58

mass and so great a fullness of the earth, and willed that the whole inhabited world and those who dwell in it be borne aloft, suspended above the back of the waters. Therefore, "He has founded it upon the seas," it is said. For the heavy and lifeless earth did not establish itself upon the depths, but the creator of all, the Son of God, who willed the firm and heavy element of the earth by divine creation to be carried upon the back of the sea and to stand above the liquid nature, and in this manner He founded it. And by another reasoning he shows that the earth did not come into being automatically, nor by chance, randomly and irrationally, was it clothed with such a shape; therefore he adds: "And upon the rivers He has prepared it." For if it were entirely smooth and even all over according to the sphere of the Greeks, it would never have been capable of the formation of rivers; nor would it be suitable for agriculture, with the rains carried to it flowing away from every side; just as, on the contrary, if it were one flat expanse spread out and opened into plains, rivers would not have been formed in it in this way either; both those carried from ever-flowing springs, and those formed from the winter rains; and having long since flooded everything, they would not have rendered it suitable for seeds, or plants, or agriculture; nor would it have been useful even to its inhabitants, with everything being flooded and swept away by the deluge of the waters. These things, then, would be, if some creative Word and wisdom of God had not artfully clothed it with such a shape; but as it is, it was so fashioned as to be formed into mountains and glens, hills and ravines; so that rivers too may make their own channels without hindrance; and mountains and groves and plants be allotted to animals; and lands and plains be set apart for human habitations and agriculture. Who, then, would not confess that these things are truly of a wise providence? Which, anticipating the future before the fullness of the earth, and before the things in it were formed, shaped it in such a way, fashioning it with a suitable form, so that it might be fit for all. More mystically, the earth has become the Lord's. "Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?" the final good and the God Word must be spoken of, to which he who strives through progress to reach its summit ascends. But such a one is rare; wherefore it is said: "Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Diapsalma. Lift up your gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." Perhaps through the question and answer they teach all men the lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ; even if one should think these not to be ignorant. But some say that the second question and answer were not spoken to the powers still higher, but to the same ones. And the diapsalma, placed before "Lift up your gates, O you rulers," seems to have made a change in the melody; and also in the thought itself. And in saying that he will enter in, he has also secretly hinted at his exit. Then, since he was not about to enter into his kingdom alone, the word commands that all the gates be opened wide for the sake of those who are to inherit the kingdom of heaven with the Son of God. For He opened many and various gates of the entrance into the heavens; since there are also many mansions with the Father. But see if the question raised in the psalm that says might not be resolved in these words: "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord"

58

ὄγκον καὶ τὸ τοσοῦτον τῆς γῆς πλήρωμα, ὅλην τε τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτὴν ἄνω φέρεσθαι μετέωρον ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τῶν ὑδάτων βεβούληται. ∆ιὸ, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν, εἴρηται. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτὴ ἑαυτὴν ἡ βαρεῖα καὶ ἄψυχος γῆ ἐπὶ τῶν βυθῶν ἐστήριξεν, ἀλλ' ὁ πάντων δημιουργὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, ὃς τὸ στερέμνιον καὶ βαρὺ τῆς γῆς στοιχεῖον θεϊκῇ δημιουργίᾳ ὑπὲρ νώτων ὀχεῖσθαι θαλάσσης καὶ ὑπεράνω τῆς ὑγρᾶς φύσεως ἑστάναι βουληθεὶς, καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὴν θεμελιώσας τὸν τρόπον. Καὶ καθ' ἕτερον δὲ λογισμὸν παρίστησι τὸ μὴ αὐτόματον ὑποστῆναι τὴν γῆν, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν, εἰκῆ καὶ ἀλόγως, τὸ 23.221 τοιοῦτον αὐτῇ περιβεβλῆσθαι σχῆμα· διὸ ἐπιλέγει· Καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτήν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὅλη δι' ὅλου λεία καὶ ὁμαλὴ κατὰ τὴν σφαῖραν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὑπῆρχεν, οὐκ ἄν ποτε τῆς τῶν ποταμῶν συστάσεως δεκτικὴ ἐγεγόνει· οὐδ' ἂν εἰς γεωργίαν ἐπιτηδεία, ἐκρεόντων ἁπανταχόθεν τῶν εἰς αὐτὴν φερομένων ὄμβρων· ὡς αὖ πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου, εἰ πλὰξ ἦν μία ἡπλωμένη καὶ ἀνειμένη εἰς πεδιάδας χώρας, οὐδ' οὕτως συνέστησαν ἐν αὐτῇ ποταμοί· οἵ τ' ἐξ ἀεννάων πηγῶν φερόμενοι, οἵ τε ἐκ τῶν χειμερινῶν ὄμβρων συνιστάμενοι· πάλαι δ' ἂν ἐπικλύσαντες πᾶσαν, οὔτε σπέρμασιν, οὔτε φυτοῖς, οὔτε γεωργίαις ἐπιτηδείαν αὐτὴν παρεῖχον· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς τοῖς οἰκήτορσιν γεγόνει ἂν χρήσιμος, πάντων ἐπικλυζομένων καὶ κατασυρομένων ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων πλημμύρας. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἦν, εἰ μὴ λόγος τις δημιουργικὸς καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία τεχνικῶς αὐτῇ τοιόνδε σχῆμα περιβεβλήκει· νυνὶ δὲ οὕτως κατεσκευάσθη, ὡς εἰς ὄρη καὶ νάπας, βουνούς τε καὶ φάραγγας ἐσχηματίσθαι· ὡς καὶ ποταμοὺς τὰς ἑαυτῶν διεξόδους ἀκωλύτως ποιεῖσθαι· ὄρη τε καὶ ἄλση καὶ φυτὰ ζώοις ἀπονέμεσθαι· χώρας τε καὶ πεδιάδας εἰς οἰκήσεις καὶ γεωργίας ἀνθρώποις ἀφωρίσθαι. Τίς τοίνυν οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογήσειεν ἀληθῶς σοφῆς εἶναι προμηθείας ταῦτα; ἣ, προλαβοῦσα τὸ μέλλον πρὸ τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς γῆς, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ συστῆναι τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ, τοιάνδε αὐτὴν ἐσχημάτισε, καταλλήλῳ διαπλάττουσα τύπῳ, ὡς ἂν τοῖς πᾶσι γένοιτο ἐπιτηδεία. Μυστικώτερον δὲ τοῦ Κυρίου γέγονεν ἡ γῆ. Τὶς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου; ἢ τίς στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ; τὸ τελικὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον λεκτέον, ἐφ' ὃ ἀναβαίνει ὁ διὰ προκοπῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν αὐτοῦ φθάσαι γλιχόμενος. Σπάνιος δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος· διὸ εἴρηται· Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου; ἢ τίς στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ; Ἀθῶος χερσὶ καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὃς οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ ματαίῳ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ δόλῳ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ. Οὗτος λήψεται εὐλογίαν παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην παρὰ Θεοῦ σωτῆρος αὐτοῦ. Αὕτη ἡ γενεὰ ζητούντων αὐτὸν, ζητούντων τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. ∆ιάψαλμα. Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατὸς, Κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ. Ἴσως δὲ διὰ τῆς πεύσεως καὶ ἀποκρίσεως διδάσκουσι πάντας ἀνθρώπους τὴν δεσποτείαν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· εἴ γε τίς δ' οἴῃ ταύτας μὴ ἀγνοεῖν. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν δευτέραν πεῦσιν καὶ ἀπόκρισιν, οὐ ταῖς ἔτι ἀνωτέρω δυνάμεσιν εἰρῆσθαι φασὶν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς αὐταῖς. Τό τε διάψαλμα πρὸ τοῦ· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, κείμενον, τῆς μελῳδίας ἔοικε μεταβολὴν πεποιῆσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῆς. Ἐν δὲ τῷ λέγειν εἰσελεύσεσθαι αὐτὸν, λεληθότως καὶ ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ ᾐνίξατο. Εἶτ' ἐπεὶ μὴ μόνος ἤμελλεν εἰσιέναι εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν, πάσας ἀναπετασθῆναι τὰς πύλας ὁ λόγος παρακελεύεται διὰ τοὺς 23.224 μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν σὺν τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πολλὰς γὰρ ἀνέῳξε καὶ διαφόρους πύλας τῆς εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς εἰσόδου· ἐπεὶ καὶ πολλαὶ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ Πατρί. Ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ ἐν τούτοις λυθείη ἂν τὸ ζητούμενον ἐν τῷ φάσκοντι ψαλμῷ· Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος