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For this reason everything has been turned upside down. Therefore, when you receive a small passion, do not see that it is small, but consider, that what is nourished from it brings forth the greatest evils. For when we see in a house a little tow ignited, we are alarmed and disturbed; for we do not pay attention 55.80 to the beginning, but reasoning from the beginning to the end we are alarmed and run about, so as to extinguish the whole furnace. More fiercely than this fire wickedness consumes the soul. Therefore it is necessary to forestall it. For if we are lazy, the correction becomes more difficult. One might see this happening on a ship, too, with the sailors being alarmed, not when they see the sea overflowing, but when it is about to do so. Therefore let us not be negligent in small sins, but let us check them with great vehemence, so that we may be delivered from the greater ones, and may attain to the things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. ON THE 7TH PSALM. A Psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words

of Cush, son of Jemeni.

O Lord my God, in you have I hoped; save me from all who persecute me, and deliver me.

1. It were indeed necessary to have such an accurate knowledge of the Scriptures and of the histories, as not to need a longer discourse for their teaching; but since some are occupied with the affairs of life, and others give themselves over to laziness, and are ignorant of these things, it is necessary to extend the discourse to some length, stating the subject of the psalm. But pay attention with accuracy. What then is the subject? A Psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord. Another: A Psalm concerning ignorance, by David. Another: A thing of ignorance, by David; and instead of "Cush," he says an Ethiopian. But even so what has been said is unclear, because you are ignorant of the history. But since it is necessary not only to accuse but also to teach, it is necessary to touch upon the narrative. Who then is this Cush, the son of Jemeni, and what are his words, concerning which David sang this song to God, must now be told from here, tracing the account back to the beginning. Absalom was a son of David, an undisciplined and corrupt young man; this man once rose up against his father; and having cast him out of his kingdom, and his house, and his country, he himself took possession of everything in his place, and he respected neither nature, nor his upbringing, nor his age, nor what had gone before; but he was so utterly cruel and harsh, and more a beast than a man, that having broken through all these restraints, he leaped upon the very laws of nature, and filled everything with confusion and uproar. For everything was overthrown then: the boundaries of nature, the reverence of men, piety towards God, philanthropy and mercy, the repayment for upbringing, and reverence for old age. For even if he was not willing to respect him as a father, 55.81 he ought to have as an old man; and if he neglected his gray hair, to be ashamed before him as a benefactor; and if not even so, as one who had done no wrong; but the love of power cast out all this reverence, and made the man a beast. And this blessed man, who had begotten and raised him, wandered as a vagrant and a fugitive through the wilderness, like an emigrant, in exile, and oppressed by the evils from that quarter; while that one reveled in his father's goods. Of the, therefore

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διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γέγονεν. Ὅταν τοίνυν μικρὸν καταδέξῃ πάθος, μὴ τοῦτο ἴδῃς ὅτι μικρὸν, ἀλλ' ἐννόησον, ὅτι τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τρεφόμενον τὰ μέγιστα τίκτει δεινά. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπειδὰν ἴδωμεν ἐν οἰκίᾳ στυππίον ἀναφθὲν μικρὸν, θορυβούμεθα καὶ ταραττόμεθα· οὐ γὰρ τῷ προοιμίῳ προσ 55.80 έχομεν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ προοιμίου τὸ τέλος λογιζόμενοι θορυβούμεθα καὶ περιτρέχομεν, ὥστε ὁλόκληρον σβέσαι τὴν κάμινον. Τούτου τοῦ πυρὸς σφοδρότερον ἐπινέμεται ψυχὴν ἡ κακία. ∆ιὸ δεῖ προκαταλαβεῖν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ῥᾳθυμήσωμεν, δυσκολωτέρα γίνεται ἡ διόρθωσις. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ πλοίου συμβαῖνον ἴδοι τις ἂν, καὶ τοὺς ναύτας θορυβουμένους, οὐχ ὅταν ἴδωσι τὴν θάλατταν ὑπερέχουσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν μέλλουσαν τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν ὦμεν ῥᾴθυμοι τοῖς μικροῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὰ ἀναστέλλωμεν τῆς σφοδρότητος, ἵνα τῶν μειζόνων ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ Ζʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ὃν ᾖσε τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ τῶν λόγων

Χουσὶ υἱοῦ Ἰεμενεῖ.

Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα· σῶσόν με ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με, καὶ ῥῦσαί με.

αʹ. Ἔδει μὲν οὕτως ἀκριβῶς τῶν Γραφῶν καὶ τῶν ἱστοριῶν εἰδέναι τὴν γνῶσιν, ὡς μὴ δεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς μακροτέρου λόγου πρὸς τὴν τούτων διδασκαλίαν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων ἀσχολούμενοι, οἱ δὲ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόντες, ἀνήκοοι τούτων εἰσὶν, ἀνάγκη πρὸς τὸ μῆκος τὸν λόγον ἐξαγαγεῖν, τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ λέγοντας. Ἀλλὰ προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ἡ ὑπόθεσις; Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ὃν ᾖσε τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἄλλος· Ψαλμὸς ὑπὲρ ἀγνοίας τῷ ∆αυΐδ. Ἄλλος· Ἀγνόημα τῷ ∆αυΐδ· καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ «Χουσὶ,» Αἰθίοπός φησιν Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἀσαφῆ τὰ εἰρημένα, τῷ τὴν ἱστορίαν ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖν δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκειν, ἀναγκαῖον ἅψασθαι τοῦ διηγήματος. Τίς οὖν ὁ Χουσὶ οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς Ἰεμενεῖ, καὶ τίνες οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ, ὑπὲρ ὧν ᾖσε τῷ Θεῷ τὴν ᾠδὴν ταύτην ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη λεκτέον, εἰς ἀρχὴν ἀνάγοντα τὸν λόγον. Ἀβεσσαλὼμ υἱὸς ἐγένετο τῷ ∆αυῒδ, νέος ἀκόλαστος καὶ διεφθαρμένος· οὗτος ἐπανέστη ποτὲ τῷ πατρί· καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτὸν, καὶ τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐκβαλὼν, αὐτὸς ἀντ' ἐκείνου κατέσχεν ἅπαντα, καὶ οὔτε τὴν φύσιν, οὔτε τὴν ἀνατροφὴν, οὐ τὴν ἡλικίαν, οὐ τὰ προλαβόντα ᾐδεῖτο· ἀλλ' οὕτως ἦν καθάπαξ ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπηνὴς, καὶ θηρίον μᾶλλον ἢ ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ἅπαντα ταῦτα διαῤῥήξας τὰ κωλύματα, αὐτοῖς ἐπιπηδῆσαι τοῖς τῆς φύσεως νόμοις, καὶ ταραχῆς ἐμπλῆσαι ἅπαντα καὶ θορύβου. Καὶ γὰρ πάντα ἀνετρέπετο τότε, φύσεως ὅροι, ἀνθρώπων αἰδὼς, ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐλάβεια, φιλανθρωπία καὶ ἔλεος, τροφείων ἀμοιβαὶ, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸ γῆρας αἰδώς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ὡς πατέρα αἰδεσθῆναι ἠβούλετο, ὡς 55.81 γεγηρακότα ἐχρῆν· εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς πολιᾶς ἠμέλει, ὡς εὐεργέτην αἰσχύνεσθαι· εἰ δὲ μηδ' οὕτως, ὡς μηδὲν ἠδικηκότα· ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς φιλαρχίας ἔρως πᾶσαν ταύτην ἐξέβαλε τὴν αἰδῶ, καὶ θηρίον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐποίησε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν μακάριος οὗτος, καὶ γεννησάμενος, καὶ ἀναθρεψάμενος. ἀλήτης καὶ φυγὰς κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον ἐπλανᾶτο, καθάπερ μετανάστης, ἐν ὑπερορίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν πιεζόμενος κακοῖς· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐνετρύφα τοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῖς. Τῶν τοίνυν