PG 34 · cols. 709–716

Macarius, Spiritual Homily 28

Editors' preface

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΗʹ.

HOMILY XXVIII.

Διαγράφει καὶ ἀποδύρεται αὕτη ἡ ὁμιλία τὴν ξυμφορὰν τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ Κύριος οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῇ. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν αὐτοῦ μείζων ἐστί.

This homily describes and laments the calamity of the soul, that because of sin the Lord does not dwell in it. And concerning John the Baptist, that no one among those born of women is greater than he.

Αʹ. Ὥσπερ ὀργισθεὶς ὁ Θεός ποτε Ἰουδαίοις, παρέδωκε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς τὸ προφανὲς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ ἐκυρίευον αὐτῶν οἱ μισοῦντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν †ἔτι† ἐκεῖ ἑορτὴ, οὔτε προσφορά· οὕτω καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ

1. Just as God, once angered with the Jews, delivered Jerusalem openly to enemies, and those who hated them ruled over them, and there was no longer a feast there, nor an offering: so too, with the soul,

Editors' notes and page, col. 709

Page

running head: 709 HOMILIAE. — HOM. XXVIII. 710
marginal letters: none beside this unit's part of the column (A–D in the gutter all stand beside Homily 27, above the title)
old-edition numerals: none
signature: none
other: the upper part of the column (to its closing doxology and Ἀμήν, about 0.81 of the page height) is the end of Homily 27, not part of this unit; this unit begins at the title ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΗʹ, followed by the italic Greek argument (Διαγράφει …), which is set as a caption in layer 1. Note ⁹⁰ (Matth. V, 2 seq.), printed under this column, is called in the Latin of col 710 in Homily 27 and belongs to that homily's unit.

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Editors' notes and page, col. 710

Latin title (Migne's translation, untranslated)

HOMILIA XXVIII. Describit ac deplorat haec homilia calamitatem animae, in qua propter peccatum non habitat Christus. Et de Joanne Baptista, quod inter natos mulierum nullus eo sit major.

Page

running head: 709 HOMILIAE. — HOM. XXVIII. 710
marginal letters: none beside this unit's part of the column (A–D stand beside Homily 27, above the title)
old-edition numerals: none in this unit's part (bold 110 after ‹a natura›, in Homily 27, belongs to that unit)
signature: none
other: this column holds Migne's Latin translation (not set). Above the title it is the end of Homily 27 (Latin XXII–XXIII, with the call ⁹⁰ after ‹Beati pacifici›; note printed under col 709), not part of this unit. From the Latin title HOMILIA XXVIII. down (facing the Greek title in col 709) the column is in this unit: title, italic Latin argument, and the opening of section I (Quemadmodum olim …), not set.

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Editors' notes and page, col. 711

Page

running head: 711 S. MACARII AEGYPTI 712
marginal letters: A ‹animae, propter transgressionem›; B ‹stiarum. Vae animae›; C ‹exustionem ignis pro fructu›; D ‹ejus igni combussit›
old-edition numerals: 111 after ‹Vae terrae,›
signature: none
other: this column holds Migne's Latin translation of sections I (end)–IV (not set).

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ὀργισθεὶς, διὰ τὴν παράβασιν τῆς ἐντολῆς, παρέδωκεν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, δαίμοσί τε καὶ πάθεσι· καὶ οὕτω πλανήσαντες αὐτὴν, τελείως ἠφάνισαν, καὶ οὐκέτι ἦν ἐκεῖ οὔτε ἑορτὴ, οὔτε θυμίαμα, οὔτε προσφορὰ δι' αὐτῆς τῷ Θεῷ ἀναπεμπομένη, πλησθέντων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς τῶν γνωρισμάτων αὐτῆς θηρίων δεινῶν, καὶ ἑρπετῶν πνευμάτων πονηρίας ἐν αὐτῇ καταλυόντων. Καὶ ὥσπερ οἶκος, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ τὸν δεσπότην κατοικοῦντα, σκότος, καὶ ἀτιμίαν, καὶ ὕβριν ἐνδύεται, καὶ ῥυπαρίας καὶ κοπριῶν ἐμπέπλησται· οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα τὸν Δεσπότην αὐτῆς μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐν ἑαυτῇ χορεύοντα, σκότους ἁμαρτίας, καὶ αἰσχύνης παθῶν, καὶ πάσης ἀτιμίας ἐμπίμπλαται.

being angered, on account of the transgression of the commandment, delivered it to the enemies, both demons and passions; and so, having led it astray, they utterly destroyed it, and there was no longer there either feast, or incense, or offering sent up through it to God, the ways of its knowledges being filled with dreadful wild beasts, and creeping spirits of wickedness lodging in it. And as a house, if it does not have its master dwelling in it, puts on darkness and dishonour and outrage, and is filled with filth and dung, so too the soul that does not have its Master dancing in it with the angels is filled with the darkness of sin, and the shame of passions, and all dishonour.

Βʹ. Οὐαὶ ὁδῷ, ἐὰν μηδεὶς ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῇ, μήτε ἀκούῃ ἐν αὐτῇ φωνῆς ἀνθρώπου! ὅτι καταλυτήριον θηρίων τυγχάνει. Οὐαὶ ψυχῇ, ὁπόταν μὴ ὁδεύῃ ἐν αὐτῇ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φεύγῃ ἐξ αὐτῆς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας θηρία! Οὐαὶ οἰκίᾳ, ὁπότε ὁ δεσπότης οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῇ! Οὐαὶ γῇ, ὁπότε μὴ ἔχει τὸν ἐργαζόμενον αὐτὴν γεωργόν! Οὐαὶ πλοίῳ, ὁπόταν μὴ ἔχῃ τὸν κυβερνήτην, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν κυμάτων καὶ τοῦ σάλου τῆς θαλάσσης φερόμενον ἀπόλλυται. Οὐαὶ ψυχῇ, ὁπόταν μὴ ἔχῃ τὸν ἀληθινὸν κυβερνήτην Χριστὸν ἐν αὐτῇ! ὅτι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ τῆς πικρίας τοῦ σκότους τυγχάνουσα, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ σάλου τῶν παθῶν κυματουμένη, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων χειμαζομένη, τὸ τέλος ἀπώλειαν κτᾶται. Οὐαὶ ψυχῇ, ὁπόταν μὴ ἔχῃ τὸν ἐργαζόμενον αὐτὴν ἐπιμελῶς Χριστὸν, ἵνα καρποὺς ἀγαθοὺς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεγκεῖν δυνηθῇ! ὅτι ἔρημος οὖσα, καὶ ἀκανθῶν καὶ τριβόλων μεστὴ, τὸ τέλος καῦσιν πυρὸς καρποῦται. Οὐαὶ ψυχῇ, ὁπόταν μὴ ἔχῃ τὸν Δεσπότην αὐτῆς Χριστὸν ἐν ἑαυτῇ κατοικοῦντα! ὅτι ἔρημος οὖσα καὶ δυσωδίας παθῶν ἐμπεπλησμένη, καταλυτήριον κακίας τυγχάνει.

2. Woe to the road, if no one walks on it, nor is the voice of man heard on it! for it becomes a lodging-place of wild beasts. Woe to the soul, when the Lord does not journey in it, and at His voice the spiritual wild beasts of wickedness do not flee out of it! Woe to the house, when the master does not dwell in it! Woe to the land, when it does not have the husbandman to work it! Woe to the ship, when it does not have the helmsman, for, borne about by the waves and the surge of the sea, it perishes. Woe to the soul, when it does not have the true helmsman, Christ, in it! for, being in the sea of the bitterness of darkness, and tossed by the surge of the passions, and storm-beaten by the evil spirits, in the end it gains destruction. Woe to the soul, when it does not have Christ working it diligently, so that it may be able to bear the good fruits of the Spirit! for, being desert, and full of thorns and thistles, in the end it reaps burning by fire. Woe to the soul, when it does not have its Master, Christ, dwelling in it! for, being desert and filled with the stench of passions, it becomes a lodging-place of vice.

Γʹ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ γεωργὸς ἐπὰν πορεύηται ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν, δέον τὰ ἐργαλεῖα καὶ ἄμφια πρὸς τὴν ἐργασίαν λαμβάνειν, οὕτως καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἐπουράνιος καὶ ἀληθινὸς γεωργὸς, ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὴν ἐρημωθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας ἀνθρωπότητα, ἐνδυσάμενος τὸ σῶμα καὶ ὡς ἐργαλεῖον τὸν σταυρὸν βαστάσας, εἰργάσατο τὴν ἔρημον ψυχὴν, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐξ αὐτῆς τὰς ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ τὰ ζιζάνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐξέτιλε, καὶ πάντα χόρτον ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῆς πυρὶ κατέκαυσε· καὶ οὕτως ἐργασάμενος αὐτὴν τῷ ξύλῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἐφύτευσεν ἐν αὐτῇ τὸν παγκάλλιστον παράδεισον τοῦ Πνεύματος, πάντα καρπὸν ἡδὺν καὶ ἐπιθυμητὸν φέροντα ὡς Δεσπότῃ Θεῷ.

3. For just as the husbandman, when he goes to work the land, must take tools and clothing for the work, so too Christ, the heavenly King and true husbandman, coming to humanity laid waste by vice, having put on the body and carried the cross as a tool, worked the desert soul, and took out of it the thorns and thistles of the evil spirits, and plucked out the tares of sin, and burned up with fire all the grass of its sins; and having so worked it with the wood of the cross, He planted in it the most beautiful paradise of the Spirit, bearing every fruit sweet and desirable to God, as to its Master.

Δʹ. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τριημέρου σκότους γενομένου, οὐκ ἔβλεπεν υἱὸς πατέρα, οὔτε ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν, οὔτε φίλος γνήσιον φίλον, τοῦ σκότους καλύψαντος αὐτούς· οὕτω τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παραβάντος τὴν ἐντολὴν, καὶ πεσόντος ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας δόξης, καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου γεγονότος, καὶ τοῦ καλύμματος τοῦ σκότους ἐλθόντος ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἐσχάτου Ἀδὰμ τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐκ ἔβλεπε τὸν ἀληθινὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐπουράνιον, καὶ τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ χρηστὴν μητέρα τὴν χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος,

4. And just as in Egypt, when there was darkness for three days, son did not see father, nor brother brother, nor friend his true friend, the darkness having covered them, so, when Adam had transgressed the commandment and fallen from his former glory, and come under the spirit of the world, and the veil of darkness had come upon his soul, from him even to the last Adam, the Lord, [man] did not see the true, heavenly Father, and the good and kind mother, the grace of the Spirit,

Editors' notes and page, col. 712

Page

running head: 711 S. MACARII AEGYPTI 712
marginal letters: A ‹ὀργισθεὶς, διὰ τὴν παράβασιν›; B ‹θηρίων τυγχάνει›; C ‹Πνεύματος ἐνεγκεῖν›; D ‹καὶ πάντα χόρτον›
old-edition numerals: none
signature: none
other: none

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καὶ τὸν γλυκὺν καὶ ποθούμενον ἀδελφὸν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τοὺς φίλους καὶ γνησίους ἀγγέλους ἁγίους, μεθ' ὧν ἔχαιρε χορεύων καὶ ἑορτάζων. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἕως τοῦ ἐσχάτου Ἀδὰμ, ἀλλ' ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐφ' οὓς οὐκ ἀνέτειλεν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης Χριστὸς, καὶ ὧν οὐκ ἠνοίγησαν οἱ τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοὶ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς φωτισθέντες, ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ σκότος τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔτι τυγχάνουσι, τὴν αὐτὴν τῶν ἡδονῶν ἐνέργειαν ἔχοντες, τῇ αὐτῇ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ ὑποκείμενοι, ὀφθαλμοὺς βλέποντας τὸν Πατέρα μηδέπω ἔχοντες.

and the sweet and longed-for brother, the Lord, and the dear and true friends, the holy angels, with whom he used to rejoice, dancing and keeping feast. And not only until the last Adam, but even now those upon whom Christ, the sun of righteousness, has not risen, and whose eyes of the soul have not been opened, enlightened by the true light, are still under the same darkness of sin, having the same working of pleasures, subject to the same punishment, not yet having eyes that see the Father.

Εʹ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὀφείλει γινώσκειν ἕκαστος, ὅτι εἰσὶν ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐνδότεροι ὀφθαλμῶν τούτων, καὶ ἔστιν ἀκοὴ ἐνδοτέρα τῆς ἀκοῆς ταύτης. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὗτοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αἰσθητῶς βλέπουσι καὶ κατανοοῦσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ φίλου, ἢ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ, οὕτως καὶ οἱ τῆς ἀξίας καὶ πιστῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοὶ πνευματικῶς φωτισθέντες φωτὶ θεϊκῷ, βλέπουσι καὶ κατανοοῦσι τὸν ἀληθινὸν φίλον, καὶ γλυκύτατον, καὶ πολυπόθητον νυμφίον τὸν Κύριον, καταλαμπομένης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ προσκυνητοῦ Πνεύματος· καὶ οὕτω βλέπουσα νοερῶς τὸ ἐπιθυμητὸν καὶ μόνον ἀνεκλάλητον κάλλος εἰς ἔρωτα θεῖον τιτρώσκεται, καὶ εἰς πάσας ἀρετὰς τοῦ Πνεύματος κατευθύνεται, καὶ οὕτως ἀόριστον καὶ ἀνέκλειπτον κέκτηται ἀγάπην, πρὸς τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῆς ποθούμενον Κύριον. Τί τοίνυν μακαριώτερον τῆς ἀϊδίου φωνῆς ἐκείνης Ἰωάννου, δεικνύοντος πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὸν Κύριον, λέγοντος, Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου;

5. For each one ought to know this, that there are eyes more inward than these eyes, and there is a hearing more inward than this hearing. And just as these eyes see and perceive with the senses the face of a friend or of one beloved, so too the eyes of the worthy and faithful soul, spiritually enlightened with divine light, see and perceive the true friend, and the sweetest and much-longed-for bridegroom, the Lord, the soul being shone upon by the adorable Spirit; and so, seeing intellectually the desirable and alone unspeakable beauty, it is wounded with divine love, and is directed to all the virtues of the Spirit, and so possesses a boundless and unfailing love for the Lord Whom it longs for. What then is more blessed than that everlasting voice of John, showing the Lord before their eyes and saying: Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world?

Ϛʹ. Ἀληθῶς, Ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐδεὶς μείζων Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ. Πλήρωμα γὰρ πάντων προφητῶν τυγχάνει· καὶ πάντες μὲν προεφήτευσαν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, μήκοθεν δεικνύοντες αὐτὸν παραγινόμενον· αὐτὸς δὲ προφητεύων περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἐδείκνυε παρ' ὀφθαλμοῖς πᾶσι, βοῶν καὶ λέγων, Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τί ἡδεῖα καὶ καλὴ ἡ φωνὴ εὐθὺ δεικνύοντος τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κηρυσσόμενον! Μείζων Ἰωάννου ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐδείς· ὁ δὲ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Οἱ ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεννηθέντες ἀπόστολοι· οἱ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ παρακλήτου Πνεύματος λαβόντες· οὗτοι γὰρ συνδικασταὶ καὶ σύνθρονοι κατηξιώθησαν γενέσθαι, οὗτοι λυτρωταὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γεγόνασιν. Εὑρίσκεις αὐτοὺς σχίζοντας θάλασσαν δυνάμεων πονηρῶν, καὶ διαγαγόντας ψυχὰς πιστευούσας. Εὑρίσκεις αὐτοὺς γεωργοὺς τὴν ἄμπελον τῆς ψυχῆς ἐργαζομένους. Εὑρίσκεις αὐτοὺς παρανύμφους, νυμφεύοντας ψυχὰς Χριστῷ· Ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρί. Εὑρίσκεις αὐτοὺς διδόντας ζωὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς εὑρίσκεις αὐτοὺς πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως διακονοῦντας τῷ Πνεύματι. Οὗτος οὖν ἐστιν ὁ μικρὸς ὁ μείζων Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ.

