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Visit also. And it is well said, 'As a wonder'; for none of the aforementioned was such, as was supposed by the many. 740a Ps 70,8 He asks for his word, called a mouth, to be filled with praise. The glory of God is either the conception concerning him or his only-begotten Son. For it has been said concerning Christ that he is the glory of God who will be seen at his coming. For the glory of God will be seen, his magnificence being understood as the order in providence and creation, showing much that is fitting, coming to be by his command alone. For such is also the providential power for the one who is able to say, "I understood your works and was amazed." And in harmony with the present text is, "He has put into my mouth a new song, a hymn to our God." 741a Ps 70,9a In you is my hope from my youth. I ask to remain in this state until old age, not being cast away from you, since everyone who does evil and is lawless is cast away. Let it also be considered intellectually: since honorable old age is not that of many years, the grey hair of the inner man being divine wisdom and the old age of a spotless life through the highest virtue. Since I am still in the process of advancing, I ask not to be cast away but to be helped by your goodness, until I reach the time of the spotless life. 742a Ps 70,10.11 For if it is Christ who speaks, it follows "If an enemy had reproached me, I would have borne it." For this and the things following it he says concerning Judas. 743a Ps 70,14-16 Since my enemies are shamed for having striven against me in vain, I now also add praise to you triumphantly to the preceding praise concerning which I said, "In you is my praise continually." And they slandered his soul, those who said, "God has forsaken him." For the greatest slander against the one forsaken is shown, to which he says, "But I will hope continually," showing that he gave no place to abandonment. In response to "God has forsaken him," he said, "But I will hope continually." And since his enemies unjustly rage so as to wish to encompass him with destruction, remaining unharmed by them he proclaims throughout his whole life (called a "day") the righteousness and salvation of the Lord. And since "I have not known," he says, "any learning of the law," for this reason, not remaining outside on the letter and the shadow, I will enter in, ruling royally according to the life-giving spirit and the divine meaning of the scriptures, God having granted it. Therefore I say, "I will be mindful of your righteousness alone," no longer being concerned with the righteousness according to the shadow of the law, concerning which Paul, having become blameless according to the righteousness in the law, writes that all the shadowy things that were formerly his gains he has counted as loss and considers as refuse because of the surpassing worth of knowledge. 744a Ps 70,19a These great deeds up to the highest heavens and with them his wonders have come to be, the savior having become man. For when he was born of the virgin, a multitude of the heavenly host said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." For because of the good will that came to be among men, great peace prevailed, all enemies on earth having been destroyed. But also glory in the highest has come to be, as saved men have their ascent up to the highest. For how would those who have become perfect, as the heavenly Father is perfect, having come to be in unsurpassed holiness, not have in themselves God become all in all? And the Lord himself in the Gospels said to his own Father, "I desire, Father, that where I am, they also may be with me, that they may behold my glory." 745 Ps 70,20 Since in his goodness God allowed one to be tried by grievous and evil things for some benefit, again turning to himself he gives life, imparting life to those who have seen through trial afflictions and evils, so as to draw up the one who was brought down even from the abysses themselves, that is, from the depth of circumstances. And since we have understood the evils corresponding to the afflictions as painful and harmful things, consequently the

