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having demolished will-worship, such as Paul saying: "For if I rebuild what I have destroyed," they established the new Zion according to the evangelical po 2480 lity. Concerning whom David also says: "You will make them princes over all the earth." But others besides these are indicated by what follows, those who laid waste to Zion, but did not also build it up. Concerning whom he says, and those who laid you waste will go forth from you; which was also historically fulfilled, after the Church from the nations, when the nation of the Jews had fallen from the perceptible Jerusalem, in addition to having fallen from the pious polity. After this he personifies her as a certain bride boasting in a multitude of children, to whom he says: Lift up your eyes round about, and see them all. And, That you will put them all on, as an ornament. But who all these are and from where, he taught by saying beforehand: "Behold, these will come from afar," concerning the four corners of the world, saying whom he also calls the ornament of the Church, the bride of Christ. For she prides herself on orderly souls, being adorned with their virtues and their spiritual gifts instead of precious stones. Wherefore Scripture says she is adorned with gilded and variegated raiment, so that each one from her, giving thanks, says: "Let my soul rejoice in the Lord; for He has clothed me with a garment of salvation and a robe of gladness; as a bridegroom He has set a crown upon me, and as a bride He has adorned me with a headband." Some have said that the present saying indicates the salvation of those from Israel in the last days, when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Then he says, And your desolate places will be too narrow. For instead of those of the circumcision, the multitude of the Gentiles has been brought in. In place of which he says: Those who swallow you up will be far away; clearly false prophets and leaders of the people, concerning whom he said: Those who swallow up my people with their whole mouth. Then he introduces the sons of the Church asking for a wider place because of their multitude, who were formerly in perdition. Whence she says whom you have lost, marveling at their multitude, she confesses her childlessness from the Jews, saying: But I am childless and a widow. But if it is understood concerning the Gentiles, it indicates their former state before they were called. And in harmony with, 'Make a place for me,' is, "Enlarge the place of your tent. And fix the [curtains] of your courts. Spare not, stretch out still to the right and to the left." This also indicates the lengths and breadths of the tent from Moses. But to her saying, "Who has begotten these for me?" it must be said: Faith in Christ, and God Himself. Who also says to her as she asks: Behold, I lift up my hand to the nations, and so forth; indicating from where the multitude of her sons and daughters will come, calling His own strength and power, Christ, His hand, who through miracles became exalted among the nations, and through the resurrection. And by islands, the particular Churches, from which is the one and catholic Church everywhere. And by the 2481 signal, the preaching concerning the cross and the resurrection. But instead of 'in the bosom,' the others rendered it 'in their arms.' But who will do this? Clearly the apostles and the teachers of the Church, leading like infants those approaching the faith, to whom Paul also said: "I gave you milk to drink." And again: "My little children, for whom I am again in labor." And again: "As a nurse cherishes her own children," so, affectionately desiring you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of Christ, but also our own souls; when also the multitude of those who were approaching cried out: "Come, let us go up to the |mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob," and what follows. And 'in bosoms' and 'on shoulders' indicates 'without sweat,' as God directs the way, according to, "The way of the righteous was made straight." And as was said by the Baptist, "Prepare the way of the Lord," and what follows. And it indicates the highest honor of the faithful, to call kings wet nurses, and queens nursing mothers, indicating the highest, and those according to the nation. Authorities serving in the manner of nurses to the needy of the Church through the given grain allowances. And otherwise, the great care, the glory of nurses

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ἐθελοθρησκείαν καθῃρηκότες, οἷος ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· "Εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα, ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ," τὴν νέαν Σιὼν κατὰ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν συνεστήσαντο πο 2480 λιτείαν. Περὶ ὧν φησι καὶ ∆αβίδ· "Καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν." Ἕτεροι δὲ παρὰ τούτους δηλοῦνται διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς, οἱ ἐρημώσαντες μὲν τὴν Σιὼν, οὐ μὴν καὶ οἰκοδομήσαντες. Περὶ ὧν φησι, καὶ οἱ ἐρημώσαντες ἐκ σοῦ ἐξελεύσονται· ὃ καὶ καθ' ἱστορίαν ἐσώζετο, μετὰ τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους ἐκπεπτωκότος τῆς αἰσθητῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, πρὸς τῷ καὶ τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος ἐκπεσεῖν. Μετὰ ταῦτα προσωποποιεῖ καθάπερ τινὰ νύμφην ἐπὶ πλήθει τέκνων κομῶσαν πρὸς ἥν φησιν· Ἆρον κύκλῳ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἴδε πάντας. Καὶ, Ὅτι πάντας αὐτοὺς, ὡς κόσμον, ἐνδύσῃ. Τίνας δὲ πάντας καὶ πόθεν ἐδίδαξε προειπών· "Ἰδοὺ οὗτοι πόῤῥωθεν ἥξουσι περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων κλιμάτων, εἰπὼν οὓς καὶ κόσμον τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νύμφης Ἐκκλησίας καλεῖ. Ψυχαῖς γὰρ αὐτὴ κοσμίαις σεμνύνεται, τὰς αὐτῶν ἀρετὰς, καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ τούτων χαρίσματα, ἀντὶ λίθων τιμίων περικειμένη. ∆ιόπερ αὐτὴν ἱματισμῷ περιχρύσῳ καὶ πεποικιλμένῳ κεκοσμῆσθαι φησὶν ἡ Γραφὴ ὡς ἕκαστον ἐξ αὐτῆς εὐχαριστοῦντα λέγειν· "Ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ· ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης· ὡς νυμφίῳ περιέθηκέ μοι κόσμον, καὶ ὡς νύμφη περιέθηκέ μοι μίτραν." Τινὲς δὲ τὸ παρὸν ῥητὸν δηλοῦν ἔφασαν τὴν ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ σωτηρίαν, ὅτ' ἂν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ. Εἶτά φησι, Καὶ τὰ ἔρημά σου στενοχωρήσει. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς, τὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀντεισενήνεκται πλῆθος. Ἀνθ' ὧν φησιν· Οἱ καταπίνοντές σε, μακρυνθήσονται· ψευδοπροφῆται δηλονότι, καὶ καθηγηταὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, περὶ ὧν ἔλεγεν· Οἱ καταπίνοντες τὸν λαόν μου ὅλῳ τῷ στόματι. Εἶτα τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εἰσάγει τόκον αἰτοῦντας διὰ τὸ πλῆθος πλατύτερον, οἵτινες ἦσαν ἐν ἀπωλείᾳ τὸ πρότερον. Ὅθεν φησὶν οὓς ἀπώλεσας, ὧν τὸ πλῆθος θαυμάζουσα, τὴν ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀτεκνίαν ὁμολογεῖ λέγουσα· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἄτεκνος καὶ χήρα. Εἰ δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν νοοῖτο, δηλοῖ τὴν προτέραν αὐτῶν πρὶν κληθῆναι κατάστασιν. Σύμφωνον δὲ τῷ, ποίησόν μοι τόπον, τὸ "Πλάτυνον τὸν τόπον τῆς σκηνῆς σου. Καὶ [τὰς δέρεις] τῶν αὐλαίων σου πῆξον. Μὴ φείσῃ, ἔτι εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκπέτασον." Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τῆς παρὰ Μωσεῖ σκηνῆς τὰ μήκη καὶ πλάτη δηλοῖ. Λεγούσῃ δὲ, Τίς ἐγέννησέ μοι τούτους; λεκτέον· Ἡ πίστις ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ, αὐτός τε Θεός. Ὃς καὶ πυνθανομένῃ φησίν· Ἰδοὺ αἴρω εἰς τὰ ἔθνη τὴν χεῖρά μου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· δηλῶν πόθεν ἥξει τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῇ καὶ θυγατέρων τὸ πλῆθος, χεῖρα καλῶν τὴν ἰδίαν ἰσχύν τε καὶ δύναμιν, τὸν Χριστὸν, ὃς διὰ τῶν θαυμάτων γέγονε τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑψηλὸς, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Νήσους δὲ τὰς κατὰ μέρος Ἐκκλησίας, ἐξ ὧν ἡ μία καὶ καθολικὴ πανταχοῦ. Σύσ 2481 σημον δὲ, τὸ περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως κήρυγμα. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐν κόλπῳ, ἐν ἀγκάλαις ἐξέδωκαν οἱ λοιποί. Τίνες δὲ τοῦτο ποιήσουσιν; δῆλον ὡς ἀπόστολοί τε, καὶ οἱ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι, οἷα νηπίους χειραγωγοῦντες τοὺς προσιόντας τῇ πίστει, οἷς ἔλεγε καὶ Παῦλος· "Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὡς ἂν τροφὸς θάλπη τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα," οὕτως ἱμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς· ὅτε καὶ τῶν προσιόντων ἐβόα τὸ πλῆθος· "∆εῦτε, ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ |ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακὼβ," καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τὸ, ἐν κόλποις, καὶ ἐπ' ὤμων, τὸ χωρὶς ἱδρῶτος, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὁδὸν κατευθύνοντος, κατὰ τὸ, "Ὁδὸς εὐσεβῶν εὐθεῖα ἐγένετο." Καὶ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ δὲ ἐλέγετο τὸ, "Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου," καὶ τὰ ἑπόμενα. Τὴν δὲ τιμὴν τῶν πιστῶν τὴν εἰς ἄκρον δηλοῖ τὸ, Τιθηνοὺς λέγειν βασιλεῖς, καὶ τὰς ἀρχούσας τροφοὺς, τὴν ἀνωτάτω δηλοῦν, καὶ τὰς κατ' ἔθνος. Ἀρχὰς τροφῶν δίκην ἐξυπηρετουμένων τοῖς ἐνδεέσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διὰ τῶν διδομένων σιτηρεσίων. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, ἡ πολλὴ κηδεμονία δόξαν τροφέων