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125

being able to resist him in any way. For with a multitude of divine works being performed by Jesus, and divine power being manifested in the things that were happening, the Jews who wished to be hostile, thinking Jesus a mere man, were lying when they said, "By Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, he casts out demons," although the works showed that these things are greater than anything created; therefore, calling them to understanding, the Savior said, "Even if you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." 663a Ps 65,4 When the Savior came, the shadow of the law received its end; therefore the worship of God is no longer eagerly performed in the temple in Jerusalem, now taking place in spirit and in truth, so that the worshiper of God is not prevented from doing this in every place. For they will worship him, each from his own place doing what is suitable for worshiping God, whence it is said at the same time, "Let them worship you and sing psalms to you." And they do this blamelessly, since your name has been called upon them, whence it is necessarily added, "Let them sing psalms to your name, O Most High." 664a Ps 65,5.6a,b Come, O lovers of learning, and see the works of God being rightly performed in faithful men, accomplished not by human but by God's counsel. For how is it possible to rightly perform celibacy and poverty as one ought, unless God's counsel makes them easy? For it is God who provides the power for these to be accomplished. He changed the life of men, which was surging and troubled like a sea, into dry land, casting upon the earth a word of fire that dries up all moisture, so that for each of those coming from wickedness to virtue and from unbelief to faith the sea was changed so as to be walked upon with feet. A symbol of this is depicted by Peter the apostle walking on the sea through faith in the Savior. But the river is speech fortified by Greek wisdom and art, which blocks the road that leads to the holy land. But he who catches the wise in their craftiness also turned this and made it passable for those journeying to holiness. What is said in this way is a refutation against those who divide the divinity. For no other god divided the Red Sea and performed the wondrous mighty works in the Gospels. For Jesus saved the people in Egypt, as it says in an apostolic epistle. 665a Ps 65,6c.7a Having become by deed and disposition where the sea and the river were turned into dry land, so as to then cross on foot, journeying unhindered from wickedness and impiety to virtue and piety, we rejoice in the one who made difficult things easy, with God royally ruling over the age and the things in it, so that those who have believed are taken from the wickedness in it, according to what was said, "That he might deliver us from the present evil age." But it is possible to understand "the age" from the preceding text as "forever," in accordance with "The Lord reigning for the age and for the age and still further;" for thus reigning over the age, he rules it forever by the power of his connatural kingdom. 666a Ps 65,7b.ξ And if you were to say "those who provoke" means all the power of the adversaries, you would not err; for they were threatening the gentiles who were defecting. Therefore, inspiring courage and cheerfulness in those who believe from among the gentiles, and fear in those who threaten them, "His eyes," it says, "look upon the gentiles," guarding them unharmed; whence, "Let not those who provoke be exalted in themselves," as if they were able to destroy those who come to the gospel. 667a Ps 65,9 The soul of the one who receives the end of faith, salvation, is set for life, so as to say with faithful purpose, "My soul lives for him" (it is clear, that is, for God). And a soul lives by having virtue and wisdom, just as "the soul that sins shall die," so as to say to God, "In your righteousness, give me life." The feet of the inner man are not given to shaking, when one is established upon the unbreakable

