31

And his judgments he did not make known to them. Do you see how the law is greater than all the good things that have been enumerated? 2. Jeremiah also indicated this; for while lamenting those in captivity, he said, Why is it that you are in the land of your enemies? You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom, meaning the law. Just as a fountain sends forth many streams from all sides, so also the law sends forth many commandments from all sides, watering our soul. Then, indicating the exceptional nature of the honor that came through the law, he said: This wisdom was not heard in Canaan, nor was it seen in Teman, nor did the sons of Hagar, the merchants, and the seekers know its ways, nor did they remember its paths. And showing that it is something spiritual and divine, Who, he says, has gone up into heaven, and brought it down? Then he added: This is our God; no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him. He found out all the way of knowledge, and gave it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. For this reason David also said: He has not dealt so with any nation, and his judgments he has not made known to them. Paul, at any rate, alluding to this, wrote: What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. Do you see how he also interpreted this, “He has not dealt so with any nation, and his judgments he has not made known to them”? For if the advantage of the Jew is this, that they alone of all other people were honored with the gift of the written law, then God did not give the law to burden our nature, but to honor it. And he honored not only in this, in giving the law, but also in giving it through himself; for this too is the greatest form of honor, not only to provide it. For that this is a great gift, hear Paul also indicating this. For seeing the Jews puffed up because the prophets came to them, and checking their pride, showing that we have enjoyed a greater honor, having received the teaching not through a servant, but through the Lord, he says something like this when writing to the Hebrews: In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers, in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. And again elsewhere: Not only so, but we also glory in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Do you see him glorying not only in the 54.619 reconciliation, but also in having received the reconciliation through Christ? And again, extolling the resurrection, he says: The Lord himself will descend from heaven. See there too everything being done through the Lord; and here not through some servant, not through an angel or archangel, but he himself through himself gave the command to Adam, honoring man with a double honor, both in giving the law, and in giving it through himself. How then did that one slip? Through his own carelessness; and this is shown by all who received the law, and did not slip, but even did more than what was commanded. But since I see that this time constrains us, I will postpone the discourse to another lecture; but you, for the time being, keep what has been said, and remember it, and teach those who have not heard, and let each one meditate on these things both in church, and in the marketplace, and at home. For nothing is sweeter than divine hearing. Listen, at any rate, to what the Prophet says about this, How sweet are your words to my throat, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth. Therefore, set this honeycomb on your evening table, so as to fill it all with spiritual pleasure. Do you not see the wealthy among men, how after their meals they bring in cithara players and flute players? They make their own house a theater; you make your house a heaven; and you will do so not by changing the walls, nor by altering the foundations, but him of the

31

Καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων ἁπάντων ἀγαθῶν μεῖζον ὁ νόμος. βʹ. Τοῦτο καὶ Ἱερεμίας ἐνέφηνε· τοὺς γὰρ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ὄντας θρηνῶν, ἔλεγε, Τί ὅτι ἐν τῇ γῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἶ; Τὴν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας ἐγκατέλιπες, τὸν νόμον λέγων. Καθάπερ ἡ πηγὴ πολλοὺς πανταχόθεν ἀφίησι ῥύακας, οὕτω καὶ ὁ νόμος πολλὰς πανταχόθεν ἀφίησι τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἄρδων ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν. Εἶτα δηλῶν τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς τιμῆς τῆς διὰ τοῦ νόμου γενομένης, ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἠκούσθη ἐν Χαναὰν αὕτη ἡ σοφία, οὐδὲ ὤφθη ἐν Θαιμὰν, οὐδὲ υἱοὶ Ἅγαρ, οἱ ἔμποροι, καὶ οἱ ἐκζητηταὶ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν τρίβων αὐτῆς. Καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι πνευματική τίς ἐστι καὶ θεία, Τίς ἀνέβη, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ κατεβίβασεν αὐτήν; Εἶτα ἐπήγαγεν· Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτω παντὶ ἔθνει, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ Παῦλος αἰνιττόμενος ἔγραφε· Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου; ἢ τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς περιτομῆς; Πολὺ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς καὶ οὗτος ἡρμήνευσε τὸ, Οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτω παντὶ ἔθνει, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι αὐτοὶ μόνοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων ἐτιμήθησαν τῇ δόσει τοῦ γραπτοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἄρα βαρῶν ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ τιμῶν, τὸν νόμον ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεός. Καὶ οὐ τούτῳ μόνον ἐτίμησε, τῷ δοῦναι τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ δι' ἑαυτοῦ δοῦναι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μέγιστον εἶδος τιμῆς, τὸ μὴ μόνον παρασχεῖν. Ὅτι γὰρ μέγα τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δῶρον, ἄκουσον καὶ τοῦ Παύλου τοῦτο ἐνδεικνυμένου. Ὁρῶν γὰρ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους πεφυσιωμένους ἐν τῷ τοὺς προφήτας πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐλθεῖν, καὶ καταστέλλων αὐτῶν τὸ φρόνημα, δεικνὺς ὅτι μείζονος ἡμεῖς ἀπηλαύσαμεν τῆς τιμῆς, οὐ διὰ δούλου, ἀλλὰ διὰ ∆εσπότου τῆς διδασκαλίας τυχόντες, οὑτωσί πώς φησι πρὸς Ἑβραίους γράφων· Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ. Καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν. Ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐπὶ τῇ κα 54.619 ταλλαγῇ καυχώμενον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαβεῖν τὴν καταλλαγήν; Καὶ πάλιν τὴν ἀνάστασιν σεμνύνων, φησίν· Αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος καταβήσεται ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. Ὅρα κἀκεῖ διὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὸ πᾶν γινόμενον· καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐ δι' οἰκέτου τινὸς, οὐ δι' ἀγγέλου καὶ ἀρχαγγέλου, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἐνετείλατο τῷ Ἀδὰμ, διπλῇ τιμῇ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τιμῶν, καὶ τῷ δοῦναι τὸν νόμον, καὶ τῷ δι' ἑαυτοῦ δοῦναι. Πῶς οὖν ὠλίσθησεν ἐκεῖνος; Παρὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥᾳθυμίαν· καὶ δηλοῦσιν ὅσοι νόμον ἔλαβον, καὶ οὐκ ὤλισθον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείω τῶν ἐπιτεταγμένων ἐποίησαν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸν καιρὸν ἡμᾶς ὁρῶ συνελαύνοντα τοῦτον, εἰς ἑτέραν διάλεξιν ἀναβαλοῦμαι τὸν λόγον· ὑμεῖς δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα τέως φυλάττετε, καὶ μέμνησθε, καὶ τοὺς οὐκ ἀκηκοότας διδάσκετε, καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ ἐν ἀγορᾷ, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ μελετάτω ἕκαστος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡδύτερον ἀκροάσεως θείας. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησι περὶ ταύτης ὁ Προφήτης, Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον τῷ στόματί μου. Τοῦτο τοίνυν παρατίθει τὸ κηρίον ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τῆς ἑσπερινῆς, ὥστε πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἡδονῆς πληρῶσαι πνευματικῆς. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς εὐπόρους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πῶς μετὰ τὰ σιτία κιθαρῳδοὺς καὶ αὐλητὰς ἐπεισάγουσι; Θέατρον ἐκεῖνοι ποιοῦσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν οἰκίαν· σὺ ποίησον τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν σὴν οὐρανόν· ποιήσεις δὲ οὐχὶ τοὺς τοίχους ἀμείβων, οὐδὲ μεταλλάττων τὰ θεμέλια, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν