John Chrysostom, On Psalm 118

therefore they despised your law; but I consider your commandments more desirable than gold and precious stone. For of precious stones, the topaz; and from this one he indicated all the stones. It is likely that in that time this one was preferred above the other stones. And elsewhere he said: The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver. The saying implies that one should love the commandments above all wealth, both in general and in particular. For this is the perfection of a Christian; for the Lord said: When you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Therefore I directed my steps toward all your commandments, I hated every unjust way. For desire produces readiness; and readiness prepared one to commend the straight way, and to abhor the path of injustice. Therefore, he who keeps all the commandments, certainly also hates an unjust way. For whoever keeps the whole law, but stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all. For he who said, 'Do not murder,' also said, 'Do not commit adultery'; and he who said, 'Do not act unjustly,' also said, 'Do not revile'; and he who said, 'Do not lie,' also said, 'Do not swear.' Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul has searched them. He showed that it was not in vain that he loved these things. For they are, he says, worthy of admiration and sufficient to charm and to stir to love those who are able to perceive them. And how, then, are they not wonderful? For they lead to a righteous and decent life, and a virtuous conduct, to temperance and self-control, meekness and long-55.700 suffering, mercy, justice, and goodness. Therefore the prophet also boasts of having searched them, not to speak with the mouth while the mind wanders; but just as we were commanded to love God with our whole soul, so we were also taught to desire and to do his commandments. The declaration of your words will give light and understanding to the simple. Being illuminated, he says, by your light I received this knowledge, and your law fills with understanding all those who are held by ignorance and are like infants. And the declaration of the evangelical words illuminates not only the perfect, but also those who are lacking. The saying also teaches another thing. For the Lord said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to infants,' speaking about the apostles; for they were infants in malice. I opened my mouth and drew in a breath, for I longed for your commandments. Here he calls the readiness of the mind 'mouth'; for this draws the grace of the Spirit. For elsewhere he also says: 'Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.' And the divine apostle requested that in the opening of the mouth speech might be given; and the prophet himself also said in another psalm: 'The Lord will give a word to those who proclaim good news with great power.' This he also said here, 'I opened my mouth, and drew in a breath, for I longed for your commandments.' For seeing me yearning for your commandments, you deemed me worthy of your grace. Therefore, those who long for the commandments of God, by opening their mouth are filled with the Spirit. And David, longing for the commandments of God, was deemed worthy of prophetic grace, and opening his mouth wide, he was filled with the Spirit. But to those who disobey the commandments of God it is said: 'With bit and bridle you must restrain their jaws, of those who do not draw near to you'; and, 'Many are the scourges of the sinner.' From which, brothers, by attending to the narrative of what is spoken, may you be delivered by the help and assistance of God, and may the Lord God save you both in the present age and in the one to come. Amen, so be it; to whom belongs glory and honor now and for ever.

THIRD STASIS. Look upon me, and have mercy on me according to the judgment of those who love the

οὖν τοῦ σοῦ κατεφρόνησαν νόμου· ἐγὼ δὲ ἀξι εραστοτέρας ἡγοῦμαι τὰς σὰς ἐντολὰς ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον πολυτελῆ. Τῶν γὰρ τιμίων λίθων τοπάζιον· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἑνὸς παρεδήλωσεν ἅπαντας τοὺς λίθους. Εἰκὸς δὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον προτιμᾶσθαι τῶν ἄλλων λίθων. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ἔλεγεν· Ἀγαθός μοι ὁ νόμος τοῦ στόματός σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου. Ὑπεμφαίνει δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὑπὲρ πάντα πλοῦτον, καὶ τὸν καθ' ὅλου, καὶ τὸν ἐκ μέρους, ἀγαπᾷν τὰς ἐντολάς. Τοῦτο γὰρ τελειότης Χριστιανοῦ· ἔφη γὰρ ὁ Κύριος· Ὅτε ἂν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρῆτε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου κατ ωρθούμην, πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἄδικον ἐμίσησα. Ὁ γὰρ πό θος τὴν προθυμίαν ἐργάζεται· ἡ δὲ προθυμία τὴν μὲν εὐθεῖαν παραινεῖν ὁδὸν παρεσκεύαζε, τὴν δὲ τῆς ἀδικίας ἐμυσάττετο τρίβον. Ὁ πάσας τοίνυν τὰς ἐντολὰς κατ ορθῶν, πάντως καὶ ὁδὸν ἄδικον μισεῖ. Ὅστις γὰρ ὅλον τὸν νόμον πληρώσει, πταίσει δὲ ἐν ἑνὶ, γέγονε πάν των ἔνοχος. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν, μὴ φονεύσῃς, εἶπε καὶ, μὴ πορνεύσῃς· καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν, μὴ ἀδικήσῃς, εἶπε καὶ, μὴ λοιδορήσῃς· καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν, μὴ ψεύσῃ, εἶπε καὶ, μὴ ὀμό σῃς. Θαυμαστὰ τὰ μαρτύριά σου· διὰ τοῦτο ἐξηρεύ νησεν αὐτὰ ἡ ψυχή μου. Ἔδειξεν ὡς οὐ μάτην τούτων ἠράσθη. Ἀξιάγαστα γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐστὶ καὶ ἱκανὰ κατα θέλξαι καὶ εἰς ἔρωτα διεγεῖραι τοὺς κατιδεῖν δυναμένους. Καὶ πῶς τοίνυν οὐκ εἰσὶ θαυμαστά; Ὁδηγοῦσι γὰρ πρὸς βίον κατωρθωμένον καὶ σεμνὸν, καὶ πολιτείαν ἐνάρετον, πρὸς σωφροσύνην καὶ ἐγκράτειαν, πραότητα καὶ μακρο 55.700 θυμίαν, ἐλεημοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀγαθωσύνην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης καυχᾶται ἐρευνῆσαι αὐτὰ, οὐχὶ τῷ στόματι λαλεῖν, τὴν δὲ διάνοιαν ῥέμβεσθαι· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τὸν Θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς ἀγαπᾷν προσετάχθημεν, οὕτως αὐ τοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς ποθεῖν καὶ πράττειν ἐδιδάχθημεν. Ἡ δήλωσις τῶν λόγων σου φωτιεῖ καὶ συνετιεῖ νηπίους. Τῷ σῷ, φησὶ, καταυγαζόμενος φωτὶ ταύτην ἐδεξάμην τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἅπαντας δὲ τοὺς ἀγνοίᾳ κατεχομένους καὶ βρέφεσιν ἐοικότας ὁ σὸς νόμος συνέσεως ἐμφορεῖ. Τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν δὲ λόγων ἡ δήλωσις φωτίζει οὐ μόνον τοὺς τελείους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐλλιπὲς ἔχοντας. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἕτερον ὁ λόγος. Ἔφη γὰρ ὁ Κύριος Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, Πάτερ, Κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἀπέκρυψας ταῦτα ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν, καὶ ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις, περὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγων· τῇ γὰρ κακίᾳ αὐτοὶ ἐνηπίαζον. Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου ἐπεπόθησα. Στόμα ἐνταῦθα καλεῖ τῆς διανοίας τὴν προθυμίαν· αὐτὴ γὰρ ἕλκει τὴν χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος. Καὶ γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι· Πλάτυνον τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ πληρώσω αὐτό. Καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματος λόγον δοθῆναι παρεκάλεσε· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ προφήτης ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· Κύριος δώ σει ῥῆμα τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δυνάμει πολλῇ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔφη Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα, καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου ἐπεπόθουν. Γλιχόμενόν με γὰρ τῶν σῶν ἐντολῶν θεασάμενος, τῆς σῆς ἠξίωσας χάριτος. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐπιποθοῦντες τὰς ἐν τολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνοίγοντες τὸ στόμα πληροῦσι Πνεύμα τος. Καὶ ∆αυῒδ ἐπιποθῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς προφητικῆς χάριτος ἠξίωται, καὶ πλατύνας τὸ στόμα, ἐπλήρωσε Πνεύματος. Τοῖς δὲ ἀπειθοῦσι τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἴρηται· Ἐν κημῷ καὶ χαλινῷ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτῶν ἄγξαις τῶν μὴ ἐγγιζόντων πρὸς σέ· καὶ, Πολ λαὶ αἱ μάστιγες τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. Ἐξ ὧν, ἀδελφοὶ, προσ έχοντες τῇ τῶν λαλουμένων διηγήσει, ῥυσθείητε τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ καὶ ἀντιλήψει, καὶ σώσῃ ὑμᾶς· Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. Ἀμὴν, γένοιτο· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ ἡ τιμὴ νῦν, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.

ΣΤΑΣΙΣ Γʹ. Ἐπίβλεψον ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ ἐλέησόν με κατὰ τὸ κρίμα τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