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God. Who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of God? shall tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or peril? or sword? as it is written. He speaks in a more human and condescending way, in order to show his love. And that you may learn that this is so, having first said, At the right hand, he then added, Who makes intercession for us. For he showed both the familiarity and the equality. "For your sake we are killed all the day long." Lest what was said should seem to be a sign of abandonment, he also brings in the Prophet who proclaimed the same things a long time ago. "We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter." For just as, he says, they do not resist when being slaughtered, so neither do we. 95.513 "But in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." For this indeed is the wonderful thing, not only that we conquer, but that we conquer by means of those very things through which we are plotted against; and not only do we conquer, but we are even more than conquerors. "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." What need is there, he says, to speak of present things, and the terrible things that are the lot of this life? For even if one were to mention future things and powers; things, such as death and life; and powers, such as angels and archangels and all the creation above, these are small things to me compared to the love of Christ; for neither if someone threatened the future and immortal death, so that I should fall away from Christ, nor if he promised infinite life, would I have accepted; and what need is there to speak of earthly kings? For even if you tell me of angels and all the powers above, and all things that are and that are to come, all things are small to me, both on earth and in heaven, compared to that affection. Then, as if these things were not sufficient to represent the desire which he had, he sets forth again as many other things and says: nor any other creature.

CHAP. IX. "I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing me witness, of the

conscience in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." As he is about to speak of great things and to be disbelieved because of their magnitude, he puts forward an oath. "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites." And this is another proof similar to the preceding ones. For this also demonstrates the affection he had for Christ. And how? Hear the reason. Since all were saying, accusing God, that they who were deemed worthy to be called sons of God, and who had received the law, knowing him before all, and having enjoyed such great glory, and having served him before the world, and having received promises, and being the children of the fathers who were his friends, and what is greatest of all, that they even became the forefathers of Christ according to the flesh; for this is the meaning of, From whom is Christ according to the flesh; and they have been cast out, dishonored; and in their place have been brought in men from the Gentiles who had never known him. Since, therefore, by saying these things, they blasphemed God, hearing these things and being vexed, and grieving for the glory of God, he prayed to be accursed and to fall away from that glory which those who believe in Christ receive, 95.516 and from the apostolic choir (for not indeed from the love of Christ), so that the blasphemy against God might cease. "Whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the promises." It is as if he were saying: God indeed wished them to be saved, and this he showed by what he did before, and by the fact that from them Christ came according to the flesh; but they, out of their own ingratitude, rejected the benefit. "Whose are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen." Although others

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ὁ Θεός. Ὃς καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ; θλίψις; ἢ στενοχωρία; ἢ διωγμός; ἢ λιμός; ἢ γυμνότης; ἢ κίνδυνος; ἢ μάχαιρα; καθὼς γέγραπται. Ἀνθρωπινότερον διαλέγεται καὶ συγκαταβατικώτερον, ἵνα τὴν ἀγάπην ἐνδείξηται. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι, πρότερον εἰπὼν τὸ, Ἐν δεξιᾷ, τότε ἐπήγαγεν, Ὃς ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Ὅ τε γὰρ τὴν ὁμιλίαν ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα. «Ὅτι ἕνεκα σοῦ θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν.» Ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τὰ εἰρημένα ἐγκαταλείψεως εἶναι, καὶ τὸν Προφήτην ἐπάγει προαναφωνοῦντα τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου. «Ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς.» Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκεῖνα οὐκ ἀνθίσταται σφαζόμενα, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς. 95.513 «Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς.» Τοῦτο γὰρ δή ἐστι τὸ θαυμαστὸν, οὐχ ὅτι νικῶμεν μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι δι' ὧν καὶ ἐπιβουλευόμεθα νικῶμεν· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς νικῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπερνικῶμεν. «Πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος, οὔτε ζωὴ, οὔτε ἄγγελοι, οὔτε Ἀρχαὶ, οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα, οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε δυνάμεις, οὔτε ὕψωμα, οὔτε βάθος, οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.» Τί δεῖ, φησὶ, τὰ παρόντα λέγειν, καὶ τὰ τοῦ βίου τούτου συγκεκληρωμένα δεινά; Κἂν γὰρ τὰ μέλλοντα εἴποι τις πράγματα καὶ δυνάμεις· πράγματα μὲν, ὡς θάνατον καὶ ζωήν· δυνάμεις δὲ, ὡς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄνω κτίσιν, ταῦτα ἐμοὶ μικρὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὔτε γὰρ εἰ θάνατόν τις ἠπείλει τὸν μέλλοντα καὶ ἀθάνατον, ὥστε ἀποστῆναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὔτε εἰ ζωὴν ἐπηγγείλατο τὴν ἄπειρον, κατεδεξάμην ἄν· καὶ τί δεῖ λέγειν βασιλεῖς τοὺς κάτω; Κἂν γὰρ ἀγγέλους μοι εἴπῃς καὶ πάσας τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις, κἂν πάντα τὰ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα, καὶ πάντα ἐμοὶ μικρὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν γῇ καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ πρὸς τὸ φίλτρον ἐκεῖνο. Εἶτα ὡς οὐκ ἀρκούντων τούτων παραστῆσαι τὸν πόθον ὃν εἶχεν, ἕτερα τοσαῦτα πάλιν ὑποστησάμενός φησιν· οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Θʹ. «Ἀλήθειαν δὲ λέγω ἐν Χριστῷ, οὐ ψεύδομαι, συμμαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς

συνειδήσεως ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ὅτι λύπη μοί ἐστι μεγάλη καὶ ἀδιάλειπτος ὀδύνη τῇ καρδίᾳ μου.» Ὡς περὶ μεγάλων μέλλων λέγειν καὶ ἀπιστεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ μέγεθος, ὅρκον προβάλλεται. «Ηὐχόμην γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν μου κατὰ σάρκα, οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται.» Καὶ αὕτη ἑτέρα ἀπόδειξις ὁμοία ταῖς προλαβούσαις. Κατασκευάζει γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ὃ εἶχεν περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν φίλτρον. Καὶ πῶς; τὴν αἰτίαν ἄκουε. Ἐπειδὴ πάντες ἔλεγον κατηγοροῦντες τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀξιωθέντες κληθῆναι, καὶ νόμον δεξάμενοι, πρὸ πάντων αὐτὸν εἰδότες, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσαντες δόξης, καὶ θεραπεύσαντες αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ ἐπαγγελίας δεξάμενοι, καὶ πατέρων ὄντες τῶν αὐτῷ φίλων, καὶ τὸ δὴ πάντων μεῖζον, ὅτι καὶ προπάτορες αὐτοῦ γενόμενοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα· καὶ ἐκβέβληνται, ἠτίμηνται· ἀντεισήχθησαν δὲ ἀντ' ἐκείνων οἱ μηδέποτε αὐτὸν ἐπιγνόντες ἄνθρωποι ἐξ ἐθνῶν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα λέγοντες, τὸν Θεὸν ἐβλασφήμουν, ἀκούων ταῦτα καὶ δακνόμενος, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης ἀλγῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ηὔξατο ἀνάθεμα εἶναι καὶ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης ἧς λαμ 95.516 βάνουσιν οἱ πιστεύσαντες εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῦ χοροῦ τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ (οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ), ἵνα παύσηται ἡ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημία. «Ὧν ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα, καὶ αἱ διαθῆκαι, καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία, καὶ ἡ λατρεία, καὶ ἐπαγγελίαι.» Ὅμοιον ὡσεὶ λέγοι· Θεὸς μὲν αὐτοὺς ἐβούλετο σωθῆναι, καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλωσε δι' ὧν ἔμπροσθεν ἐποίησεν, καὶ δι' ὧν ἐξ ἐκείνων ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἐγένετο· αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐξ οἰκείας ἀγνωμοσύνης ἀπεκρούσαντο τὴν εὐεργεσίαν. «Ὧν οἱ πατέρες, καὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.» Εἰ καὶ ἕτεροι