6. Truly, Among those born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist. For he is the fullness of all the prophets; and all prophesied concerning the Lord, showing Him coming from afar; but he, prophesying concerning the Saviour, showed Him before the eyes of all, crying out and saying: Behold the Lamb of God. How sweet and fair is the voice of one who straightway shows what is proclaimed by him! Among those born of women none is greater than John; but he who is less in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. These are the apostles, born from above, of God; those who received the firstfruits of the Spirit, the Paraclete: for these were deemed worthy to become fellow-judges and sharers of the throne, these have become the redeemers of men. You find them cleaving the sea of the evil powers, and bringing believing souls across. You find them as husbandmen, working the vine of the soul. You find them as groomsmen, betrothing souls to Christ: For I have betrothed you, it says, to one husband. You find them giving life to men; and, in a word, you find them ministering to the Spirit in many parts and in many ways. This, then, is the little one who is greater than John the Baptist.

Ζʹ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ γεωργὸς ζεῦγος βοῶν κατέχων, ἐργάζεται τὴν γῆν· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ὁ καλὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς γεωργὸς, δύο ἀποστόλους ζεύξας, ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς, μετ' αὐτῶν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν τῶν ἀκουόντων καὶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ πιστευόντων. Πλὴν καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ἄξιον, ὡς οὐκ ἐν λόγῳ

7. For just as the husbandman, holding a yoke of oxen, works the land, in the same way the Lord Jesus too, the good and true husbandman, having yoked two apostles, sent them out, working with them the land of those who hear and believe in truth. But this too is worth saying, that not in word

Editors' notes and page, col. 713

Footnotes

(91), (92), (93) are printed under this column; their calls are in the Latin of col 714; set in n714

Footnotes

(91) ‹qui tollit peccata mundi› · printed under col 713

Joan. I, 29.

John 1:29.

(92) ‹major Joanne Baptista› · printed under col 713

Matth. XI, 11.

Matt. 11:11.

(93) ‹Ecce agnus Dei› · printed under col 713

Joan. I, 29.

John 1:29.

(94) ‹major est illo› · printed under col 714

Matth. XI, 11.

Matt. 11:11.

(95) ‹vos uni viro› · printed under col 714

II Cor. XI, 2.

2 Cor. 11:2.

Page

running head: 7:5 S. MACARII AEGYPTI 716 (the left column number is printed with a damaged middle figure, read as 715)
marginal letters: A ‹esse, veluti si quis›
old-edition numerals: none in this unit's part (bold 113 before ‹voluntatem solam›, in Homily 29, belongs to that unit)
signature: none
other: this column holds Migne's Latin translation of section VII (end) of Homily 28, closing with the doxology and Amen at about 0.19 of the page height (not set). Below it the Latin title HOMILIA XXIX., its italic argument and the Latin of Homily 29 belong to the next homily's unit (marginal letters B–D beside that text).

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μόνῳ ἀκοῆς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων κήρυγμα, ὡς ἄν τις εἰδὼς λόγους καὶ ἑτέροις ἐκδιηγούμενος, ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ Πνεύματος ἡ βασιλεία τυγχάνει. Ταῦτα γὰρ πεπόνθασι καὶ Ἰσραηλιτῶν παῖδες, μελετῶντες τὰς Γραφὰς ἀεὶ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου δῆθεν τὴν μελέτην ἔχοντες, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτὴν μὴ δεξάμενοι, ἑτέροις τὴν αὐτὴν κληρονομίαν ἀπέδοντο· οὕτως καὶ οἱ λόγους τοῦ Πνεύματος διηγούμενοι ἑτέροις, αὐτοὶ τὸν λόγον ἐν δυνάμει μὴ κεκτημένοι, ἄλλοις ἀποδίδονται τὴν κληρονομίαν. Δόξα Πατρὶ, καὶ Υἱῷ, καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

alone of hearing is the kingdom of God, and the preaching of the apostles, as when someone knows words and relates them to others, but the kingdom is in the power and operation of the Spirit. For this is what the children of the Israelites too suffered: always studying the Scriptures, and having their study, as they supposed, about the Lord, and yet not receiving the truth itself, they gave up the same inheritance to others; so too those who relate the words of the Spirit to others, while they themselves do not possess the word in power, give up the inheritance to others. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, unto the ages. Amen.

Editors' notes and page, col. 716