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prepared seed of David. But the "I have sworn" spoken by God represents the certainty of the promise to David. For just as one who swears keeps an inviolable intention, because an oath is a word confirmed by the invocation of God, so also God is said to swear concerning those things which he grants eternally and certainly, not by another. For it is said, "By myself I have sworn," says the Lord, not that he uses adverbs of swearing or adjuration, but as one having an unchangeable and immutable will, he promises. Since, then, his will concerning his Son becoming man from David was unchangeable, he fittingly said, "I have sworn to David my servant." 882 Ps 88,7 None of those born of God, by having received the spirit of adoption, will be able to be likened to the Lord. For he alone is in truth the offspring of God, but the others are called sons of God by partaking of him. For a complete understanding of the preceding matters, we shall use an apostolic saying which goes thus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. For in saying God is his own Father and that of those like him, he was careful, lest he should seem to some to grant himself an equal honor with the only-begotten Son; therefore he added, And of the Lord Jesus Christ, almost crying out: Even if by the grace of God we have become sons, and he happens to be our Father, yet we are also slaves of Jesus Christ, who is by nature our Lord. This thought the preceding text also indicates: For who among the sons of God will be likened to the Lord? No one is a son of God according to substance except only the Savior, who is his own and alone consubstantial with the Father; but these will be likened to him not according to substance but according to quality, just as also to the Father, by becoming merciful as he is and perfect as the Father is: For you shall be holy, because I am holy. This very Lord comes upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and the saints will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so as to be always with him. Therefore, with the Lord and the saints being in the clouds, none of those caught up in the clouds will be made equal to him who comes upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. For even if each was caught up with power and glory, yet not with great [power and glory]. For he had that power and glory which he received, but the Savior will come with great power and glory which he provides; and each of them is in a cloud, but he is upon the clouds. The phrase "upon the clouds" represents what is authentic and royal, wherefore no one in the clouds will be made equal to the Lord. Furthermore, since each of the saints is a spiritual cloud raining the intelligible rain (for he says, "Let the clouds rain down righteousness"), none of such clouds will be able to be made equal to the Lord, who is himself also a cloud, since each of those waters a few, but he waters not only all men but also all rational beings. 883 Ps 88,8 And he is terrible also to his adversaries, threatening punishments and bringing them upon those who desert his divine commandments. For as many as happen to be near him by having received his divine teaching, when they sin, are near the fire, as is said somewhere by the Savior, "He who is near me is near the fire, but he who is far from me is far from the kingdom." Wherefore also in the preceding text, he is terrible to those around him who, through having believed in him, disobey his commandments, being great to those who are encompassed by him through virtue. 884 Ps 88,9b The truth concerning God happens to be none other than he who said, "I am the truth." And if this is round about God, it can never not be, so that God does not cry out against those who have come to this from ever not being encircled by truth. And he is encircled by it, begetting it and being himself alone true God. For as he is alone wise, not by participation but by begetting wisdom, so he is alone true and has the truth round about him, not receiving it but being with it and bestowing it on others. For on each

