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humbled, when his body was brought into the tomb, it seemed to be a complete loss, with many of those who had believed in him being scandalized, but having risen from the dead he was again exalted to the heavens, having been taken up so as to draw to himself those who are able no longer to see him as poor and weary because of the incarnation but as rich and being the image of the invisible God. 878 Ps 87,17.18 Since the incarnate Lord bears the person of all humanity that has sinned much (for he took up the sins of all into his own body), all the wraths and his terrors against various sins passed over him so as to greatly disturb him, but they were able to do nothing against him who had not known nor committed sin. And the wraths and terrors of God could be called the powers that serve punishments, being vessels of wrath. These, having passed over the Savior, greatly disturbed him, as he said, 'Now my soul is troubled.' For although he had a most perfect soul, yet seeing such a multitude of enemies he experienced a preliminary passion, especially since in the manner of water they surrounded him all day long, rushing together against him and they would have drowned him, if he were not an excellent diver. For just as perceptible water surrounding someone drowns him, especially if he does not know how to swim, so the wicked powers kill the one swallowed up by them. But if these have become like water around Jesus, surrounding him together all day long, yet they have not been able to harm him; 'For much water will not quench love.' For the perfect state, established through love for God, is unquenchable. And this belonged to Jesus according to his humanity, wherefore the phalanx of the worse ones was not able to harm him. 879 Ps 87,19 And thus indeed Eusebius of Caesarea and Didymus and Apollinarius have interpreted. 880 Ps 88,2.3 And it has been said often how the generation here is understood in two ways. It signifies the people from the circumcision and the gentiles. And it gives the reason why he sings the mercies of the Lord forever, adding 'Because you said, "Mercy will be built up forever."' For as long as this age is present, God manifestly shows mercy and does good; and in this way he says he builds up mercy forever. For just as a building is completed from many and various things being fitted together, so a building comes into being from many being benefited by the mercy of God. Perhaps mercy is built up, with wisdom having built a house for herself. For her incarnation is the foundation and end of the building of mercy, with all being shown mercy by the removal of the sin that had taken hold beforehand. Next to these is 'Your truth will be prepared in the heavens.' For since we who are on earth envision divine things through a mirror and in a riddle, not yet being able to perceive them by a pure approach, the truth of God is prepared in the heavens for those who have prepared themselves from here to approach it as was possible. For then they will approach face to face the beauty of the truth, having received the end of knowledge and understanding, with the partial apprehension of things having been abolished for them. And the truth of God is prepared in those who do not think on earthly things but have their citizenship in heaven by bearing the image of the heavenly one, for which reason they are called heavens.

881 Ps 88,4.5 To him God gives the throne of David his father for

him to rule over the house of Jacob forever, so that there will be no end to his kingdom. But lest anyone think that David obtained this blessing by chance through partiality, God says, 'I have sworn to David my servant;' for since David has been shown to be my genuine servant and attendant, I give to his house a sign, that an undefiled virgin, untouched by man, will bear the God who is with you men. For this is what the word 'Emmanuel' signifies; and this is the

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ταπεινωθείς, οτε εἰσήχθη εἰς τὸ μνῆμα τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, εδοξεν ἐξαπορεῖσθαι σκανδαλιζομένων πολλῶν τῶν πιστευσάντων αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς πάλιν ὑψώθη εἰς οὐρανούς, ἀναληφθεὶς ὡς ἑλκύσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν τοὺς δυναμένους μηκέτι πτωχὸν αὐτὸν ὁρᾶν καὶ κάμνοντα διὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ἀλλὰ πλούσιον καὶ οντα εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. 878 Ps 87,17.18 ̓Επεὶ τὸ πάσης τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος πολλὰ ἁμαρτούσης πρόσωπον φέρει ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας κύριος (ἀνέλαβε γὰρ τὰς πάντων ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα), διῆλθον ἐπ' αὐτὸν πᾶσαι αἱ κατὰ διαφόρων ἁμαρτημάτων ὀργαὶ καὶ οἱ φοβερισμοὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐκταράξαι αὐτόν, ἐνεργῆσαι δὲ κατ' αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν δεδύνηνται οὐκ ἐγνωκότος οὐδὲ πεποιηκότος ἁμαρτίαν. ̔Ρηθεῖεν δ' αν ὀργαὶ καὶ φοβερισμοὶ θεοῦ αἱ ὑπηρετούμεναι ταῖς κολάσεσι δυνάμεις, ὀργῆς σκεύη τυγχάνουσαι. αυται ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα διελθοῦσαι ἐξετάραξαν αὐτὸν λέγοντα Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τελειοτάτην ψυχὴν ειχεν, ἀλλ' ουν τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ἐχθρῶν ὁρῶσα προπάθειαν εσχε, μάλιστα ἐπεὶ τρόπον υδατος ολην τὴν ἡμέραν περιέσχον αὐτὸν αμα κατ' αὐτοῦ συνδραμοῦσαι καὶ επνιξαν αὐτόν, εἰ μὴ δύτης αριστος ην. ὡς γὰρ τὸ υδωρ τὸ αἰσθητὸν περιεχόμενόν τινος πνίγει αὐτὸν μάλιστα νήχεσθαι μὴ ἐπιστάμενον, ουτως αἱ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις ἀποκτένουσι τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν καταπωθέντα. ἀλλ' εἰ κύκλῳ τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ ὡς υδωρ γεγένηνται αυται ολην τὴν ἡμέραν περιέχουσαι αὐτὸν αμα, ἀλλά γε βλάψαι αὐτὸν οὐδὲ δεδύνηνται· Υδωρ γὰρ πολὺ οὐ σβέσει τὴν ἀγάπην. ἡ γὰρ τελεία εξις ἡ δι' ἀγάπης πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τεθεῖσα ασβεστός ἐστιν. αυτη δὲ ὑπῆρχε κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τῷ ̓Ιησοῦ, οθεν βλάψαι αὐτὸν ἡ τῶν χειρόνων φάλαξ οὐ δεδύνηνται. 879 Ps 87,19 Καὶ ουτως μὲν Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισαρείας καὶ ∆ίδυμος καὶ ̓Απολινάριος ἐξηγήσαντο. 880 Ps 88,2.3 Ειρηται δὲ πολλάκις ὡς ενθα διττῶς φέρεται ἡ γενεά. σημαίνει τὸν ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ ἐθνῶν λαόν. ἀποδίδωσι δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ην εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾳδει τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ κυρίου, ἐπαγαγὼν Οτι ειπας Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ελεος οἰκοδομηθήσεται. οσον γὰρ ἐνέστηκεν ὁ αἰὼν ουτος, φανερῶς ἐλεεῖ καὶ εὐεργετεῖ ὁ θεός· καὶ ταύτῃ οἰκοδομεῖν ελεος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα λέγει. ὡς γὰρ ἡ οἰκοδομὴ ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων συναρμοζομένων ἀποτελεῖται, ουτω πολλῶν εὐεργετουμένων ἐλέῳ θεοῦ οἰκοδομὴ γίνεται. Τάχα δὲ ελεος οἰκοδομεῖται, τῆς σοφίας οἰκοδομησάσης ἑαυτῇ οικον. ἡ γὰρ ἐνανθρώπησις αὐτῆς θεμέλιος καὶ πέρας τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ ἐλέους ἐστίν, πάντων ἐλεουμένων ἀφαιρέσει τῆς προκαταλαβούσης ἁμαρτίας. ̔Εξῆς τούτοις ἐστὶν ̓Εν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἑτοιμασθήσεται ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς οντες δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι φανταζόμεθα τὰ θεῖα πράγματα ουπω προσβολῇ καθαρᾷ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι αὐτῶν δυνάμενοι, ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἑτοιμάζεται ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ τούτοις ἀπεντεῦθεν προπαρασκευασαμένοις ὡς οιόν τ' ην προσβαλεῖν αὐτῇ. τότε γὰρ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον προσβάλλουσι τῷ κάλλει τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ τέλος τῆς γνώσεως καὶ ἐπιστήμης ἀπειληφότες, καταργηθείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς μερικῆς τῶν πραγμάτων διαλήψεως. ἑτοιμάζεται δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τοῖς μὴ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦσιν ἀλλ' εχουσι τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς τῷ φορεῖν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου δι' ην χρηματίζουσιν οὐρανοί.

881 Ps 88,4.5 Τούτῳ δίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ

τῷ βασιλεῦσαι ἐπὶ τὸν οικον ̓Ιακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὡς μὴ ειναι τέλος τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. Οπως δὲ μὴ νομίσῃ τις ὡς ετυχε κατὰ προσωποληψίαν τὸν ∆αυὶδ τετευχέναι ταύτης τῆς εὐλογίας, φησὶν ὁ θεὸς Ωμοσα ∆αυὶδ τῷ δούλῳ μου· ἐπεὶ γὰρ γνήσιος δοῦλός μου καὶ θεράπων ἀποδέδεικται ὁ ∆αυίδ, δίδωμι τῷ οικῳ αὐτοῦ σημεῖον, ὡς παρθένον αχραντον καὶ αψαυστον ὑπὸ ἀνδρὸς τεκεῖν τὸν μεθ' ὑμῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων θεόν. τοῦτο γὰρ ἀποσημαίνει ἡ ̓Εμμανουὴλ φωνή· ουτος δέ ἐστι τὸ