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has heard and has not entered into the heart of man, how will a tongue that has measured these things narrate them in speech? Truly, in no way. For even if we possess all things within us because we carry about God, the giver of these things, yet we are utterly unable either to measure them with the mind or to explain them in speech.

Therefore, we have written these things, O fathers and brothers, not for the sake of showing off, may it not be so—for what of our own do we have to show, except the many sins and impurities and iniquities from our mother’s womb, with which, I think, not even the sand of the sea is equal in multitude? but we reveal the wonders of God and set them before you, even if not worthily, yet at least according to our ability; in addition to these things, and in order that through this explanation we might benefit those who think they have the Holy Spirit unknowingly from holy baptism. For the discourse teaches us first of the complete darkening and gloom within us, that is, the alienation from the divine light, when indeed it also clearly explains the ignorance concerning God, then the conviction that comes from the conscience, then fear, then the desire for the remission of debts when man seeks for this a mediator and helper, as being clearly unable to approach shamelessly alone on account of being weighed down by the shame of many sins, then the finding of the mediator and shepherd and intercessor; (447) and how by the noetic illumination of the Spirit he has also seen him, which shows the beginning of an illumination of which he was formerly uninitiated, and how after the revelation occurred the vision of the Spirit passed away again and, deprived of this, he again fell into the darkness of many sins. And after these things he also indicated the second calling through the shepherd, then obedience, faith, humility, submission, and from these the most evident alteration that occurs in us little by little in knowledge and vision, which he who has not recognized occurring in himself according to the explanation of the discourse, it is not possible for such a one to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. But these things the discourse, as has been said by me above, going through in more detail, shows us not as boasting, but as narrating the wonders of God, which He who loves the good works in those who seek Him with all their soul and heart, so that every excuse and disobedience may receive its just recompense on the day when God will judge the race of men, to whom is due all glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Of our holy and great father Symeon the New. Thanksgiving to God concerning the benefactions that have come to him from Him. In which also concerning spiritual prayer and the progress in it. And concerning illumination

of divine vision that is unerring and of love for God.

Discourse 36. (448) I thank you, Master, Lord of heaven and earth, who predestined me to come into being from non-being before the foundation of the world. I thank you, that before the day and hour arrived in which you commanded me to be brought forth, you yourself, the only immortal, the only all-powerful, the only good and man-loving one, having descended from your holy height, without departing from the paternal bosom and having become incarnate and born of the holy Virgin Mary, you pre-refashioned and pre-vivified and freed me from the ancestral fall and prepared the ascent to the heavens. Then also, having been brought forth, me

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ἤκουσε καί ἐπί καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, πῶς γλῶσσα μετρήσασα ταῦτα λόγῳ ἐκδιηγήσεται; Ὄντως οὐδαμῶς. Εἰ γάρ καί ἐντός ἡμῶν πάντα διά τό τόν πάροχον τούτων Θεόν περιφέρειν κεκτήμεθα, ἀλλ᾿ οὔτε νοΐ ἐκμετρῆσαι, οὔτε λόγῳ ἐξηγήσασθαι ταῦτα ὅλως δυνάμεθα.

Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐγράψαμεν, ὦ πατέρες καί ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐνδείξεως χάριν, μή γένοιτο - τί γάρ καί ἔχομεν ἡμέτερον ἐνδείξασθαι, εἰ μή ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίας καί ἀκαθαρσίας καί ἀνομίας πολλάς, αἷς ὡς οἶμαι οὐδέ ἡ θαλαττία ψάμμος τῷ πλήθει συνεξισάζεται; ἀλλά τοῦ Θεοῦ τά θαυμάσια φανεροῦμεν καί παρατιθέμεθα ὑμῖν, εἰ καί μή ἀξίως, ἀλλ᾿ οὖν κατά γε τήν ἡμετέραν δύναμιν· πρός τούτοις καί ἵνα τούς οἰομένους Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον ἀγνώστως ἔχειν ἀπό τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος διά ταύτης τῆς ἐξηγήσεως ὠφελήσωμεν. ∆ιδάσκει γάρ ὁ λόγος ἡμᾶς τήν ἐνοῦσαν ἐν πρώτοις ἡμῖν παντελῆ σκότωσίν τε καί ζόφωσιν ἤγουν τήν ἀλλοτρίωσιν τοῦ θείου φωτός, ὅτε δηλαδή καί τήν περί Θεοῦ ἄγνοιαν σαφῶς διεξέρχεται, ἔπειτα τόν ἐκ τῆς συνειδήσεως γινόμενον ἔλεγχον, εἶτα τό φόβον, εἶτα τήν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν χρεῶν ὅτε καί μεσίτην ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπιζητεῖ πρός τοῦτο καί βοηθόν, ὡς μή δυνάμενος δηλονότι μόνος ἀναιδῶς προσελθεῖν διά τό καταβαρεῖσθαι αὐτόν ὑπό πολλῶν τῆς αἰσχύνης ἁμαρτιῶν , εἶτα τήν ἐπιτυχίαν τοῦ μεσίτου καί ποιμένος καί πρεσβευτοῦ· (447) καί πῶς τῇ νοερᾷ ἐλλάμψει τοῦ Πνεύματος καί τοῦτον τεθέαται, ὅ καί ἀρχήν γενομένην ἐλλάμψεως δείκνυσιν, ἧς πρῴην ὑπῆρχεν ἀμύητος, πῶς τε μετά τό γενέσθαι τήν ἀποκάλυψιν πάλιν ἡ θεωρία παρῆλθε τοῦ Πνεύματος καί, στερηθείς ταύτης, πάλιν ἐν σκότει ἁμαρτιῶν πολλῶν περιέπεσε. Μετά δέ ταῦτα καί τήν διά τοῦ ποιμένος δευτέραν κλῆσιν ἐδήλωσεν, εἶτα τήν ὑπακοήν, τήν πίστιν, τήν ταπείνωσιν, τήν ὑποταγήν, ἐκ δέ τούτων τήν κατά μικρόν ἐν γνώσει καί θεωρίᾳ γινομένην ἐν ἡμῖν ἐναργεστάτην ἀλλοίωσιν, ἥν ὁ μή ἐπεγνωκώς ἐν ἑαυτῷ γενομένην κατά τήν τοῦ λόγου ἐξήγησιν, οὐ δυνατόν ἔχειν Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον τόν τοιοῦτον κατοικοῦν ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἀλλά ταῦτα μέν ὁ λόγος, καθώς μοι ἄνωθεν εἴρηται, διεξοδικώτερον διερχόμενος, οὐ καυχωμένους ἡμᾶς ἀποδεικνύει, ἀλλά διηγουμένους τά θαυμάσια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἅ ἐν τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτόν ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς καί καρδίας φιλαγάθως ἐργάζεται, ὡς ἄν πᾶσα πρόφασις καί παρακοήν ἔνδικον ἀπολήψεται τήν μισθαποδοσίαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός τό γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμή καί προσκύνησις νῦν καί ἀεί καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

Τοῦ ἁγίου καί μεγάλου πατρός ἡμῶν Συμεών τοῦ Νέου. Εὐχαριστία πρός Θεόν περί τῶν γεγονότων εὐεργεσιῶν εἰς αὐτόν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Ἐν ᾗ καί περί εὐχῆς πνευματικῆς καί τῆς ἐν ταύτῃ προκοπῆς. Καί περί ἐλλάμψεως

θείας θεωρίας τε ἀπλανοῦς καί ἀγάπης τῆς πρός Θεόν.

Λόγος Λστ΄. (448) Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ∆έσποτα, Κύριε οὐρανοῦ καί γῆς, ὁ ἐκ μή ὄντος εἰς τό εἶναι πρό

καταβολῆς κόσμου γενέσθαι με προορίσας. Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὅτι πρό τοῦ φθάσαι τήν ἡμέραν καί ὥραν, ἐν ᾗ ἐκέλευσας παραχθῆναί με, αὐτός ὁ μόνος ἀθάνατος, ὁ μόνος παντοδύναμος, ὁ μόνος ἀγαθός καί φιλάνθρωπος, κετελθών ἐξ ὕψους ἁγίου σου, τῶν κόλπων τῶν πατρικῶν μή ἐκστάς καί ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου Μαρίας σαρκωθείς καί γεννηθείς, προανέπλασας καί προεζώωσας καί τοῦ προπατορικοῦ με πτώματος ἠλευθέρωσας καί τήν εἰς οὐρανούς ἄνοδον προηυτρέπισας. Εἶτα καί παραχθέντα με