has happened for other kings who hoped in God, as the promise of God which says, "I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will oppose those who oppose you," is fulfilled. But one must not always think that victories come to the just without a fight. Since often they were victorious even after coming through battle, but he speaks of the most manifest help in these cases, in which God the helper especially appears. 160 Ps 90,9.10 He introduced the person of the one who hopes, saying on his own behalf to God that he set his hope on him. And again he exclaims to such a one that "Since you have chosen the most high as a house of safety, you will be overcome by no evil, nor will your house be struck by plagues sent from God." For it is clear that if a just man should suffer anything, and a just man's house, this is a struggle from unjust men who resist, and not a punishment from God. But it is clear that evils will not overcome the one who suffers for training, but he will rise up as if from sleep, just as it was said in the third psalm; and if he falls seven times, according to the proverb, he will rise again.
161 Ps 92,1b-d It is possible therefore and as far as the knowledge among men
to say "to put on glory" and "to gird oneself with power," but more appropriately in relation to the dishonor of Christ that occurred in his first coming and to his human weakness. He himself indeed also leads forward the inhabited world, established in him, into sure goods, which it is no longer possible to be moved in any way.
162 Ps 93,20-23 Is it not for unjust kingdoms, he says, possible to partake of your
power, which bring labor upon those who keep the law, by whom the just man is hunted for capture and the one who does no wrong is murdered. In general, then, in these things he indicates the abolition of injustice by the constitution of the justice of God. You will not, therefore, he said, give power to the evil, but you will provide security for the just, having become a fortress for him and strengthening his hopes in you; and the things which the wicked thought would succeed for them against the just, these will turn back and upon themselves; and as they acted wickedly to make the just disappear, so they will vanish into obscurity; this is the end of the vengeance from you.
163 Ps 95,6 Let God be known, whom we worship, who the heaven and the glory
has which is above the heavens, to whom belongs beauty, to whom belongs power and majesty in secret; that is, according to the incorporeal and divine excellence, since indeed the physical sizes of temples and their beauties have been contrived with technical precision and the luxury of wealth also by the nations concerning demons. But in Israel, even if these things were present, it was from the beginning according to the type of the invisible things, and it was spoken through Moses, and it gives way to the invisible things, especially now at the time of the present preaching of the gospel when spiritual majesty is sought and contemplated, but not only this, but also in ancient times among the prudent, as also with Solomon, who said he would build a temple most great and most magnificent, as befits the greatest God, but saying that not even heaven can contain the glory of God. 164
Ps 96,1-6 The phrase "The Lord has reigned" must be heard one way just now and another way now; for he reigned from his first coming, having, in sum, condemned sin in his holy flesh and abolished death, and in the second he will reign, having loosed evil and corruption through each one of his partakers, when indeed men will come to see the steward of eternal life, being now able to be filled with the life from him and to behold the glory of his kingdom being made manifest in them as in a royal house, but making his adversaries disappear as fire melts wax. Let the earth therefore rejoice again
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ἑτέρων βασιλέων εἰς θεὸν ἐλπιζόντων γέγονεν, ἀληθευομένης τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς λεγούσης Ἐχθρεύσω τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου καὶ ἀντικείσομαι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις σου. οὐ δεῖ δὲ πάντως ἀεὶ νομίζειν ἀμάχους τὰς νίκας τοῖς δικαίοις περιγίνεσθαι. ἐπεὶ καὶ διὰ μάχης ἐλθόντες πολλάκις ἐνίκησαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιφανεστάτην ἐν τούτοις λέγει βοήθειαν ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα θεὸς ὁ βοηθῶν φαίνεται. 160 Ps 90,9.10 Πρόσωπον τὸ τοῦ ἐλπίζοντος παρεισήγαγε λέγων παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς θεὸν ὅτι αὐτὸν ἔθετο τὴν ἐλπίδα. καὶ πάλιν ἐπιφωνεῖ τῷ τοιούτῳ ὅτι Ἐπειδήπερ εἵλου τὸν ὕψιστον ὥσπερ οἶκον ἀσφαλείας, πρὸς οὐδενὸς κρατηθήσῃ κακοῦ οὐδὲ οἶκος ὁ σὸς πληχθήσεται θεηλάτοις πληγαῖς. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς, εἴ τι πάθοι δίκαιος, καὶ οἶκος δικαίου ἀγώνισμα τοῦτο ἐξ ἀδίκων ἀνθισταμένων καὶ οὐ κόλασις παρὰ θεοῦ. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι μὴ κρατήσῃ τὰ κακὰ τοῦ γυμναστικῶς πάσχοντος ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐξ ὕπνου διαναστήσεται καθάπερ ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ ἐλέγετο ψαλμῷ· κἂν ἑπτάκις πέσῃ κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν, ἀναστήσεται.
