The Savior says, that they always see the face of the Father, who is in heaven. Verse 9. Lift up your gates, O ye rulers, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Verse 10. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. As ruler of armies, they called the Lord of hosts, which in the Hebrew is called Sabaoth. And this the Seventy interpret in the Scriptures both as Lord of armies and Almighty. And so what has just been said, declares the Savior to be almighty. Thus says the Lord almighty: After glory he has sent me to you. For the Father, being almighty, sent the Son almighty. And John in the Apocalypse says, Thus says the faithful and true witness, who was and who is and who is to come; speaking confessedly about the Savior. But some say that the things spoken twice are not to higher gates, but to the same ones. PSALM 27. Verse 1. To you, Lord, will I cry; my God, be not silent to me. If someone asks earthly things from God, he uses a small voice; but if he asks for heavenly things, he cries and shouts. Wherefore in the Scriptures the saints cried out to God. And one cries out having entered into his chamber, and having shut the door. But God is not silent to the saints. For he spoke to Moses, and Aaron, and Joshua the son of Nun. He spoke also through prophets, when he had his people. But what God speaks is not from without, but the holy things that ascend into our heart, according to: Blessed is the man whose help is from you, Lord; ascents are in his heart. And we have another hearing and divine sense, according to Solomon, hearing the words of God, being united to him. But to whom God is silent, he is likened to those who go down into the pit. For we know of no saint who dug a pit; but he who needed water dug a well. And Solomon commands to drink from wells. But God through the prophet threatens those who drink from pits, saying: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and hewed out for themselves broken pits. And those who handle the cold matters of material things go down into the pit; where also the enemy of men, the dragon, who has been named cold, dwells. For of all the animals upon the earth, the dragon is the coldest 17.117. Therefore all sin is cold; but divine things, as it seems, are warm. Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. And, I came to cast fire upon the earth; and, fervent in the spirit. That sinners are beside pits, he says in Exodus: God slew from the face of Pharaoh, who sits upon the throne, to the firstborn of the captive maid who is in the pit. Thus those who go down into the pit are sinners and captives. But the good God also calls these, and gives remission. For the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. Verse 2. Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, when I pray to you. Supplication belongs to those who are still in need of something. But when, having understood the dignity of God, I ask something from God, then I pray. But when I become more of a friend, then I give thanks to God. Since Paul also, progressing from the lesser to the greater, says: I exhort first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made. Verse 2. When I lift up my hands toward your holy temple. Hands lifted up for godly deeds are treasured up in heaven; by which one conquers the spiritual Amalek; as Moses, when he lifted up his hands, the people conquered; but when he let them down, Amalek. Let us not, therefore, lower our hands, since we shall be conquered. Verse 5. Because they did not understand the works of the Lord, nor the works of his hands. For no one is blameless who has not understood the works of the Lord. For the firmament declares the work of his hands. For it gives accordingly the ability to behold its Creator. Verse 7. And my flesh has flourished again. But what flesh flourished again? All flesh shall see the salvation of God. PSALM 30. Verse 1. Do not

Σωτήρ φησιν, ὅτι ∆ιαπαντὸς ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Στίχ. θʹ. Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Στίχ. ιʹ. Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Ὡς ἄρχοντα δὲ στρατοπέδων, δυνάμεων ἐκά λεσαν Κύριον, ὅπερ ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ Σαβαὼθ εἴρη ται. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Κύριον στρατιωτῶν οἱ Ἑβδομή κοντα καὶ Παντοκράτωρ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἑρμηνεύουσι. Καὶ τὸ νῦν ἄρα λεχθὲν, παντοκράτορα τὸν Σωτῆρα δηλοῖ. Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ὀπίσω δόξης ἀπέστειλέ με πρὸς σέ. Παντοκράτωρ γὰρ ὢν ὁ Πατὴρ, τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπέστειλε παντοκράτορα. Καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει, Τάδε λέγει, φησὶν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς, ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος· περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁμολογουμένως εἰπών. Τινὲς δὲ οὐ πρὸς ὑψηλοτέρας πύλας, πρὸς δὲ τὰς αὐτὰς τὰ διττῶς εἰρημένα φασί. ΨΑΛ. ΚΖʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι· ὁ Θεός μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Εἰ μὲν ἐπίγειά τις αἰτεῖται παρὰ Θεοῦ, βραχείᾳ χρῆται φωνῇ· εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια, κράζει τε καὶ βοᾷ. Ὅθεν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς οἱ ἅγιοι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐκέκραξαν. Κράζει δέ τις εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ κλείσας τὴν θύραν. Οὐ παρασιωπᾷ δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ὁ Θεός. Ἐλάλει γοῦν Μωσῇ, καὶ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ. Ἐλάλει καὶ διὰ προφητῶν, ἡνίκα ἦν ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ. Ἃ δὲ λαλεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἔξωθέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἅγια, τὰ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν ἀναβαίνοντα, κατὰ τό· Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, οὗ ἐστιν ἀντίληψις αὐτοῦ παρὰ σοῦ, Κύριε· ἀνα βάσεις εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ. Ἔχομεν δὲ ἄλλην ἀκοὴν καὶ θείαν αἴσθησιν, κατὰ Σολομῶντα, λόγοι Θεοῦ ἀκούουσαν, ἡνωμένην αὐτῷ. Ὧ δὲ παρασιωπᾷ Θεὸς, ὁμοιοῦται τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον. Οὐδένα γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων ἴσμεν λάκκον ὀρύξαντα· φρέαρ δὲ ὤρυττεν ὁ δεόμενος ὕδατος. Ἐντέλλεται καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν ἀπὸ φρεάτων πίνειν. Θεὸς δὲ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τοῖς ἐκ λάκκων πίνουσιν ἀπειλεῖ, λέγων· Ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ὕδατος ζῶντος, καὶ ὤρυξαν ἑαυτοῖς λάκκους συντετριμμένους. Κα ταβαίνουσι δὲ εἰς λάκκον οἱ τὰ ψυχρὰ τῆς ὕλης πε ριέποντες πράγματα· ἔνθα καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ πο λέμιος δράκων, ὃς καὶ ψυχρὸς ὠνόμασται, κατοικεῖ. Πάντων γὰρ ζώων, τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, ὁ δράκων ψυχρό 17.117 τερος. Πᾶσα οὖν ἁμαρτία ψυχρά· τὰ δὲ θεῖα, ὡς ἔοικε, θερμά. Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύ ματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα. Καὶ, πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες. Ὅτι δὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ παρὰ λάκ κοις εἰσὶν, ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ φησίν· Ἀπέκτεινεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ, ὃς κάθηται ἐπὶ τοῦ θρό νου, ἕως πρωτοτόκου τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος, τῆς ἐν λάκκῳ. Οὕτως οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς λάκκον ἁμαρ τωλοί εἰσιν καὶ αἰχμάλωτοι. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἀγαθὸς Θεὸς καὶ τούτους καλεῖ, καὶ δίδωσιν ἄφεσιν. Πνεῦμα γὰρ Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, οὗ ἕνεκεν ἔχρισέ με εὐαγγελί σασθαι πτωχοῖς. Ἀπέσταλκέ με κηρύξαι αἰχμα λώτοις ἄφεσιν, καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν. Στίχ. βʹ. Εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεή σεώς μου, ἐν τῷ δέεσθαί με πρὸς σέ. Οἷς ἔτι ἐνδεῖ τινα, τούτων ἐστὶν ἡ δέησις. Ὅτε δὲ, τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ νοήσας, αἰτῶ τι παρὰ Θεοῦ, τότε προσεύχομαι. Ὅτε δὲ φίλος ἐπὶ πλέον γένωμαι, τότε εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἡττόνων ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω προβαίνων, φησί· Παρακαλῶ πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις, προσευχὰς, ἐντεύξεις, εὐχαριστίας. Στίχ. βʹ. Ἐν τῷ αἴρειν με χεῖράς μου πρὸς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου. Ἐπαιρόμεναι χεῖρες πρὸς πράξεις θεοσεβεῖς, ἐν οὐρανῷ θησαυριζόμεναί εἰσι· δι' ὧν νικᾷ τις τὸν νοητὸν Ἀμαλήκ· ὡς ὁ Μωσῆς, ἡνίκα τὰς χεῖρας ἀνέφερεν, ὁ λαὸς ἐνίκα· ὅτε δὲ κατέσπα, ὁ Ἀμαλήκ. Μὴ κατενέγκωμεν οὖν τὰς χεῖρας, ἐπεὶ νικηθησό μεθα. Στίχ. εʹ. Ὅτι οὐ συνῆκαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἄμεμπτος, οὐ νοήσας τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου. Ποίησιν γὰρ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στε ρέωμα. ∆ίδωσι γὰρ ἀναλόγως τὸ τούτου θεωρῆσαι ∆ημιουργόν. Στίχ. ζʹ. Καὶ ἀνέθαλεν ἡ σάρξ μου. Ποία δὲ σὰρξ ἀνέθαλεν; Ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. ΨΑΛ. Λʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Μὴ