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συνεπίσκεψαι. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι ̔Ωσεὶ τέρας· οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν προειρημένων τοιοῦτος ην, ὡς ὑπελαμβάνετο τοῖς πολλοῖς. 740a Ps 70,8 ̓Αξιοῖ αἰνέσεως πληρωθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον στόμα ὠνομασμένον. δόξα δὲ θεοῦ ητοι ἡ περὶ αὐτοῦ διάληψις η ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχει· ειρηται γὰρ περὶ Χριστοῦ ὡς ειη δόξα θεοῦ ὀφθησομένου κατὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν. ὀφθήσεται γὰρ ἡ δόξα θεοῦ, μεγαλοπρεπείας αὐτοῦ νοουμένης τῆς ἐν προνοίᾳ καὶ δημιουργίᾳ τάξεως ὡς πολὺ τὸ πρέπον ἐμφαινούσης, μόνῳ γινομένης κελεύματι. τοιαύτη γὰρ καὶ ἡ προνοητικὴ τῷ δυναμένῳ λέγειν Κατενόησα τὰ εργα σου καὶ ἐξέστην· σύμφωνον δὲ τῷ παρόντι τὸ ̓Ενέβαλεν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου ᾳσμα καινόν, υμνον τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν. 741a Ps 70,9a ̓Επὶ σοὶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἐκ νεότητός μου. παρακαλῶ ἐν τῇ καταστάσει ταύτῃ μέχρι γήρως διαμεῖναι οὐκ ἀπορριπτόμενος ἀπὸ σοῦ, παντὸς τοῦ φαῦλα πράσσοντος καὶ ἀνομοῦντος ἀπορριπτομένου. Θεωρηθείη δὲ καὶ πρὸς διάνοιαν· ἐπεὶ γῆρας τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον, πολιᾶς ουσης τοῦ ενδον ἀνθρώπου τῆς θείας φρονήσεως καὶ γήρως τοῦ δι' ἀκροτάτην ἀρετὴν ἀκηλιδώτου βίου· ἐπεὶ ἀκμὴν ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν εἰμί, παρακαλῶ μὴ ἀπορριφῆναι ἀλλὰ συνεργεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγαθότητός σου, εως φθάσω ἐπὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἀκηλιδώτου βίου. 742a Ps 70,10.11 Εἰ γὰρ Χριστὸς ὁ λέγων, επεται τῷ Εἰ ἐχθρὸς ὠνείδισέ με, ὑπήνεγκα αν. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτων περὶ τοῦ ̓Ιούδα φησίν. 743a Ps 70,14-16 Τῶν ἐμῶν αἰσχυνομένων ἐχθρῶν τῷ κατ' ἐμοῦ μάτην ἐσπουδακέναι, προστίθημι καὶ νῦν ἐπινικίως αἰνῶν σε τῇ προλαβούσῃ αἰνέσει περὶ ης εφην ̓Εν σοὶ ἡ υμνησίς μου διαπαντός. ἐνδιέβαλλον δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ οἱ λέγοντες ̔Ο θεὸς ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτόν. μεγίστη γὰρ δηλοῦται κατὰ τοῦ ἐγκαταλειπομένου διαβολὴ πρὸς ο τὸ ̓Εγὼ δὲ διὰ παντὸς ἐλπιῶ φησίν, δεικνὺς ὡς οὐδεμίαν ἐγκαταλείψει παρέσχετο χώραν. Πρὸς τὸ ̔Ο θεὸς ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτὸν τὸ ̓Εγὼ δὲ διαπαντὸς ἐλπιῶ ειπεν. καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀδίκως φονώντων ὡς ἀπωλείᾳ περιβαλεῖν αὐτὸν θέλειν, ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνας ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐξαγγέλλει παρ' ολον αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον (ἡμέραν ὀνομαζόμενον) τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ σωτηρίαν τοῦ κυρίου. Καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ εγνων, φησί, γραμματείας τι τοῦ νόμου, τούτου χάριν οὐκ εξω μένων ἐπὶ τῆς λέξεως καὶ τῆς σκιᾶς εἰσελεύσομαι, κατὰ τὸ ζωοποιοῦν πνεῦμα καὶ τὸν θεῖον τῶν γεγραμμένων νοῦν δυναστεύων βασιλικῶς, θεοῦ δεδωκότος. διό φημι Μνησθήσομαι τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου μόνου, οὐκ ετι φροντίζων τὴν κατὰ σκιὰν τοῦ νόμου δικαιοσύνην, περὶ ης γενόμενος κατὰ τὴν ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοσύνην αμεμπτος Παῦλος γράφει πάντα τὰ σκιώδη α ην αὐτοῦ πρότερον κέρδη ἐζημιῶσθαι καὶ σκύβαλον ἡγεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως. 744a Ps 70,19a Ταῦτα εως ὑψίστων μεγαλεῖα καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς τὰ θαυμάσια ὑπῆρκται, τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀνθρώπου γεγενημένου. τεχθέντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου, πλῆθος οὐρανίου στρατιᾶς ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ, ελεγε, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. τῆς γὰρ γενομένης εὐδοκίας ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἰρήνη πολλὴ ἐκράτησεν, τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς πάντων πολεμίων καταλυθέντων· ἀλλὰ καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις γέγονεν, τῶν σῳζομένων ἀνθρώπων μέχρι τῶν ὑψίστων τὴν ἀνάβασιν ἐχόντων. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ εμελλον οἱ γενόμενοι τέλειοι, ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν, ἐν ἀνυπερβλήτῳ ἁγιότητι γενόμενοι, εχειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν θεὸν πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν γενόμενον; καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις εφη πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα Θέλω, πάτερ, ινα οπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ καὶ ουτοι ωσιν μετ' ἐμοῦ, ινα θεωρῶσι τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἐμήν. 745 Ps 70,20 ̓Επεὶ ἀγαθότητι ὁ θεὸς πειραθῆναι θλιβερῶν καὶ κακωτικῶν πρὸς σύμφορόν τι συνεχώρησεν, πάλιν ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ζωοποιεῖ, μεταδιδοὺς ζωῆς τοῖς ἑωρακόσι διὰ πείρας θλίψεις καὶ κακά, ὡς καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀβύσσων τουτέστι τοῦ βάθους τῶν περιστατικῶν ἀνιμήσασθαι τὸν κατενεχθέντα. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὰ κακὰ κατάλληλα ταῖς θλίψεσι τὰ ἐπίπονα καὶ κακωτικὰ ἐξειλήφαμεν, ἀκολούθως ἡ