161 Ps 92,1b-d ∆υνατὸν οὖν καὶ ὅσον πρὸς τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπίγνωσιν
λέγεσθαι τὸ ἐνδύεσθαι δόξαν καὶ περιζωννύεσθαι δύναμιν, οἰκειότερον δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐν προτέρᾳ παρουσίᾳ γενομένην ἀδοξίαν Χριστοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἀσθενές. αὐτὸς δὴ καὶ εἰς ἀγαθὰ βέβαια τὴν οἰκουμένην στηριζομένην προάγει ἐν αὐτῷ ἣν οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ μετακινεῖσθαι ἔτι δυνατόν.
162 Ps 93,20-23 Μὴ ταῖς ἀδίκοις φησὶ βασιλείας δυνατὸν μετεῖναι τῆς σῆς
δυνάμεως αἳ πόνον ἐπιφέρουσι τοῖς νόμον φυλάττουσιν, ὑφ' ὧν ὁ δίκαιος εἰς σύλληψιν ἀγρεύεται καὶ ὁ μηδὲν ἀδικῶν φονεύεται. καθόλου δὴ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῆς ἀδικίας ἐν τούτοις ἐνδείκνυται τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ συνισταμένῃ. οὐ δώσεις οὖν ἔφη κακοῖς κράτος, ἀλλὰ τῷ δικαίῳ περιθήσεις ἀσφάλειαν ἀντ' ἐρύματος αὐτῷ καταστὰς καὶ τὰς εἰς σὲ κρατύνας ἐλπίδας· καὶ ἅπερ ᾤοντο οἱ φαῦλοι προχωρήσειν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τῶν δικαίων, ταῦτα εἰς ὀπίσω καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὑποστρέψει· καὶ ὡς ἐπονηρεύσαντο τοὺς δικαίους ἀφανεῖς καταστῆσαι, οὕτως εἰς ἀφανὲς οἰχήσονται· τοῦτο τέλος τῆς ἐκδικίας τῆς παρὰ σοῦ.
163 Ps 95,6 Γινωσκέσθω θεὸς ὃν ἡμεῖς σέβομεν, ὁ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν δόξαν
ἔχων ὑπερουράνιον, ᾧ καλλονὴ πάρεστιν, ᾧ δύναμις καὶ σεμνότης ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ· κατὰ τὴν ἀσώματον δηλαδὴ καὶ θείαν ὑπεροχήν, ἐπεὶ τά γε σωματικὰ ναῶν μεγέθη καὶ κάλλη τεχνικαῖς ἀκριβείαις καὶ πλούτου πολυτελείαις ἐπιτετή δευται καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι περὶ δαίμονας. ἐν Ἰσραὴλ δέ, εἰ καὶ ταῦτα προσῆν, κατὰ τύπον τῶν ἀοράτων ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐγεγόνει καὶ διὰ Μωσέως εἴρηται καὶ τοῖς ἀοράτοις παραχωρεῖ, μάλιστα μὲν νῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος εὐαγγελισμοῦ ὅτε ἡ πνευματικὴ ζητεῖται καὶ θεωρεῖται σεμνότης, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν παρά γε τοῖς συνετοῖς ὡς καὶ παρὰ τῷ Σολομῶνι μέγιστον μὲν καὶ πολυτελέστατον ὡς ἂν μεγίστῳ ὄντι τῷ θεῷ φήσαντι ναὸν οἰκοδομεῖν, λέγοντι δὲ ὅτι τὴν θεοῦ δόξαν οὐδὲ ὁ οὐρανὸς χωρεῖν δύναται. 164
Ps 96,1-6 Τὸ Ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν ἑτέρως ἄρτι καὶ ἑτέρως νῦν ἀκουστέον· καὶ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς προτέρας παρουσίας ἐβασίλευσεν ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ κατακρίνας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σαρκὶ καὶ καταργήσας τὸν θάνατον, καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ βασιλεύσει διὰ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν μετόχων αὐτοῦ λελυκὼς τὸ κακὸν καὶ τὴν φθορὰν, ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἀφίξονται ἄνθρωποι θεάσασθαι τὸν τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ταμίαν πληροῦσθαι τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ ζωῆς ἤδη δυνάμενοι καὶ τὴν δόξαν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς μὲν ἐμφανιζομένης ὡς ἐν οἴκῳ βασιλείῳ, τοὺς δ' ἐναντίους ἀφανεῖς καθιστάσης ὡς πῦρ τήκει κηρόν. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθαί τε οὖν πάλιν τὴν γῆν
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