125

κατὰ ποσὸν ἀντιστῆναι αὐτῷ δυνηθέντες. θεϊκῶν γὰρ εργων ὑπὸ ̓Ιησοῦ γινομένων πλήθους τε δυνάμεως θεϊκῆς ἐκφαινομένης ἐν τοῖς γινομένοις, οἱ ἐχθρεύειν βουλόμενοι ̓Ιουδαῖοι ψιλὸν ανθρωπον τὸν ̓Ιησοῦν οἰόμενοι ἐψεύδοντο λέγοντες ̓Εν Βεεζεβοὺλ αρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια, καίτοι τῶν εργων δηλούντων ὡς κρείττω ταῦτα παντὸς γεννητοῦ· διὸ πρὸς κατανόησιν καλῶν αὐτοὺς ὁ σωτὴρ ελεγε Καν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, τοῖς εργοις πιστεύετε ινα γνῶτε οτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί. 663a Ps 65,4 Τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημήσαντος, τέλος ἀπείληφεν ἡ τοῦ νόμου σκιά· οθεν οὐ σπουδάζεται ετι ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῷ ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις τελεῖσθαι ἡ θεοῦ προσκύνησις, γινομένη ηδη ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ ὡς μὴ κωλύεσθαι τὸν θεοῦ προσκυνητὴν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τοῦτο ποιεῖν. προσκυνήσουσι γὰρ αὐτῷ, εκαστος ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ πράττων κατάλληλα τῷ προσκυνεῖν θεῷ, οθεν αμα ειρηται Προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλάτωσάν σοι. ποιοῦσι δὲ τοῦτο ἀμέμπτως, ἐπικληθείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς σῆς προσηγορίας, οθεν ἀναγκαίως ἐπενήνεκται τὸ Ψαλάτωσαν τῷ ὀνόματί σου, υψιστε. 664a Ps 65,5.6a,b ∆εῦτε, ω φιλομαθεῖς, καὶ ιδετε τὰ εργα τοῦ θεοῦ κατορθούμενα ἐν τοῖς πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀνυόμενα οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἀλλὰ θεοῦ βουλῇ. πῶς γὰρ ἀγαμίαν καὶ ἀκτημοσύνην ὡς δεῖ κατορθῶσαι δυνατόν, μὴ θεοῦ βουλῆς ἐξευμαριζούσης αὐτά; οτι δὲ θεός ἐστιν ὁ δύναμιν παρέχων τοῦ ἀνυσθῆναι ταῦτα. τὸν βίον τῶν ἀνθρώπων κυματούμενον καὶ ταραττόμενον οια ἀθάλατταν εἰς ξηρὰν μετέβαλεν, βαλὼν πυρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς λόγον πᾶσαν ὑγρότητα ξηραίνοντα, ὡς ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐκ κακίας εἰς ἀρετὴν καὶ ἐξ ἀπιστίας εἰς πίστιν ἐρχομένων μετεστράφθαι τὴν θάλασσαν ὡς ποσὶ περιπατεῖσθαι. τούτου σύμβολον εἰκονογραφεῖται Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου πίστει τῇ εἰς τὸν σωτῆρα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης περιπατοῦντος. ̔Ο δὲ ποταμὸς λόγος ἐστὶν ὠχυρωμένος ̔Ελληνικῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τέχνῃ, κωλύων τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν ἀπάγουσαν γῆν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον μετέστρεψεν ὁ δρασσόμενος τοὺς σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ βάσιμον ἀπειργάσατο τοῖς πορευομένοις εἰς ἁγιότητα. Ελεγχος δ' ἐστὶ τὰ ουτως λεγόμενα κατὰ τῶν διακοπτόντων τὴν θεότητα. οὐ γὰρ αλλος θεὸς τὴν ἐρύθραν θάλασσαν διεῖλε καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις τεραστίους δυνάμεις πεποίηκεν. ̓Ιησοῦς γὰρ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τὸν λαὸν εσωσεν, ὡς ἐν ἐπιστολῇ φησιν ἀποστολικῇ. 665a Ps 65,6c.7a Γενόμενοι εργῳ καὶ διαθέσει ενθα ἡ θάλασσα καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς εἰς ξηρὰν μετεστράφη ὡς ποδὶ λοιπὸν διαβαίνειν ἀκωλύτως ὁδεύοντας ἀπὸ κακίας καὶ ἀσεβείας ἐπ' ἀρετὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν, εὐφραινόμεθα ἐν τῷ ποιήσαντι τὰ δυσχερῆ εὐμαρῆ, θεοῦ βασιλικῶς δεσπόζοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ, ὡς ἐξαιρεῖσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ πονηρίας τοὺς πιστεύσαντας κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν Οπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστηκότος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ. ∆υνατὸν δὲ τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν ἐπ' απειρον ἐκλαβεῖν ἐκ τῆς προκειμένης λέξεως συμφώνως τῷ Κύριος βασιλεύων τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ἐπ' αἰῶνα καὶ ετι· ουτω γὰρ βασιλεύων τὸν αἰῶνα ἐπ' απειρον δεσπόζει αὐτοῦ τῇ δυναστείᾳ τῆς συμφυοῦς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. 666a Ps 65,7b.ξ Εἰ δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν δύναμιν παραπικραίνοντας ειποις, οὐκ αν ἁμάρτοις· ἠπείλουν γὰρ τοῖς ἀφισταμένοις εθνεσιν. θάρσος τοίνυν καὶ εὐθυμίαν ἐμποιῶν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν, φόβον δὲ τοῖς ἀπειλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ εθνη, φησίν, ἐπιβλέπουσιν, φρουροῦντες αὐτοὺς ἀβλαβεῖς· οθεν Οἱ παραπικραινόμενοι μὴ ὑψούσθωσαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὡς δυνάμενοι ἀπολέσαι τοὺς τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ προσερχομένους. 667a Ps 65,9 Τίθεται εἰς ζωὴν ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ τέλος κομιζομένου τῆς πίστεως σωτηρίαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν πιστῇ προθέσει ̔Η ψυχή μου αὐτῷ ζῇ (δῆλον δὲ οτι τῷ θεῷ). ζῇ δὲ ψυχὴ ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν εχουσα, ὡς ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα ἀποθανεῖται, ὡς εἰπεῖν τῷ θεῷ ̓Εν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ζῆσόν με. Οὐ δίδονται εἰς σάλον οἱ πόδες τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου, οταν τις ἱδρυνθῇ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀρραγῆ