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choosing to fulfill the divine laws. Such a change has also granted us our return, which we shall make with glory, and we shall see the former splendor of our fatherland. 11. "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." To those who sin and repent, the fountains of loving-kindness supply mercy, and for those who embrace the truth, the streams of mercy overflow. For this reason he said, "Mercy and truth have met together." For the Jews, and the whole nature of humankind, have offered to God the knowledge of the truth; and the lover of mankind gave mercy in return. So again, when they offered righteousness, 80.1552 He granted them peace, and bestowed reconciliation, and abolished their former enmity. And peace ran to righteousness, and mercy to truth. [But consider the text, "Mercy and truth have met together." For the merciful one who bears all things was borne by the virgin and mother; and the righteous John leaped in the womb of Elizabeth. So she who bore righteousness, that is, John, kissed her who bore peace. "For He is," as the Apostle says, "our peace, who has made both one."] And this he made clearer through what follows. 12. "Truth shall spring out of the earth;" [And ten thousand times pure is the Theotokos; but nevertheless from Adam, from Abraham, from David, from her indeed sprang up the true truth.] "And righteousness has looked down from heaven." [The righteous witness concerning the only-begotten Son of the Father; which says, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."] For when men embraced the truth, the God of all made a just providence for them, and cast out the devil from his tyranny, [and broke the stings of death. For this he says through what follows:] 13. "For the Lord shall give goodness; and our land shall yield her fruit." Again he used the same pairing; for he said that God would use pity and loving-kindness, and that they would offer to God a suitable fruit. For through these he did not indicate a bountiful harvest, but the fruitfulness of virtue. 14. "Righteousness shall go before him." [That is, John. For concerning him Habakkuk the prophet says, "Before his face," he says, "a word shall go, and it shall go forth for instruction at his feet." Likewise also Zechariah to his own child: "And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways." Well then does the prophetic mind have (concerning John he said, "Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set his steps in the way," instead of, You are the Lord, the incarnate God the Word) the prophecy of both. For it is the voice of John, "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me." And, to speak concisely, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."] "And shall set 80.1553 his steps in the way." The end of the psalm especially teaches us clearly how the preceding prophecy foretells the common salvation of all people. For it says that the Master, using righteousness, leads our journey like a guide, treading the path of virtue, and by His own footsteps making it clear to us. And the Master Himself confirms the word, now to John, "Let it be so now: for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness;" now to His own disciples: "Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." And at another time, having washed their feet, after other things he also said this: "I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet; for I have given you an example, that as I do, you also should do." He therefore first walked the path of righteousness, and made the crooked things straight, and the rough ways smooth, and has become for us a way, as the Master Himself says:

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θείους πληροῦν προαιρούμενοι νόμους. Ἡ τοιαύτη μετα βολὴ καὶ ἡμῖν κεχάρισται τὴν ἐπάνοδον, ἣν μετ' εὐ κλείας ποιησόμεθα, καὶ τὴν προτέραν τῆς πα τρίδος ὀψόμεθα περιφάνειαν. ιαʹ. "Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν, δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη κατεφίλησαν." Ἁμαρτάνουσι μὲν, καὶ μεταμελείᾳ χρωμένοις, χορηγοῦσι τὸν ἔλεον οἱ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας κρουνοὶ, τοῖς δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀσπαζομένοις ἐπικλύζουσι τοῦ ἐλέου τὰ νάματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔφη, "Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν." Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν γὰρ, καὶ πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις, προσενηνόχασι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίγνω σιν· ἀντέδωκε δὲ τὸν ἔλεον ὁ φιλάνθρωπος. Οὕτω πάλιν τὴν δικαιοσύνην τούτων προσενεγκάντων, τὴν 80.1552 εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς ἐδωρήσατο, καὶ τὰς καταλλαγὰς ἐχα ρίσατο, καὶ κατέλυσε τὴν προτέραν δυσμένειαν. Καὶ προσέδραμεν, ἡ μὲν εἰρήνη τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ ὁ ἔλεος. [Θεωρεῖτε δὲ τὸ, "Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλή θεια συνήντησαν." Ὁ γὰρ ἐλεήμων ὁ φέρων τὰ πάντα ἐφέρετο ὑπὸ τῆς παρθένου καὶ μητρός· καὶ ὁ δίκαιος Ἰωάννης ἐσκίρτα ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ τῆς Ἐλισάβετ. Ἥγ' οὖν φέρουσα τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τουτέστι τὸν Ἰωάν νην, κατεφίλει τὴν φέρουσαν τὴν εἰρήνην. "Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν."] Καὶ τοῦτο σαφέστερον διὰ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων ἐδήλωσε. ιβʹ. "Ἀλήθεια ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνέτειλε·" [Καὶ μυριάκις ἐστὶ καθαρὰ ἡ Θεοτόκος· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, ἐκ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, ἐξ αὐτῆς γ' οὖν ἀνέτειλεν ἡ ὄντως ἀλήθεια.] "Καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν." [Ἡ δικαία ἐπὶ τὸν μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς μαρτυρία· ἡ φάσκουσα, "Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ εὐδό κησα."] Ἀσπασαμένων γὰρ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τούτων δικαίαν ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ τὸν διάβολον τῆς τυραννίδος ἐξ έβαλεν, [καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὰ κέντρα συνέτριψε. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς·] ιγʹ. "Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος δώσει χρηστότητα· καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν δώσει τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς" Τῇ αὐτῇ πάλιν ἐχρήσατο συζυγίᾳ· ἔφη γὰρ, τὸν μὲν Θεὸν οἴκτῳ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρήσασθαι, αὐτοὺς δὲ τῷ Θεῷ τὸν προσφυᾶ προσοίσειν καρπόν. Οὐ γὰρ εὐετηρίαν διὰ τούτων ἐδήλωσεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν καρπογονίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς. ιδʹ. "∆ικαιοσύνη ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπορεύσε ται." [Ὁ Ἰωάννης δηλαδή. Περὶ γὰρ τούτου Ἀμβακοὺμ ὁ προφήτης φησὶ, "Πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, λέ γων, πορεύσεται λόγος, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται εἰς παι δείαν κατὰ πόδας αὐτοῦ." Ὁμοίως καὶ Ζαχαρίας πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ παῖδα· "Καὶ σὺ, παιδίον, προφήτης Ὑψίστου κληθήσῃ· προπορεύσῃ γὰρ πρὸ προσώπου Κυρίου ἑτοιμάζων ὁδοὺς αὐτῷ." Καλῶς οὖν ἔχει ὁ προφητικὸς νοῦς (περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἔφη, "∆ι καιοσύνη ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπορεύσεται καὶ θήσει εἰς ὁδὸν τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Κύριος εἶ ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας Θεὸς Λόγος) τῶν ἀμφοτέρων τὴν πρόῤῥησιν. Ἰωάννου γάρ ἐστι φωνὴ τὸ Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτος μοῦ ἦν." Καὶ ἵνα συνελὼν εἴπω, "Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου."] "Καὶ θήσει 80.1553 εἰς ὁδὸν τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ." Τὸ τέλος μάλιστα τοῦ ψαλμοῦ διδάσκει ἡμᾶς σαφῶς, ὡς τὴν κοινὴν πάντων ἀνθρώπων προλέγει σωτηρίαν ἡ προκειμένη προφητεία. Λέγει γὰρ, ὅτι δικαιοσύνῃ χρώμενος ὁ ∆εσπότης, οἷόν τις ξεναγὸς τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡγεῖται πορείας, τρίβων τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἴχνεσι δήλην ταύτην ἡμῖν ἐργαζόμενος. Βεβαιοῖ δὲ τὸν λόγον αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης, νῦν μὲν πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, "Ἄφες ἄρτι· οὕτω γὰρ δεῖ πληρωθῆναι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην·" νῦν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους μαθητάς· "Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾷός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνά παυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν." Ἄλλοτε δὲ νίψας αὐτῶν τοὺς πόδας, μεθ' ἕτερα καὶ ταῦτα ἔφη· "Ἐγὼ ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος ἔνιψα ὑμῶν τοὺς πόδας· ὑπόδειγμα γὰρ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα καθ ὼς ποιῶ, καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιῆτε." Αὐτὸς τοίνυν πρό τερος ὥδευσεν τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁδὸν, καὶ μετ έβαλε τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ τὴν τραχεῖαν εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας, καὶ γέγονεν ἡμῖν ὁδὸς, ᾗ φησὶν αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης·