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for knowledge, the danger of ever being mistaken; and for those who by grace have been led up speechlessly and inconceivably, through negation, (676) and of unspeakable silence and unknowing, toward the very summit that is infinite and beyond infinite, and infinitely infinite, by nature beyond all things.

And seven bowls for the seven lamps that are upon it. The explanation of the contemplation concerning the lamps, so to speak, has been given according to two approaches; but that concerning the bowls will begin from here. They say, then, that the bowl is a kind of cup-shaped vessel, in which people are accustomed to put the oil that is poured on the lamps, for the nourishment and preservation of the light. Therefore, according to the anagogical interpretation, the bowls for the seven lamps of the lampstand that was seen are the habits and dispositions of various kinds of reason, ways, and character—receptive of what nourishes and preserves the seven lamps, that is, the energies of the Spirit—belonging to those who have received the distribution of gifts in the Church. For just as it is impossible for a lamp to be kept unquenched without oil; so it is impossible for the light of the gifts to be kept unquenched without a habit that nourishes good things with fitting reasonings and ways, and characters, and furthermore with proper thoughts and reflections. For every spiritual gift needs a suitable habit, which unceasingly pours into it, as if it were oil, the intelligible matter; so that it may remain, being sustained according to the habit of the one who received it.

The bowls, therefore, of the seven lamps of the lampstand are the fitting habits for the divine gifts of the holy Church; from which, as from certain vessels, like the wise virgins in the Gospel, the wise and vigilant guardians of the good things that have been given pour upon the lamps of the gifts the oil of gladness.

And two olive trees are above it: one on the right of its lamp-bowl, and one on the left. Well and very fittingly has the discourse arranged the whole vision so that it inclines smoothly toward itself. For having spoken of a lampstand, and a lamp-bowl, and lamps, and bowls, it also introduced two olive trees. For truly, along with the light, it was necessary to conceive naturally of the cause that generates the power which preserves the light, so that the light of the lampstand might not perish, being extinguished for lack of nourishment. Therefore, the two olive trees of the golden lampstand, that is, of the holy Catholic Church, happen to be the two Testaments; from which, as if pressed from olive trees through pious seeking and searching, the power of thoughts which nourishes the light of the divine gifts is given forth like oil; and [marg. that is, of the power] being filled with this in proportion to its own capacity, the habit of each person preserves unquenched the light of the grace corresponding to it; being preserved, as if by oil, by the thoughts from the Scriptures. For just as without olive trees it is in no way possible to find by nature truly genuine (677) oil; and without a vessel, it is not possible to hold the oil that is received; and if it is not nourished by oil, the lamp's light is by all means extinguished; so, without the holy Scriptures, there is not in truth a power of thoughts befitting God; and without a habit, like a vessel receptive of thoughts, a divine thought could in no way be constituted; and if it is not nourished by divine thoughts, the light of knowledge in the gifts is not kept unquenched by those who have it.

Therefore, leading the vision up toward spiritual contemplation, the discourse has fittingly compared: the lampstand, to the Church; the lamp-bowl, to the incarnate God, who unchangeably put on our nature for himself hypostatically; the seven lamps, to the gifts of the Spirit, that is, the energies, as the great Isaiah clearly showed; the bowls of the lamps, to the habits receptive of the divine thoughts of Scripture, belonging to those who have received the divine gifts; the two olive trees, to the

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τήν γνῶσίν ποτε τοῦ σφάλλεσθαι κίνδυνος· καί πρός αὐτήν τήν ἄπειρον καί ἐπάπειρον, καί ἀπειράκις ἀπείρως κατά φύσιν ἐπέκεινα πάντων ἀκρότητα δι᾿ ἀφασίας, (676) ἀῤῥήτου τε σιγῆς καί ἀγνωσίας, ἀφθέγκτως τε καί ἀπερινοήτως ἀναχθεῖσι κατά τήν χάριν.

Καί ἑπτά ἐπαρυστρίδες τοῖς ἑπτά λύχνοις τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς. Ὁ μέν δή περί τῶν λύχνων, ὡς κατ᾿ ἐμέ φάναι, κατά δύο ἐπιβολάς, ἀποδέδοται τῆς θεωρίας ὁ λόγος· ὁ δέ τῶν ἐπαρυστρίδων, ἐντεῦθεν ἀρχθήσεται. Φασίν οὖν εἶναι τήν ἐπαρυστρίδα, σκεῦός τι σκυφοειδές, ἐν ᾧ τό τοῖς λύχνοις ἐπιχεόμενον οἱ ἄνθρωποι βάλλειν εἰώθασιν ἔλαιον, πρός ἀποτροφήν τοῦ φωτός καί συντήρησιν. Οὐκοῦν κατά τόν τῆς ἀναγωγῆς λόγον, ἐπαρυστρίδες εἰσί τῶν ἑπτά λύχνων τῆς ὁραθείσης λυχνίας, αἱ δεκτικαί τῶν διατρεφόντων τε καί συντηρούντων τούς ἑπτά λύχνους, ἤγουν τάς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Πνεύματος, διαφόρων λόγων τε καί τρόπων καί ἠθῶν ὑπάρχουσιν ἕξεις τε καί διαθέσεις, τῶν εἰληφότων ἐν τῆ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τήν τῶν χαρισμάτων διαίρεσιν. Ὡς γάρ ἐλαίου χωρίς ἄσβεστον διατηρηθεῖναι λύχνον ἀμήχανον· οὕτως ἕξεως χωρίς, προσφόροις, καί λόγοις καί τρόποις, καί ἤθεσι, νοήμασί τε αὖ καί λογισμοῖς καθήκουσι τά καλά διατρεφούσης, ἄσβεστον διαφυλαχθῆναι τό φῶς τῶν χαρισμάτων ἀμήχανον. Πᾶν γάρ χάρισμα πνευματικόν, προσφυοῦς χρῄζει τῆς ἕξεως, ἀπαύστως ἐπιχεούσης αὐτῷ καθάπερ ἔλαιον, τήν ὕλην τήν νοεράν· ἵνα διαμείνῃ κατά τήν ἕξιν τοῦ δεξαμένου κρατούμενον.

Ἐπαρυστρίδες οὖν τῶν ἑπτά λύχνων τῆς λυχνίας, αἱ πρόσφοροι τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων τῆς ἁγίας Ἐκκησίας ὑπάρχουσιν ἕξεις· ἀφ᾿ ὧν, ὡς ἔκ τινων ἀγγείων, κατά τάς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ φρονίμους παρθένους, ταῖς λαμπάσι τῶν χαρισμάτων ἐπιχέουσι, τό τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως ἔλαιον, οἱ σοφοί τῶν δεδομένων καλῶν καί ἄγρυπνοι φύλακες.

Καί δύο ἐλαῖαι ἐπάνω αὐτῆς· μία ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ λαμπαδίου αὐτῆς, καί μία ἐξ εὐωνύμων. Καλῶς καί πάνυ γε προσφυῶς, ὅλην πρός ἑαυτόν νεύουσαν ὁμαλῶς τήν ὅρασιν διεσκεύασεν ὁ λόγος. Εἰπών γάρ λυχνίαν, καί λαμπάδιον, καί λύχνους, καί ἐπαρυστρίδας, ἐπήγαγε καί ἐλαίας δύο. Ἔδει γάρ ἀληθῶς τῷ φωτί συνεπινοηθῆναι φυσικῶς τήν γεννητικήν τῆς τό φῶς συντηρούσης δυνάμεως αἰτίαν, ἵνα μή τό φῶς ἀπογένηται τῆς λυχνίας δι᾿ ἀτροφίαν σβεννύμενον. Αἱ δύο τοιγαροῦν ἐλαῖαι τῆς χρυσῆς λυχνίας, τουτέστι, τῆς ἁγίας καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας, αἱ δύο ∆ιαθῆκαι τυγχάνουσιν· ἀφ᾿ ὧν ὡς ἐξ ἐλαιῶν τινων ἐκπιεζομένη δι᾿ εὐσεβοῦς ζητήσεως καί ἐρεύνης, ἐκδίδοται καθάπερ ἔλαιον, ἡ τό φῶς τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἐκτρέφουσα δύναμις τῶν νοημάτων· ἧς [marg. δυνάμεως δηλονότι] κατ᾿ ἀναλογίαν τῆς οἰκείας, δυνάμεως ἡ τοῦ καθ᾿ ἕκαστον ἕξις πληρουμένη, τό φῶς ἄσβεστον τῆς ἀναλογούσης αὐτῷ διαφυλάττει χάριτος· καθάπερ ἐλαίῳ, τοῖς ἐκ τῶν Γραφῶν νοήμασι συντηρούμενον. Ὡς γάρ ἐλαίας χωρίς οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδαμῶς εὑρεῖν φύσει κατ᾿ ἀλήθειαν γνήσιον (677) ἔλαιον· ἄγγους δέ δίχα, κρατεῖσθαι τοῦ δεχομένου τό ἔλαιον οὐ δυνατόν· ἐλαίῳ δέ μή τρεφόμενον, σβέννυται πάντως τό λυχναῖον φῶς· οὕτως τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν χωρίς οὐκ ἔστιν κατ᾿ ἀλήθειαν δύναμις νοημάτων θεοπρεπής· ἕξεως δέ δίχα καθάπερ ἄγγους νοημάτων δεκτικῆς, οὐδαμῶς ἄν συσταίη νόημα θεῖον· θείοις δέ νοήμασι μή τρεφόμενον τό φῶς τῆς ἐν τοῖς χαρίσμασι γνώσεως, ἄσβεστον οὐ συντηρεῖται τοῖς ἔχουσιν.

Οὐκοῦν καλῶς τήν ὅρασιν ἀνάγων πρός θεωρίαν πνευματικήν, ὁ λόγος παρείκασε· τήν μέν λυχνίαν, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ· τό δέ λαμπάδιον τῷ σαρκωθέντι Θεῷ, καί τήν ἡμετέραν φύσιν ἀτρέπτως ἑαυτῷ καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν περιθεμένῳ· τούς δέ λύχνους τούς ἑπτά, τοῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος χαρίσμασιν, ἤγουν ἐνεργείαις, ὡς ὁ μέγας ἀπέδειξε σαφῶς Ἡσαΐας· τάς δέ τῶν λύχνων ἐπαρυστρίδας, ταῖς δεκτικαῖς τῶν θείων τῆς Γραφῆς νοημάτων ἕξεσι, τῶν δεξαμένων τά θεῖα χαρίσματα· τάς δέ δύο ἐλαίας, ταῖς