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He gave Jacob authority over Esau. For, he says, 'Be master of your brother.' They, therefore, having become equal in honor to the fathers, and having acquired preeminence over all through the practice of virtue, are also sons of the bride of Christ, and by their own mother they are established as rulers over all the earth. Consider for me the authority of the queen, how great it is in her: to appoint rulers over all the earth. I will remember your name in all generations. Therefore peoples will confess you forever and ever and ever. Above all, the word is spoken as from the person of the Church, that 'I will remember your name in all generations.' And what is the remembrance of the Church? The confession of the peoples. 29.416

ON THE 45TH PSALM.

To the end, for the sons of Korah; a psalm for the hidden things. The psalm

seems to me to contain a prophecy about the things at the end. Paul, knowing this end, says: 'Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father.' Or because our actions lead us to the end, each to its own proper end, the good to blessedness, the bad to eternal condemnation; and the counsels given by the Spirit in this psalm lead those who are persuaded to the good end; for this reason it is inscribed 'To the end;' as the reference of the teachings is to the blessed end of human life. For the sons of Korah. And this psalm is also spoken to the sons of Korah, whom the Holy Spirit does not divide, because as with one soul and one voice, with all harmony with one another, they uttered the prophetic words; none of them prophesying anything different from the others, but the prophetic gift was bestowed equally upon them because of their equal disposition toward one another in good things. But the psalm is said to be 'for the hidden things;' that is, for things unspoken, and for things hidden in mystery. And when you come to the individual sayings of the psalm, you will learn the hidden meaning of the words; and that it is not for the ordinary person to look into the divine mysteries, but only for him who is able to become a harmonious instrument of the promise, so that instead of a psaltery his soul is moved by the Holy Spirit who works in it. Our God is a refuge and strength, a helper in the afflictions that have found us exceedingly. Every man needs much help, on account of the weakness inherent in his nature, with many distressing and painful things befalling him. Therefore, seeking refuge from all circumstances, as one fleeing to an inviolable place, or taking refuge upon some sharp peak enclosed by a strong wall, because of the attack of enemies; so he flees to God, considering the only rest to be abiding in him. That refuge is indeed in God is confessed by all, but the enemy has caused much error and confusion concerning the choice of the one who saves. For plotting as an enemy, he again deceives those who have been plotted against, to flee to him as a guardian, so that a double evil befalls them: either being taken by force, or perishing through deceit. For this reason, the unfaithful flee to demons and 29.417 idols, having been deprived of the knowledge of the true God by the confusion caused in them by the devil. And those who know God are mistaken in the discernment of things, making their requests for what is advantageous without instruction, and asking for certain things as good, which are often not for their benefit, and fleeing other things as evil, which sometimes bring them much benefit. For example, is someone sick? Fleeing from the

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έθηκε τῷ Ἰακὼβ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ ἐξουσίαν. Γίνου γὰρ, φησὶ, κύριος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. Οἱ τοί νυν ἰσότιμοι τοῖς πατράσι γενόμενοι, καὶ τὴν κατὰ πάντων ὑπεροχὴν διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄσκησιν προσλαβόντες, καὶ υἱοὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ νύμφης εἰσὶ, καὶ παρὰ τῆς ἰδίας μητρὸς καθίστανται ἄρχοντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. Σκόπει δέ μοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῆς βασιλίδος, ὅση τις ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἐστι· χειροτονεῖν ἄρ χοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. Μνησθήσομαι τοῦ ὀνό ματός σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λαοὶ ἐξομολογήσονταί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὁ λόγος εἴρηται, ὅτι Μνησθήσομαι τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ. Τίς δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μνήμη; Ἡ ἐξομολόγησις τῶν λαῶν. 29.416

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΜΕʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ.

Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῶν υἱῶν Κορέ· ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων ψαλμός. Προφητείαν

μοι δοκεῖ περιέχειν ὁ ψαλμὸς περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸ τέλος. Ὅπερ τέλος εἰδὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, φησίν· Εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. Ἢ ἐπειδὴ αἱ πράξεις ἡμῶν ἀπάγουσιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸ τέλος, ἑκάστη τὸ οἰκεῖον ἑαυτῇ, ἡ μὲν ἀγαθὴ πρὸς τὴν μακαριότητα, ἡ δὲ φαύλη πρὸς τὴν αἰωνίαν κατάκρισιν· αἱ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ τούτῳ παραδι δόμεναι συμβουλαὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν τέλος ἀπ άγουσι τοὺς πειθομένους· τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐπιγέγρα πται Εἰς τὸ τέλος· ὡς τῆς ἀναφορᾶς τῶν διδαγμά των ἐπὶ τὸ μακάριον τέλος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς ὑπαρχούσης. Ὑπὲρ τῶν υἱῶν Κορέ. Τοῖς δὲ υἱοῖς Κορὲ καὶ οὗτος εἴρηται ὁ ψαλμὸς, οὓς οὐ διαιρεῖ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, διότι ὥσπερ μιᾷ ψυχῇ καὶ μιᾷ φωνῇ μετὰ πάσης τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους συμφωνίας τοὺς προφητικοὺς λόγους προΐεντο· μηδὲν τοῦ ἑτέρου αὐτῶν παρὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς προφητεύσαντος, ἀλλ' ἴσου αὐτοῖς τοῦ προφητικοῦ χαρίσματος δωρη θέντος διὰ τὸ ἴσον αὐτῶν τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰς τὰ καλὰ διαθέσεως. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν κρυφίων εἴρη ται ὁ ψαλμός· τουτέστιν, ὑπὲρ ἀποῤῥήτων, καὶ τῶν ἐν μυστηρίῳ κεκρυμμένων. Γενόμενος δὲ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ μέρος ῥητοῖς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, μαθήσῃ τὸ κεκρυμ μένον τῶν λόγων· καὶ ὅτι οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος ἐστὶν ἐν ιδεῖν τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις, ἢ μόνου τοῦ δυνα μένου γενέσθαι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐναρμόνιον ὄργανον, ὥστε ἀντὶ ψαλτηρίου κινεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος αὐτῇ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν καταφυγὴ καὶ δύναμις, βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσι ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. Πολλῆς βοηθείας δέεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, διὰ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως προσοῦσαν αὐτῷ ἀσθένειαν, πολλῶν αὐτῷ προσπι πτόντων ἀνιαρῶν καὶ ἐπιπόνων. Τὴν οὖν ἐκ πάντων τῶν περιστατικῶν καταφυγὴν ἐπιζητῶν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ ἄσυλον φεύγων χωρίον, ἢ ἐπί τινα κορυφὴν ὀξεῖαν καρτερῷ τείχει περιειλημμένην κα ταφεύγων, διὰ τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιδρομήν· οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν καταφεύγει, μόνην εἶναι ἡγούμενος ἀνάπαυσιν τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ διαμονήν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἡ καταφυγὴ παρὰ πᾶσιν ὡμολόγηται, πολλὴν δὲ πλάνην καὶ σύγχυσιν ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐνεποίησε περὶ τὴν τοῦ σώζοντος ἐκλογήν. Ἐπιβουλεύων γὰρ ὡς πολέμιος, πάλιν τοὺς ἐπιβουλευθέντας ἐξαπατᾷ, αὐτῷ προσφεύγειν ὡς φύλακι, ὥστε διπλοῦν αὐτοῖς περιίστασθαι τὸ κακόν· ἢ βιαίως ληφθεῖσιν, ἢ ἐξ ἀπάτης ἀπολομένοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρὸς δαίμονας καὶ 29.417 εἴδωλα καταφεύγουσιν οἱ ἄπιστοι τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν ὑπὸ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου γενο μένης αὐτοῖς συγχύσεως ἀφαιρεθέντες. Καὶ οἱ ἐπι γινώσκοντες δὲ τὸν Θεὸν περὶ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων διάκρισιν σφάλλονται, ἀπαιδεύτως τὰς αἰτήσεις τῶν συμφερόντων ποιούμενοι, καὶ αἰτοῦντές τινα ὡς ἀγαθὰ, οὐκ ἐπὶ συμφέροντι πολλάκις αὐτῶν, καὶ φεύγοντες ἄλλα ὡς πονηρὰ, πολλὴν αὐτοῖς ἐνίοτε τὴν ὠφέλειαν φέροντα. Οἷον, νοσεῖ τις; Φεύ γων τὸ ἐκ τῆς