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entering by grace, somehow settle more permanently in our souls. For what might you not learn from this? not the magnificence of courage? not the exactness of justice? not the dignity of temperance? not the perfection of prudence? not the way of repentance? not the measures of endurance? not whatever good thing you might mention? Herein is perfect theology, a prophecy of the coming of Christ in the flesh, a threat of judgment, a hope of resurrection, a fear of punishment, promises of glory, revelations of mysteries; all things, as in some great and common treasury, have been stored up in the book of Psalms, which, though there are many musical instruments, the prophet adapted to the so-called psaltery, indicating, it seems to me, the grace from above sounding in him from the Spirit, because this alone of the musical instruments has the source of its sounds from above. For with the kithara and the lyre, the bronze from below sounds in response to the plectrum; but this psaltery has the origins of its harmonic rhythms from above; so that we too may practice seeking the things that are above, and not be carried down by the pleasure of the melody to the passions of the flesh. And I think that the prophetic word has also shown us this deeply and wisely through the construction of the instrument, that those whose souls are melodious and well-tuned have an easy journey to the things above. Let us then see the beginning of the Psalms. Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Now, builders who raise the size of their structures to a height lay foundations proportionate to the height; and shipwrights, when constructing a ten-thousand-burden cargo ship, fix a keel commensurate with the weight of the cargo. And in the generation of living things, the heart, being laid down first by nature, receives from nature a foundation proportionate to the living thing that is to be formed; because as the body is woven symmetrically around its own principles, the differences in the sizes of living things are accomplished. Therefore, whatever a foundation is in a house, and 29.216 a keel in a ship, and a heart in the body of a living thing, this short prelude seems to me to have this power for the whole structure of the Psalms. For since, as the discourse proceeds, he is about to exhort the champions of piety to many things that are arduous and full of countless sweats and labors, he has shown beforehand the blessed end, so that by the hope of the good things laid up for us we may bear the painful things of life without grief. So too for travelers journeying on a rough and difficult road, an expected suitable lodging lightens their toil; and the desire for cargo makes merchants dare to face the sea; and the hope of the harvest steals away the farmer's labors. Therefore also the common corrector of life, the great teacher, the spirit of truth, wisely and skillfully set forth the rewards, so that, overlooking the labors at hand, we might hasten with our mind toward the enjoyment of eternal goods. Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Now, that which is properly and primarily blessed is the truly good. And this is God. Whence also Paul, when about to make mention of Christ, says, According to the appearing of the blessed God, and our Savior Jesus Christ. For blessed in reality is beauty itself, to which all things look, for which all things long, the unchangeable nature, the sovereign dignity, the untroubled life, the sorrowless state, about which there is no alteration, which change does not touch; the gushing spring, the abundant grace, the inexhaustible treasure. But ignorant and worldly people, being ignorant of the nature of the good itself, often call blessed things of no account: wealth, health, a conspicuous life; none of which is good by its own nature; not only because it has an easy turn towards its opposites, but also because it cannot make its possessors good. For who is just because of money? Who is temperate because of health? On the contrary, indeed, and often a service to sin for those who use them badly

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χάριτος εἰσδυόμενα μο νιμώτερόν πως ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐνιζάνει. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἂν μάθοις ἐντεῦθεν; οὐ τῆς ἀνδρίας τὸ με γαλοπρεπές; οὐ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ ἀκριβές; οὐ σωφροσύνης τὸ σεμνόν; οὐ τὸ τῆς φρονήσεως τέ λειον; οὐ μετανοίας τρόπον; οὐχ ὑπομονῆς μέτρα; οὐχ ὅ τι ἂν εἴποις τῶν ἀγαθῶν; Ἐνταῦθα ἔνι θεολογία τελεία, πρόῤῥησις τῆς διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιδη μίας Χριστοῦ, ἀπειλὴ κρίσεως, ἀναστάσεως ἐλπὶς, φόβος κολάσεως, ἐπαγγελίαι δόξης, μυστηρίων ἀπο καλύψεις· πάντα, ὥσπερ ἐν μεγάλῳ τινὶ καὶ κοινῷ ταμιείῳ, τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Ψαλμῶν τεθησαύρισται, ἣν, πολλῶν ὄντων ὀργάνων μουσικῶν, πρὸς τὸ λεγόμε νον ψαλτήριον ἥρμοσεν ὁ προφήτης, τὴν ἄνωθεν, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ἐνηχοῦσαν αὐτῷ χάριν παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνδεικνύμενος, διότι τοῦτο μόνον τῶν μουσικῶν ὀργάνων τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν φθόγγων ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ἔχει. Τῇ κιθάρᾳ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τῇ λύρᾳ κάτω θεν ὁ χαλκὸς ὑπηχεῖ πρὸς τὸ πλῆκτρον· τὸ ψαλτή ριον δὲ τοῦτο τῶν ἁρμονικῶν ῥυθμῶν ἄνωθεν ἔχει τὰς ἀφορμάς· ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖν μελετῶ μεν, καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡδονῇ τοῦ μέλους ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθη καταφερώμεθα. Κἀκεῖνο δὲ οἶμαι τὸν προφη τικὸν λόγον βαθέως ἡμῖν καὶ σοφῶς διὰ τῆς τοῦ ὀργά νου κατασκευῆς ἐνδεδεῖχθαι, ὅτι οἱ ἐμμελεῖς καὶ εὐ άρμοστοι τὰς ψυχὰς ῥᾳδίαν ἔχουσι τὴν εἰς τὰ ἄνω πορείαν. Ἴδωμεν δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν Ψαλμῶν. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, ὃς οὐκ ἐπορεύθη ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν. Οἰκοδόμοι μὲν οὖν μεγέθη κατασκευασμά των εἰς ὕψος αἴροντες, ἀναλογοῦντας τῷ ὕψει τοὺς θεμελίους ὑποβάλλονται· καὶ ναυπηγοὶ, μυριοφόρον συμπηγνύντες ὁλκάδα, συμβαίνουσαν τῷ βάρει τῶν ἀγωγίμων τὴν τρόπιν πήγνυνται. Καὶ ἐν τῇ γενέσει τῶν ζώων ἡ καρδία πρώτη καταβληθεῖσα παρὰ τῆς φύσεως, ἀναλογοῦσαν τῷ μέλλοντι συνίστασθαι ζώῳ τὴν παρὰ τῆς φύσεως λαμβάνει καταβολήν· διότι συμμέτρως ταῖς οἰκείαις ἀρχαῖς περιυφαινομένου τοῦ σώματος, αἱ κατὰ τὰ μεγέθη διαφοραὶ τῶν ζώων ἀποτελοῦνται. Ὅπερ οὖν θεμέλιος ἐν οἴκῳ, καὶ 29.216 ἐν πλοίῳ τρόπις, καὶ ἐν σώματι ζώου καρδία, ταύ την μοι δοκεῖ τὴν δύναμιν ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν ὅλην τῶν Ψαλμῶν κατασκευὴν [καὶ] τὸ βραχὺ τοῦτο προοί μιον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ ἐπίπονα καὶ μυρίων ἱδρώτων καὶ πόνων γέμοντα παραινεῖν μέλλει, προϊόν τος τοῦ λόγου, τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνισταῖς προ λαβὼν ὑπέδειξε τὸ μακάριον τέλος, ἵνα τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν ἀλύπως τοῦ βίου τὰ ἀλγεινὰ διαφέρωμεν. Οὕτως καὶ ὁδοιπόροις τραχεῖαν ὁδὸν πορευομένοις καὶ δύσβατον κουφίζει τὸν μόχθον ἐπι τήδειον αὐτοῖς προσδοκηθὲν καταγώγιον· καὶ ἐμπό ρους ποιεῖ τῆς θαλάσσης κατατολμᾷν ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ἀγωγίμων· καὶ γεωργῶν ὑποκλέπτει τοὺς πό νους ἡ τῆς ἐπικαρπίας ἐλπίς. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ κοινὸς τοῦ βίου διορθωτὴς, ὁ μέγας διδάσκαλος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, σοφῶς καὶ ἐντέχνως τοὺς μισθοὺς προεβά λετο, ἵνα, ὑπερκύπτοντες τοὺς ἐν χερσὶ πόνους, τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγα θῶν ἐπειγώμεθα. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, ὃς οὐκ ἐπο ρεύθη ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν τὸ κυρίως καὶ πρώτως μακαριστὸν, τὸ ἀληθινῶς ἀγαθόν. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Ὅθεν καὶ Παῦλος, ὑπόμνησιν μέλλων ποιεῖσθαι Χριστοῦ, Κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, φησὶ, τοῦ μακαρίου Θεοῦ, καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰη σοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μακάριον γὰρ τῷ ὄντι τὸ αὐτόκαλον, πρὸς ὃ πάντα ἀποβλέπει, οὗ πάντα ἐφίεται, ἡ ἄτρε πτος φύσις, τὸ δεσποτικὸν ἀξίωμα, ἡ ἀόχλητος ζωὴ, ἡ ἄλυπος διεξαγωγὴ, περὶ ἣν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλλοίωσις, ἧς οὐχ ἅπτεται μεταβολή· ἡ βρύουσα πηγὴ, ἡ ἄφθο νος χάρις, ὁ ἀδαπάνητος θησαυρός. Ἀμαθεῖς δὲ ἄνθρωποι καὶ φιλόκοσμοι, ἀγνοοῦντες αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀγα θοῦ τὴν φύσιν, μακαρίζουσι πολλάκις τὰ μηδενὸς ἄξια, πλοῦτον, ὑγίειαν, περιφάνειαν βίου· ὧν οὐδέν ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ φύσει· οὐ μόνον καθότι ῥᾳ δίαν ἔχει τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία περιτροπὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι μηδὲ ἀγαθοὺς δύναται τοὺς κεκτημένους ἀποτελεῖν. Τίς γὰρ δίκαιος διὰ χρήματα; τίς σώφρων διὰ ὑγίειαν; Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν, καὶ ὑπηρεσία πολλάκις πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν τοῖς κακῶς χρωμένοις