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when the savior visited, righteousness arises like a light, being a practical virtue, and with it that which is established evangelically through faith in Jesus for the living, and the fitting peace having great abundance so as to extend to the consummation of the world. For this is what the removal of the moon signifies. 755 Ps 71,7b We were saying that the moon signifies the church. For the moon receives a borrowed light from the sun and does not have it of itself, just as the church, as long as it is on earth, knows in part and is not wholly genuinely enlightened, ceasing at some point to be like the sun when the perfect ... ...ceasing, not wholly genuinely enlightened of its form, then becoming this like the sun, when the perfect comes and face to face. For by the same principle that knowing in part is abolished, the unsurpassed knowledge will be established. Thus will the lunar state of the church be removed, becoming like the sun of righteousness, when the righteous who complete the church shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their own father. kata...... in the Song of Songs the perfection of the bride; but the church itself after much progress will be like the sun. For who is this, it says, who looks forth like the dawn, having the beginning of illumination, after which beginning she will be like the full moon? For this is the ekl... * after which like the sun she will be an object of wonder. 756 Ps 71,9-11a You will understand it thus: when those from the nations called Ethiopians, because of the blackness they had from impiety, fall down before the king in a manner of repentance, then the king's enemies, the Jews, will lick the dust. And it is well said that the Ethiopians fall down before him; for to fall down before the king who sees secret things signifies a genuine submission. It is possible also for a sense of repentance to be shown by the enemies of God through licking the dust; for this is the action of those who kneel. And Tarshish is interpreted as 'to spy out joys,' with the friends of virtue and piety spying out joy, so that each of them may one day be able to hear, 'Enter into the joy of your lord.' Of those thus contemplating, having their gaze toward joy, the ruling kings will bring their subjects as gifts. And islands are also brought. And these are souls, holding firm and unmovable even if the sea foams and raises up great waves. To these the Savior says, 'Be renewed, islands, to me,' being renewed by the newness of the spirit, bringing forth the new man who was created according to God. In addition to these kings, those of the Arabs and Sheba will also bring gifts, those who are coming to the evening of a wicked life, so that the light of the impious may be darkened by them. And it might be transformed falsely into an angel of light even to the point of deceiving, being the sun; for Arabs are interpreted as settings and evenings. With these Arabs and many others, repentance is offered from Sheba; and the name is interpreted as 'conversion.' It is possible to understand that those who worship him and offer gifts are the teachers of all the nations, the apostles and disciples and their successors; for they offer the people won over by them as gifts to God. And if each of the faithful also brings gifts, praiseworthy deeds and a true mind, as kings they bring their own gifts to the one and only King of all. 757a Ps 71,14b And his name is written as precious before them, of him who delivered them from so many evils. 758 Ps 71,15b The holy men, having learned that none of those who are born will redeem men from the evil condition that possesses them, since all have turned aside and together become worthless, concerning him who is able to rescue from the hand of the mighty and to be the cause of eternal salvation, continuously and without ceasing sent up a prayer to the Father, at one time saying, 'Show us, Lord, your mercy and grant us your salvation,' and at another, 'Send forth your light and your truth.' concerning his sending also in the beginning of the present

