Andrew Louth - Syriac Christian Church

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forgiveness, needing nothing of life in the flesh other than to
be punished without end. For he neither possessed the present
life, which flows away uncontrollably by nature, and which he
longed to enjoy by itself, nor was he able to have a share in
that which is to come, to which he was but feebly moved, with
little desire. For it can only be attained by those who
wholeheartedly love it, and on account of their desire for it
eagerly and with delight endure every suffering. Hearing of
the bosom of Abraham, we think of God made manifest to us in
the flesh as one of the seed of Abraham, truly the provider of
all to all who are worthy of his grace in proportion to the
quality and the quantity of each one’s virtue. For he divides
himself indivisibly among different pastures through the
natural undivided being of unity, and is not shared out to
those who participate in any way whatever. Again through the
different worth of the participants he is manifest paradoxically
separately to each who share in accordance with an ineffable
unity (something understood by reason). To this world no-one
will be able to pass who rejoices in the softness of the flesh or
who takes more delight in the deceit of the world than His
blessed glory, nor will anyone be able to stand with the One
who has conquered the world who has been worsened by the
world or evilly rejoiced over it. For the divine justice will not
judge those to be worthy who in this life have arrayed
themselves in a human way and decked themselves out with
wealth and health of body and other dignities. Those will alone
be judged blessed who count nothing of value alongside the
goods of the soul and share in divine and eternal goods, beside
which they take account of nothing whatever through any kind
of care for material things, completely oblivious of wealth and
health and other transient goods which the virtues transcend.
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Contemplation of the virtues 93
TEXTS 133
Consequently a human being is blessed who has virtues,
whether or not he has any other blessings besides. If he has
virtues and other advantages too, he is blessed in a general
sense, as one said who was wise in divine matters. If he has
virtues alone and for their own sake, he is blessed in a more
circumscribed sense. For some things are thought of in a more
circumscribed way, as when we think of two cubits, others in a
more general way, as when we think of a heap. For you can
take away two measures from a heap, and will be left with a