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They say that the one saying "The heavens are the works of your hands," and the one declaring "Did not my hands make all the host of heaven?" (and the one who said "Your hands have made me and fashioned me" is in harmony with these), one who seeks may reasonably find the Holy Spirit also being called the hand of God; from which it is shown that the Holy Spirit is a creator, as the Father worked the heavens and created the host of heaven in the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the works of these hands of God are found to be truth and judgment in all the saints. For the practical state which the Son gives in the Holy Spirit is judgment, judging and defining with examination the good things that ought to be chosen and the evil things to be fled; and truth is what Christ gives through the Holy Spirit and according to the Spirit, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. Therefore, the works of God's hands are the knowledge of truth and moral virtue, being truth and judgment; wherefore it was consequently added, "All his commandments are sure," said not because they are to be believed, but because of their immovability and firmness, according to which meaning it is written, "I will give you an everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David." These sure commandments, therefore, are established for ever and ever because they are of God and cannot be overthrown. Indeed, concerning them the Savior said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." But do not be mistaken in thinking that the preceding was said about the commandments according to the shadow. For those passed away, having been given until the time of reformation. For one must hear the preceding words concerning his spiritual laws, as what follows teaches, having it thus: "Done in truth and uprightness." For they are made in truth, being understood according to the doctrine of piety. But also they are accomplished in uprightness, being kept with the best disposition, as the works of the Lord's hands, and these are accomplished in every pious person, being truth and judgment. And he transformed judgment into uprightness by directing the soul in practical and moral virtue and by being discerning of things to be done and not to be done. 1048 Ps 110,9ab The redemption which God sent to his people is no other than he who said, "The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many." Indeed, by his own precious blood, by the grace of God having tasted death for everyone, we were redeemed from our futile way of life handed down from our fathers. For Christ became for us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification from God, and so also redemption, saying, "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives." For having released from captivity those held by the devil and by wickedness, he has been revealed as the redeemer and benefactor of all, forgiving the sins and impieties of those who flee to him. But his goodness, not being content with only having redeemed the captives, also made them heirs of his own Father, and co-heirs with himself, having commanded for them an eternal covenant, so that by holding to it intensely and with perfect eagerness they might receive an immortal inheritance according to the eternal and incorruptible promises. 1049 Ps 110,9c His name, he says, is holy to the saints, but awesome to the non-saints. For just as it makes holy those who partake of it, being a fount of holiness, so it is awesome to those who sin while bearing it. 1050 Ps 110,10 Just as the beginning of the good way (and this is the contemplation of truth) is doing righteous things, so the beginning and introduction to the wisdom of God, being no other than the contemplation of truth, is the divine fear, which is the same as what is called righteous actions. Therefore, whatever relation doing righteous things has to the good way, this the fear of God has to wisdom. The name "beginning" can also stand here not for introduction but for cause, so that what is said is "The fear of God is the cause and beginning." And the good understanding that is with this wisdom belongs not to those who have understood without doing, but to those who do it. to those

