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concerning them as not appearing, it is reasonably necessary for those waiting for their entire outcome to endure whatever it might be necessary to suffer for them. 140. Ro+m 8,26 What is said is a figure of speech, according to the custom of the divine scripture, so that it appears on the surface to be something other than what it wishes to say; for it says that we are not even able to expect those things according to the sequence of nature, but the grace of the Spirit, of which we have received the firstfruits here, undoubtedly guarantees to us participation in those things. but he used this figure of speech in this way: what we expect, these things we also ask from God, but what it is not possible to hope to receive, these things we would never endure to ask for. Therefore, he called the inability to expect those things "not knowing how we ought to pray for them," since, as I said, one would not ask for things which he cannot by any reasoning expect. But the hoping that by the power of the Spirit these things will surely come to them, he called "the Spirit intercedes"; for since we often receive by prayer those things which we are in no way able to procure for ourselves, the gift of the Spirit in the present life also placed in them the belief concerning future things. "The Spirit itself," he says, "intercedes for us," so that he might say that this is the cause of those things for us, which, having been given to us in the present life as if in the order of a pledge, necessarily makes us believe also concerning the perfect; whence, so that you might not think that he is truly speaking about prayer, he added "with unutterable groanings," so that he might say that it draws those things in an ineffable way; for what has been given to us in the present life for the future promises surely provides those things for us. and he spoke of "groanings" in accordance with the figure of speech, as if about prayer, since those praying with groans are thought to be heard more, as if making their supplications more intensely. So also above he spoke of creation groaning and of us, that we groan, everywhere calling the expectation of those things a "groan," just as therefore 141 here he said the Spirit intercedes with groans, as if providing those things for us and to expect what prepares their outcome. Ro+m 8,27 Here he wishes to say that these things will be provided to us by the Spirit according to the will of God, who, since He willed that we receive the firstfruits of the Spirit in the present life, will necessarily provide also those things for the hope of which we received this. And since he used a figure of speech as if about prayer—that through the firstfruits of the Spirit here we necessarily expect also the future things—he necessarily added, that God also, knowing the will of the Spirit, and that it makes its requests according to His will, assents to the prayer. and well also "for the saints," so that he might say of those set apart for this and having already partaken of the Spirit. and by "the Spirit intercedes" he means the gift given to us in the present life, which he also calls "firstfruits of the Spirit," not of its substance but of the grace which is expected to be given to us then for complete participation in the good things. However, that it is customary for the divine scripture to use figures of speech, these things are from the blessed David, who was accustomed to say such things continually: "having darkness under his feet" and whatever he says in that part; for it is not the time to say everything now. and in the twenty-third [Psalm] he forms a voice to the gates, as if they ought to be opened, and a response from them; for none of these things, as has been said, can be understood literally, but certain other things are shown from them. I, however, have set this down also so that no one might think that something new is being said by us, that the preceding things were said by the apostle according to a figure of speech. Ro+m 8,28 "We must not be surprised," he says, "if we expect that such good things will then be ours, while at present we are found in exceedingly incurable evils, since we know full well that it is the custom of God to do good through all things 142 to those who love him, providing for them an abundant supply of good things, so that even from things that seem to be grievous, greater eternal things are procured for them

