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He Himself saying in the Gospels: “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and am known by my own, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” And in his arm, he says, he will gather the lambs. And His arm was the divinity dwelling in the visible body, through which it is said He will gather the lambs and comfort those with young. Lambs signifies the “newborn” and those “born again” in Christ, and “those with young” he says are the souls long conceiving and travailing in hope of His coming, whom it is said He comforts by His coming. Therefore it has been said: and He will comfort those with young. And in another way, the souls of His apostles, conceiving and travailing over those being born again in Christ through them, had Him as a comforter, which you will understand from the one who says: “My little children, for whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you”; you see how Paul was in labor for those who were his disciples. So therefore the other apostles also, like mothers conceiving in the womb, were in labor for those being born again in Christ through them, agonizing lest someone become a miscarriage, having slipped and been aborted from the formation and perfection in Christ. Therefore it is said that the aforementioned shepherd himself will comfort them. 2.18 While “the wise of this age” attribute everything to spontaneity and some natural chance of fated necessity, the present discourse demonstrates that nothing that exists is by chance, but that “all things by measure and number” were established by the Lord who is the subject of theology. For the watery substance and what is considered by the many to be the immeasurable sea, and springs and rivers and torrents, have been measured by Him and are of such a quantity as seemed fit to Him to establish for the self-sufficient need of the present, so that they neither exceed what is required nor fall short of what is necessary, and the all-great heaven and its vast, infinite expanse, He again measured with His own span, neither extending it to be unsuitable for the compass of the universe nor shrinking and drawing it in from what is proper. And He uses our customary measures figuratively, so that from names known and customary to us we might arrive at an understanding of the teaching being signified. Then, since “from the greatness and beauty of created things the Creator is seen by analogy,” He reasonably makes small what is exceedingly great to us by comparison with what is greater, calling us to the concept of the one who established all things. So He says that the great heaven which encompasses the whole world is so small in God's sight as to seem to exist by the measure of the span of a hand, and likewise that the whole element of the earth is so very small in His sight as to seem to be gathered up in His palm. And instead of: who has measured the water in his hand, Aquila has said, who has measured out the waters with his forefinger, comparing a small part of God’s power, by which so many and such things have been measured, to the forefinger, our shortest finger. In addition to these things, if anyone says that the mountains on the earth and the hills and the valleys have been established without any reason, let him know he is mistaken, since nothing that exists has been established randomly and without reason. For example, the sizes and differences of the mountains throughout the whole earth, their heights and depths and lengths, have received their constitution usefully for the universe by the wisdom of God, and likewise the elevations and masses of the hills have fitting and suitable proportions with respect to the analogy of the universe, so as to balance the weights like scales in a balance, appropriately to the analogy of the universe. And instead of: and the valleys in a balance, the other interpreters have rendered it and the hills. To these he adds: Who has known the mind of the Lord, and who has been his counselor? And the discourse offers these things in response to the question that was asked: Who has measured in his hand

