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Savior, "And I will ask my Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, the Spirit of truth." And again: "But when the Comforter comes," the Holy Spirit, and the divine, thus he often calls the Spirit. Those therefore who have received the Comforter are commanded to comfort the people of God. But not Israel, nor Jacob, nor Judah; but another besides this one, as Zechariah declares, saying: "Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. And many nations will flee to the Lord in that day, and they will be his people, and they will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you." Through which it is clearly foretold that many nations will become the people of God. And these things are said by a Lord sent by another Lord. 2332 As, therefore, this is the people of God, so the heart of Jerusalem is the superior order of the people, and the most sovereign part of the Church, as the heart of the body, through which is signified the rational and more intelligent order. Therefore, he commanded them to speak to these, but to comfort the others, as being in need of consolation. You might also say that the more rational of the perceptible Jerusalem are signified, the rest of the multitude being, as it were, carnal and very dense, and therefore he wishes those who have received the Spirit of comfort to speak to them, preaching the forgiveness of sins through the prophecy which he brings concerning the advent of Christ, when humiliation ceases and sin is loosed. Therefore, he says that a double punishment was brought upon the said heart of Jerusalem, since historically those who were indicated also partook of the evils of the multitude, being humbled by foreign nations, and in their mind they punished themselves, mourning the rejection of the people. But also a second time the city was captured, so that the temple in it was razed to the ground. He therefore subsequently brought on the comfort of the Savior's appearance, saying, a voice of one crying out; then subsequently adding: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God, the evangelical proclamation, through which the Savior was made known. But now another wilderness is spoken of, besides the one through which Moses led the people. And of what man is the voice of one crying out in this? According to Aquila, of one calling. And it is clear to whom he was speaking: Prepare the way of the Lord. All of which it was fitting for the hearers of these things to seek, and to pray to see the salvation of God, as the prophecy was proceeding to its fulfillment. Since, therefore, those knowledgeable in the prophetic writings were expecting these things, to those who came from the chief priests and teachers, and asked John whether he was the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet, he denies these, but insists on being the voice of one crying out. For as to those who knew the prophecy, it was sufficient for him to say this much, pointing out both the wilderness in which he was living, and that the salvation of God which would be made known to all flesh was at the doors. For he preached in the wilderness of the Jordan, about which the prophecy speaks, but not in Jerusalem. In which very wilderness Christ the salvation appeared, and his glory was made known to all, when the heavens were opened as he was being baptized, and the divine Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon him, and the Father declared him to be his beloved Son. For these are the signs of the saving glory that occurred in the wilderness of the Jordan. Therefore, anticipating this, he evangelized, saying: "Be glad, you thirsty wilderness, let the wilderness rejoice and blossom as the lily. And the desolate places of the Jordan shall blossom and rejoice." And historically it was fulfilled thus; but in meaning it is understood of the Church from the Gentiles, which was formerly a wilderness of God, in which to this very day the same voice cries out, 2333 and preaches the salvation of God to those who approach, preparing their ears for the reception of the Word of God. In contrast to whom the Word calls John a voice. And instead of, Make his paths straight, Symmachus said, Level in the trackless place a way for our God. As God was about to

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Σωτὴρ, "Κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ ἄλλον Παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ᾖ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ Παράκλητος," τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τὸ θεῖον, οὕτω πολλάκις Πνεῦμα καλεῖ. Οἱ τὸν Παράκλητον οὖν δεξάμενοι, παρακαλεῖν προστάττονται τὸν λαὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, οὐδὲ τὸν Ἰακὼβ, οὐδὲ τὸν Ἰούδαν· ἀλλ' ἕτερον παρὰ τοῦτον, ὡς ὁ Ζαχαρίας δηλοῖ λέγων· "Τέρπου, καὶ εὐφραίνου, θυγάτηρ Σιὼν, δι' ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἔρχομαι, καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ σου, λέγει Κύριος. Καὶ καταφεύξονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔσονται αὐτῷ εἰς λαὸν, καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν ἐν μέσῳ σου, καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ ὅτι Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐξαπέσταλκέ με πρός σε." ∆ι' ὧν σαφῶς ἔθνη πολλὰ λαὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ προαγορεύεται γίνεσθαι. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγει Κύριος ἀπεσταλμένος ὑπὸ ἑτέρου Κυρίου. 2332 Ὡς οὖν οὗτος λαὸς Θεοῦ, οὕτω καρδία Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸ κρεῖττον τοῦ λαοῦ τάγμα, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸ κυριώτατον, ὡς ἡ καρδία τοῦ σώματος, δι' οὗ δηλοῦται τὸ λογικόν τε καὶ νοερώτερον τάγμα. ∆ιὸ τούτοις μὲν λαλεῖν, παρακαλεῖν δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπέταξεν, ὡς ἂν δεομένους παραμυθίας. Εἴποις δ' ἂν καὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τοὺς λογικωτέρους σημαίνεσθαι, τοῦ λοιποῦ πλήθους οἱονεὶ σαρκώδους καὶ παχυτάτου τυγχάνοντος, καὶ αὐτοῖς οὖν βούλεται λαλεῖν τοὺς εἰληφότας τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς παρακλήσεως, ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν εὐαγγελιζομένους διὰ τὴν προφητείαν, ἣν ἐπάγει περὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας, παυομένης τῆς ταπεινώσεως, καὶ λυομένης τῆς ἀμαρτίας. Τῇ οὖν εἰρημένῃ καρδίᾳ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ διπλῆν ἐπενηνέχθαι λέγει τὴν κόλασιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἱστορικῶς συναπέλαυον τῶν τοῦ πλήθους κακῶν οἱ δηλωθέντες ὑπ' ἀλλοφύλοις ἔθνεσι ταπεινούμενοι, καὶ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐκόλαζον ἑαυτοὺς, τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ πενθοῦντες ἀποβολήν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ δεύτερον ἡ πόλις ἥλωκεν ὡς καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ νεὼν κατενεχθῆναι πρὸς ἔδαφος. Τὴν δ' οὖν παράκλησιν τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιφανείας ἐφ' ἑξῆς ἐπενήνοχε, φωνὴ λέγων βοῶντος· εἶθ' ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρων· Καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα, δι' οὗ Σωτὴρ ἐγνωρίζετο. Ἑτέρα δὲ νῦν ἔρημος εἴρηται παρ' ἣν ὁ Μωσῆς διήγαγε τὸν λαόν. Καὶ τίνος ἀνδρὸς ἐν ταύτῃ φωνὴ βοῶντος; κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, καλοῦντος. ∆ῆλον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τίνας ἔλεγεν· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίον. Ἅπερ πάντα εἰκὸς ἦν τοὺς τούτων ἀκροατὰς ζητεῖν, εὔχεσθαί τε τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἰδεῖν, προβαινούσης εἰς ἔργον τῆς προφητείας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα προσεδόκων οἱ τῶν προφητικῶν ἐπιγνώμονες, τοῖς ἥκουσιν ὑπὸ τὼν ἀρχιερέων καὶ διδασκάλων, ἐρωτῶσίν τε τὸν Ἰωάννην, εἰ Χριστὸς, ἢ ὁ Ἠλίας, ἢ ὁ προφήτης ἐστὶν, ἀποφάσκει μὲν ταῦτα, τὸ δὲ φωνὴ βοῶντος εἶναι διϊσχυρίζεται. Ὡς γὰρ εἰδόσι τὴν προφητείαν ἠρκέσθη τοσοῦτον εἰπὼν, ἔρημόν τε δεικνὺς τὴν ἐν ᾗ διῆγε, καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ θύραις εἶναι τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πάσῃ σαρκὶ γνωσθησόμενον. Ἐκήρυσσε γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, περὶ ἧς ἡ προφητεία φησὶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐν ᾗπερ ἐρήμῳ τὸ σωτήριον ὤφθη Χριστὸς, ἥτε δόξα αὐτοῦ πᾶσιν ἐγνώσθη, τῶν μὲν οὐρανῶν ἀνοιγομένων, βαπτιζομένου, τοῦ δὲ θείου Πνεύματος ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς ἐπ' αὐτὸν καταντήσαντος, τοῦ δὲ Πατέρος φήσαντος αὐτὸν Υἱὸν ὑπάρχειν ἀγαπητόν. Ταῦτα γὰρ τῆς σωτηρίου δόξης σημεῖα ἐν ἐρήμῳ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου γενόμενα. ∆ιὸ φθάσας ταύτην εὐηγγελίζετο λέγων· "Εὐφράνθητι, ἔρημος ἡ διψῶσα, ἀγαλλιάσθω ἔρημος καὶ ἀνθείτω ὡς κρίνον. Καὶ ἐξανθήσει καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεται τὰ ἔρημα τοῦ Ἰορδάνου." Ἐπληροῦτο δὲ καθ' ἱστορίαν μὲν οὕτως· κατὰ δὲ διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας νοούμενα, ἥ τις πρότερον ἔρημος ὑπῆρχε Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾗ μέχρι καὶ τήμερον ἡ αὐτὴ βοᾷ 2333 φωνὴ, καὶ τῷ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῖς προσιοῦσιν εὐαγγελίζεται, πρὸς τὴν ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου παρασκευάζουσα τὰς αὐτῶν ἀκοάς. Πρὸς ὃν ἀντιδιαστέλλων τὸν Ἰωάννην φωνὴν ὁ λόγος καλεῖ. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ, Σύμμαχος ἔφησεν, Ὁμαλίσατε ἐν ἀβάτῳ ὁδὸν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Ὡς ἂν τοῦ Θεοῦ μέλλοντος