117.  Such is my defence:  its reasonableness I have set forth:  and may the God of peace,362    Heb. xiii. 20. Who made both one,363    Eph. ii. 14. and has restored us to each other, Who setteth kings upon thrones, and raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,364    1 Sam. ii. 8; Ps. cxiii. 7. Who chose David His servant and took him away from the sheepfolds,365    Ps. lxxviii. 70. though he was the least and youngest of the sons of Jesse,366    1 Sam. xvii. 14. Who gave the word367    Ps. lxviii. 11. to those who preach the gospel with great power for the perfection of the gospel,—may He Himself hold me by my right hand, and guide me with His counsel, and receive me with glory,368    Ps. lxxiii. 23, 24. Who is a Shepherd369    Ezek. xxxiv. 12. to shepherds and a Guide to guides:  that we may feed His flock with knowledge,370    Jer. iii. 15. not with the instruments of a foolish shepherd,371    Zech. xi. 15. according to the blessing, and not according to the curse pronounced against the men of former days:  may He give strength and power unto his people,372    Ps. lxviii. 35. and Himself present to Himself373    Eph. v. 27. His flock resplendent and spotless and worthy of the fold on high, in the habitation of them that rejoice,374    Ps. lxxxvii. 7 (LXX.). in the splendour of the saints,375    Ps. cx. 3 (LXX.). so that in His temple everyone, both flock and shepherds together may say, Glory,376    Ps. xxix. 9. in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be all glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

ΡΙΖʹ. Ἡ μὲν δὴ πρεσβεία τοσαύτη, καὶ οὕτως εὔλογος: ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν, καὶ ἀποδοὺς ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις, ὁ καθίζων βασιλεῖς ἐπὶ θρόνων, καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς ἐγείρων πτωχὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψῶν πένητα: ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος Δαβὶδ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναλαβὼν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων τῶν προβάτων, ἐλάχιστον ὄντα ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ νεώτατον: ὁ διδοὺς ῥῆμα τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δυνάμει πολλῇ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τελείωσιν, αὐτὸς κρατήσειε τῆς χειρὸς ἡμῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς, καὶ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ αὐτοῦ ὁδηγήσειε, καὶ μετὰ δόξης προσλάβοιτο, ποιμαίνων ποιμαίνοντας, καὶ ὁδηγῶν ὁδηγοῦντας: ὡς ἂν ποιμαίνοιμεν τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ μετ' ἐπιστήμης, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐν σκεύεσι ποιμένος ἀπείρου, τὸ μὲν ἐν εὐλογίᾳ, τὸ δὲ ἐν κατάρᾳ τοῖς πάλαι κείμενον: αὐτὸς δοίη δύναμιν καὶ κραταίωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ: καὶ παραστήσειεν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ λαμπρὰν τὴν ποίμνην καὶ ἄσπιλον, καὶ τῆς ἄνω μάνδρας ἀξίαν, ἐν τῇ κατοικίᾳ τῶν εὐφραινομένων, ἐν τῇ τῶν ἁγίων λαμπρότητι: ὡς ἂν ἐν τῷ ναῷ αὐτοῦ πάντες λέγωμεν δόξαν, ποίμνη τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ποιμένες, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν: ᾧ πᾶσα δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.