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in the mind of the architect the parts of the city are built, that is, in relation to those things, being held together by them; for they are principles of things that hold together. In Christ, therefore, all things hold together. If in thought you wish to remove the principle from existing things, these things do not subsist. They depart with the removal of the principle. So it is also with the walls; all security is written in the hands of God. But if you also call the virtues walls, then the virtues too have forms, the original states. For example, I have righteousness, but not all of it, but I am qualified according to it. And the one that is understood is not separate from the one who partakes, as if it were a form—not a form in the way it is usually spoken of. Therefore, if you remove knowledge, the states of the knowledgeable are removed, they depart with it; but when it is present, they partake of it and are the particular states. But there is another besides these, being more primary and more stable. At any rate, this one does not admit of more and less, but the one in those who partake does admit of this. The walls, therefore, signify security. 6 You have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth. He who is outside of all confusion is redeemed by God. The God of truth, therefore, redeems from deceit; inasmuch as he is the God of truth, he redeems from deceit and false opinion. When someone has mistaken and false thoughts, he needs God, so that by his own truth he may place him outside of all deceit. Again, the God of righteousness delivers from wrongdoings; for it is said: "Hear me, O God of my righteousness," so that you may place me outside of all injustice, so that you may subject to defeat those who work injustice against me. 141 and so it is in each case; Joseph called upon the God of self-control, that he might not fall into the snares of the one who was persuading him to licentiousness; and Susanna, that she might not fall to the elders into adultery. The God of self-control hears, not that he is one and another. 7 You have hated those who observe vanities to no purpose. Since you are the God of truth, you have also hated those who observe vanities to no purpose. And vain things are not true. And he said they are "3to no purpose"3, since in a way they do not subsist. Every falsehood is insubstantial. Concerning the one who bore the temple of Jesus, when I say that "3she gave birth"3, I speak the truth; but if I say, "3she gave birth from a man"3, I lie; not that she gave birth, but the falsehood is about the manner. All evil happens to no purpose, it has no end. He says therefore: you, O God, have hated those who observe vanities to no purpose. If one of those who observe such things should become aware of who hates such things, he will cease or will blame himself. 7 But I have hoped in the Lord. You therefore, O Master, "have hated those who observe vanities to no purpose," but I have hoped in you as my Lord; for he could have said: "3But I have hoped in you"3. But he says: "I have hoped in the Lord." He speaks these things as a servant. He says these things from the disposition of a servant and the work of a servant. 8 I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy. In your mercy; for even if I confess you as Lord and have hoped in you, yet the end does not come about by my own power, but by your compassion. 8 For you have looked upon my humiliation. You looked upon my humiliation which was about to follow. Having looked upon it, you did not allow me to fall into it. 8 You have saved my soul from necessities. More simply in scripture, necessities are called afflictions; for "six times" "he will deliver you from necessities," and: "they cried to the Lord, and he heard them and saved them from their necessities." He has placed me outside of all affliction, having assented, clearly, to my supplication; for I sent up a prayer, that I might be delivered from my enemies, from the enemies pressing upon me. But you might somehow, more reasonably, call evils necessities. Out of necessity, the evil one does not receive righteousness. I do not say that the man is not receptive of righteousness, but the unjust man. not to be outside of afflictions, but not to be defeated; for so we have also heard: "deliver us from the evil one," and: "lead us not into

