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of a chorus consisting of men who are mimes and dancers, with a certain profane cithara player leading them, the song being satanic and destructive, and a foul and wicked demon being sung of; here, where the chorus is of holy men, and the chorus leader is the Prophet, and the song is not from satanic energy, but from spiritual grace. And the one being sung of is not a demon, but God; how ought we not to offer great silence, and listen with awe? For we have become fellow choristers with the powers above. For indeed the choirs above, both the Cherubim and the Seraphim have this task, to unceasingly praise God. From these choirs they also appeared on earth, singing with the shepherds who were keeping watch in the fields. Let us listen, therefore, to this song also. Those, therefore, who praise an earthly king, speak to him about his rule, about his trophies, about his victory, 55.107 and they speak of the defeated nations, calling them conquerors, and victors over barbarians, and such things. This blessed one also sings such a song. For he tells of a victory and a trophy, and a cessation of wars, not of such kinds, but of far more difficult ones. And see how he begins: O Lord, our Lord. For of the others who do not believe in him, he is Lord in one way, but of us in a twofold way: both by making us out of non-being, and by being known by us. And see how from the very beginning he lays down the chief point of the benefaction. For if you learn how he has become your Lord, that he made his own and brought to life certain alienated and dead and slain ones, you will see well that this is the chief point of the benefaction. The Prophet, therefore, astonished at this, says: How wonderful is your name! that is, exceedingly wonderful. But how wonderful, he did not say; for he was not able to measure it, but he set forth the intensity and the excess. Where are those who meddle with the substance of God? For if, upon saying His name, he was so amazed as to be astonished, what pardon could they have, who say they know His substance, when the Prophet was not even able to learn how wonderful the name is? How wonderful is your name! For in this name death was undone, demons were bound, heaven was opened, the gates of paradise were thrown open, the Spirit was sent down, slaves have become free men, enemies, sons, strangers, heirs, men, angels. Why do I say, angels? God became man, and man God; heaven received the nature from the earth; the earth received Him who sits upon the Cherubim with the angelic host. The middle wall was taken away, the barrier was destroyed, things separated were united, the darkness was extinguished, the light shone, death was swallowed up. Considering all these things and more, the Prophet cried out, saying: How wonderful is your name in all the earth! Where now are the children of the Jews, who are shameless toward the truth? For I would gladly ask them, about whom are these things said. About the Almighty, they will say. But his name was not wonderful in all the earth. And Isaiah testifies, saying: Because of you my name is blasphemed among the nations. But if those who served him became the cause of his being blasphemed, where was it wonderful? For that it is wonderful by nature is clear; but among most men at that time it was not wonderful, but even contemptible. But it is not so now; but when the only-begotten Son came, his name, along with Christ's, is wonderful everywhere. From the rising of the sun, he says, 55.108 to its setting my name has been glorified among the nations. And again: In every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering. But you profane it. And another: The whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord. And again: They will come saying: Our fathers possessed false idols.

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μίμων καὶ ὀρχηστῶν συνισταμένου ἀνδρῶν, χοροστατοῦντος δὲ παρ' αὐτοῖς βεβήλου τινὸς καὶ κιθαρῳδοῦ, τοῦ δὲ μέλους σατανικοῦ καὶ ὀλεθρίου τυγχάνοντος, ᾀδομένου δὲ μιαροῦ καὶ πονηροῦ δαίμονος· ἐνταῦθα, ἔνθα ὁ μὲν χορὸς ἐξ ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν, ὁ δὲ χοροστάτης ἐστὶν ὁ Προφήτης, τὸ δὲ μέλος οὐχὶ ἐκ σατανικῆς ἐνεργείας, ἀλλ' ἐκ πνευματικῆς χάριτος. ὁ δὲ ᾀδόμενος, οὐχὶ δαίμων, ἀλλὰ Θεός· πῶς οὐ πολλὴν δεῖ παρέχειν τὴν ἡσυχίαν, καὶ μετὰ φρίκης ἀκούειν; Καὶ γὰρ συγχορευταὶ γεγόναμεν τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἄνω χοροὶ, καὶ τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ τὰ Σεραφὶμ τοῦτο ἔργον ἔχουσι, τὸ διηνεκῶς ὑμνεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Ἐκ τούτων τῶν χορῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐφάνησαν μετὰ τῶν ἀγραυλούντων ποιμένων ᾄδοντες. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν καὶ ταύτης τῆς ᾠδῆς. Οἱ μὲν οὖν βασιλέα ὑμνοῦντες τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς, περὶ ἀρχῆς αὐτῷ διαλέγονται, περὶ τῶν τροπαίων, περὶ τῆς νίκης, 55.107 καὶ τὰ ἔθνη λέγουσι τὰ ἡττηθέντα, πορθητὰς καλοῦντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ βαρβάρων νικητὰς, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Τοιαύτην τινὰ ᾠδὴν καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ᾄδει. Νίκην γὰρ διηγεῖται καὶ τρόπαιον, καὶ πολέμων κατάλυσιν, οὐχὶ τοιούτων, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ χαλεπωτέρων. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἄρχεται· Κύριε, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων τῶν οὐ πιστευόντων εἰς αὐτὸν, ἑνὶ τρόπῳ Κύριός ἐστιν, ἡμῶν δὲ διπλῷ· τῷ τε ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ποιῆσαι, τῷ τε γνωσθῆναι παρ' ἡμῶν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἐκ προοιμίων τίθησι τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς εὐεργεσίας. Ἂν γὰρ μάθῃς πῶς σου Κύριος γέγονεν, ὅτι ἀπηλλοτριωμένους καὶ νεκρούς τινας καὶ νεκρωθέντας ᾠκειώσατο καὶ ἐζωοποίησεν, ὄψει καλῶς ὅτι τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς εὐεργεσίας τοῦτο. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐκπληττόμενος ὁ Προφήτης, φησίν· Ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου! τουτέστι, σφόδρα θαυμαστόν. Πόσον δὲ θαυμαστὸν, οὐκ εἶπεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ μετρῆσαι ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπίτασιν παρέστησε καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Ποῦ οἱ τὴν οὐσίαν περιεργαζόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εἰπὼν, οὕτως ἐθαύμασεν, ὡς ἐκπλαγῆναι· τίνα ἂν σχοῖεν ἐκεῖνοι συγγνώμην, οἱ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ λέγοντες εἰδέναι, τοῦ Προφήτου μηδὲ πόσον ἐστὶ θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομα δυναμένου μαθεῖν; Ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου! Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ θάνατος ἐλύθη, δαίμονες ἐδέθησαν, οὐρανὸς ἀνεῴχθη, παραδείσου θύραι ἀνεπετάσθησαν, Πνεῦμα κατεπέμφθη, οἱ δοῦλοι γεγόνασιν ἐλεύθεροι, οἱ ἐχθροὶ, υἱοὶ, οἱ ἀλλότριοι, κληρονόμοι, οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἄγγελοι. Τί λέγω, ἄγγελοι; Θεὸς ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, καὶ ἄνθρωπος Θεός· ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐδέξατο τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς· ἡ γῆ ἐδέξατο τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβεὶμ καθήμενον μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἀγγελικῆς. Τὸ μεσότοιχον ἀνῃρέθη, ὁ φραγμὸς ἐλύθη, τὰ διεστῶτα ἡνώθη, τὸ σκότος ἐσβέσθη, τὸ φῶς ἔλαμψεν, ὁ θάνατος κατεπόθη. Ταῦτα πάντα ἐννοῶν καὶ τὰ τούτων πλείονα ὁ Προφήτης ἀνεβόα, λέγων· Ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ! Ποῦ νῦν οἱ Ἰουδαίων παῖδες, οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀναισχυντοῦντες; Ἡδέως γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἂν ἐροίμην, περὶ τίνος ταῦτα λέγονται. Περὶ τοῦ παντοκράτορος, φήσουσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῦ θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομα ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ Ἡσαΐας λέγων· ∆ι' ὑμᾶς τὸ ὄνομά μου βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Εἰ δὲ οἱ θεραπεύοντες αὐτὸν αἴτιοι τοῦ βλασφημεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐγίνοντο, ποῦ ἦν θαυμαστόν; Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ τῇ φύσει θαυμαστὸν, δῆλον· παρὰ δὲ ἀνθρώποις τότε οὐ θαυμαστὸν τοῖς πλείοσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον. Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ νῦν οὕτως· ἀλλ' ὅτε ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς παρεγένετο, πανταχοῦ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ θαυμαστὸν μετὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου, φησὶ, 55.108 μέχρι δυσμῶν τὸ ὄνομά μου δεδόξασται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυμίαμα προσάγεται τῷ ὀνόματί μου, καὶ θυσία καθαρά. Ὑμεῖς δὲ βεβηλοῦτε αὐτό. Καὶ ἄλλος· Ἐπληρώθη ἡ σύμπασα γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἥξουσι λέγοντες· Ψευδῆ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐκτήσαντο εἴδωλα.