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to be shown as sinners, with only those escaping it who are able to say *For we are not ignorant of his designs*; whence also having caught many by deifying the nets, which he used for the hunting of the deceived of God for a dragnet and incense for the casting net, as it is written in the prophet. But even if sinners will fall in his casting net, yet I, having withdrawn from all material things, am alone, until I may pass through this mortal life and the multitude of evils and be joined to the Lord so as to become one spirit with him.

1234 Ps 141,5 No one knows what is wise of the material and foolish, since

concerning the wise and wisdom they have no notion at all, with only the wise knowing both themselves and those like them. Since therefore, he says, there was no one who knew me, I was considering the things on the right which I look upon, having previously had understanding of them, so that having become yet wiser, my heart might come even more to the right, contemplating no longer anything perceptible but all things intelligible. And since everyone who sins flees God, as is shown from what is said after the transgression, *And both Adam and his wife fled from the face of God*, he who no longer sins but has achieved sinlessness will say, *Flight has perished from me*, that is, wickedness has perished from me, in which those who flee God hide and take refuge. Therefore also there is no one who seeks my soul, which has been revealed to God and has stood before him. But *seeking out* indicates an intensification of seeking; what is lost is sought and sought out. And to be lost and to have fled are the same thing. And he who has been in wickedness, when he begins to repent, flees it; for it says, *Flee idolatry*, and *Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent*. And he intensifies the flight daily through progress, distancing himself from the state he has left behind so as to come to the purest virtue, standing at last firmly in the good he will say, *Flight has perished from me*; for I no longer have sin pursuing me nor one seeking out my soul, which has come to be in the fortress of piety. 1235 Ps 141,8a But according to the allegorical sense, all wickedness and impiety, like some guard, having seized the souls within, was holding them; from which prison each sends up the present prayer, so that the Lord, having consented, might come for the purpose of bringing out of bonds those who are bound and from the house of imprisonment those sitting in darkness.

1236 Ps 142,1.2 The third psalm is inscribed, *A psalm of David, when he

fled from the face of Absalom his son*, but here, *When his son was pursuing him*. It is not so terrible to flee from someone as for that one to pursue. For it is possible to flee from mere suspicion, but for the one pursued to be driven shows the cruelty and savagery of the pursuer. He says therefore: Being in need of many things I have fled to you, knowing precisely that you will fill me with all things of which I am in want, having hearkened to my prayer in the truth, in your only-begotten offspring who said, *I am the truth*. Or since I worship for now in image and shadow, I pray also that what is lacking to me may be given. And that is to go beyond the typical worship in order to approach your naked truth, so that I may worship you in spirit and in truth. *Hearken to me in your righteousness*, having justified me in it. For my righteousness will be reckoned as nothing before you. Therefore I also ask that you not enter into judgment with me; for I am your servant, and I fear to be judged with you or by you. For you examine not only words or deeds but also the intention from which these things come; whence no one of the living, even if he has the highest virtue, will be able to be justified before you. At any rate, all the just, comparing their own righteousness to yours, from

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ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἀποδείκνυσθαι, μόνων ἐκφευγόντων αὐτὸ τῶν δυναμένων εἰπεῖν Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν· οθεν καὶ πολλοὺς ἀγρεύσας θεοποιῶν τὰ δίκτυα, οις πρὸς θήραν τῶν ἠπατημένων ἐχρήσατο θεοῦ ἐπὶ σαγήνῃ καὶ θυμίᾳ τῷ ἀμφιβλήστρῳ ὡς ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ γέγραπται. ̓Αλλ' εἰ καὶ πεσοῦνται ἐν ἀμφιβλήστρῳ αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ πάντων ἀναχωρήσας τῶν ὑλικῶν κατὰ μόνας εἰμί, εως αν παρέλθω τὸν ἐπίκηρον βίον καὶ τῶν κακῶν τὸ πλῆθος καὶ κολληθῶ τῷ κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τῷ εν πνεῦμα πρὸς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι.

1234 Ps 141,5 Οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκεται τὸ σοφὸν τῶν ὑλικῶν καὶ ἠλιθίων, ἐπεὶ

περὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ καὶ τῆς σοφίας διάληψιν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν εχουσι, μόνων τῶν σοφῶν ἐπιγινωσκόντων ἑαυτούς τε καὶ τοὺς παραπλησίους. ἐπεὶ ουν, φησίν, οὐκ ην ὁ ἐπιγινώσκων με, ἐγὼ κατενόουν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ οις ἐπιβλέπω πρότερον ἐσχηκὼς αὐτῶν κατανόησιν, ινα ετι σοφωτέρου μου γεγενημένου ετι μᾶλλον ἡ καρδία μου εἰς δεξιὰν ελθοι οὐδὲν αἰσθητὸν ετι ἀλλὰ πάντα νοητὰ θεωροῦσα. καὶ ἐπεὶ πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων φεύγει θεόν, ὡς παρίσταται ἐκ τοῦ μετὰ παράβασιν λέγεσθαι Καὶ εφυγον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ο τε ̓Αδὰμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, ὁ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνων ἀλλὰ κατορθώσας ἀναμαρτησίαν ἐρεῖ ̓Απώλετο φυγὴ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, τουτέστιν ἀπώλετο ἀπ' ἐμοῦ κακία εἰς ην κρύπτονται καὶ χωροῦσιν οἱ φεύγοντες θεόν. διὸ καὶ οὐκ εστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου, φανερωθεῖσαν θεῷ καὶ παραστᾶσαν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. ζητήσεως δ' ἐπίτασιν δηλοῖ τὸ ̓Εκζητῶν· ζητεῖται καὶ ἐκζητεῖται τὸ ἀπολωλός. ταὐτὸν δὲ τὸ ἀπολωλέναι καὶ πεφευγέναι. καὶ ὁ ἐν κακίᾳ δὲ γεγονὼς οτε μετανοεῖν αρχεται φεύγει ταύτην· Φεύγετε γάρ φησι τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, καὶ ̔Ως ἀπὸ προσώπου οφεως φεῦγε ἀπ' ἁμαρτίας. καὶ ἐπιτείνει γε τὴν φυγὴν ὁσημέραι διὰ προκοπῆς μακρυνόμενος ης καταλέλοιπεν εξεως ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκραιφνεστάτην ἀρετὴν ἐλθεῖν, στὰς λοιπὸν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ βεβαίως ἐρεῖ τὸ ̓Απώλετο φυγὴ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· οὐκέτι γὰρ εχω διώκουσαν ἁμαρτίαν οὐδὲ τὸν ἐκζητοῦντα τὴν ψυχήν μου γενομένην ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας. 1235 Ps 141,8a Κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν δὲ ἡ κακία καὶ ἡ δυσσεβεία πᾶσα ωσπερ φρουρά τις ενδον τὰς ψυχὰς περιλαβοῦσα κατεῖχεν· ἀφ' ης φυλακῆς ἑκάστη ἀναπέμπει τὴν προκειμένην εὐχήν, ὡς ἐπινεύσαντα τὸν κύριον ἐληλυθέναι ἐπὶ τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν δεδεμένους καὶ ἐξ οικου φυλακῆς καθημένους ἐν σκότει.

1236 Ps 142,1.2 ̔Ο μὲν τρίτος ψαλμὸς ἐπιγέγραπται Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυίδ, ὁπότε

ἀπεδίδρασκεν ἀπὸ προσώπου ̓Αβεσαλὼμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἐνταῦθα δὲ Οτε αὐτὸν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ κατεδίωκεν. οὐχ ουτω δὲ δεινὸν τὸ φυγεῖν ἀπό τινος ὡς ἐκεῖνον διώκειν. ἐνδέχεται δὲ καὶ ἐξ ὑπονοίας μόνης φεύγειν, τὸ μέντοι τὸν διωκόμενον ἐλαύνεσθαι ἐμφαίνει τὴν ὠμότητα καὶ ἀγριότητα τοῦ διώκοντος. Φησὶν ουν· Πολλῶν ἐπιδεὴς ων κατέφυγον πρὸς σέ, ἐπιστάμενος ἀκριβῶς οτι πληρώσεις με πάντων ων ἐλλειπής εἰμι ἐνωτισάμενος τὴν δέησιν μου ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τῷ μονογενεῖ σου γεννήματι τῷ εἰπόντι ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια. η ἐπεὶ ἐν εἰκόνι καὶ σκιᾷ τέως λατρεύω, ευχομαι καὶ τὸ λεῖπόν μοι δοθῆναι. εστι δὲ τὸ ὑπερβῆναι τὴν τυπικὴν θεραπείαν ἐπὶ τῷ γυμνῇ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου προσβαλεῖν, ινα πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ σοι προσκυνήσω. ̓Επάκουσόν μου ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου, δικαιώσας με ἐν αὐτῇ. ἡ γὰρ ἐμὴ δικαιοσύνη ὡς οὐδὲν ἐναντίον σου λογισθήσεται. διὸ καὶ ἀξιῶ, οπως μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κρίσιν μετ' ἐμοῦ· εἰμὶ γάρ σου δοῦλος, καὶ κριθῆναι πρὸς σὲ η ἐπὶ σοῦ φοβοῦμαι. ἐξετάζεις γὰρ οὐ τοὺς λόγους η τὰ εργα μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πρόθεσιν ἀφ' ης ταῦτα· οθεν τῶν ζώντων οὐδείς, καν ἀκροτάτην ἀρετὴν εχει, δικαιωθῆναι ἐνώπιόν σου δυνήσεται. πάντες γοῦν οἱ δίκαιοι συγκρίνοντες τὴν σφῶν δικαιοσύνην τῇ σῇ ἀπὸ