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λέγων αὐτὸς ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκουσί με τὰ ἐμά, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου τίθημι ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων». καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονι δὲ αὐτοῦ συνάξει φησὶν ἄρνας. βραχίων δὲ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐν τῷ φαινομένῳ σώματι θεότης, δι' οὗ συνάξειν ἄρνας καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας παρακαλέσειν εἴρηται. ἄρνας δὲ τοὺς «ἀρτιγενεῖς» καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ «ἀναγεγεννημένους» δηλοῖ, ἐν γαστρὶ δὲ ἐχούσας τὰς πάλαι κυούσας καὶ ὠδινούσας ψυχὰς λέγει διὰ τὴν τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ἐλπίδα, ἃς παρακαλεῖν εἴρηται διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. διὸ λέλεκται· καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας παρακαλέσει. καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων αὐτοῦ αἱ ψυχαὶ κύουσαι καὶ ὠδίνουσαι τοὺς δι' αὐτῶν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναγεννωμένους παράκλητον αὐτὸν εἶχον, ὅπερ νοήσεις ἐξ ἑνὸς τοῦ λέγοντος· «τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν»· ὁρᾷς πῶς ὁ Παῦλος ὑπὲρ τῶν μαθητευομένων αὐτῷ εἶχεν ὠδίνας. οὕτως οὖν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι ὥσπερ ἐν γαστρὶ κύουσαι μητέρες τοὺς δι' αὐτῶν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναγεννωμένους ὤδινον ὑπεραγωνιῶντες, μήπως τις ἔκτρωμα γένηται ἀπολισθήσας καὶ ἐξαμβλωθεὶς τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ μορφώσεώς τε καὶ τελειώσεως. διόπερ αὐτὸς ὁ προλεχθεὶς ποιμὴν παρακαλέσειν αὐτοὺς εἴρηται. 2.18 «Τῶν σοφῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου» τὸ πᾶν ἀναθέντων αὐτοματισμῷ καί τινι συντυχίᾳ φυσικῇ εἱμαρμένης ἀνάγκῃ ὁ παρὼν λόγος μηδὲν ὡς ἔτυχε τῶν ὄντων εἶναι, «πάντα δὲ μέτρῳ καὶ ἀριθμῷ» ὑπὸ τοῦ θεολογουμένου κυρίου συνεστάναι παρίστησι. τὴν μὲν γὰρ ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν καὶ τὸ νομιζόμενον τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀμέτρητον πέλαγος, πηγάς τε καὶ ποταμοὺς καὶ χειμάρρους μεμετρημένα εἶναι αὐτῷ τοσαῦτά τε εἶναι τῷ πλήθει, ὅσα αὐτῷ παρέστη πρὸς τὴν τοῦ παρόντος αὐταρκῆ χρείαν συστήσασθαι ὡς μήτε περιττεύειν τοῦ δέοντος πλέον μηθ' ὑστερεῖν τοῦ χρειώδους, τὸν δὲ παμμεγέθη οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸ τοσοῦτον ἄπειρον κύτος πάλιν αὐτὸς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ σπιθαμῇ συνεμετρήσατο μηθ' ὑπερεκτείνας ἐπὶ τὸ ἀκατάλληλον τῇ τοῦ παντὸς περιοχῇ μήτε σμικρύνας καὶ συναγαγὼν τοῦ προσήκοντος εἴσω. τροπικῶς δὲ τοῖς παρ' ἡμῖν συνήθεσι μέτροις κέχρηται ὡς ἂν ἐκ τῶν ἡμῖν γνωρίμων καὶ συνήθων ὀνομάτων εἰς ἔννοιαν ἀφικοίμεθα τῆς τῶν δηλουμένων διδασκαλίας. εἶτ' ἐπειδήπερ «ἐκ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς θεωρεῖται», εἰκότως τὰ ἡμῖν ὑπερμεγέθη τῇ τοῦ κρείττονος παραθέσει σμικρύνει ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔννοιαν προκαλούμενος τοῦ τὰ σύμπαντα συστησαμένου. τὸν γοῦν τοσοῦτον οὐρανὸν τὸν περιβάλλοντα τὸν σύμπαντα κόσμον οὕτως μικρὸν εἶναι λέγει παρ' αὐτῷ τῷ θεῷ ὡς ἐοικέναι μέτρῳ σπιθαμῆς χειρὸς ὑφεστάναι, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῆς γῆς στοιχεῖον οὕτω παρ' αὐτῷ βραχύτατον ὑπάρχειν ὡς ἐοικέναι τῇ αὐτοῦ δρακὶ συνειλεῖσθαι. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ, ὁ Ἀκύλας τίς κατεμέτρησεν ἐν λιχάδι αὐτοῦ ὕδατα εἴρηκε, παραβάλλων λιχάδι τῷ βραχυτάτῳ παρ' ἡμῖν δακτύλῳ σμικράν τινα τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν, δι' ἧς τὰ τοσάδε καὶ τὰ τοιάδε μεμέτρηται. πρὸς τούτοις εἴ τίς φησι τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ὄρη καὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς καὶ τὰς νάπας ὑπείληφεν ἄνευ τινὸς λόγου συνεστάναι ἴστω πλανώμενος, ἐπεὶ μηδὲν εἰκῆ καὶ ἀλόγως ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ὑφέστηκεν. αὐτίκα δ' οὖν τῶν καθ' ὅλης τῆς γῆς ὀρέων τὰ μεγέθη καὶ αἱ διαφοραί, ὕψη τε καὶ βάθη καὶ μήκη τῷ παντὶ χρησίμως ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας τὴν σύστασιν εἴληφε, τῶν τε βουνῶν ὁμοίως τὰ ἐπάρματα καὶ οἱ ὄγκοι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς ἀναλογίαν ἁρμόττοντας καὶ καταλλήλους ἔχουσι λόγους ὡς ταλαντεύειν τὰ βάρη δίκην τῶν ἐν τρυτάνῃ ζυγῶν ἁρμοδίως τῇ τοῦ παντὸς ἀναλογίᾳ. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· καὶ τὰς νάπας ζυγῷ, οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ καὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς ἐκδεδώκασιν. τούτοις ἐπάγει· τίς ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου, καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος ἐγένετο; ταῦτα δὲ ἀποδίδωσιν ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸ φῆσαν ἐρώτημα· τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