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to spend that time in prayer, since the soul is at leisure, and the harm is great if we are negligent. And He who reveals mysteries, has made known to you what must come to pass. See, he mentions God a second time already, and not in a casual way, but there he says: He who is in heaven; and here, He who reveals mysteries. And to me, not by wisdom that is in me more than all living was this mystery revealed, but for the sake of making known the interpretation to the king, and that you might know the thoughts of your heart. As if to say: The origin of the discovery is not from me, nor had I more ability than others to learn this from another. For not because He saw a wise man, did He do this. For if even when these things were said by him, he worshipped him as a god; what if this had not been? But for your sake, he says. You do not owe me thanks, but I owe them to you; for so that you might learn, I learned. See how he reconciles him to God, and the wonder that was to be concerning him, and anticipating the affection, he ascribes it to God. For he who learned that God did this to honor him, it is clear that he would have been reconciled to him. He honored you more, he says, than me. Did you see how unambitious the youth is, how he does not touch upon the words beforehand, until he dissuades him from having a great opinion of him? How then did this man hunt for glory, who rejected it even when it was given? And he did not say, "Because I revere God, because I serve him more than others, it was revealed to me," but, "So that you might learn what was most useful." For that, even if he had not said it, would have followed in the mind of his hearers. 56.205 You, O king, were watching, and behold, one image, that image was great, and its appearance excellent, standing before your face, and its sight was terrible. An image whose head was of pure gold; its hands and its breast and its arms were of silver; its belly and its thighs of bronze; its legs of iron; its feet, part of them iron, and part of them of earthenware. See what kind of vision Nebuchadnezzar was deemed worthy of. For since the proclamation was about to be spread to the nations, this from on high sounds a prelude to the tradition of the nations; and this is seen in a Gentile land, the temple having been destroyed, the things of the law having been abolished. Nevertheless, it is interpreted through Hebrews. For although it was about to be spread to the Gentiles, yet it was through Hebrew men, the apostles. This also happened in the case of Cornelius. The nations anticipate, and do not follow. So also here, Nebuchadnezzar first saw the image, but Daniel first saw the knowledge. And that you may know that the Jews are both first and last; first they received the good things, but they did not know what they had received, so that it might become equal. So there also before baptism they were deemed worthy of the Spirit. So also in the case of Abraham, that multitude of nations was first, and circumcision was later; but salvation is through circumcision. The prophets said these things ten thousand times to the Jews, and if your sluggishness were not so great, I would have even revealed where and when. But since they did not pay attention, it passes over to the nations then. Those men, hearing these words, spat upon them; the Gentile, having heard, worshipped. See also the things prefigured in the time of Christ. The Canaanite woman worships; these men do not do this, but drive him away. So also here, those men bound Jeremiah, this man worshipped Daniel. Again, the Jews drive out the apostles, the Greeks say, that the gods have come down to us. For when judgment occurs without passion, it is incorruptible and pure. Do you see the types shining forth? In Babylon the things concerning Christ are heard, and the barbarian becomes a hearer, so that you may learn that not only Gentiles, but also barbarians will hear these things, just as Paul says: I am a debtor to preach the gospel to Greeks and to barbarians. And lest you despair, it outlines the hopes. For what was not an impediment? The royal pride, the barbaric nature itself, the lowliness of the one speaking; for he was a captive; his age; for he was young; the foreignness of his religion. He did not say, "He feared to foresee your own affairs, the captivity of the city; you were ignorant of those things, and you foretell these things?" Which things

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τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον εἰς εὐχὴν ἀναλί σκειν, ἅτε καὶ σχολαζούσης τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ μεγάλης οὔσης τῆς βλάβης ἐὰν ῥᾳθυμήσωμεν. Καὶ ὁ ἀποκα λύπτων μυστήρια, ἐγνώρισέ σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι. Ὅρα, δεύτερον ἤδη τοῦ Θεοῦ μέμνηται, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μέν φησι· Ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια. Καὶ ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ζῶντας τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο ἀπεκαλύφθη, ἀλλ' ἕνεκεν τοῦ τὴν σύγκρισιν τῷ βασιλεῖ γνω ρίσαι, καὶ ἵνα γνῷς τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῆς καρδίας σου. Μονονουχὶ λέγων· Ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς εὑρέσεως οὐ παρ' ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο παρ' ἑτέρου μαθεῖν πλέον ἔχων τῶν ἄλλων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ σοφὸν εἶδεν, τοῦτο ἐποίησεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτων εἰρημένων παρ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς Θεὸν αὐτὸν προσεκύνησε· τί, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν; Ἀλλὰ διὰ σὲ, φησίν. Οὐ σύ μοι χά ριν ἔχειν ὀφείλεις, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ σοί· ἵνα γὰρ σὺ μάθῃς, ἔμαθον ἐγώ. Ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸν οἰκειοῖ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ μέλλον θαῦμα περὶ αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι, καὶ τὸ φίλτρον προλαβὼν ἀνατίθησι τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ γὰρ μαθὼν ὅτι τιμῶν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, εὔδηλον ὅτι ᾠκειώθη ἂν αὐτῷ. Σὲ μᾶλλον ἐτίμησε, φησὶ, ἢ ἐμέ. Εἶδες πῶς ἀφιλότιμος ὁ νέος, πῶς οὐ πρότερον ἅπτε ται τῶν ῥημάτων, ἕως ἂν ἀποστήσῃ αὐτὸν τοῦ μεγά λην περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἔχειν; Πῶς οὖν οὗτος ἐθύρα δόξαν, ὁ καὶ διδομένην αὐτὴν ἀποκρουόμενος; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπειδὴ σέβω τὸν Θεὸν, ἐπειδὴ θεραπεύω αὐτὸν μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων, ἀπεκαλύφθη ἐμοὶ, ἀλλ', Ὑπὲρ τοῦ σὲ μαθεῖν ὃ χρησιμώτατον ἦν. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ καὶ μὴ εἰπόντος, ἠκολούθει τῇ διανοίᾳ ἀκουόντων. 56.205 Σὺ βασιλεὺς ἐθεώρεις, καὶ ἰδοὺ εἰκὼν μία, ἡ εἰκὼν ἐκείνη μεγάλη, καὶ ἡ πρόσοψις αὐτῆς ὑπερφερὴς ἑστῶσα πρὸ προσώπου σου, καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτῆς φοβερά. Εἰκὼν ἧς ἡ κεφαλὴ χρυσίου καθαροῦ· αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ στῆθος καὶ οἱ βραχίονες αὐτῆς ἀργυροῖ· ἡ κοιλία αὐτῆς καὶ οἱ μηροὶ χαλκοῖ· αἱ κνῆμαι σιδηραῖ· οἱ πόδες μέρος μέν τι σιδηροῦν, μέρος δέ τι ὀστράκινον. Ὅρα ποίας ὄψεως ἠξιώθη Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμελλεν εἰς ἔθνη τὸ κήρυγμα διαδίδοσθαι, προανα κρούεται τοῦτο ἄνωθεν τὴν ἐθνικὴν παράδοσιν· καὶ ἐν ἐθνικῇ τοῦτο ὁρᾶται, τοῦ ναοῦ καταλυθέντος, τῶν νομικῶν ἀνῃρημένων. Πλὴν διὰ Ἑβραίων ἑρμηνεύε ται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς ἐθνικοὺς ἔμελλε διαδίδοσθαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ Ἑβραίων ἀνδρῶν, τῶν ἀποστόλων. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κορνηλίου γέγονε. Προλαμβάνει τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν εἰκόνα πρῶτος εἶδεν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, τὴν δὲ γνῶσιν πρῶτος εἶδε ∆ανιήl. Καὶ ἵν' εἰδῇς ὅτι καὶ πρῶτοι καὶ ὕστεροι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· πρῶτοι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἔλαβον, ἀλλὰ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν ὅπερ ἔλαβον, ἵνα ἴσον γένηται. Οὕτω κἀκεῖ πρὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος κατηξιώθησαν Πνεύματος. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ Ἀβραὰμ πρώτη ἡ πληθὺς ἐκείνη τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὑστέρα δὲ ἡ περιτομή· ἀλλὰ διὰ περιτομῆς ἡ σωτη ρία. Εἶπον ταῦτα μυριάκις οἱ προφῆται τοῖς Ἰου δαίοις, καὶ εἰ μὴ πολλὴ παρ' ὑμῖν ἡ νωθεία, κἂν ἐξεκάλυψα, ποῦ καὶ πότε. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ προσεῖχον, μεταβαίνει εἰς τὰ ἔθνη λοιπόν. Ἀκούοντες ἐκεῖνοι τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων, κατέπτυον· ὁ ἐθνικὸς ἀκούσας προσεκύνησεν. Ὅρα καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ διατυπού μενα. Ἡ Χανανῖτις προσκυνεῖ· οὗτοι οὐ ποιοῦσι τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐλαύνουσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐκεῖνοι ἔδησαν τὸν Ἱερεμίαν, οὗτος προσεκύνησε τὸν ∆ανιήl. Πάλιν Ἰουδαῖοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἀπελαύνουσιν, οἱ Ἕλληνες λέγουσιν, ὅτι Οἱ θεοὶ κατέβησαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Ὅταν γὰρ ἡ κρίσις χωρὶς πάθους γίνηται, ἀδέκαστός ἐστι καὶ καθαρά. Ὁρᾷς τοὺς τύπους λάμποντας; Ἐν Βαβυλῶνι τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ ἀκούεται, καὶ ἀκροατὴς ὁ βάρβαρος γίνεται, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐθνικοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βάρβαροι ταῦτα ἀκούσονται, ὥσπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Ὀφειλέτης εἰμὶ εὐαγγε λίσασθαι Ἕλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἀπογνῷς, τὰς ἐλπίδας ὑποτυποῦται. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἦν κώ λυμα; Ὁ τῦφος ὁ βασιλικὸς, ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ ἡ βαρβα ρικὴ, τὸ εὐτελὲς τοῦ λέγοντος· αἰχμάλωτος γὰρ ἦν· ἡ ἡλικία· νέος γάρ· τὸ τῆς θρησκείας ἀλλότριον. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἔδεισε προϊδεῖν τὰ σὰ, τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῆς πόλεως· ἐκεῖνα ἠγνόησας, καὶ ταῦτα προλέγεις; Ἅπερ