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having sharpened their own swords against these, and having bent their bows with their own tongues, they went about seeking the blameless one, or the simple and sincere one, that they might destroy his soul; but God will deliver him. For the angels of the little ones in the Church always see the face of the Father in heaven. But a certain man will come to them, truly a perfect man and wearing the one made in the image of God, who, fortified in a deep heart, will fearlessly set himself in array against them, and will destroy them all, so that God may be exalted and glorified through him, and the arrows of all those men be proved powerless and weak, so that their wounds might be reckoned as the arrows of infants, and their tongues might grow weak against them. For such is the man of God, who sets himself in array against the aforementioned in a deep heart; so that he receives the wounds and the arrows through sophisms, but laughs at them and considers them as nothing, as being sent against him by powerless infants. Then also solving their sophisms, he will prove their tongues and words to be weakening. And a deep heart is the one not having its lessons superficially, nor priding itself in uttered speech, but having the foundations of faith rooted within itself. Accordingly therefore, having proposed certain rational enemies who have sharpened their tongue and bent bows with their lips, he sets against them a man of God possessing a deep heart; and God is glorified through this man, but they are defeated and disgraced. "All who saw them were troubled, and every man was afraid." It was consistent, when those wise in appearance were overthrown and the enemies of the soul 23.624 were refuted by the man of God, that those not so skilled in the wisdom of this age should be troubled. For being of the party of the defeated, they too are godless and impious; except that in malice they are less than their skillfulness, seeing their betters conquered, they are troubled. Therefore it is said: "All who saw them were troubled." But certainly the man of God and all his friends, through the one having taken up the prizes against the enemies, feared God more greatly, "and they declared the works of God," and they understood his righteous judgments. For even if he seemed especially a man, and with a deep heart to have made the overthrow of the enemies, yet to the understanding it was known, that God himself was the cause of the victory. Therefore they declared the works of God, praising his achievements through men. These therefore, like spectators, continued glorifying God for the victory of the one who had conquered. But the victor himself "shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in him." For he will not be proud of himself, nor will he be lifted up by the victory; but he will be filled with divine joy and gladness, as having become a minister and servant of God who gives victory. And as he rejoices, all the upright in heart will be praised, they themselves also having been shown to be as victors through the one. For the whole order and the body of the saints will obtain praise; since, when one member is glorified, all the members are glorified with it, according to the holy Apostle. TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID, A SONG. 64. "A hymn is fitting for you, O God, in Zion, and to you a vow shall be rendered in Jerusalem." It contains a prophecy of things that are about to come to pass at the end; therefore it is inscribed: "To the end." And what these things are, it teaches in what follows, saying, "To you all flesh shall come." For no longer only the nation of the Jews, but also all flesh, that is, every race of men. For thus the Word is accustomed to signify all men who were formerly carnal and earthy. Therefore it is also said in the law: "All flesh has corrupted its way

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τούτων τὰς ἑαυτῶν ῥομφαίας ἀκονήσαντες, καὶ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν γλώσσαις ἐντείναντες τόξα, τὸν ἄμωμον, ἢ τὸν ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀκέραιον περιῄεσαν ζητοῦντες, ὅπως ἀνέλωσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον μὲν ὁ Θεὸς ῥύσεται. Τῶν γὰρ μικρῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ οἱ ἄγγελοι διὰ παντὸς ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός. Προσελεύσεται δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἄνθρωπος, ἀληθῶς ἀνὴρ τέλειος καὶ φορῶν τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ πεποιημένον, ὃς, ἐν καρδίᾳ βαθείᾳ πεφραγμένος, ἀκατάπληκτος αὐτοῖς παρατάξεται, πάντας τε αὐτοὺς καταλύσει, ὡς ὑψωθῆναι καὶ δοξασθῆναι δι' αὐτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πάντων ἐκείνων τὰ βέλη ἐλεγχθῆναι ἄτονα καὶ ἀσθενῆ, ὡς νηπίων λογισθῆναι βέλη τὰς πληγὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐξασθενῆσαι. Τοιοῦτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, ὁ παραταττόμενος τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν ἐν καρδίᾳ βαθείᾳ· ὡς δέχεσθαι μὲν αὐτὸν τὰς πληγὰς καὶ τὰ διὰ σοφισμάτων βέλη, γελᾷν δὲ αὐτὰ καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι, ὡς ὑπὸ νηπίων ἀτόνων κατ' αὐτοῦ πεμπόμενα. Εἶτα καὶ ἐπιλυόμενος αὐτῶν τὰ σοφίσματα, τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐξασθενοῦντας ἐλέγξει. Βαθεῖα δὲ καρδία ἡ μὴ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς ἔχουσα τὰ μαθήματα, μηδὲ ἐν τῷ προφορικῷ λόγῳ σεμνυνομένη, ἀλλ' ἔνδον ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς τῆς πίστεως θεμελίους ἐῤῥιζωμένους. Ἀκολούθως τοίνυν λογικούς τινας πολεμίους τὴν γλῶτταν ἀκονήσαντας, καὶ τόξα τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐντείνοντας ὑποστησάμενος, ἀντιτάττει αὐτοῖς ἄνθρωπον Θεοῦ καρδίαν βαθεῖαν κεκτημένον· καὶ τὸν μὲν Θεὸν διὰ τούτου δοξαζόμενον, ἐκείνους δὲ ἡττωμένους καὶ ἀσχημονοῦντας. «Ἐταράχθησαν πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐφοβήθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος.» Ἀκόλουθον ἦν, τῶν δοκήσει σοφῶν ἀνατραπέντων καὶ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς πολε 23.624 μίων ἀπελεγχθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοὺς μὴ οὕτω δεινοὺς ἐν σοφίᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ταράττεσθαι. Τῆς γὰρ μερίδος ὄντες τῶν ἡττωμένων, ἄθεοι καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ δυσσεβεῖς· πλὴν ὡς ἐν κακίᾳ τῆς ἐκείνων δεινότητος ἐλάττους, ὁρῶντες νενικημένους τοὺς ἑαυτῶν βελτίους, ταράττονται. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· «Ἐταράχθησαν πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτούς.» Ὅ γε μὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος καὶ πάντες οἱ τούτῳ φίλοι, διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς τὰ κατ' ἐχθρῶν βραβεῖα ἀράμενοι, μειζόνως τὸν Θεὸν ἐφοβήθησαν, «καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ,» καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ συνῆκαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἄνθρωπος ἐδόκει, καὶ καρδίᾳ βαθείᾳ τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἀνατροπὴν πεποιῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς συνετοῖς ἐγνωρίζετο, αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ Θεὸς ὁ τῆς νίκης αἴτιος. ∆ιὸ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπήγγελλον, ὑμνοῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ δι' ἀνθρώπων κατορθώματα. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν, ὥσπερ θεαταὶ, τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζοντες ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ τοῦ νενικηκότος διετέλουν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ νικητὴς «εὐφρανθήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐλπιεῖ ἐπ' αὐτόν.» Οὐ γὰρ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ μέγα φρονήσει, οὐδ' ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ ἐπαρθήσεται· χαρᾶς δὲ θείας καὶ εὐφροσύνης πληρωθήσεται, ὡς ὑπουργὸς καὶ διάκονος τοῦ νικοποιοῦ Θεοῦ γεγονώς. Τούτου δὲ εὐφραινομένου, πάντες οἱ εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπαινεθήσονται, διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὥσπερ νικηταὶ ἀποδειχθέντες. Ὅλον γὰρ τὸ τάγμα καὶ τὸ σῶμα τῶν ἁγίων ἐπαίνου τεύξεται· ἐπειδὴ, δοξαζομένου μέλους ἑνὸς, συνδοξάζεται πάντα τὰ μέλη, κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν Ἀπόστολον. ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ, ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ Ω∆ΗΣ. Ξ∆ʹ. «Σοὶ πρέπει ὕμνος, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν Σιὼν, καὶ σοὶ ἀποδοθήσεται εὐχὴ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.» Προφητείαν περιέχει μελλόντων εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀπαντήσεσθαι πραγμάτων· διὸ ἐπιγέγραπται· «Εἰς τὸ τέλος.» Τίνα δὲ ταῦτα, διδάσκει ἑξῆς λέγων, «Πρὸς σὲ πᾶσα σὰρξ ἥξει.» Οὐκέτι γὰρ μόνον τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα σὰρξ, τουτέστι πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων. Οὕτως γὰρ εἴωθεν ὁ Λόγος πάντας ἀνθρώπους σημαίνειν τοὺς πάλαι σαρκίνους καὶ γεώδεις. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λέλεκται· «∆ιέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν