favored and extending the good things forever. These three, he says, remain: faith, hope, love. 34 Ps 39,5 In this, he says, is man blessed: in placing hope in God and seeking eternal things, not to be enticed by things that appear for a short time nor to turn aside to falsehood from the truly good. For all is falsehood which men think to procure for themselves, but only that which is from God is true, which indeed He has shown throughout the whole economy for mankind, having refuted all human things, and having brought in the perfect good from Himself. 35 Ps 39,12 In speaking of Himself, He signifies the Church, and He presents us as needing mercy, so that we may abide in grace; and the request for mercy is powerful, because it is said to go not to men but to Him. For thus do we men obtain things from God, because Christ on our behalf is the one receiving the good meant for us, just as He says, *And I make a covenant with you, as my Father made with me*. 36 Ps 39,14 For there is no power for salvation for the Church of Christ except that from God, because neither weapons nor riches nor enclosures of walls nor control of land nor any such thing is among us as was among the Jews, so that it is a wonder and not less than any of the other wonders, that unarmed and unprepared men, not defending themselves, should both endure and increase while being warred against by countless nations; such was the wonder of the bush that burned and was not consumed, and this is a type of Christ conquering through suffering. For the suffering and not-destroyed Church bears in herself all the signs of wisdom and the manifest tokens of help from above. 37 Ps 39,18 To these ends, he says, the Church will advance, having first become poor and having come through much poverty in the world, and having been enriched by Your power and having been glorified by Your help, which she asks not to be delayed. And because of the request, it will not be delayed, as it is said, *The one who is coming will come and will not delay*. 38 Ps 40,1 This one is also attached to the same subject. For it is the person of the Savior and the remembrance of the passion and the prophecy of the resurrection and of the return to heaven. Now then, he was saying, *I am poor and needy*, and it would follow that this is said by Him in an exceptional way concerning Himself.

39 Ps 40,2a Although especially concerning all those in the world who are poor on account of

righteousness understanding is a good thing, and understanding is in considering such poor men to be rich, but he who knows and understands the One who is truly rich, but poor for our sake, is truly blessed; for all blessedness follows the knowledge of God. 40 Ps 40,5 Again He who suffers on behalf of men calls the sins of men His own and in Himself seeks for us the mercy for these things, He who destroys the contempt of those who are ignorant of Him by revealing His glory, in Himself, according to His own power, but in us, according to the grace of Christ. 41 Ps 40,6 For this was their zealous purpose, he says, first for the invisible powers, and then for the visible Jews, to cast out the true king from his natural dominion, reckoning to come into possession of an inheritance that was not theirs; wherefore they also said, *Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours*. 42 Ps 40,9 They are eager, he says, to put the just one to death, not knowing that his death is a sleep which happens for the sake of resurrection, and introduces not an abolition of life but a translation to heaven, according to, *His life was taken from the earth*. 43 Ps 40,10 The resurrection, he says, will be, dissolving the conspiracy of enemies against us and the betrayal of friends. For already a disciple has risen up, one deemed worthy of peace from me and counted among those who were trusted, and sharing my food, but being a serpent, he was exposed, wishing to take hold of the heel. And the Lord himself mentioned this as having been spoken of him, saying, *But that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 'He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me'*. 44 Ps 40,13

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κεχαρισμένον καὶ εἰς αἰῶνα παρατείνων τὰ ἀγαθὰ Ταῦτα μένει, φησίν, τὰ τρία· πίστις ἐλπὶς ἀγάπη. 34 Ps 39,5 Ἐν τούτῳ φησὶ τὸ μακάριον ἄνθρωπον ἐν τῷ θεῷ ἐλπίδα ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὰ αἰώνια ζητεῖν, μὴ τοῖς πρὸς βραχὺ φαινομένοις δελεάζεσθαι μηδ' ἀποκλίνειν εἰς ψεῦδος ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθῶς ἀγαθοῦ. ψεῦδος γὰρ ἅπαν ὃ νομίζουσιν ἄνθρωποι δι' ἑαυτῶν πορίζεσθαι, μόνον δὲ ἀληθὲς τὸ παρὰ θεοῦ ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπέδειξε δι' ὅλης τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκονομίας πάντα μὲν ἐλέγξας τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, τὸ δὲ παρ' αὐτοῦ τέλεον ἀγαθὸν ἐπαγαγών. 35 Ps 39,12 Ἑαυτὸν λέγων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν δηλοῖ, ἐλέου δὲ ἡμᾶς δεομένους παρίστησιν, ἵν' ἐν τῇ χάριτι μένωμεν· καὶ ἰσχυρὰ τοῦ ἐλέου ἡ αἴτησις, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν χωρεῖν λέγεται. οὕτω γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τῶν παρὰ θεοῦ τυγχάνομεν, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀνθ' ἡμῶν ὁ τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγαθὸν ὑποδεχόμενος, ὥσπερ φησὶν Καὶ ἐγὼ διατίθεμαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην καθὼς διέθετό μοι ὁ πατήρ μου. 36 Ps 39,14 Οὐδεμία γὰρ δύναμις εἰς σωτηρίαν τῇ Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ πλὴν ἡ παρὰ θεοῦ, ὅτι μήθ' ὅπλα μήτε χρήματα μήτε τειχῶν περιβολαὶ μήτε γῆς κράτησις μήτε τι τοιούτων ἐν ἡμῖν οἷον ἐν Ἰουδαίοις, ὥστε θαυμάσιον καὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἄλλων θαυμάτων ἔλαττον πολεμουμένους ὑπὸ μυρίων ἐθνῶν ἀόπλους ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἀπαρασκεύους καὶ μὴ ἀμυνομένους διαμένειν τε καὶ ἐπαύξεσθαι· οἷον ἦν τὸ τοῦ βάτου θαῦμα τοῦ καιομένου καὶ μὴ κατακαιομένου, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκτύπωσις Χριστοῦ διὰ πάθους νικῶντος. ἡ γὰρ πάσχουσα ἐκκλησία καὶ μὴ καταλυομένη πάντα φέρει ἐν ἑαυτῇ τῆς σοφίας τὰ δείγματα καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίας προφανῆ τὰ γνωρίσματα. 37 Ps 39,18 Εἰς δὲ ταῦτα τὰ τέλη, φησίν, προβήσεται ἡ ἐκκλησία, πτωχεύσασα πρότερον καὶ διὰ πενίας πολλῆς ἐλθοῦσα τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τῇ παρὰ σοῦ πλουτήσασα δυνάμει καὶ τῇ παρὰ σοῦ δοξασθεῖσα ἐπικουρίᾳ ἣν αἰτεῖ μὴ χρονίζειν. καὶ διὰ τὴν αἴτησιν οὐ χρονιεῖ, καθὰ λέγεται τὸ Ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ. 38 Ps 40,1 Ἐπισυνάπτεται καὶ οὗτος εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν. τοῦ γὰρ σωτῆρος τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ τοῦ πάθους ἡ μνήμη καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡ πρόρρησις καὶ τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐπανόδου. ἄρτι μὲν οὖν ἔλεγεν τὸ Ἐγὼ πτωχὸς καὶ πένης, ἐπάγοιτο δ' ἂν ἀκολούθως ὡς ἐξαιρέτως ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεγόμενον εἰς αὐτόν.

39 Ps 40,2a Εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα περὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐν κόσμῳ πτωχεύοντας διὰ

δικαιοσύνην ἀγαθὸν ἡ σύνεσις, σύνεσις δὲ ἐν τῷ πλουσίους ἡγήσασθαι τοὺς τοιούτους πένητας, τὸν δὲ δὴ ὄντως πλούσιον, δι' ἡμᾶς δὲ πτωχὸν ὁ γινώσκων καὶ συνιεὶς μακάριος ἀληθῶς· τῇ γνώσει δὲ θεοῦ πᾶσα μακαριότης ἀκολουθεῖ. 40 Ps 40,5 Πάλιν τὰς ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας ἰδίας ὁ ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων πάσχων λέγει καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ ταύταις ἔλεον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ ζητεῖ, ὃς λύει τὴν τῶν ἀγνοούντων ἐπ' αὐτῷ καταφρόνησιν ἐκφαίνων τὴν δόξαν, ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν, ἐφ' ἡμῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ χάριν. 41 Ps 40,6 Τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν διὰ σπουδῆς, φησίν, προηγουμένως μὲν τοῖς ἀοράτοις, ἔπειτα δὲ τοῖς ὁρατοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἀρχῆς ἐκβαλεῖν τὸν ἀληθῆ βασιλέα λογισαμένοις ἐν κατασχέσει γενέσθαι τῆς μὴ προηκούσης κληρονομίας· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγον ∆εῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται ἡ κληρονομία. 42 Ps 40,9 Σπεύδουσι, φησίν, ἐπὶ τῷ θανατῶσαι τὸν δίκαιον, οὐκ εἰδότες ὕπνον ὄντα τὸν ἐκείνου θάνατον ἐπ' ἀναστάσει γινόμενον καὶ οὐκ ἀναίρεσιν τῆς ζωῆς ἀλλὰ μετάστασιν εἰς οὐρανὸν παρεισάγοντα κατὰ τὸ Ἤρθη ἀπὸ γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. 43 Ps 40,10 Ἔσται, φησίν, ἡ ἀνάστασις διαλύουσα τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν συγκρότησιν καὶ τῶν φίλων τὴν προδοσίαν. ἤδη γὰρ ἐπανέστη καὶ μαθητής, εἰρήνης ἀξιούμενος τῆς παρ' ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πιστευομένοις ἀριθμούμενος καὶ τροφῆς κοινονῶν, ὄφις δὲ ὢν ἐξηλέγχθη, πτέρνης ἐπιλαβέσθαι βουλόμενος. τούτου δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἐμνημόνευσεν ὡς εἰς αὐτὸν εἰρημένου λέγων Ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ, ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτον μου ἐπῆρκεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρνην αὐτοῦ. 44 Ps 40,13

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