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ἑτοιμαζόμενον σπέρμα τοῦ ∆αυίδ. Τὸ δὲ Ωμοσα λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ βέβαιον τῆς πρὸς τὸν ∆αυὶδ ἐπαγγελίας παρίστησιν. ὡς γὰρ ὁ ὀμνὺς ἀπαράβατον πρόθεσιν φυλάττει τῷ τὸν ορκον ειναι λόγον ἐμπεδούμενον μετὰ θεοῦ παραλήψεως, ουτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐφ' οις αἰωνίως καὶ βεβαίως χαρίζεται ὀμνύναι λέγεται οὐ κατ' αλλου. ειρηται γὰρ Κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ ωμοσα, λέγει κύριος, οὐχ οτι ἀπωμοτικοῖς η κατωμοτικοῖς χρᾶται ἐπιρρήμασιν ἀλλ' ὡς ατρεπτος καὶ ἀμετάβλητον βουλὴν εχων ὑπισχνεῖται. ἐπεὶ ουν καὶ ἡ βούλησις αὐτοῦ ἡ περὶ τοῦ ἐκ ∆αυὶδ ανθρωπον γενέσθαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἀμετάθετος ην, εἰκότως τὸ Ωμοσα ∆αυὶδ τῷ δούλῳ μου ειπεν. 882 Ps 88,7 Οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐκ θεοῦ γεγεννημένων τῷ παραδεδέχθαι τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας πνεῦμα ὁμοιωθῆναι τῷ κυρίῳ δυνήσεται. αὐτὸς γὰρ μόνος κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γέννημα θεοῦ, οἱ δ' αλλοι τῷ μετέχειν αὐτοῦ υἱοὶ θεοῦ καλοῦνται. ὑπὲρ τελείας δὲ νοήσεως τῶν προκειμένων χρησόμεθα ἀποστολικῇ φωνῇ ουτως ἐχούσῃ· Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ. εἰπὼν γὰρ τὸν θεὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων ηὐλαβήθη, μὴ δόξῃ τισὶν ἰσοτιμίαν ἑαυτῷ νέμειν πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ υἱόν· διὸ ἐπήνεγκε Καὶ κυρίου ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μονονουχὶ κεκραγώς· εἰ καὶ θεοῦ χάριτι γεγόναμεν υἱοί, καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῶν τυγχάνει πατήρ, ἀλλά γε καὶ δοῦλοι ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐσμεν κατὰ φύσιν κυρίου ἡμῶν οντος. ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν παρεμφαίνει καὶ ἡ προκειμένη λέξις· Τίς γὰρ ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν υἱοῖς θεοῦ; οὐδεὶς κατ' οὐσίαν υἱὸς θεοῦ η μόνος ὁ σωτὴρ ιδιος καὶ μόνος ὁμοούσιός ἐστι τῷ πατρί, ὁμοιωθήσονται δὲ αὐτῷ ουτοι οἱ οὐ κατ' οὐσίαν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ποιότητα ωσπερ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ οἰκτίρμονες ὡς αὐτὸς γινόμενοι καὶ τέλειοι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ γινόμενοι· Αγιοι γὰρ εσεσθε, διότι ἐγὼ αγιός εἰμι. Ουτος δὴ ὁ κύριος ερχεται ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς, καὶ οἱ αγιοι ἁρπαγήσονται ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τῷ κυρίῳ εἰς ἀέρα ἐπὶ τῷ πάντοτε σὺν αὐτῷ ειναι. τοῦ τοίνυν κυρίου καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἐν νεφέλαις οντων, οὐδεὶς τῶν ἁρπαγέντων ἐν νεφέλαις ἰσωθήσεται τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς. εἰ γὰρ καὶ εκαστος μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης ἡρπάγη, ἀλλ' οὐ πολλῆς. ἐκείνην γὰρ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ δόξαν ειχεν ην ελαβεν, ὁ δὲ σωτὴρ μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς ης παρέχει ἐλεύσεται· καὶ εκαστος ἐκείνων ἐν νεφέλῃ, ουτος δ' ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν. παρίστησι δὲ ἡ ̓Επὶ τῶν νεφελῶν λέξις τὸ αὐθεντικὸν καὶ βασιλικόν, οθεν οὐδεὶς ἐν νεφέλαις ἰσωθήσεται τῷ κυρίῳ· ετι μὴν ἑκάστου τῶν ἁγίων νεφέλης οντος πνευματικῆς ὑούσης τὸν νοητὸν ὑετόν (Αἱ νεφέλαι γάρ φησι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην), οὐδεμία τῶν τοιούτων νεφελῶν ἰσωθῆναι τῷ κυρίῳ δυνήσεται τυγχάνοντι καὶ αὐτῷ νεφέλῃ, ἐπείπερ ἑκάστη ἐκείνων ὀλίγους ποτίζει, αυτη δὲ οὐ πάντας ἀνθρώπους μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λογικὰ πάντα. 883 Ps 88,8 Φοβερὸς δ' ἐστὶ καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀπειλῶν κολάσεις καὶ ἐπιφέρων κατὰ τῶν λειπτοτακτούντων τῶν θείων αὐτοῦ προσταγμάτων. οσοι γὰρ ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ τυγχάνοντες τῷ παραδεδέχθαι τὴν θείαν αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἁμαρτάνοντες ἐγγὺς τοῦ πυρός εἰσιν, ὡς ειρηταί που ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ̔Ο ἐγγύς μου ἐγγὺς τοῦ πυρός, ὁ δὲ μακρὰν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας· οθεν καὶ ἐν τῇ προκειμένῃ λέξει τοῖς περικύκλῳ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ πεπιστευκέναι αὐτῷ παρακούουσι τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ φοβερός ἐστιν, μέγας ων τοῖς δι' ἀρετὴν περιεχομένοις αὐτοῦ. 884 Ps 88,9b ̔Η περὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀλήθεια οὐκ αλλη τυγχάνει τοῦ εἰπόντος ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια. εἰ δὲ κύκλῳ τοῦ θεοῦ αυτη ἐστίν, οὐ δύναταί ποτε μὴ ειναι, ινα μὴ καταβοᾷ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ ποτε μὴ κυκλοῦσθαι ὑπὸ ἀληθείας εἰς τοῦτο ἐληλυθόσι. κυκλοῦται δὲ ὑπὸ ταύτης γεννῶν αὐτὴν καὶ μόνος ων θεὸς ἀληθινός. ὡς γὰρ μόνος σοφὸς οὐ μετέχων ἀλλὰ καὶ γεννῶν σοφίαν, ουτω μόνος ἀληθινὸς καὶ κύκλῳ εχει τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὐ μεταλαμβάνων αὐτῆς ἀλλὰ συνὼν καὶ ἑτέροις αὐτὴν δωρούμενος. καθ' ἑκάστην γὰρ