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above all things according to the intellectual knowledge of the *logoi* in existing things; but honor, as one who has become pure of all passions, and has acquired a movement according to sensation that is unaccountable to the natural laws in existing things.

Perhaps, however, one of those who are exceedingly fond of beauty will say ambitiously, (505) that glory is the highest beauty according to the image; but honor, the exact imitation according to the likeness; for the former, the true contemplation of spiritual *logoi* is wont to produce; the latter, the precise and unadulterated practice of the commandments; which the great Hezekiah, having possessed, was buried in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David; as if someone, taking the saying more clearly, would say, instead of, They buried him in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David, and they placed the memory of Hezekiah in the height of the memory of the saints from of old.

Let us consider, however, that it is not said, In the tombs of David, or, In the ascent of the tombs of David; for he is incomparable to beings; not only to men, but also to angels; and entirely incomprehensible, both the Lord's word according to the flesh, and His way of life; not to mention the unattainable conception of His infinite divinity; therefore it is desirable for everyone who is even very aware of His majesty; to be [buried] even in the tombs of the sons of David; or what is best, in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David; for no one is reported in Scripture as being buried in the tombs of David; let alone in the ascent of the tombs of David. The life according to the flesh of our Lord and God and Savior is, as I have said, incomparable in every way, both in word and in manner. For it says, His virtue covered the heavens; that is, even the Lord's righteousness as a man through the flesh covered the powers above by the excess of His preeminence in all things according to righteousness. For He was not a mere man; but also God [Fr. but God] having become man; in order to renew through Himself and in Himself the nature of men, which had grown old by itself; and to make it a partaker of the divine nature, that is, having put off all corruption and change; through which, having been made like the beasts, it had sensation prevailing over reason. To Him be glory unto the ages.

The fourth volume is completed, with God. SCHOLIA. a'. The devil is five cubits tall, he says, because of the five senses. For without these the irrational movement of his evil around the soul does not receive advancement in its growth according to sin.

b'. The spear is a symbol of strength according to virtue, he says; but the flask of water is evidence of the mystery according to knowledge.

g'. He calls this world a cave, and the letter of the law; and Saul to be the people of the Jews, whose mind, having turned away from the divine light of intelligible things, sits together with the darkness of the legal precepts and with the shadow of the letter, making the creation of God and the law for the generation of corruption. For he who circumscribes the immortal promises by the letter alone and by the surfaces of sensible things, makes the excretion suitable for corruption as if for food, showing from the end the beginning of his own opinion concerning (508) God. And the double cloak, he says, is the mantle of the legal enigmas. And its hem, the preeminently high element in the thoughts of spiritual contemplation, being cut off from those who interpret the holy Scripture with a view to sensation alone.

d'. That the Lord is called shepherd of those who are led through natural contemplation to the fold above; and king of those who have been subjected to the law of the spirit, and who stand before the throne of the grace of God through the simple application of the mind according to indivisible knowledge.

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πάντων ὑπέρ ἄνω κατά τήν νοεράν γνῶσιν τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὖσι λόγων· τιμήν δέ, ὡς πάντων γενομένῳ παθῶν καθαρῷ, καί τῆς ἐν τοῖς οὖσι φυσικῶν νόμων ἀνεύθυνον κατά τήν αἴσθησιν κτησαμένῳ τήν κίνησιν.

Τυχόν δέ τις τῶν σφόδρα φιλοκάλων ἐρεῖ φιλοτιμούμενος, (505) δόξαν μέν εἶναι, τό ἀκρότατον κατ᾿ εἰκόνα κάλλος· τιμήν δέ, τό καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν ἀπαράλλακτον μίμημα· τό μέν γάρ, λόγων πνευματικῶν ἀληθής πέφυκεν ποιεῖν θεωρία· τό δέ, πρᾶξις ἐντολῶν ἀκριβής καί ἀνόθευτος· ἅς ὁ μέγας ἐσχηκώς Ἐζεκίας, ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων υἱῶν ∆αβίδ ἐτάφη· ὡς ἄν εἴ τις ἐπί τό σαφέστερον λαβών, εἴποι, τό ῥητόν, ἀντί τοῦ, Ἔθαψαν αὐτόν ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων υἱῶν ∆αβίδ, καί ἔθηκαν τήν μνήμην Ἐζεκίου ἐν τῷ ὕψει τῆς μνήμης τῶν ἀπ᾿ αἰῶνος ἁγίων.

