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it has been said; since His church is also called the body of Christ, according to the apostle. But that the things of the visitation have been said concerning those who have believed in him, pay careful attention to what is spoken in the plural, "but my mercy I will not take from them"; clearly also in the psalm things similar to these here are said concerning the sons of the one prophesied, in the passage, "And if his sons forsake my law and do not walk in my judgments, if they profane my statutes, and do not keep my commandments, I will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with scourges; but my mercy I will not scatter from them." But see how the word named the persecutions from time to time "rods of men and stripes of the sons of men"; however, many are the exhortations of God, and the consolations through the scriptures, not permitting us to despair at the persecutions enacted against us from time to time; for just as he foretold that he would visit with a rod the people of Christ who have sinned, so also he promised beforehand not to remove his mercy, saying, "but my mercy I will not take from them, as I took it from those from whom I took it"; And one will ask upon whom was the mercy of God before the people from the nations, which you removed completely from them; the like of which he promises to do concerning the people of Christ. 60 21. And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song. Then in the following: "And he bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet." And again after this, "rescue me from the contentions of the people, you will make me the head of nations; a people whom I have not known has served me; at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me; foreign sons lied to me; foreign sons will be cast off; and they will stumble from their enclosures." These things are said in almost the same words also in the seventeenth Psalm, and would be more suitably examined, whenever we might be gathering the selections from the Psalms; for now, however, we note only this, that the "and he bowed the heavens and came down" may be understood concerning the descent of Christ from heaven; while the "rescue me from the contention of the people," is spoken from his person concerning those of the circumcision who did not believe in him, concerning whom also in Isaiah he says, "all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." And that the "you will make me the head of nations," and the "a people whom I have not known has served me, at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me," is prophesied concerning the church from the nations; while the "foreign sons lied to me," [is] concerning the godless heresies that have fabricated falsehoods concerning the Savior himself and the God of all, whom the word says will also be cast off, having been turned away from their own enclosures, that is, having fallen away from their own deceitful and hidden false opinions. 61 Ps. From the 3rd of Kingdoms. 22. And now, Lord God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you spoke to your servant David my father; "for if God will truly dwell with men upon the earth, if the heaven of heaven will not suffice for you." Things similar to these were also spoken by Solomon in the second of Chronicles in his prayer to God. Clearly, therefore, it is also prophesied here that God will dwell with men upon the earth; which itself has also reached its fulfillment in our time in the coming of Christ that has occurred, in which the God Logos, having become man, sojourned with the race of men. Ps. From the 1st of Chronicles. The Lord through Nathan says these things also to David, among others. 23. "And it will be when your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, who will be from your loins; and I will prepare your kingdom; he will build a house for me; and I will set up his throne; I will be to him a father, and he will be to me a son; and my mercy I will not take from him, as I took it from those before you; and I will establish him in my house and in his kingdom forever, and the

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εἴρηται· ἐπεὶ καὶ σῶμα Χριστοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ χρηματίζει, κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον. Ὅτι δὲ περὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς εἴρηται, ἐπίστησον ἐπιμελῶς λελεγμένῳ πληθυντικῶς τῷ, τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου οὐκ ἀποστήσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν· σαφῶς καὶ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ τὰ παραπλήσια τοῖς ἐνθάδε περὶ τῶν υἱῶν εἴρηται τοῦ προφητευομένου, ἐν τῷ καὶ ἐὰν ἐγκαταλείπωσιν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον μου καὶ τοῖς κρίνασίν μου μὴ πορευθῶσιν, ἐὰν τὰ δικαιώματά μου βεβηλώσωσι, καὶ τὰς ἐντολάς μου μὴ φυλάξωσιν, ἐπισκέψομαι ἐν