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with the necessities being present. "I will set in salvation" signifies "I will appoint and I will make," just as in "whom he appointed heir of all things," the word signifying "whom he appointed and designated heir." To these you will take "God has appointed in the church first apostles," and what follows, and what was said to the presbyters of the church, "The Holy Spirit has appointed you as bishops to shepherd the church;" for "appointed" indicates the demonstration of having been appointed and made apostles and bishops. 79 Ps 11,8.9 According to this meaning of "to keep," the Savior also said concerning the disciples to the Father, "Holy Father, keep them;" "when I was with them, I kept them, and the evil one did not touch them." And I said "according to this meaning" because of what was said in Genesis concerning Adam to the serpent, "He shall watch for your head, and you shall watch for his heel." For is "to watch" not the same here as "to guard"? For from it appears "He shall watch for your head, and you for his heel." He who says "You, Lord, will guard us" sends up the prayer, after having done everything on his own part in keeping the exhortation that says, "With all vigilance, keep your heart;" and since, even when these things are rightly done, our efforts are not sufficient for being safe from plots ("For unless the Lord guards the city, the one who guards it has stayed awake in vain"), sequence leads, after we have been guarded by ourselves, to offer the prayer that says, "You, Lord, will guard us and keep us." For when he guards, let us be confident, as we will be safe from plots forever; for being most high, Master, and existing in the high places, according to the height befitting your goodness, you have greatly cared for the sons of men, judging them to be worthy of having protection from your providence.

80 Ps 12,4b.5a Although these things are said by the holy one in the manner of an embassy, yet

not being subject to the forgetfulness of God but taking upon himself the things of others, he says all the things of the petition. And it is clear that the petition is not about perceptible illumination or sleep and death, but about the illumination from the knowledge of God. For "Enlighten for yourselves a light of knowledge," and "Approach the Lord and be enlightened." And this illumination does not concern the eye of the flesh (for this is what sees the sun) nor any other perceptible light of those who see the sun of righteousness; the true light being of eyes not of the body but of the heart; for the eyes of the inner man are the intellectual powers. It follows for the one thus illuminated to have a blessed life. "For I am the light of the world," the Lord says; "The one who walks in me," he says, "will not remain in darkness but will have the light of life;" when this life comes to the one who has been illuminated, sleeping unto death is absent from him, while the one who is in the darkness of ignorance sleeps and dies. For the one who through carelessness and sloth has given his eyes to sleep will immediately die, falling away from the life with virtue; therefore one must flee this blameworthy sleep and death, so that, the eyes of the soul having been enlightened, the enemy may no longer say, "I have prevailed against him," having long thought to have prevailed when we sinned. 81 Ps 12,5b.6 Since the enemies who afflict the righteous are malicious, they rejoice. If it should happen that from sin a shaking occurs, one ought to be grieved for those who fall; but even if they rejoice when someone is shaken, I, O Master, hoping in your mercy, will not suffer what they long to see in me. For I await your salvation to come more quickly, in which my heart rejoices; for how can he not be glad and rejoice who has experience of God's salvation? But if it is also a prophecy being revealed concerning the coming of the salvation of God, the Christ, consider. For he, having come for the salvation of the world, cast down those who rejoice over those who are shaken in soul; casting down with them the enemy who is exalted

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τῶν ἐπιτηδείων προσόντι. τὸ Θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ δηλοῖ τὸ ὁρίσω καὶ ποιήσω, ωσπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ον εθηκεν κληρονόμον πάντων, δηλούσης τῆς λέξεως ον ωρισεν καὶ ἀνέδειξεν κληρονόμον. εἰς ταῦτα λήψει τὸ Εθετο ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, καὶ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰρημένον ̔Υμᾶς εθετο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ αγιον ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· τὸ γὰρ Εθετο ἀπόδειξιν τὴν διὰ τοῦ ὡρίσθαι καὶ πεποιῆσθαι ἀποστόλους καὶ ἐπισκόπους δηλοῖ. 79 Ps 11,8.9 Κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦ διατηρεῖν καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ελεγεν τῷ πατρὶ Πάτερ αγιε, τήρησον αὐτούς· οτε ημην μετ' αὐτῶν, ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτούς, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ηπτετο αὐτῶν. ειπον δὲ κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον διὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ Γενέσει λεχθὲν περὶ τοῦ ̓Αδὰμ πρὸς τὸν οφιν Αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, σὺ δὲ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν. οὐκ ετι γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ταὐτὸν τῷ φυλάξαι τὸ τηρεῖν; φαίνεται γὰρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ Αὐτός σου ἐπιτηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ αὐτοῦ τὴν πτέρναν. ̓Αναπέμπει τὴν εὐχὴν ὁ φάσκων Σύ, κύριε, φυλάξεις ἡμᾶς, μετὰ τὸ πάντα ποιῆσαι τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῷ τηρεῖν τὴν λέγουσαν παραίνεσιν Πάσῃ φυλακῇ τήρει σὴν καρδίαν· καὶ ἐπεὶ τούτων κατορθουμένων οὐκ αὐτάρκη πρὸς τὸ ἀνεπιβούλευτον τὰ ὑφ' ἡμῶν σπουδαζόμενα ( ̓Εὰν γὰρ μὴ κύριος φυλάξῃ πόλιν, εἰς μάτην ἠγρύπνησεν ὁ φυλάσσων αὐτήν), εἱρμὸς αγει μετὰ τὸ φρουρηθῆναι ἡμᾶς ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν προσευχὴν προσαγαγεῖν τὴν λέγουσαν Σύ, κύριε, φυλάξεις ἡμᾶς καὶ διατηρήσεις ἡμᾶς. αὐτοῦ γὰρ φυλάττοντος θαρσήσωμεν, ὡς ἀνεπιβούλευτοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐσόμεθα· υψιστος γὰρ ων, δέσποτα, καὶ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς ὑπάρχων, κατὰ τὸ προσὸν υψος τῇ ἀγαθότητί σου τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπολυώρησας, κρίνας αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ειναι τοῦ προστασίαν εχειν ἐκ προνοίας τῆς σῆς.

80 Ps 12,4b.5a Εἰ καὶ πρεσβείας τρόπῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου λέγεται ταῦτα, ἀλλά γε

οὐχ ὑποκείμενος λήθῃ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ αλλων εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναδεξάμενος λέγει τὰ τῆς αἰτήσεως πάντα. δῆλον δὲ ὡς οὐ περὶ αἰσθητοῦ φωτισμοῦ η υπνου καὶ θανάτου τὰ τῆς αἰτήσεώς ἐστιν ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐκ γνώσεως θεοῦ φωτισμοῦ. Φωτίσατε γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως, καὶ Προσέλθετε τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ φωτίσθητε. γίνεται δὲ ὁ φωτισμὸς ουτος οὐ περὶ τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ομμα (ὁρατικὸν γὰρ τοῦτο ἡλίου) καὶ ει τι ετερον αἰσθητὸν φῶς τῶν ὁρώντων τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ηλιον· τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὀφθαλμῶν οὐ σώματος ἀλλὰ καρδίας οντων· τοῦ γὰρ εσω ἀνθρώπου ὀφθαλμοὶ αἱ νοητικαὶ δυνάμεις. τῷ ουτω φωτιζομένῳ επεται ζωὴν μακαρίαν εχειν. ̓Εγὼ γάρ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, ὁ κύριος λέγει· ̔Ο περιπατῶν ἐν ἐμοί, φησίν, ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ οὐ μὴ μείνῃ ἀλλ' εξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς· ης ζωῆς παραγινομένης εἰς τὸν φωτισθέντα, απεστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὑπνῶσαι εἰς θάνατον, ὑπνοῦντος καὶ ἀποθνῄσκοντος τοῦ οντος ἐν σκότει τῆς ἀγνοίας. ὁ γὰρ δοὺς δι' ἀμελείας καὶ ῥαθυμίας εἰς υπνον τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εὐθέως τεθνήξεται, ἐκπίπτων τῆς σὺν ἀρετῇ ζωῆς· οθεν φευκτέον τὸν ψεγόμενον υπνον τοῦτον καὶ θάνατον, ινα, πεφωτισμένων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, μηκέτι ειπῃ ὁ ἐχθρὸς Ισχυσα πρὸς αὐτόν, πάλαι νομίζων ἰσχυκέναι οτε ἡμάρτομεν. 81 Ps 12,5b.6 ̓Επεὶ χαιρέκακοι οντες οἱ θλίβοντες τοὺς δικαίους ἐχθροί, ἀγαλλιῶνται. εἰ συμβαίη ἐξ ἁμαρτίας γενέσθαι κλόνον, δέον λυπεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τοῖς πίπτουσι· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἀγαλλιῶνται ἐπὶ τῷ σαλεύεσθαί τινα ἐκεῖνοι, ἐγώ, ω δέσποτα, ἐλέει τῷ σῷ ἐλπίζων οὐ πείσομαι ο ἰδεῖν ἐν ἐμοὶ ποθοῦσιν. προσδοκῶ γὰρ τὸ σωτήριόν σου θᾶττον παραγενόμενον ἐφ' ῳ ἀγαλλιᾶται ἡ καρδία μου· πῶς γὰρ οὐκ εὐφραίνεται καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶται ὁ πεῖραν θεοῦ σωτηρίας εχων; Εἰ δὲ καὶ προφητεία ἐστὶν δηλουμένη περὶ τοῦ ἐλεύσεσθαι τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν Χριστόν, ἐπίσκεψαι. ουτος γὰρ ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ κόσμου καθεῖλεν τοὺς ἐφηδομένους ἐπὶ τοῖς κλονουμένοις κατὰ ψυχήν· καταβαλὼν σὺν αὐτοῖς τὸν ἐχθρὸν τὸν ὑψούμενον