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"The face of the Lord." This is the portion, and the lot of those worthy of God, to stand continually before Him. Therefore He does not look upon those who think or do things unworthy of His sight. "The face of priests." Instead of, they were not respected. "They did not pity the elders." They did not pity those grown old in virtue, but even them the heresiarchs and the teachers of the Jews turned aside. "Our eyes failed." As to the literal sense, those in the siege say that while we were living our eyes were wasted by famine. But as to the meaning: And yet, he says, though we had experienced life, we were confounded by darkness. And those say this who after knowledge have come under sin. "For help." Those in the siege, because they hoped in vain to resist the Romans; but those in sin, because having abandoned, he says, their trust in God, they looked in vain for their own help. "We looked out." Looking to human aid, we grew insolent. "We hunted." As to the history, because in the siege they did not allow the infants to go out into the marketplaces; but as to the meaning, The subtle things, he says, of our thoughts we have deprived, so as not to be led by the impulses of pleasures into the broad ways; it is clear, therefore, that even if we guard ourselves in every way, and do not hope in God, we are led away captive. "The time has drawn near." The word is from the saints, appropriating the sufferings of those who suffer because of sin. "Our persecutors." As to the history, Babylonians and Romans; but as to the meaning, demons; For our struggle is not against flesh and blood. 93.757 "On the mountains." As to the literal sense, because the enemies, overtaking even those fleeing in the mountains, destroyed them; but as to the meaning, In their exceedingly proud, he says, deeds they were set on fire. "In the wilderness." In inhuman ways. "The breath of our face." Instead of, He is our life; He is our soul." "He was captured." For He was delivered up because of our sins. "Of whom we said." To whom we confessed that, being sheltered by Him, we would be protected from our enemies. "Rejoice and be glad." Idumea is always taken for the ancientness of sin. "And the cup of the Lord will also pass to you." The prophet signifies a cup against the ancientness of sin, the destruction through the cross. So that according to the drunkenness, and fall, its destruction is excessively extended once for all. For "you will pour out," signifies that its destruction is extended forever. When also the last enemy, death, is abolished. "Your iniquity has ceased." Through the death of the Lord according to the flesh. "He will no more." This does not fit the history; for after the Babylonians they were again carried into captivity by the Romans, and are in captivity to this day. You will understand, therefore, that while the law had a succession, grace is endless. "He has visited your iniquities." She who was long ago mixed in the ancientness of sin, and called by its name. {1CH. V.}1 "Our inheritance." After the history, understand it thus: The freedom according to nature has become subject to sin through the disobedience that comes from choice. "Our houses." The distribution of rights. For he who is subject to the enemy is plundered by him. "We have become orphans." The word of teaching. "Our mothers." The churches are not widows, but as widows because of the temporary affliction. "Our water." For the invention of sin has subjected the gift graciously given by God to a price. "Our wood." When the sons of Israel inherited the land of promise, they placed contrived pieces of wood on the necks of the kings of the nations, and treading upon them, they killed them. What, therefore, we did to our enemies, being helped by you, these things we have suffered, being overlooked. But as to the meaning, you will understand it thus: The priceless, he says, yoke of the Son of God, is given for an exchange of money. "We were persecuted." For when the yoke was lawlessly despised, rest also departs, and then the persecution of sin begins. 93.760 "Egypt gave." When the Romans were besieging Jerusalem, the Assyrians sent food to the

