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let the earth rejoice." And how He reigns, he makes clear, saying, the voice of those who guard you was lifted up. To whom Isaiah said: 2513 "Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Zion. Lift up your voice with strength." Who also were filled with gladness, as the new Zion received mercy, seeing the work together with the preaching and the faith of those who heard. And Paul also writes to those who believed through him: "My joy and my crown." That they were teaching and at the same time had those who were persuaded, is clear from what he says in the Acts, that three thousand men were added in one day. And the jailer, hearing Paul: "Do yourself no harm; for we are all here," was amazed and was baptized with his whole household. His eyes saw eye to eye, according to the text, God will come manifestly. That is, not with your eyes those rejoicing, at the same time with your voice those who hear. Instead of, "let the desolate places of Jerusalem break forth together into singing"; Symmachus says, "Be cheerful and rejoice together, O desolate places of Jerusalem." And to "break forth a voice" indicates to use a tone of voice sending up songs of thanksgiving, by which God might be gladdened, according to the text: "And my tongue will meditate on your righteousness, all the day long on your praise." And he says "desolate," historically, because with most of the people having been destroyed after their audacity against Christ, desolation held most of the city. But spiritually, that the Church, having few people at first, later grew to an infinite multitude; to whom he said: "Lift up your eyes round about, and see your children gathered together." Such also is the text: "For the children of the desolate one are more than of her who has a husband." And how this would happen, he shows by saying that the Lord will reveal His arm, signifying the coming of the Only-Begotten, which will shine upon all the nations. Therefore, when he addresses Zion and Jerusalem, the things that have been said refer to the calling of the nations. For the godly commonwealth was at one time with them, and at another time with the nations, which indeed have been named Zion and Jerusalem. For this reason also, such a city of God has always existed among men. Therefore, it makes no difference whether such an elect group is called Jerusalem or Zion; but to the apostles, then, the prophetic spirit calls to depart from the unbelieving and unclean people. The vessels of the Lord are their holy bodies, chosen by the Lord, or the Gospels of the New Testament, carrying which he commands them to be freed from the unbelief of the Jewish people, and to abstain from fellowship with them. For there is no fellowship of light with darkness. Nor any part for a believer with an unbeliever. So then, Paul rebukes the Galatians who had run back to the legalistic worship, and finally says: "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?" 2516 for they were being circumcised after having already believed. And in another way, they hold vessels, who, having become partakers of his divine nature, carry the gifts of the divine Spirit for Christ, obeying Paul who says: Put on the whole armor of God. And this is the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, by which they both defend themselves and the people under their charge. But you will not go out in haste, he says. For they did not go forth to the circuit of the nations as if driven, or even suffer this, but by choice and eagerness, having been commanded to make disciples of all the nations in his name. And they made their journey in peace, having with them the one who said to them: "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Which indeed the text now makes clear, the Lord will go before you. But some say that he commands one to take care of one's own soul, and before places to depart from the Chaldean customs, which indeed he also enjoins on the Levites who transport the holy things. But concerning future things as if they have already happened, the Scripture usually speaks; as also David, before the city and the temple were captured, said: "O God,

