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the elect peoples, and two covenants have been given to them, can, according to, The thoughts of his heart to generation and generation, since "generation" is named twice, be understood as two thoughts; one according to which we received the first Covenant, and the other the one that graced us with the new and saving teaching of Christ. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance. No one calls the people of the Jews blessed, but the people chosen for excellence from all peoples. For we are the nation, whose Lord is our God; we are also the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance; a nation, because of having been gathered from many nations, and a people, because of having been called in place of the people who were cast off. And since "Many are called, but few are chosen," he blesses not the one who was called, but the one who was chosen. For blessed is the one whom he has chosen. And what is the reason for the blessing? The expected inheritance of eternal goods. Or perhaps, according to the Apostle, since, "when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved," he first blesses the fullness of the Gentiles, then the Israel that is saved later? But clearly, it is not just anyone who is saved, but only the remnant according to the election of grace. For this reason he says: "The people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance." The Lord looked down from heaven; he saw all the sons of men from his prepared dwelling place. The Lord watches from above those who remain in their own dignity, 29.344 and who do the things befitting human nature; but those who have been brought down to the extremity of evil he visits in another way, by himself descending. "For the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah," he says, "has multiplied, and their sins are very great. Therefore, having gone down, I will see whether they are acting according to their cry that comes to me"; and again: "He went down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built." But here, "The Lord looked down from heaven; he saw all the sons of men." Consider the lofty spectator, consider the one who stoops from above to human affairs. Wherever you walk, whatever you do, whether in darkness, or in the day, you have the eye of God watching over you. From his prepared dwelling place. No gates are opened; no curtains are drawn together; the dwelling place of God is ready for viewing. He watches all the sons of men. Not one escapes his sight; not darkness, not concealing walls, nothing is an obstacle to the eyes of God. Indeed, he is so far from not watching each one, that he even watches the hearts, which he himself formed without mixture with what is worse. God, the creator of men, formed the heart as simple in itself, preserving its image; but afterwards we made the heart varied and of all kinds through its entanglement with the passions of the flesh, having corrupted its godlike, simple, and single nature. Since, therefore, he is the creator of hearts, for this reason he also understands all our works. And by works we mean both words and thoughts, and, to put it simply, every movement of man. For with what disposition and with what intention, whether for the pleasing of men, or for the service of the commandments given to us by God, only he knows who understands all our works. For this reason also we give an account for every idle word. And even for a cup of cold water we do not lose our reward, because the Lord understands all our works. A king is not saved by great power. Not the array of military power, not the walls of cities, not the phalanx of infantry, not the power of cavalry, not the preparation of naval strength provides salvation for a king. For the Lord establishes kings and removes them, and there is no authority except that which has been appointed by God. Therefore a king is saved 29.345 not by great power, but by divine grace. So that the word is true for these also, that "By grace you have been saved." Just as

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οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ λαοὶ, καὶ δύο αὐτοῖς διαθῆκαί εἰσι δεδωρημέναι, δύνανται κατὰ τὸ, Λο γισμοὶ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν, δὶς τῆς γενεᾶς ὀνομαζομένης, δύο νοεῖσθαι καὶ λογι σμοί· εἷς μὲν καθ' ὃν τὴν προτέραν ἐδεξάμεθα ∆ια θήκην, ἕτερος δὲ ὁ τὴν καινὴν καὶ σωτήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἡμῖν χαρισάμενος. Μακάριον τὸ ἔθνος οὗ ἐστι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ, λαὸς ὃν ἐξελέξατο εἰς κληρονομίαν ἑαυτῷ. Οὐδεὶς μακαρί ζει τὸν λαὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ τὸν λαὸν τὸν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν λαῶν ἀριστίνδην ἐξειλεγμένον. Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν τὸ ἔθνος, ὧν ἐστι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν καὶ λαὸς ὃν ἐξελέξατο εἰς κληρονομίαν ἑαυτῷ· ἔθνος μὲν, διὰ τὸ ἐξ ἐθνῶν πολλῶν συνει λέχθαι, λαὸς δὲ, διὰ τὸ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀποβληθέντος λαοῦ προσκληθῆναι. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ Πολλοὶ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοὶ, μακαρίζει οὐχὶ τὸν κληθέντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκλεχθέντα. Μακάριος γὰρ ὃν ἐξελέξατο. Τίς δὲ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ; Ἡ προσδοκωμένη κληρο νομία τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. Ἢ μήποτε κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἐπειδὴ, ὅταν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται, πρῶτον μα καρίζει τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἔπειτα τὸν ὕστερον σωζόμενον Ἰσραήλ; Σώζεται δὲ, δηλονότι, οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν, ἀλλὰ τὸ λεῖμμα μόνον τὸ κατ' ἐκλογὴν χά ριτος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Λαὸς ὃν ἐξελέξατο εἰς κλη ρονομίαν ἑαυτῷ. Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν ὁ Κύριος· εἶδε πάν τας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατοικη τηρίου αὐτοῦ. Τοὺς μένοντας ἐπὶ τοῦ ἰδίου ἀξιώ 29.344 ματος, καὶ ποιοῦντας τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἄνωθεν ἐφορᾷ ὁ Κύριος· τοὺς δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἔσχατον τῆς κακίας ὑπενεχθέντας ἑτέρως ἐπισκέ πτεται διὰ τοῦ αὐτὸς καταβαίνειν. Κραυγὴ γὰρ, φησὶ, Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας πεπλήθυνται, καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα. Καταβὰς οὖν ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομέ νην πρὸς μὲ συντελοῦνται· καὶ πάλιν· Κατέβη ἰδεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν ὁ Κύριος· εἶδε πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Σκόπει τὸν ὑψηλὸν θεατὴν, σκόπει τὸν ἄνωθεν ἐγκατακύπτοντα τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμα σιν. Ὅπου περ ἂν βαδίζῃς, ὅ τι περ ἂν ἐνεργῇς, κἂν ἐν σκότει, κἂν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ἐπισκοποῦντα ἔχεις τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀφθαλμόν. Ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατοικητηρίου αὐτοῦ. Οὐ πύλαι ἀνοίγονται· οὐ παραπετάσματα συνάγονται· ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν εἰς θέαν τὸ κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πάντας ἐφορᾷ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Οὐδὲ εἷς διαφεύγει αὐτοῦ τὴν θέαν· οὐ σκότος, οὐ τοῖχοι παρα καλύπτοντες, οὐδὲν ἐμπόδιόν ἐστιν ὀφθαλμοῖς Θεοῦ. Ὅς γε τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ μὴ καθέκαστον ἐφορᾷν, ὅτι καὶ τὰς καρδίας ἐφορᾷ, ἃς αὐτὸς ἔπλασεν ἄνευ τῆς πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἐπιμιξίας. Ἁπλῆν αὐτὴν ἔπλασε καθ' ἑαυτὴν εἰκόνα σώζουσαν τὴν καρδίαν ὁ δημιουρ γὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων Θεός· ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὴν τῇ πρὸς τὰ πάθη τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιπλοκῇ ποικίλην ἐποιήσαμεν καὶ παντοδαπὴν ἡμεῖς τὴν καρδίαν, τὸ θεοειδὲς αὐτῆς καὶ ἁπλοῦν καὶ μονότροπον διαφθείραντες. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καρδιῶν ἐστι δημιουργὸς, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συνίησι πάντα τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν. Ἔργα δὲ λέγομεν καὶ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὰς ἐννοίας, καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπαξαπλῶς τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κίνησιν. Ποίᾳ γὰρ διαθέσει καὶ τίνι προθέσει, πότερον εἰς ἀνθρώπων ἀρέσκειαν, ἢ εἰς ὑπουργίαν τῶν δεδομένων ἡμῖν προσταγμάτων παρὰ Θεοῦ, μόνος οἶδεν ὁ συνιεὶς πάντα τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ περὶ παντὸς ῥήματος ἀργοῦ διδόαμεν λόγον. Καὶ ἕως ποτηρίου ὕδατος ψυχροῦ τὸν μισθὸν οὐκ ἀπόλλυμεν, διὰ τὸ εἰς πάντα ἡμῶν τὰ ἔργα συνιέναι τὸν Κύριον. Οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν. Οὐ στρατιωτικῆς δυνάμεως περιβολὴ, οὐ τείχη πόλεων, οὐ πεζικὴ φάλαγξ, οὐχ ἱππικὴ δύναμις, οὐ ναυτικῆς ἰσχύος παρασκευὴ βασιλεῖ τὴν σωτηρίαν περιποιεῖ. Κύριος γὰρ καθιστᾷ βασιλεῖς καὶ μεθιστᾷ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τεταγμένη. Σώζεται 29.345 οὖν βασιλεὺς οὐ παρὰ τὴν πολλὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν θείαν χάριν. Ὥστε ἀληθῆ καὶ τούτοις εἶναι τὸν λόγον, ὅτι Χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι. Ὥσπερ