ON THE MIGRATION OF ABRAHAM

 I. (1) And the Lord said to Abraham, Depart from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house to a land which I will show thee and I

 II. (7) That he means by Abraham's country the body, and by his kindred the outward senses, and by his father's house uttered speech, we have now show

 III. (13) When therefore the mind begins to become acquainted with itself, and to dwell among the speculations which come under the province of the in

 IV. (17) Accordingly, the sacred scriptures command the bones of Joseph--I mean by this the only parts of such a soul as were left behind, being speci

 V. Which he who sees, marvelling at (and indeed it was Enough[Ge 42:18.] to cause astonishment), says, It is a great thing for me if my son Joseph is

 VI. (26) And why do we wonder if he exhorts the man who is led away by the force of unreasonable passions, neither to yield, nor to allow himself to b

 VII. (31) How then should any good thing be wanting when the all-accomplishing God is at all times present with his graces, which are his virgin daugh

 VIII. (36) That then which is shown is that thing so worthy of being beheld, so worthy of being contemplated, so worthy of being beloved, the perfect

 IX. (43) And Moses speaks very cautiously, inasmuch as he defines not the present time but the future in the promise which he records, when he says,

 X. (53) Therefore, after having left all mortal things, God, as I have said before, gives, as his first gift to the soul, an exhibition and an opportu

 XI. But who are they who are worthy to obtain such a mercy as this? It is plain that they are all lovers of wisdom and knowledge (58) for these are t

 XII. (64) For, says Moses, you shall not eat those animals which have a multitude of feet, being numbered among all the reptiles that are upon the

 XIII. (70) There have now been two gifts of God already mentioned: the hope of a life devoted to contemplation, and an improvement in good things in r

 XIV. (76) For this reason also the allaccomplished Moss deprecates coming to a consideration of reasonable looking and plausible arguments, from the t

 XV. (80) At all events when the conceptions are at all indistinct and ambiguous, speech is the treading as it were on empty air, and often stumbles an

 XVI. (86) What then is the fourth gift? The having a great name, for God says, I will magnify thy Name [Ge 12:2.] and the meaning of this, as it app

 XVII. (95) I also admire Leah, that woman endued with all virtue, who, at the birth of Asher, who is the symbol of that bastard wealth, which is perce

 XVIII. (101) On this account also the selfinstructed Isaac prays to the lover of wisdom, that he may be able to comprehend both those good things whic

 XIX. (106) There is, also, a fifth gift, which consists only in the bare fact of existence and it is mentioned after all the previous ones, not becau

 XX. (109) These are the good things which are given to him who is about to be wise. But let us now examine what God, for the sake of the wise man, bes

 XXI. (118) These, then, are the things which, he says, happen in the first instance to others on account of the good man, when they seek to load him w

 XXII. (124) Let us therefore pray that the mind may be in the soul like a pillar in a house, and, in like manner, that the just man may be firmly esta

 XXIII. (127) We have now, then, said enough about gifts which God is accustomed to bestow on those who are to become perfect, and through the medium o

 XXIV. (132) And he also, with a wish further to excite an irresistible desire of what is good, enjoins one to cleave to it for he says, Thou shalt f

 XXV. (139) Since, then, these things are in this state, the mind, when it is rendered perfect, will pay its proper tribute to the God who causes perfe

 XXVI. (143) This is the end of the path of those who follow the arguments and injunctions contained in the law, and who walk in the way which God lead

 XXVII. (148) We must also inquire what the meaning of the expression, He went with Lot,[Ge 12:4.] is. Now, the name Lot, being interpreted, means d

 XXVIII. And it is with particular beauty and propriety that he calls the soul of the wicked man multitude: for it is truly a company which has been co

 XXIX. (158) Some persons then repudiate this mixed and rough multitude, and raise a wall of fortification to keep it from them, rejoicing only in the

 XXX. (164) Accordingly, as I have already said, the lovers of wisdom will raise a wall of exclusion against the man who, like a drone, has resolved to

 XXXI. (168) But whoever is raised on high to such a sublime elevation will never any more allow any of the portions of his soul to dwell below among m

 XXXII. (176) And Abraham, says Moses, was seventy-five years of age, when he departed out of Charren. Now concerning the number of seventy-five ye

 XXXIII. (184) These things then having been now said for the purpose of overturning the opinion of the Chaldeans he thinks that it is desirable to le

 XXXIV. (187) Abandoning therefore your superfluous anxiety to investigate the things of heaven, dwell, as I said just now within yourselves, forsaking

 XXXV. (192) Having then in this manner learnt to accomplish the abandonment of mortal things, you shall become instructed in the proper doctrines resp

 XXXVI. (196) On which account also that disposition which is ranked in the highest class by God, by name Samuel, does not explain the just precepts of

 XXXVII. (203) This number, therefore, as I have said before, is familiar to Moses, but the number of the five outward senses is familiar to him who em

 XXXVIII. (208) I very much admire Rebecca, who is patience, because she, at that time, recommends the man who is perfect in his soul, and who has dest

 XXXIX. (216) The mind, therefore, going forth out of the places which are in Charran, is said to have travelled through the land until it came to the

IV. (17) Accordingly, the sacred scriptures command the bones of Joseph--I mean by this the only parts of such a soul as were left behind, being species which know no corruption and which deserve to have mention made of them--to be preserved, thinking it preposterous for pure things not to be united to pure things. (18) And what is especially worthy of being mentioned is this, that he believed that God would visit the race which was capable of Seeing,"[Ge 50:24.] and would not give it up for ever and ever to ignorance, that blind mistress, but would distinguish between the immortal and the mortal parts of the soul, and leave in Egypt those parts which were conversant about the pleasures of the body and the other immoderate indulgences of the passions; but with respect to those parts which are imperishable, would make a covenant that they should be conducted onwards with those persons who were going up to the cities of virtue and would further ratify this covenant with an oath. (19) What then are the parts which are imperishable? In the first place, a perfect alienation from pleasure which says, "Let us lie down Together,"[Ge 39:7.] and let us enjoy human enjoyments; secondly, presence of mind combined with fortitude, by means of which the soul separates and distinguishes from one another those things which by vain opinions are accounted good things, as so many dreams, confessing that "the only true and accurate explanations of things are found with God;"[Ge 40:8.] and that all those imaginings, which exist in the unsteady, puffed up, and arrogant life of those men who are not yet purified, but who delight in those pleasures which proceed from bakers, and cooks, and wine-bearers, are uncertain and indistinct; (20) so that such a man is not a subject but a ruler of Egypt, that is to say of the whole region of the body; so that "he boasted of being of the race of the Hebrews,"[Ge 40:15.] who were accustomed to rise up and leave the objects of the outward senses, and to go over to those of the intellect; for the name Hebrew, being interpreted, means "one who passes over," because he boasted that "here he had done Nothing."[Ge 40:17.] For to do nothing of those things which are thought much of among the wicked, but to hate them all and reject them, is praiseworthy in no slight degree; (21) as it is to despise immoderate indulgence of the desires and all other passions; to fear God, if a man is not yet capable of loving him, and even while in Egypt to have a desire for real life.