[Book  E


there  were  many  lepers  in  the  days  of  Elisha  the
prophet,  and  none  of  them  was  healed  save
Naaman  the  Syrian,  and  many  widows  in  the
days  of  Elijah  the  prophet,  to  none  of  whom
was  Elijah  sent  save  to  Sarepta  in  Sidonia  (for
the  widow  there  had  been  deemed  worthy  by  a  di-
vine decree  of  the  miracle  which  was  wrought  by
the  prophet  in  the  matter  of  the  bread)  ;  so  also
there  were  many  dead  in  the  days  of  Jesus,  but
^  those  only  rose  from  the  grave  whom  the  Logos
knew  to  be  fitted  for  a  resurrection,  in  order  that
the  works  done  by  the  Lord  might  not  be  mere-
ly symbols  of  certain  things,  but  that  by  the  very
acts  themselves  He  might  gain  over  many  to  the
marvellous  doctrine  of  the  Gospel.  I  would  say,
moreover,  that,  agreeably  to  the  promise  of  Je-
s,  sus,  His  disciples  performed  even  greater  works
than  these  miracles  of  Jesus,  which  were  per-
ceptible only  to  the  senses.'  For  the  eyes  of
those  who  are  blind  in  soul  are  ever  opened ;
and  the  ears  of  those  who  were  deaf  to  virtuous
words,  listen  readily  to  the  doctrine  of  God,  and
of  the  blessed  life  with  Him ;  and  many,  too,
who  were  lame  in  the  feet  of  the  "  inner  man,"
as  Scripture  calls  it,  having  now  been  healed
by  the  word,  do  not  simply  leap,  but  leap  as  the
hart,  which  is  an  animal  hostile  to  serpents,  and
stronger  than  all  the  poison  of  vipers.  And
these  lame  who  have  been  healed,  receive  from
Jesus  power  to  trample,  with  those  feet  in  which
they  were  formerly  lame,  upon  the  serpents  and
scorpions  of  wickedness,  and  generally  upon  all
the  power  of  the  enemy ;  and  though  they  tread
upon  it,  they  sustain  no  injury,  for  they  also  have
become  stronger  than  the  poison  of  all  evil  and
of  demons.
