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having received it with their eyes, they will be anxious and will be on guard not to fall into similar things. Then recalling to memory the former boasting of the one mighty in wickedness, both his height and his arrogance, and seeing the humiliation and destruction that came upon him after these things, they will consider him ridiculous, observing from what things to what things he has fallen; and they will accept the judgment of God, confessing it to be just. Then they will also go through the reasons for which the impious one suffered these things, 23.449 justifying the judgment of God. For one ought not to be proud on account of wealth, nor to be exalted in the vanity of the present life, but to set God alone as his hope and helper, and not to be shaken in this hope; but he has abandoned the good anchor of his own soul, and having hung his hopes on vain wealth, he has made a fool of himself, incurring nothing more than ridicule for his own vain and foolish boasting. But I, like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God forever and for ages of ages. What kind of end the one mighty in wickedness will meet, we have learned through what has been said. But I, says David, having been taught these things by the Holy Spirit, would never be lifted up either by the abundance of temporary wealth, or by the vanity of mortal life; For vanity of vanities, all is vanity. But also, fleeing the way of the one mighty in wickedness, I would not sharpen my own tongue and words for the destruction of others, but for the benefit of souls, and for the ministry of saving words. And in my other actions I would thus become flourishing and fruitful, so that my soul might be compared to an evergreen and fruit-bearing plant, planted in the house of God. Therefore I say: But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God; or according to Symmachus: But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God. For I did not turn away from the house of God; but within it, as if planted in God's field, and enjoying the streams of the spring in the house of God, I became very fruitful and evergreen, after the example of the olive plant, which is counted among the evergreens. But observe that when David said these things, he was not in Jerusalem, which the children of the Jews considered to be the house of God; for it had not been built; nor was he in the tabernacle constructed by Moses, which was still then among the Jews. For fleeing Saul he spent his time among others; nevertheless, he was not unaware that he was planted in the house of God, understanding the house of God to be the godly commonwealth. And since he was fruitful, not bearing bitter fruits, but sweet and full of much love for humanity, he was rightly compared to a fruitful olive plant, signifying mercy toward neighbors, and the love for all humanity of the example. As he was therefore abounding with so many good things, he adds consequently: I have hoped in the mercy of God forever and for ages of ages. For the end of the one mighty in wickedness indicated uprooting and disappearance for him. For the root that bears bitter fruit had to be killed by the wise husbandman of all things. But he who is like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, hoped in the mercy of God forever and for ages of ages, procuring for himself immortality and eternal life from the good hope, from which he will never fall; For hope, according to the Apostle, does not put to shame. Then, as upon good fruits, having sketched out for himself good hopes, 23.452 he attaches the cause to the giver of all good things, saying: I will confess to you forever, because you have done it. For not I, he says, made myself like a fruitful olive tree, but you made me; for from you is the grace; therefore I will never cease knowing your grace, and confessing to you; and once having hoped in the mercy of God, I will wait on his name. For of the good hope

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ὀφθαλμοῖς παραλαβόντες, ἀγωνιάσουσι καὶ φυλάξονται μὴ τοῖς ὁμοίοις περιπεσεῖν. Εἶτα ἀναφέροντες τῇ μνήμῃ τὴν προτέραν τοῦ δυνατοῦ ἐν κακίᾳ μεγαλαυχίαν, τό τε ὕψος καὶ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν αὐτοῦ, ὁρῶντες δὲ καὶ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα μετελθοῦσαν αὐτὸν ταπείνωσίν τε καὶ ἀπώλειαν, καταγέλαστον αὐτὸν ἡγήσονται, ἐξ οἵων εἰς οἷα μεταπέπτωκε θεώμενοι· ἀποδέξονται δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κρίσιν, δικαίαν αὐτὴν εἶναι ὁμολογοῦντες. Εἶτα καὶ τὰς αἰτίας διελεύσονται, δι' ἃς ταῦτα πέπονθεν 23.449 ὁ ἀσεβὴς, δικαιοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσιν. ∆έον γὰρ μὴ ἐπὶ πλούτῳ μέγα φρονεῖν, μηδ' ἐπὶ τῇ ματαιότητι τοῦ παρόντος βίου ἐπαίρεσθαι, μόνον δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδα καὶ βοηθὸν αὑτοῦ τίθεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ μὴ σαλεύειν τῇ ἐλπίδι· ὁ δὲ τὴν μὲν ἀγαθὴν ἄγκυραν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς καταλέλοιπεν, ἐπὶ ματαίῳ δὲ πλούτῳ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἀναρτήσας, ἑαυτὸν ἔπαιξε, πλέον οὐδὲν ἢ γέλωτα ὀφλήσας ἐπὶ τῇ αὑτοῦ ματαίᾳ καὶ ἄφρονι μεγαλαυχίᾳ. Ἐγὼ δὲ, ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἤλπισα ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ὁ μὲν ἐν κακίᾳ δυνατὸς ὁποίου τέλους τεύξεται, διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων μεμαθήκαμεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ταῦτα παιδευθεὶς πρὸς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, οὔτε ἐπὶ πλήθει πλούτου προσκαίρου ἐπαρθείην ποτὲ, οὔτε ἐπὶ ματαιότητι τοῦ θνητοῦ βίου· Ματαιότης γὰρ ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης. Ἀλλὰ καὶ φεύγων τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ δυνατοῦ ἐν κακίᾳ, τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ γλῶτταν καὶ τὰ ῥήματα οὐκ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἑτέρων ἀκονήσαιμι, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ ψυχῶν, καὶ εἰς διακονίαν σωτηρίων λόγων. Καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς δὲ πράξεσιν οὕτως ἂν γενοίμην εὐθαλὴς καὶ εὔκαρπος, ὡς παραβάλλεσθαί μου τὴν ψυχὴν ἀειθαλεῖ καὶ πολυκάρπῳ φυτῷ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ πεφυτευμένῳ. ∆ιό φημι· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία εὐθαλὴς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπένευον τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ἔνδον ἐν αὐτῷ ὥσπερ ἐν γεωργίῳ Θεοῦ πεφυτευμένος, καὶ τῶν ναμάτων τῆς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ πηγῆς ἀπολαύων, πολύκαρπος ἐγινόμην καὶ ἀειθαλὴς, κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα τοῦ τῆς ἐλαίας φυτοῦ, ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀειθαλέσι παρείληπται. Τήρει δὲ, ὅτι ταῦτα λέγων ὁ ∆αυῒδ, οὔτε ἐπὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐτύγχανεν, ἣν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι Ἰουδαίων παῖδες οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὔτε γὰρ ᾠκοδόμητο· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τῇ ὑπὸ Μωϋσέως κατεσκευασμένῃ, εἰσέτι τότε παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις οὔσῃ. Φεύγων γὰρ τὸν Σαοὺλ παρ' ἑτέροις τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιεῖτο· ὅμως δ' οὖν οὐκ ἠγνόει ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ πεφυτευμένον· οἶκον Θεοῦ νοῶν τὸ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα. Καὶ ἐπειδήπερ κατάκαρπος, οὐδὲ πικροὺς φέρων καρποὺς, γλυκεῖς δὲ καὶ πολλῆς γέμοντας φιλανθρωπίας, εἰκότως ἐλαίας φυτῷ κατακάρπῳ παρεβάλλετο, τὸν εἰς τοὺς πέλας ἔλεον σημαίνοντος, καὶ τὴν εἰς ἅπαντας φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ παραδείγματος. Ὡς οὖν τοσούτοις βρίθων ἀγαθοῖς, ἀκολούθως ἐπιλέγει· Ἤλπισα ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἐν κακίᾳ δυνατοῦ τὸ τέλος ἐκρίζωσιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀφανισμὸν ἐδήλου. Ἐχρῆν γὰρ τὴν τῶν πικρῶν οἰστικὴν ῥίζαν καρπῶν πρὸς τοῦ τῶν ὅλων σοφοῦ γεωργοῦ ἀποκταλῆναι. Ὁ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ἀθανασίαν καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον ποριζόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος, ἧς οὔποτε ἐκπεσεῖται· Ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, οὐ καταισχύνει. Εἶθ' ὡς ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς καρποῖς, ἀγαθὰς ἐλπίδας ἑαυτῷ ὑπο 23.452 τυπωσάμενος, τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξάπτει τῷ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγῷ λέγων· Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὅτι ἐποίησας. Οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ὡσεὶ ἐλαίαν κατάκαρπον, ἀλλὰ σὺ ἐποίησας· παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ ἡ χάρις· διὸ οὐδέποτε παύσομαί σοι τὴν χάριν εἰδὼς, καί σοι ἐξομολογούμενος· ἅπαξ δὲ ἐλπίσας ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑπομενῶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Τῆς γὰρ ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος