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of the west for leading up to paradise in the east. 983 Ps 102,13.14a Rather, exceedingly and preeminently does God have mercy on those who fear him, placing them in the rank of sons, because he has known the frame of each of us. For he did not fashion anything out of hatred, but knowing the hearts of men, which he alone has formed, he knows what is expedient for each of us. And what power and occasion we have, he gives these things too, so that by possessing them in actuality we may become his sons. It is possible to understand 'For he knows our frame' also thus: he had experience of our frame; becoming flesh, he had a natural disposition so as to count us his sons. 984 Ps 102,14b As the creator of our nature, he knows its weakness. For even if our entire constitution is not of dust (for we also have an intelligible nature in ourselves, being in the image and likeness of God), yet in our supplications to God, deeming him worthy to be our helper and benefactor, we bring forward what is inferior and weaker in us, saying, 'Remember, O Lord, that we are dust;' therefore, help our weakness and our lowliness. 985 Ps 102,15 Following 'Remember, O Lord, that we are dust,' he speaks the present words not about the inner man but about the outer. For according to life in matter and with the flesh, we have certain days that complete for us the extended time of life with the flesh, compared to withering grass. In accord with this, Isaiah also says: 'All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass; the sun arose and withered the grass, and its flower fell off.' And this represents the seeming prosperities existing in this life for those living with the flesh—riches, glories, honors, and the other successes, which, like a flower and grass, fall away and wither, so that they seem not even to have been. 986 Ps 102,17.18 You will also understand in another way the sons of righteous men to be the zealous followers of their works; thus the mercy upon those who fear him is uncircumscribed, extending from everlasting and to everlasting. For he does not sometimes have mercy, and sometimes not; for being good by nature, he always has mercy. But also righteousness is coupled with this mercy; nor is it limited by time, but it extends to all generations, upon sons of sons, and remaining for every succession, so that those who keep the covenant of God always have this righteousness with mercy from everlasting to everlasting, who also have been enrolled through the doing of good works as heirs of the future promises. For thus keeping it, they will also remember the commandments of God so as to do them. For these were given not for a mere memory of them, but a memory for the purpose of doing. And that they were given for doing, the Savior also shows, saying, 'He who has my commandments and does them, he it is who loves me.' For the promises are the reward and inheritance of doing, and not of remembering them only. 987 Ps 102,19 And in other places it is said that God is not in a place, but is said to dwell in heaven by a certain consequence and economy. Following those things, therefore, here too it is said that he has prepared, that is, established, the throne of the kingdom in heaven, with his rule and kingdom holding sway and mastery not only over those in heaven but also over all things absolutely. 988 Ps 102,20a One must consider not the prophet, being a man, but the Holy Spirit in him to be commanding the things that are written to the angels; for it says, 'All his angels (clearly, of the Lord), bless him.' But the Spirit, commanding all the angels, is other than them in essence. If this is so, how did some of the order of angels dare to say this, although it is something other than all of them?

989 Ps 103, 1δ He has clothed himself with magnificence by in great and surpassing things

having what is fitting, and confession by having all harmonious concord concerning