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ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ." Πῶς δὲ βασιλεύει δηλοῖ λέγων, φωνὴ τῶν φυλασσόντων σε ὑψώθη. Πρὸς οὓς ἔλεγεν Ἡσαΐας· 2513 "Ἐπ' ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών. Ὕψωσον τῇ ἰσχύϊ τὴν φωνήν σου." Οἳ καὶ εὐφροσύνης ἐπληροῦντο, ἐλεουμένης τῆς νέας Σιὼν, ὁμοῦ τῷ κηρύγματι τὸ ἔργον ὁρῶντες καὶ τῶν ἀκουόντων τὴν πίστιν. Καὶ Παῦλος δὲ γράφει τοῖς δι' αὐτοῦ πεπιστευκόσιν· "Χαρὰ καὶ στέφανός μου." Ὅτι δὲ ἅμα τε ἐδίδασκον καὶ τοὺς πειθομένους εἶχον, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν φησιν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν, ὡς προσετέθησαν ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τρεῖς χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν. Καὶ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ δὲ ἀκούσας Παύλου· "Μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακόν· ἅπαντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε·" θαυμάσας ἐβαπτίσθη σὺν παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ. Αὐτοῦ ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ πρὸς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἶδον, κατὰ τὸ, ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει. Ἤγουν, οὐ τοῖς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εὐφραινομένους, ἅμα τῇ σῇ φωνῇ τοὺς ἀκούοντας. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ῥηξάτω ἅμα εὐφροσύνην τὰ ἔρημα Ἱερουσαλήμ· ὁ Σύμμαχος, Ἱλαρύνθητε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε ὁμοῦ τὰ ἔρημα Ἱερουσαλὴμ, φησί. Τὸ δὲ ῥῆξαι φωνὴν, παρίστησι τόνῳ χρῆσθαι φωνῆς χαριστηρίους ᾠδὰς ἀναπέμποντας, δι' ὧν εὐφραίνοιτο Θεὸς, κατὰ τό· "Καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά μου μελετήσει τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν τὸν ἔπαινόν σου." Ἔρημα δέ φησιν ἱστορικῶς μὲν, ὅτι τῶν πλείστων μετὰ τὴν κατὰ Χριστοῦ τόλμαν δαπανηθέντων, ἐρημία τὰ πλεῖστα κατεῖχε τῆς πόλεως. Πρὸς δὲ νοῦν, ὅτιπερ ἡ Ἐκκλησία κατ' ἀρχὰς ὀλιγανδροῦσα πρὸς ἄπειρον πλῆθος ἐπέδωκεν ὕστερον· πρὸς ἣν ἔλεγεν· "Ἆρον κύκλῳ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἴδε συνηγμένα τὰ τέκνα σου." Τοιοῦτον καὶ τό· "Ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα." Πῶς δὲ γένοιτο τοῦτο, παρίστησι λέγων, ὅτι Ἀποκαλύψει Κύριος τὸν βραχίονα αὐτοῦ, τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐπιδημίαν δηλῶν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπιλάμψουσαν. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὰν προσφωνεῖ τῇ Σιὼν καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τὰ λελεγμένα ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀναφέρεται κλῆσιν. Τὸ γὰρ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα, ποτὲ μὲν παρ' ἐκείνοις ἦν, ποτὲ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἃ δὴ Σιὼν καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὠνόμασται. ∆ιὸ καὶ πάντοτε ἀνθρώποις συνέστηκεν ἡ τοιαύτη τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλις. Ἱερουσαλὴμ οὖν, ἢ Σιὼν καλεῖσθαι τὴν τοιαύτην ἐκλογὴν οὐδὲν διαφέρει· τοῖς δὲ ἀποστόλοις λοιπὸν τὸ προφητικὸν πνεῦμα προσφωνεῖ ἀποστῆναι τοῦ ἀπίστου καὶ ἀκαθάρτου λαοῦ. Σκεύη δὲ Κυρίου τὰ ἐκλεγέντα ὑπὸ Κυρίου ἅγια σώματα αὐτῶν, ἢ τὰ τῆς Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης Εὐαγγέλια, ἅπερ ἐπικομιζομένους ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τῆς ἀπιστίας τοῦ Ἰουδαίων κελεύει λαοῦ, καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς κοινωνίας ἀπέχεσθαι. Οὐδεμία γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ ἀπίστου. Τοῖς γ' οὖν Γαλάταις ἐπὶ τὴν νομικὴν πάλιν δραμοῦσι λατρείαν ὁ Παῦλος ἐπιτιμᾷ, καὶ τέλος φησίν· "Οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπι 2516 τελεῖσθε;" περιετέμνοντο γὰρ ἤδη πιστεύσαντες. Σκεύη δὲ ἔχουσι καθ' ἕτερον τρόπον, οἵτινες τῆς θείας αὐτοῦ φύσεως κοινωνοὶ γεγονότες, τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τὰ χαρίσματα σκευοφοροῦσι Χριστῷ, Παύλῳ πειθόμενοι λέγοντι· Ἐνδύσασθε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ὁ θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἡ περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου, ὁ θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως, ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα Θεοῦ, δι' ὧν ἑαυτῶν τε προασπίζουσι, καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα λαῶν. Πλὴν οὐ μετὰ ταραχῆς ἐξελεύσεσθε φησίν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἐλαυνόμενοι προῆλθον εἰς τὴν περίοδον τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἢ καὶ τοῦτο πεπόνθασι, προαιρέσει δὲ καὶ προθυμίᾳ μαθητεῦσαι πάντα κελευσθέντες τὰ ἔθνη ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. Σὺν εἰρήνῃ δὲ τὴν πορείαν ἐποιοῦντο ἔχοντες συνόντα τὸν εἰρηκότα αὐτοῖς· "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος." Ὃ δὴ καὶ νῦν δηλοῖ τὸ, προπορεύσεται πρὸ ὑμῶν Κύριος. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, ὡς τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι προστάττει ψυχῆς, καὶ πρὸ τῶν τόπων ἀποστῆναι τῶν ἠθῶν τῶν Χαλδαϊκῶν, ὃ δὴ καὶ τοῖς Λευΐταις παρεγγυᾶται τοῖς τὰ ἅγια μετακομίζουσι. Περὶ δὲ τῶν μελλόντων ὡς ἤδη γεγονότων συνήθως φησὶν ἡ Γραφή· ὡς καὶ ∆αβὶδ πρὶν τὴν πόλιν ἁλῶναι καὶ τὸν νεὼν ἔφασκεν· "Ὁ Θεὸς,