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you lived in luxury, and against whom did you open your mouth?" Concerning whom David also said: "Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see," and bend their back continually. Some say a small affliction, which does not proceed to deeds, is a threat. For God threatens out of love for humanity, wishing to keep them from evils by fear. For He does not hate His own creation, nor did He bring it forth so that He might punish it. For if He were such, it was possible for Him to inflict the punishment in silence. But now, wishing to save, He threatens beforehand. Since, therefore, he says that our affairs have become such that the debt is paid off through great punishments, there is need of your beloved one to dissolve our calamities by grace. For from the time that, according to the prophecy, the virgin is said to have given birth, he opportunely makes mention of the child everywhere. But those who say that what happens to a woman in labor happened to the beloved of the Father out of love for God, adhere to the trope, saying that they bore spirits of salvation for those on the earth; which is fitting for prophets, and apostles and evangelists. For being rich from above with the seeds of divine initiation, they brought forth a spirit of salvation for those on the earth, that is, the teaching in the spirit. For it is common in Scripture to sometimes call the writings of some 'spirit', according to the verse: "Test the spirits to see if they are from God." For the saving proclamation is called by the Holy Spirit, but that which is worldly, the things that fight against it. Therefore Paul says: "But we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is from God." Therefore, he called the evangelical proclamation, which brings about eternal life, a spirit of salvation. Some say it shows the benefit from the threat. For having received your fear as good seed, and having conceived it, at the proper time we reaped salvation. For while we were still on earth you granted a time for repentance, not destroying us beforehand with the deserved justice, but allowing those who turned back to be saved. And being dead in our trespasses, we will now be raised as from tombs, having received help from you. By which being perfected, we will rejoice, having abstained from evil works. For you send forth your mercy upon us as 2228 a healing dew, while the impious are perishing. And he uses what happens in nature as an example for understanding. And in Ezekiel, when the Jews had despaired after a long time, God shows the prophet the return from captivity and the building of the temple, commanding the bones of the dead to be made alive through the prophet's proclamation, reviving the hopes of the people through the bringing to life of those who had despaired. Some say, since he said to bear a spirit of salvation on the earth, and death is still seen to prevail over those on earth, as if someone were asking, where is the benefit of the evangelical proclamations? And where is the spirit of salvation? bringing forward the defense, he says, the dead will rise. For on behalf of all, as the Apostle says, Christ tasted death, and became the firstfruits of all who have fallen asleep, and when all are raised the power of death will be abolished, even if we still die now, since the time of the resurrection has not yet come. For then all will rise. And what is the manner? The dew from you is a healing for them. And he thus calls the life-giving energy of the spirit, through which they will rise. And of David saying: "For when you turn away your face, they will be troubled, and they will return to their dust. You will send forth your spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth." But those who have fallen in the earth will live again; but the land of the impious will fall. What the land of the Jews had to suffer, happened. For they acted insolently toward Christ, and toward those who bore the spirit of salvation for those on the earth. κʹ, καʹ. 9Go, my people; enter into your chamber, shut your door. Hide yourself for a little while, until the wrath of the Lord passes by9, etc. After the teaching of the resurrection from the dead, the prophetic spirit, seeing the saints gathered together in the same place, and perceiving the wrath coming upon the impious from another quarter, addresses the

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ἐνετρυφήσατε, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνι ἠνοίξατε τὸ στόμα ὑμῶν;" Περὶ ὧν ἔφασκε καὶ ∆αβίδ· "Σκοτισθήσονται οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν," καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς σύγκαμψον. Τινὲς δὲ θλίψιν μικρὰν, τὴν μὴ χωροῦσαν εἰς ἔργα φασὶν ἀπειλήν. Φιλανθρώπως γὰρ ἀπειλεῖ Θεὸς, φόβῳ τῶν κακῶν ἀπεῖρξαι βουλόμενος. Οὐ μισεῖ γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον πλάσμα, οὐδὲ παρήγαγεν ὡς ἂν τιμωρήσηται. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν τοιοῦτος, ἐνῆν αὐτῷ καὶ σιωπῇ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐργάζεσθαι. Νῦν δὲ σώζειν ἐθέλων προαπειλεῖ. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν φησὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα τοιαῦτα γέγονεν, ὡς διὰ μεγάλων τιμωριῶν τὸ χρέος ἐκτιννύναι, χρεία τοῦ σοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ τὰς συμφορὰς ἡμῖν διαλύοντος χάριτι. Ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν ἡ παρθένος λέγεται τετοκέναι, πανταχοῦ εὐαφόρμως μνημονεύει τοῦ παιδίου. Οἱ δὲ λέγοντες ἐκ φιλοθεΐας γενέσθαι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ τοῦ Πατέρος ὅπερ ὠδίνουσα γυνὴ, ἐμμένουσι τῇ τροπῇ, σωτηρίας λέγοντες πνεύματα τεκεῖν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὅπερ ἁρμόττει προφήταις, ἀποστόλοις τε καὶ εὐαγγελισταῖς. Τῆς γὰρ θείας μυσταγωγίας ἄνωθεν πλουτοῦντες τὰ σπέρματα, τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πνεῦμα σωτηρίας ἐξέτεκον, τὴν ἐν πνεύματι δηλονότι διδασκαλίαν. Φίλον γὰρ τῇ Γραφῇ πνεῦμα καλεῖν ἔσθ' ὅτε τάς τινων συγγραφὰς, κατὰ τό· "∆οκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐκ τοῦ θείου εἰσίν." Πνεύματι γὰρ ἁγίῳ τὸ σωτήριον κήρυγμα λέγεται, κοσμικῷ δὲ, τὰ τούτῳ μαχόμενα. ∆ιό φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· "Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ." Πνεῦμα τοίνυν σωτηρίας, τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν ἐκάλεσε κήρυγμα τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν προξενοῦν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀπειλῆς ὠφέλειαν ἐμφαίνειν. Ὡς ἀγαθὸν γὰρ σπέρμα τὸν σὸν φόβον δεξάμενοι, καὶ τοῦτον κυοφορήσαντες, ἐν καιρῷ τῷ δέοντι σωτηρίαν ἐκαρπωσάμεθα. Ἔτι γὰρ οὖσιν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ γῆς καιρὸν μετανοίας ἐχαρίσω, μὴ προανελὼν τῇ κατ' ἀξίαν δίκῃ, ἀλλ' ἐνδοὺς ἐπιστραφεῖσι σωθῆναι. Καὶ νεκροὶ ὄντες τοῖς παραπτώμασι, νῦν ἐγερθησόμεθα ὡς ἀπὸ μνημείων ἀντιλήψεως τυχόντες τῆς παρὰ σοῦ. Ὑφ' ἧ τελοῦντες, ἀγαλλιασόμεθα τῶν κακῶν ἔργων ἀπεσχημένοι. Τὸν σὸν γὰρ ἔλεον ὡς 2228 δρόσον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἐκπέμπεις ἰατικὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀπολλυμένων. Τοῖς φύσει δὲ συμβαίνουσι παραδείγματι χρῆται πρὸς κατανόησιν. Καὶ παρ' Ἰεζεκιὴλ δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπειρηκότων εἰ διὰ μακρὸν χρόνον, τὴν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπάνοδον, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τὴν οἰκοδόμησιν ὁ Θεὸς ὑποδείκνυσι τῷ προφήτῃ, νεκρῶν ὀστᾶ καὶ διὰ κηρύγματος τοῦ προφήτου ζωοποιεῖσθαι κελεύει, ζωπυρῶν τῷ λαῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀπεγνωσμένων ἀναβιώσεως. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, ἐπείπερ ἔφη πνεῦμα τεκεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς σωτηρίας, ὁρᾶται δὲ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἔτι κατισχύων ὁ θάνατος, ὥς τινος ζητοῦντος, ποῦ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν κηρυγμάτων ἡ ὄνησις. Ποῦ δὲ τῆς σωτηρίας τὸ πνεῦμα; τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἐπάγων φησὶν, ἀναστήσονται οἱ νεκροί. Ὑπὲρ παντὸς γὰρ, καθά φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ἐγεύσατο θανάτου Χριστὸς, καὶ πάντων τῶν κεκοιμημένων γέγονεν ἀπαρχὴ, καὶ πάντων ἀνισταμένων τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος καταργηθήσεται, εἰ καὶ νῦν ἔτι θνήσκομεν, μήπω τοῦ τῆς ἀναστάσεως παρόντος καιροῦ. Τότε γὰρ ἀναστήσονται πάντες. Καὶ τίς ὁ τρόπος; Ἡ δρόσος ἡ παρὰ σοῦ ἴαμα αὐτοῖς ἐστίν. Τὴν δὲ ζωοποιὸν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν οὕτω καλεῖ, δι' ἧς ἀναστήσονται. Καὶ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ λέγοντος· "Ἀποστρέψαντος γάρ σου τὸ πρόσωπον, ταραχθήσονται, καὶ εἰς τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψουσιν. Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονται, καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς." Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἐν γῇ πεσόντες ἀναβιώσονται· ἡ δὲ γῆ πεσεῖται τῶν ἀσεβῶν. Ὃ δεῖ παθεῖν τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων χώρᾳ συνέβη. Πεπαρῳνήκασι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ τοὺς τῆς σωτηρίας τεκόντας πνεῦμα τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς. κʹ, καʹ. 9Βάδιζε, λαός μου· ἔσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμεῖόν σου, ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν σου. Ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ Κυρίου9, κ.τ.λ. Μετὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ προφητικὸν ὁρῶν τοὺς ἁγίους ἐπὶ ταὐτὸ συνηγμένους, τήν τε ἐπιοῦσαν ἐξ ἑτέρου μέρους τοῖς ἀσεβέσι κατανοῆσαν ὀργὴν, προσφωνεῖ τοῖς