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wages. And we know this well, since he stated a matter very much agreed upon, with which anyone at all would surely agree, that God becomes a provider of good things for those who love him, seeing that he even bears with those who transgress, granting them both the rising of the sun and the provision of rains. Then also of proofs, as he said, confirming for those who are called according to purpose. For God knew of old their purpose, what sort it would be, for which reason he also called them so as to honor them worthily of their own choice. Ro+m 8,37 Showing that it is not fitting to fear even the severity of the evils brought upon us, he reasonably added: but in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us; for by him even what seems to be the heavy part of tribulations is lightened for us, making the experience of painful things imperceptible by his co-operation. Ro+m 8,38-39 He rightly said "I am persuaded," as one who no longer entrusts the whole matter to his own power, but to the co-operation of Christ. Therefore, "neither death nor life" stands for neither the painful things nor the things that are too pleasant; and "neither angels nor principalities nor powers" clearly means the invisible natures, but he also wished to show from their trustworthiness that he has considered all things to be less than piety. However, "neither height nor depth," that is, neither things that are too inglorious nor things that are too glorious, but it is more wonderful: For while all people do all things for the sake of the expectation of future things, so as to avoid the punishment then brought upon the impious by God, and to enjoy the good things prepared for those who love him, he himself says that not even by these things is he turned from piety, reasonably, as one pursuing piety not for a wage but out of love for Christ who has become the cause of so many good things for men, choosing to do and to suffer all things; for such is the nature of love, causing the one who loves never to care for his own affairs, but preparing him to do and to endure all things from which he thinks the one who is loved might be benefited. So all the aforesaid things are great and fitting for the love 143 of the blessed Paul for Christ, but above all is "nor any other creature" added to the rest. For since he had gone through all things that in any way exist and appear, having added both the invisible powers and indeed also the things expected to be, finally he added "nor any other creature," showing that he in no way considered all these things to be a counterbalance to the love for Christ, that even if other things should come to exist along with these, he considers them to be nothing in comparison with the love of that one.

Ro+m 9,1-5 He confirms his statement with an oath. For since he said that there is nothing that can separate him from the love of Christ, he adds that he is overcome only by his kinship; and he speaks concerning all those from Israel. "Therefore," he says, "I gladly give both body and soul, so that they might again recover these things from which they have fallen away by believing in Christ; for what of the good things was not of the Jews, in which the Gentiles now take pride? The glory, the covenant, and indeed the greatest thing, from them also is Christ according to the flesh, who is God not only of them but of all in common. So that they might regain these things, I would gladly become anathema for them. And "anathema" signifies one who is estranged, since that which is set up is estranged from the one who sets it up. Ro+m 9,9-13 "What then," he says, "would you say concerning the case of Esau and Jacob, where there was one father and one mother and the same conception?" For "having conception by one man" means this, that the same woman bore from the same man, not by different conceptions. And so, though they were joined in every way, both by the closeness of their ancestors and by birth, nevertheless God, before they were born or had done anything good or evil, proactively not only distinguished them but also overturned, if one must examine the truth, the sequence of nature, that the elder will serve

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μισθούς. καλῶς δὲ τοῦτο οἴδαμεν, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ὡμολογημένον ἔφη πρᾶγμα παντὸς οὗτινος οὖν πάνυ γε συνθησομένου, ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἀγαθῶν πρόξενος γίνεται θεός, ὅπου γε καὶ πλημμελούντων ἀνέχεται ἡλίου τε ἀνατολὴν καὶ ὑετῶν χορηγίαν αὐτοῖς χαριζόμενος. εἶτα καὶ ἀποδείξεων, ὅπερ ἔφη, πιστούμενος τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν. τούτων γὰρ ᾔδει καὶ πάλαι ὁ θεὸς τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν πρόθεσιν, οἵα τις ἔσται, ὅθεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ἐπὶ τῷ τῆς οἰκείας ἀξίως τιμῆσαι προαιρέσεως. Ro+m 8,37 ∆εικνὺς ὅτι μηδὲ τὴν βαρύτητα δεδιέναι προσήκει τῶν ἐπαγομένων κακῶν, εἰκότως ἐπήγαγεν· ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνι κῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς· παρ' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν εἶναι βαρὺ τῶν θλίψεων ἐπικουφίζεται ἀνεπαίσθητον τῇ παρ' αὐτοῦ συνεργείᾳ τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐργαζομένου τὴν πεῖραν. Ro+m 8,38-39 Καλῶς τὸ πέπεισμαι εἶπεν, ὡς ἂν οὐκέτι τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει, τῇ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνεργείᾳ τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέψας. τὸ μὲν οὖν οὔτε θάνα τος οὔτε ζωή, ἀντὶ τοῦ οὔτε τὰ λυπηρὰ οὔτε τὰ ἄγαν ἡδέα· τὸ δὲ οὔτε ἄγγελοι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε δυνάμεις δῆλον μὲν ὅτι τὰς ἀοράτους λέγει φύσεις, ἐβουλήθη δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀξιοπιστίας δεῖξαι, ὅτι πάντα ἐλάττονα εἶναι τῆς εὐσεβείας νενόμικεν. τὸ μέντοι οὔτε ὕψωμα οὔτε βάθος, τοῦτ' ἔστιν οὔτε τὰ ἄγαν ἄδοξα οὔτε μὴν τὰ ἄγαν ἐπίδοξα, θαυμασιώτερον δέ· ἁπάντων γὰρ τῆς τῶν μελ λόντων προσδοκίας ἕνεκεν ἅπαντα διαπραττομένων, ὥστε ἐκκλῖναι μὲν τὴν ἐπαγομένην τότε τοῖς ἀσεβέσι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τιμωρίαν, ἀπολαῦσαι δὲ τῶν ἡτοιμασμένων τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἀγαθῶν , αὐτὸς μηδὲ ὑπ' ἐκείνων λέγει τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐξίστασθαι, εἰκότως, ὡς ἂν οὐ μισθῷ μετιὼν τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀλλ' ἀγάπῃ τῇ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν τοσούτων αἴτιον γεγονότα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καλῶν ἅπαντα καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν αἱρούμενος· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης φύσις, οὐδαμοῦ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν φροντίζειν τὸν ἀγαπῶντα ποιοῦσα, ἀλλὰ πάντα ποιεῖν καὶ ὑπομένειν παρασκευά ζουσα ἀφ' ὧν ἂν ὠφελεῖσθαί τι νομίζῃ τὸν ἀγαπώμενον. πάντα μὲν οὖν μεγάλα τὰ προειρημένα καὶ πρέποντα τῇ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπῃ 143 τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου, ὑπὲρ ἅπαντα δὲ τὸ οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐπηγμένον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅπαντα ἐπεξῆλθεν τὰ ὅπως ποτὲ ὄντα τε καὶ φαινόμενα, προστεθεικὼς καὶ τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις καὶ μὴν καὶ τὰ προσδοκώμενα ἔσεσθαι, τελευταῖον ἐπήγαγεν τὸ οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὕτως ἅπαντα ταῦτα εἶναι ἀντίρροπα τῆς περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπης νενόμικεν οὐδαμῶς, ὅτι κἂν εἰ ἕτερα σὺν τούτοις γένοιντο, τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι αὐτὰ πρὸς παράθεσιν ἡγεῖται τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκείνου.

Ro+m 9,1-5 Ὅρκῳ πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὃ δύναται αὐτὸν χωρίσαι τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπάγει ὅτι μόνον τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἡττᾶται· περὶ πάντων δὲ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ φησιν. ἡδέως οὖν, φησί, καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν δίδωμι, ἵνα ὧν ἐκπεπτώκασι ταῦτα πάλιν ἀνακαλέσωνται πιστεύσαντες εἰς Χριστόν· τί γὰρ τῶν καλῶν οὐκ Ἰουδαίων ἦν, ἐφ' οἷς νῦν τὰ ἔθνη σεμνύνεται; ἡ δόξα, ἡ διαθήκη, καὶ τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ὅς ἐστι θεὸς οὐ μόνον αὐτῶν ἀλλὰ κοινῇ πάντων. ἵνα οὖν ταῦτα ἀνακτήσων ται, ἡδέως ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀνάθεμα ἐγενόμην. τὸ δὲ ἀνάθεμα τὸν ἀλλότριον δηλοῖ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἀνατεθὲν τοῦ ἀνατιθέντος ἀλλότριον. Ro+m 9,9-13 Τί οὖν, φησίν, εἴποιτε ἂν περὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἠσαῦ καὶ τὸν Ἰακώβ, ὅπου καὶ πατὴρ εἷς καὶ μήτηρ μία καὶ σύλληψις ἡ αὐτή; τὸ γὰρ ἐξ ἑνὸς κοίτην ἔχουσα τοῦτο λέγει, τὸ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μὴ κατὰ διαφόρους τεκεῖν συλλήψεις. καὶ οὕτω κατὰ πάντα καὶ προγόνων οἰκειότητι καὶ τοκετῷ συνημμένων αὐτῶν, ὅμως ὁ θεὸς πρὶν γεννηθῆναι αὐτοὺς καί τι ποιῆσαι καλὸν ἢ κακόν, προλαβὼν οὐ μόνον διεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέτρεψεν, εἰ δεῖ τἀληθὲς σκοπεῖν, τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τὸν μείζονα δουλεύσειν