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the singing psalmist says: «The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun even to its setting.» 2.294 But when did this calling happen, or when «out of Zion the perfection of his beauty» was made manifest, another prophecy being fulfilled, which runs thus: «The deliverer shall come out of Zion,» or «for Zion's sake,» as the chosen vessel writes, Paul who speaks in Christ. 2.295 But when did the God of gods speak and call from the rising of the sun even to its setting, or when the people of the circumcision were cast off, having denied the all-sovereign Savior, saying: «We have no king but Caesar»; «his blood be on us and on our children.» For having crucified the Savior they were rejected and the worship according to shadow and letter came to an end, so that God said to them: «I have no pleasure in you, and I will not accept a sacrifice from your hands, because from the east and the west incense is offered to my name in every place, and a pure sacrifice.» 2.296 But what is the incense and the pure sacrifice offered in every place for the glorification of God, the psalmist reveals, saying to the great king: «Let my prayer be directed as incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.» For of old when the shadowy worship had its place, in Jerusalem was «the place where one ought to worship,» and to send up prayer, and to offer sacrifice. 2.297 But now that the true light has shone and enlightened the whole world, in every place the interpreted incense is offered and the sacrifice harmonious with it, since houses of prayer have been raised everywhere on earth through divine zeal, so that the name of God may be glorified among all the nations, eastern and western. 2.298 According to another interpretation, they glorify God for whom the sun of righteousness has risen, and for whom the light of the wicked has set, about which it is stated in Proverbs: «The light of the wicked shall be put out.» And when this happens, the Lord Almighty saves his people from the land of the east and of the west, in order to bring in the nations, not allowing them to remain outside like the crowds who hear the perfect word in parables, so that having entered into the mystical and spiritual court of Jesus, they may become hearers of the clarity and knowledge of the parables, as the mystagogue says: «To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.» 2.299 And just as someone who is outside not by place but by disposition hears external words, so also the hearer of the old covenant according to letter and shadow is at fault; for it is said concerning such who hear the law in a veiled way: «They read the law outside, and invoked confessions,» not reading outside the teaching of the life-giving Spirit which has been brought near. 2.300 And this has come about by the sending up of a prayer which runs thus: «Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wondrous things from your law.» This veil which he asks to be removed, is the obscurity of the readings and an ignorance lying upon the mind of one who reads improperly. For it is possible to learn about these things with understanding from the Apostle who writes: «For to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies upon the reading. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed; and the Lord is the Spirit.» 2.301 But what will happen, by the grace of God, when the nations are brought in in the aforesaid manner, but that the Lord will dwell in Jerusalem, the temple within it being filled with the glory of the Lord God Almighty in truth and in righteousness; for not only here with truth, but also in other scriptures righteousness is mentioned; for example, in the fourteenth Psalm, «he who walks blamelessly to work righteousness» is said, «and to speak truth in his heart.» And in another Psalm: «Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness
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ὑμνῳδὸς κελαδῶν φησιν· «Θεὸς θεῶν Κύριος ἐλάλησεν, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν.» 2.294 Πότε δὲ ἡ κλῆσις αὕτη γέγονεν, ἢ ὅτε «ἐκ Σιὼν ἡ εὐπρέπεια τῆς ὡραιότητος» αὐτοῦ πεφανέρωται, πληρουμένης ἑτέρας προφητείας, τῆς ὧδε ἐχούσης· «Ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος», ἢ «ἕνεκεν Σιών», ὡς γράφει τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος, ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλῶν Παῦλος. 2.295 Πότε δὲ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν ἐκάλεσεν λαλήσας ὁ τῶν θεῶν Θεός, ἢ ὅτε ἀπεβλήθη ὁ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαός, ἀρνησάμενος τὸν παμβασιλέα Σωτῆρα εἰπών· «Οὐκ ἔχομεν β̣α̣σ̣ιλέα εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα»· «ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμ̣ῶν». Σταυρώσαντες γὰρ τὸν Σωτῆρα ἀπώσθησαν καὶ τέλ̣ος ἔσχεν ἡ κατὰ σκιὰν καὶ γράμμα λατρεία, ὡς Θεὸν λέγειν π̣ρὸς αὐτούς· «Οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημά μου ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ θυσίαν οὐ προσδέξομαι ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν θυμίαμα προσάγεται τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, καὶ θυσία καθαρά.» 2.296 Τί δὲ τὸ θυμίαμα καὶ ἡ καθαρὰ θυσία ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ προσαγόμενα ὑπὲρ τοῦ δοξασθῆναι τὸν Θεόν, ὁ μελοποιὸς διαφ̣α̣ίνει πρὸς τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα φάσκων· «Κατευθυνθήτω̣ ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου, ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή.» Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ ὅτε ἡ σκιώδης λατρεία χῶραν εἶχεν, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἦν «ὁ τόπος ὅπ̣ο̣υ προσκυνεῖν ἔδει», καὶ προσευχὴν ἀναπέμπειν, καὶ θυσίαν ἱερουργεῖν. 2.297 Ἐπιλάμψαντος δὲ νῦν το̣υ῀̣ ἀλ̣ηθινοῦ φ̣ω̣τὸς καὶ φωτίσαντος τὸν σύμπαντα κόσμον, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τὸ ἑρμηνευθὲν θυμίαμα προσάγεται καὶ ἡ ἁρμόνιος αὐτῷ θυσία, προσευκτηρίων παντ̣α̣χοῦ γῆς διὰ σπουδῆς θείας ἐγηγερμένων, ἵνα δοξάζηται τ̣ὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τοῖς ἀνατολικοῖς καὶ δυσμικοῖς. 2.298 Κατὰ διάνοιαν ἄλλην, δοξάζουσιν τὸν Θεὸν οἷς ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀνέτειλεν, καὶ οἷς ἔδυ τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀσεβῶν περὶ οὗ ἐν Παροιμίαις φέρεται· «Φῶς ἀσεβῶν σβεσθήσεται.» Ὅταν δὲ τοῦθ' ὑπαρχθῇ, ἀνασῴζει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀνατολῶν γῆς καὶ τῆς τω῀̣ν δυσμῶν, ἵν' εἰσαγάγῃ τὰ ἔθνη, οὐκ ἐῶν αὐτὰ μένειν ἔξω κατὰ τοὺς ὄχλους τοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἀκούοντας τὸν λόγον τέλειον, ἵν' εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὴν μυστικὴν καὶ πνευματικὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀκροαταὶ γένωνται τῆς σαφηνείας καὶ ἐπιγνώσεως τῶν παραβολῶν, λέγοντος τοῦ μυσταγωγοῦ· «Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν.» 2.299 Ὥσπερ δὲ ἔξω τις ὑπάρχων οὐ τόπῳ ἀλλὰ διαθέσει ἐξωτερικῶν ἀκου´̣ει λόγων, ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης κατὰ γράμμα καὶ σκιὰν ἀκροατὴς ὑπαίτιός ἐστιν· λέγεται γὰρ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων κεκαλυμμένως τοῦ νόμου ἀκουόντων· «Ἀνέγνωσαν ἔξω νόμον, καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντο ὁμολογίας», οὐκ ἔξω ἀναγινώσκοντες τὴν διδασκαλίαν τοῦ ζωοπο̣ιοῦντος Πνεύματος προσηκαμένου. 2.300 Ὑπῆρκται δὲ τοῦτο ἀναπεμφθείσης εὐχῆς ὧδε ἐχούσης· «Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσιά σου ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου.» Τοῦτο ὃ ἀξιοῖ περιαιρεθῆναι κάλυμμα, ἀσάφεια τῶν ἀναγνωσμάτων ἐστὶν καὶ ἄγνοια̣ τῇ νοήσει ἐπικειμένη τοῦ ἐντυγχάνοντος ὡς οὐ προσ̣ῆκεν. Ἔστιν γὰρ περὶ τούτων ἐπιστημονικῶς μ̣α̣θεῖν πρὸς τοῦ γράφοντος Ἀποστόλου· «Ἄχρ̣ι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας̣, ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει κεῖται. Ἡνίκα δ' ἂν ἐπιστρέψ̣ει πρὸς Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα· ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν.» 2.301 Τί δὲ ὑπάρξεται, χαριζομένου Θεοῦ, ὅταν εἰσ̣αχ̣θῇ τὰ ἔθνη τῷ εἰρημένῳ τρόπῳ, ἢ ἐν τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ κατασκηνῶσαι τὸν Κύριον, πληρουμένου τοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ ναοῦ τῆς δόξης Κυρίου Θεοῦ παντοκράτορος ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ· οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἐνταῦθα σὺν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ε᾿̣ν̣ ἑτέραις γραφαῖς ἡ δικαιοσύνη μνημονεύεται· ἐν γοῦν τεσσερεσκαιδεκάτῳ Ψαλμῷ «ὃ πορευόμενος ἄμω̣μ̣ος ἐργάζεσθαι δικαιοσύνην» εἴρηται «καὶ λαλεῖν ἀλήθειαν̣ ἐν κα̣ρ̣δίᾳ αὐτοῦ». Καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ Ψαλμῷ· «Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν, δικαιοσύνη