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I speak your saying with the lips of my inner man. And he truly utters the saying concerning righteousness not who brings it forth with voice alone but also with deeds and with a practical intention directed according to right reason. 1147 Ps 118,173a The phrase, *Let your hand be to save me,* does not signify here its generation according to substance but its relation to the things being saved. Of the same thought also is the phrase, *Be to me a protecting God*. 1148 Ps 118,174 The way of one who longs for the salvation of God is for the law to be a meditation for the one who longs, proclaiming beforehand his arrival hither. And here he calls the old and divine scripture the law. 1149 Ps 118,175 † Since, remembering and holding to your judgments, I turn aside from the death that follows sin, not sinning at all but doing those things which are followed by the soul living and praising you, giving thanks, because you provided for it with immortal life. Since, remembering your judgments, I turn aside from the death that follows sin by not sinning, my soul will live, having activated the things of life and praising with thanksgiving, because you provided for it with immortal life. 1150 Ps 118,176 Like the lost sheep which was one of the hundred, for which the Savior came, wishing to seek it, having left the ninety-nine in the mountains, I have gone astray, being subject to the transgression of Adam. For the sheep lost from the hundred is the race of men, but the rational beings which did not fall, which are themselves also a part of creation, remained on the mountains by the height of the virtues and doctrines of truth, with man alone having come into error. Since therefore similarly to the sheep, or rather being part of it, I have gone astray, seek me your servant; for you came to seek and to save that which was lost; and seek me, being ready to be found for this; for I have longed for your commandments.

1151 Ps 119 arg And it should be known that the temple in Jerusalem had steps

fifteen, and on each of them, as they went up into it, those appointed to sing stood and sang an ode. For this reason it also happened that the odes were equal in number to the steps. And the arrangement concerning the odes and those who sang them on each of the steps of the temple is found in the Chronicles. But you will understand the holy temple of God, at once intelligible and spiritual, to be * theology, and the steps *

1152 Ps 120,1 The one who has ascended to the second step of the temple already begins

to lay claim to perfection, no longer thinking of anything low to the ground. Therefore he also says that he has lifted the eyes of his mind to a height. whence the ode of the second step has also obtained a fitting number. For the one hundred twentieth defines the perfection of human life. Indeed, after the flood it was said concerning men, *Their days shall be 120*. Whence also the all-great hierophant Moses, having become a servant of God of those who perfect human life, circumscribes his own life to the one hundred twentieth year, proposing his own life as an imitation to those who received the laws from him. 1153 Ps 120,7.8 And it is possible to understand the present passage powerfully and morally: God the guardian making the departure from evil for the one who turns from evil, likewise guarding the entrance toward doing good and someone's departure from sensible things and the entrance into intelligible and spiritual things.

1154 Ps 121,1 The one who is always stretching forward to the things that are before, of the things that are behind

forgets, not running again. For daily, hastening toward the prize of the upward call, he proceeds to the things above. Therefore also, having begun the ascent to the temple

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Φθέγγομαι τοῖς τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου χείλεσί μου τὸ λόγιόν σου. φθέγγεται δὲ κυρίως τὸ περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγιον οὐχ ὁ φωνῇ μόνῃ ουτω προφέρων ἀλλὰ καὶ εργοις καὶ προθέσει πρακτικῇ τῇ κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον εὐθυνομένῃ. 1147 Ps 118,173a Τὸ Γενέσθω ἡ χείρ σου τοῦ σῶσαί με οὐ τὴν κατ' οὐσίαν γένεσιν αὐτῆς σημαίνει ἐνταῦθα ἀλλὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ σῳζόμενα σχέσιν. τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας εχεται καὶ τὸ Γενοῦ μοι εἰς θεὸν ὑπερασπιστήν. 1148 Ps 118,174 ̔Οδὸς τοῦ ἐπιποθοῦντος τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ τὸν νόμον ειναι μελέτην τῷ ἐπιποθοῦντι προαναφωνοῦντα τὴν δεῦρο αὐτοῦ αφιξιν. νόμον δ' ἐνταῦθα καλεῖ τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ θείαν γραφήν. 1149 Ps 118,175 † ̓Επείπερ τῶν κριμάτων μνημονεύων καὶ ἐξεχόμενος ἐκκλίνω τὸν ἑπόμενον τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ θάνατον, οὐδ' ολως ἁμαρτάνων ἀλλ' ἐνεργῶν ἐκεῖνα, οις ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ ζήσεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ αἰνέσαι σε εὐχαριστοῦσαν, ἐφ' ῃ παρέσχες αὐτῇ ἀθανάτῳ ζωῇ. ̓Επείπερ τῶν κριμάτων σου μνημονεύων ἐκκλίνω τὸν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ παρεπόμενον θάνατον τῷ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου τὰ τῆς ζωῆς ἐνεργήσασα καὶ τοῦς εὐχαριστηρίους αἰνεῖν, ἐφ' ῃ παρέσχες αὐτῇ ἀθανάτῳ ζωῇ. 1150 Ps 118,176 ̔Ως τὸ ἀπολωλὸς πρόβατον τὸ τυγχάνον ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκατόν, ἐφ' ο ἐλήλυθε ζητῆσαι αὐτὸ βουλόμενος ὁ σωτὴρ καταλιπὼν τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐν τοῖς ορεσιν, ἐπλανήθην ὑποκείμενος τῇ παραβάσει τοῦ ̓Αδάμ. τὸ γὰρ ἀπολωλὸς ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκατὸν προβάτων τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐστί, τὰ δὲ μὴ σφαλέντα λογικὰ α καὶ αὐτὰ μέρος τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὰ ορη ἀπέμεινε τῷ υψει τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ δογμάτων τῆς ἀληθείας, μόνου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰς πλάνην ἐληλυθότος. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν παραπλησίως τῷ προβάτῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ μέρος αὐτοῦ ων, πεπλάνημαι, ζήτησον ἐμὲ τὸν δοῦλόν σου· ηλθες γὰρ ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός· ζήτησον δέ με ἐπὶ τῷ εὑρεῖν ετοιμον οντα πρὸς τοῦτο· ἐπεπόθησα γὰρ τὰς ἐντολάς σου.

