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Here he alludes to his own soul; in which the divine Spirit, having once dwelt as in a temple, at a certain time has left it desolate, having withdrawn because of the deed committed by him concerning Uriah and his wife; for which he also came down to death, having sinned things leading to death; and then in effect he was brought down both into the pit and into Hades, and truly descended into corruption; so that for these things he devoted himself to lamentations, and put on sackcloth instead of the royal garment. But since, having shown a worthy repentance, and having punished and chastised himself, and having sufficiently persevered in confessions, he has received the promise of remission of sin, through Christ who would come forth from his seed, who was also to descend even to Hades; reasonably, changing from dejection and from the confession for what he had dared, he sends up thanksgiving to God, saying: 23.260 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Hades, you have saved me from those who go down into the pit, and that for him the things of mourning have been changed into gladness he also signifies by what he says: You have turned my wailing into joy for me; you have torn off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. Since, therefore, the house of David's soul has been shown, it is fitting for the dedication of such a house to apply the preceding words. I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have taken me up, and have not made my enemies to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I have cried out to you, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Hades, you have saved me from those who go down into the pit. These things David says through the psalm at hand; but in the twenty-seventh psalm the same one cried out, saying: To you, O Lord, will I cry, my God, be not silent from me, lest you be silent from me, and I become like those who go down into the pit. But whereas he prayed these things; here he gives thanks as one who had been brought down before and fallen into the pit, but was brought up again and saved from it, and not suffering these things with those who have indeed gone down into it, but have not come up; for it is primarily blessed not to sin; since the weakness of human nature is subject to these things, a second voyage, as one might say, is the good of wrestling back, and of recovering oneself after the sickness, and of receiving back health according to nature. Sing to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For there is wrath in his anger, and life in his will. To rejoice with him who has repented, and to confess, that is, to give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness; instead of, rekindling the memory, not forgetting the good things supplied by the Lord to men. But it is especially fitting to intensify thanksgiving, remembering the philanthropy of God, which happens to be so great, as to never wish any evil for men. And if ever anyone should be in need of turning back on account of his own wickedness, he prepares for himself the anger of wrath; yet the will of God is to never wish death for man, but life. Wherefore in other places it is said: As I live, says the Lord; I do not desire the death of the sinner as much as his repentance. So indeed it has also been said here: Life is in his will; for wrath is not in his will. But contrary to God's choice and contrary to his will, anger and wrath are prepared for sinners; which indeed the Apostle presents, saying: Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering? not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart, you treasure up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation and of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds. 23.261 But I said in my prosperity: I shall not be moved for ever. He justifies the judgment of the Lord, confessing from whence his fall happened to him; for it being necessary for one standing in the [state] from

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ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν αἰνίττεται· ἐν ᾗ τὸ θεῖον Πνεῦμα, ὡς ἐν ναῷ οἰκῆσάν ποτε, καιρῷ τινι ἔρημον αὐτὴν καταλέλοιπεν, ἀναχωρῆσαν διὰ τὴν πλημμεληθεῖσαν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν Οὐρίαν καὶ τὴν τούτου γυναῖκα πρᾶξιν· δι' ἣν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ θανάτου κατελήλυθε, τὰ πρὸ θάνατον ἁμαρτήσας· δυνάμει δὲ τότε καὶ εἰς τὸν λάκκον, καὶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κατηνέχθη, κατέβη τε ἀληθῶς εἰς διαφθοράν· ὡς διὰ ταῦτα θρήνοις αὐτὸν σχολάσαι, σάκκον τε ἀντὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐσθῆτος περιβαλέσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀξιόλογον ἐνδειξάμενος μετάνοιαν, ἑαυτόν τε κολάσας καὶ τιμωρησάμενος, ἱκανῶς τε ἐγκαρτερήσας ταῖς ἐξομολογήσεσιν, ἐπαγγελίαν ἀφέσεως τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἴληφε, διὰ τοῦ ἐκ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ προελευσομένου Χριστοῦ, μέλλοντος καὶ μέχρις ᾅδου καταβήσεσθαι· εἰκότως τῆς κατηφείας μεταβαλὼν, καὶ τῆς ἐφ' οἷς ἐτόλμησεν ἐξομολογήσεως, εὐχαριστίαν ἀναπέμπει τῷ Θεῷ λέγων· 23.260 Κύριε, ἀνήγαγες ἐξ ᾅδου τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἔσωσάς με ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον, μεταβεβλῆσθαί τε αὐτῷ τὰ τοῦ πένθους εἰς εὐφροσύνην σημαίνει καὶ δι' ὧν φησίν· Ἔστρεψας τὸν κοπετὸν εἰς χαρὰν ἐμοί· διέῤῥηξας τὸν σάκκον μου, καὶ περιέζωσάς με εὐφροσύνην. ∆εδειγμένου τοίνυν τοῦ οἴκου τῆς τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ψυχῆς, ἄρα τῷ ἐγκαινισμῷ τοῦ τοιούτου οἴκου ἐφαρμόζειν τὰ προκείμενα. Ὑψώσω σε, Κύριε, ὅτι ὑπέλαβές με, καὶ οὐκ ηὔφρανας τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐπ' ἐμοί. Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐκέκραξα πρὸς σὲ, καὶ ἰάσω μοι. Κύριε, ἀνήγαγες ἐξ ᾅδου τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἔσωσάς με ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον. Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ∆αυῒδ διὰ τοῦ μετὰ χεῖρας ψαλμοῦ λέγει· ἐν δὲ τῷ εἰκοστῷ ἑβδόμῳ ψαλμῷ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐβόα λέγων· Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι, ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, μήποτε παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ὁμοιωθήσομαι τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ μὲν ταῦτα ηὔχετο· ἐνταῦθα δὲ εὐχαριστεῖ ὡς κατενεχθεὶς πρότερον καὶ καταπεσὼν εἰς τὸν λάκκον, ἀνενεχθεὶς δὲ πάλιν καὶ ἀνασωθεὶς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ταῦτα παθὼν τοῖς καταβεβηκόσιν μὲν εἰς αὐτὸν, μὴ ἀναβεβηκόσι δέ· προηγουμένως γὰρ μακάριον τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν· ἐπειδὴ ἡ ἀσθένεια τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τούτοις ὑπόκειται, δεύτερος, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, πλοῦς τὸ ἀναπαλέσαι καλὸν, καὶ τὸ ἀναλαβεῖν ταὐτὸν μετὰ τὴν νόσον, καὶ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἀπολαβεῖν ὑγείαν. Ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ οἱ ὅσιοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ. Συγχαίρειν αὐτῷ μετανοήσαντι, καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι, τουτέστιν εὐχαριστεῖν τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης αὐτοῦ· ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὴν μνήμην ἀναζωπυροῦντες, μηδ' ἐπιλανθανόμενοι τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου χορηγουμένων ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθῶν. Μάλιστα δὲ προσήκει τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἐπιτείνειν, μεμνημένους τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, ἥτις τοσαύτη τυγχάνει, ὡς μηδέποτε βούλεσθαί τι κακὸν ἀνθρώποις. Εἰ δὲ καί ποτέ τις διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν μοχθηρίαν ἐπιστροφῆς δεηθείη, αὐτὸς μὲν ἑαυτῷ κατασκευάζει θυμὸν ὀργῆς· τό γε μὴν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, μήποτε βούλεσθαι θάνατον ἀνθρώπῳ, ἀλλὰ ζωήν. ∆ιὸ ἐν ἑτέροις λέγεται· Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος· οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὡς τὴν μετάνοιαν αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέλεκται· Ζωὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ. Παρὰ προαίρεσιν δὲ Θεοῦ καὶ παρὰ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι κατασκευάζεται θυμὸς καὶ ὀργή· ὃ δὴ παρίστησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος φήσας· Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς; ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως καὶ δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. 23.261 Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ μου· Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ∆ικαιοῖ τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ Κυρίου ὁμολογῶν πόθεν αὐτῷ συμβέβηκεν ἡ πτῶσις· δέον γὰρ ἑστῶτα ἐν τῇ παρὰ