "in the lusts of their hearts to impurity," to serve "the creature rather than the Creator." Therefore his "mercy" is "in heaven"; for "you show" "mercy to thousands of those who love you." As if by some ladder of mercy he ascends to heaven; for the nature of the mercy of God is not of things below but is above. And if at any time, then, the goodness of God is on the earth, that is among men—for it is said: "The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord"—, those who receive mercy are brought up to heaven by his mercy.

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ψυχῆς. κἂν ἐν σώματι ᾖν ἡ ψυχή, ἀλλὰ μελετᾷ ἤδη ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι, ὑπωπιάζουσα τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγοῦσα. οὕτω γοῦν περὶ τῶν οὕτως γνώμης ἐχόντων λέγεται· "οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκί". καίτοι εἶχαν σάρκα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦσαν ἐν τῷ φρονήματι τῆς σαρκός. καὶ ἔτι "τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν". καὶ ἔ τι· "οἱ δὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται". ἐὰν περὶ ταύτης τῆς σαρκὸς λέγῃ, πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι ἐν αὐτῇ ὄντες ἤρεσαν θεῷ. ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ φρονήματι τὸ φρονεῖν κατὰ σάρκα, τὸ ὅλος ἐκ σαρκὸς ἠρτῆσθαι, λοιπὸν σάρκινος γενέσθαι. τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ σάρκινος γινόμενος ἢ ὁ πωλῶν ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ̣; "ἐγὼ δὲ σάρκινός εἰμι πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν". "ἀνομίαν διελογίσατο ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ". κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγήν· ὥσπερ ἐν κοίτῃ τῷ σώματι ἀνομίαν ἐλογίσατο. ἔδει δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης ταύτης μένοντα ἀποδύρεσθαι ἑαυτὸν καὶ 233 οἰκτίζεσθαι, ὅτι ἐν τῷ λογίζεσθαί ἐστιν παρανομία, ὥστ' ἀνειπεῖν· "ἐν δάκρυσίν μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω". μετανοοῦντος ἡ φωνή· ὁ δὲ μετανοῶν οὐ λογίζεται ἀνομίαν. καὶ περὶ ἄλλων εἴρηται ἐν τῷ Μιχαίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ· "ἐγένετο λογιζόμενος κακὰ ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ καὶ ἅμα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ συνετέλει αὐτά". διασκέπτονται ἐν ταῖς νυξὶν πολλάκις περὶ παρανομημάτων καὶ ἅμα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ συντελοῦσιν αὐτά. δέον δέ, εἰ καὶ γέγονέν ποτε ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης παρανομία, κατανυγῆναι· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ λόγος προστάττει· "ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ἃ λέγετε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης ὑμῶν κατανύγητε". ἐὰν γὰρ κατανυγῆτε, οὐκ εὑρίσκει τόπον ὁ διάβολος. 5 παρέστη ὁδῷ πάσῃ οὐκ ἀγαθῇ, κακίᾳ δὲ οὐ προσώχθισεν. πᾶσαν ἀγαθὴν ὁδὸν ἐξετράπη. ὁδοὶ δέ εἰσιν αἱ ἀρεταί. ἀμέλει γοῦν πρὸς τὸν Ἐλύμαν τὸν μάγον ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει· "οὐ παύσῃ διαστρέφων τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου τὰς εὐθείας"; εὐθεῖαι καὶ ἀγαθαί εἰσιν. εὐθεῖαι δὲ λέγονται αἱ ἀρεταὶ τῷ μεσότητες εἶναι· ἐν εὐθείᾳ γὰρ οὐκ ἔνι παρέκκλισις. "ὁδοὺς τὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν οἶδεν ὁ θεός, διεστραμμέναι δὲ αἱ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν". εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι "οὐκ ἀγαθῇ"· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν "πονηρᾷ". οὐ πάντως τὸ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν κακόν ἐστιν. ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν παραστῆναί τινα πάσῃ ὁδῷ κακῇ τῷ ἐναντιότητας εἶναι καὶ περὶ κακίας. οὐ δύναται ὁ δειλὸς καὶ θρασὺς εἶναι οὐδὲ ὁ ἀσεβὴς δεισιδαίμων. οὐκ ἀγαθὰ οὖν εἰσιν ταῦτα. τῇ ἀποφάσει τὰ αὐτά εἰσιν, τῇ δὲ καταφάσει οὐ τὰ αὐτά. "τῇ κακίᾳ οὐ προσώχθισεν". 6 κύριε, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν. περὶ τῶν τὴν γῆν οἰκούντων κατὰ τὸ φρόνημα λέγομεν, "τῶν τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονούντων", οὓς αἰτιώμενος ὁ θεὸς λόγος ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ Ἰερεμίᾳ λέγει· "ἐβαθύνατε εἰς τὴν γῆν κάθισιν", εἰ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν, καὶ κατωτέρω τῆς γῆς θέλετε εἶναι, οὐδὲν ἀνηγμένον διανοούμενοι, οὐκ ἔχοντες "τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς", οὐκ ἐκεῖ τὴν καρδίαν ἔχοντες πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· "ἀναλάβωμεν καρδίαν ἡμῶν πρὸς ὑψηλὸν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ". λέγεται οὖν περί τινων πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο· "αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς μάτην ἐζήτησαν τὴν ψυχήν μου, εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς". καὶ Μωυσῆς δὲ ἐν ἐπινικίῳ ᾠδῇ τῇ κατὰ Φαραὼθ καὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν· "ἐξέτεινας τὴν δεξιάν σου, καὶ κατέπιεν αὐτοὺς γῆ". καίτοι οὐ γῆ αὐτοὺς καταπεπώκει κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀλλὰ ὕδωρ. εἴρηται γοῦν· "εὐθὺς ἔδυσαν ὡσεὶ μόλιβος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ". κἂν γοῦν ἐκτείνῃ ὁ θεὸς κατὰ τῶν φαύλων τὴν δεξιάν, καταπίνονται ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὅλοι γήινοι γίνονται, παραδίδονται "εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας", "ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν" παραδίδονται, λατρεύειν "τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα". "ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ" οὖν ἐστιν "τὸ ἔλεος" αὐτοῦ· "ποιεῖς" γὰρ "ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας τοῖς ἀγαπῶσίν σε". ὥσπερ διά τινος κλίμακος τοῦ ἐλέου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβαίνει· ἡ φύσις γὰρ τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ θεοῦ οὔκ ἐστιν τῶν κάτω ἀλλὰ ἄνω ἐστίν. κἄν ποτε οὖν γίνηται ἐν τῇ γῇ, τουτέστιν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ ἀγαθότης τοῦ θεοῦ-εἴρηται γάρ· "τοῦ ἐλέους κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ"-, ἀναβιβάζονται οἱ ἐλεώμενοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐλέου εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.