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contributing for me to bear them. Your mercy, which is seen by me before my eyes, works with me to please in your truth; for the mercy of God makes one please according to truth and not feignedly. 233 Ps 25,6.7 One washes in innocent things the practical powers of the soul, tropically called hands, by activating in them nothing base but whatever is virtuous. And perhaps also one who has defiled them in the working of evil things washes and cleanses them, using good works instead of water. He who has become free from all the aforementioned harmful things and has washed his hands in innocent things, like an innocent priest, will circle the spiritual altar of the Lord, upon which one offers up the spiritual sacrifices, that is, the pure prayers or the lawful deeds. In order to hear the voice of the angels and souls and spirits of the just who praise you, I have either been around the altar or I have washed my hands in innocent things and have abstained from all the things that lead astray, but also in order to declare all your wonders which you accomplish marvelously and paradoxically. 234 Ps 25,8.9 He who loves the Lord with his whole soul also loves all the things of God, of which one is the beauty of his house; and the beauty of the house of God is the truth of the doctrines and the order of the canons of the church, understood as a house. In addition to these things, he says he also loves the tabernacle of the glory of the house of God. And perhaps the tent of witness which Moses constructed in the desert is the tabernacle of the glory of God; and this is a symbol of progress. But the one which Solomon built after the journey into Jerusalem is a house whose beauty he loves, bearing the type of perfection. And he prays not to be disposed in the same way as the impious, so that his soul may not be destroyed with them; for one having a pious mind will not suffer this. And he asks not to become a murderer, so that his life may not be destroyed with men of blood; for in their deeds is injustice, which is universal evil. 235 Ps 25,11b Even if he said the aforementioned things conscious of the best things in himself, being cautious lest he has not been justified in this, since hidden sins often escape notice, he asks to be redeemed and have mercy.

236 Ps 26,1bc God is our Savior, delivering us from sins and from death, and an illumination, dissolving the mist of evil and of ignorance and shining upon us with the light of knowledge. He who is thus united and illuminated by the Lord, Whom shall he fear? For no one is able to harm the one who has obtained such good things and security. The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? With God fighting for his own life Of whom shall I be afraid? The phrase "Of whom" denotes contempt for the one rising up against him who is guarded by God; For if God is for us, who is against us? 237 Ps 26,3.4 These things may be said both concerning perceptible enemies and concerning a phalanx of invisible foes; For he says, if war rises up against me, in this my heart that does not fear them I hope, having dared to have God as a champion. There is one who asks and seeks to Dwell in the house of the Lord, that is, in the church by thinking ecclesiastical things all the days of his enlightened life. And the phrase I have asked one thing can be understood thus: while living on earth for now, even if I ask to obtain many good things, before all things I have asked this petition, to Dwell in the house of the Lord according to order and not all at once in all good things to be able; or perhaps to I have asked one thing one should add the word "excellent" or "great". Since also in the preceding things he says he has loved the beauty of the house of the Lord, he who longs to behold this prays to be in the house, so that being near it, he may genuinely set it forth and also, having gone up, he may visit, that is, look around, his temple, perhaps no longer wishing to depart from it, imitating

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συμβαλούμενόν μοι εἰς τὸ ἐνεγκεῖν αὐτά. ὁ ελεος σοῦ ὁ τεθεωρημένος μοι τῷ κατέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου ειναι συνεργεῖ πρὸς τὸ εὐαρεστῆσαι ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου· κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἐπιπλάστως εὐαρεστεῖν ποιεῖ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλεημοσύνη. 233 Ps 25,6.7 Τὰς πρακτικὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις χεῖρας τροπικῶς καλουμένας ἐν ἀθῴοις νίπτεταί τις οὐδὲν φαῦλον ἀλλ' ει τι σπουδαῖον ἐνεργῶν ἐν αὐταῖς. τάχα δὲ καὶ ὁ μολύνας αὐτὰς ἐν ἐργασίᾳ πονηρῶν νίπτεται καὶ ἀποπλύνει αὐτὰς ἀνθ' υδατος χρώμενος τῇ ἀγαθοεργίᾳ. ̔Ο πάντων τῶν προειρημένων βλαβερῶν ἐκτὸς γεγονὼς καὶ νιψάμενος ἐν ἀθῴοις τὰς χεῖρας δίκην ἀθῴου ἱερέως κυκλώσει τὸ πνευματικὸν θυσιαστήριον τοῦ κυρίου, ἐφ' ο τὰς πνευματικὰς θυσίας τις ἀναβιβάζει ητοι τὰς καθαρὰς εὐχὰς η τὰς νομίμους πράξεις. Τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῶν αἰνούντων σε ἀγγέλων καὶ ψυχῶν καὶ πνευμάτων δικαίων φωνὴν η περικύκλῳ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου γεγένημαι η ἐνιψάμην ἐν ἀθῴοις τὰς χεῖράς μου καὶ πάντων τῶν προαγόντων ἀπεσχόμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ∆ιηγήσασθαι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσιά σου α τεραστίως καὶ παραδόξως ἐπιτελεῖς. 234 Ps 25,8.9 ̔Ο τὸν κύριον ἐξ ολης ψυχῆς ἀγαπῶν καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα, ων εν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ οικου αὐτοῦ τυγχάνει, ἀγαπᾷ· εὐπρέπεια δὲ τοῦ οικου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ τῶν δογμάτων ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ διαταγὴ τῶν κανόνων τῆς ἐκκλησίας οικου νοουμένης. πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ τὸ σκήνωμα τῆς δόξης τοῦ οικου τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαπᾶν φησιν. καὶ τάχα μὲν ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ην Μωυσῆς κατεσκεύασεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὸ σκήνωμα τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν· σύμβολον δὲ προκοπῆς τοῦτο. ον δὲ ᾠκοδόμησεν Σολομῶν μετὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν εἰς τὴν ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ οικός ἐστιν ου τὴν εὐπρέπειαν ἀγαπᾷ τελειότητος τύπον φέρων. Ευχεται δὲ μὴ ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἀσεβέσι διαθεῖναι, ινα μὴ συναπόληται αὐτοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ· εὐσεβῆ γάρ τις γνώμην εχων οὐ πείσεται τοῦτο. παρακαλεῖ δὲ μηδὲ φονικὸς γενέσθαι, οπως ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἀνδράσιν αἱμάτων μὴ συναπόληται· ἐν πράξεσιν γὰρ τούτων ἀδικία ἐστὶν ἡ καθόλου κακία. 235 Ps 25,11b Εἰ καὶ τὰ κάλλιστα συνειδὼς αὐτῷ τὰ προειρημένα ειπεν, εὐλαβούμενος μὴ οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωται λανθανόντων πολλάκις τῶν ἐν κρυπτῷ ἁμαρτημάτων, λυτρωθῆναι καὶ ἐλεηθῆναι ἀξιοῖ.

236 Ps 26,1bc Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός ἐστιν ῥυόμενος ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, φωτισμὸς δὲ λύων τὴν ἀχλὺν τῆς κακίας καὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας καὶ ἐναυγάζων τῷ φωτὶ τῆς γνώσεως. ὁ ουτως ουν ἑνωθεὶς καὶ πεφωτισμένος ὑπὸ κυρίου, Τίνα φοβηθήσεται; οὐδεὶς γὰρ οιός τέ ἐστι βλάψαι τὸν ἀγαθῶν τοιούτων καὶ ἀσφαλείας τετυχηκότα. Κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου· ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω; θεοῦ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ζωῇ ὑπερμαχοῦντος τῆς ζωῆς ̓Απὸ τίνος δειλιάσω; τὸ ̓Απὸ τίνος ἐξευτελισμὸν δηλοῖ τοῦ ἐπανιστανομένου κατ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὑπὸ θεοῦ φρουρουμένου· Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς ὁ καθ' ἡμῶν; 237 Ps 26,3.4 ̔Ρηθείη ταῦτα καὶ περὶ αἰσθητῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ περὶ φάλαγγος ἀοράτων πολεμίων· ̓Εὰν γάρ φησιν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ' ἐμὲ πόλεμος, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μὴ φοβουμένῃ αὐτοὺς καρδίᾳ μου ἐλπίζω, ὑπέρμαχον θεὸν εχειν θαρρήσας. Εστιν ο αἰτεῖται καὶ ἐκζητεῖ τὸ Κατοικεῖν ἐν οικῳ κυρίου, τουτέστιν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ διὰ τοῦ φρονεῖν τὰ ἐκκλησιαστικὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς πεφωτισμένης ζωῆς ἑαυτοῦ. δύναται δὲ τὸ Μίαν ᾐτησάμην ουτως ἀκουσθῆναι· ἐπὶ γῆς τέως διατρίβων, εἰ καὶ πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν τυχεῖν παρακαλῶ, πρὸ πάντων ταύτην ᾐτησάμην τὴν αιτησιν, τὸ ̓Εν οικῳ κυρίου κατοικεῖν τῷ κατὰ τάξιν καὶ μὴ ἀθρόως ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς οιόν τε γενέσθαι· η τάχα προσυπακουστέον τῷ Μίαν ᾐτησάμην τὸ ἐξαίρετον η μεγάλην. ̓Επεὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς εμπροσθέν φησιν ἠγαπηκέναι τὴν εὐπρέπειαν τοῦ οικου κυρίου, ὁ ταύτην ποθῶν θεωρεῖν ευχεται ἐν τῷ οικῳ γενέσθαι, ιν' ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς τυγχάνων γνησίως προβάλλων ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπεραναβὰς ἐπισκέψηται τουτέστιν περιαθρήσῃ τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ, τάχα οὐδὲ ἀναχωρῆσαι αὐτοῦ ετι θελήσας μιμούμενος