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being overcome by circumstances. And even if I escape the testimony of my works, my thoughts fill me with every kind of filth. For this reason I beseech you, who are able to cleanse, and I cry out: "Cleanse me from my secret faults." 14. "And keep your servant back from presumptuous sins." For not only do my thoughts surround me, but also the host of demons besieges me; and some plot from without, while others cooperate from within. He rightly called them strangers, as being hostile and enemies, and having completely denied any familiarity with us. "If they do not have dominion over me, then I shall be blameless; and I shall be cleansed from great sin. [15] And the words of my mouth shall be acceptable, and the meditation of my heart is before me always." I long to enjoy your help; so that having escaped their plots, I may present my soul to you free from every blemish; and having received from you forgiveness for past sins, I may offer you eternal praise, making continual meditation of your words. Through these things, however, he foretells the new cove 80.1000 nant, and the grace of baptism, and the gift of the most holy Spirit; by which the faithful receive both remission for past sins; and having sufficient help for the time to come, they overcome the rising passions and the plotting and wicked spirits. To these he adds: "O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer." Having set a suitable conclusion to the psalm, he called him Lord as maker and creator; and redeemer, as one who through the regeneration of holy baptism, frees from former corruption, and redeems from the slavery of demons, and bestows incorruption and immortality; and the psalm contains both these things and those, and the first parts teach creation and providence; the middle parts, the law; and the last parts, grace. "For who," he says, "can understand his errors? Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, and keep your servant back from presumptuous sins;" and, "O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer." The new covenant is the provider of these good things.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 19. 1. "To the end, a psalm of David." When Sen nacherib had marched against

Judea at one time, and sent a very great army to besiege Jerusalem, which Rabshakeh commanded, and sent letters to Hezekiah full of all blasphemy and impiety; the blessed Hezekiah, a man adorned with all piety, taking this letter, and taking the prophet Isaiah as his advocate, ran into the divine temple, and unfolding the letter, he showed it to God, pointing out the impiety of the enemies, and beseeching him on account of the blasphemy that had occurred to show the Assyrians his own strength. The blessed David foretells these things many generations before, being enlightened by the most holy Spirit, and speaks the present psalm, showing the people praying with the king, and beseeching that his supplication might be acceptable. 2, 3. "May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you. May he send help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion." For since the wonderful Hezekiah ran into the divine temple holding the blasphemous letter, they beseech both that his supplication be accepted and that he obtain help from there. Here he called the temple "the sanctuary." 80.1001 4. "May the Lord remember all your offerings; and make your burnt sacrifice fat." Since even in time of peace he took care of divine worship, they rightly recount these things concerning him, beseeching the God of all to look upon the king's piety; and to remember the many and various sacrifices, and to give peace again, so that with more he might

