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learning from me and serving me genuinely. And indeed, they place this meaning before their own writings, glorying as in the greatest dignity; for "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ," and "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." For just as worldly men in the writings of life's transactions wish to be designated by the dignities they hold, so the apostles, in the beginnings of their writings, deem it worthy to be designated "servants of God and of Christ." David, doing something similar, although he was a king, said, "Save your servant, O God, who hopes in you;" "and save me by your mercy, because all the day," that is, all the time of my life, "I cry to you."

859 Ps 85,5a The word "gracious" is not used literally of God. For graciousness is a human virtue. But it is said of him in a more human way, as are the other things: to rejoice, to be glad, to remember. 860 Ps 85,8 And here "gods" should be understood not as idols and demons but as the saints. For among these no one is in every way and unchangeably like the Lord. For he alone is God in the same way as the Father, but each of these became a god by participation, having received the divine Word according to "He called them gods to whom the word of God came." For even if they have been made in the image and likeness of God, still none of them is like the Lord in essence, they will be made like, but are not. "For you shall be holy, because I am holy," He being holy, but they shall be. Concerning those who shall be, it is true to say, "Who is holy like you, O Lord?" For it is not written, "Who will be made like you among the gods, O Lord," but "Who is like you." For they will be like, according to what was said: "We shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." Therefore no one of the aforementioned gods is like the Lord, nor is any one of them so according to his works. Wherefore also in the Gospel he says, "If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin." For even if the saints sometimes did the same things as the Savior in terms of the subject matter, yet they differ greatly in the manner, for the one group worked by prayer and faith in God, but the other accomplished it with authority; whence it is said that none of the gods is according to the works of the Savior. And it was said by us also at the beginning of Psalm 82 how "Lord God, who will be made like you?" was stated, which we think the reader should also apply to the present saying. 861 Ps 85,11ab It is impossible to partake blamelessly of the knowledge of the truth without having passed through moral instructions and actions. Indeed, he first prays to be guided by God in the way. And this is progress in practical matters; "For the beginning of a good way is to do righteous things," so that he may thus be able to walk in the truth of God, progressing in it until he passes on to the end. And the end of the knowledge of the truth is to apprehend the known things perfectly and as they have existence. 862 Ps 85,11c-13 He who chooses good things for their own sake rejoices in their possession. And to fear the name of God is one of the good things, whence, wishing to have it with gladness, he prays that his heart might be gladdened by God to fear his name. And having obtained this, he gives thanks to the Lord God with his whole heart, which has been gladdened at having obtained its requests. And he glorifies the name of God forever, that is, for all the time of his life, since the great divine mercy came upon him; by which he was also delivered from the bottom of Hades. For he called this the lowest Hades. For those who sin many and great sins fall down into the lowest Hades, from which, in order to be delivered, they need great mercy, so that each of them says in prayer, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy." It is fitting, therefore, for one delivered from so great an evil to glorify the name of God forever and in

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μανθανόντων παρ' ἐμοῦ καὶ δουλευόντων μοι γνησίως. καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων γοῦν ἑαυτῶν προτάττουσι ταύτην τὴν σημασίαν ὡς ἐπὶ μεγίστῳ ἀξιώματι ἐναβρυνόμενοι· ̓Ιάκωβος γὰρ θεοῦ καὶ κυρίου ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος, καὶ Παῦλος δοῦλος ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ὡς γὰρ οἱ τοῦ κόσμου ανθρωποι ἐν ταῖς συγγραφαῖς τῶν βιωτικῶν συναλλαγμάτων ἐκ τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἀξιωμάτων χρηματίζειν θέλουσιν, ουτως οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῶν συγγραμμάτων αὐτῶν δοῦλοι θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ χρηματίζειν ἀξιοῦσι. τὸ παραπλήσιον ποιῶν ὁ ∆αυίδ, καίτοι βασιλεὺς ων, Σῶσον, εφη, τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ὁ θεός, τὸν ἐλπίζοντα ἐπὶ σέ· σῶσον δέ με ἐλέῳ τῷ σῷ, ἐπειδήπερ ολην ἡμέραν, λέγω δὴ πάντα τὸν χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς μου, πρὸς σὲ βοῶ.

