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The saint, then, destroying snakes and scorpions according to the authority he has received from Jesus, but also avenging every disobedience, being a spiritual stag, hastens to track down divine springs of water, such as God saying, "They have forsaken me, a spring of living water," and the Savior, concerning whom it was said to someone, "You have forsaken the spring of wisdom," and the Holy Spirit, on behalf of whom it was announced, "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will have in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Perhaps also all God-inspired Scripture happens to be springs of salvation. 424 Ps 41,3 The intention, therefore, of the zealous one towards God is likened to the longing of the stag for the springs of water. And since he knows that in the present life he approaches God through a mirror, with "face to face" being reserved for the things hereafter, he prays for a time to come in which, having come, he might be seen by the face of God. And further: since the law is said to contain a shadow of the good things to come, and the feasts at which the males were seen by the face of God are shadows and symbols of future feasts, he prays to come to the spiritual feasts, so that he may be seen perfectly by the face of God, who happens to be none other than the image of the invisible God. 425 Ps 41,4a He who weeps not in vain but from a disposition of laboring for virtue, that man will be fed by his tears as by bread, not only in tolerable things, which he calls day, but also in trying circumstances, which he names night. 426 Ps 41,4b Those who are deceived about all things are also mistaken about thinking that God is in a place. So then, reproaching, they say, "Where is your God?" 427 Ps 41,5a For with this desire, my despondency was increased also by the reproach from those in power that there was no one to help; and in addition to these things, the memory of the things performed in those places for your worship. And the phrase "I remembered these things, and poured out my soul upon myself" is instead of "I was dissolving from despondency." 428 Ps 41,5bc For since I am progressing and am not yet perfect, and a symbol of progress is the tabernacle, as has often been said, for this reason I am troubled; nevertheless the tabernacle according to God wonderfully brings one to the house of God himself, that is, the perfection in which we dwell where God is. "I will pass through in the place of the wonderful tabernacle, to the house of God," "with the voice of exultation and sacred confession, according to the sound of those celebrating spiritually;" for those who celebrate spiritually make a sound, exulting and confessing. 429 Ps 41,7b If I should be in the land of the Jordan, that is, if I should be deemed worthy of holy baptism, then I will remember you. They also interpret "Hermoniim" as "way of a lamp," as holy baptism opens to them a way of illumination and of the radiance that enters the mind and heart. 430 Ps 41,8 The cataracts of God are the most profound words about him or the divine prophets. The teaching of Jesus, therefore, being an abyss, calls upon the abyss from the old scripture. And perhaps also, since the judgments of God are a great abyss, it is shown that judgments depend on other judgments, and those on others, all from the Word of God, who is called a little mountain, having the cause; for "a great mountain," he says, "is God the Word," but a "little mountain" because of the voluntary emptying he endured for us. "All your high things and your waves have passed over me." Human life being tropically a sea, he who is not shipwrecked in it but sails aright, having experience of the triple waves and of the swells of the sea from a storm, having come to the harbor of salvation will say the verse; for he did not say, "They are passing over me," but "They have passed." 431 Ps 41,9a We have all clearly perceived concerning God that he is merciful, but we do not all see how he shows mercy; for often the things known to be according to his mercy, because they are painful, we do not receive gladly nor do we consider them to be mercy. But he who has perceived that everything God brings, he brings for a good purpose, that one will see that he declares in the night his mercy which he commanded in the day. 432 Ps 41,10

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αγιος ουν ἀναιρῶν οφεις καὶ σκορπίους καθ' ην ειληφεν ὑπὸ ̓Ιησοῦ ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκδικῶν πᾶσαν παρακοήν, πνευματικὸς ων ελαφος, σπεύδει ἀνιχνεύειν θείας πηγὰς ὑδάτων, οιον τὸν θεὸν λέγοντα ̓Εμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν υδατος ζῶντος, καὶ τὸν σωτῆρα περὶ ου ειρηται πρός τινα ̓Εγκατέλιπες τὴν πηγὴν σοφίας, καὶ τὸ αγιον πνεῦμα ὑπὲρ ου ἀπήγγελται τὸ Ος δ' αν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ υδατος ου ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ υδατος ἀλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. τάχα δὲ καὶ πᾶσα θεόπνευστος γραφὴ πηγαὶ σωτήριοι τυγχάνουσιν. 424 Ps 41,3 ̔Ομοιοῦται ουν ἡ πρόθεσις τοῦ σπουδαίου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τῷ πρὸς τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων πόθῳ τῆς ἐλάφου. καὶ ἐπεὶ οιδεν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ δι' ἐσόπτρου προσβάλλοντα αὐτὸν τῷ θεῷ, τοῦ Πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον ἀποκειμένου εἰς τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, ευχεται ἐνστῆναι καιρὸν καθ' ον ἐλθὼν ὀφθείη τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ετι· ἐπεὶ σκιὰν καθ' ολου περιέχειν ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν λέγεται, αἱ δὲ ἑορταὶ καθ' ας ὠπτάνετο τὰ ἀρσενικὰ τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ σκιαὶ καὶ σύμβολά εἰσιν μελλουσῶν ἑορτῶν, ευχεται ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὰς πνευματικὰς ἑορτάς, οπως τελείως ὀφθῇ τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ἑτέρου τυγχάνοντος τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. 425 Ps 41,4a ̔Ο μὴ μάτην δακρύων ἀλλ' ἀπὸ διαθέσεως τῷ ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πονεῖν, ἐκεῖνος τὰ δάκρυα ἑαυτοῦ αρτου δίκην τραφήσεται, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἀνεκτοῖς μόνοις α ἡμέραν καλεῖ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς περιστατικοῖς α νύκτα ὀνομάζει. 426 Ps 41,4b Οἱ περὶ πάντα ἠπατημένοι σφάλλονται καὶ περὶ τὸ νομίζειν τὸν θεὸν ἐν τόπῳ ειναι. ὀνειδίζοντες γοῦν λέγουσι Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεός σου; 427 Ps 41,5a Μετὰ γὰρ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ταύτης ἐπέτεινέ μοι τὴν ἀθυμίαν καὶ τὸ ὀνειδίζεσθαι παρὰ τῶν κατεχόντων ὡς οὐκ οντος τοῦ βοηθοῦντος· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἡ μνήμη τῶν ἐπιτελουμένων ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις εἰς θεραπείαν σήν. τὸ δὲ Ταῦτα ἐμνήσθην καὶ ἐξέχεα ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀντὶ τοῦ ̓Απὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας διελυόμην. 428 Ps 41,5bc ̓Επεὶ γὰρ προκόπτω καὶ ουπω τέλειός εἰμι, σύμβολον δὲ προκοπῆς ἡ σκηνὴ ὡς πολλάκις ειρηται, διὰ τοῦτο τετάραγμαι· πλὴν ἡ κατὰ θεὸν σκηνὴ θαυμαστῶς φέρει ἐπὶ τὸν οικον αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, τουτέστιν τὴν τελειότητα καθ' ην οἰκοῦμεν ενθα θεός. ∆ιελεύσομαι δ' ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς εως τοῦ οικου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἱερᾶς ἐξομολογήσεως κατὰ τὸν ηχον τῶν πνευματικῶς ἑορταζόντων· οἱ γὰρ πνευματικῶς ἑορτάζοντες ἠχοῦσιν ἀγαλλιώμενοι καὶ ἐξομολογούμενοι. 429 Ps 41,7b Εἰ γενοίμην ἐν τῇ γῇ τοῦ ̓Ιορδάνου, τουτέστιν εἰ ἀξιωθείην τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος, τὸ τηνικάδε σου μνησθήσομαι. διερμηνεύουσι δὲ καὶ τὸ ̔Ερμωνιεὶμ ὁδὸς λύχνου, ὡς τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος ὁδὸν αὐτοῖς ἀνοιγνύντος φωτισμοῦ καὶ αὐγῆς τῆς εἰς νοῦν καὶ καρδίαν. 430 Ps 41,8 Καταρράκται τοῦ θεοῦ οἱ περὶ αὐτοῦ βαθύτατοι λόγοι η οἱ θεῖοι προφῆται. ἡ τοῦ τοίνυν ̓Ιησοῦ διδασκαλία αβυσσος ουσα ἐπικαλεῖται τὴν αβυσσον ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς γραφῆς. τάχα δὲ καί, ἐπεὶ τὰ κρίματα τοῦ θεοῦ αβυσσός ἐστιν πολλή, παρίσταται οτι τὰ κρίματα ἑτέρων ηρτηται κριμάτων κἀκεῖνα αλλων πάντων ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ θεοῦ, ο ειρηται μικρὸν ορος, τὴν αἰτίαν ἐχόντων· ορος γὰρ μέγα, φησίν, ὁ θεὸς λόγος, ορος δὲ μικρὸν δι' ην ὑπέμεινεν ἐθελούσιον κένωσιν δι' ἡμᾶς. Πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ διῆλθον. θαλάττης τροπικῶς οντος τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου βίου, ὁ μὴ ναυαγῶν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀλλὰ κατ' ὀρθὸν πλέων, πεῖραν τρικυμιῶν καὶ τῶν ἐξ ὀγκώσεως τῶν ἀπὸ χειμῶνος τῆς θαλάττης εχων, ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα τῆς σωτηρίας ἐλθὼν ἐρεῖ τὸν στίχον· οὐ γὰρ ειπεν ̓Επ' ἐμὲ διέρχονται, ἀλλὰ ∆ιῆλθον. 431 Ps 41,9a Πάντες διειλήφαμεν περὶ θεοῦ φανερῶς ὡς ἐλεήμονος, οὐ πάντες δὲ ὁρῶμεν πῶς ἐλεεῖ· πολλάκις γὰρ τὰ κατ' ἐλεημοσύνην αὐτοῦ γινωσκόμενα τῷ ἐπίπονα ειναι οὐχ ἡδέως εχοντες οὐδὲ ελεον ειναι νομίζομεν. ὁ δὲ διειληφὼς οτι πᾶν ο ἐπάγει ὁ θεὸς συμφερόντως ἐπάγει, ἐκεῖνος οψεται οτι δηλοῖ ἐν νυκτὶ τὸν ελεον αὐτοῦ ον ἡμέρας ἐνετείλατο. 432 Ps 41,10