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ἐπιδημήσαντος σωτῆρος ἀνατελεῖ οια φῶς δικαιοσύνη πρακτικὴ ἀρετὴ ουσα καὶ σὺν αὐτῇ ἡ διὰ πίστεως ̓Ιησοῦ εἰς τοὺς ζῶντας εὐαγγελικῶς συνισταμένη καὶ ἡ κατάλληλος εἰρήνη πλῆθος εχουσα πολὺ ὡς παρατείνεσθαι μέχρι τῆς συντελείας τοῦ κόσμου. τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει ἡ τῆς σελήνης ἀνταναίρεσις. 755 Ps 71,7b ̓Ελέγομεν τὴν σελήνην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν δηλοῦν. ἡ γὰρ σελήνη νόθον ἐξ ἡλίου δέχεται φῶς καὶ οὐχὶ οικοθεν εχει, ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία οσον ἐστὶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐκ μέρους γινώσκει καὶ οὐ γνησίως ολη πεφώτισται λήγουσα ποτὲ ἐσομένη κατὰ τὸν ηλιον οτε τὸ τέλειον ... ...λήγουσα οὐχ ολη γνησίως πεφώτισται σχήσεως, τότε τοῦτο γενομένη κατὰ τὸν ηλιον, οταν τὸ τέλειον καὶ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον ελθῃ. ῳ γὰρ λόγῳ καταργεῖται τὸ ἐκ μέρους γινώσκειν, ἐνστήσει τῆς ἀνυπερβλήτου γνώσεως. ουτως ἀναιρεθήσεται ἡ σεληνιακὴ κατάστασις τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατὰ τὸν ηλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐσομένης, ἐκλαμψάντων ὡς ὁ ηλιος τῶν συμπληρούντων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν δικαίων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς ἑαυτῶν. κατα...... ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ἡ τελειότης τῆς νύμφης· ἡ ἐκκλησία δ' αὐτὴ μετὰ πολλὴν προκοπὴν κατὰ τὸν ηλιον εσται. Τίς γὰρ αυτη, φησίν, ἡ ἐκκύπτουσα ὡσεὶ ορθρος, ἀρχὴν φωτισμοῦ εχουσα μεθ' ην ἀρχὴν ὡς σελήνη πλησιφαὴς ἐσομένη; αυτη γὰρ ἡ ἐκλ... * μεθ' ο ὡς ηλιος θάμβος εσται. 756 Ps 71,9-11a Νοήσεις ουτως· τῶν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν Αἰθιόπων καλουμένων δι' ην ειχον ἐξ ἀσεβείας μελανίαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως προσπιπτόντων μεταγνώσεως τρόπῳ, οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐχθροὶ ̓Ιουδαῖοι γοῦν λείξουσιν. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προσπίπτειν τοὺς Αἰθίοπας· γνησίαν ὑποταγὴν δηλοῖ τὸ ἐπίπροσθεν τοῦ τὰ κρυπτὰ ὁρῶντος βασιλέως προσπίπτειν. δυνατὸν καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ θεοῦ αισθησιν μετανοίας φαίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ χοῦν λείχειν· γονυπετούντων γὰρ ἡ ἐνέργεια. Μεταλαμβάνεται δὲ Θάρσεις εἰς τὸ κατασκοπεῖν χαράς, κατασκοπούντων χαρὰν τῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ εὐσεβείας φίλων, ιν' ἀκοῦσαί ποτε δυνηθῇ εκαστος αὐτῶν Εισελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου σου. τῶν ουτω θεωρητικῶν πρὸς τὴν χαρὰν τὸ βλέμμα ἐχόντων, οἱ κρατοῦντες βασιλεῖς δῶρα οισουσιν τοὺς ἀρχομένους. καὶ νῆσοι δὲ προσάγονται. ψυχαὶ δέ εἰσιν αυται, ἑδραίως καὶ ἀμετακινήτως εχουσαι καν ἐπαφρίζει καὶ τρικυμίας ἡ θάλασσα ἐπεγείρει. πρὸς ταύτας ὁ σωτὴρ λέγει ̓Εγκαινίζεσθε, νῆσοι, πρός με, ἀνανεούμεναι τῇ καινότητι τοῦ πνεύματος, φέρουσαι τὸν νέον ανθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα. πρὸς τούτοις τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ οἱ τῶν ̓Αράβων καὶ Σαβᾶ προσοίσουσι δῶρα τοὺς πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν τοῦ βίου τοῦ φαύλου ἐρχομένους ὡς σκοτισθῆναι ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀσεβῶν. Καὶ δύναιτ' αν μετασχηματιζόμενον εἰς αγγελον φωτὸς ψευδῶς καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἀπατῆσαι ηλιον οντα· Αραβες γὰρ δυσμαὶ καὶ ἑσπέρας ἑρμηνεύονται. μετὰ τούτων τῶν ̓Αράβων καὶ ἑτέρων πλειόνων μετάνοια προσφέρεται Σαβᾶ· μεταλαμβάνεται δὲ τὸ ονομα εἰς τὸ ἐπιστροφή. ∆υνατὸν ἐκλαβεῖν προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν καὶ δῶρα προσφέροντας τοὺς διδασκάλους πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀποστόλους καὶ μαθητὰς καὶ τοὺς τούτων διαδόχους· προσφέρουσι γὰρ τοὺς κερδαινομένους ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀνθρώπους δῶρα τῷ θεῷ. εἰ δὲ καὶ εκαστος τῶν πιστῶν δῶρα φέρει πράξεις ἐπαινετὰς καὶ ἀληθὲς φρόνημα, ὡς βασιλεῖς προσάγουσι τὰ οἰκεῖα δῶρα τῷ μόνῳ καὶ ἑνὶ παμβασιλεῖ. 757a Ps 71,14b Γράφεται δὲ καὶ εντιμον τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν τοῦ τοσούτων κακῶν αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάξαντος. 758 Ps 71,15b Μαθόντες οἱ αγιοι ανδρες ὡς οὐδεὶς τῶν γενητῶν λυτρώσεται τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκ τῆς κατεχούσης κακοπραγίας, πάντων ἐκκλινάντων καὶ αμα ἀχρειωθέντων περὶ τοῦ δυναμένου ῥύσασθαι ἐκ χειρὸς δυναστοῦ καὶ σωτηρίας αἰωνίου αἰτίου ἐσομένου, συνεχῶς καὶ ἀδιαστάτως εὐχὴν τῷ πατρὶ ἀνέπεμπον, ὁτὲ μὲν λέγοντες ∆εῖξον ἡμῖν, κύριε, τὸ ελεός σου καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου δῴης ἡμῖν, ὁτὲ δὲ ̓Εξαπόστειλον τὸ φῶς σου καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου. περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀποστολῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ παρόντος