859 Ps 85,5a Τὸ δὲ ἐπιεικὴς ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ κυριολεκτεῖται. ἀνθρωπίνη γὰρ

ἀρετὴ ἡ ἐπιείκεια. ειρηται δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωπικώτερον ὡς καὶ τὰ αλλα, τὸ χαίρειν τὸ εὐφραίνεσθαι τὸ μνημονεύειν. 860 Ps 85,8 Θεοὺς δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγεσθαι οὐ τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας ληπτέον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους. ἐν τούτοις γὰρ οὐδεὶς πάντῃ καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως ομοιός ἐστι τῷ κυρίῳ. μόνος γὰρ αὐτὸς ὡσαύτως τῷ πατρί ἐστι θεός, τούτων δὲ εκαστος μετουσίᾳ θεὸς γέγονε δεξάμενος τὸν θεὸν λόγον κατὰ τὸ ̓Εκείνους ειπε θεοὺς πρὸς ους ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγένετο. εἰ γὰρ καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγένηνται, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν κατ' οὐσίαν ομοιός ἐστι τῷ κυρίῳ, αὐτῶν ὁμοιωθησομένων ἀλλ' οὐκ οντων· Εσεσθε γὰρ αγιοι διότι ἐγὼ αγιός εἰμι, αὐτοῦ οντος ἁγίου, αὐτῶν δ' ἐσομένων. περὶ τῶν ἐσομένων ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν Τίς αγιός ἐστιν ὡς σύ, κύριε; οὐ γὰρ γέγραπται Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι ἐν θεοῖς, κύριε, ἀλλὰ Τίς ομοιός σοι. ομοιοι γὰρ εσονται κατὰ τὸ ῥηθὲν Ομοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, οτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν. Οὐδεὶς ουν ομοιος τῷ κυρίῳ τῶν προκειμένων θεῶν ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰ εργα αὐτοῦ τυγχάνει τις αὐτῶν. διὸ καὶ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ φησὶν Εἰ μὴ τὰ εργα ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς α οὐδεὶς αλλος ἐποίησεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ειχον. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ αὐτά ποτε τῷ σωτῆρι ἐποίησαν κατὰ τὸ ὑποκείμενον οἱ αγιοι, ἀλλά γε τῷ τρόπῳ πολὺ διαλλάττει, τῶν μὲν εὐχῇ καὶ πίστει τῇ εἰς θεὸν ἐργαζομένων, τοῦ δὲ ἐξουσιαστικῶς ἐπιτελοῦντος· οθεν ειρηται μηδένα τῶν θεῶν ειναι κατὰ τὰ εργα τοῦ σωτῆρος. ειρηται δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ ΠΒ πῶς ἐλέχθη τὸ Κύριε ὁ θεός, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι, απερ ἀξιοῦμεν καὶ τῇ προκειμένῃ λέξει ἐφαρμόζειν τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα. 861 Ps 85,11ab Τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἀληθείας ἀμέμπτως μεταλαβεῖν ἀδύνατον μὴ διὰ τῶν ἠθικῶν παιδευμάτων καὶ ἐνεργημάτων διαβεβηκότα. ὁδηγηθῆναι γοῦν ὑπὸ θεοῦ πρότερον ευχεται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ. αυτη δ' ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν πρακτικοῖς προκοπή· ̓Αρχὴ γὰρ ὁδοῦ ἀγαθῆς τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια, ιν' ουτω πορευθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνηθῇ προκόπτων ἐν αὐτῇ εστ' αν ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος διαβῇ. τέλος δὲ τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ ἐπιβαλεῖν τοῖς γνωστοῖς τελείως καὶ ὡς εχουσιν ὑπάρξεως. 862 Ps 85,11c-13 ̔Ο δι' αὐτὰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ αἱρούμενος αὐτὰ εὐφραίνεται ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων κτήσει. εστι δὲ καὶ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ονομα τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, οθεν μετ' εὐφροσύνης αὐτὸ εχειν βουλόμενος ευχεται εὐφρανθῆναι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τὴν καρδίαν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ. Τούτου δὲ τυχὼν εὐχαριστικῶς ἐξομολογεῖται κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἐν ολῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ τῇ εὐφρανθείσῃ ἐπὶ τῷ τετευχέναι τῶν αἰτημάτων. δοξάζει δὲ καὶ τὸ ονομα τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τουτέστι πάντα τὸν τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ χρόνον, γενομένου ἐπ' αὐτῷ μεγάλου τοῦ θεϊκοῦ ἐλέους· ἐφ' ῳ καὶ ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τοῦ πυθμένος τοῦ ᾳδου. τοῦτον γὰρ κατωτάτω ᾳδην ὠνόμασεν. οἱ γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἁμαρτάνοντες καταπίπτουσιν εἰς τὸν κατωτάτω ᾳδην, ἀφ' ου, ινα ῥυσθῶσιν, μεγάλου ἐλέους δέονται, ὡς εκαστον αὐτῶν εὐκτικῶς λέγειν ̓Ελέησόν με, ὁ θεός, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ελεός σου. ἁρμόζει τοίνυν τῷ ἐκ τηλικούτου κακοῦ ῥυσθέντι τὸ δοξάζειν τὸ ονομα τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ἐν