OS (Text) -- 9

35 ‘Upon Israel is his splendour,’ [Ps. 67, 35]:
upon a mind (nous) seeing, as possible,
the beauty of the glory of God himself.
‘And his power is in the clouds.’ [Ps. 67, 35.]:
In souls in the form of light,
gazing in the mornings,
him who sits at the paternal right hand [cf. Acts 7, 55–6],
casting light upon them,
as the sun casting its rays
among clouds that are pure,
he shows lovely.

36 One who sins, says Holy Scripture, will lose great justice [cf. Eccles. 9, 18]—and a sinning mind (nous) will lose the ambrosial drink and food which are in the chapter that has been written.

37 We are not stronger than Sampson, nor wiser than Solomon, nor more imbued with gnosis of the Divine than David, nor loving God more than Peter, the leader. Therefore let us not take courage in ourselves. For Scripture says: ‘He who takes courage in himself will fall an extraordinary fall.’ [Cf. Job 18, 12.]

38 Let us learn from Christ humility [cf. Matt. 11, 29] and from David humbleness [cf. 2 Kgs. 16, 5–14; etc.] and from Peter to weep for those things which occur [cf. Matt. 26, 69–75; etc.]. But let us not despair after the fashion of Sampson and of Judas and of Solomon, the most wisest of men.

39 ‘For the Devil, walking about as a roaring lion, seeks him whom he may devour,’ [1 Pet. 5, 8] together with his forces themselves. Let not ever be idle, therefore, utter attention in the heart and sobriety and rebuttal and prayer (euche) to Jesus Christ our God. For a better help besides Jesus you will not find in your whole life. For he alone, the Lord, knows, as God, the villainies of the demons and their crafts and stratagems.

40 Let the soul therefore take courage in Christ and let it call upon him and let it in no way at all be cowardly. For it does not war alone, but with the dread King, Jesus Christ, Creator of all beings, bodiless and bodily, that is to say visible and invisible.

41 For as the rain, by as much more as it is brought down upon the earth, that much also softens the earth, thus the holy name of Christ, called to our aid by us in a loud voice and more densely invoked, makes joyous and gladdens the earth of our heart.

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