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a table before me, no longer an introductory and ethical teaching as before but a mystical one and the contemplation of truth. But consider if also, as long as one is in this life, seeing the truth through a mirror and in a riddle is a sheep led by a shepherd, but having passed over to the age to come, approaching the truth face to face, he approaches a spiritual table according to "And I will make a covenant for you to eat and drink at the table of the Father in truth;" whence also "You have prepared" is said. For from there God has prepared, What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. And "Before me" declares that the Table has been revealed to me and has been known to me in the presence of those who afflict me, many wishing to be enemies to me and for this reason afflicting me. The Lord, wishing me to stand strongly against them, has prepared a table before me, on which solid food is set, so that having athletically partaken of this I might be able to stand nobly against those who afflict me. For when we attain perfect goods, we have strong and numerous adversaries; as the Apostle says: For a great door has opened for me, and there are many adversaries.

206 Ps 22,5b That is, pouring it lavishly on the mind; this anointing is priestly ointment of which Aaron was a symbol; for it says, "Like ointment on the head that runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron."

207 Ps 22,5c Since wisdom has not only prepared a table but has also mixed her own wine in a bowl, which came from her, she being the true vine, and she mixed this wine, commingling divine contemplations with human words. Apportioning from this bowl she gives a cup to each, which cup, being most excellent, that is precious and exceptional for the one who has received it, is said just as the Holy Spirit is called; of the one who has received it, he says "And my cup." But if "Your cup" were to be taken as having such a meaning, it is your cup, O Lord, which you have given me to drink. For the aforementioned mixture proposed by wisdom is not human.

208 Ps 22,6a One reaps salvation not so much from works, as from the grace of God who is merciful. For God, being rich in mercy, through the great love he had for men has made alive with Christ those who had become dead through sins and transgressions; whence the holy one also says: And your mercy will pursue, always coming upon and being poured out on me. For not sometimes yes and sometimes no, but it pursues me "All the days of my life." And all the days of life are either the various illuminations of the truth by which we happen to be made alive, or Christ who is present with us throughout life.

209 Ps 22,6b He encamps in a place of green pasture, and dwells in the house of the Lord, not for some time but for all the days of immortal life, being illumined without interruption and successively.

210 Ps 23,1b-2 More mystically, the earth has become the Lord's, when he descended and freed it from the demons who tyrannically ruled it, having abolished all things deceptively performed upon it, magic, sorcery, the oracles of the demons on earth along with the laws concerning statues and sacrifices. But also its fullness is the Lord's, that is, all the nations dwelling on it; the fullness of the good things which he has placed upon it according to "The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord," And "The earth is full of his praise." But also the inhabited world; and this is his church under the sun along with those who dwell in it. And those who dwell in this inhabited world are those who think and live ecclesiastically. He founded it upon the seas, the seas being understood as the circumstances of trials having much tempest and saltiness. For then the church receives a foundation and an immovable seat, when, with tempests assailing, it remains unshaken according to faith. And upon the rivers

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ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν, οὐκ ετι ἐπαγωγικὴν καὶ ἠθικὴν διδασκαλίαν καθὰ πρότερον ἀλλὰ μυστικὴν καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας θεωρίαν. ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ καί, οσον τίς ἐστιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ δι' αἰνίγματος τὴν ἀλήθειαν βλέπων πρόβατόν ἐστιν ὑπὸ ποιμένι ἀγόμενον, μεταβὰς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον προσβάλλων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πνευματικῇ προσβάλλει τραπέζῃ κατὰ τὸ Κἀγὼ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· οθεν καὶ τὸ ̔Ητοίμασας ειρηται. ἀπεντεῦθεν γὰρ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεός, Α ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ ιδεν καὶ ους οὐκ ηκουσεν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, α ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. καὶ τὸ ̓Ενώπιον δέ μου δηλοῖ πεφανερῶσθαί μοι καὶ ἐγνῶσθαί μοι τὴν Τράπεζαν ἐξ ἐναντίας τῶν θλιβόντων με, πολλῶν ἐχθρεύειν μοι βουλομένων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θλιβόντων με. ἐνίστασθαί με ἰσχυρῶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ κύριος θέλων ἡτοίμασεν ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν, ἐν ῃ ἐπίκειται στερεὰ τροφή, ινα ταύτης ἀθλητικῶς ἐμφορηθεὶς ἀντιστῆναι γενναίως πρὸς τοὺς θλιβόντας δυνηθῶ. καὶ γὰρ οτε ἀγαθῶν τελείων τυγχάνομεν, ἰσχυροὺς καὶ πλείονας εχομεν τοὺς ἀντικειμένους· ῃ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· Θύρα γάρ μοι ἀνέῳγεν μεγάλη, καὶ οἱ ἀντικείμενοι πολλοί. 206 Ps 22,5b Τουτέστιν τὸν νοῦν δαψιλῶς ἐπιχέων αὐτό· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ χρῖσμα ἱερατικόν ἐστι μύρον ου σύμβολον εφερεν ̓Ααρών· ̔Ως μύρον γάρ φησιν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ πώγωνα, τὸν πώγωνα τὸν ̓Ααρών. 207 Ps 22,5c ̓Επεὶ μὴ μόνον τράπεζαν ἡτοίμασεν ἡ σοφία ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς κρατῆρα ἐκέρασεν τὸν ἑαυτῆς οινον, ἐξ αὐτῆς γεγενημένον ουσης ἀμπέλου ἀληθινῆς, ἐκέρασεν δὲ τοῦτον τὸν οινον, καταμίξασα τὰ θεῖα θεωρήματα λέξεσιν ἀνθρωπίναις. ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κρατῆρος μερίζουσα ἑκάστῳ δίδωσι ποτήριον, οπερ ποτήριον κράτιστον ον, τουτέστι τίμιον καὶ ἐξαίρετον τοῦ λαβόντος, λέγεται ὡς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ αγιον χρηματίζει· τοῦ εἰληφότος αὐτό φησιν Καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν μου. εἰ δὲ φέροιτο τὸ Ποτήριόν σου τοιαύτην εχον διάνοιαν, σοῦ τοῦ κυρίου τὸ ποτήριόν ἐστιν, οπερ ινα πίω δέδωκας. οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπινον τὸ προειρημένον κρᾶμα τὸ πρὸς τῆς σοφίας προτεινόμενον. 208 Ps 22,6a Οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐξ εργων τις καρποῦται σωτηρίαν, οσον ἐκ χάριτος θεοῦ ἐλεήμονος οντος. ̔Ο γὰρ θεὸς πλούσιος ων ἐν ἐλέει διὰ πολλὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτῷ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀγάπην Χριστῷ συνεζωοποίησεν τοὺς νεκροὺς δι' ἁμαρτήματα καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα γεγενημένους· οθεν καὶ ὁ αγιός φησιν· Καὶ τὸ ελεός σου καταδιώξεται, ἀεὶ ἐπερχόμενον καὶ ἐπιχεόμενόν μοι. οὐ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν ποτὲ δὲ ου, ἀλλὰ Πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου καταδιώκει με. πᾶσαι δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς ζωῆς ητοι οἱ διάφοροι φωτισμοὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καθ' ους ζωοποιούμεθα τυγχάνουσιν, η ὁ διὰ βίου παρὼν ἡμῖν Χριστός. 209 Ps 22,6b Εἰς τόπον μὲν χλόης κατασκηνοῖ, ἐν οικῳ δὲ κυρίου κατοικεῖ, οὐκ ἐπί τινα καιρὸν ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἀθανάτου, ἀδιαστάτως καὶ ἐπαλλήλως φωτιζόμενος. 210 Ps 23,1b-2 Μυστικώτερον δὲ τοῦ κυρίου γέγονεν ἡ γῆ, ὁπηνίκα κατελθὼν ἠλευθέρωσεν αὐτὴν τῶν τυραννικῶς κρατούντων αὐτὴν δαιμόνων, καταλύσας πάντα τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἀπατηλῶς ἐπιτελούμενα, μαγείαν, φαρμακείαν, τὰ χρηστήρια τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς δαιμόνων σὺν τοῖς περὶ ἀγαλμάτων καὶ θυσιῶν νόμοις. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐστίν, ητοι τὰ πάντα ἐπ' αὐτῆς εθνη οἰκοῦντα· τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ο ἐπέβαλεν αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸ Τοῦ ἐλέους κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ, Καὶ αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἡ γῆ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη· αυτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑφ' ἡλίῳ ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ αμα τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν αὐτήν. κατοικοῦσι δὲ ταύτην τὴν οἰκουμένην οἱ ἐκκλησιαστικῶς φρονοῦντές τε καὶ βιοῦντες. Αὐτὸς ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτήν, θαλασσῶν δὲ νοουμένων τῶν κατὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς περιστάσεων πολλὴν τρικυμίαν καὶ ἁλμυρίδα ἐχόντων. τότε γὰρ θεμελίωσιν καὶ εδραν ἀμετακίνητον ἡ ἐκκλησία λαμβάνει, οτ' αν τρικυμιῶν προσβαλλουσῶν ασειστος κατὰ τὴν πίστιν διαμένῃ. Καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν