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of a great congregation," Symmachus, in a multitude, and Aquila and Theodotion have put, in a great church; so that it is clear that he spoke about the same church. 12. "But you, O Lord, do not remove your mercies from me; your mercy and your truth have always helped me." And having obtained salvation, the Church of God again asks for the same providence, on account of the various rebellions of men and demons, which he has mentioned in what follows. 80.1160 13. "For evils have encompassed me, of which there is no number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They were multiplied more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me." Let no one think what has been said is inconsistent with what has been interpreted. For indeed the three young men, having attained the highest virtue, and having bound on the victor's crown, said while praying in the furnace, "We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have done unjustly, and we have departed from your commandments, and have not kept your judgments." Thus the wonderful Daniel, thus the divine Jeremiah, thus the divine Isaiah, thus the most wise Paul. "For Christ," he says, "Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first. And again," I am not worthy to be called an apostle." Thus, therefore, the Church of God, being tossed by the tempests from the impious, is not proud, as one who struggles, but attributes what happens to sins and transgressions, and beseeches to enjoy the assistance of the Savior. Besides, the Church of God is not entirely composed of perfect ones; but it also has those who live in ease, and who embrace a relaxed life, and choose to be slaves to pleasures. And since it is one body, both these and those things are uttered as from one person. 14, 15. "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, attend to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together who seek my soul, to destroy it." For they do not wish to wound, but to deliver to eternal death. "Let them be turned back, and be ashamed who wish me evil." Turn them to flight, and cause them to fail in what they desire; for they plot evil against me. 16. Let them receive shame immediately who say to me, Aha, aha." And for those who mock and laugh at me, let shame be their fruit. 17. "Let all who seek you, O Lord, rejoice and be glad in you, and let them say always, 'Let the Lord be magnified,' who love your salvation always." Fill with perpetual gladness, he says, those who seek you, and praise you, and always love you; and as they do not receive a change in your love, let them not receive a change of gladness. For he did not ask for gladness for those who simply love, but for those who always and perpetually have this worthy love. 18. "But I am poor and needy; the Lord 80.1161 will take thought for me; you are my helper and my protector, O Lord, do not delay." Just as he mentioned sins above, so also he calls himself poor, as one lacking help, and in need of divine assistance; and he supplicates to obtain this as quickly as possible. And these things are especially fitting for the blessed David. For I think that, having beheld that prophecy, and the munificence of grace, he called himself poor and needy, and he himself supplicated to enjoy the divine providence. He implores that the decreed salvation not be delayed, nor postponed for long periods of time, but that it be provided to men most quickly.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 40TH PSALM. ]1. "For the end, a Psalm of David." Some have ascribed the present psalm to David, and some to

Hezekiah; but the divine Gospel does not permit us to accept either. For the Lord Christ, having had a certain conversation with his holy disciples, added these things also: "If you know these things, blessed are you, if you do them. Not concerning

