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God to the remnant of this people. 2.330 As to the text, the things set forth have been promised for the time of the return of the captives, at which time those who were well treated, giving thanks said: "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like men comforted," when God no longer treats the remnant of the elect people according to the former days, when Jerusalem was desolate, with God henceforth providing peace, during which they sent up a prayer, saying: "O Lord our God, give us peace." 2.331 And the things of the glorious restoration have come to be spiritually when he came who says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to heal the brokenhearted." He promises the same things also in Amos the prophet, saying: "I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the ruined cities and I will plant them." 2.332 When these divine graces and gifts have been given by the great Giver, there will be peace, having dawned with righteousness, in the days of the coming of the king who received judgment from God, about whom it is said: "He shall cause righteousness to dawn in his days, and abundance of peace," so that there is no limit to his peace, since not one nation but all the nations and the whole world are ruled by him, who said to his acquaintances and to those who wished to serve under him: "My peace I give to you," he said, with great tranquility prevailing, and not acting toward the remnant of Israel according to the former days, he will prepare an exceeding fruitfulness, with the vine giving its fruit and the earth its proper produce, and the heaven its fitting dew. 2.333 And a vine that bears its own fruit is the spiritual contemplation of the truth, and the rational substance formed according to it, having grown out of the true vine by way of participation. Concerning this way of life, the Savior said in the Gospel: "I am the vine, you are the branches; every branch that abides in me, the Father prunes it, that it may bear more fruit." 2.334 Concerning these branches that are beginning to bear fruit, it is written in the Song of Songs: "Our vines are in blossom, they have given a fragrance." But when the fruit has advanced and come to perfection, it is harvested, and being cast into the winepress, it is pressed, and becomes a drink that gladdens the heart of the one who drinks, according to what is said in the Psalms: "Wine gladdens a man's heart." 2.335 Concerning the spiritual vintage, odes for the winepresses have been written, such as are the eighth, and the eightieth, and the eighty-third; for only these three Psalms out of the one hundred and fifty were inscribed "for the winepresses." 2.336 Harmoniously, in an anagogical sense, with the vine giving its fruit, the earth also will give its produce, having brought to fruition the seed which Jesus cast upon it, so as to yield a hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold, according to the interpretation of the parable; for the Savior interpreted the good soil to be the one having a good and upright heart. 2.337 And these fruits of the earth are given to the one who sowed in tears, that is, with sweat and labor, the divine seeds, that he may reap them with exultation. For concerning these sowers, who do this not perceptibly but spiritually, it is stated in one of the songs of ascents: "Those who sow in tears shall reap with exultation. They went on their way weeping, carrying their seeds; they shall come back with exultation, carrying their sheaves." 2.338 Concerning such abundance, which is spiritual, the divine word also commands in Hosea the prophet: "Sow for yourselves unto righteousness, reap unto the fruit of life, enlighten for yourselves the light of knowledge, seek the Lord until the fruits of righteousness come." 2.339 The vine that has been restored gives the

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Θεὸς τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου. 2.330 Ὡς πρὸς ῥητόν, ἐπήγγελται τὰ προκείμενα τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων, καθ' ὃν οἱ εὖ παθόντες, ε̣υ᾿̣χ̣αριστοῦντες εἶπον· «Ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι Κύριον τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Σιών, ἐγενήθημεν ὡς παρακεκλημένοι», ὅτε οὐκέτι ποιεῖ Θεὸς τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῦ ἐκλεκτοῦ λαοῦ κατὰ τὰς ἔμπροσθεν ἡμέρας, ὅτε ἠρήμωτο ἡ Ἰερουσαλήμ, λοιπὸν εἰρήνην Θεοῦ παρέχοντος, καθ' ἣν ἀνέπεμψαν προσευχὴν φάσκοντες· «Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εἰρήνην δὸς ἡμῖν.» 2.331 Ὑπῆρκται δὲ τὰ τῆς λαμπρᾶς ἀποκαταστάσεως νοητῶς ὅτε ἐλήλυθεν ὁ λέγων· «Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέν με, εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέν με, κηρῦξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν, ἰάσασθαι τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν.» Τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπαγγέλλεται καὶ ἐν Ἀμὼς τῷ προφήτῃ φάσκων· «Ἐπιστρέψω αἰχμαλωσίαν λαοῦ μου Ἰσραὴλ καὶ οἰκοδομήσουσιν τὰς πόλεις τὰς ἠφανισμένας καὶ καταφυτεύσω αὐτούς.» 