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12

but will bear praiseworthy works as fruit. But the winepress to which the fruits are brought is not one, but many, whence the vintage song is not "For the Winepress" but "For the Winepresses." Again, since the practical virtues of the fruit are many, each will have its own winepress, another winepress of temperance to which those who achieve celibacy, those who keep the marriage bed undefiled, bring their fruits, another of courage to which its farmers bring, and they will say similar things about the other virtues. Since there are many winepresses to which those who cultivate the practical virtues like vineyards bring them, it is necessary that there also be many for the contemplative life, to which they bring the doctrines and theorems of truth, having borne them as fruit like clusters of grapes, as these things are said, let no one deceive himself by disregarding the mutual entailment of the virtues. For where one is, there are its kindred, but since those who partake do not have an equal inclination towards all, they are named from the one they have more than the others; he who partakes more of justice is named from it, and likewise for each of the others. For thus you will also understand the various beatitudes spoken in the Gospel, from the one who is predominantly called meek, another merciful, and similarly for the rest. But also this ode is set in its own number, being the eighth. For it has much harmony with the resurrection day of the Lord, on which the vintage of many vines occurred, when the disciples of him who rose from the dead were sent to make disciples of all nations and to bear witness to the risen one to the end of the earth, so that the name of the risen one might be extended everywhere, as is immediately evident from the words of the psalm. 48Ps 8,2-3 Formerly, when Israel alone held to piety, it was said of God, "In Israel his name is great," but now that the prophecy "All nations shall serve him" has been fulfilled (for he is the expectation of the nations), "Your name has become wonderful in all the earth" for those everywhere who share the name of Christ. For he has magnified his name over all, as it is written in another psalm. And the reason why his name is marveled at throughout all the earth is given in the following verse. For since it says, "Your magnificence has been lifted up above the heavens," when you were taken up, having risen from the dead, the people everywhere on earth are called Christians by your name, that of Christ. The magnificence of the savior being lifted up above the heavens is the economy which he undertook for the salvation of the world. For what can be found in it that falls short of having what is fitting in great things? Above the heavens his magnificence was lifted up when he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high after he had made purification for sins. In this sense it must also be understood that he became higher than the heavens after the resurrection. Perhaps all believers from the gentiles and those from the circumcision who have come to the gospel, whatever age of the outer man they may have, are infants in wickedness, they are babes because they have a simplicity that does not know evil. A difference between babes and nursing infants is presented by the wording, the nursing infants still receiving milk, while those who have passed beyond this age are called babes, for whom solid food after milk is appropriate, according to the apostle who wrote to the Corinthians, "I gave you milk to drink, not solid food." It should also be considered in another way: he who is being introduced, receiving milk, is a nursing infant, but he who is perfected in understanding, but a babe in wickedness, is a babe; and such are all who have turned and become like children. 49Ps 8,6 For they are not far from being naturally able to have knowledge of you and to be like you in the attainment of holiness and virtue as far as possible. And most correctly it is said, "You have made him a little lower," but not "you have made him lesser." For man, being of equal honor and equal strength with the immortal rational beings, was made lower than them by God