ῥάβδῳ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν μάστιξι τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν· τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου οὐ μὴ διασκεδάσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς ῥάβδους ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἁφὰς υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων τοὺς κατὰ καιρὸν ὠνόμασεν ὁ λόγος διωγμούς· πλὴν πολλαὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ αἱ παρακλήσεις, καὶ αἱ διὰ τῶν γραφῶν παραμυθίαι, μὴ ἀπαυδᾶν ἡμῖν ἐπιτρέπουσαι ἐπὶ τοῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ἐνεργουμένοις κατὰ καιροὺς διωγμοῖς· ὡς γὰρ ἐπισκέψεσθαι διὰ ῥάβδου τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προεῖπε λαὸν ἁμαρτόντα, οὕτως καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀποστήσειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔλεος προϋπέσχηται εἰπὼν, τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου οὐ μὴ ἀποστήσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καθὼς ἀπέστησα ἀφ' ὧν ἀπέστησα· ζητήσει δ' ἐπί τινας ἦν πρὸ τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαοῦ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεος, ὅπερ παντελῶς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀπέστησας· οὗ τὸ ὅμοιον ποιήσειν ὑπισχνεῖται κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαόν. 60 ΚΑʹ. Καὶ ἐλάλησε ∆αυὶδ τῷ Κυρίῳ τοὺς λόγους τῆς ᾠδῆς ταύτης. Εἶτα ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς· Καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη, καὶ γνόφος ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν μετὰ ταῦτα, ῥῦσαί με ἐξ ἀντιλογιῶν λαοῦ, καταστήσεις με εἰς κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν· λαὸς ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων ἐδούλευσέν μοι· εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μου· οἱ υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό μοι· οἱ υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἀπορριφήσονται· καὶ σφαλοῦσιν ἐκ τῶν συγκλεισμῶν αὐτῶν. Ταῦτα εἴρηται σχεδὸν αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν καὶ ἐν ἑπτακαιδεκάτῳ Ψαλμῷ, εὐκαιρότερον δ' ἂν ἐξετάζοιτο, ἐπεὶ δ' ἂν ἀπὸ τῶν Ψαλμῶν τὰς ἐκλογὰς ἀναλεγώμεθα· νῦν μέντοι γε παρασημειούμεθα αὐτὸ μόνον, ὡς ὅτι τὸ μὲν καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη νοοῖτ' ἂν περὶ τῆς ἐξ οὐρανῶν καταβάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ· τὸ δὲ ῥύσῃ με ἐξ ἀντιλογίας λαοῦ, ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ λέλεκται περὶ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς μὴ πεπιστευκότων εἰς αὐτὸν, περὶ ὧν καὶ ἐν Ἠσαίᾳ φησὶν, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου πρὸς λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα. Καὶ ὅτι τὸ μὲν καταστήσεις με εἰς κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὸ λαὸς ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων ἐδούλευσέ μοι, εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μου, περὶ τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας προφητεύεται· τὸ δὲ υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό μοι, περὶ τῶν ἀθέων αἱρέσεων τὰ ψευδῆ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀναπεπλακότων, οὓς καὶ ἀπορριφήσεσθαι φησὶν ὁ λόγος ἀποσφαλέντας τῶν συγκλεισμῶν ἑαυτῶν, τουτέστιν ἀποπεπτωκότας τῶν ὑπούλων καὶ ἀποκεκρυμμένων αὐτῶν ψευδοδοξημάτων. 61 Ψ. Ἐκ τῆς γʹ τῶν βασιλειῶν. ΚΒʹ. Καὶ νῦν κύριε ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ πιστωθήτω δὴ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, ὃ ἐλάλησας τῷ παιδί σου τῷ ∆αυὶδ τῷ πατρί μου· ὅτι εἰ ἀληθῶς κατοικήσει ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἰ ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐκ ἀρκέσει σοι. Τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σολομῶνος εἴρηται ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχῇ. Σαφῶς οὖν καὶ ἐνθάδε προφητεύεται ὁ Θεὸς κατοικήσειν μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ πέρας εἴληφε καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ Χριστοῦ γενομένῃ παρουσίᾳ, καθ' ἣν ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος ἐνανθρωπίσας συνδιέτριψε τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ψ. Ἐκ τῆς αʹ τῶν Παραλειπομένων. Ὁ Κύριος διὰ Νάθαν πρὸς τὸν ∆αυὶδ μεθ' ἕτερα καὶ ταῦτα λέγει. ΚΓʹ. Καὶ ἔσται ὅτ' ἂν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ ἡμέραι σου, καὶ κοιμηθήσῃ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων σου, καὶ ἀναστήσω τὸ σπέρμα σου μετά σε, ὃς ἔσται ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου· καὶ ἑτοιμάσω τὴν βασιλείαν σου· αὐτὸς οἰκοδομήσει μοι οἶκον· καὶ ἀνορθώσω τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ· ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν· καὶ τὸ ἔλεός μου οὐκ ἀποστήσω ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀπέστησα ἀπὸ τῶν ἔμπροσθέν σου· καὶ πιστώσω αὐτὸν ἐν οἴκῳ μου καὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος, καὶ ὁ