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συναγωγῆς πολλῆς," ὁ Σύμμαχος ἐν πληθύϊ, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων, ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ μεγάλῃ τεθείκασιν· ὡς εἶναι δῆλον, ὅτι περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς εἴρηκεν ἐκκλησίας. ιβʹ. "Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, μὴ μακρύνῃς τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου διὰ παντὸς ἀντελάβοντό μου." Καὶ τυχοῦσα τῆς σωτηρίας ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία, δεῖται πάλιν τῆς αὐτῆς προμηθείας, διὰ τὰς παντοδαπὰς τῶν ἀνθρώ πων καὶ δαιμόνων ἐπαναστάσεις, ὧν ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς τὴν μνήμην πεποίηται. 80.1160 ιγʹ. "Ὅτι περιέσχον με κακὰ, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός· κατέλαβόν με αἱ ἀνομίαι μου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθην τοῦ βλέπειν. Ἐπληθύνθησαν ὑπὲρ τὰς τρίχας τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐγκατ έλιπέ με." Μηδεὶς δὲ ἀνάρμοστα τοῖς ἡρμηνευ μένοις ἡγείσθω τὰ εἰρημένα. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες τῆς ἄκρας ἀρετῆς ἐπειλημμένοι, καὶ τὸν νικηφόρον ἀναδησάμενοι στέφανον, ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ προσευχό μενοι ἔλεγον, "Ἡμάρτομεν, ἠνομήσαμεν, ἠδικήσα μεν, καὶ ἀπέστημεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου, καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξαμεν τὰ δικαιώματά σου." Οὕτως ὁ θαυμά σιος ∆ανιὴλ, οὕτως ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἱερεμίας, οὕτως ὁ θεῖος Ἡσαΐας, οὕτως ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος. "Χριστὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ. Καὶ πάλιν," Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος." Οὕτω τοίνυν ταῖς παρὰ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τρικυμίαις βαλλομένη ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία, οὐ μεγαφρονεῖ, ὡς ἀγωνιζομένη, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτίαις καὶ πλημμελείαις ἀνατίθησι τὰ γινόμενα, καὶ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπικουρίας ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλεῖ. Ἄλλως τε οὐδὲ ἐκ τελείων πᾶσα συνέστηκεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία· ἀλλ' ἔχει καὶ τοὺς ῥᾳστώνῃ συζῶντας, καὶ τὸν ἀνειμένον βίον ἀσπαζομένους, καὶ ἡδοναῖς δουλεύειν αἱρουμένους. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἕν ἐστι σῶμα, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς προσώπου καὶ ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα προφέρεται. ιδʹ, ιεʹ. "Εὐδόκησον, Κύριε, τοῦ ῥύσασθαί με· Κύριε, εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαί μοι πρόσχες. Καταισχυν θείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν ἅμα οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτήν." Οὐ γὰρ τρῶσαι βού λονται, ἀλλᾶ τῷ αἰωνίῳ παραπέμψαι θανάτῳ. "Ἀπο στραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν οἱ θέλοντές μοι κακά." Τρέψον αὐτοὺς εἰς φυγὴν, καὶ διαμαρτεῖν ὧν ἐφίενται παρασκεύασον· κακὰ γάρ μοι καττύουσιν. ιʹ. Κομισάσθωσαν αἰσχύνην παραχρῆμα οἱ λέγοντές μοι, Εὖγε, εὖγε." Καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτωθάζουσι δὲ καὶ ἐπιγελῶσί μοι, γενέσθω τούτοις καρπὸς ἡ αἰσχύνη. ιζʹ. "Ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν ἐπὶ σοὶ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σε, Κύριε, καὶ εἰπάτω σαν διαπαντὸς, Μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ Κύριος, οἱ ἀγα πῶντες τὸ σωτήριόν σου διαπαντός." Τοὺς δὲ ζητοῦντάς σε, φησὶ, καὶ ὑμνοῦντας, καὶ διαπαντὸς ἀγαπῶντας, διηνεκοῦς ἔμπλησον εὐφροσύνης, καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀγάπης μεταβολὴν μὴ δεχόμενοι, μὴ δεξάσθωσαν θυμηδίας μεταβολήν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἁπλῶς ἀγαπῶσιν ᾔτησε τὴν θυμηδίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀεὶ καὶ διηνεκῶς ἔχουσι τὸν ἀξιέραστον ἔρωτα. ιηʹ. "Ἐγὼ δὲ πτωχός εἰμι καὶ πένης· Κύριος 80.1161 φροντιεῖ μου· βοηθός μου καὶ ὑπερασπιστής μου εἶ σὺ, Κύριε, μὴ χρονίσῃς." Ὥσπερ ἁμαρτιῶν ἐμνημόνευσεν ἄνω, οὕτω καὶ πτωχὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀπο καλεῖ, ὡς βοηθείας σπανίζοντα, καὶ τῆς θείας δεόμενον ἐπικουρίας· καὶ ταύτης ὅτι τάχιστα ἱκετεύει τυχεῖν. Ἁρμόττει δὲ ταῦτα διαφερόντως τῷ μακαρίῳ ∆αβίδ. Ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ, ὅτι τὴν πρόῤ ῥησιν ἐκείνην θεασάμενος, καὶ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν τῆς χάριτος, πτωχὸν ἑαυτὸν καὶ πένητα προσηγόρευσε, καὶ τῆς θείας καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπολαῦσαι προνοίας ἱκέτευ σεν. Ἀντιβολεῖ δὲ μὴ χρονίσαι τὴν τεθεσπισμένην σωτηρίαν, μηδὲ εἰς μακροὺς ἀναβληθῆναι χρό νους, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ταύτην παρα σχεθῆναι.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Μʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. ]αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Τινὲς μὲν τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἀνέθεσαν, τινὲς δὲ

τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ τὸν παρόντα ψαλμόν· οὐκ ἐᾷ δὲ ἡμᾶς τὸ θεῖον Εὐαγγέ λιον οὐδέτερον δέξασθαι. Ὁ γὰρ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς διάλεξίν τινα πρὸς τοὺς ἱεροὺς ποιησάμενος μαθη τὰς, ἐπήγαγε καὶ ταῦτα· "Εἰ ταῦτα οἴδατε, μακάριοί ἐστε, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ταῦτα. Οὐ περὶ