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περὶ αὐτῶν ὡς οὐ φαινομένων, εἰκότως ἀνάγκη ἅπασαν τὴν ἔκβασιν αὐτῶν περιμένοντας ὑπομένειν ἅπαν ὅτι ἂν καὶ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων δέοι 140. Ro+m 8,26 Σχηματισμός ἐστι κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ τὸ εἰρημένον ὡς ἕτερον φαίνεσθαι τῷ προχείρῳ μᾶλλον ἢ ὃ βούλεται λέγειν· λέγει μὲν γὰρ ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ προσδοκᾶν ἐκεῖνα κατά γε τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἀκολουθίαν δυνάμεθα, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος χάρις ἧς τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἐνταῦθα εἰλήφαμεν, ἀναμφιβόλως ἡμῖν ἐγγυᾶται τὴν μετουσίαν ἐκείνων. ἐσχη μάτισε δὲ οὕτως· ἃ προσδοκῶμεν ταῦτα καὶ αἰτοῦμεν παρὰ θεοῦ, ἃ δὲ μὴ δύνατον ἐλπίσαι λαβεῖν, ταῦτα οὐδ' ἂν αἰτῆσαι ποτὲ ἀνασχοίμεθα. τὸ οὖν μὴ δύνασθαι προσδοκᾶν ἐκεῖνα τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι καθὸ δεῖ προσεύξασθαι περὶ αὐτῶν ἐκάλεσεν, ἐπειδή, ὡς ἔφην, ταῦτα οὐδ' ἂν αἰτήσειέν τε ἃ μηδενὶ λόγῳ δύναται προσδοκᾶν. τὸ δὲ τῇ τοῦ πνεύ ματος δυνάμει πάντως αὐτοῖς αὐτὰ περιέσεσθαι ἐλπίζειν τὸ πνεῦμα ἐντυγχάνειν ἔφη· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὐχῇ πολλάκις λαμβάνομεν ἑκεῖνα ἃ μηδαμῶς ἑαυτοῖς περιποιῆσαι δυνάμεθα, ἐνετίθη δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ πιστεύειν περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος βίου τοῦ πνεύματος δόσις. Αὐτό, φησί, τὸ πνεῦμα ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἐκείνων αἴτιον, ὃ ὥσπερ ἐν ἀρραβῶνος τάξει κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἡμῖν δοθέν, ἀναγκαίως καὶ περὶ τοῦ τελείου πιστεύειν ποιεῖ· ὅθεν ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς περὶ εὐχῆς λέγειν αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς, ἐπήγαγε στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀπορρήτῳ τρόπῳ ἐκεῖνα ἐφέλκεται· τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς μελλούσαις ἐπαγγελίαις κατά γε τὸν παρόντα βίον δεδομένον ἡμῖν παρέχεται πάντως ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνα. καὶ τὸ στεναγμοῖς δὲ ἀκολούθως τῷ σχηματισμῷ ὡς ἐπ' εὐχῆς ἔφη, ἐπειδή πως μετὰ στεναγμῶν εὐχόμενοι ἀκούεσθαι νομίζονται μᾶλλον ὡς ἂν συντονώτερον ποιούμενοι τὰς δεήσεις. οὕτω καὶ ἀνωτέρω περὶ τῆς κτίσεως ἔφη τὸ στενάζειν καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὅτι στενάζομεν, στεναγμὸν ἁπανταχοῦ τὴν προσδοκίαν ἐκείνων καλέσας, ὥσπερ οὖν 141 κἀνταῦθα ἔφη τὸ πνεῦμα μετὰ στεναγμῶν ἐντυγχάνειν, ὡς ἂν παρέχον ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνα καὶ προσδοκᾶν ἃ τῶν παρασκευαζόντων τὴν ἔκβασιν. Ro+m 8,27 Ἐνταῦθα βούλεται εἰπεῖν ὅτι ταῦτα ἡμῖν παρασχεθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος γνώμῃ θεοῦ, ὃς ἐπειδὴ ἠβουλήθη τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἡμᾶς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος κομίσασθαι βίου, ἀναγκαίως παρέξει κἀκεῖνα ὧν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ταύτην ἐκομισάμεθα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐσχημάτισεν ὡς ἐπ' εὐχῆς τὸ διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀπαρχῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἀναγκαίως ἡμᾶς προσδοκᾶν καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα, ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι καὶ ὁ θεὸς εἰδὼς τὸ βούλημα τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ ὅτι κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῦ τὰς αἰτήσεις ποιεῖται, ἐπινύει τῇ προσευχῇ. καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἁγίων, ἵνα εἴπῃ τῶν πρὸς τοῦτο ἀφωρισμένων καὶ μετεσχη κότων ἤδη τοῦ πνεύματος. ἐντυγχάνειν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ χάρισμα λέγει τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἡμῖν δεδομένον βίου, ὃ καὶ ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ πνεύματος, οὐ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ καλεῖ ἀλλὰ τῆς τότε ἡμῖν εἰς παντελῆ μετουσίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσδοκωμένης δοθήσεσθαι χάριτος. ὅτι μέντοι σύνηθες τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ σχηματίζειν, τάδε ἀπὸ τῶν τῷ μακαρίῳ ∆αυὶδ συνεχῶς τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγειν εἰωθότι· γνόφον ἔχοντα ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας καὶ ὅσα κατ' ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος φησίν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος ἅπαντα λέγειν ἐστὶ καιροῦ. ἐν δὲ τῷ εἰκοστῷ τρίτῳ πρός τε τὰς πύλας φωνὴν σχηματίζει, ὡς ἂν ἀνοιχθῆναι ὀφει λούσας, καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν ἀπόκρισιν· τούτων γὰρ οὐδὲν μέν, ὡς εἴρηται, νοεῖσθαι δύναται, ἕτερα δέ τινά ἐστι τὰ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐμφαινόμενα. ἐγὼ μέντοι τέθεικα καὶ τοῦτο ὥστε μηδένα καινόν τι νομίζειν λέγεσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ κατὰ σχηματισμὸν εἰρῆσθαι τῷ ἀποστόλῳ τὰ προκείμενα. Ro+m 8,28 Οὐ δεῖ θαυμάζειν, φησίν, εἰ τοιαῦτα μὲν τότε προσδοκῶμεν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰ περιέσεσθαι, ἐν ἀνηκέστοις δὲ ἄγαν κακοῖς κατὰ τὸ παρὸν εὑρισκόμεθα πάνυ γε εἰδότας ὡς διὰ πάντων εὐεργετεῖν ἔθος τῷ θεῷ 142 τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν ἄφθονον αὐτοῖς τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν χορηγίαν παρεχόμενος, ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι λυπηρῶν μείζονας αὐτοῖς τοὺς αἰωνίους προξενεῖσθαι