22
the treacherous, the one who carries one thing on his mouth, but another in his mind, who wears a mask of gentleness, but displays the ways of wolves, than whom nothing could be worse. For an open enemy would be easy to guard against; but the one who conceals his wickedness and employs malice, being difficult to detect, works many terrible things. For this reason Christ also, when they would come, commanded to be sober. For they come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. But I, in the multitude of your mercy, will enter your house. For since the Church was gathered from such as these, Greeks, magicians, murderers, sorcerers, liars, deceitful men, and it said that you hate and turn away, showing that not she, according to righteousness and right-doings, but according to loving-kindness, being delivered from those things, was brought into the innermost places, it added: But I, in the multitude of your mercy, will enter your house. For lest anyone say: "How then were you, who did such and such things, saved?" it stated the manner of salvation, that "Through the great loving-kindness, through the unspeakable goodness I was saved." But there are some, who do not even accept mercy, being incurably sick, such as were the Jews; for grace and mercy, even though it is grace and mercy, yet saves those who are willing and are thankful, not those who are stubborn and unwilling to receive the gift, such as the Jews have become, concerning whom Paul also said, that "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God." Then, since it spoke the things of God, it also speaks the things from itself: I will worship toward your holy temple in your fear. For when I enjoy grace, and bring in what is from myself, I will bring this sacrifice to you, it says: I will worship toward your holy temple in your fear. Not like many who pray, scratching themselves, yawning, growing listless, but with fear and trembling, it says. For one who prays thus puts away all malice, is led by the hand to all virtue, makes God merciful to himself. Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies. It spoke the hymns of God, his hatred of evil, his love for humanity, his care; it spoke of its own salvation; it spoke of the manner in which it was saved; it spoke of what it brought forth after 55.67 being saved; it turned from wickedness, it was led by the hand to virtue; it revealed good hopes even to those living in wickedness, if they wish to change, as being able to obtain mercy; it then turns its discourse to a petition, saying: Lord, lead me in your righteousness; through these things instructing the hearer first to offer up hymns to God, and to give thanks for the good things he has experienced; and then to ask for what he wishes, and again to give thanks for what he might receive. But let us also see what are the things it asks for. For is it something of this life? is it something perishable? is it something of those things that flow by? Does it discourse about wealth? about glory? about power? about vengeance on enemies? None of these things. But what? Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies. Do you see how it asks for nothing perishable, and how it needs the alliance from above? For those traveling this road are most in need of that assistance. And righteousness here it calls universal virtue. And it well said, In your righteousness. For there is also a righteousness of men, that which is from the external laws, but it is paltry, and does not have what is perfect and complete, and is composed of human reasonings. But I ask for your righteousness, the one sent down from you that leads by the hand to heaven, and the alliance, so as to draw this righteousness to myself. 5. And it also well said, Lead. For the present life is a road, in need of guidance from above. For if, when we are about to enter a city, we need one who knows it
22
ὕπουλον, τὸν ἄλλα μὲν ἐπὶ στόματος φέροντα, ἕτερα δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας, τὸν περικείμενον προσωπεῖον ἐπιεικείας, τὰ δὲ λύκων ἐπιδεικνύμενον, οὗ χεῖρον οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο οὐδέν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ δῆλος ἐχθρὸς καὶ εὐφύλακτος γένοιτ' ἄν· ὁ δὲ συγκαλύπτων τὴν πονηρίαν καὶ χρώμενος τῇ κακίᾳ, δυσφώρατος ὢν, πολλὰ ἐργάζεται τὰ δεινά. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἡνίκα ἂν παραγίνοιντο, νήφειν ἐκέλευσεν. Ἔρχονται γὰρ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλήθει τοῦ ἐλέους σου εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοιούτων ἡ Ἐκκλησία συνείλεκτο, Ἑλλήνων, μάγων, ἀνδροφόνων, γοήτων, ψευστῶν, ὑπούλων, εἶπε δὲ, ὅτι μισεῖς καὶ ἀποστρέφῃ, δεικνῦσα, ὅτι οὐχ αὕτη κατὰ δικαιοσύνην καὶ κατορθώματα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἀπαλλαγεῖσα ἐκείνων εἰς τὰ ἐνδότατα εἰσήγετο, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλήθει τοῦ ἐλέους σου εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ· Πῶς οὖν σὺ ἡ τὰ καὶ τὰ ἐργασαμένη ἐσώθης; εἶπε τὸν τρόπον τῆς σωτηρίας, ὅτι ∆ιὰ τὴν πολλὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, διὰ τὴν ἄφατον ἀγαθότητα ἐσώθην. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες, οἳ οὐδὲ ἔλεον προσίενται, ἀνίατα νοσοῦντες, οἷοι ἦσαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· ἡ γὰρ χάρις καὶ ὁ ἔλεος, κἂν χάρις ᾖ καὶ ἔλεος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς βουλομένους καὶ χάριν ἔχοντας σώζει, οὐ τοὺς ἀφηνιῶντας καὶ μὴ βουλομένους δέξασθαι τὴν δωρεὰν, οἷοι γεγόνασιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, περὶ ὧν καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν δικαιοσύνην ζητοῦντες στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ εἶπε τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγει καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῆς· Προσκυνήσω πρὸς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου ἐν φόβῳ σου. Ὅταν γὰρ χάριτος ἀπολαύσω, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἐμαυτῆς εἰσενέγκω, ταύτην εἰσοίσω σοι τὴν θυσίαν, φησί· Προσκυνήσω πρὸς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου ἐν φόβῳ σου. Οὐ καθάπερ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν εὐχομένων, κνώμενοι, χασμώμενοι, ναρκῶντες, ἀλλὰ μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου, φησίν. Ὁ γὰρ οὕτως εὐχόμενος, πᾶσαν κακίαν ἀποτίθεται, πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν χειραγωγεῖται, τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων καθίστησιν ἑαυτῷ. Κύριε, ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου. Εἶπε τοὺς ὕμνους τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ μισοπόνηρον, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, τὸ κηδεμονικὸν, εἶπε τὴν ἑαυτῆς σωτηρίαν, εἶπε τὸν τρόπον καθ' ὃν ἐσώθη, εἶπε τίνα μετὰ τὸ 55.67 σωθῆναι αὕτη εἰσήγαγεν· ἀπέστρεψε κακίας, ἐχειραγώγησε πρὸς ἀρετήν· χρηστὰς ὑπέφηνεν ἐλπίδας καὶ τοῖς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶσιν, εἴ γε βουληθῶσι μεταβληθῆναι, ὡς ἐλέου δυναμένοις τυχεῖν· τρέπει τὸν λόγον εἰς αἴτησιν λοιπὸν λέγουσαν· Κύριε, ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου· διὰ τούτων παιδεύουσα τὸν ἀκροατὴν πρότερον ὕμνους ἀναφέρειν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ἐφ' οἷς εὖ πέπονθε· καὶ τότε ἅπερ βούλεται αἰτεῖν, καὶ πάλιν εὐχαριστεῖν, ἐφ' οἷς ἂν λάβοι. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν καὶ τίνα ἐστὶν ἃ αἰτεῖ. Μὴ γάρ τι βιωτικόν; μή τι ἐπίκηρον· μή τι τῶν παραῤῥεόντων; Μὴ περὶ πλούτου διαλέγεται; μὴ περὶ δόξης; μὴ περὶ δυναστείας; μὴ περὶ τιμωρίας ἐχθρῶν; Οὐδὲν τούτων. Ἀλλὰ τί; Κύριε, ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐδὲν ἐπίκηρον αἰτεῖ, καὶ πῶς δεῖται τῆς ἄνωθεν συμμαχίας; Οἱ γὰρ ταύτην ὁδεύοντες τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐκείνης μάλιστα δέονται τῆς ῥοπῆς. ∆ικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν καθολικήν φησιν ἀρετήν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἀνθρώπων δικαιοσύνη, ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἀλλ' εὐτελὴς, καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσα τὸ τέλειον καὶ ἀπηρτισμένον, καὶ ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνων συγκειμένη λογισμῶν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν σὴν αἰτῶ δικαιοσύνην, τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ κατενηνεγμένην τὴν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν χειραγωγοῦσαν, καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν, ὥστε ταύτην ἐπισπᾶσθαι τὴν δικαιοσύνην. εʹ. Καλῶς δὲ εἶπε καὶ τὸ, Ὁδήγησον. Ὁδὸς γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος, δεόμενος τῆς ἄνωθεν χειραγωγίας. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς πόλιν μέλλοντες εἰσιέναι, δεόμεθα τοῦ γνωρίζοντος