Σκοπήσωμεν δέ, ὡς οὐκ εἴρηται, Ἐν τάφοις ∆αβίδ, ἤ, Ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων ∆αβίδ· ἀσύγκριτος γάρ τοῖς οὖσιν· οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνον, ἀλλά καί ἀγγέλοις· καί παντελῶς ἀχώρητος, καί αὐτός ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου κατά σάρκα λόγος, καί ὁ τοῦ βίου τρόπος· μή ὅτι γε τῆς ἀπείρου θεότητος αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀνέφικτος ἔννοια· οὐκοῦν ἀγαπητόν παντί τῷ καί λίαν ἐπῃσθημένῳ μεγαλειότητος· τό, κἄν ἐν τάφοις υἱῶν∆αβίδ· ἤ τό κράτιστον, ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων υἱῶν ∆αβίδ [ταφῆναι·] ἐν γάρ τάφοις ∆αβίδ οὐδείς φέρεται τῇ Γραφῇ τεθαμμένος· μή ὅτι ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων ∆αβίδ. Τοῦ Κυρίου καί Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀσύγκριτος, ὡς ἔφην, κατά πάντα καί λόγον καί τρόπον, ὁ κατά σάρκα βίος. Φησί γάρ, Ἐκάλυψεν οὐρανούς ἡ ἀρετή αὐτοῦ· τουτέστι, καί αὐτή ἡ κατά ἄνθρωπον διά σαρκός τοῦ Κυρίου δικαιοσύνη, καί τάς ἄνω δυνάμεις ἐκάλυψε τῆ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς ἐν πᾶσι κατά δικαιοσύνην ὑπεροχῆς. Οὐ γάρ ἦν ψιλός ἄνθρωπος· ἀλλά καί Θεός [Fr. ἀλλά Θεός] ἐνανθρωπήσας· πρός τό καινίσαι δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ καί ἐν ἑαυτῷ τήν παλαιωθεῖσαν ὑφ᾿ ἑαυτῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν· καί ποιῆσαι θείας κοινωνόν φύσεως, ἀποθεμένην δηλαδή πᾶσαν φθοράν καί ἀλλοίωσιν· δι᾿ ὧν ὁμοιωθεῖσα τοῖς κτήνεσι, πλεονεκτοῦσαν τόν λόγον εἶχε τήν αἴσθησιν. Αὐτῷ δόξα εἰς τούς αἰῶνας.

Ἐπληρώθη, σύν Θεῷ ὁ τέταρτος τόμος. ΣΧΟΛΙΑ. α΄. Πενταπηχεύς ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος, φησί, διά τάς αἰσθήσεις. Τούτων γάρ χωρίς

προκοπήν οὐ δέχεται τῆς καθ᾿ ἁμαρτίαν αὐξήσεως, ἡ περί ψυχήν τῆς αὐτοῦ κακίας ἀλόγιστος κίνησις.

β΄. Τό δόρυ μέν τοῦ κατ᾿ ἀρετήν ἐστι κράτους σύμβολόν φησιν· ὁ δέ φακός τοῦ ὕδατος, τοῦ κατά τήν γνῶσιν ὑπάρχει μυστηρίου τεκμήριον.

γ΄. Σπήλαιον λέγει τόν κόσμον τοῦτον, καί τό γράμμα τό νομικόν· τόν δέ Σαούλ εἶναι, τόν λαόν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὧν ὁ νοῦς τοῦ θείου τῶν νοητῶν ἀπονεύσας φωτός, τῷ σκότει τῶν νομικῶν, καί τῇ σκιᾷ τοῦ γράμματος συγκαθέζεται, πρός γένεσιν φθορᾶς τήν κτίσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καί τόν νόμον ποιούμενος. Ὁ γάρ μόνῳ τῷ γράμματι, καί ταῖς ἐπιφανείαις τῶν αἰσθητῶν τάς ἀθανάτους περιγράφων ἐπαγγελίας, τῆ φθορᾷ καθάπερ βρώματι κατάλληλον ποιεῖται τήν ἔκκρισιν, ἐκ τοῦ τέλους τήν ἀρχήν τῆς οἰκείας περί (508) Θεοῦ δόξης δεικνύς. Τήν διπλοΐδα δέ λέγει, τήν περιβολήν τῶν νομικῶν αἰνιγμάτων. Τό δέ πτερύγιον αὐτῆς, τό κατ᾿ ἐξοχήν ἐν νοήμασιν ὑψηλόν τῆς πνευματικῆς θεωρίας, περικοπτόμενον τῶν πρός μόνην τήν αἴσθησιν τήν ἁγίαν ἐκδεχομένων Γραφήν.

δ΄. Ὅτι ποιμήν, ὁ Κύριος λέγεται διά τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας πρός τήν ἄνω μάνδραν ὁδηγουμένων· βασιλεύς δέ τῶν ὑποταγέντων τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ πνεύματος, καί τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος Θεοῦ διά τῆς κατά τήν ἀμερῆ γνῶσιν τῶν νοός ἁπλῆς προσβολῆς παρισταμένων.