2.332 Τούτων τῶν χαρίτων καὶ δωρεῶν θείων δοθεισῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγαλοδώρου, εἰρήνη ἔσται, ἀνατείλασα μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ λαβόντος παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸ κρίμα βασιλέως, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «Ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνην καὶ πλῆθος εἰρήνης», ὡς μὴ εἶναι ὅριον τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ, τῷ μὴ ἑνὸς ἔθνους ἀλλὰ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης πάσης βασιλευομένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, εἰρηκότος πρὸς τοὺς γνωρίμους καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῷ στρατεύεσθαι βουλομένους· «Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν», ἔφη, πολλῆς ἀταραξίας ἐπικρατούσης, καὶ μη`̣ κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς ἔμπροσθεν ποιῶν τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, παρασκευάσει ὑπερβάλλουσαν εὐκαρπίαν, διδούσης τῆς ἀμπέλου τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς γῆς τὰ οἰκεῖα γενήματα, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν κατάλληλον δρόσον. 2.333 Ἄμπελος δὲ οἰστικὴ τοῦ ἰδίου καρποῦ ἡ πνευματικὴ θεωρία τῆς ἀληθείας ἐστίν, καὶ ἡ κατ' αὐτὴν πεποιωμένη λογικὴ οὐσία, ἐκπεφυκυῖα ἐκ τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς ἀληθινῆς μετουσίας τρόπῳ. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς ἀγωγῆς, ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ εἶπεν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα· πᾶν κλῆμα μένον ἐν ἐμοί, καθαίρει αὐτὸ ὁ Πατήρ, ἵνα πλείονα καρπὸν φέρῃ.» 2.334 Περὶ τούτων τῶν κλημάτων ἀρχὴν καρποφορίας ἐχόντων ἐν τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν Ἀισμάτων γέγραπται· «Αἱ ἄμπελοι ἡμῶν κυπρίζουσιν, ἔδωκαν ὀσμήν.» Προκόψας δ' ὁ καρπὸς καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τελειότητα τρυγᾶται, καὶ εἰς ληνὸν βληθεὶς ἐκθλίβεται, καὶ γίνεται πόμα εὐφραῖνον τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ πιόντος, κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς εἰρημένον· «Οἶνος εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου.» 2.335 Περὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς τρυγῆς, ὑπερλήνιοι ᾠδαὶ ἀνεγράφησαν, οἷαί εἰσιν ἡ ὀγδόη, καὶ ὀγδοηκοστή, καὶ τρίτη καὶ ὀγδοηκοστή· οὗτοι γὰρ μόνοι οἱ τρεῖς Ψαλμοὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα «ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν» ἐπεγράφησαν. 2.336 Ἁρμονίως κατ' ἀναγωγὴν τῇ δούσῃ ἀμπέλῳ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ γῆ δώσει τὰ γενήματα αὐτῆς, τελεσφορήσασα ὃν ἔβαλεν Ἰησοῦς ἐπ' αὐτὴν σπόρον, ὡς δοῦναι ἑκατόν, ἑξήκοντα, τριάκοντα, κατὰ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν τῆς παραβολῆς τὴν γὰρ καλὴν καὶ εὐθύτητα καρδίαν ἔχουσαν, ἀγαθὴν γῆν ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σωτήρ. 2.337 ∆ίδοται δὲ ταῦτα τὰ γενήματα τῆς γῆς τῷ σπείραντι ἐν δάκρυσιν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν σὺν ἱδρῶτι καὶ πόνῳ, τὰ θεῖα σπέρματα, ἵνα θερίσῃ αὐτὰ ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει. Περὶ γὰρ τούτων τῶν σπειρόντων, οὐκ αἰσθητῶς τοῦτο ποιούντων ἀλλὰ νοητῶς, ἔν τινι ᾠδῇ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν φέρεται· «Οἱ σπείροντες ἐν δάκρυσιν, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θεριοῦσιν· πορευόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο καὶ ἔκλαιον, αἴροντες τὰ σπέρματα αὐτῶν· ἐρχόμενοι ἥξουσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, αἴροντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν.» 2.338 Περὶ τῆς τοιαύτης εὐθηνίας, πνευματικῆς οὔσης, καὶ ἐν Ὠσῆε τῷ προφήτῃ ὁ θεῖος προστάττει λόγος· «Σπείρατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγήσατε εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς, φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως, ἐκζητήσατε τὸν Κύριον ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν γενήματα δικαιοσύνης.» 2.339 ∆ίδωσιν ἡ ἀποδοθεῖσα ἄμπελος τὸν