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doing good. According to each of the aforementioned, the added phrase 'unto one' signifies either that there is not even one doing good or one who does not even one good thing. 563 Ps 52,5a Since into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter, they will not know the things that must be known according to divine knowledge. For it must be read not as a question but as a declaration. 564 Ps 52,6 'There they shall fear a fear where no fear was' can be referred to the age to come; where, with pain and groaning and grief having fled, one ought to have courage. In this state, then, with no fear existing, they who bring upon themselves the things for which they will be punished will be afraid. They will be afraid for this reason: because God has revealed there those who were hypocrites here and had the aim of pleasing men, scattering their bones, being doctrines and practices born of wickedness and conceit and thoughts of a worthless soul. For even if here they seemed to be something to the men whom they pleased, deceiving them, yet having been made as nothing by God, as being nothing, they were put to shame. And perhaps those who practice wickedness will also meet with the foretold punishments. But those who hypocritically feign virtue to please men will not be tried by another punishment, their hypocrisy having been exposed; for example, he who gives alms in order to be glorified by men will not be punished by fire or anything else of that sort (for he did show mercy), but he will be put to shame, being shown to have shared his possessions with the poor not for God's sake but for men's. 565 Ps 52,7 For sin is what takes captive those who commit it. But when forgiveness of sins is granted, Israel is gladdened and Jacob rejoices, like those who rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents.

566 Ps 53,3b The power of the Father is Christ. And he judges the secret things of men, and he beseeches to be delivered for examination not to other judges but to the power of the good God; for he knows he will obtain pardon for the things he overlooked, but that vengeance will befall those who senselessly ravage him. 567 Ps 53,4 He prays that his prayer may become well-accepted and that he may receive the things for which he prayed. But also, as one who has come near to God through good works, he said 'Give ear to the words of my mouth.' For no one who utters an idle word or a shameful one or speaks any other evil thing wants God to give ear to his words, but only and every one who speaks true and pious things. 568 Ps 53,5 He calls 'strangers' those who have a disposition contrary to the virtuous, and 'mighty' the evil demons. And he says: since they did not set God before them, having turned away from him and given him their backs, they rose up against the just one and sought his soul. 569 Ps 53,6.7 He confesses that he has God as a helper, perhaps the Father, and the Lord as the upholder of his soul, that he may say the Son who 'Will turn back the evils upon my enemies'; for the harmful things they wished to bring upon me, these he turns back upon them, the Lord having judged it so. In harmony with this is 'Do to him in the manner he wickedly contrived to do to his neighbor.' And the truth of God, by refuting those who are liars, destroys them insofar as they are such; for the saint does not pray that they be utterly destroyed, but insofar as they are such. 570 Ps 53,8a When these things had happened, coming to thanksgiving with a willing mind, 'Willingly I will sacrifice to you,' not necessity or force calling him to this, but self-prompted eagerness.

571 Ps 54,2.3a Offering a prayer to God, he beseeches him to draw near to him so that he may receive into his own ears the prayer he has brought. For one who is near to the speaker gives ear, receiving the word into his ears. And since I ask for what I have no confidence will be supplied to me from elsewhere than from you, do not disregard the [prayer] for

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ποιῶν ἀγαθόν. καθ' ἑκάτερον τῶν προειρημένων τὸ Εως ἑνὸς προσκείμενον δηλοῖ ητοι μηδὲ ενα ειναι τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιοῦντα η τὸν μηδὲ εν ἀγαθὸν ποιοῦντα. 563 Ps 52,5a ̓Επεὶ εἰς κακότεχνον ψυχὴν οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται σοφία, οὐ γνώσονται α δεῖ εἰδέναι κατὰ θείαν γνῶσιν. οὐ γὰρ κατὰ πεῦσιν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀπόφασιν ἀναγνωστέον. 564 Ps 52,6 Τὸ ̓Εκεῖ φοβηθήσονται φόβον ου οὐκ ην φόβος δύναται ἀναφέρεσθαι εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα· ενθα ἀποδράσης ὀδύνης καὶ στεναγμοῦ καὶ λύπης εδει θάρσος εχειν. ἐν τούτῳ ουν τῷ καταστήματι οὐκ οντος φόβου, φοβηθήσονται οἱ ἐπιφερόμενοι τὰ ἐφ' οις κολασθήσονται. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ φοβηθήσονται οτι τοὺς ὑποκριτὰς γενομένους ἐνταῦθα καὶ σκοπὸν εχοντας ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσαι ἐφανέρωσεν ἐκεῖ ὁ θεὸς σκορπίσας αὐτῶν τὰ ὀστᾶ δόγματα καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματα μοχθηρίας καὶ οἰήσεως εκγονα καὶ φαύλης ψυχῆς ἐνθυμήσεις οντα. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα εδοξαν ειναί τι ἀνθρώποις οις ηρεσκον, ἀπατῶντες ἀλλά γε ἐξουδενωθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς οὐκ οντες τι κατῃσχύνθησαν. καὶ τάχα οἱ τὴν κακίαν ἐνεργοῦντες καὶ ταῖς προαναφωνηθείσαις κολάσεσι περιτεύξονται. οἱ δ' ἀνθρωπαρέσκως ὑποκρινόμενοι τὴν ἀρετὴν κολάσεως αλλης οὐ πειραθήσονται, διελεγχθείσης αὐτῶν τῆς ὑποκρίσεως· οιον ὁ ποιῶν ἐλεημοσύνην πρὸς τὸ δοξασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐ κολασθήσεται ὑπὸ πυρὸς η αλλου τινὸς τοιούτου (ἠλέησε γάρ), καταισχυνθήσεται δὲ ἀποδειχθεὶς μὴ διὰ θεὸν ἀλλὰ δι' ἀνθρώπους κοινωνήσας τῶν ὑπαρχόντων πένησιν. 565 Ps 52,7 ̔Η γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ αἰχμαλωτίζουσα τοὺς ποιοῦντας αὐτήν. ἀφέσεως δὲ ἁμαρτημάτων δωρουμένης εὐφραίνεται ὁ ̓Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶται ὁ ̓Ιακὼβ τοῖς χαίρουσιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς παραπλησίως ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι.

566 Ps 53,3b ∆ύναμις τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ Χριστός. ουτος δὲ κρινεῖ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν

ἀνθρώπων, παρακαλεῖ δὲ μὴ αλλοις κριταῖς ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ἐξέτασιν παραδοθῆναι· οιδε γάρ, συγγνώμης τευξόμενος ἐφ' οις παρεῖδεν, ἐκδικίαν δὲ γενησομένην κατὰ τῶν αὐτὸν πορθούντων ματαίως. 567 Ps 53,4 ∆έεται οπως εὐπρόσδεκτος ἡ προσευχὴ αὐτοῦ γενήσηται καὶ ινα λάβῃ τὰ περὶ ων ηυξατο. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἐγγὺς θεοῦ διὰ καλῶν εργων γεγενημένος ̓Ενώτισαι εφη τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου. οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀργὸν προφερόμενος ῥῆμα η αἰσχρὸν η ετερόν τι κακὸν φθεγγόμενος θέλει τὸν θεὸν ἐνωτίσασθαι αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα ἀλλὰ μόνος καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀληθῆ καὶ εὐσεβῆ λαλῶν. 568 Ps 53,5 ̓Αλλοτρίους φησὶ τοὺς ἐναντίαν προαίρεσιν τοῖς σπουδαίοις εχοντας, κραταιοὺς δὲ τοῦς πονηροὺς δαίμονας. καὶ φησίν· ἐπεὶ οὐ προέθεντο τὸν θεὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ἀποστραφέντες αὐτὸν καὶ νῶτα αὐτῷ δεδωκότες, ἐπανέστησαν τῷ δικαίῳ καὶ ἐζήτησαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. 569 Ps 53,6.7 Θεὸν βοηθὸν εχειν ὁμολογεῖ, τάχα τὸν πατέρα καὶ κύριον ἀντιλαμβανόμενον τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ινα ειπῃ τὸν υἱὸν ος ̓Αποστρέψει τὰ κακὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου· α γὰρ ἐπαγαγεῖν μοι βεβούληνται κακωτικά, ταῦτα πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποστρέφει, τοῦτο τοῦ κυρίου κρίναντος ουτω. συνᾴδει τούτῳ τὸ Ποιήσατε αὐτῷ ον τρόπον ἐπονηρεύσατο ποιῆσαι τῷ πλησίῳ. καὶ τοὺς δὲ ψεύστας οντας διελέγχουσα ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλήθεια ὀλοθρεύει εἰ τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀναιρεθῆναι καθάπαξ αὐτοὺς ἀλλ' ῃ τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν ὁ αγιος ευχεται. 570 Ps 53,8a Τούτων δὲ συμβεβηκότων αὐθαιρέτῳ γνώμῃ ἐπ' εὐχαριστίαν ἐρχόμενος ̔Εκουσίως θύσω σοι, οὐκ ἀνάγκης η βίας εἰς τοῦτο καλούσης ἀλλ' αὐτοκελεύστου προθυμίας.

571 Ps 54,2.3a Προσευχὴν ἀναφέρων θεῷ παρακαλεῖ αὐτὸν ἐγγίσαι αὐτῷ

οπως εἰς τὰ ιδια ωτα δέξηται ην προσαγήοχεν προσευχήν. ἐνωτίζεται γὰρ ὁ ἐγγὺς ων τοῦ λέγοντος, εἰς τὰ ωτα δεχόμενος τὸν λόγον. καὶ ἐπεὶ δέομαι ων οὐκ αλλοθεν θαρρῶ τὰ λείποντά μοι ἀναπληρωθῆναι η ἐκ σοῦ, μὴ ὑπερίδῃς τὴν ὑπὲρ