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"Πρόσωπον Κυρίου." Αὕτη ἡ μερὶς, καὶ ὁ κλῆρος τῶν ἀξίων τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ παρίστασθαι διηνεκῶς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἐπιβλέπει οὖν τοῖς μὴ ἄξια τῆς θεωρίας αὐτοῦ φρονοῦσιν, ἢ καὶ διαπραττομένοις. "Πρόσωπον ἱερέων." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐκ ᾐδέσθησαν. "Πρεσβύτας οὐκ ἠλέησαν." Τοὺς πεπαλαιωμένους ἐν ἀρετῇ οὐκ ἠλέησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς παρέτρεψαν οἱ αἱρεσιάρχαι, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγηταί. "Ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν οἱ ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ φασὶν, ὅτι Ζώντων ἡμῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν ἐδαπανήθησαν. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· Καίτοιγε, φησὶν, ζωῆς πειραθέντες, ὑπὸ σκότους συνεχύθημεν. Φασὶ δὲ ταῦτα οἱ μετὰ τὴν γνῶσιν ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γεγονότες. "Εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν." Οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ, ὅτι ματαίως ἤλπισαν ἀντισχεῖν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους· οἱ δὲ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ὅτι καταλιπόντες, φησὶν, τὴν πεποίθησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν βοήθειαν ματαίως ἐσκόπησαν. "Ἀπεσκοπεύσαμεν." Εἰς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην βοήθειαν ἀποβλέψαντες ἐφρυαξάμεθα. "Ἐθηρεύσαμεν." Πρὸς μὲν ἱστορίαν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ οὐ συνεχώρουν τὰ βρέφη ἐξιέναι εἰς τὰς ἀγοράς· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Λεπτὰ, φησὶ, τῶν λογισμῶν ἡμῶν ἐστερήσαμεν τοῦ μὴ ὁρμαῖς τῶν ἡδονῶν ταῖς πλατείαις ἄγεσθαι· δῆλον οὖν, ὅτι κἂν παντοίως ἑαυτοὺς τηρήσωμεν, καὶ μὴ εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίσωμεν, αἰχμάλωτοι ἀγόμεθα. "Ἤγγικεν ὁ καιρός." Ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων ὁ λόγος, οἰκειουμένων τὰ τῶν δι' ἁμαρτίας πασχόντων. "Οἱ διώκοντες ἡμᾶς." Πρὸς μὲν ἱστορίαν, Βαβυλώνιοι καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, δαίμονες· Οὐ γὰρ ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἶμα καὶ σάρκα. 93.757 "Ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι φεύγοντας καταλαμβάνοντες οἱ πολέμιοι ἔφθειρον· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπερόγκων, φησὶ, πράξεων ἐξεκαύθησαν. "Ἐν ἐρήμῳ." Ἐν ἀπανθρώποις τρόποις. "Πνεῦμα προσώπου." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Αὐτὸς ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν· αὐτὸς ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν." "Συνελήφθη." ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν παρεδόθη. "Οὗ εἴπαμεν." Ὧ ὡμολογήσαμεν, ὡς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ σκεπόμενοι φυλαχθησόμεθα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων. "Χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου." Ἡ Ἰδουμαία ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τῇ παλαιότητι τῆς ἁμαρτίας λαμβάνεται. "Καίγε ἐπὶ σὲ διελεύσεται τὸ ποτήριον Κυρίου." Σημαίνει τῇ παλαιότητι τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ προφήτης ποτήριον, τὴν διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀναίρεσιν. Ὥστε κατὰ τὴν μέθην, καὶ πτῶσιν, καὶ περισσῶς ἐκτείνεσθαι αὐτῆς εἰσάπαξ τὴν ἀπώλειαν. Τὸ γὰρ ἀποχεεῖς, τὸ εἰς αἰῶνα ἐκτείνεσθαι αὐτῆς τὴν ἀπώλειαν σημαίνει. Ὅτε καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος. "Ἐξέλιπεν ἡ ἀνομία σου." ∆ιὰ τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα θανάτου Κυρίου. "Οὐ προσθήσει." Τοῦτο τῇ ἱστορίᾳ οὐχ ἁρμόζει· μετὰ γὰρ Βαβυλωνίους πάλιν ἀπῳκίσθησαν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων, καὶ μέχρι νῦν ἐν ἀποικίᾳ εἰσί. Νοήσεις οὖν, ὅτι ὁ μὲν νόμος ἔσχε διαδοχὴν, ἡ δὲ χάρις ἀτελεύτητος. "Ἐπεσκέψατο ἀνομίας σου." Ἡ ἐν τῇ παλαιότητι τῆς ἁμαρτίας πάλαι πεφυρμένη, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτῆς κεκλημένη. {1ΚΕΦ. Εʹ.}1 "Κληρονομία ἡμῶν." Μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν οὕτω νόει· Ἡ κατὰ φύσιν ἐλευθερία ὑποχείριος γέγονε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ διὰ τὴν παρακοὴν τὴν ἐκ προαιρέσεως "Οἱ οἴκοι ἡμῶν." Ἡ τῶν δικαιωμάτων διανομή. Συλᾶται γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ὁ ὑπήκοος αὐτῷ. "Ὀρφανοὶ ἐγενήθημεν." Ὁ λόγος τῆς διδασκαλίας. "Μητέρες ἡμῶν." Αἱ ἐκκλησίαι οὐ χῆραι, ἀλλ' ὡς χῆραι διὰ τὴν πρόσκαιρον θλίψιν. "Ὕδωρ ἡμῶν." Τὴν γὰρ δωρεὰν τὴν κεχαρισμένην παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ πράσει ὑπέβαλεν ἡ ἐφεύρεσις τῆς ἁμαρτίας. "Ξύλα ἡμῶν." Ὅτε τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐκληρονόμησαν υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τῶν ἐθνῶν ξύλα ἐπιτιθέντες μεμηχανημένα ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον, ἐπ' αὐτῶν πατοῦντες ἀνῄρουν αὐτούς. Ἃ οὖν ἐποιήσαμεν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ βοηθούμενοι, ταῦτα πεπόνθαμεν παροραθέντες. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν οὕτω νοήσεις· Ὁ ἄπρατος, φησὶ, ζυγὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μετὰ καταλλαγῆς χρημάτων ἀποδίδοται. "Ἐδιώχθημεν." Ἐν γὰρ τῷ τὸν ζυγὸν ἀθέσμως καταφρονηθῆναι, καὶ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις ἄπεισιν, καὶ λοιπὸν ἐφίσταται ὁ διωγμὸς τῆς ἁμαρτίας. 93.760 "Αἴγυπτος ἔδωκε." Ῥωμαίων πολιορκούντων τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ Ἀσσύριοι μὲν τροφὰς ἔπεμπον τῷ