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of his glory. And David also says: The whole earth shall be filled with his glory. Who are they that establish those singing the new hymn, and call them together to a spiritual choir? The apostles who sail the sea because of their art. And because sailing around our sea, sometimes they preached in islands, and sometimes beyond Italy and Spain. They also sailed the sea of life, preaching in the islands of the Churches of the Gentiles about the assaults of life, as waves bearing them and winds, concerning which David says: "This great and spacious sea," and what follows. Since also the affairs of life, being unstable, are moved up and down with much confusion, which they sail across who are not submerged by it, but rise above its waves, that 2372 is, of worldly distractions in addition to the others. You might say islands are also the souls before the coming of Christ, flooded with salty passions. Concerning which he says: Be glad, desert, and its villages, or according to the others, the cities. For many cities are conceived in the Church of God, according to the different ways of life. Therefore also in the vision of Egypt, he said there would be five cities in Egypt speaking the Canaanite tongue. But some say the cities of the desert are those mentioned, both Kedar and Petra. Of which Kedar is a city of the Saracens beyond Arabia in the farthest desert. And Petra a most superstitious city of Palestine; through which, being known to the Jews, it shows that spiritual gladness will reach both those who inhabit the ends of the earth and those who have suffered from extreme idolatry. For through certain particular things known to the hearers, the Scripture presents the knowledge of God of the whole earth. And it is now possible to see how also among the said people there are Churches of Christ according to the prophecy. You might also say that the souls formerly deprived of the knowledge of God are called desert, whose ignorance Kedar represents, being interpreted as darkness. He preaches the good news to them as about to be enlightened, at the same time also teaching that the souls fighting against the coming of the Savior will confess their reverence for him. For Kedar is a region of the race of Esau, who was continually at war with Jerusalem and the law in it. And otherwise, those who inhabit Petra will be glad. And the rock was Christ. Concerning all the things mentioned, he says that standing on the mountains of God, that is, of the oracles, they will offer a hymn to him on high, according to: "Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion." And he says to announce his virtues in the declared islands; which the disciples did, sometimes declaring his transcendent divinity, and sometimes announcing the acts of piety. And since many were about to rise up against those who used great boldness concerning this, and the demons who worked through them, as their dominion was being shaken, he foretells that they would be indestructible, with God fighting for them. He will go forth, he says, as a king going out to war. And he will stir up zeal, either his own against enemies; for in Zechariah there is, "I have been zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal," or those who will be zealous for him, such as was the Apostle who said: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" And again: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." And the divine martyrs have also 2373 become zealots. But zeal is not a passion of God, but vengeance upon sinners. And as with a battle cry, he has added that he will shout against the enemies; which they do either when joining battle, or when dancing over the defeated. Then, declaring the great long-suffering towards the idolatrous Gentiles, he has added: I have been silent, shall I also be silent forever? For he wished long ago to deliver these from Satan. But he awaited the proper time, until through Christ he made war against those who had conquered us. And this "I was silent" will also be fitting for the legion that wished to kill the man by the tombs; and for the general judgment,

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τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ∆αβὶδ δέ φησι· Πληρωθήσεται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Τίνες δὲ οἱ τοὺς ᾄδοντας τὸν καινὸν ὕμνον ἱστάντες, καὶ πρὸς χορὸν συγκαλοῦντες πνευματικόν; Οἱ τὴν θάλατταν πλέοντες διὰ τὴν τέχνην ἀπόστολοι. Καὶ ὅτι τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς περιπλέοντες θάλατταν, ποτὲ μὲν ἐν νήσοις ἐκήρυττον, ποτὲ δὲ τῆς Ἰταλίας καὶ Ἱσπανίας ἐπέκεινα. Ἔπλεον δὲ καὶ τοῦ βίου τὴν θάλατταν, ἐν νήσοις ταῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαις κηρύττοντες τοῦ βίου τὰς προσβολὰς, ὡς κύματα φερούσαις καὶ πνεύματα, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ ∆αβίδ· "Αὕτη ἡ θάλασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος," καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα τὸ ἀστάθμητον ἔχοντα, ἄνω κάτω συγχύσει κινεῖται πολλῇ, ἣν διαπλέουσιν οἱ μὴ πρὸς αὐτῆς βαπτιζόμενοι, τῶν δὲ ταύτης κυμάτων ὑπερανέχοντες, δη 2372 λαδὴ τῶν κοσμικῶν πρός γε τοῖς ἄλλοις περισπασμῶν. Εἴποις δ' ἂν νήσους, καὶ τὰς πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας πάθεσιν ἀλμυροῖς κατακλυζομένα ψυχάς. Ἐφ' οἷς φησιν· Εὐφράνθητι, ἕρημος, καὶ αἱ κῶμαι αὐτῆς, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς, αἱ πόλεις. Πολλαὶ γὰρ πόλεις ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὰς διαφόρους πολιτείας, ἐπινοοῦνται. ∆ιὸ κἀν τῇ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ὁράσει, πέντε πόλεις ἔλεγεν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γενήσεσθαι λαλούσας γλώττῃ τῇ Χανανίτιδι. Τινὲς δὲ πόλεις ἐρήμου φασὶ τὰς ἐπιφερομένας, τήν τε Κηδὰρ καὶ τὴν Πέτραν. Ὧν ἡ μὲν Κηδὰρ Σαρακηνῶν πόλις ἐπέκεινα τῆς Ἀραβίας ἐπὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἐρήμου. Πέτρα δὲ δεισιδαιμονεστάτη πόλις τῆς Παλαιστίνης· δι' ὧν γνωρίμων οὐσῶν Ἰουδαίοις, δηλοῖ καὶ εἰς τοὺς τὰ ἔσχατα κατοικοῦντας τῆς γῆς φθάσειν τὴν εὐφροσύνην τὴν λογικὴν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτην εἰδωλολατρείαν νοσήσαντας. ∆ιὰ μερικῶν γάρ τινων ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς γνωρίμων τῆς πάσης γῆς τὴν θεογνωσίαν παρίστησιν. Ἔστι δὲ νῦν ἰδεῖν ὡς καὶ παρὰ τοῖς εἰρημένοις Χριστοῦ τυγχάνουσιν Ἐκκλησίαι κατὰ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν. Εἴποις δ' ἂν καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τὰς ἐστερημένας πάλαι θεογνωσίας ἔρημον λέγεσθαι, ὧν τὴν ἄγνοιαν παρίστησιν ἡ Κηδὰρ σκοτασμὸς ἑρμηνευομένη. Ἃς ὡς φωτισθησομένας εὐαγγελίζεται, ὁμοῦ καὶ διδάσκων, ὡς αἱ πρὸς τὴν παρουσίαν ἀπομαχόμεναι τοῦ Σωτῆρος ψυχαὶ, τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν σέβας ὁμολογήσουσιν. Χωρίον γὰρ ἡ Κηδὰρ τοῦ γένους Ἡσαῦ τοῦ διατελέσαντος ἐν πολέμῳ πρὸς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὸν νόμον τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, οἱ κατοικοῦντες Πέτραν εὐφρανθήσονται. Ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. Περὶ πάντων δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων φησὶν, ὡς ἐν ὄρεσι στάντες τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, δηλονότι λογίων, ἐν ὕψει προσοίσουσιν ὕμνον αὐτῷ, κατὰ τό· "Ἐπ' ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών." Καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς δεδηλωμέναις νήσοις ἀγγελεῖν φησιν· ὅπερ ἐποίουν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ποτὲ μὲν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπερκόσμιον δηλοῦντες θεότητα, ποτὲ δὲ τὰς θεοσεβίας ἀγγέλλοντες. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ παῤῥησίᾳ πολλῇ περὶ τούτου χρωμένοις ἤμελλον ἐπαναστῆναι πολλοὶ, καὶ οἱ διὰ τούτων ἐνεργήσαντες δαίμονες, ὡς δὴ σαλευομένης αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἀναλώτους αὐτοὺς προαγορεύει γενήσεσθαι, προπολεμοῦντος αὐτῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐξελεύσεται δὲ, φησὶν, ὡς ἐπὶ βασιλέως ἐξιόντος εἰς πόλεμον. Ἐπεγερεῖ δὲ ζῆλον, ἢ τὸν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ κατ' ἐχθρῶν τοιοῦτον· γὰρ παρὰ Ζαχαρίᾳ τὸ, "Ἐζήλωκα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὴν Σιὼν ζῆλον μέγαν," ἢ τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ζηλώσοντας, ὁποῖος ἦν ὁ λέγων Ἀπόστολος· "Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ;" Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐμοὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ ζῇν Χριστὸς, καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος." Ζηλωταὶ δὲ καὶ 2373 οἱ θεῖοι γεγόνασι μάρτυρες. Ὁ δὲ ζῆλος οὐ πάθος Θεοῦ, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἐκδίκησις. Ὡς ἐπὶ πολεμικοῦ δὲ ἀλαλαγμοῦ, καὶ τὸ βοήσεται ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐπενήνοχεν· ὃ δὴ ποιοῦσιν ἢ συμβάλλοντες, ἢ κατορχούμενοι τῶν ἡττημένων. Εἶτα τὴν πολλὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εἰδωλολατροῦσι μακροθυμίαν δηλῶν ἐπενήνοχεν· Ἐσιώπησα, μὴ καὶ ἀεὶ σιωπήσομαι; Ἤθελε μὲν γὰρ καὶ πάλαι ῥύσασθαι τούτους τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Τὸν δὲ προσήκοντα καιρὸν περιέμενε, μέχρι διὰ Χριστοῦ τῶν ἡμᾶς νενικηκότων κατεστρατεύσατο. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἐσιώπησα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λεγεῶνος ἁρμόσει τοῦ παρὰ τοὺς τάφους ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐθελήσαντος· καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καθόλου κρίσεως,