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he said, because of 2401 the newness and evergreen nature of the plant. For it grows always by springs and rivers. But some say that the present things have also been said to the same people. For having stated the cause of their destruction, he again proclaims that he will remember their evil deeds. saying "now", setting for them another time instead of the previous one, as also in this: "Today if you will hear his voice." For he urges him to forget the things of old. That he was named his child, to consider also how he was chosen out of all the nations, according to that: "When the Most High divided the nations," and what follows. But if it should be understood concerning those from the nations, so great, he says, will be the progress and achievement in piety of those who formerly inhabited the desert and waterless land, that they compete with one another as in a race, hastening to seize the grace of God, and one would say, "I am of God," and another would inscribe the name of Jacob, though not being from Jacob, but from the former desert. But instead of "will cry out," Symmachus said "will be called"; this, they say, we have observed in the times of the persecutions, many of the gentiles seizing for themselves the names of the holy men. For one called himself Jacob, another Israel, and others Jeremiah and Isaiah, and Daniel. With which names they eagerly gave themselves over to martyrdom. And the phrase "by the hand," because perhaps many were marking on their wrists or arms either the sign of the cross, or the name of Christ. That is, by the name, he says, since the name for those from Jacob is the portion and inheritance of God. But he does not allow, they say, the impious to fall into despair, so that it might not seem that Israel would be destroyed root and branch, with God having completely turned away from them. A very smooth way, but for those who believe in him the way of salvation. But by calling himself Lord, and God, Maker and Fashioner, he seems to show that Israel has also been deceived, having attributed the name of divinity to others who are not gods, and he reminded them of the creation of man from the beginning, charging them with ingratitude, if while honoring the parents who served in their generation, he turned away from the Maker, who also said through one of the prophets: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master." And: "If I am a Father, where is my honor?" And: "If I am a Lord, where is the fear of me? says the Lord Almighty." For He is Lord, as holding creation under his hand, and Father, as Maker. And the phrase "he will yet help," shows this: "how gentle I am even toward one who has sinned so greatly." From the beginning, however, some have said concerning the whole utterance, that leading them to a demonstration of 2404 his own magnificence, as he will be able also to bring back the ten tribes if they are willing, he reminded them of the wonders of old. But if you say, Why is it necessary to remember? with those things again being disbelieved because of time, let these things be passed over, he says, and consider the new things. But having spoken about the New Covenant, he says, that "Not now have I made a beginning of my care for you, nor have I received a wage from the beginning, but on the contrary, I have also given forgiveness of sins to the ungodly, giving you a time to work righteousness." For the sea, and the pillar of fire, and the cloud, held the place of baptism for you. For the Apostle also says that they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea. And I am the same now, forgiving sins if you are willing, if you become accusers of yourselves for remission, not for condemnation. But if not, in the time of judgment I will remind you of these things, you who have surpassed your own fathers in sins. For they too were impious, but they did not, like you, bring an idol into our temple. And again turning them back, he imploringly calls them Jacob and Israel from their fathers, and shows himself to be the maker and the one who extends through all things, and he mentions the formation in the womb. Then, having promised to give the Spirit as a reward for faith in the Only-Begotten, he indicates the blessing supplied from him. For it is characteristic of those who bless God, that they themselves are also filled with blessing. For if he who blesses Abraham will be an heir of blessing, how much more so the one who blesses his God and Master? And they will be in these good things, so as to be like the evergreens

