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It can also be understood this way: since I heard the blame with which many of those around me are blamed for not dwelling but sojourning in our lands, for this reason I have become a ruined vessel. With this agrees the saying: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant? 275 Ps 30,16 In your hands, which are covering and guarding powers, are my lots, that is, all things allotted to me according to your judgment, either to be delivered from them or to suffer them; for I do not think that anything happens by chance. 276 Ps 30,16a Others, however, clarify the word thus: the given authorities, they say, whether as rulers or teachers or those having some other preeminence, are called their lots. These, therefore, are in the hands of God. For as he establishes, so also he removes kings. Therefore, even if some attack because of my present preeminence, wishing to remove it, they will not be able, because all things concerning me are in your hands. 277 Ps 30,20.21 He does not simply hide his goodness from those who fear him (for they see much of it), but the abundance of it, so that they may not be harmed. And it is well to say: For those who fear you; for them he stores it up. Reveal it to them, when, having come into perfect love, they cast out fear. These very things which you hid for those who fear you, you have already revealed in effect to those who have hope more than fear Before the sons of men. You will call men those who have kept the rational and the "in his image" undistorted, and their sons those who have become their rational disciples and imitators. You will call the secret part of the face of God that which is not now attainable for knowledge, but will be revealed then when we shall see him as he is. To this secret part is contrasted what is said by Paul: what is known of him was revealed to men, that is, his creative and providential power. For after God has revealed it, it is said: For his invisible attributes, since the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. Perhaps the Savior also, being the face of God, has as hidden all that pertains to his divinity, but as manifest that which pertains to the economy. Therefore, when the Word, having become flesh, dwells among us, we are hidden in the secret place of his face, seeing it when we see His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. But consider if also the manifest works of providence can be his face; for through them we imagine God; but his secret part is the ineffable principles according to which things come to be, which we shall know at the end of things. From the disturbance of men. Those who proclaim human dogmas are men who put forth a disturbance, by which they disturb the unsteadfast. Making those who hope in him to be outside of this disturbance, God hides them in the secret place of his face according to all the ways that have been mentioned. You will shelter them in a tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues. The perfect one, having departed from all progress, understands the truth itself, through which he is undeceivable, but the one who is succeeding in progressing needs a God who shelters in a tabernacle, that is, from the different tongues, or the different false opinions. For to the perfect one it is said: And every voice that will rise against you for judgment, you will defeat them all. For every heterodox argument rises up, wishing to be judged with the ecclesiastical opinion. And the perfect one, holding the views of the church, will defeat them all. 278 Ps 30,22.23 The mercy of God is not so worthy of wonder when it is shown in open and sprawling cities, as it is marveled at when it occurs in a city of confinement; so that for this reason also God is to be blessed, with those who have been delivered from a greater circumstance blessing him greatly. But the name of ecstasy signifies madness, and it also indicates wonder that comes with astonishment; the present word signifies the second of the things signified. For what he says

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δύναται δὲ καὶ ουτως· ἐπεὶ ψόγον ηκουσα ον ψέγονται πολλοὶ τῶν περικύκλῳ μου τῷ μὴ κατοικεῖν ἀλλὰ παροικεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις, τούτου χάριν σκεῦος ἀπολωλὸς γέγονα. τούτῳ συνᾴδει τὸ Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; 275 Ps 30,16 ̓Εν ταῖς σκεπαζούσαις καὶ φρουρούσαις δυνάμεσι χερσίν σου χρηματιζούσαις οἱ κλῆροί μου τυγχάνουσιν, τουτέστιν πάντα τὰ συγκληρωθέντα μοι κατὰ κρίσιν σὴν ητοι ῥυσθῆναι ἀπ' αὐτῶν η παθεῖν· οὐδὲ γάρ τι συντυχικῶς οιομαι συμβαίνειν. 276 Ps 30,16a Ετεροι δὲ τὴν λέξιν σαφηνίζουσιν ουτως· αἱ δεδομέναι ἐξουσίαι, φασίν, ητοι ὡς αρχουσιν η διδασκάλοις η αλλην ὑπεροχὴν εχουσι, κλῆροι αὐτῶν ὀνομάζονται. ουτοι ουν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσιν. ὡς γὰρ αὐτὸς καθιστᾷ, ουτως καὶ μεθιστᾷ βασιλεῖς. καν τοίνυν διὰ τὴν παροῦσάν μοι ὑπεροχὴν ἐπέρχωνταί τινες μετακινῆσαι αὐτὴν βουλόμενοι, οὐ δυνήσονται τῷ πάντα τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ ἐν ταῖς χερσίν σου ειναι. 277 Ps 30,20.21 Οὐχ ἁπλῶς κρύπτει τὴν χρηστότητα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν (πολὺ γὰρ αὐτῆς καθορῶσιν) ἀλλὰ τὸ πλῆθος, ινα μὴ βλαβῶσιν. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν· Τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε· αὐτοῖς γὰρ αὐτὴν ταμιεύεται. φανέρωσον αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς, οτ' αν ἐν τελείᾳ ἀγάπῃ γενόμενοι εξω βάλωσι τὸν φόβον. Αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα α Εκρυψας τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε ηδη κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἐφανέρωσας τοῖς πλέον τοῦ φόβου τὴν ἐλπίδα εχουσιν ̓Εναντίον τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἀνθρώπους δ' ἐρεῖς τοὺς τὸ λογικὸν καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα ἀδιάστροφον φυλάξαντας, υἱοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν τοὺς λογικῶς μαθητὰς καὶ μιμητὰς αὐτῶν γενομένους. ἀπόκρυφον δὲ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐρεῖς τὸ μὴ ἐφικτὸν νῦν πρὸς γνῶσιν, φανερωθησόμενον δὲ τότε οτε ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν. τούτῳ τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ ἀντιδιαστέλλεται τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ Παύλῳ· Γνωστὸν αὐτοῦ φανερωθὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, τουτέστιν τὸ δημιουργὸν καὶ προνοητικὸν αὐτοῦ. ἑξῆς γὰρ τοῦ ̔Ο θεὸς ἐφανέρωσεν ειρηται· Τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται. Τάχα καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ πρόσωπον ων θεοῦ ἀπόκρυφον εχει πᾶν τὸ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, ἐμφανὲς δὲ τὸ κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν. οτ' αν ουν ὁ λόγος γενόμενος σὰρξ σκηνώσῃ ἐν ἡμῖν, κατακρυπτόμεθα ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, ὀψόμενοι αὐτὸ οτ' αν ὀψώμεθα Τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. ̓Επίστησον δέ, εἰ καὶ τὰ προφανῆ εργα τῆς προνοίας πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ειναι δύναται· δι' αὐτῶν γὰρ θεὸν φανταζόμεθα· ἀπόκρυφον δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀπόρρητοι λόγοι καθ' ους γίνεται τὰ γινόμενα, ους ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν πραγμάτων εἰσόμεθα ̓Απὸ ταραχῆς ἀνθρώπων. οἱ ἀνθρώπινα δόγματα ἐπαγγελλόμενοι ανθρωποί εἰσιν ταραχὴν προβαλλόμενοι, δι' ης ταράττουσιν τοὺς ἀνερματίστους. ταύτης τῆς ταραχῆς ἐκτὸς ποιῶν τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς κατακρύπτει αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατὰ πάντας τοὺς εἰρημένους τρόπους. Σκεπάσεις αὐτοὺς ἐν σκηνῇ ἀπὸ ἀντιλογίας γλωσσῶν. ὁ τέλειος πάσης προκοπῆς ἀναχωρήσας αὐτὴν κατανοεῖ τὴν ἀλήθειαν δι' ο ἀνεξαπάτητός ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν ἐπιτυγχάνων χρῄζει σκεπάζοντος θεοῦ ἐν σκηνῇ τουτέστιν τῶν διαφόρων γλωσσῶν ητοι διαφόρων ψευδοδοξιῶν. πρὸς γὰρ τὸν τέλειον λέγεται· Καὶ πᾶσα φωνὴ η ἀναστήσεται ἐπὶ σὲ εἰς κρίσιν, πάντας αὐτοὺς ἡττήσεις. πᾶς γὰρ λόγος ἑτερόδοξος ἀνίσταται κρίνεσθαι βουλόμενος μετὰ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς γνώμης. πάντας δὲ αὐτοὺς ἡττήσει ὁ τέλειος τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας φρονῶν. 278 Ps 30,22.23 Οὐ τοσοῦτον θαύματος αξιον οτ' αν ἐμφαίνηται ὁ ελεος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς ἀνετικαῖς καὶ ἡπλωμέναις πόλεσιν, οσον θαυμαστούμενος τότε οτ' αν ἐν πόλει περιοχῆς γένηται· ὡς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εὐλογητὸν ειναι τὸν θεὸν πάνυ εὐλογούντων τῶν ἐκ πλείονος περιστάσεως ῥερυσμένων. Τὸ δὲ τῆς ἐκστάσεως ονομα σημαίνει τὴν παραφροσύνην, δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν θαυμασμὸν μετ' ἐκπλήξεως γινόμενον· σημαίνει ἡ παροῦσα λέξις τὸ δεύτερον τῶν σημαινομένων. ο γὰρ λέγει