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φασὶν ὡς ἡ λέγουσα Εργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ ἡ ἀπαγγέλλουσα Ου αἱ χεῖρες εκτισαν πᾶσαν τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (συνᾴδει τούτοις καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐποίησάν με καὶ επλασάν με), ζητῶν τις εὐλόγως ευροι καὶ τὸ αγιον πνεῦμα χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ καλούμενον· ἐξ ου δείκνυται δημιουργικὸν ον τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ αγιον, ἐν υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐργασαμένου καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κτίσαντος. Τούτων δὲ τῶν χειρῶν εργα θεοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις εὑρίσκεται τυγχάνοντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις. ην γὰρ δίδωσιν υἱὸς ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ πρακτικὴν εξιν, κρίσις ἐστὶ κρίνουσα καὶ μετ' ἐξετάσεως ὁρίζουσα α δεῖ αἱρεῖσθαι ἀγαθὰ καὶ φεύγειν κακά· ἀλήθεια δὲ ων δίδωσιν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα λόγον σοφίας καὶ λόγον γνώσεως. Εργα ουν τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ χειρῶν γνῶσις ἀληθείας καὶ ἠθικὴ ἀρετὴ οντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις· διὸ ἀκολούθως ἐπηνέχθη Πισταὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐ διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν ουτως εἰρημέναι ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀμετακίνητον καὶ βέβαιον, καθ' ο σημαινόμενον γέγραπται ∆ώσω ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ οσια ∆αυὶδ τὰ πιστά. Αυται ουν αἱ πισταὶ ἐντολαὶ ἐστηριγμέναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος τυγχάνουσι διὰ τὸ θεοῦ ειναι καὶ ἀνατραπῆναι μὴ οιας τε ειναι. περὶ αὐτῶν γοῦν ὁ σωτὴρ ̔Ο οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν, ειπεν. ̓Αλλὰ μὴ λάθῃς νομίσας περὶ ἐντολῶν τῶν κατὰ τὴν σκιὰν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ προκείμενα. παρῆλθον γὰρ ἐκεῖναι μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως δοθεῖσαι. περὶ γὰρ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν πνευματικῶν νόμων ἀκούειν δεῖ τῶν προκειμένων, ὡς τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον διδάσκει εχον ουτως· Πεποιημέναι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ εὐθύτητι. γίνονται γὰρ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ νενοημέναι κατὰ τὸ δόγμα τῆς θεοσεβείας. ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐθύτητι ἐπιτελοῦνται σὺν βελτίστῃ εξει φυλαττόμεναι, ὡς εργα χειρῶν κυρίου καὶ ταύτας ἐν ἑκάστῳ θεοσεβεῖ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι τυγχάνοντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις. μετέλαβε δὲ τὴν κρίσιν εἰς εὐθύτητα τῷ τὴν πρακτικὴν καὶ ἠθικὴν ἀρετὴν κατευθύνειν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ κριτικὴν ειναι πρακτέων καὶ μὴ πρακτέων. 1048 Ps 110,9ab Ην ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἑτέρα ἐστὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος Ηλθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. τῷ αὐτοῦ γοῦν τιμίῳ αιματι χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γευσαμένου θανάτου ἐλυτρώθημεν ἐκ τῆς πατροπαραδότου ματαίας ἀναστροφῆς ἡμῶν. γέγονε γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστὸς ωσπερ σοφία καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμὸς ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ουτω καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις, φάσκων ̓Απέστειλέ με κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις αφεσιν. ἀφεὶς γὰρ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς κακίας κεκρατημένους λυτρωτὴς καὶ εὐεργέτης πάντων ἀναπέφανται, ἁμαρτήματα καὶ ἀσεβείας ἀφεὶς τῶν προσφευγόντων αὐτῷ. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεσθεῖσα ἡ ἀγαθότης αὐτοῦ τῷ λελυτρῶσθαι μόνον τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους, καὶ κληρονόμους αὐτοὺς τοὺς τοῦ ἰδίου πατρός, ἑαυτοῦ δὲ συγκληρονόμους εθετο ἐντειλάμενος αὐτοῖς διαθήκην αἰώνιον, οπως συντόνως καὶ τελείᾳ προθυμίᾳ ἐχόμενοι αὐτῆς ἀθάνατον κληρονομίαν ἀπολάβωσι κατὰ τὰς αἰωνίους καὶ ἀφθάρτους ἐπαγγελίας. 1049 Ps 110,9c Τὸ ονομα, φησίν, αὐτοῦ τοῖς μὲν ἁγίοις αγιον, τοῖς δὲ μὴ ἁγίοις φοβερόν. ωσπερ γὰρ ἁγίους ποιεῖ τοὺς μετέχοντας αὐτοῦ τυγχάνον πηγὴ ἁγιότητος, ουτω φοβερόν ἐστι τοῖς μετὰ τοῦ φορεῖν αὐτὸ ἁμαρτάνουσι. 1050 Ps 110,10 Ωσπερ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀγαθῆς (αυτη δ' ἐστὶν ἡ θεωρία τῆς ἀληθείας) ἀρχὴ τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια ὑπάρχει, ουτως ἀρχὴ καὶ εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὴν θεοῦ σοφίαν οὐκ αλλην ουσαν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ θεῖός ἐστι φόβος ὁ αὐτὸς ων τοῖς πρακτικοῖς δικαίοις ὀνομαζόμενος. ονπερ ουν εχει λόγον τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια πρὸς τὴν ἀγαθὴν ὁδόν, τοῦτον ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος πρὸς τὴν σοφίαν. δύναται τὸ ἀρχὴ ονομα καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀντὶ εἰσαγωγῆς ἀλλ' αιτιον κεῖσθαι, ιν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον αἰτία καὶ ἀρχὴ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος. Καὶ ἡ αμα τῇ σοφίᾳ ταύτῃ σύνεσις ἀγαθὴ οὐ τοῖς ανευ τοῦ ποιεῖν νενοηκόσιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτὴν τυγχάνει. τοῖς