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νικώμενος περιστά σεων. Κἂν διαφύγω δὲ τῶν ἔργων τὴν μαρτυρίαν, ῥύπου με παντὸς ἀναπιμπλῶσιν οἱ λογισμοί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἱκετεύω σε τὸν καθᾶραι δυνάμενον, καὶ βοῶ· "Ἀπὸ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισόν με." ιδʹ. "Καὶ ἀπὸ ἀλλοτρίων φεῖσαι τοῦ δούλου σου." Οὐ γὰρ μόνον με οἱ λογισμοὶ κυκλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων τὸ στίφος πολιορκεῖ· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν ἐπιβουλεύουσιν, οἱ δὲ συμπράττουσιν ἔνδο θεν. Εἰκότως δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ὠνόμασεν, ὡς δυσμενεῖς καὶ πολεμίους, καὶ παντελῶς ἀρνησα μένους τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς οἰκειότητα. "Ἐὰν μή μου κατακυριεύσουσι, τότε ἄμωμος ἔσομαι· καὶ καθαρισθήσομαι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας μεγά λης. [ιεʹ] Καὶ ἔσονται εἰς εὐδοκίαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ στόματός μου, καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου ἐν ώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός." Τῆς δὲ σῆς ἐπικου ρίας ἀπολαῦσαι ποθῶ· ἵνα τὰς τούτων ἐπιβουλὰς διαδρὰς, μώμου σοι παντὸς ἐλευθέραν τὴν ψυχὴν παραστήσω· καὶ τῶν προεπταισμένων παρὰ σοῦ λαβὼν τὴν συγγνώμην, αἰώνιόν σοι προσενέγκω τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν, τῶν σῶν λογίων διηνεκῆ τὴν μελέτην ποιούμενος. ∆ιὰ τούτων μέντοι τὴν καινὴν διαθή 80.1000 κην προαγορεύει, καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος τὴν χάριν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος δωρεάν· ὑφ' ἧς καὶ τῶν προεπταισμένων τὴν ἄφεσιν λαμβάνουσιν οἱ πιστεύοντες· καὶ εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον ἱκανὴν βοήθειαν ἔχοντες, καὶ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων παθῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπιβούλων καὶ πονηρῶν περιγίνονται πνευμάτων. Τούτοις ἐπιφέρει· "Κύριε βοηθέ μου, καὶ λυτρωτά μου." Ἁρμόδιον τῷ ψαλμῷ τὸ ἀκροτελεύτιον τεθει κὼς, Κύριον μὲν ἐκάλεσεν ὡς ποιητὴν καὶ δημιουργόν· λυτρωτὴν δὲ, ὡς διὰ τῆς παλιγγενέ σεως τοῦ παναγίου βαπτίσματος, τῆς μὲν προτέ ρας ἐλευθεροῦντα φθορᾶς, καὶ τῆς τῶν δαιμόνων δουλείας λυτρούμενον, ἀφθαρσίαν δὲ καὶ ἀθανασίαν δωρούμενον· καὶ ταῦτα δὲ κἀκεῖνα ὁ ψαλμὸς περι έχει, καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα τὴν δημιουργίαν διδάσκει καὶ πρόνοιαν· τὰ δὲ μέσα, τὸν νόμον· τὰ δὲ τελευ ταῖα, τὴν χάριν. "Παραπτώματα γὰρ, φησὶ, τίς συνήσει; καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισόν με, Κύριε, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀλλοτρίων φεῖσαι τοῦ δούλου σου·" καὶ, "Κύριε βοηθέ μου, καὶ λυτρωτά μου." Τούτων δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγὸς ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΙΘʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Τοῦ Σεν ναχηρεὶμ ἐπιστρατεύσαντος τῇ

Ἰουδαίᾳ ποτὲ, καὶ στρατιὰν μεγίστην εἰς πολιορκίαν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀποστείλαντος, ἧς ἐστρατήγει Ῥαψάκης, καὶ γράμματα τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ πέμψαντος βλασφημίας ἁπά σης καὶ δυσσεβείας μεστά· ὁ μακάριος Ἐζεκίας, ἀνὴρ εὐσεβείᾳ πάσῃ κοσμούμενος, ταύτην λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, καὶ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν εἰς συν ηγορίαν παραλαβὼν, ἔδραμεν εἰς τὸν θεῖον νεὼν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀναπτύξας, ὑπέδειξε τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν τῶν πολεμίων διδάσκων ἀσέβειαν, καὶ παρακα λῶν τῆς γεγενημένης ἕνεκα βλασφημίας δεῖξαι τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις τὴν οἰκείαν ἰσχύν. Ταῦτα πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν ὁ μακάριος προαγορεύει ∆αβὶδ, ὑπὸ τοῦ παναγίου φωτιζόμενος Πνεύματος, καὶ τὸν παρόντα λέγει ψαλμὸν, τὸν λαὸν ὑποδεικνὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ συνευχόμενον, καὶ παρακαλοῦντα δεκτὴν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν ἱκετείαν. βʹ, γʹ. "Ἐπακούσαι σου Κύριος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως· ὑπερασπίσαι σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Ἐξαποστείλαι βοήθειαν ἐξ ἁγίου, καὶ ἐκ Σιὼν ἀντιλά βοιτό σου." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰς τὸν θεῖον νεὼν ἔδραμεν ὁ θαυμάσιος Ἐζεκίας τὴν βλάσφημον κατέχων ἐπι στολὴν, ἱκετεύουσι δεχθῆναί τε αὐτοῦ τὴν ἱκετείαν, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἐπικουρίας τυχεῖν. Ἅγιον ἐνταῦθα τὸν νεὼν προσηγόρευσεν. 80.1001 δʹ. "Μνησθείη Κύριος πάσης θυσίας σου· καὶ τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμά σου πιανάτω." Ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ τῆς εἰρήνης καιρῷ τῆς θείας ἐπεμελεῖτο λατρείας, εἰκότως ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ διεξίασι, παρακαλοῦντες τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν ἀπιδεῖν εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εὐσέβειαν· καὶ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν ἱερείων μνησθῆναι, καὶ δοῦναι πάλιν εἰρήνην, ἵνα πλείοσιν αὐτὸν