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2. How then is it possible to seek God? When we direct our mind there, when we are freed from the things of this life. For the one who seeks, having cast everything out of his soul, 55.130 comes to that which is sought. And one must not simply seek, but seek out. The one who seeks out does not seek by himself alone, but also takes others as helpers, so as to find what is sought. But concerning the things of this life, having often sought, we did not find; but concerning spiritual things this is not so, but it is entirely necessary for the one who seeks to find. For if we only go forth to seek, God does not permit us to labor much; for this reason he says: Everyone who seeks finds. Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion. Another, "To him who is enthroned." Declare among the nations his deeds. Another says, "Among the peoples his designs." What are you saying? He whose throne is heaven and the earth is his footstool, in whose hand are the ends of the earth, he dwells in Zion? Yes; for here "dwelling" does not mean being enclosed, for his majesty is boundless, but the affinity for the place, and to be intimately related to it, so that the Jews might be drawn to him by this condescension; since even a house is called this among us, because we are intimately related to it. And he is said to dwell in us, not as being contained by us, but as being intimately related to us. And Zion, in an allegorical sense, is called the Church. For you have come to Mount Zion, and to the church of the firstborn. And the Church is rightly a mountain, on account of being firm, and steadfast, and unshakable. For just as it is not possible to move a mountain, so neither is it possible to move the Church of God. Declare among the nations his deeds. He wishes us to be heralds of the good deeds of God, and never to conceal his benefits. And he seeks this everywhere, both for the sake of those who speak, and for the sake of those who hear. For there is profit for the latter, and for the former, if they pay attention. Because he that makes inquisition for blood remembered them. Do you see what kind of deeds he means? The benefits. Here he also alludes to a great dogma; that no murder is committed with impunity, but is avenged in every case; which Moses also shows in Genesis, saying: I will require your blood. This is a sign of his infinite providence, of his far-reaching care. But if he does not require it immediately, do not be surprised; for he gives to sinners an occasion for repentance. He has not forgotten the cry of the poor. See again the poor being well-pleasing. But he does not simply mean the poor, but those who are poor in spirit, as Christ says. For these are heard most of all when they pray, those who are humble in heart, and contrite. And he sets two things here, both prayer and humility. For on whom shall I look, he says, but on him that is humble, and quiet, and trembles at my words? And everywhere humility is found to be the chariot of prayer. For the Lord is near to those who are of a contrite heart. So the one who prays must above all be free from passion, which Paul also seeks, saying: Without wrath and doubting. He said well, "The cry of the poor," calling the disposition of the mind a cry, not the tone of the voice; and by saying, "He has not forgotten," he showed that they were calling continuously, 55.131 and did not obtain it from the start. What then is it that he says? Do not think that God has forgotten, and for this reason did not intervene; for it is his very own nature to seek out such things, even when no one is calling upon him; but when they do call, and those who call are humble, how much more so. Have mercy on me, O Lord, behold my humiliation from my enemies. You who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion. Another, "Your hymns." Another, "Your praises." See him continually fixed in prayer. For having been freed from terrible things, and having come into safety, he does not cease from praying again, saying,

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ʹ. Πῶς οὖν ἔστι ζητεῖν τὸν Θεόν; Ὅταν ἐκεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν συντείνωμεν, ὅταν τῶν βιωτικῶν ἀπαλλαγῶμεν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ζητῶν, πάντα ἐκβαλὼν τῆς ψυχῆς, 55.130 πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ ζητούμενον ἔρχεται. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ζητεῖν χρὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκζητεῖν. Ὁ ἐκζητῶν οὐκ αὐτὸς ζητεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρους λαμβάνει βοηθοὺς, ὥστε εὑρεῖν τὸ ζητούμενον. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν βιωτικῶν πολλάκις ζητήσαντες, οὐχ εὕρομεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πνευματικῶν οὐκ ἔνι τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τὸν ζητοῦντα εὑρεῖν. Ἂν γὰρ ἐξέλθωμεν μόνον ἐπὶ τὸ ζητῆσαι, οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἡμᾶς πολλὰ κόπτεσθαι ὁ Θεός· διὰ τοῦτο λέγει· Πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει. Ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν Σιών. Ἄλλος, Τῷ καθημένῳ. Ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτοῦ. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς τὰ μηχανήματα αὐτοῦ. Τί λέγεις; Οὗ ὁ οὐρανὸς θρόνος καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον, οὗ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς, οὗτος ἐν Σιὼν οἰκεῖ; Ναί· οἴκησιν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸ περικλείεσθαι λέγει ἀπέραντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἡ μεγαλωσύνη, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκειότητα τὴν πρὸς τὸν τόπον, καὶ τὸ οἰκείως ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτὸν, διὰ τὸ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους διὰ τῆς συγκαταβάσεως ταύτης πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπισπᾶσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἰκία διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται ἐφ' ἡμῶν, διὰ τὸ οἰκείως ἡμᾶς ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτήν. Καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν δὲ οἰκεῖν λέγεται, οὐ περιεχόμενος ὑφ' ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' οἰκείως πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔχων. Σιὼν δὲ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν ἡ Ἐκκλησία λέγεται. Προσεληλύθατε γὰρ ὄρει Σιὼν, καὶ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων. Καὶ εἰκότως ὄρος ἡ Ἐκκλησία, διὰ τὸ βέβαιον, καὶ πάγιον, καὶ ἄσειστον. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὄρος σαλεῦσαι οὐ δυνατὸν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτοῦ. Κήρυκας εἶναι βούλεται τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μηδέποτε αὐτοῦ κατακρύπτειν τὰς εὐεργεσίας. Καὶ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ ζητεῖ, διά τε τοὺς λέγοντας, διά τε τοὺς ἀκούοντας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτοις κέρδος, κἀκείνοις, ἐὰν προσέχωσιν. Ὅτι ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὰ αἵματα αὐτῶν ἐμνήσθη. Εἶδες τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ποῖα λέγει; Τὰς εὐεργεσίας. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ μέγα τι αἰνίττεται δόγμα· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι φόνος ἀτιμωρητὶ τολμώμενος, ἀλλ' ἐκδικεῖται πάντως· ὃ καὶ ἐν τῇ Γενέσει Μωϋσῆς δείκνυσι, λέγων· Τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐκζητήσω. Τοῦτο τῆς ἀπείρου προνοίας δεῖγμα, τῆς ἐκτεταμένης αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας. Εἰ δὲ μὴ κατὰ πόδας ἐκζητεῖ, μὴ θαυμάζῃς· δίδωσι γὰρ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι μετανοίας ἀφορμήν. Οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τῆς κραυγῆς τῶν πενήτων. Ὅρα πάλιν τοὺς πένητας εὐδοκιμοῦντας. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ λέγει τοὺς πένητας, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ πνεύματι, καθὼς ὁ Χριστός φησιν. Οὗτοι γὰρ μάλιστα ἀκούονται εὐχόμενοι, οἱ ταπεινοὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ συντετριμμένοι. ∆ύο δὲ ἐνταῦθα τίθησι, καὶ εὐχὴν, καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην. Ἐπὶ τίνα γὰρ ἐπιβλέψω, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν ταπεινὸν, καὶ ἡσύχιον, καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Καὶ πανταχοῦ ὄχημα εὐχῆς εὑρίσκεται ταπεινοφροσύνη. Ἐγγὺς γὰρ Κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ὥστε φλεγμονῆς δεῖ μάλιστα ἀπηλλάχθαι τὸν εὐχόμενον, ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ζητεῖ, λέγων· Χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ. Καλῶς εἶπε, Τῆς κραυγῆς τῶν πενήτων, κραυγὴν λέγων τὴν διάθεσιν τῆς διανοίας, οὐ τὸν τόνον τῆς φωνῆς· τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Οὐκ ἐπελάθετο, ἐδήλωσεν ὅτι συνεχῶς ἐκά 55.131 λουν ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ προοιμίων ἐτύγχανον. Τί τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὃ λέγει; Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἐπελάθετο ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπεξῆλθε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἴδιον τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα ζητεῖν, καὶ μηδενὸς παρακαλοῦντος· ὅταν δὲ παρακαλῶσι, καὶ ταπεινοὶ οἱ παρακαλοῦντες ὦσι, πολλῷ πλέον. Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, ἴδε τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου. Ὁ ὑψῶν με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, ὅπως ἂν ἐξαγγείλω πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις σου ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών. Ἄλλος, Τὰς ὑμνήσεις σου. Ἄλλος, Τοὺς ἐπαίνους σου. Ὅρα αὐτὸν διηνεκῶς τῇ εὐχῇ προσηλωμένον. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῶν δεινῶν, καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ γενόμενος, οὐκ ἀφίσταται τοῦ πάλιν εὔχεσθαι, λέγων,