Andrew Louth - Syriac Christian Church

134 DIFFICULTY 10
B
1176B
C
D
heap. If you take away all bodily and external advantages from
the condition of general blessedness, and leave nothing
whatever but the virtues, it remains a state of blessedness.
For virtue, by itself, is sufficient for happiness. Therefore
every bad person is wretched, even if he has all the so-called
blessings of the earth, if he is deprived of the virtues. And
every good person is blessed, even if he is deprived of all
earthly blessings, since he has the radiance of virtue. It is
because of this that Lazarus rejoiced, at rest in the bosom of
Abraham.
35
Contemplation of how God is understood from
creation 94
So therefore when the Saints behold the creation, and its fine
order and proportion and the need that each part has of the
whole, and how all the perfect parts have been fashioned
wisely and with providence in accordance with reason that
fashioned them, and how what has come to be is found to be
not otherwise than good beside what now is, and is in need of
no addition or subtraction in order to be otherwise good, they
are taught from the things he has made that there is One who
fashioned them. So, 95 too, when they see the permanence, the
order and position of what has come to be, and its manner of
being, in accordance with which each being, according to its
proper form, is preserved unconfused and without any
disorder; and the course of the stars proceeding in the same
way, with no alteration of any kind, and the circle of the year
proceeding in an orderly manner according to the periodic
return of the [heavenly bodies] from and to their own place, and
the equal yearly proportion of the nights and days, with their
mutual increase and decrease, taking place according to a
measure that is neither too small nor too great, they
understand that behind everything there is providence, and
this they acknowledge as God, the fashioner of all.
36
Contemplation that the world has a beginning
For who, seeing the beauty and greatness of God’s creatures,
does not immediately understand that He has brought all this
into being, as the beginning and source of beings and their
maker? In his understanding he returns to Him alone, leaving