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but surpassing all, qualified in the spirit so as to be the perfect dove of the Word, is the glorious church, the one not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Praising this church in the preceding verses, the psalmist now says that after her will be brought to her bridegroom king the maidens who formerly did not have a season for cohabitation, but now, on account of being perfected, are brought to the chamber, so that having slept with the king they might be taken up to become members of the one perfect bride, no longer being other than her as when they were imperfect. 467 Ps 44,15b Even if there are many incorruptible souls which it is customary to call virgins, yet not all are now brought to the king, but those who have become near and close to the disposition of the perfect bride. And the "They will be brought" is well put; for those who have no experience of the bridegroom Word are not able to go to him by themselves; but those who hand down the preparatory teachings to them lead them to him; and these are the law and the prophets. 468 Ps 44,17 468 Since almost everything in the psalm is said to Christ, this verse too might say that instead of the fathers you had according to the flesh, that is, those of the circumcision, sons were born to you from the same race, who accepted the evangelical word. And these you appointed as rulers over all the earth, saying to them, "Go and make disciples of all nations," becoming his witnesses like viceroys of a king to the end of the earth. 469 Ps 44,18 For this reason peoples will thankfully confess not for one or a second age but even for the age of the age. For we are not now permitted to name the confession for sins. For it happens once and not for the age of the age; for only in this age is it possible to repent and confess. But if according to another text it has "They will remember" instead of "Those ordained by you to rule will remember your name in every generation and generation," because your kingdom extends into all the ages.

470 Ps 45,1 It is a custom to call things said obscurely for some economy "hidden";

for according to this the wisdom of God is also hidden in a mystery; thus also "The treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are said to be "hidden." Therefore the end of these hidden things is, as it were, a goal: either that the knowledge of divine things should escape the unworthy, or that those who have a desire for the comprehension of divine knowledge, by giving themselves over to labors and disciplines, may attain the goal. 471 Ps 45,2 God is not of all, but of those who have renounced all human refuge and power. For by taking refuge in God they have all security and power by partaking of him, so as to say according to the apostle: "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." A helper in the tribulations that have found us exceedingly. The "Exceedingly" is placed ambiguously; for either he is an exceedingly great helper in the tribulations that find us, or he is a helper in the tribulations that find us exceedingly. 472 Ps 45,3b Mountains being moved into the hearts of the seas should not be considered sensible parts of the earth, but wicked powers being moved into souls disturbed by the tempests of passions, where there is a brackish drink of evil and a bitterness of character. Indeed, the Savior also said to the disciples, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' nothing will be impossible for you;" and the mountain pointed out by the Savior is nothing other than the opposing power. For concerning the demon that causes lunacy, he said again, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there'," comparing the most perfect faith to a mustard seed. For the apostle also says, "If I have all faith, so as to move mountains." 473 Ps 45,4b To the of Christ

