John Chrysostom, On Psalm 118

and heretics discourse, and they seem like teachers, having falsehood for their shield, and they utter nothing from the divine Scriptures; and if they do utter anything, it is according to their own desires, but as lawless men they talk nonsense and deceive; because this has happened also in our generation. The Christian-accusers, that is, the iconoclasts, seized many, and the Paulicians who partake of the heresy of the Manicheans. For they neither spoke from the divine Scriptures, but are covered over with falsehood, and by it they make their claims; but we who follow the Gospel and believe orthodoxly, as the holy catholic Church of God has received, say. All your commandments are truth. For this reason I prefer your law, because I see all your commandments are adorned with truth. They persecuted me unjustly; help me. They almost consumed me on the earth; but I did not forsake your commandments. Great, he says, is both the injustice and the power of the enemies; for they nearly deprived me of life itself. And it teaches us to hold to the traditions which we have received; and it guides us to another teaching, not to avenge ourselves, nor to render evil for evil, but to pray for help from God, and to give judgment to him. For it is written through the prophet: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But I did not forsake your commandments. Since I came very near to death from both the attack of the evil one and bodily pleasures, but I did not forsake your commandments. Such are the boasts of the saints, which the prophet proclaims for our admonition. According to your mercy, give me life, and I will keep the testimonies of your mouth. What mercy? That which you wrought, Master, by your economy in the flesh. Therefore, give me this grace, that I may keep your testimonies. But the prophet adorned his speech with humility. For he did not ask for life as a reward for righteousness, but he pleaded to receive it as a gift of mercy, promising to keep the testimonies of God. Forever, O Lord, your word endures in heaven. For all things, he says, are easy and possible for you, the Master. For your command keeps the vaults of the heavens immovable. And he said this also in the one hundred and forty-eighth psalm: He has established them forever and ever; he made a decree, and it shall not pass away. Therefore heaven itself endures, as it was created by you, Master, and the angels dwelling in it keep the divine law, and are free from all transgression. 55.693 For they are mighty, and do your word with strength. Your truth is for generation and generation. γʹ. Of old a law was given to the Israelites, who are the first generation; and after this, to us, the gentiles, the evangelical law; this is the truth. For you kept this both for the generation of the Jews, and for the other generation that came after them. And he speaks of the people from the gentiles who have obtained salvation through our Savior Christ. You founded the earth, and it abides. By your ordinance the day abides, because all things are your servants. You gave to the earth its enduring nature for the most part, and it has remained as you commanded. You separated the day from the night, and it proceeds according to your laws. The earth also remains according to your creation, sprouting at its season herbs, plants, trees, bearing fruits, seeds for the nourishment of all living things; and By your ordinance the day abides. For the sun, rising, goes toward the west. For all things serve you, and yield to your commands. For you are the creator of all things, and all things obey you, God. Unless your law had been my meditation, I would have perished in my humiliation. These things

καὶαἱρετικοὶ διηγοῦνται, καὶ δοκοῦσιν ὡς διδάσκαλοι, τὸ ψεῦδος ἔχοντες εἰς συνασπισμὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν φθέγγονται· εἰ δὲ καὶ φθέγγονται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἀλλ' ὡς παράνομοι καταφλυαροῦσι καὶ ἐξαπατῶσιν· ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ἡμῶν γέγονε τοῦτο. Οἱ χριστιανοκατήγοροι, ἤγουν εἰκονοκλάσται, πολλοὺς συν ήρπασαν, καὶ οἱ Παυλικιανοὶ οἱ μετέχοντες τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Μανιχαίων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἐλάλη σαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ψεύδει συγκαλύπτονται, καὶ αὐτῷ διισχυ ρίζονται· ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀκολουθοῦντες καὶ ὀρθοδόξως πιστεύοντες, καθὼς παρέλαβεν ἡ ἁγία τοῦ Θεοῦ καθολικὴ Ἐκκλησία, λέγομεν. Πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντο λαί σου ἀλήθεια. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γάρ σου προαιροῦμαι τὸν νόμον, ἐπειδὴ πάσας σου τὰς ἐντολὰς ἀληθείᾳ κοσμουμέ νας ὁρῶ. Ἀδίκως κατεδίωξάν με· βοήθησόν μοι. Παρὰ βραχὺ συνετέλεσάν με ἐν τῇ γῇ· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπον τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Πολλῆ, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ ἀδικία καὶ ἡ δυναστεία τῶν δυσμενῶν· καὶ αὐτῆς γάρ με, μικροῦ δεῖν, ἐστέρησαν τῆς ζωῆς. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ ἡμᾶς κρατεῖν τὰς παραδόσεις, ἃς παρελάβομεν· καθοδηγεῖ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἑτέραν διδασκαλίαν, τὸ μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικεῖν, μηδὲ ἀποδιδόναι κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δέεσθαι βοηθείας, καὶ αὐτῷ ἀποδιδόναι τὴν κρίσιν. Γέγραπται γὰρ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει Κύριος. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκατ έλιπον τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Ἐπειδὴ παρὰ μικρὸν προσ ήγγισα τῷ θανάτῳ ἔκ τε τῆς τοῦ πονηροῦ προσβολῆς καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν ἡδονῶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπον τὰς ἐντο λάς σου. Τοιαῦτα τὰ τῶν ἁγίων καυχήματα, ἃ πρὸς ἡμε τέραν νουθεσίαν ὁ προφήτης διαγορεύει. Κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου ζῆσόν με, καὶ φυλάξω τὰ μαρτύρια τοῦ στόμα τός σου. Ποῖον ἔλεος; Ὃ ἐποίησας, ∆έσποτα, τῇ ἐνσάρ κῳ σου οἰκονομίᾳ. Οὐκοῦν ταύτην μοι τὴν χάριν δὸς, ἵνα φυλάττω τὰ μαρτύριά σου. Ταπεινοφροσύνῃ δὲ ὁ προφή της τὸν λόγον ἐκόσμησεν. Οὐ γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀντί δοσιν ᾔτησε τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ δῶρον ἐλέου ταύτην λαβεῖν ἠντιβόλησε, φυλάττειν ὑποσχόμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ μαρτύ ρια. Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε, ὁ λόγος σου διαμένει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, ῥᾴδιά σοι τῷ ∆εσπότῃ καὶ δυνατά. Τὸ πρόσταγμα γὰρ τὸ σὸν ἀκίνητα φυλάτ τει τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰ κύτη. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ ὀγδόῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· Ἔστησεν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· πρόσταγμα ἔθετο, καὶ οὐ παρελεύσεται. Αὐτὸς οὖν ὁ οὐρανὸς διαμένει, καθὼς παρὰ σοῦ ἔκτισται, ∆έσποτα, καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐνδιαιτώμενοι ἄγγελοι τὸν θεῖον διαφυλάτ τουσι νόμον, καὶ παραβάσεως ἁπάσης εἰσὶν ἐλεύθεροι. 55.693 ∆υνατοὶ γάρ εἰσι, καὶ ἰσχύϊ ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον σου. Εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. γʹ. Πάλαι μὲν τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ἐδόθη νόμος, οἵτινές εἰσι πρώτη γενεά· μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ εὐαγγελικός· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀλήθεια. Ταύτην γὰρ καὶ τῇ Ἰουδαίων ἐφύλαξας γενεᾷ, καὶ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῇ μετ' ἐκείνους γεγενημένῃ. Λέγει δὲ τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸν τὸν διὰ τοῦ Σω τῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ τῆς σωτηρίας τετυχηκότα. Ἐθεμε λίωσας τὴν γῆν, καὶ διαμένει. Τῇ διατάξει σου δια μένει ἡ ἡμέρα, ὅτι τὰ σύμπαντα δοῦλα σά. Ἔδωκας τῇ γῇ τὸ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διαρκὲς, καὶ μεμένηκεν, ὡς προσέταξας. ∆ιώρισας ἀπὸ τῆς νυκτὸς τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς σοὺς ὁδεύει νόμους. Μένει καὶ ἡ γῆ κατὰ τὴν σὴν δημιουργίαν, βλαστάνουσα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῆς βοτάνας, φυτὰ, δένδρα, φέρουσα καρποὺς, σπέρματα πρὸς ἀποτροφὴν πάντων τῶν ζώων· καὶ Τῇ διατάξει σου διαμένει ἡ ἡμέρα. Ἀνατέλλων γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος πορεύε ται πρὸς δύσιν. Πάντα γάρ σοι δουλεύει, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς νεύμασιν εἴκει. Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων, καὶ πάντα σοι τῷ Θεῷ ὑπακούει. Εἰ μὴ ὅτι ὁ νόμος σου μελέτη μού ἐστι, τότε ἂν ἀπωλόμην ἐν τῇ ταπεινώ σει μου. Ταῦτα