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εἶπεν, διὰ 2401 τὸ νεαρόν τε καὶ ἀειθαλὲς τοῦ φυτοῦ. Πηγαῖς γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ ποταμοῖς παραπέφυκεν. Τινὲς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ νῦν εἰρῆσθαί φασι. Τὴν γὰρ αἰτίαν τῆς ἀπωλείας εἰπὼν, πάλιν αὐτοῖς τὸ μνησικακεῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Ἕτερον αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ προλαβόντος ὁρίζων καιρὸν τὸ νῦν λέγων, ὡς καὶ τό· "Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε." Προτρέπει γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπιλαθέσθαι μὲν τῶν πάλαι. Ὅτι δὲ αὐτοῦ παῖς ὠνομάσθη, σκοπεῖν καὶ ὡς ἐκ πάντων ἐξείλεκται τῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τό· "Ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ Ὕψιστος ἔθνη," καὶ τὰ ἐφ' ἑξῆς. Εἰ δὲ νοοῖτο περὶ τῶν ἐξ ἐθνῶν, τοσαύτη τις ἔσται τότε, φησὶ, προκοπὴ καὶ θεοσεβείας κατόρθωσις τῶν οἰκούντων πάλαι τὴν ἔρημόν τε καὶ ἄνυδρον, ὡς ἁμιλλᾶσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὡς ἐν δρόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χάριν ἁρπάζειν ἐπειγομένους, καὶ τὸν μὲν Τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγειν, εἰμὶ, τὸν δὲ τοὔνομα τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐπιγράφεσθαι, καίτοι μὴ ὄντα ἐκ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ, ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἐρήμου τῆς πρότερον. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ βοήσεται, κληθήσεται Σύμμαχος ἔφησεν· τοῦτο, φασὶν, ἐν τοῖς τῶν διωγμῶν καιροῖς ἐθεασάμεθα, πολλοὺς τῶν ἐθνικῶν τὰς τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν προσηγορίας ἑαυτοῖς ὑφαρπάζοντας. Ἐκάλει γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ὁ μὲν Ἰακὼβ, ὁ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἱερεμίαν τε καὶ Ἡσαΐαν, καὶ ∆ανιήλ. Μεθ' ὧν ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὰ μαρτύρια προθύμως ἑαυτοὺς ἐπεδίδοσαν. Τὸ δὲ τῇ χειρὶ, διὰ τὸ στίζειν ἴσως πολλοὺς ἐπὶ καρπῶν, ἢ βραχιόνων ἢ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ σημεῖον, ἢ τὴν Χριστοῦ προσηγορίαν. Ἤγουν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι, φησὶν, ἐπειδὴ ὄνομα τοῖς ἐξ Ἰακὼβ σχοίνισμα καὶ κλῆρος Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἐᾷ δὲ, φασὶ, τοὺς ἀσεβήσαντας χωρεῖν εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν, ὡς μὴ δοκεῖν ὁλόῤῥιζον ἀπολεῖσθαι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀποστραφέντος εἰς ἅπαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καταλέαν εἰ δὲ τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύουσι τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ὁδόν. Ἑαυτὸν δὲ λέγων Κύριον, καὶ Θεὸν, ποιητήν τε καὶ πλάστην, ἐμφαίνειν ἔοικεν ὅτι καὶ πεπλάνηται, τὸ τῆς θεότητος ὄνομα Ἰσραὴλ περιθεὶς ἑτέροις τοῖς οὐκ οὖσι θεοῖς, καὶ τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δημιουργίας ὑπέμνησεν, ἀχαριστίας γραφόμενος, εἰ γονέας τιμῶν τοὺς εἰς τὴν γένεσιν ὑπουργήσαντας, αὐτὸν ἀπεστράφη τὸν ποιητὴν, ὃ καὶ δι' ἑνὸς ἔφη τῶν προφητῶν· "Υἱὸς δοξάζει πατέρα, καὶ δοῦλος τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ." Καί· "Εἰ Πατήρ εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα μου;" Καί· "Εἰ Κύριός εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος μου; λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ." Κύριος μὲν γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς ὑπὸ χεῖρα τὴν κτίσιν κρατῶν, Πατὴρ δὲ, ὡς ποιητής. Τὸ δὲ ἔτι βοηθήσῃ, παρίστησιν ὡς ἥμερος ἐγὼ καὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἡμαρτηκότα. Ἄνωθεν δέ τινες περὶ τῆς ὅλης ῥήσεως ἔφασαν, ὡς ἐνάγων αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς 2404 ἰδίας μεγαλοπρεπείας, ὡς οἷός τε ἔσται καὶ τὰς δέκα φυλὰς ἐπαναγαγεῖν ἐὰν βουληθῶσι, τῶν πάλαι θαυμάτων ὑπέμνησεν. Εἰ δὲ λέγετε Τί δεῖ μεμνῆσθαι; πάλιν ἐκείνων ἀπιστουμένων τῷ χρόνῳ, παρείσθω ταῦτα, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ νέα σκοπήσατε. Εἰπὼν δὲ τὰ περὶ τῆς Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης, φησὶν, ὡς Οὐ νῦν ἀρχὴν τῆς περὶ σὲ κηδεμονίας πεποίημαι, ἀλλ' οὐ δὲ μισθὸν λαβὼν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τοὐναντίον δὲ καὶ ἀσεβοῦντι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν δέδωκα, καιρὸν ὑμῖν δοὺς δικαιοσύνην ἐργάζεσθαι. Καὶ ἡ θάλασσα γὰρ, καὶ ὁ στύλος τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ ἡ νεφέλη, βαπτίσματος χώραν ἐπεῖχεν ὑμῖν. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος γὰρ βεβαπτίσθαι φησὶν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ καὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ. Ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ νῦν εἰμι βουλομένων ὑμῶν ἀφιεὶς ἁμαρτίας, ἐὰν ἑαυτῶν κατήγοροι γένησθε ἐπὶ ἀφέσει, οὐ κατακρίσει. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἐν καιρῷ τῆς κρίσεως τούτων ὑμᾶς ὑπομνήσω τοὺς ἑαυτῶν πατέρας ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις νικήσαντας. Ἠσέβουν μὲν γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἴδωλον καθ' ὑμᾶς ἐπεισήνεγκαν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ναῷ. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπιστρέφων αὐτοὺς, δυσωπητικῶς Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων καλεῖ, καὶ ποιητὴν καὶ διὰ πάντων διήκοντα δεικνὺς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ μέμνηται πλάσεως. Εἶτα μισθὸν τῆς εἰς τὸν Μονογενῆ πίστεως τὸ Πνεῦμα δώσειν ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ χορηγουμένην εὐλογίαν δηλοῖ. Ἴδιον γὰρ τῶν εὐλογούντων Θεὸν, τὸ καὶ αὐτοὺς εὐλογίας πληροῦσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ εὐλογῶν εὐλογίας κληρονόμος ἔσται, πόσῳ γε τούτου τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ∆εσπότην; Ἐν τούτοις δὲ γενήσονται τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ὡς τοῖς ἀειθαλέσιν ἐοικέναι