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your testimonies, you take away my reproach and my contempt. But how might these things be taken away? when those who formerly reproached and despised me come to a knowledge of the truth; and when this has come to be, they too will seek out your testimonies along with me. 1094 Ps 118,26 Another reading: I have declared your ways, he says, so that he might say: the ways leading to you, being none other than the ways of the virtues, O master, I have declared in practice with earnest purpose and with works appropriate to it, and you have heard me; wherefore to you who have hearkened I say: Teach me your justifications. 1095 Ps 118,29 He who by choice has departed from the way of iniquity and has approached the law of God wishes these things to be perfected and confirmed by God who brings about the fulfillment of good things. For having hated the ignorance he had, by having come to desire the opposite knowledge, and being unable to remove himself from ignorance and to cling to faith, he exhorts the teacher: Remove ignorance from me and by your knowledge have mercy on me. 1096 Ps 118,39 The voice is not of one conscious of sin in himself but of one who suspects it, just as is the phrase, Cleanse me from my secret faults. But I am confident that you will take away the reproach I have suspected, being persuaded that your judgments are full of goodness and love for mankind. 1097 Ps 118,41.42a But if it is possible for all things to have been said concerning the Word that was sent, pay attention; for he himself is both the mercy and the salvation of the Lord. Therefore one must pray for the mercy of the Lord to come upon us, his salvation according to his mercy. For thus having received mercy and been saved, we shall answer those who previously reproached us as ones lacking the mercy and salvation of God. 1098 Ps 118,43.44 And you will understand it thus also: if ever in the face of occurring difficulties concerning providence or similar matters I should not have an answer to give that resolves the objections of those who raise difficulties, yet you, in your goodness, having opened my mouth, give by your word an interpretation of the truth, so that the word of truth may not be utterly taken away from my mouth, but that I might be able, in some way, to speak about things that are difficult to explain, For I have hoped in your judgments, your judged and examined words, or the judgments according to which you govern and provide for men. Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. For thus it will happen that I shall always keep your law, observing it not only in this age but also unto the age to come, since the words of Jesus do not pass away. We therefore keep the law of God according to the image of the realities, which was formerly kept by the Jews according to a shadow, to be kept by us according to the good things to come for ever and ever. 1099 Ps 118,51 While the heterodox were behaving arrogantly against the law by slandering it, I was strongly devoted to keeping it, not tolerating that my assent to it be shaken in the least. 1100 Ps 118,53 Since of sinners, some sin without law by not having experienced laws at all, while others sin under the law by transgressing it, despondency seized me because of the sinners who forsake the law of God; For if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it; and if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. And so it is fitting to grieve over our brothers who are sinning, because they are such, and to be so disposed according to this saint. 1101 Ps 118,58 The face of God is the character of his hypostasis, as has often been said by us. He, therefore, who with his whole heart desires this, so that his heart, having become pure, might behold it and from gazing at it might be shown mercy according to the word of his teaching, might say the present sayings. But see how great is he who will see the face of God. Let Jesus teach you, saying, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 1102 Ps 118,61 And what are the cords but the wicked reasonings and the wicked powers that suggest these, by which they attempted to overthrow the stance toward God?

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μαρτύριά σου, σὺ περίελε τὸ ονειδος καὶ τὴν ἐξουδένωσίν μου. πῶς δ' αν περιαιρεθείη ταῦτα; εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἐρχομένων ἀληθείας τῶν τέως ὀνειδιζόντων καὶ ἐξευτελιζόντων με· ὑπάρξαντος δὲ τούτου, αμα ἐμοὶ ἐκζητήσουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ μαρτύριά σου. 1094 Ps 118,26 ̔Ετέρα γραφὴ Τὰς ὁδούς σου, φησίν, ἐξήγγειλα, ινα ειπῃ· τὰς φερούσας πρὸς σὲ οὐχ ἑτέρας ουσας τῶν ἀρετῶν ὁδούς, ω δέσποτα, πρακτικῶς ἐξήγγειλα σπουδαίᾳ προθέσει καὶ καταλλήλοις αὐτῇ εργοις, καὶ ἐπήκουσάς μου· διὸ πρὸς ὑπακούσαντά φημι ∆ίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου. 1095 Ps 118,29 ̔Ο προαιρέσει ἀποστὰς τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ προσελθὼν τελειωθῆναι καὶ βεβαιωθῆναι ταῦτα βούλεται πρὸς θεοῦ τοῦ τὰ τέλη τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιφέροντος. ὡς γὰρ μισήσας ην ειχεν αγνοιαν τῷ πόθον ἐσχηκέναι τῆς ἀντικειμένης ἐπιστήμης, οὐχ οιός τε ων ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἀγνοίας ἀποστῆσαι καὶ τῇ πίστει προσερεῖσαι, τὸν διδάσκαλον παρακαλεῖ· Τὴν αγνοιαν ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ σου ἐλέησόν με. 1096 Ps 118,39 Οὐ συνειδότος ἐστὶν ἑαυτῷ ἁμαρτίαν ἡ φωνὴ ἀλλ' ὑποπτεύοντος, ωσπερ ουν καὶ τὸ ̓Απὸ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισόν με. θαρρῶ δὲ οτι περιαιρήσεις ο ὑπώπτευσα ονειδος, πεπεισμένος οτι χρηστοφιλανθρωπίας γέμοντα τὰ κρίματά σού εἰσιν. 1097 Ps 118,41.42a Εἰ δὲ δυνατὸν πάντα περὶ τοῦ ἀποσταλέντος λόγου εἰρῆσθαι, ἐπίστησον· αὐτὸς γὰρ καὶ ελεος καὶ σωτήριον κυρίου ἐστί. διὸ εὐκτέον ηκειν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ ελεος κυρίου, τὸ σωτήριον κατὰ τὸ ελεος αὐτοῦ. ουτω γὰρ ἐλεηθέντες καὶ σωθέντες τοῖς ὀνειδίζουσι πρότερον ὡς λειπομένοις ἐλέου καὶ σωτηρίας θεοῦ ἀποκρινούμεθα. 1098 Ps 118,43.44 Νοήσεις δὲ καὶ ουτως· εἰ καί ποτε πρὸς ἐμπιπτούσας ἀπορίας περὶ προνοίας η ὁμοιοτρόπων ζητημάτων μὴ εχοιμι λόγον ἀποδοῦναι λύοντα τὰς ἀντιρρήσεις τῶν ἐπαπορούντων, ἀλλὰ σὺ τῇ αὑτοῦ ἀγαθότητι ἀνοίξαντί μοι τὸ στόμα τῷ σῷ λόγῳ δὸς ἑρμηνευτικὸν τῆς ἀληθείας, ινα μὴ παντελῶς περιαίρεσις τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου γένηται ἀλλὰ δυνηθῶ περὶ τῶν δυσαποδότων ἀμωσγέπως λέγειν Οτι ηλπισα ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματά σου, τοὺς κεκριμένους καὶ ἐξητασμένους σου λόγους η τὰ κρίματα καθ' α διοικεῖς καὶ προνοεῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Μὴ περιέλῃς εως σφόδρα ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου ἀληθείας λόγον. ουτω γὰρ καὶ διὰ παντὸς φυλάξαι σου τὸν νόμον συμβήσεται τηρούμενον οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ μόνῳ τῷ αἰῶνι ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρις αἰῶνος, τῶν λόγων ̓Ιησοῦ οὐ παρερχομένων. φυλάττομεν γοῦν τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ νόμον κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων, πρότερον ὑπὸ ̓Ιουδαίων κατὰ σκιὰν φυλαχθέντα, φυλαχθησόμενον ἡμῖν κατὰ τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. 1099 Ps 118,51 Τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἀλαζονευομένων κατὰ τοῦ νόμου τῷ διαβάλλειν αὐτόν, ἐγὼ σφόδρα τῆς φυλακῆς αὐτοῦ περιειχόμην καὶ κατὰ ποσὸν κλονῆσαι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν συγκατάθεσιν μὴ ἀνεχόμενος. 1100 Ps 118,53 ̓Επεὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν οἱ μὲν ἀνόμως ἁμαρτάνουσι τῷ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πεπειρᾶσθαι νόμων, οἱ δ' ἐν νόμῳ τῷ παραβαίνειν αὐτόν, ἀθυμία κατέσχε με ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανόντων τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ νόμον· Ει τι γὰρ πάσχει εν μέλος, συμπάσχει πάντα τὰ μέλη· καὶ ἐὰν δοξαζόμενον ῃ εν μέλος, συγχαίρει πάντα τὰ μέλη. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ουν ἡμῶν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι λυπεῖσθαι καθήκει, οτι τοιοῦτοί εἰσι, καὶ ουτω διακεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸν αγιον τοῦτον. 1101 Ps 118,58 Πρόσωπον θεοῦ ὁ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, ὡς πολλάκις ἡμῖν ειρηται. ὁ τοίνυν ολῃ καρδίᾳ ἐφιέμενος τούτου, οπως καθαρὰ αυτη γενομένη θεωροίη αὐτὸ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀτενίζειν αὐτῷ ἐλεηθῇ κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ, ειποι αν τὰ ἐγκείμενα ῥητά. ορα δὲ πηλίκος ἐστὶν ὁ ὀψόμενος τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ θεοῦ. ̓Ιησοῦς σε διδαξάτω λέγων Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, οτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν οψονται. 1102 Ps 118,61 Καὶ τίνα τὰ σχοινία η οἱ πονηροὶ διαλογισμοὶ καὶ αἱ ὑποβάλλουσαι τούτους πονηραὶ δυνάμεις δι' ων τῆς κατὰ θεὸν στάσεως ἐνεχείρουν καταβάλλειν;