190

As being of the same nature as Christ, likewise consubstantial and of the same glory and being united, it makes them like Christ in every way. For the Master does not envy mortals to be seen as equal to Himself by divine grace, nor does He deem His slaves unworthy to become like Him, but He is delighted and rejoices seeing us, who are from men, become such by grace, as He is and exists by nature. For being a Benefactor, He wishes us to be such as He also is. For if we are not such, precisely like Him, how shall we be united to Him, as He said, how shall we abide in Him, (337) not being such, how shall He abide in us, who are unlike Him? Knowing this clearly, therefore, hasten to receive the Spirit that is from God and Divine, so that you may become such as the word has shown, heavenly and divine, as many as the Master spoke of, so that you may also become heirs of the heavenly kingdom for ever. But if you were not or do not become here heavenly, as I said, how do you think you can inhabit the heavens at all with Him? And how can you enter into the kingdom with the heavenly ones and reign and be together with the King and Master of all? Run with haste, therefore, all of you, that we may be deemed worthy

190

Ὡς Χριστοῦ ὁμοφυές τε, ὁμοούσιον ὡσαύτως καί ὁμόδοξον ὑπάρχον καί συνηνωμένον πέλον, τούτους τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁμοίους ἀπεργάζεται εἰς ἅπαν. Οὐ φθονεῖ γάρ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἴσους ἑαυτῷ ὀφθῆναι τούς βροτούς χάριτι θείᾳ, οὐδ᾿ ἀπαξιοῖ γενέσθαι ὁμοίους αὐτῷ τούς δούλους, ἀλλά τέρπεται καί χαίρει καθορῶν ἡμᾶς τοιούτους ἐξ ἀνθρώπων γεγονότας κατά χάριν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος πέφυκε καί ἔστι φύσει. Εὐεργέτης γάρ ὑπάρχων βούλεται ἡμᾶς τοιούτους εἶναι, οἷος καί ἐκεῖνος. Εἰ γάρ μή τοιοῦτοι ὦμεν ὅμοιοι ἐν ἀκριβείᾳ, πῶς ἐσόμεθα ἐκείνῳ ἡνωμένοι, καθώς εἶπε, πῶς δέ ἐν αὐτῷ μενοῦμεν, (337) μή ὑπάρχοντες τοιοῦτοι, πῶς δ᾿ αὐτός ἐν ἡμῖν μείνῃ οὖσι τούτου ἀνομοίοις; Τοῦτο οὖν σαφῶς εἰδότε σπεύσατε λαβεῖν τό Πνεῦμα τό ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καί Θεῖον, ἵνα γένησθε τοιοῦτοι, οἵους ἔδειξεν ὁ λόγος, ἐπουράνιοι καί θεῖοι, ὅσους εἶπεν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ἵνα καί τῆς βασιλείας γένησθε τῆς οὐρανίου κληρονόμοι εἰς αἰῶνας. Εἰ δέ μή τοιοῦτοι ἦτε ἤ γένησεσθε ἐνταῦθα ἐπουράνιοι, ὡς εἶπον, πῶς τούς οὐρανούς οἰκῆσαι ὅλως οἴεσθε σύν τούτῳ; πῶς δέ καί εἰς βασιλείαν μετά τῶν ἐπουρανίων εἰσελθεῖν καί βασιλεῦσαι καί συνέσεσθαι τῷ πάντων Βασιλεῖ τε καί ∆εσπότῃ; ∆ράμετε σπουδῇ οὖν πάντες, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν