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he prophesies, and foretells the salvation of the gentiles. And it has a great affinity with both the fifty-sixth and with the fifty-ninth. An ode of a psalm he calls the doxology in understanding; for this will also be shown in what follows. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; I will sing and I will make melody in my glory. And we have already said that the prophet calls the prophetic grace his own glory. Using the melody of prophecy, he says, I say to you, O Master, that my heart is steadfast and ready for the reception of your divine grace. For blessed, he says, are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; who also, being confident, will say, My heart is ready, O God. But in effect the prophet says: Behold, O Master, what is from my own power has been prepared for you; send your Holy Spirit, and grant the prophetic grace; for to its service I have prepared my tongue. I will sing and I will make melody, if you fulfill my desire, or rather my heart. My glory, the prophetic grace, that is, the contemplative and practical state. Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I will awake early; I will give thanks to you among the peoples. O Lord, I will sing praises to you among the nations. The prophet calls himself a psaltery and a harp. For as on a musical instrument, the grace of the Spirit struck up the prophetic melody in him. For he prepares himself for the divine inspiration, moving both soul and body; through the 55.673 harp the members of the body and the senses, through which the mind plays whatever it wishes; but through the psaltery the rational powers of the soul. And having dedicated the firstfruits of his life to God, he receives the early mornings and the times of light, as being more suitable than the whole day. Having therefore roused himself to the hymnody of the Master, he answers again and promises to do this early; inasmuch as at that time he will not offer the hymn alone, but will also make the divine ode with countless nations and peoples. And he calls the incarnation of our God and Savior "early morning." For from that time the light of truth arose; from that time throughout the whole world in the mouths of all, the blessed David sings, and praises the divine benefits. For your mercy is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the clouds. The greatness of your mercy surpasses the vaults of the heavens; everywhere the rays of your truth have spread. And we have already said that he calls both the prophets and the apostles and those who have obtained the grace of teaching "clouds." For through these, as through certain clouds, he offers spiritual irrigation to men; For through them we have learned the true doctrines. And mercy and truth are the mystery of the economy of Christ, so that this prophet says elsewhere: Mercy and truth have met together in one; the divinity and humanity of Christ met in the incarnation of the Word. But mercy befits the divinity of the incarnate Word; for it had mercy on its own creature; but truth befits the flesh. For not in appearance, as some of the heretics think, but in truth God the Word was made flesh. For interpreting this, David said again, Truth has sprung out of the earth, speaking of the humanity of the Lord, which sprang from our earth, that is, from humanity. Great, therefore, above the heavens is the divinity of Christ because of the glory, with which it was glorified by its own powers. For on earth it was unknown, and was overshadowed by the flesh. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and your glory above all the earth. This the blessed Habakkuk also said: His excellence covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his understanding. This also the blessed David said in the eighth psalm: O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth; for your magnificence is lifted up

