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set before all by the Master; so that each one, bearing the song on his tongue, and sweetly uttering the melody in the song, may have the grace of the Master's beneficence in everlasting remembrance. Mercy, he says, and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord. It is good, therefore, for us also to sing this song without ceasing, so that together in the same place we may become thankful to God our benefactor, and may correct our own life, accomplishing all things with mercy and judgment. For do, he says, mercy and judgment in the midst of the earth; Because I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, says the Lord. But also, show mercy, he says, each to his neighbor, and direct just judgment, for in these things is my will, says the Lord.

For if we walk thus, and conduct ourselves in these things, we too will say with boldness as we sing, Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord. And that you may learn, beloved, that these things are in this manner, understand the sequence of what is written, and you will find the truth of what has been said. For he adds, saying: I will sing praise, and I will understand in a blameless way; when will you come to me? Do you see how, having corrected his own life, and having walked 55.631 in every way of righteousness, and having placed no blame or spot on his own ways, and understanding all uprightness and judgment, and the lawful conduct witnessed in his works, he sings in the song with a cheerful countenance, recounting his deeds?

b. And he sang with understanding, enumerating his works with a heart free from condemnation.

And having prepared, according to what is written, the ways of the Lord, and having made straight the paths of God, he was awaiting the Master's coming, inviting and saying, When will you come to me? as if replying, he said such things. I have prepared the vessel of my mind, I have smoothed the hard parts of my heart, I have cast off every stumbling block, not allowing any impediment to your coming. I have made straight the way of my soul, I have cleansed the senses of my heart, I have made pure the thoughts within me.

I am ready for the reception of your coming. When will you come to me? Enter without hindrance, my Master, you will not find in me a way of wickedness. For I walked in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of my house. And that you may know how he was ready, working all righteousness, hear him proclaiming his works with a sweet voice: I walked, he says, in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of my house. I did not set before my eyes any unlawful thing; I have hated those who commit transgressions. A crooked heart did not cleave to me; when the wicked man turned away from me, I did not know him. The one who slanders his neighbor in secret, him I drove away. With a haughty eye and an insatiable heart, with him I did not eat. My eyes were on the faithful of the land, that they might sit with me.

Do you see, beloved, of how many and how great things the blessed one was a worker, and how with much boldness and confidence he went through the achievements of his deeds? Shall I, then, interpret what has been said, or shall I leave it to you to know the power of what is written from the words? For what is clearer than what has been said? and what is so self-explanatory as what has now been enumerated? But so that we may also examine them in part, setting forth the words as they are, come, let us take them up again and remember them, and let us see how much benefit they provide when continually remembered. I walked, he says, in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of my house.

First, a great and good achievement is innocence, not stopping only at this point for the one who possesses it, but also being sent forth to one's neighbors; as Wisdom says: Child, if you are good, you will be wise for yourself and for your neighbors; but if

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∆εσπότου τοῖς πᾶσι παρατιθέμενος· ἵν' ἕκαστος ἐπὶ γλώσσης φέρων τὸ ᾆσμα, καὶ ἡδυφώνως ἀναφθεγγόμε νος τὴν ἐν τῷ ᾄσματι μελῳδίαν, ἀειμνημόνευτον ἔχῃ τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς εὐεργεσίας τὴν χάριν. Ἔλεον, φησὶ, καὶ κρίσιν ᾄσομαί σοι, Κύριε. Καλὸν οὖν καὶ ἡμᾶς ᾄδειν ἀδιαλείπτως τὸ ᾆσμα τοῦτο, ἵν' ὁμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ εὐχάριστοι γενώμεθα περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην Θεὸν, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον διορθώμεθα, ἐλέει καὶ κρίσει τὰ πάντα διαπραττόμενοι. Ποιεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔλεον καὶ κρίσιν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς· ∆ιότι ἔλεον θέλω, καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, λέγει Κύριος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ, Ἔλεον, φησὶ, ποιεῖτε ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ κρῖμα δίκαιον κατ ευθύνετε, ὅτι ἐν τούτοις τὸ θέλημά μου, λέγει Κύριος.

Ἐὰν γὰρ οὕτω πορευώμεθα, καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἀνα στρεφώμεθα, λέξομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς μετὰ παῤῥησίας ᾄδον τες, Ἔλεον καὶ κρίσιν ᾄσομαί σοι, Κύριε. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅτι ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, κα τανόησον τὴν τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀκολουθίαν, καὶ εὑρή σεις τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀλήθειαν. Ἐπιφέρει γὰρ λέγων· Ψαλῶ, καὶ συνήσω ἐν ὁδῷ ἀμώμῳ· πότε ἥξεις πρός με; Ὁρᾷς ὡς διορθωσάμενος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον, καὶ πο 55.631 ρευθεὶς πάσῃ ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης, μηδένα δὲ μῶμον ἢ σπῖ λον θέμενος ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδοῖς, συνιείς τε πᾶσαν εὐθύ τητα καὶ κρίσιν, καὶ τὴν ἐν ἔργοις μαρτυρομένην ἔννο μον πολιτείαν, ᾄδει ἐν τῷ ᾄσματι ἱλαρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ τὰς πράξεις ἐκδιηγούμενος;

βʹ. Ἔψαλε δὲ ἐν συνέσει, ἀκαταγνώστῳ καρδίᾳ τὰ ἔργα κατ αριθμούμενος.

Ἑτοιμάσας δὲ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, τὰς ὁδοὺς Κυρίου, καὶ εὐθείας ποιήσας τὰς τρίβους τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐξεδέχετο δὴ τὴν ∆εσποτικὴν παρουσίαν προσκαλούμενος καὶ λέγων, Πότε ἥξεις πρός με; μονονουχὶ τοιαῦτα ἀπο κρινόμενος ἔλεγεν. Ἡτοίμασά μου τὸ δοχεῖον τῆς διανοίας, ἐξωμάλισά μου τὰ σκληρὰ τῆς καρδίας, πᾶν σκῶλον ἀπέῤ ῥιψα, μὴ ἐάσας ἐμπόδιόν τι τῆς σῆς παρουσίας. Εὐθεῖαν ἐποίησα τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ψυχῆς μου, ἀπέσμηξα τὰ αἰσθητήρια τῆς καρδίας μου, καθαροὺς ἀπειργασάμην τοὺς ἐν ἐμοὶ λο γισμούς.

Ἕτοιμός εἰμι πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς σῆς παρου σίας. Πότε ἥξεις πρός με; Ἐπίβαινε ἀκωλύτως, ∆έσπο τά μου, οὐχ εὑρήσεις ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁδὸν κακίας. ∆ιεπορευόμην γὰρ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ καρδίας μου, ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου μου. Καὶ ἵνα γνῷς, ὡς ἕτοιμος ἦν πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην κατεργαζόμενος, ἄκουε αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα μετὰ ἡδείας τῆς φωνῆς ἐξαγγέλλοντος· ∆ιεπορευόμην, φησὶν, ἐν ἀκα κίᾳ καρδίας μου, ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου μου. Οὐ προ ετιθέμην πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου πρᾶγμα παράνομον· ποιοῦντας παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα. Οὐκ ἐκολλήθη μοι καρδία σκαμβή· ἐκκλίνοντος ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ πονηροῦ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον. Τὸν καταλαλοῦντα λάθρα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξεδίωκον. Ὑπερηφάνῳ ὀφθαλμῷ καὶ ἀπλήστῳ καρδίᾳ, τούτῳ οὐ συνήσθιον. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἐπὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς τῆς γῆς, τοῦ συγκαθῆσθαι αὐτοὺς μετ' ἐμοῦ.

Βλέπεις, ἀγαπητὲ, πόσων καὶ πηλίκων ἐργάτης ἐτύγχανεν ὁ μακάριος, καὶ πῶς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παῤῥησίας καὶ πεποιθήσεως δι εξῄει τῶν πράξεων τὰ κατορθώματα; Ἆρ' οὖν ἑρμηνεύσω τὰ εἰρημένα, ἢ καταλείψω ὑμῖν ἐκ τῶν λέξεων γινώσκειν τὴν δύναμιν τῶν γεγραμμένων; Τί γὰρ φανερώτερον τῶν εἰρημένων; τί δὲ οὕτως αὐθερμήνευτον τῶν νῦν καταλελεγμένων; Ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ κατὰ μέρος ἐξετά σωμεν αὐτὰς, ὡς ἔχει, τὰς λέξεις παρατιθέμενοι, φέρε δὴ πάλιν αὐτὰ ἐπαναλαβόντες, μνημονεύσωμεν, καὶ ἴδωμεν πόσην ὠφέλειαν παρέχουσι συνεχῶς μνημο νευόμενα. ∆ιεπορευόμην, φησὶν, ἐν ἀκακίᾳ καρδίας μου, ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου μου.

Πρῶτον, μέγα καὶ καλὸν κατ όρθωμα ἡ ἀκακία, οὐχ ἕως δὲ τούτου μόνου ἱσταμένη τοῦ κεκτημένου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς πλησίον παραπεμπο μένη· καθώς φησιν ἡ Σοφία· Τέκνον, ἐὰν ἀγαθὸς ᾖς, σεαυτῷ σοφὸς ἔσῃ καὶ τοῖς πλησίον σου· ἐὰν δὲ