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of the provider? For the promises are sure to those who keep them. For the foreknowledge of God does not of necessity produce virtue. For behold, He foreknew that Jacob would become good. And he became good through himself, not because it was foreknown. Therefore he is also blessed. Therefore one must not be idle, when God foretells the future. And the saying, "Come out of Babylon," exhorts to change both place and manner, bringing with them no Chaldean custom of augury and divination, and being pure from all error of idols. And this would be fitting for all the nations. But some say that the one speaking in the passage, "Draw 2461 near to me and hear these things," is the person of Christ, so that He might declare to them the salvation through Himself. And the saying, "Have I not spoken from the beginning in secret?" "Did I not," he says, "from of old foretell these things veiledly through the prophets from the time they came to be?" The saying, "there I am," he says that this, before His own coming happened visibly, came to be with God according to the predetermination before the foundation of the world. And now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit. For what is always with God, this now happens visibly in the world. But according to the human nature is the sending. For God is always present to all. And He is said to be sent also by the Spirit, inasmuch as He is born of the Holy Spirit. And some say that from the same person is the saying: "My hand founded the earth, and my right hand established the heaven." And the saying, "Now the Lord has sent me and his Spirit," which presents the creator as the one who came upon the earth. CHAPTER 49. 113. 9Listen to me, you islands, and pay attention, you nations. After a long time it will stand, says the Lord. From my mother’s womb he called my name, and he made my mouth like a sharp sword, and under the shadow of his hand he hid me. He made me like a chosen arrow, and in his quiver he hid me, and he said to me: "You are my servant, Israel, and in you I will be glorified,"9 etc. Having said the things appropriate to the Jews, he turns again to the calling of the nations, and the epiphany of the Savior. Therefore he calls the Churches islands, as being washed around by the salty waves of life and of temptations. And indicating whose are the islands, he adds, "Pay attention, you nations," lest the word be thought to be to the Jews. And the great David also says: "The Lord has reigned, let the earth rejoice. Let the many islands be glad." And what does he say to the nations? Not to expect the outcome of the events at the time of the prophecy, but after a very long time? It will stand, he says, either what was promised, or what was prophesied. But the phrase "after a long time," the others rendered as "from afar," giving the word to those before it. Thus, for instance, Symmachus translated, "And listen, you nations, from afar." But consider how the Lord now speaks, and through the following speaks about another Lord, speaking of His own birth, and servitude, and saying such things. The Lord called me from the womb, from my mother’s belly he remembered my name. For the names before the incarnation are suited to the divine nature: God and 2464 life, and light, wisdom, and power, and such things. But "Christ," and "Jesus," and "God with us," are fitting after the economy. For Gabriel said to the Virgin, "And you will bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus;" and indicating the meaning, he added, "For he will save his people from their sins." But "God with us" was said from his nature and the economy, just as "Jesus" was from his action. Therefore it was also said to the shepherds, that "Today a Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David;" But Christ, as anointed, which indeed was not fitting before the economy. And he says that his mouth was made like a sharp sword. For elsewhere he also says: "And with the spirit through his lips he will slay the impious." He therefore says a sharp sword, both cutting and separating those worthy of God from those who are not such. For he says in the Gospels: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword," and what follows. And the evangelical proclamation also became a sword against the tyranny of the devil. And he has also given to us

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χορηγοῦ; Αἱ γὰρ ἐπαγγελίαι τοῖς φυλάττουσι βέβαιοι. Τοῦ Θεοῦ γὰρ ἡ πρόγνωσις ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀρετὴν οὐ ποιεῖ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ προέγνω τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἀγαθὸν γενησόμενον. Καὶ γέγονεν δι' ἑαυτὸν ἀγαθὸς, οὐχ ὅτι προέγνωστο. ∆ιὸ καὶ εὐλογῆται. ∆εῖ οὖν μὴ ῥᾳθυμεῖν, Θεοῦ τὸ μέλλον προλέγοντος. Τὸ δὲ, Ἔξελθε ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ τόπον καὶ τρόπον ἀμείβειν παρακελεύεται μηδὲν ἐπαγομένους ἦθος Χαλδαϊκὸν, οἰωνισμοῦ τε καὶ μαντείας, καὶ πάσης εἰδώλων καθαρεύοντας πλάνης. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων ἁρμόσειε τῶν ἐθνῶν. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ, προσαγά 2461 γετε πρός με καὶ ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, Χριστοῦ πρόσωπον τὸ λέγον εἶναί φασιν, ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς τὴν δι' ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν δηλώσειεν. Καὶ τὸ, Οὐκ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ λελάληκα; Μὴ οὐκ ἐκ παλαιοῦ, φησὶ, προεῖπον ἐπικεκαλυμμένως ταῦτα διὰ προφητῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ γενέσθαι; αὐτὸ, ἐκεῖ εἰμι, πρινὴ γενέσθαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρουσίαν ὁρατῶς, γεγονέναι λέγει ταύτην παρὰ Θεῷ κατὰ τὸν προορισμὸν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Καὶ νῦν Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ ἀεὶ παρὰ Θεῷ, τοῦτο νῦν ὁρατῶς ἐν κόσμῳ γίνεται. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἡ ἀποστολή. Θεὸς γὰρ ἀεὶ πάρεστι πᾶσιν. Ἀπεστάλθαι δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος λέγεται, καθὸ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου γεννᾶται. Τινὲς δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ προσώπου φασὶ τό· Ἡ χείρ μου ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἡ δεξιά μου τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐστερέωσεν. Καὶ τὸ, Νῦν Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, ὅπερ δημιουργὸν τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐλθόντα παρίστησιν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΘʹ. αιγʹ. 9Ἀκούσατέ μου, νῆσοι, καὶ προσέχετε, ἔθνη. ∆ιὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ στήσεται, λέγει Κύριος. Ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομά μου, καὶ ἔθηκε τὸ στόμα μου, ὡς μάχαιραν ὀξεῖαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέ με. Ἔθηκέ με ὡσεὶ βέλος ἐκλεκτὸν, καὶ ἐν τῇ φαρέτρᾳ αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέ με, καὶ εἶπέ μοι· ∆οῦλός μου εἶ σὺ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐν σοὶ ἐνδοξασθήσομαι9, κ.τ.λ. Τὰ κατάλληλα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις εἰπὼν, ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν αὖθις μετέρχεται κλῆσιν, καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν. ∆ιὸ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἀνακαλεῖται νήσους εἰπὼν, ὡς ἀλμυροῖς τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν πειρασμῶν περικλυζομένας τοῖς κύμασι. Τίνων δὲ αἱ νῆσοι δηλῶν ἐπιφέρει καὶ, Προσέχετε ἔθνη, μήποτε νομισθῇ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ὁ λόγος. Καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ λέγει ∆αβίδ· "Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ. Εὐφραινέσθωσαν νῆσοι πολλαί." Τί δὲ λέγει τοῖς ἔθνεσι, μὴ κατὰ τὸν τῆς προφητείας καιρὸν τῶν πραγμάτων προσδοκῆσαι τὴν ἔκβασιν, μετὰ χρόνον δὲ πλεῖστον; Στήσεται δὲ, λέγει, ἢ τὸ ἐπαγγελθὲν, ἢ τὸ προφητευόμενον. Τὸ δὲ διὰ χρόνου μακροῦ, μακρόθεν ἐξέδωκαν οἱ λοιποὶ τοῖς πρὸ αὐτῆς ἀποδόντες τὴν λέξιν. Οὕτω γ' οὖν Σύμμαχος, Καὶ ἀκροᾶσθε, ἔθνη, μακρόθεν, ἑρμήνευσεν. Σκόπει δὲ ὡς τὰ νῦν ὁ Κύριος λέγει, καὶ περὶ ἑτέρου Κυρίου διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς διαλέγεται, γέννησίν τε λέγων ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ δουλείαν, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγων. Κύριος ἐκ γαστρὸς ἐκάλεσέ με, ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου ἀνέμνησε τὸ ὄνομά μου. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ὀνόματα πρόσφορα τῇ θείᾳ φύσει, Θεὸς καὶ 2464 ζωὴ, καὶ φῶς, σοφία, καὶ δύναμις, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Τὸ δὲ Χριστὸς, καὶ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, μετὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἁρμόδια. Ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὁ Γαβριὴλ τῇ Παρθένῳ, "Καὶ τέξῃ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν·" καὶ τὴν σημασίαν δηλῶν ἐπήγαγεν. "Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν." Τὸ δὲ, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐῤῥέθη, ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνεργείας τὸ Ἰησοῦς. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῖς ποιμέσιν ἐλέχθη, ὅτι Ἐτέχθη σήμερον Σωτὴρ, ὅ ἐστι Χριστὸς Κύριος, ἐν πόλει ∆αβίδ· Χριστὸς δὲ, ὡς κεχρισμένος, ὃ δὴ πρὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας οὐχ ἥρμοττεν. Τεθῆναι δέ φησι τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς μάχαιραν ὀξεῖαν. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ γάρ φησι· "Καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ." Ὡς μάχαιραν οὖν φησιν ὀξεῖαν τμητικήν τε καὶ ἀφορίζουσαν τοὺς ἀξίους Θεοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν μὴ τοιούτων. Φησὶ γὰρ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις· "Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον εἰρήνην βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Καὶ τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν δὲ κήρυγμα, μάχαιρα κατὰ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου τυραννίδος ἐγένετο. ∆έδωκε δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