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to set foot upon, which neither he himself, nor a prophet, nor a righteous man had set foot upon before, namely, the Church of the Gentiles. And he added "our" to "God," as if speaking to others. For there were thousands, also from foreign nations, who came to John's baptism. And in the Church these things are proclaimed to all the nations. Then it shows that the souls humbled in the depth of wickedness are to be exalted; and that those exalted against the knowledge of God will be humbled. And a crooked and rough soul will become both smooth and straight, so that it might become receptive to God setting foot upon it. For, he says, the glory of the Lord shall be seen. And speaking to someone, he adds: "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God," speaking of the carnal who do not have the Spirit of God. According to the verse, "My Spirit shall not remain in these men, because they are flesh," who indeed will see the salvation of God. But another prophet also says that they will see the Spirit of God, saying, "I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh." For it was necessary for those who have known the salvation of God to partake also of the Spirit of God. And he brought such a comfort for the people, of the new, I say. For knowing the disobedience of the old, he uses a second proclamation: All flesh is grass. For this is the nature of flesh, and of the one bearing the image of the man of dust. For the things on earth, flourishing for only a short time, wither. But having received the salvation of God, and having the Holy Spirit, man does not wither like grass, nor will the flower fall, but he will remain spiritual, being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him. But according to the Hebrew, it calls the people of the Jews "grass." For Symmachus and Theodotion say with an addition: "Truly the people are grass." The grass withered. The flower fell. But Aquila says, To whom has the people withered? to whom has the flower departed? Instead of, "But the word of our God remains forever," Symmachus says, "But the word of our God will stand forever," for the voice in the wilderness says that Christ exists eternally, and that those who have received his salvation remain with him, having passed over from an earthly to a spiritual substance. But those of the circumcision who remained flesh will fall like grass, according to the addition of, "Truly the people are grass." But some from early times, being perplexed how the prophet brought in the coming of Christ to the words of Hezekiah, say that enemies often ravaged Jerusalem; but the one by Nebuchadnezzar before the coming of Christ was the last capture. After which, having returned, they inhabited the land without division until the coming of Christ. Therefore, having mentioned this capture to Hezekiah, he mentions the comfort that follows it. For to them first the proclamation of salvation came, according to the verse: "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But some say that he deemed their own absurd thoughts worthy of comfort. For when Hezekiah was disciplined for his absurd conceit, according to which he thought he was the expected one, so that it seemed to be said about him, "A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand," seeing so many fallen. But when this hope failed because of the sickness, so that the psalm saying, "and a plague will not come near your tent" (for it applied only to Christ) no longer applied to him, the people thought that the things of the promise had ceased, and that all things hoped for had vanished, and that no savior of the race would appear. Therefore the God of all comforts these who were in despair through the prophet and the priests, saying, "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem," that is, make the word of comfort acceptable to those who hear, which the law did not have, being excessively burdensome in being occupied with shadow and types, not teaching the mind necessary things. For it produced a certain external knowledge through the letter. But the proclamation of salvation fills the soul with insights, as the divine Spirit opens up its depth. Thus also David says: "In my heart I have hidden your word, that I might not sin against you." Such also is that through one

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ἐπιβαίνειν, ἧς οὐκ ἐπέβη τὸ πρότερον οὐκ αὐτὸς, οὐ προφήτης, οὐ δίκαιος, δηλαδὴ τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας. Καὶ τῷ Θεῷ τὸ ἡμῶν προσέθηκεν, ὡς πρὸς ἑτέρους φθεγγόμενος. Ἦσαν γὰρ μύριοι καὶ ἐξ ἀλλοφύλλων ἐθνῶν οἱ τῷ Ἰωάννου προσελθόντες βαπτίσματι. Καὶ ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ δὲ ταῦτα πᾶσι προσφωνεῖται τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Εἶτα δηλοῖ τὰς μὲν τεταπεινωμένας τῷ βάθει τῆς κακίας ὑψοῦσθαι ψυχάς. ταπεινωθήσεσθαι δὲ τὰς ἐπηρμένας κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ σκολιὰ δὲ καὶ τραχεῖα ψυχὴ, ὁμαλή τε καὶ εὐθεῖα γενήσεται· ὡς ἂν δεκτὴ γένοιτο τῆς ἐπιβάσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὀφθήσεται γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ δόξα Κυρίου. Καί τινι λέγων, ἐπάγει· Καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοὺς σαρκικοὺς λέγων οὐκ ἐσχηκότας Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ. Κατὰ τὸ, "Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ Πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας," οὓς δὴ τὸ σωτήριον ὄψεσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ προφήτης ἕτερος ὄψεσθαι τούτους φησὶν, "Ἐκχεῶ, λέγων, ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα." Ἔδει γὰρ τοὺς τὸ σωτήριον ἐγνωκότας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος μεθέξειν Θεοῦ. Καὶ τοιαύτην ἐπήγαγε τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν παράκλησιν, τοῦ νέου φημί. Τοῦ γὰρ παλαιοῦ τὴν ἀπείθειαν εἰδὼς, δευτέρῳ χρῆται κηρύγματι· Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος. Σαρκὸς γὰρ αὕτη φύσις, καὶ τοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα φοροῦντος τοῦ χοϊκοῦ. Τὰ γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς πρὸς βραχὺ μόνον ἀνθοῦντα μαραίνεται. ∆εξαμένη δὲ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα σχήσει ἅγιον, ὅ τε οὐχ ὡς χόρτος ξηραίνεται ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ πεσεῖται τοῦ ἄνθους, μενεῖ δὲ πνευματικὸς, ἀνακαινούμενος εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν χόρτον καλεῖ τὸν Ἰουδαίων λαόν. Ὁ γὰρ Σύμμαχος καὶ Θεοδοτίων ἐκ προσθήκης φασίν· Ἀληθῶς χόρτος ὁ λαός. Ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος. Ἐξέπεσε τὸ ἄνθος. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, Πρὸςὃν ὁ λαὸς ἐξηράνθη; πρὸς ὃν ἀπέρευσεν ἄνθος; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὁ Σύμμμαχός φησιν, Ὁ δὲ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν στήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Χριστὸν γὰρ αἰώνιον ὑπάρχειν ἡ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ λέγει φωνὴ, καὶ συνδιαμένειν αὐτῷ τοὺς τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ δεξαμένους ἀπὸ τῆς γεώδους ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν μεταστάντας οὐσίαν. Οἱ δὲ ἐκ περιτομῆς μείναντες σάρκες, χόρ 2336 του δίκην πεσοῦνται, κατὰ τὴν προσθήκην τοῦ, Ἀληθῶς χόρτος ὁ λαός. Ἄνωθεν δέ τινες ἀπορήσαντες πῶς τοῖς Ἐζεκίου λόγοις τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν ὁ προφήτης ἐπήνεγκε, λέγουσιν ὅτι πολλάκις πολέμιοι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ κατεδῄωσαν· ἡ δὲ διὰ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας τελευταία γέγονεν ἅλωσις. Μεθ' ἣν ἐπανελθόντες ᾤκουν ἀδιαιρέτως τὴν γῆν μέχρι τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας. Ταύτης οὖν μνησθεὶς πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν τῆς ἁλώσεως τῆς ἐπὶ ταύτῃ μέμνηται παρακλήσεως. Προηγουμένως γὰρ τούτοις τὸ σωτήριον ἐγένετο κήρυγμα κατὰ τό· "Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ ἀπολωλότα πρόβατα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ." Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς τὰς αὐτῶν ἀτόπους ἐννοίας ἠξίωσε παρακλήσεως. Ἐζεκίου γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀτόπῳ παιδευθέντος οἰήσει, καθ' ἣν ᾤετο τυγχάνειν ὁ προσδοκώμενος, ὡς καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ δοκεῖν εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, "Πεσεῖται ἐκ τοῦ κλίτου σου χιλιὰς, καὶ μυριὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου," τοσούτους πεπτωκότας θεώμενον. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἐλπίδος διαπεσόντος διὰ τὴν νόσον, ὡς μηκέτι τὸν ψαλμὸν ἁρμόττειν αὐτῷ λέγοντα, καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματί σου (μόνον γὰρ ἥρμοττε τῷ Χριστῷ), ὁ λαὸς ᾤετο τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας πεπαῦσθαι, πάντα τε φροῦδα γεγονέναι τὰ ἐλπισθέντα, μηδένα τε σωτῆρα τοῦ γένους φανήσεσθαι. Ὅθεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἀπεγνωκότας τούτους διὰ τοῦ προφήτου καὶ τῶν ἱερέων παρακαλεῖ, λέγων, Λαλήσατε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, εὐπαράδεκτον τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις τὸν τῆς παρακλήσεως ποιήσασθε λόγον, ὅπερ οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ νόμος φορτικῶς ἄγαν περὶ σκιὰν καὶ τύπους εἰλούμενος, οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα παιδεύων τὸν νοῦν. Ἐξωφανῆ γάρ τινα γνῶσιν ἐνεποίει διὰ τοῦ γράμματος. Τὸ δὲ σωτήριον κήρυγμα θεωριῶν πληροῖ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ θείου τὸ βάθος αὐτῆς ὑπανοίγοντος. Οὕτω τοί φησι καὶ ∆αβίδ. "Ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἔκρυψα τὸ λόγιόν σου, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἁμάρτω σοι." Τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸ δι' ἑνὸς