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By buying you carry away nothing more for your benefit than toil and trouble, since there are no sufficient entreaties. For these things are useless for the wiping out of sins, which repentance and faith in God effect. But for the gift of good things, it seeks a listener not only well-disposed, but also one who understands, and who runs to the one calling. And "attend," he says, "with your ears"; and if this is physical, it is inappropriate. For attending belongs to the eyes. But if it is according to the soul, it is consistent. For being simple and uniform, it has acquired the inner senses in one power. Therefore, the one who reads letters hears with his eyes, and the one who writes with them converses with his fingers. Then he remembers David, and his relationship with him, on account of which he offered him every inclination, which he says these too will obtain, if they should wish to hear. For thus they will live, not only the present life, but also the one that remains; and not only will you who emulate his way and his repentance obtain the same things, but also in every nation is he acceptable who lives in like manner to him. For it is not race that makes one akin, but heart and life. 2564 Thus therefore you too will be glorified everywhere, so that all from everywhere, being enlightened by you to the knowledge of God, will flock to you, desiring kinship with me, as happened in the case of the queen of Sheba, and of the Ethiopian eunuch, the piety of the nation having run also to them by its fame. These things indeed God promised to them. But when they were negligent toward this, the only-begotten, coming among men, made a calling of all nations. But it is impossible, he says, to obtain the things previously promised without God. Wherefore he must be sought, and must be called upon, not reckoning the multitude of sins, and the having acted impiously toward him. For he is of many mercies. For what multitude of sins overcomes his love for mankind? and when I reject, I do this for a good end, and to those who have already despaired I will give this back. And being great in compassions, he will give you great forgiveness. For he is not subject to any human passion. For a man, even if he wishes to forgive, is sometimes prevented by anger, receiving the memory of the grief. And even if he wishes to bestow something on a child, the lack of what is to be given often holds him back. But for me, when I wish to forgive and to give, neither the memory of old sins, nor lack, troubles me. And you indeed, when you resolve on something, you change your mind. But I am without regret. For I am distinguished from you by an infinite difference. And this is shown by the rain supplied to you by me, which, having given it for fruitfulness to the earth, I have never recalled. From this learn that no word spoken by me will be empty, if, having turned back, you ask for forgiveness of your sins. And toward the commandments of the law, he says, I will make you prosper, giving strength for keeping it, and I will make the return from captivity glorious and escorted by Cyrus and by your enemies. For as when they were departing from Egypt, they say, the sea parted for them, and the Jordan became passable; so it is recorded that after the captivity the Tigris became passable on foot. And that the mountains were moved in exultation, and to have such a change instead of the desolation that had befallen from the enemies, as to put forth a shoot of strange trees, beyond what was there, the good will of God being shown from them. And from what has been said, know that the counsel of God is unchangeable through the ages, even if it is not fulfilled in one or more generations. CHAP. 50. 1-11. 9Thus says the Lord: Keep judgment, and do justice. For my salvation is near to come, and my mercy to be revealed. Blessed is the man that does these things, and the man that holds fast to them, and keeps the Sabbath from profaning it; and keeps his hands from doing any evil9, etc. The discourse, having described the prophecy concerning the nations, 2565 turned to the order of the Jews who were then with the prophet, who prided themselves on their noble birth, and on keeping the Sabbath, and considered having many children a reward of piety, so that from this there fell back the proselytes and the eunuchs; the ones as lacking noble birth, the others as being deprived of children. Wherefore

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ὠνούμενοι οὐδὲν ἀποφέρεσθε πλέον εἰς ὄνησιν, ἢ κόπον καὶ μόχθον, μὴ ὄντων ἱκανῶν δυσωπημάτων. Ἀργὰ γὰρ ταῦτα πρὸς ἁμαρτίας ἐξάλειψιν, ἣν μετάνοια ποιεῖ καὶ πίστις ἡ εἰς Θεόν. Πρὸς ἀγαθῶν δὲ δωρεὰν, ἀκροατὴν οὐκ εὐγνώμονα μόνον ζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνιέντα, καὶ τῷ καλοῦντι προστρέχοντα. Προσέχετε δὲ, φησὶ, τοῖς ὠσίν· καὶ εἰ μὲν σωματικὸν ἀκατάλληλον. Ὀφθαλμῶν γὰρ τὸ προσέχειν. Εἰ δὲ κατὰ ψυχὴν, ἀκόλουθον. Ἁπλῆ γὰρ οὖσα καὶ μονοειδὴς, ἐν μιᾷ δυνάμει τὰς ἔνδον αἰσθήσεις ἐκτήσατο. Τοιγαροῦν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀκούει ὁ γράμμασιν ἐντυγχάνων, καὶ δακτύλοις διαλέγεται ὁ τούτοις γράφων. Εἶτα μέμνηται τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον σχέσεως, δι' ἣν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν παρεῖχε ῥοπὴν, ἧς τεύξεσθαι καὶ τούτους φησὶν, εἴπερ ἀκούειν ἐθέλοιεν. Οὕτω γὰρ ζήσονται, οὐ τὴν παροῦσαν μόνον ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν μένουσαν· οὐ μόνον δὲ ὑμεῖς ζηλοῦντες τὸν αὐτοῦ τρόπον καὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν, τῶν αὐτῶν τεύξεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει δεκτὸς ὁ ζῶν ὁμοίως αὐτῷ. Οἰκειοῖ γὰρ οὐ γένος, ἀλλὰ καρδία καὶ βίος. 2564 Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς πανταχοῦ δοξασθήσεσθε, ὡς πάντας πανταχόθεν εἰς θεογνωσίαν ἐξ ὑμῶν φωτιζομένους συῤῥεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οἰκειότητα ποθοῦντας τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλίδος Σάβα, καὶ τοῦ Αἰθίοπος εὐνούχου γεγένηται, τῆς τοῦ ἔθνους εὐσεβείας καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς δραμούσης τῇ φήμῃ. Ταῦτα μὲν αὐτοῖς Θεὸς ἐπηγγέλλετο. Πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο ῥᾳθυμούντων αὐτῶν, ὁ μονογενὴς παρελθὼν εἰς ἀνθρώπους πάντων ἐθνῶν ἐποιήσατο κλῆσιν. Ἀδύνατον δέ φησι τῶν προεπηγγελμένων τυχεῖν ἄνευ Θεοῦ. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν ζητητέον, καὶ κλητέον, μὴ λογιζομένου πλῆθος ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν ἠσεβηκέναι. Πολυέλεος γάρ ἐστιν. Ποῖον γὰρ πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν νικᾷ; καὶ ἀπωθούμενος δὲ ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ τέλει τοῦτο ποιῶ, καὶ ἀπεγνωκόσιν ἤδη τοῦτο ἀποδώσω. Πολὺς δὲ ὢν ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς, πολλὴν ὑμῖν δώσει τὴν ἄφεσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὑφίσταταί τι πάθος ἀνθρώπινον. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ κἂν ἀφιέναι θέλῃ, διὰ θυμὸν ἔσθ' ὅτε κωλύεται τὴν τῆς λύπης δεχόμενος μνήμην. Κἂν τέκνῳ τι χαρίσασθαι θέλῃ, τοῦ διδομένου πολλάκις ἡ στέρησις ἀνακρούεται. Ἐμοὶ δὲ βουλομένῳ ἀφεῖναι καὶ δοῦναι οὐ μνήμη παλαιῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, οὐ στέρησις ἐνοχλεῖ. Καὶ ὑμεῖς μὲν βουλευόμενοί τι, μεταβουλεύεσθε. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀμεταμέλητος. Ἀπείρῳ γὰρ ὑμῶν διαφορᾷ διενήνοχα. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὁ παρ' ἐμοῦ χορηγούμενος ὑμῖν ὑετὸς, ὃν διδοὺς εἰς εὐκαρπίαν τῇ γῇ, οὐκ ἀνεκαλεσάμην ποτέ. Ἐξ οὗ μάθετε ὡς οὐδεὶς λόγος παρ' ἐμοῦ ῥηθεὶς ἔσται κενὸς, ἐὰν ἐπιστραφέντες αἰτήσητε τῶν ἡμαρτημένων τὴν ἄφεσιν. Καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐντολὰς δὲ τοῦ νόμου, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς εὐοδώσω, διδοὺς ἰσχὺν πρὸς τὸ φυλάττειν αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπάνοδον ἔνδοξον, καὶ ὑπὸ Κύρου καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δορυφορουμένην ποιήσω. Ὡς γὰρ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, φασὶ, χωρούντων ὑπεχώρει τούτοις ἡ θάλαττα, διαβατὸς δὲ καὶ Ἰορδάνης ἐγένετο· οὕτως ἱστορεῖται μετὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ὁ Τίγρις ποδὶ γενέσθαι διαβατός. Καὶ ὡς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει κινηθῆναι τὰ ὄρη, καὶ τοσαύτην σχεῖν μεταβολὴν ἀντὶ τῆς καταλαβούσης ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἐρημίας, ὡς καὶ ξένων δένδρων, παρὰ τὰ ὄντα, βλάστην ἐκδοῦναι, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεικνυμένης ἐξ αὐτῶν εὐμενείας. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπίστηθι ὡς ἀμετάθετος ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' αἰῶνος, κἂν μὴ ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἢ πλειόνων γενεῶν πληρωθῇ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Νʹ. αʹιαʹ. 9Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Φυλάσσεσθε κρίσιν, καