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there is no one who shall be likened to you. I have declared and I have spoken, they are multiplied beyond number." The wonders, he says, wrought by your power surpass number and all narration. For there is no one who is able to do things like you; for your works are very great and most beautiful; and the things administered at each season by your providence surpass human praises, the things in Egypt, the things in the desert under Moses, under Joshua, under Samuel, and those older than these, the things concerning Abraham, concerning Isaac, concerning Jacob, the kingdom through the servitude of Joseph, and the rest, that I may not go through each one. But what has now happened is more wonderful than all of these. For you work out the salvation not of one man, or of one nation, but of all nations, and, having brought to an end the legal worship, which was suited to the weakness of the Jews, you have given the new grace, which legislates for rational worship. 7, 8. "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. Burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come.'" With these the apostolic exhortation is in harmony: "I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your rational worship. For instead of the legal sacrifices the Master commanded us to consecrate our own members. Seeing this grace of yours, he says, I offered myself to you, saying, 'Behold, I am present.' Yet the blessed Paul takes this utterance to refer to the Lord Christ, and very reasonably so. For he is the firstfruits of our nature, and it is fitting for him first to say our things, and to prefigure in himself what ought to be done by us. Thus he first came to baptism, showing us the grace of baptism; thus he washed the feet of the disciples, setting before us an archetype of humility. For this reason he said to John: "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." It is fitting, therefore, for him to say also our things, as 80.1157 the head of the body, as the firstborn of many brothers according to the flesh. "In the scroll of the book it is written of me." From of old, he says, in the prophetic books these things have been foretold concerning me. Aquila and Symmachus have said the 'kephalis' is a scroll; and thus the Jews are accustomed to prepare the divine Scriptures even to this day. 9. "To do your will, O my God, I have desired; and your law is in the midst of my belly." Having approached you, he says, I have all zeal to fulfill your commandments, and to live according to your will. And, 'in the midst of my belly,' he has said metaphorically of those who are well disposed toward someone, and desire inwardly to embrace the one longed for. But these things do not fit Jeremiah, nor Daniel, nor the blessed David. For while the law was in force, burnt offerings and sacrifices were offered to God. But the prophetic word, casting out all such things, showed the rational sacrifice. For this reason, I said that the psalm fits David typically; since he too prophetically foresaw the things to come, and desired to live according to them; but truly it fits the nations deemed worthy of salvation, and delivered from error. 10, 11. "I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips; O Lord, you know. I have not hidden your righteousness in my heart; I have spoken of your truth and your salvation. I have not hidden your mercy and your truth from the great assembly." And the blessed David promises in a great church, gathered by divine grace throughout the whole world, to preach the righteousness of God, and the truth of prophecy, and the admirable salvation, and the immeasurable mercy; and this saved nature promises to give this return for its salvation, to run together to the church, and to move the lips in song, and to proclaim the just judgment of God, and to describe the ineffable care, and to show the truth of the prophetic promises. And the phrase, "from

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οὐκ ἔστι τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι. Ἀπήγγειλα καὶ ἐλάλησα, ἐπλη θύνθησαν ὑπὲρ ἀριθμόν." Νικᾷ, φησὶν, ἀριθμὸν καὶ πᾶσαν διήγησιν τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως γενό μενα θαύματα. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τὰ ὅμοιά σοι δράσαι δυνάμενος· μέγιστα μὲν γὰρ καὶ περικαλλῆ σου τὰ ποιήματα· νικᾷ δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους ἐπαίνους τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον καιρὸν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς προμηθείας οἰκονομούμενα, τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, τὰ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὰ ἐπὶ Μωσοῦ, τὰ ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ, τὰ ἐπὶ Σαμουὴλ, καὶ τὰ τούτων πρεσβύτερα, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰακὼβ, ἡ διὰ δουλείας τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ βασιλεία, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ἵνα μὴ καθ' ἕκαστον διεξέρχωμαι. Ἀλλὰ τὸ νῦν γεγενημέ νον τούτων ἁπάντων θαυμασιώτερον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς, ἢ ἑνὸς ἔθνους, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάν των πραγματεύῃ τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ, τὴν νομικὴν λατρείαν καταπαύσας, τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀσθενείᾳ συμβαίνουσαν, τὴν καινὴν ἔδωκας χάριν, τὴν λογι κὴν λατρείαν νομοθετοῦσαν. ζʹ, ηʹ. "Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι. Ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας. Τότε εἶπον, Ἰδοὺ ἥκω." Τούτοις ἡ ἀποστολικὴ συνᾴδει παραίνεσις· "Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τῶν νομικῶν ἱερείων τὰ ἡμέτερα μέλη καθιεροῦν ὁ ∆εσπότης προσέταξε. Ταύτην δέ σου, φησὶ, τὴν χάριν ἰδὼν, ἐμαυτόν σοι προσήγαγον, λέγων, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Ταύτην μέντοι τὴν φωνὴν ὁ μακάριος λαμβάνει Παῦλος εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην Χρι στὸν, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Τῆς γὰρ ἡμετέρας φύσεώς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ, καὶ πρώτῳ πρέπει τὰ ἡμέτερα λέγειν, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ προτυποῦν ἃ παρ' ἡμῶν προσ ήκει γενέσθαι. Οὕτω πρῶτος τῷ βαπτίσματι προσ ελήλυθεν, ἡμῖν ὑποδεικνὺς τὴν τοῦ βαπτίσματος χάριν· οὕτως ἔνιψε τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν, ταπει νοφροσύνης ἡμῖν ἀρχέτυπον προτιθείς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην ἔφη· "Ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστι πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην." Ἁρμόττει τοίνυν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα λέγειν, ὡς 80.1157 κεφαλῇ σώματος, ὡς πολλῶν ἀδελφῶν πρωτοτόκῳ κατὰ τὴν σάρκα. "Ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ." Ἄνωθεν, φησὶν, ἐν ταῖς προφητικαῖς βίβλοις ταῦτα περὶ ἐμοῦ προηγόρευται. Τὴν κεφαλίδα, εἴλημα εἰρήκασιν Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμα χος· οὕτω δὲ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς μέχρι καὶ τήμε ρον Ἰουδαῖοι κατασκευάζειν εἰώθασι. θʹ. "Τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἠβουλήθην· καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοι λίας μου." Προσελθών σοι, φησὶ, πᾶσαν ἔχω σπουδὴν τὰς σὰς πληροῦν ἐντολὰς, καὶ κατὰ τὸ σὸν πολιτεύεσθαι θέλημα. Τὸ δὲ, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς εἴρηκε τῶν εὖ περί τινα διακει μένων, καὶ ἔνδον ἐφιεμένων ἐμβαλεῖν τὸν ποθού μενον. Ταῦτα δὲ οὔτε τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ, οὔτε τῷ ∆ανιὴλ, οὔτε τῷ μακαρίῳ ἁρμόττει ∆αβίδ. Τοῦ νόμου γὰρ κρατοῦντος, ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίαι προσ εφέροντο τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ δὲ προφητικὸς λόγος, ἐκβαλὼν πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα, τὴν λογικὴν θυσίαν ὑπέδειξεν. Οὗ δὴ χάριν, τυπικῶς ἔφην ἁρμόττειν τῷ ∆αβὶδ τὸν ψαλμόν· ἐπειδὴ κἀκεῖνος προφητικῶς προεώρα τὰ μέλλοντα, καὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνα ζῇν ἐπεθύμει· ἀλη θῶς δὲ τοῖς τῆς σωτηρίας ἀξιωθεῖσιν ἔθνεσι, καὶ τῆς πλάνης ἀπαλλαγεῖσιν. ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Εὐηγγελισάμην δικαιοσύνην ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ μεγάλῃ, ἰδοὺ τὰ χείλη μου οὐ μὴ κωλύσω· Κύριε, σὺ ἔγνως. Τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου οὐκ ἔκρυψα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου εἶπα. Οὐκ ἔκρυψα τὸ ἔλεός σου καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου ἀπὸ συναγωγῆς πολλῆς." Καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ ὑπισχνεῖται ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ μεγάλη, τῇ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὑπὸ τῆς θείας χάριτος συλ λεγείσῃ, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην κηρύττειν, καὶ τὴν τῆς προφητείας ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τὴν ἀξιάγαστον σωτηρίαν, καὶ τὸν ἀμέτρητον ἔλεον· καὶ αὕτη ἡ σεσωσμένη φύσις ταύτην ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας ὑπι σχνεῖται τὴν ἀντίδοσιν δώσειν, τὸ συντρέχειν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ τὰ χείλη κινεῖν εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν ἀνακηρύττειν, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητον διεξιέναι κηδεμονίαν, καὶ τῶν προφητικῶν ὑποσχέσεων ὑποδεικνῦναι τὸ ἀληθές. Τὸ δὲ, "ἀπὸ