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προθεσπίζει, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προαγορεύει τὴν σωτηρίαν. Πολλὴν δὲ ἔχει τὴν συγγένειαν πρός τε τὸν πεντηκοστὸν ἕκτον καὶ πρὸς τὸν πεντηκοστὸν ἔννατον. Ὠδὴν δὲ ψαλ μοῦ τὴν ἐν συνέσει δοξολογίαν λέγει· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς δειχθήσεται. Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεὸς, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου· ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου. Καὶ ἤδη προειρήκαμεν, ὡς δόξαν οἰκείαν ὁ προ φήτης τὴν προφητικὴν χάριν καλεῖ. Τῇ τῆς προφητείας, φησὶ, χρώμενος μελῳδίᾳ, λέγω σοι τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὡς ἑδραίαν ἔχω μου τὴν καρδίαν καὶ ἑτοίμην εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς θείας σου χάριτος. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ καθα ροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται· οἳ καὶ θαῤῥοῦντες ἐροῦσιν, Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεός. ∆υνάμει δέ φησιν ὁ προφήτης· Ἰδού σοι, ∆έσποτα, τὰ παρὰ τῆς ἐμῆς δυνάμεως παρεσκεύασται· πέμπε σου τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τὴν προφητικὴν δωροῦ χάριν· εἰς γὰρ τὴν ταύτης ὑπηρεσίαν τὴν ἐμὴν ἡτοίμασα γλῶσσαν. Ἄσω τε καὶ ψαλῶ. εἴ μου πληρώσῃς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν καρδίαν. Ἡ ἐμὴ δόξα, ἡ χάρις ἡ προφη τικὴ, ἤγουν ἕξις ἡ θεωρητική τε καὶ πρακτική. Ἐξεγέρθητι ἡ δόξα μου, ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα, Ἐξεγερθήσομαι ὄρθρου· ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν λαοῖς. Κύριε, ψαλῶ σοι ἐν ἔθνεσι. Ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθά ραν ἑαυτὸν ὁ προφήτης καλεῖ. Ὡς ἐν ὀργάνῳ γὰρ μου σικῷ, τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις ἐν αὐτῷ τὴν προφητικὴν ἀνεκρούετο μελῳδίαν. Εὐτρεπίζεται γὰρ πρὸς τὴν θείαν ἐπίπνοιαν, ψυχήν τε καὶ σῶμα κινῶν· διὰ μὲν τῆς κι 55.673 θάρας τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος καὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια, δι' ὧν ὁ νοῦς ἀνακρούεται πᾶν ὅ τι βούλεται· διὰ δὲ τοῦ ψαλ τηρίου τὰς λογικὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις. Ὡς δὲ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς ἀναθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ, τοὺς ὄρθρους ἀπολαμβάνει καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς τοῦ φωτὸς, ὡς ἐπιτη δειοτέρους τῆς ὅλης ἡμέρας. ∆ιεγείρας τοίνυν ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ἀποκρίνεται πάλιν καὶ ὑπ ισχνεῖται ὄρθρου τοῦτο ποιήσειν· ἅτε δὴ τηνικαῦτα οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος προσοίσων τὸν ὕμνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ μυρίων ἐθνῶν καὶ λαῶν τὴν θείαν ᾠδὴν ποιησόμενος. Ὄρθρον δὲ καλεῖ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν. Ἐξ ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀνέτειλε τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ φῶς· ἐξ ἐκείνου κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασιν ὁ μακάριος ᾄδει ∆αυῒδ, καὶ τὰς θείας εὐεργεσίας ὑμνεῖ. Ὅτι μέγα ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. Νικᾷ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰ κύτη τοῦ σοῦ ἐλέους τὸ μέγεθος· πανταχόσε τῆς σῆς ἀληθείας αἱ ἀκτῖνες διέδραμον. Καὶ ἤδη δὲ εἰρήκαμεν ὡς νεφέλας καὶ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ τοὺς διδασκαλικῆς χάριτος τετυ χηκότας καλεῖ. ∆ιὰ τούτων γὰρ, ὥσπερ διά τινων νεφε λῶν, τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀρδείαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέρει· ∆ι' αὐτῶν γὰρ τὰ ἀληθῆ μεμαθήκαμεν δόγματα. Ἔλεος δὲ καὶ ἀλήθεια τῆς οἰκονομίας Χριστοῦ τὸ μυστήριον, ὥστε τὸν προφήτην τοῦτον ἀλλαχόσε λέγειν· Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν εἰς ἕν· ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεότης καὶ ἀνθρωπότης τῇ τοῦ Λόγου σαρκώσει κατήντησεν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἔλεος ἁρμόττει τῇ τοῦ Λόγου σαρκωθέντος θεό τητι· αὕτη γὰρ τὸ πλάσμα τὸ οἰκεῖον ἠλέησεν· ἡ ἀλήθεια δὲ τῇ σαρκί. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ φαντασίαν, ὥς τινες τῶν αἱρετικῶν δοκοῦσιν, ἀληθείᾳ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος σεσάρκω ται. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἑρμηνεύων ὁ ∆αυῒδ πάλιν ἔλεγεν, Ἀλήθεια ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνέτειλε, τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα τοῦ Κυρίου λέγων, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας γῆς, δηλαδὴ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ἀνατείλασαν. Μέγα τοίνυν ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεότης διὰ τὴν δόξαν, ἢν παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων δυνάμεων ἐδοξάζετο. Ἐπὶ γῆς γὰρ ἠγνοεῖτο, καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ συνεσκιάζετο. Ὑψώθητι ἐπὶ τοὺς οὐρα νοὺς, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἡ δόξα σου. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφησεν Ἀμβακούμ· Ἐκάλυψενοὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἡ γῆ. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ ἐν τῷ ὀγδόῳ ψαλμῷ ἔφη· Κύριε ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ· ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλο πρέπειά