12

they will be justified; and, Faith without works is dead, and works without faith. Therefore the Lord also said: Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. But whoever hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell upon that house, and it did not fall; for it was founded on the rock. But the phrase, I have meditated on your statutes, means, he says, that I continually made these my study. Remember your words to your servant, in which you have made me hope. ηʹ. God, in giving the law, both promised his own favor to those who keep the law, and punishment to the transgressors. He therefore beseeches God to remember his own promises. For in those, he says, you have taught me to hope. Remember therefore, O Master, the promises which you have promised to us. For you said to your disciples: Behold, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age. And not only to them did you promise this, but also to all of us who believe in your name through them. Remember us therefore, and be with us, and do not depart from us, lest we perish. This has comforted me in my affliction, for your word has given me life. For I had this solace in my calamities and in my tribulations. This promise has become my comfort and refreshment, and being carried on it I have sailed over the waves. Therefore I ask to make my life in your words. The proud transgressed exceedingly; but from your law I have not turned aside. He calls proud Saul, Absalom, the king of the Ammonites, who did those unlawful things to the messengers sent by him. But they embraced a lawless life, while I followed your laws. And these things the 55.686 gloriously triumphant martyrs might also say, having suffered those terrible and harsh things under the cruel and impious 55.686 tyrants. The Pharisees were also exceedingly proud, not choosing to hear the teaching of Christ. Therefore he also said to them: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut the kingdom of heaven. For not only yourselves, but you also hinder those who wish to enter. Furthermore, the rulers and priests of the Jews were proud against the apostles, saying to them: Did we not strictly command you not to speak this word to anyone? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. But they answered them: Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge. I remembered your judgments from of old, O Lord, and was comforted. Therefore, being persecuted, the chorus of all the apostles and martyrs remembered the judgments of God from of old; what Abel suffered at the hands of the fratricide Cain; what Abraham, what Moses; the things concerning Isaac, the things concerning Jacob, the things concerning Joseph, the things concerning Job; and these things became a comfort and a consolation to them; and how they were permitted to fall into various trials, and later became illustrious and renowned. Therefore, taking these things to mind, I too reaped sufficient comfort from them. Despondency has taken hold of me because of the sinners who forsake your law. Though I was suffering evil, I was comforted by the memory of your judgments; but I was completely distressed and continually vexed seeing many fearlessly transgressing the laws. These things also the

12

δικαιωθήσονται· καὶ, Ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων νεκρά ἐστι, καὶ τὰ ἔργα χωρὶς τῆς πίστεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγε· Πᾶς ὁ ἀκούων μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ μὴ ποιῶν αὐτοὺς, ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ μωρῷ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον· καὶ κατέβη ἡ βρο χὴ, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταμοὶ, καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι, καὶ προσέῤῥιψαν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔπεσε, καὶ ἦν ἡ πτῶσις αὐτῆς μεγάλη. Ὅστις δὲ ἀκούει μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτοὺς, ὁμοιώσω αὐτὸν ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν· καὶ κατέβη ἡ βροχὴ, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταμοὶ, καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι, καὶ προσέπεσον τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἔπεσε· τεθεμελίωτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν. Τὸ δὲ, Ἠδολέσχουν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώ μασί σου, ἐνδελεχῶς, φησὶ, τὴν τούτων ἐποιούμην με λέτην. Μνήσθητι τῶν λόγων σου τῷ δούλῳ σου, ὧν ἐπήλπισάς με. ηʹ. Νομοθετῶν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοῖς φυλάττουσι νόμον τὴν οἰκείαν εὐμένειαν ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ τοῖς παραβάταις τὴν τιμωρίαν. Μνησθῆναι τοίνυν τὸν Θεὸν τῶν οἰκείων ὑπο σχέσεων ἱκετεύει. Εἰς ἐκείνας γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐλπίζειν ἐδί δαξάς με. Μνήσθητι οὖν, ∆έσποτα, τῶν ὑποσχέσεων, ὧν ἐπηγγείλω ἡμῖν. Ἔφης γὰρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συν τελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Καὶ οὐ μόνον αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ἐπηγ γείλω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῖν πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσι δι' αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ὄνομά σου. Μνήσθητι οὖν ἡμῶν, καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν γενοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀφ' ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολώμεθα. Αὐτή με παρεκάλεσεν ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει μου, ὅτι τὸ λόγιόν σου ἔζησέ με. Ταύτην γὰρ ἔσχον παραψυχὴν ἐν ταῖς συμφοραῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν. Αὐτὴ ἡ ὑπόσχεσις πα ράκλησίς μοι γέγονε καὶ ἀναψυχὴ, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης ὀχού μενος ὑπερέπλευσα τῶν κυμάτων. ∆ιὸ αἰτοῦμαι ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου τὴν ζωήν μου ποιεῖσθαι. Ὑπερήφανοι παρ ηνόμουν ἕως σφόδρα· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ νόμου οὐκ ἐξ έκλινα. Ὑπερηφάνους καλεῖ τὸν Σαοὺλ, τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, τὸν τῶν Ἀμμανιτῶν βασιλέα, τὸν τὰ παράνομα ἐκεῖνα εἰς τοὺς ἀποσταλέντας παρ' αὐτοῦ πεποιηκότα. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν παράνομον ἠσπάσαντο βίον, ἐγὼ δὲ τοῖς σοῖς ἠκολούθησα νόμοις. Ταῦτα δὲ εἴποιεν ἂν καὶ οἱ 55.686 καλλίνικοι μάρτυρες, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπηνῶν καὶ δυσσεβῶν 55.686 τυράννων τὰ δεινὰ ἐκεῖνα καὶ χαλεπὰ πεπονθότες. Ὑπερηφανεύοντο δὲ σφόδρα καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι μὴ προ αιρούμενοι ἀκοῦσαι τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρι σαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, ὅτι κλείετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐ ρανῶν. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς θέ λοντας εἰσελθεῖν κωλύετε. Ἔτι ὑπερηφανεύοντο οἱ ἄρ χοντες καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων, λέγοντες αὐτοῖς· Οὐ παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖν μηδενὶ λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦτον; Καὶ ἰδοὺ πεπλη ρώκατε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν. Οἱ δὲ ἀπεκρίναντο αὐτοῖς· Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν μᾶλλον ἀκούειν, ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε. Ἐμνήσθην τῶν κριμάτων σου ἀπ' αἰῶ νος, Κύριε, καὶ παρεκλήθην. ∆ιωκόμενος οὖν ὁ χο ρὸς τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ μαρτύρων πάντων ἐμιμνή σκοντο τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος· οἷα πέπονθεν ὁ Ἄβελ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοκτόνου Κάϊν· οἷα ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, οἷα ὁ Μωϋσῆς· τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰακὼβ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰώβ· καὶταῦτα ἐγίνετο αὐτοῖς παράκλησις καὶ παραμυθία· καὶ ὅπως ποικίλοις περιπεσεῖν συνεχωρήθησαν πειρασμοῖς, καὶ περιφανεῖς ὕστερον καὶ περίβλεπτοι ἐγένοντο. Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰς νοῦν καὶ ἐγὼ λαμβάνων ψυχαγωγίαν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποχρῶσαν ἐκαρπωσάμην. Ἀθυμία κατέσχε με ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανόντων τὸν νόμον σου. Ἐγὼ μὲν πάσχων κακῶς, τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν σῶν ἐψυχαγω γούμην κριμάτων· ἠνιώμην δὲ ὅλως καὶ διετέλουν ἀσχάλλων πολλοὺς ὁρῶν ἀδεῶς τοὺς παραβαίνοντας νό μους. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