1151 Ps 119 αργ ̓Ιστέον δὲ ὡς ὁ ἐν τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ νεὼς ἀναβαθμοὺς ειχε

δεκαπέντε καὶ ἐφ' εκαστον αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν εἰς αὐτὸν ἑστηκότες οἱ εἰς τὸ ὑμνεῖν τεταγμένοι ᾠδὴν ελεγον. διὸ καὶ συνέβη ἰσαρίθμους ᾠδὰς τοῖς ἀναβαθμοῖς ειναι. κεῖται δὲ ἡ περὶ τῶν ᾠδῶν καὶ τῶν λεγόντων αὐτὰς ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν τοῦ ναοῦ διάταξις ἐν τοῖς Παραλειπομένοις. Νοήσεις δὲ ναὸν ειναι θεοῦ αγιον νοητὸν αμα καὶ πνευματικὸν τὴν * θεολογίαν, βαθμοὺς δὲ *

1152 Ps 120,1 ̔Ο ἐπὶ δεύτερον τοῦ ναοῦ βαθμὸν ἀναβεβηκὼς ηδη τελειότητος

αρχεται μεταποιεῖσθαι, οὐκέτι χαμαίζηλόν τι διανοούμενος. διὸ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς διανοίας εἰς υψος ἠρκέναι φησίν. οθεν καὶ οἰκείου ἀριθμοῦ τετύχηκεν ἡ τοῦ δευτέρου ἀναβαθμοῦ ᾠδή. ὁ γὰρ ἑκατοστὸς εἰκοστὸς τὴν τελειότητα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς περιορίζει. ἀμέλει γοῦν μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν ειρηται περὶ ἀνθρώπων τὸ Εσονται αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν ΡΚ. οθεν καὶ ὁ πάντα μέγας ἱεροφάντης Μωυσῆς θεοῦ διάκονος γεγονὼς τῶν τελειούντων τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν εἰς ἑκατοστὸν εἰκοστὸν ἐνιαυτὸν περιγράφει τὴν ἰδίαν ζωήν, μίμημα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον προβαλλόμενος τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦς νόμους παραλαβοῦσιν. 1153 Ps 120,7.8 ∆υνατῶς δὲ καὶ πρὸς ηθος τὸ προκείμενον νοῆσαι· εξοδον ποιουμένου τοῦ φρουροῦντος θεοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας τοῦ ἐκκλίνοντος ἀπὸ κακοῦ, εισοδον τὴν πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὡσαύτως φυλάττοντος καὶ τὴν εξοδόν τινος τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν καὶ τὴν εἰς τὰ νοητὰ καὶ πνευματικὰ εισοδον.

1154 Ps 121,1 ̔Ο τοῖς εμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος ἀεὶ τῶν οπισθεν

ἐπιλανθάνεται, οὐ πάλιν δρομῶν. ὁσημέραι γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ανω κλήσεως ἐπειγόμενος ἐπὶ τὰ ανω χωρεῖ. διὸ καὶ ἀρξάμενος τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν ἀνόδου