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in your borders; but your walls will be called salvation. Therefore, lifting up the eyes of the soul, seek the things concerning the city of God in a manner worthy of the things above. But what could one conceive worthy of the blessedness there, which the river of God gladdens, and of which God is the artisan and creator? The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle. Perhaps he means the God-bearing flesh, sanctified through its conjunction with God. So you will understand the tabernacle of the Most High to be the manifestation of God through the flesh. God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be moved. God will help her, at early dawn. And since God is in the midst of the city, he will grant her to be unshaken, providing her with help at the first rising of the light. Whether, therefore, one applies the name of city to the Jerusalem above, or to the Church below, The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle in her. And through this tabernacle, in which God dwelt, he was in the midst of her, granting her not to be moved. But God is in the midst of the city, sending out equal rays of his providence from all sides to the ends of the circle. For thus the justice of God is preserved, who distributes the same measure of goodness to all. God will help her at early dawn. Now, the morning with us is made by the sensible sun, when it rises above our horizon; but the morning in the soul the Sun of righteousness brings about by the rising of the intelligible light, making day in the one who receives him. For we humans are in night during the time of ignorance. When, therefore, having opened our own ruling faculty, we receive the radiance of glory, and are illumined by the eternal light, God will help her at early dawn. When we become children of light, and the night for us is far spent, and the day has drawn near, then we become worthy of God's help. God therefore helps the city, by his own rising and appearing creating morning for her. For behold, a man, he says, whose name is Dawn. To whomever, therefore, the intelligible light dawns upon, with the 29.425 darkness from ignorance and wickedness being dispelled, for them morning comes. Since, therefore, a light has come into the world, so that he who walks in it may not stumble, his help is productive of morning. Or perhaps because the resurrection was at early dawn, God will help the city at early dawn, he who wrought the victory over death in the morning on the third day of the resurrection. The nations were troubled, the kingdoms were bowed down, the Most High uttered his voice, the earth was moved. Imagine for me a certain city being plotted against by enemies campaigning against it, for a time being besieged by many nations and by kings who hold the scepters over each nation; then a certain general, invincible in strength, suddenly appearing to help this city, breaking the siege, scattering the throng of nations, and driving the kings into flight merely by shouting at them with power, and striking their hearts with the firmness of his voice. How great a tumult, then, is likely to arise, with the nations being pursued, and the kings turning to flight; and a certain indistinct noise and ceaseless sound to be sent up from their tumultuous flight, and every place to be full of those put to flight by cowardice, so that a commotion arises everywhere in the cities or villages that receive them? Such, then, is the help from the Savior that he represents for the city of God in saying: The nations were troubled, the kingdoms were bowed down, the Most High uttered his voice, the earth was moved. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper. He saw the incarnate God, he saw Emmanuel born of the holy Virgin; which is interpreted, God with us; and for this reason he cries out prophetically: The Lord of hosts is with us; showing that this is he who appeared to the holy prophets and patriarchs. Our helper, he says, not

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τοῖς ὁρίοις σου· ἀλλὰ κλη θήσεται σωτήριον τὰ τείχη σου. Ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀξίως τῶν ἄνω ζήτει τὰ περὶ τῆς πόλεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τί δ' ἂν τῆς ἐκεῖ μακαριότη τος ἐπάξιόν τις ἐννοηθείη, ἣν εὐφραίνει μὲν ὁ ποτα μὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τεχνίτης δὲ καὶ δημιουργός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός; Ἡγίασε τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος. Τάχα τὴν σάρκα λέγει τὴν θεοφόρον, ἁγιασθεῖσαν διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν συναφείας. Ὥστε νοήσεις σκήνωμα τοῦ Ὑψίστου τὴν διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ σαλευθήσε ται. Βοηθήσει αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ πρὸς πρωὶ πρωί. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεώς ἐστι, τὸ ἀσά λευτον χαριεῖται αὐτῇ, τὴν βοήθειαν αὐτῇ παρεχό μενος ἐν ταῖς πρώταις ἀνατολαῖς τοῦ φωτός. Εἴτε οὖν τῇ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, εἴτε τῇ κάτω Ἐκκλησίᾳ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐφαρμόσει ὄνομα, Ἡγίασεν ἐν αὐτῇ τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος. Καὶ διὰ τοῦ σκηνώ ματος τούτου, ᾧ κατεσκήνωσεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν μέσῳ αὐ τῆς ἐγένετο, χαριζόμενος αὐτῇ τὸ μὴ σαλεύεσθαι. Ἐν μέσῳ δέ ἐστι τῆς πόλεως ὁ Θεὸς, ἴσας πανταχό θεν ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τοῦ κύκλου τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προνοίας τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐκπέμπων. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ δίκαιον τοῦ Θεοῦ διασώζεται, τὸ αὐτὸ μέτρον τῆς ἀγαθότητος διανέμοντος ἅπασι. Βοηθήσει αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πρὸς πρωὶ πρωί. Τὴν μὲν οὖν παρ' ἡμῖν πρωίαν ὁ αἰσθητὸς ἥλιος ποιεῖ, ἐπειδὰν τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁρίζοντα ὑπερκύψῃ· τὴν δὲ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πρωίαν ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύ νης Ἥλιος ἀποτελεῖ τῇ ἀνατολῇ τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ νοητοῦ ποιῶν ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ παραδεξαμένῳ αὐτόν. Ἐν νυκτὶ γάρ ἐσμεν παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀγνωσίας οἱ ἄνθρω ποι. Ἐπειδὰν οὖν, ἀναπετάσαντες ἑαυτῶν τὸ ἡγεμο νικὸν, ὑποδεξώμεθα τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ περιλαμφθῶμεν τῷ φωτὶ τῷ ἀϊδίῳ, Βοηθήσει αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πρὸς πρωὶ πρωί. Ἐπειδὰν γενώμεθα τέκνα φωτὸς, καὶ ἡ νὺξ μὲν ἡμῖν προκόψῃ, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἐγγίσῃ, τότε ἄξιοι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας γι νόμεθα. Βοηθεῖ οὖν τῇ πόλει ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀνατολῆς καὶ ἐπιφανείας πρωίαν αὐτῇ ἐμποιῶν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, Ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. Οἷς ἂν οὖν ἐπανατείλῃ τὸ νοητὸν φῶς, λυο 29.425 μένου τοῦ ἐκ τῆς ἀγνοίας καὶ πονηρίας σκότους, πρωία τούτοις ἐγγίνεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθεν, ἵνα ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ προσ κόπτῃ, ἡ βοήθεια αὐτοῦ πρωίας ἐστὶ παρεκτική. Ἢ τάχα ἐπειδὴ ὄρθρου βαθέος ἡ ἀνάστασις ἦν, βοηθήσει ὁ Θεὸς τῇ πόλει τὸ πρὸς πρωὶ πρωὶ, ὁ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκην πρωία τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀνα στάσεως ἐργασάμενος. Ἐταράχθησαν ἔθνη, ἔκλιναν βασιλεῖαι, ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος, ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ. Νόησόν μοι τινὰ πόλιν ἐπιβουλευομένην παρὰ τῶν ἐπιστρατευόντων αὐτῇ πολεμίων, τέως μὲν περικαθ εζομένων αὐτὴν ἐθνῶν πολλῶν καὶ βασιλέων τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον ἔθνος τὰ σκῆπτρα διαλαχόντων· εἶτά τινα στρατηγὸν, ἄμαχον τὴν ῥώμην, ἀθρόως ἐπιφανέντα εἰς βοήθειαν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, λύοντα μὲν τὴν πολιορκίαν, σκεδαννύντα δὲ τὴν συστρο φὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς φυγὴν δὲ τοὺς βασιλεῖς συν ελαύνοντα ἐκ μόνου τοῦ ἐμβοῆσαι αὐτοῖς μετὰ δυνάμεως, καταπλῆξαί τε αὐτῶν τὰς καρδίας τῇ στεῤῥότητι τῆς φωνῆς. Πόσην οὖν εἰκὸς ταραχὴν συστῆναι, τῶν ἐθνῶν διωκομένων, καὶ τῶν βασιλέων εἰς φυγὴν ἐκκλινάντων· θροῦν δέ τινα ἄσημον καὶ ἦχον ἀκατάπαυστον ἐκ τῆς τεθορυβημένης αὐ τῶν φυγῆς ἀναπέμπεσθαι, πάντα δὲ τόπον πλήρη εἶναι τῶν ὑπὸ δειλίας φυγαδευθέντων, ὥστε σάλον ἐγγίνεσθαι πανταχοῦ ταῖς ὑποδεχομέναις αὐτοὺς πό λεσιν ἢ κώμαις; Τὴν τοιαύτην οὖν παρίστησι τῇ πό λει τοῦ Θεοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀντίληψιν ἐν τῷ λέ γειν· Ἐταράχθησαν ἔθνη, ἔκλιναν βασιλεῖαι, ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος, ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ. Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Εἶδε τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα Θεὸν, εἶδε τὸν ἐκ Παρθένου ἁγίας γεννηθέντα Ἐμμανουήλ· ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προφητικῶς ἐκβοᾷ· Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθ' ἡμῶν· δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῖς ἁγίοις προφήταις καὶ πατριάρχαις ἐμφανισθείς. Ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν, φησὶν, οὐχὶ