12

ὁ δὲ εργα ἐπαινετὰ καρποφορήσει. οὐ μία δέ ἐστιν ἡ ληνὸς ἐφ' ην φέρονται οἱ καρποί, ἀλλὰ πλείους, οθεν οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῆς ληνοῦ ἀλλ' ̔Υπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν ἡ ἐπιλήνιος ᾠδή. πάλιν δ' αυ, ἐπεὶ πολλαὶ αἱ πρακτικαὶ ἀρεταὶ τοῦ καρποῦ, ἑκάστης οἰκείας τις εσται ληνός, αλλη ληνὸς σωφροσύνης ἐφ' ην φέρουσι τοὺς καρποὺς οἱ ἀγαμίαν κατορθοῦντες οἱ κοίτην ἀμίαντον διατηροῦντες, αλλη ἀνδρείας ἐφ' ην οἱ ταύτης γεωργοὶ φέρουσι, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἑτέρων δὲ ἀρετῶν ἐρείδουσι τὰ παραπλήσια. πλειόνων δὲ οὐσῶν ληνῶν εἰς ας φέρουσιν οἱ γεωργοῦντες δίκην ἀμπελώνων τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετάς, ἀνάγκη καὶ τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ βίου πλείονας ειναι εἰς ας φέρουσι τὰ δόγματα καὶ θεωρήματα τῆς ἀληθείας οια βότρυς καρποφορήσαντες, τούτων λεγομένων Μὴ λάθῃ τις ἑαυτόν, τὴν ἀντακολούθησιν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀθετῶν. ενθα γὰρ μία καὶ αἱ ὁμογενεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ μὴ πρὸς πάσας τὴν ισην ῥοπὴν εχουσιν οἱ μετέχοντες, ἀφ' ης εχουσι, μᾶλλον τῶν αλλων χρηματίζουσιν· ὁ μᾶλλον δικαιοσύνης μετέχων ἀπὸ ταύτης παρονομάζεται, ὡσαύτως καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστης τῶν ἑτέρων. ουτω γὰρ νοήσεις καὶ τοὺς λεχθέντας διαφόρους μακαρισμοὺς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἐκ τοῦ πλειστοδυναμοῦντος πράου τινὸς ὀνομαζομένου, ἑτέρου δὲ ἐλεήμονος, καὶ καταλλήλως ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἀριθμῷ οἰκείῳ ἡ ᾠδὴ αυτη τέτακται ὀγδόη ουσα. εχει γὰρ συμφωνίαν πολλὴν πρὸς τὴν ἀναστάσιμον ἡμέραν τοῦ κυρίου, ἐν ῃ τρυγητὸς πολλῶν ἀμπέλων γέγονεν, ἀποστελλομένων τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἐκ νεκρῶν μαθητεῦσαι τὰ εθνη πάντα καὶ μαρτυρῆσαι τῷ ἀναστάντι εως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, ιν' ἐκταθῇ ἁπανταχῆ τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἡ προσηγορία, ὡς εὐθέως ἐκ τῶν λέξεων τοῦ ψαλμοῦ παρίσταται. 48Ps 8,2-3 Πάλαι μὲν τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ μόνου ἐπανέχοντος τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ ἐλέγετο περὶ θεοῦ ̓Εν τῷ ̓Ισραὴλ μέγα τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ, νῦν δὲ πληρωθείσης τῆς προφητείας τῆς Πάντα τὰ εθνη δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ (αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν προσδοκία), Θαυμαστὸν τὸ ονομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ γέγονεν τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ μετεχόντων τῆς Χριστοῦ προσηγορίας. ̓Εμεγάλυνεν γὰρ ἐπὶ πάντας τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἐν αλλῳ ψαλμῷ φέρεται. τίς δὲ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ἁπανταχοῦ γῆς θαυμάζεσθαι τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ ἀποδίδοται ἐν τῷ ἑπομένῳ στίχῳ. ἐπεὶ γάρ φησιν ̓Επήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, οτε ἀνελήφθης ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάς, οἱ ἁπανταχοῦ γῆς ανθρωποι Χριστιανοὶ καλοῦνται τῇ σοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσηγορίᾳ. μεγαλοπρέπεια τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπαιρομένη ἐστὶν ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἡ οἰκονομία, ην ἀνεδέξατο ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας. τί γάρ ἐστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπολειπόμενον τοῦ εχειν ἐν μεγάλοις τὸ πρέπον; ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ καθίσαντος ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς μετὰ τὸ καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν πεποιηκέναι. ταύτῃ τῇ νοήσει ληπτέον καὶ τὸ ὑψηλότερον αὐτὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν γεγονέναι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. μήποτε δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν πιστεύοντες πάντες καὶ οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς προσελθόντες τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, οιαν καὶ οσην ποτὲ ἐὰν εχωσι τοῦ εξω ἀνθρώπου ἡλικίαν, βρέφη εἰσὶν τῇ κακίᾳ, νηπιάζονται διὰ τὸ ἁπλότητα εχειν μὴ εἰδότα τὴν πονηρίαν. διαφορὰ νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων παρίσταται ἐκ τῆς λέξεως, τῶν μὲν ετι γάλα δεχομένων τῶν θηλαζόντων, τῶν δὲ ὑπεραναβάντων τὴν ἡλικίαν ταύτην νηπίων χρηματιζόντων, οις κατάλληλον τὸ μετὰ τὸ γάλα βρῶμα κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον γράψαντα Κορινθίοις Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα. ἐπιστατέον καὶ ἑτέρως· ὁ εἰσαγόμενος, γάλα δεχόμενος, θηλάζων ἐστίν, ὁ δὲ τελειωθεὶς κατὰ φρόνησιν, νηπιάζων δὲ τῇ κακίᾳ, νήπιος ὑπάρχει· τοιοῦτοι δὲ πάντες οἱ στραφέντες καὶ γενόμενοι ὡς τὰ παιδία. 49Ps 8,6 Οὐ γὰρ πολὺ αὐτῶν ἀπολείπεται τὸ πεφυκέναι γνῶσίν σου εχειν καὶ ὁμοιοῦσθαί σοι ἁγιότητος καὶ ἀρετῆς ἀναλήψει ὡς ἐφικτόν. ὀρθότατα δὲ καὶ ̓Ηλάττωσας αὐτὸν ειρηται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐλάττονα πεποίηκας. ἰσότιμος γὰρ καὶ ἰσοσθενὴς ων τοῖς ἀθανάτοις λογικοῖς ὁ ανθρωπος ἠλαττώθη ἐκείνων θεοῦ