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δὲ πάσας ὑπερέχουσα κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα πεποιωμένη ωστ' ειναι περιστερὰ τελεία τοῦ λόγου ἡ ενδοξος ἐκκλησία ἐστὶν ἡ μὴ εχουσα σπίλον η ῥυτίδα η τι τῶν τοιούτων. ταύτην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑμνῶν ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτου στίχοις τὰ νῦν φησι μετ' ἐκείνην ἐνεχθήσεσθαι τῷ νυμφίῳ αὐτῆς βασιλεῖ τὰς νεανίδας τὰς πάλαι μὲν ωραν συμβιώσεως οὐκ ἐχούσας, νῦν δὲ διὰ τὸ τελειωθῆναι προσαγομένας εἰς τὸν θάλαμον, οπως συγκαθευδήσασαι τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναληφθῶσιν εἰς τὸ μέλη γενέσθαι τῆς μιᾶς τελείας νύμφης οὐκέτι αλλαι παρὰ ταύτην τυγχάνουσαι ὡς οτε ἀτελεῖς ησαν. 467 Ps 44,15b Εἰ καὶ πολλαὶ ἀδιάφθοροι ειεν ψυχαὶ ας παρθένους εθος καλεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐ πᾶσαι ηδη ἀποφέρονται τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀλλ' αἱ πλησίον καὶ ἐγγὺς γενόμεναι τῇ διαθέσει τῆς τελείας νύμφης. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ ̓Απενεχθήσονται· αἱ γὰρ πεῖραν μὴ εχουσαι τοῦ νυμφίου λόγου οὐχ οιαί τέ εἰσι δι' ἑαυτῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰέναι· αγουσι δ' αὐτὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ τὰ προπαιδεύματα αὐταῖς παραδιδόντες· εἰσὶ δ' ουτοι νόμος καὶ προφῆται. 468 Ps 44,17 468 ̓Επεὶ πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν λέγεται σχεδὸν τὰ πάντα τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, καὶ ουτος ὁ στίχος λέγοι αν οτι ἀνθ' ων ειχες κατὰ σάρκα πατέρων, τουτέστι τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς, ἐγεννήθησάν σοι ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους υἱοὶ προσηκάμενοι τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν λόγον. τούτους δὲ καὶ κατέστησας αρχοντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, φάσκων αὐτοῖς Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ εθνη, μάρτυρες αὐτοῦ οια υπαρχοι βασιλέως γενόμενοι εως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. 469 Ps 44,18 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λαοὶ εὐχαριστητικῶς ἐξομολογήσονται οὐκ ἐφ' ενα η δεύτερον αἰῶνα ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. τὴν γὰρ ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις ἐξομολόγησιν οὐκ ἐπιτρεπόμεθα νῦν ὀνομάζειν. απαξ γὰρ καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος αυτη γίνεται· μόνον γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι οιόν τε. εἰ δὲ Μνησθήσονται εχει καθ' ἑτέραν γραφὴν ἀντὶ τοῦ Οἱ πρὸς σοῦ αρχειν κεχειροτονημένοι, τοῦ ὀνόματός σου μνησθήσονται ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ τῷ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας παρατείνειν σου τὴν βασιλείαν.

470 Ps 45,1 Εθος τὰ ἀσαφῶς λεγόμενα δι' οἰκονομίαν τινὰ κρύφια καλεῖν·

κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφία ἐν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένη ἐστίν· ουτω καὶ Οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι ειρηνται. εστιν ουν καὶ τούτων τῶν κρυφίων τέλος οἱονεὶ σκοπὸς ητοι τὸ λαθεῖν τοὺς ἀναξίους τὴν τῶν θείων γνῶσιν, η οι αν πόθον εχοντες καταλήψεως τῆς θείας γνώσεως, πόνοις καὶ ἀσκήσεσιν ἐπιδόντες ἑαυτούς, τύχωσι τοῦ σκοποῦ. 471 Ps 45,2 Οὐ πάντων ὁ θεός ἐστιν η τῶν ἀποταξαμένων πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ καταφυγῇ τε καὶ δυνάμει. καταφεύγοντες γὰρ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν πᾶσαν ἀσφάλειαν εχουσιν καὶ δύναμιν τῷ μετέχειν αὐτοῦ, ὡς λέγειν κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον· Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. Βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσιν ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. τὸ Σφόδρα ἀμφιβόλως κεῖται· η γὰρ βοηθὸς σφόδρα ἐστὶν ἐν ταῖς εὑρισκούσαις ἡμᾶς θλίψεσιν, η ἐν ταῖς σφόδρα εὑρισκούσαις ἡμᾶς θλίψεσιν βοηθός ἐστιν. 472 Ps 45,3b Ορη μετατιθέμενα ἐν καρδίαις θαλασσῶν οὐ τὰ αἰσθητὰ τυγχάνοντα μέρη γῆς ἡγητέον, ἀλλὰ πονηρὰς δυνάμεις μετατιθεμένας εἰς τὰς τεταραγμένας ὑπὸ τρικυμιῶν παθῶν ψυχάς, ενθα ἁλμυρόν τι πόμα κακίας καὶ πικρότης ἠθῶν. ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ̓Εὰν εχητε εφη πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, οὐ μόνον τὸ τῆς συκῆς ποιήσετε, ἀλλὰ καν τῷ ορει τούτῳ ειπητε Αρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν· δεικνύμενον δὲ ορος ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος οὐκ αλλο παρεκτὸς τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως. καὶ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ κινοῦντος τὸν σεληνιασμὸν δαίμονος πάλιν ειπεν ̓Εὰν εχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ορει τούτῳ μεταβῆναι ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ, τὴν τελειοτάτην πίστιν κόκκῳ σινάπεως παραβάλλων. καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος ̓Εὰν εχω φησὶν πᾶσαν πίστιν ωστε ορη μεθιστάνειν. 473 Ps 45,4b Τῇ Χριστοῦ