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δυσμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἀνάγειν. 983 Ps 102,13.14a Μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερεχόντως οἰκτείρει θεὸς τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν, εἰς τάξιν υἱῶν αὐτοὺς θέμενος τῷ αὐτὸν ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐγνωκέναι πλάσμα. οὐδὲ γὰρ μισῶν τι κατεσκεύασεν, ἀλλ' ἐπιστάμενος τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ας κατὰ μόνας επλασεν οιδεν τί ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν συμφέρει. καὶ ων εχομεν δύναμιν καὶ ἀφορμήν, καὶ ταῦτα δίδωσιν ἐπὶ τῷ κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἡμᾶς αὐτὰ εχοντας υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι. ∆υνατὸν ἐκλαβεῖν τὸ Οτι αὐτὸς εγνω τὸ πλάσμα ἡμῶν καὶ ουτως· πεῖραν ελαβε τοῦ πλάσματος ἡμῶν· γενάμενος σὰρξ εσχε φυσικὴν διάθεσιν ωστε υἱοὺς ἡμᾶς ἑαυτοῦ λογίσασθαι. 984 Ps 102,14b Οιδεν ὡς δημιουργὸς τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ πᾶσα ἡ κατασκευὴ ἡμῶν ἐκ χοός ἐστιν (εχομεν γὰρ καὶ νοερὰν φύσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ τυγχάνουσαν), ἀλλά γε ἐν ταῖς πρὸς θεὸν ἱκεσίαις συλλήπτορα καὶ εὐεργέτην εχειν αὐτὸν ἀξιοῦντες τὸ ὑποδεέστερον καὶ ἀσθενέστερον τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν προφέροντές φαμεν Μνήσθητι, κύριε, οτι χοῦς ἐσμεν· διὸ βοήθησον τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ τῇ εὐτελείᾳ ἡμῶν. 985 Ps 102,15 ̓Ακολούθως τῷ Μνήσθητι, κύριε, οτι χοῦς ἐσμεν οὐ περὶ τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ εξω τὰ προκείμενα διαγορεύει. κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ενυλον καὶ μετὰ σαρκὸς ζωὴν ἡμέρας τινὰς εχομεν τὰς συμπληρούσας ἡμῖν τὸν παρεκτείνοντα χρόνον τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς ζωῆς παραβαλλομένας χόρτῳ ξηραινομένῳ. τούτοις συνῳδὰ καὶ ὁ ̔Ησαίας φησι Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ανθος χόρτου· ἀνέτειλεν ὁ ηλιος καὶ ἐξήρανε τὸν χόρτον, καὶ τὸ ανθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν. παρίστησι δὲ ταῦτα τὰς ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ ὑπαρχούσας τοῖς μετὰ σαρκὸς ζῶσι δοκούσας εὐημερίας πλούτους δόξας ἀξιώματα καὶ τὰς αλλας εὐπραγίας, αιπερ δίκην ανθους καὶ χόρτου ἀπορρεῖ καὶ μαραίνεται ὡς μηδὲ γεγονέναι δοκεῖν. 986 Ps 102,17.18 Νοήσεις δὲ καὶ αλλως υἱοὺς τῶν δικαίων ἀνδρῶν τοὺς τῶν εργων αὐτῶν ζηλωτάς· ουτως τὸ ελεος ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτὸν ἀπερίγραφόν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ εως τοῦ αἰῶνος παρατεῖνον. οὐ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν ἐλεεῖ, ποτὲ δὲ οὐ· φύσει γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ων ἀεὶ ἐλεεῖ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ σύζυγος τῷ ἐλέει τούτῳ δικαιοσύνη· οὐδ' αὐτὴ περιοριζομένη χρόνῳ, εἰς πάσας ἐκτείνεται τὰς γενεάς, ἐπὶ υἱοὺς υἱῶν καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν διαδοχὴν παραμένουσα, ὡς ἀεὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ταύτην εχειν μετὰ τοῦ ἐξ αἰῶνος εἰς αἰῶνα ἐλέου τοὺς φυλάσσοντες τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θεοῦ, οι καὶ ἐνεγράφησαν διὰ τοῦ πράττειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ κληρονόμοι τῶν μελλουσῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν. Ουτω γὰρ φυλάσσοντες αὐτὴν καὶ μεμνήσονται τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντολῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ποιεῖν αὐτάς. δέδονται γὰρ αυται οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ μνήμην αὐτῶν ψιλὴν ειναι ἀλλὰ μνήμην εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι. οτι δὲ εἰς τὸ ποιεῖν δέδονται, καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ παρίστησιν εἰπὼν ̔Ο εχων τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ ποιῶν αὐτάς, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαπῶν με. τῆς γὰρ ποιήσεως ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς μνήμης αὐτῶν μόνης μισθὸς καὶ κληρονομία αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι. 987 Ps 102,19 Καὶ ἐν αλλοις ειρηται οὐκ ἐν τόπῳ ειναι τὸν θεόν, ἀκολουθίᾳ δέ τινι καὶ οἰκονομίᾳ λέγεσθαι αὐτὸν οἰκεῖν ἐν οὐρανῷ. ἀκολούθως ουν ἐκείνοις καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐν οὐρανῷ ἡτοιμακέναι τουτέστιν ἱδρυκέναι τὸν θρόνον τῆς βασιλείας ειρηται, τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ βασιλείας οὐ μόνον τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων ἁπαξαπλῶς κρατούσης καὶ δεσποζούσης. 988 Ps 102,20a Οὐ τὸν προφήτην ανθρωπον οντα ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ πνεῦμα αγιον ἡγητέον προστάττειν τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τὰ ἐγκείμενα· πάντες γάρ φησιν οἱ αγγελοι αὐτοῦ (δηλονότι τοῦ κυρίου) εὐλογεῖτε αὐτόν. προστάττον δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τὸ πνεῦμα, ετερον αὐτῶν κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστίν. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, πῶς θρασέως ἐτόλμησάν τινες τῆς τάξεως τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτὸ φάναι, καίτοι ἁπάντων ετερόν τι ον;

989 Ps 103, 1δ Μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο τῷ ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ ὑπεραίρουσιν

εχειν τὸ πρέπον, ἐξομολόγησιν δὲ τῷ πᾶσαν συμφωνίαν τὴν ἐναρμόνιον εχειν περὶ