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practical matters. He therefore demands that retribution be made in other ways, Because they did not understand the works of the Lord and the works of his hands. Of the works of God, some happen to be visible, others invisible. Therefore, he wishes those who did not understand the works of God and the works of his hands to receive their retribution; for they voluntarily chose not to understand the works, which resulted in their falling under punishment. 250 Ps 27,7 Having hoped in the Lord, my helper and defender, my heart was helped, so that there was no shameful thought or wicked doctrine in it. For it is characteristic of a heart that is being helped to assent to what is necessary and to refuse what is contrary. Thus, with my heart being helped, My flesh flourished in doing them. Perhaps also the hoping heart might be helped, receiving at the time of the resurrection the flesh that has risen. Similar to this is And our bones will sprout like grass. For our present body has the nature of a seed with respect to that which is from the resurrection; for this very thing, sown in corruption, flourishes again in incorruption when it is sown; whence Paul also used the example of what is sown concerning the resurrection. And from my will I will confess to him. Many, out of fear of punishment or for the sake of shame before men, renounce their sins while being pleased with them in their disposition. But the discerning man, having perceived the pollution and harmfulness of sins, voluntarily turns away from them, confessing about them to God of his own will. But if I will confess to him signifies thanksgiving, one does this from his will, giving thanks for all that happens, even if some things seem to be unpleasant. For those who give thanks only for pleasant things are not led to this by their own will but by pleasure. 251 Ps 27,8 The people of God have no other stronghold than the Lord himself becoming their defense and bulwark. This same Lord is also the defender of the salvations of his Christ. Every one who partakes of Christ is called a christ homonymously with him. Therefore, of the salvations by which such a christ is saved, he is his defender, but if of Christ his true Son, one must understand defender of the salvations or salvation by which he saves. 252 Ps 27,9 Save your people, whose stronghold you are, blessing your inheritance, which is none other than your people; bless it with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, lifting and raising them up through virtue, but also shepherding them throughout this entire age. For in the age to come, having surpassed the state of nurtured creatures, they will have you as their instructor and teacher. 253 Ps 28,1a The present psalm, containing the greatest mysteries, is fittingly placed as the twenty-eighth number, which is a heptad in power. For if you add the consecutive numbers from one to seven, twenty-eight is formed; whence it is also triangular, with each of its sides being composed of seven. It is also a perfect number, the second after six. They say a perfect number is one composed of its own parts, so that it neither exceeds nor falls short. And so the present number has the parts one-half, one-fourth, one-seventh, one-fourteenth, one-twenty-eighth; which when added together complete the number itself.

254 Ps 28,1b-2 He commands either the angels or the men who have the spirit of adoption

to bring to the tabernacle the things for worship; and among the things they bring are also sons of rams. One must consider rams to be those who have chosen a vigorous life according to godliness, apart from contemplating the truth rationally. For this reason they are also fit to rule, and sons of rams are those born of them by imitation of their way of life. Those who have conceived of the Trinity rightly, justly, and piously bring glory, and those who keep the commandments of the Lord bring honor. For if he who transgresses the law through the

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πρακτικά. ἀξιοῖ ουν καθ' ετερα ἀνταπόδοσιν γενέσθαι, Οτι οὐ συνῆκαν εἰς τὰ εργα κυρίου καὶ εἰς τὰ εργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ. τῶν εργων τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ μὲν ὁρατά, τὰ δὲ ἀόρατα τυγχάνει. τοὺς γοῦν μὴ συνέντας τὰ εργα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ εργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀνταπολαβεῖν βούλεται τὸ ἀνταπόδομα αὐτῶν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ προαιρετικῶς ειλοντο τὸ μὴ συνιέναι τὰ εργα ῳ ἠκολούθησε τὸ τιμωρίας αὐτοὺς ὑποπεσεῖν. 250 Ps 27,7 ̓Επὶ τῷ βοηθῷ καὶ ὑπερασπιστῇ κυρίῳ ἐλπίσασα ἡ καρδία μου ἐβοηθήθη, ὡς μηδὲν ἐν αὐτῇ ειναι ἐνθύμημα αἰσχρὸν η δόγμα φαῦλον. βοηθουμένης γὰρ καρδίας ἐστὶν τὸ συγκατατίθεσθαι οις δεῖ καὶ ἀνανεύειν πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία. ουτω δὲ τῆς καρδίας μου βοηθείσης ̓Ανέθαλεν ἡ σάρξ μου ἐν τῷ πράττειν αὐτά. τάχα δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίζουσα καρδία βοηθηθείη, ἀπολαμβάνουσα κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως καιρὸν ἀνατείλασαν τὴν σάρκα. παραπλήσιον τούτῳ τὸ Καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν ὡς βοτάνη ἀνατελεῖ. σπέρματος γὰρ λόγον τὸ νῦν ἡμῶν σῶμα εχει πρὸς τὸ ἐξ ἀναστάσεως· αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο σπαρὲν ἐν φθορᾷ ἀναθάλλει ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ σπειρόμενον· οθεν καὶ τῷ παραδείγματι τῷ σπειρομένῳ εἰς τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἐχρήσατο Παῦλος. Καὶ ἐκ θελήματός μου ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ. πολλοὶ φόβῳ κολάσεως η αἰσχύνης ενεκα τῆς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀπαγορεύουσι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κατὰ διάθεσιν ἡδόμενοι ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. ὁ δὲ κριτικὸς ἀνὴρ ἐνιδὼν τῷ μύσει καὶ βλαβερῷ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἑκουσίως ἀποστρέφεται αὐτά, ἐξ ἰδίου θελήματος περὶ αὐτῶν ἐξομολογούμενος θεῷ. ἐὰν δὲ εὐχαριστίαν σημαίνοι τὸ ̓Εξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ, ἐκ θελήματός τις αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν εὐχαριστῶν καν ἀηδῆ τινα ειναι δοκῇ. οἱ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς τέρπουσι μόνοις εὐχαριστοῦντες οὐκ ἐξ ἰδίου θελήματος ἀλλ' ὑφ' ἡδονῆς αγονται ἐπὶ τοῦτο. 251 Ps 27,8 ̔Ο τοῦ θεοῦ λαὸς οὐκ αλλο τι εχει κραταίωμα η τὸν κύριον αὐτὸν ερυμα καὶ ερκος αὐτῶν γινόμενον. αὐτὸς δὲ ουτος ὁ κύριος καὶ ὑπερασπιστής ἐστιν τῶν σωτηριῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. πᾶς δὲ Χριστοῦ μετέχων ὁμωνύμως αὐτῷ χριστὸς καλεῖται. ων ουν σῴζεται σωτηριῶν ὁ ουτω χριστὸς αὐτοῦ ὑπερασπιστής ἐστιν, αν δὲ χριστοῦ τοῦ οντος υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ὑπερασπιστὴς τῶν σωτηριῶν η σωτηρίας ἀκουστέον καθ' ας σῴζει. 252 Ps 27,9 Σῶσον τὸν λαόν σου τοῦτον ου κραταίωμα τυγχάνεις, εὐλογῶν τὴν κληρονομίαν σου οὐκ αλλην τοῦ λαοῦ σου ουσαν· εὐλόγησον δὲ αὐτὴν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, ἐπάρας καὶ μετεωρίσας δι' ἀρετῆς αὐτοὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ ποιμαίνων αὐτοὺς εἰς πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον. ἐν γὰρ τῷ μέλλοντι ὑπερβάντες τὴν θρεμμάτων κατάστασιν παιδευτῇ καὶ διδασκάλῳ σοι χρήσονται. 253 Ps 28,1a ̔Ο προκείμενος ψαλμὸς μέγιστα περιέχων μυστήρια εἰκότως κατὰ τὸν εἰκοστὸν ογδοον ἀριθμὸν τέτακται οντα δυνάμει ἑβδομάδα. ἐὰν γοῦν συνθῇς τοὺς ἑξῆς ἀριθμοὺς ἀπὸ μονάδος εως ἑβδομάδος, εἰκοστὸς ογδοος ἀπαρτίζεται· οθεν καὶ τρίγωνός ἐστιν ἑκάστης αὐτοῦ πλευρᾶς συγκειμένης ἐξ ἑβδομάδος. εστιν δὲ καὶ τέλειος ἀριθμός, δεύτερος μετὰ τὸν εκτον. τέλειον δὲ ἀριθμόν φασιν τὸν ἐκ τῶν μερῶν ἑαυτοῦ συντιθέμενον, ωστε μὴ ὑπερβάλλειν μηδὲ ἐλλείπειν. καὶ ὁ παρὼν ουν ἀριθμὸς μέρη εχει ημισυ, τέταρτον, εβδομον, τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατον, εἰκοστὸν ογδοον· απερ συντεθέντα ἀπαρτίζει ἑαυτόν.

254 Ps 28,1b-2 Προστάττει ητοι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις η τοῖς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς υἱοθεσίας

εχουσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐνεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν τὰ πρὸς θεραπείαν· εν δὲ ων φέρουσιν καὶ υἱοὶ τῶν κριῶν εἰσιν. κριοὺς δὲ ἡγητέον ειναι τοὺς εὐτόνους κατὰ θεοσεβείαν βίον ἐπανελομένους δίχα τοῦ λογικῶς θεωρεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. διὸ καὶ αρχειν εἰσὶν ἱκανοί, υἱοὶ δὲ κριῶν οἱ μιμήσει τῆς πολιτείας γεννηθέντες ὑπ' αὐτῶν. ∆όξαν φέρουσιν οἱ ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς περὶ τῆς τριάδος διειληφότες, τιμὴν δὲ οἱ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ κυρίου φυλάττοντες. εἰ γὰρ ὁ παραβαίνων τὸν νόμον διὰ τοῦ