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of his holy prophets from of old." Ancient, then, for this reason; but true, because it will come to pass even before eve 2208 ning, when he has put all his enemies under his feet; when he will have abolished every rule and authority and power. For then, when all wickedness is removed, and the last enemy, death, is abolished, God will be all in all; and our Savior, reigning in the new age, will be glorified before the elders, with his saints reigning with him in life. But desiring to see the end of good things as quickly as possible, he prays: Let it be, Lord. That is, since he said "you have done" concerning things that have not yet happened, showing that they will certainly be, even if they have not yet happened, he added: Let it be, Lord. But he prays concerning those who will attain blessedness. But concerning the things that have already passed in mortal life, he adds, "you have made cities in the mortal world into a heap of dust," glorifying him also for the things by which he destroyed the impious polities of the atheists, and their impious buildings, perhaps meaning cities, and the opposing powers. Which, because of their strength, it is customary to call a wall and a city, as was said before, which Christ, having cast down, will not permit to rise again. But those of them who escaped their hands, that is, those saved from among the impious men, will bless you, or will glorify you according to the others. And these are a people who for your sake became poor in the former age, and whom the persecutors of godliness wronged. That is, those formerly poor in all virtue, of the gifts from you, which Israel alone enjoyed; and having become naked of the shelter from above. For when all these things were changed for them to the contrary, they fittingly send up songs of thanksgiving. For when they were humble and in despondency, lacking all luxury, turning in the midst of the wicked, you were their helper and shelter, O Master. But also in that time of thirst, so as to say: "My soul has thirsted for you, for the strong, living God," you again were a spring, giving them drink with the outpouring of the spirit, delivering them from faintheartedness, strengthening them with the power of your only-begotten Word. But lest the children of the Jews think these things were said about them, he presents the grace poured out upon all the nations: And the Lord Sabaoth, he says, will make for all the nations upon this mountain. What will he make? According to the other interpreters, a drink is mentioned next; but according to the Seventy, they will drink gladness, they will drink wine. So it is not for the Jewish people the banquet, but he says the Lord will prepare it for all the nations. Not in valleys, nor in plains, nor on many mountains, nor by chance on some mountain, but on that one about which he spoke demonstratively, on this mountain. Which one? or the one indicated 2209 in "The Lord will reign on mount Zion"? There for the nations is the banquet, and the drink of immortality, about which Paul says: "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." In which those from the nations who are deemed worthy of the promises will drink gladness, and will drink the wine of the true vine. About which the Savior said: I will not drink of it, until I drink it new with you in the kingdom of heaven. But they will also be anointed with myrrh, no longer receiving the pledge of the spirit, but partaking of the very fullness of the divinity of the Son of God. No longer knowing in part, and prophesying in part, but becoming partakers of the perfect Christ, so that they themselves are shown to be anointed ones, and sons of God, and heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ. But according to those who say it was spoken about the advent, the mountain is the Church, being a watchtower and a vision of peace, because of the loftiness of its doctrines and the tranquility of souls; and the wine and myrrh clearly represented the mystical anointing, and the saving blood. For the blessed John also writes: "And you have an anointing from the Holy One." For with this those who are baptized are anointed, making the anointing a symbol of partaking of the divine Spirit. But since Israel is unworthy of these things; "Hand them over," he says, "to the nations,"

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ἁγίων τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος προφητῶν αὐτοῦ." Ἀρχαία μὲν οὖν διὰ τοῦτο· ἀληθινὴ δὲ, διότι καὶ πρὸ ἑσπέ 2208 ρας ἐκβήσεται, ἐπειδ' ἂν θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· ὅτ' ἂν καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν. Τότε γὰρ πάσης κακίας ἐκ ποδῶν ἀρθείσης, καὶ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ἐχθροῦ τοῦ θανάτου καταργηθέντος, ὁ μὲν Θεὸς ἔσται πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν· ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν τοῦ νέου βασιλεύων αἰῶνος ἐνώπιον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων δοξασθήσεται, συμβασιλευόντων ἐν ζωῇ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτῷ. Τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τέλος ἰδεῖν ᾖ τάχος ἐπιθυμῶν, ἐπεύχεται· Γένοιτο, Κύριε. Ἤγουν ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῶν μήπω γεγονότων τὸ, ἐποίησας, ἔλεγε, δεικνὺς ὡς ἔσται πάντως, εἰ καὶ μὴ γέγονε, προσέθηκε τό· Γένοιτο, Κύριε. Ἀλλ' ἐπεύχεται μὲν περὶ τῶν τευξομένων μακαριότητος. Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐν τῷ θνητῷ βίῳ πρὸ παρεληλυθότων ἐπιλέγει τὸ, ἔθηκας ἐν τῷ θνητῷ πόλεις εἰς χῶμα, δοξάζων αὐτὸν καὶ ἐφ' οἷς τὰς ἀσεβεῖς τῶν ἀθέων πολιτείας κατέλυσεν, ἀσεβῆ τε τούτων οἰκοδομήματα τάχα πόλεις, καὶ τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις δηλῶν. Ἃς διὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν, τεῖχος καὶ πόλιν καλεῖν ἔθος, ὡς ἐλέγετο πρότερον, ἃς καθελὼν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀναστῆναι πάλιν οὐ συγχωρήσειεν. Οἵγε μὴν αὐτῶν διαφυγόντες τὰς χεῖρας, ἥγουν ἐκ τῶν ἀσεβούντων ἀνθρώπων οἱ σεσωσμένοι, εὐλογήσουσίν σε, ἢ δοξάσουσι κατὰ τοὺς λοιπούς. Εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι λαὸς ὁ διὰ σὲ πτωχεύσας κατὰ τὸν πρότερον αἰῶνα, καὶ ὃν οἱ διῶκται τῆς θεοσεβείας ἠδίκησαν. Ἤγουν οἱ πάλαι πτωχοὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς, τῶν παρὰ σοῦ χαρισμάτων, ὧν Ἰσραὴλ μόνος ἀπέλαυεν· γυμνοί τε τῆς ἄνωθεν σκέπης γενόμενοι. Τούτων γὰρ πάντων εἰς τοὐναντίον αὐτοῖς μεταστάντων, χαριστηρίους εἰκότως ᾠδὰς ἀναπέμπουσιν. Καὶ ὅτε γὰρ ἦσαν ταπεινοὶ καὶ ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ, τρυφῆς τε πάσης ἐνδείᾳ τῶν φαύλων ἐν μέσῳ στρεφόμενοι, σὺ τούτων ἦσθα, ∆έσποτα, βοηθός τε καὶ σκέπη. Ἀλλὰ καὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνο διψῶσι καιροῦ, ὡς λέγειν· "Ἐδίψησέν σοι ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ἰσχυρὸν τὸν ζῶντα," σὺ πάλιν ἦσθα πηγὴ, ποτίζων αὐτοὺς ἐπιῤῥοῇ τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος, τῆς ὀλιγοψυχίας αὐτοὺς ἀνακτώμενος, ἐνισχύων αὐτοὺς τῇ τοῦ μονογενοῦς σου Λόγου δυνάμει. Ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ περὶ αὐτῶν εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα παῖδες Ἰουδαίων νομίσωσι, τὴν εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη χυθεῖσαν χάριν παρίστησι· Καὶ ποιήσει, λέγων, Κύριος Σαβαὼθ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦτο. Τί δὲ ποιήσει; Κατὰ μὲν τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς, ποτὸν ἑξῆς εἴρηται· κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, πίονται εὐφροσύνην, πίονται οἶνον. Οὐκ ἄρα τῷ Ἰουδαίων λαῷ τὸ συμπόσιον, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι λέγει παρασκευάσειν τὸν Κύριον. Οὐκ ἐν φάραγξιν, οὐδ' ἐν πεδίοις, οὐδ' ἐν πολλοῖς ὄρεσιν, οὐδ' ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐπί τινος ὄρους, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἐκεῖνο περὶ οὗπερ ἔφησε δεικτικῶς, ἐπὶ τὸ ὅρος τοῦτο. Ποῖον. ἢ τὸ δηλωθὲν 2209 ἐν τῷ Βασιλεύσει, Κύριος ἐν ὄρει Σιών; Ἐκεῖ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὸ συμπόσιον, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀθανασίας ποτὸν, περὶ οὖ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· "Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ." Ἐν οἷς οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν καταξιούμενοι τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν, πίονται εὐφροσύνην, καὶ πίονται τῆς ἀληθινῆς οἶνον ἀμπέλου. Περὶ οὗ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔλεγεν· Οὐ μὴ πίω αὐτὸ, ἕως ἂν πίω αὐτὸ καινὸν μεθ' ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ χρίσονται μῦρον, οὐκέτι τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ληψόμενοι, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς θεότητος μεθέξοντες τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἐκ μέρους ἔτι γινώσκοντες, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύοντες, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ τελείου μέτοχοι γενόμενοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς ἀποφανθῆναι χριστοὺς, Θεοῦ τε υἱοὺς, καὶ κληρονόμους Θεοῦ, καὶ συγκληρονόμους Χριστοῦ. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς περὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας εἰρῆσθαι λέγοντας, ὄρος μὲν ἡ Ἐκκλησία οὖσα σκοπευτήριον, καὶ ὅρασις εἰρήνης, διὰ τὸ τῶν δογμάτων ὑψηλὸν καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν τὸ ἀτάραχον· οἶνος δὲ καὶ μῦρον, σαφῶς τὸ μυστικὸν χρίσμα, καὶ τὸ σωτήριον αἷμα παρέστησεν. Γράφει γὰρ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης· "Καὶ ὑμεῖς χρίσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου." Τούτῳ γὰρ οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι χρίονται, σύμβολον τοῦ μεταλαχεῖν τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τὸ χρίσμα ποιούμενοι. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τούτων ἀνάξιος Ἰσραήλ· Παράδος αὐτὰ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν,