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But it is not separated from this, (327) but both begets the word and holds it within, so understand the Father, that He begot the Word, that He begets eternally, and the Father of the Son is not separated at all from Him, but is seen in the Son, and the Son remains in Him. This precise image, even if it happens to be dim, the word has shown, which you will never see, nor will you ever understand, unless you first cleanse, unless you first wash away the filth from your image, unless you draw it out, being buried in the passions, and completely wipe it clean, and likewise strip it and whiten it as snow. But when you do these things and purify yourself well and become a perfect image, you will not see the prototype, nor will you ever understand it, unless it is revealed to you through the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit teaches all things, shining in ineffable light, (328) it will show you intellectually all intelligible things, as much as you are able to see, as much as is possible for a human, according to the proportion of your soul's purification, and you will be made like God by the precise imitation of deeds, of temperance and courage, but also of love for mankind, and of patience in temptations and of love for enemies. For this is love for mankind, for you to do good to your enemies and to love them as friends, as true benefactors, and to pray for all
184
οὐ χωρίζεται δέ τούτου, (327) ἀλλά καί γεννᾷ τόν λόγον καί ἐντός αὐτόν κατέχει, οὕτω νόει τόν Πατέρα, ὅτι ἔτεκε τόν Λόγον, ὅτι τίκτει ἀενάως, οὐ χωρίζεται δέ ὅλως τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πατήρ ὁ τούτου, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ ὁρᾶται, καί Υἱός ἐν τούτῳ μένει. Ταύτην ἀκριβῆ εἰκόνα, εἰ καί ἀμυδρά τυγχάνει, καθυπέδειξεν ὁ λόγος, ἥν οὐδέποτε θεάσῃ, οὐδ᾿ οὐ μή κατανοήσῃς, εἰ μή πρότερον καθάρῃς, εί μή πρότερον ἐκπλύνῃς τῆς εἰκόνος σου τόν ῥύπον, εἰ μή κεχωσμένην οὖσαν ἐν τοῖς πάθεσιν ἐξάξῃς, ἀποσμήξῃς τε τελείως, ἀποδύσῃς τε ὡσαύτως καί λευκάνῃς ὡς χιόνα. Ὅταν ταῦτα δέ ποιήσῃς καί καλῶς σαυτόν καθάρῃς καί εἰκών τελεία γένῃ, τό πρωτότυπον οὐκ ὄψῃ, οὐδ᾿ οὐ μή κατανοήσῃς, εἰ μή ἀποκαλυφθῇ σοι διά Πνεύματος Ἁγίου. Πάντα γάρ Πνεῦμα διδάσκει ἐν φωτί λάμψαν ἀρρήτῳ, (328) νοερῶς τά νοητά σοι ἅπαντα καθυποδείξει, ὅσον δύνασαι καί βλέπειν, ὅσον ἐφικτόν ἀνθρώπῳ, κατά τήν ἀναλογίαν ψυχικῆς καθάρσεώς σου, καί Θεῷ ὁμοιωθήσῃ ἔργων ἀκριβεῖ μιμήσει, σωφροσύνης καί ἀνδρείας, ἀλλά καί φιλανθρωπίας, πειρασμῶν ὑπομονῇ τε καί τῇ πρός ἐχθρούς ἀγάπῃ. Τοῦτο γάρ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, τό ἐχθρούς εὐεργετεῖν σε καί φιλεῖν αὐτούς ὡς φίλους, ὡς γνησίους εὐεργέτας, εὔχεσθαί τε ὑπέρ πάντων