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The Lord commands, and all of divine Scripture is full of such legislation. For he does not simply command to keep them, but to keep them Exceedingly, that is, with all accuracy; and not to keep one while disregarding another, but he has said to keep all the commandments Exceedingly. Therefore another prophet said: From your commandments I shall not pass away, that I may not die. Oh that my ways were directed to keep your statutes! For this reason, he says, I beseech, as by some rule, that my way be directed by your law, so that I might observe your statutes. "Oh that" is an expression of a wish, instead of saying, may it be granted to me to be directed to keep all your commandments. Since every person who has a desire to keep the commandments of God, if he does not have Him as a co-worker in his good deeds, would not reach the desired end; for it is written, It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. Therefore, the beginning of the good is from us, but to bring it to completion requires the help of God; For it says, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Then I shall not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all your commandments. For shame is the fruit of transgression. So also the divine apostle said: What fruit had you then in those things of which you are now ashamed? But those who fulfill all God's commandments have confidence from their conscience. But "then," when? When, according to the prophet Daniel, the righteous will rise to everlasting life, and sinners to everlasting shame. Therefore, the prophet exhorts not to be ashamed then. And how does this happen? By having respect unto all the commandments; not doing one and leaving another. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not fornicate; and he that said, Do not fornicate, said also, Do not do injustice. And, Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all, according to the apostle James. I will praise you with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned your righteous judgments. He calls confession, thanksgiving. Then I will be able to offer a pure hymn to you, when I have learned all your judgments, and have lived according to them. For he who has good deeds, he confesses with uprightness of heart, repenting with his whole heart, as David did for his adultery, and as the publican crying out, I have sinned, and, Be merciful. Judas also confessed, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood; but not with uprightness of heart; for he was possessed by avarice. The Pharisee also confessed; but 55.678 having a haughty and not an upright heart, he went down not justified, saying, I am not as this publican. I will keep your statutes; do not forsake me utterly. Divine grace often leaves some for a short while, thereby devising a benefit for them. Thus the great Elijah, being forsaken, fell into the passion of cowardice, and learned the weakness of human nature; but straightway again he enjoyed divine grace. Thus the divine Peter slipped by denying, but immediately the Lord supported him. But Judas, becoming completely stripped of divine providence, became a ready prey for the devil. The blessed David was also forsaken after that sin, and he fell into those grievous misfortunes, but again he received boldness toward God, and enjoyed the care from there. But Saul, having been made completely destitute of this, was stripped of the grace of the Spirit, and was yoked with an evil spirit. Rightly, therefore, does the prophet beseech not to be forsaken utterly; that is, not to be entirely stripped of providential grace. And so again we shall use the same thought, through the prophet saying, Do not forsake me utterly. Therefore, the forsaking of God happens in many ways for certain economies and benefits; as when Job was forsaken in order to become more perfect.

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∆εσπότης παρακελεύεται, καὶ μεστὴ πᾶσα ἡ θεία Γραφὴ τῆς τοιαύτης νομοθεσίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς φυλάττειν, ἀλλὰ Σφόδρα φυλάττειν παρεγ γυᾷ, τουτέστι, σὺν ἀκριβείᾳ πάσῃ· καὶ οὐχὶ τὴν μὲν φυλάττειν, τὴν δὲ ἀθετεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς φυ λάττειν Σφόδρα εἴρηκε. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου οὐ μὴ παρέλθω, ἵνα μὴ ἀπο θάνω. Ὄφελον κατευθυνθείησαν αἱ ὁδοί μου, τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ δικαιώματά σου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἀντιβολῶ, οἷόν τινι κανόνι, τῷ σῷ νόμῳ τὴν ἐμὴν ὁδὸν εὐθυνθῆναι, ὡς ἂν διατηρήσαιμί σου τὰ δικαιώματα. Εὐχῆς δέ ἐστι πρόσρημα τὸ Ὄφελον, ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, γένοιτό μοι κατευθυνθῆναι φυλάττειν πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Ἐπειδὴ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πόθον ἔχων φυλάττειν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ συνεργὸν ἔχῃ τῆς ἀγαθουργίας αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἂν εἰς πέρας πρὸς τὸ ποθούμενον φθάσοι· γέγραπται γὰρ, Οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος, οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος Θεοῦ. Οὐκοῦν ἐξ ἡμῶν μέν ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, τὸ δὲ εἰς πέρας ἐλθεῖν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δέεται βοηθείας· Ἐγγίσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν. Τότε οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ ἐν τῷ με ἐπιβλέ πειν ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Παρανομίας γὰρ αἰσχύνη καρπός. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἔφη· Τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε, ἐφ' οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύ νεσθε; Οἱ δὲ πάσας τοῦ Θεοῦ πληροῦντες τὰς ἐντολὰς, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος ἔχουσι παῤῥησίαν. Τότε δὲ, πότε; Ὅταν, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην ∆ανιὴλ, Οἱ δίκαιοι ἀναστήσονται εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον. Παρακαλεῖ οὖν ὁ προφήτης μὴ αἰσχυνθῆναι τότε. Καὶ πῶς γίνεται τοῦτο; Ἐν τῷ ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς· οὐχὶ τὴν μὲν ποιεῖν, τὴν δὲ ἀφιέναι. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, εἶπε καὶ, Μὴ πορνεύσῃς· καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν, Μὴ πορνεύσῃς, εἶπε καὶ, Μὴ ἀδικήσῃς. Καὶ Ὅστις ὅλον τὸν νόμον πληρώσει, πταίσει δὲ ἐν ἑνὶ, γέγονε πάντων ἔνοχος, κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον Ἰάκωβον. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας, ἐν τῷ μεμαθηκέναι με τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Ἐξομολόγησιν, τὴν εὐχαριστίαν καλεῖ. Τότε δυνήσομαι ὕμνον καθαρόν σοι προσενεγκεῖν, ὅταν σου πάντα καταμάθω τὰ κρίματα, καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα βιώσω. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαθὰς πράξεις ἔχων, ἐκεῖνος ἐξομολο γεῖται Ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας, ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας μετα νοῶν, ὡς ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐπὶ τῇ μοιχείᾳ, καὶ ὡς ὁ τελώνης βοῶν τὸ, Ἥμαρτον, καὶ τὸ, Ἱλάσθητι. Ἐξωμολογήσατο καὶ Ἰούδας, εἰπών· Ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα ἀθῷον· ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας· τῇ γὰρ φιλαρ γυρίᾳ συνείχετο. Ἐξωμολόγητο καὶ ὁ Φαρισαῖος· ἀλλὰ 55.678 τὴν καρδίαν ὑψηλὴν ἔχων καὶ οὐκ εὐθεῖαν, κατέβη μὴ δικαιωθεὶς, λέγων, ὅτι Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης. Τὰ δικαιώματά σου φυλάξω· μή με ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἕως σφόδρα. Τινὰς πρὸς βραχὺ πολλάκις ἡ θεία χάρις ἀφίησιν, ὠφέλειαν αὐτοῖς ἐντεῦθεν μηχανωμένη. Οὕτως ὁ μέγας Ἠλίας ἐγκαταλειφθεὶς τῷ τῆς δειλίας περι έπεσε πάθει, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως μεμάθηκε τὴν ἀσθένειαν· ἀλλ' εὐθὺς πάλιν τῆς θείας ἀπήλαυσε χάρι τος. Οὕτως ὁ θεῖος Πέτρος ὠλίσθησεν ἀρνηθεὶς, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ὁ ∆εσπότης ὑπήρεισε. Γυμνὸς δὲ παντελῶς Ἰούδας τῆς θείας γενόμενος προμηθείας, ἕτοιμον ἐγέ νετο θήραμα τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἐγκατελείφθη καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ ταῖς χαλεπαῖς ἐκείναις περιέπεσε συμφοραῖς, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀπέλαβε παῤῥησίαν, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν κηδεμονίας ἀπήλαυσεν. Ὁ δὲ Σαοὺλ ταύτης ἔρημος γενόμενος παντελῶς, ἐγυμνώθη μὲν τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, πονηρῷ δὲ πνεύματι συνεζύγη. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ὁ προφήτης ἱκετεύει μὴ ἐγκαταλειφθῆναι ἕως σφόδρα· τουτέστι, μὴ παντάπασι τῆς προμηθουμένης χάριτος γυμνωθῆναι. Καὶ πάλιν τοίνυν τῇ αὐτῇ ἐννοίᾳ χρησόμεθα, διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν τὸν προφήτην, Μή με ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἕως σφόδρα. Γίνεται τοίνυν πολλαχῶς ἐγκατάλειψις τοῦ Θεοῦ διά τινας οἰκονομίας καὶ εὐεργε σίας· ὡς ὅταν κατελείφθη ὁ Ἰὼβ πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν μᾶλλον τέλειον.