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178

and to him who tabernacled in the womb of the holy Virgin and was incarnate from her unchangeably, inexpressibly and came forth for the salvation of us all. But this salvation of ours certainly exists, as we have often said and will now say again, not we from ourselves, but the divine mouth has revealed the great light of the age to come. The kingdom of heaven has come down upon the earth, or rather, the all-king of things above and things below has come, he willed to be made like you, so that all of us, partaking of him as from a light, might be shown as second lights, indeed like the first, and we might together be partakers of the kingdom of heaven and sharers in his glory and heirs of the eternal good things, which no one has ever seen. These are, as I am persuaded and believe and say, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, this is the source of good things, this is the life of beings, this is delight and repose, this is a robe and glory, this is inexpressible joy and the salvation of all who have partaken of his unspeakable illumination and have communion with him in perception. Listen: For he is called Savior for this reason, that to all with whom he is united, he provides salvation, and salvation is the release from all evils, and at the same time the eternal discovery of all good things, from death, life; from darkness, light; granting complete freedom from the slavery of passions and most shameful deeds to all (317) who are united to Christ and Savior of all. These then acquire all inalienable joy, all exultation and all gladness, but those who are completely separated from him and have not sought him or been united to him, nor been delivered from the slavery of the passions and of death, even if they are kings, or rulers, or magnates, even if they luxuriate or make merry or think they have enjoyment and believe they exist in good things, yet they will never possess such gladness as the servants of Christ have, who are free from all improper desires, pleasures, and glory, which is unutterable, altogether ineffable, which no one will ever know, or learn, or perceive of those not consciously and fervently cleaving to Christ, and mingled with him in an ineffable union, to whom is due glory and honor, praise and every hymn from all creation and breath for ever, amen.

178

καί ἐν γαστρί σκηνώσαντι τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου καί σαρκωθέντι ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀτρέπτως, ἀνεκφράστως καί προελθόντι εἰς ἡμῶν ἁπάντων σωτηρίαν. Ἡ σωτηρία δέ ἡμῶν αὕτη πάντως ὑπάρχει, καθώς πολλάκις εἴπομεν καί νῦν αὖθις ἐροῦμεν, οὐχί ἡμεῖς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλά τό θεῖον στόμα ἐπέφανε τό μέγα φῶς τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἡ βασιλεία οὐρανῶν ἐπί τῆς γῆς κατῆλθε, μᾶλλον δέ ὁ παμβασιλεύς τῶν ἄνω καί τῶν κάτω ἐλήλυθεν, ἠθέλησεν ὑμῖν ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵν᾿ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐκ φωτός πάντες μεταλαβόντες φῶτα δειχθῶμεν δεύτερα, ὅμοιά γε τοῦ πρώτου, καί βασιλείας οὐρανῶν κοινωνοί καί τῆς δόξης συμμέτοχοι ὑπάρξωμεν ὁμοῦ καί κληρονόμοι τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, ὧν οὐδείς ποτε εἶδε. Ταῦτα δ᾿ εἰσίν, ὡς πείθομαι καί πιστεύω καί λέγω, Πατήρ, Υἱός καί Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Τριάς Ἁγία, τοῦτο πηγή τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τοῦτο ζωή τῶν ὄντων, τοῦτο τρυφή καί ἄνεσις, τοῦτο στολή καί δόξα, τοῦτοσ χαρά ἀνέκφραστος καί σωτηρία πάντων τῶν μετασχόντων τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐλλάμψεως ἀρρήτου καί κοινωνίαν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐχόντων ἐν αἰσθήσει. Ἀκούσατε˙ Σωτήρ καί γάρ διά τοῦτο καλεῖται, ὅτι πᾶσιν, οἷς ἑνωθῇ, σωτηρίαν παρέχει, ἡ σωτηρία δέ ἐστιν κακῶν μέν πάντων λύσις, καλῶν δέ πάντων ἐν ταὐτῷ εὕρεσις αἰωνία, ἀπό θανάτου μέν ζωήν, ἀπό δέ σκότους φάος, ἀπό δουλείας τῶν παθῶν καί πράξεων αἰσχίστων ἐλευθερίαν παντελῆ πᾶσι χαριζομένη (317) τοῖς ἑνωθεῖσι τῷ Χριστῷ καί Σωτῆρι τῶν ὅλων. Οἵ καί τότε πᾶσαν μέν χαράν ἀναφαίρετον κτῶνται, πᾶσάν γε ἀγαλλίασιν καί πᾶσαν εὐφροσύνην, οἱ δέ κἄν ὅλως πέλοντες τούτου κεχωρισμένοι καί μή ζητήσαντες αὐτόν ἤ τούτῳ ἑνωθέντες μηδέ δουλείας τῶν παθῶν καί θανάτου ῥυσθέντες, κἄν βασιλεῖς, κἄν ἄρχοντες εἰσί, κἄν μεγιστᾶνες, κἄν τρυφᾶν κἄν εὐφραίνεσθαι κἄν ἀπόλαυσιν ἔχειν οἴονται καί νομίζουσιν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὑπάρχειν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέποτε κτήσονται τοιαύτην εὐφροσύνην, οἵαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οἱ ἐλεύθεροι ἐκ πάντων ἀτόπων ἐπιθυμιῶν, ἡδονῶν τε καί δόξης ἔχουσιν ἀνεκλάλητον, ἄφραστον οὖσαν πάντῃ, ἥν οὐδείς ποτε γνώσεται, οὐ μάθῃ, οὐ κατίδῃ τῶν μή γνωσίως καί θερμῶς τῷ Χριστῷ κολληθέντων, ἀνακραθέντων τε αὐτῷ ἐν ἑνώσει ἀρρήτῳ, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καί τιμή, αἶνος καί ἅπας ὕμνος ὑπό πάσης τῆς κτίσεως καί πνοῆς εἰς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.