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ἐν τῷ νῷ τοῦ ἀρχιτέκτονος τὰ μέρη τῆς πόλεως οἰκοδομηθῇ, τουτέστιν πρὸς ἐκεῖνα, διακρατούμενα ὑπ' ἐκείνων· λόγοι γάρ εἰσιν διακρατητικῶν. ἐν Χριστῷ οὖν συνέστηκεν τὰ πάντα. ἐὰν κατ' ἐπίνοιαν θελήσῃς ἆραι τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῶν ὄντων, οὐχ ὑφίστανται ταῦτα. συναπέρχονται τῇ ἄρσει τοῦ λόγου. οὕτω οὖν καὶ τὰ τείχη· ἡ ἀσφάλεια πᾶσα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν τοῦ θεοῦ γέγραπται. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς λέγῃς τείχη, ἠρέμα καὶ αἱ ἀρεταὶ ἔχουσιν ἰδέας, τὰς πρωτοτύπους ἕξεις. οἷον ἔχω δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ οὐ πᾶσαν αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ κατ' αὐτὴν πεποίωμαι. ἐστὶν δὲ ἡ νοουμένη οὐ χωρὶς τοῦ μετέχοντος ὡσανεὶ ἰδέα, οὐκ ἰδέα οὕτως, ὡς εἴωθας λέγεσθαι. ἐὰν οὖν ἄρῃς ἐπιστήμην, αἴρονται αἱ ἕξεις τῶν ἐπιστημόνων, συναπέρχονται αὐτῇ, κειμένης δὲ ἐκείνης μετέχουσιν αὐτῆς καὶ εἰσὶν αἱ κατὰ μέρος ἕξεις. ἄλλη δέ ἐστιν παρὰ ταύτας, ἅτε δὴ ἀρχικωτέρα οὖσα καὶ βεβαιοτέρα. ἀμέλει γοῦν αὕτη οὐ δέχεται τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ τὸ ἧττον, ἡ δὲ ἐν τοῖς μετέχουσιν δέχεται τοῦτο. τὴν ἀσφάλειαν οὖν σημαίνει τὰ τείχη. 6 ἐλυτρώσω μὲ, κύριε ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἀληθείας. λυτροῦται ὑπὸ θεοῦ ὁ ἔξω πάσης ταραχῆς γινόμενος. ὁ θεὸς οὖν τῆς ἀληθείας λυτροῦται ἀπὸ ἀπάτης· ᾗ θεὸς ἀληθείας ἐστίν, ἀπὸ ἀπάτης καὶ ψευδοδοξίας λυτροῦται. ὅταν τις φρονήματα ἐσφαλμένα καὶ ψευδῆ ἔχῃ, χρῄζει θεοῦ, ἵνα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἑαυτοῦ ἔξω αὐτὸν ποιήσῃ πάσης ἀπάτης. πάλιν ὁ θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης ῥύεται ἀπὸ ἀδικημάτων· εἴρηται γοῦν· "εἰσάκουσόν μου, ὁ θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου", ἵνα πάσης ἀδικίας ἐκτός με ποιήσῃς, ἵνα τοὺς ἐνεργοῦντας κατ' ἐμοῦ τὰ ἄδικα ἥττῃ ὑποβάλῃς. 141 καὶ οὕτως ἐφ' ἑκάστου· ὁ Ἰωσὴφ παρεκάλει τὸν θεὸν τῆς σωφροσύνης, ἵνα μὴ ὑποπέσῃ ταῖς πάγαις τῆς ἀναπειθούσης εἰς ἀκολασίαν· καὶ ἡ Σωσάννα, ἵνα μὴ ὑποπέσῃ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις εἰς μοιχείαν. ὁ θεὸς τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐπακούει, οὐχ ὅτι ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος ἐστίν. 7 ἐμίσησας τοὺς φυλάττοντας ματαιότητας διὰ κενῆς. ἐπεὶ θεὸς τῆς ἀληθείας εἶ, καὶ ἐμίσησας τοὺς φυλάττοντας ματαιότητας διὰ κενῆς. τὰ μάταια δὲ οὔκ εἰσιν ἀληθῆ. "3διὰ κενῆς"3 δὲ εἶπεν αὐτά, ἐπεὶ τρόπον τινὰ οὐχ ὑφίστανται. πᾶν ψευδὲς ἀνυπόστατόν ἐστιν. περὶ τῆς κυοφορησάσης τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅταν λέγω ὅτι "3τέτοκεν"3, ἀληθεύω· ἐὰν δὲ εἴπω· "3τέτοκεν ἐξ ἀνδρός"3, ψεύδομαι· οὐχ ὅτι τέτοκεν, περὶ τὸν τρόπον τὸ ψεῦδος γίνεται. πᾶσα κακία διὰ κενῆς γίνεται, οὐκ ἔχει τέλος. λέγει ο̣ὖν̣· σύ, ὦ θεέ, τοὺς φυλάττοντας ματαιότητας διὰ κενῆς ἐμίσησας. ἐάν τις τῶν τοιαῦτα φυλαττόντων αἴσθησιν λάβῃ, τίς ὁ μισῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα, πεπαύσεται ἢ κακίσειεν ἑαυτόν. 7 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ ἤλπισα. σὺ οὐ῀̣ν, ὦ δέσποτα, "ἐμίσησας τοὺς φυλάττοντας ματαιότητας διὰ κενῆς", ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς κύριόν μου ἤλπισα· ἠδύνατο γὰρ εἰπεῖν· "3ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ σὲ ἤλπισα"3. λέγει δέ· "ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ ἤλπισα". ὡς δοῦλος ταῦτα λαλεῖ. ἀπὸ διαθέσεως δούλου καὶ ἔργο̣υ̣ δούλου ταῦτα λέγει. 8 ἀγαλλιάσομαι καὶ εὐφρανθήσομαι ἐπὶ τῷ ἐλέει σου. ἐπὶ τῷ σῷ ἐλέει· εἰ γὰρ καὶ κύριόν σε ὁμολογῶ καὶ ἤλπισα ἐπὶ σέ, ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ ἐμῇ δυνάμει τὸ τέλος παραγίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐλεημοσυ´̣νῃ τῇ σῇ. 8 ὅτι ἐφεῖδες τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου. ἐφεῖδες τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου τὴν μέλλουσαν διαδέχεσθαι. ἐφιδὼν οὐκ ἔασάς με πεσεῖν εἰς αὐτήν. 8 ἔσωσας ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου. ἁπλουστέρως ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἀνάγκαι λέγονται αἱ θλίψεις· "ἑξάκις" γὰρ "ἐξ ἀναγκῶν σε ἐξελεῖται", καί· "ἐκέκραξαν πρὸς κύριον, καὶ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν αὐτῶν ἔσωσεν αὐτούς". ἔξω με πάσης θλίψεως πεποίηκεν, ἐπινεύσας δηλονότι τῇ παρακλήσει· ἀνέπεμψα γὰρ εὐχήν, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ῥυσθῶ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπικειμένων πολεμίων. δύνασαι δέ πώς ποτε λογικώτερον τὰς κακίας ἀνάγκας εἰπεῖν. ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ κακὸς οὐ δέχεται δικαιοσύνην. οὐ λέγω τὸν ἄνθρωπον μὴ εἶναι δεκτικὸν δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄδικον. οὐ τὸ ἔξω τῶν θλιβηρῶν γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ ἡττηθῆναι· οὕτω γὰρ ἠκούσαμεν καὶ τό· "ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ", καί· "μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς