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to do, and to know with exactness the fitness of seasons, and to pray indeed not to enter into temptation according to that evangelical saying; but when it has arrived, not to be faint-hearted, but to stand nobly. A helper in the tribulations that have found us exceedingly. What I have often said, I now say again. He does not prevent tribulations from coming upon us, but when they have come, he stands by, making us useful and approved. The "exceedingly" must be assigned to "helper". For he does not help in a random way, but with excess, providing more comfort from his alliance than pain from the tribulations. For he does not provide us with as much alliance as the nature of the terrible things demands, but much more. For this reason, he says, we will not be afraid when the earth is troubled. Do you see how he provides more help, and out of much abundance? For he did not say, "Not only will we not be captured, nor will we fall," but "We will not even suffer what is common to nature, to be frightened and to fear." And whence does this happen? From the alliance coming abundantly. And here by "earth," and "mountains," and "heart of the seas," he means not the elements, but by their name he alludes to unbearable dangers. Even if we see all things in confusion, he says, even an unbearable turmoil, even these things happening which have never happened, even creation itself, as one might say, breaking apart, and the boundaries of nature being moved, and all things being torn up from their foundations, and the first elements being confounded, and such great turmoil occurring, not only will we not be captured, but we will not even fear. And the reason is that the Master of all these things helps, and stretches out his hand, and stands by. And if, when these things are happening, we would not give in, nor be faint-hearted; much more so when enemies are attacking and foes are drawn up in battle array. Their waters roared and were troubled. The mountains were troubled by his might. Another says: While the waters roar and are muddied, and the mountains are shaken in his glorification. Having said that we will not fear when all things are breaking apart, he then discusses his power, that his strength is invincible. And he reasonably says, we have not feared, and what he always does, now 55.205 from creation, now from things that happen to men, he proclaims his strength, this he also does here. And what he says is this: He shakes all things, he makes them to tremble, he moves them, whenever he wishes; so easy and simple are all things for him. But to me it seems that he here alludes to the multitudes of the brave, and the high ones of the enemies, and the boundless people of the adversaries. For so great is his power, he says, that he has simply to nod, and all these things happen. How then can we be afraid, having such a Master? Diapsalma. Another, Always. The rushings of the river. Another, Divisions. And the Hebrew, Phalagaü. make glad the city of God; the Most High has sanctified his tabernacle. Another says, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be moved. God will help her early in the morning. Another says, About dawn. Another, The nod of the morning. Having spoken of his power and strength, and that all things are easy for him, he changes the subject to the matter of the providence for Judea, presenting the good things given to them in a few words. For this one, who is so powerful, so strong and fearsome, and who brings and bears all things, who shakes and moves all things, and changes and removes them, has filled our city with countless good things. For "river" here represents the abundance of the supply of the gifts from above, and the unhindered and the poured out, as if he were saying: As if from springs all good things flow to us. For just as a river, being divided into countless parts, waters the underlying land; so the providence of God flows in from every side, borne abundantly, and coming with a rush, and filling all things. Not security

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ποιεῖν, καὶ εἰδέναι μετὰ ἀκριβείας καιρῶν ἐπιτηδειότητα, καὶ εὔχεσθαι μὲν μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν κατὰ τὸ λόγιον ἐκεῖνο τὸ εὐαγγελικόν· παραγενομένου δὲ, μὴ μαλακίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑστάναι γενναίως. Βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσι ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. Ὃ πολλάκις εἶπον, καὶ νῦν λέγω. Οὐ κωλύει τὰς θλίψεις ἐπελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ παραγενομένων παρίσταται, χρησίμους ἡμᾶς ἐργαζόμενος καὶ δοκίμους. Τὸ δὲ Σφόδρα τῷ Βοηθὸς προσνεμητέον. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε βοηθεῖ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ὑπερβολῆς, πλείονα παρέχων τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς συμμαχίας παράκλησιν τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν θλίψεων ὀδύνης. Οὐ γὰρ ὅσον ἀπαιτεῖ τῶν δεινῶν ἡ φύσις, τοσαύτην ἡμῖν παρέχει τὴν συμμαχίαν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλείονα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ φοβηθησόμεθα, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ ταράσσεσθαι τὴν γῆν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πλείονα παρέχει τὴν βοήθειαν, καὶ ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Οὐ μόνον οὐχ ἁλωσόμεθα, οὐδὲ πεσούμεθα, ἀλλ' Οὐδὲ ὃ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεώς ἐστι πεισόμεθα, τὸ φοβηθῆναι καὶ δεῖσαι. Πόθεν δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται; Ἐκ τοῦ τὴν συμμαχίαν ἐκ περιουσίας ἐπιέναι. Γῆν δὲ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ὄρη, καὶ καρδίαν θαλασσῶν, οὐ τὰ στοιχεῖά φησιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτων τοὺς ἀφορήτους κινδύνους αἰνίττεται. Κἂν πάντα ἴδωμεν συγκεχυμένα, φησὶ, κἂν ταραχὴν ἀφόρητον, κἂν ταῦτα συμβαίνοντα, ἃ μηδέποτε γέγονε, κἂν αὐτὴν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, τὴν κτίσιν συῤῥηγνυμένην ἑαυτῇ, καὶ τοὺς τῆς φύσεως κινουμένους ὅρους, καὶ πάντα ἐκ βάθρων ἀνασπώμενα, καὶ τὰ πρῶτα στοιχεῖα συγχεόμενα, καὶ τοσαύτην γινομένην τὴν ταραχὴν, οὐ μόνον οὐχ ἁλωσόμεθα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ δείσομεν. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὅτι ὁ πάντων τούτων ∆εσπότης βοηθεῖ, καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέγει, καὶ παρίσταται. Εἰ δὲ τούτων γινομένων οὐκ ἂν ἐνδοίημεν, οὐδὲ καταμαλακισθείημεν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπιόντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων παραταττομένων. Ἤχησαν καὶ ἐταράχθησαν τὰ ὕδατα αὐτῶν. Ἐταράχθησαν τὰ ὄρη ἐν τῇ κραταιότητι αὐτοῦ. Ἄλλος φησίν· Ἠχούντων καὶ θολουμένων τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ σειομένων ὀρέων ἐν τῷ ἐνδοξασμῷ αὐτοῦ. Εἰπὼν, ὅτι οὐ δείσομεν συῤῥηγνυμένων ἁπάντων, λοιπὸν περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ διαλέγεται, ὅτι ἄμαχος αὐτοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς. Καὶ εἰκότως φησὶν, οὐ δεδοίκαμεν, καὶ ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ, νῦν 55.205 μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς κτίσεως, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συμβαινόντων ἀνακηρύττει αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Σείει πάντα, σαλεύει, μετατίθησιν, ὅταν βούληται· οὕτως αὐτῷ ῥᾴδια καὶ εὔκολα πάντα. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ τὰ πλήθη ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεσθαι τῶν ἀνδρείων, καὶ τοὺς ὑψηλοὺς τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ τὸν ἄπειρον λαὸν τῶν ἐναντίων. Τοσαύτη γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἡ δύναμις, φησὶν, ὡς ἁπλῶς νεῦσαι, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα γίνεσθαι. Πῶς οὖν δυνάμεθα φοβεῖσθαι τοιοῦτον ἔχοντες ∆εσπότην; ∆ιάψαλμα. Ἄλλος, Ἀεί. Τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰ ὁρμήματα. Ἄλλος, ∆ιαιρέσεις. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Φαλαγαῦ. Εὐφραίνουσι τὴν πόλιν τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἡγίασε τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Τὸ ἅγιον τῆς κατασκηνώσεως τοῦ Ὑψίστου. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ σαλευθήσεται. Βοηθήσει αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς τῷ πρὸς πρωῒ πρωΐ. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Περὶ τὸν ὄρθρον. Ἄλλος, Τὸ νεῦσαι πρωΐαν. Εἰπὼν περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος, καὶ ὅτι ῥᾴδια αὐτῷ πάντα, εἰς τὴν τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς προνοίας ὑπόθεσιν μετατίθησι τὸν λόγον, τὰ δεδομένα αὐτοῖς ἀγαθὰ διὰ βραχέων λέξεων παριστάς. Οὗτος γὰρ, ὁ οὕτω δυνατὸς, ὁ οὕτως ἰσχυρὸς καὶ φοβερὸς, καὶ πάντα ἄγων καὶ φέρων, ὁ πάντα σείων καὶ κινῶν, καὶ μετατιθεὶς καὶ μεθιστὰς, μυρίων τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν. Ποταμὸς γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὸ δαψιλὲς τῆς χορηγίας τῶν ἄνωθεν δωρεῶν, καὶ τὸ ἀκώλυτον καὶ τὸ ἐκκεχυμένον παρίστησιν, ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· Καθάπερ ἐκ πηγῶν ἡμῖν ἅπαντα ἐπιῤῥεῖ τὰ ἀγαθά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ποταμὸς εἰς μυρία σχιζόμενος μέρη, τὴν ὑποκειμένην ἄρδει χώραν· οὕτως ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια πανταχόθεν ἐπιῤῥεῖ, δαψιλῶς φερομένη, καὶ ῥοιζηδὸν ἐπιοῦσα, καὶ πάντα πληροῦσα. Οὐκ ἀσφάλειαν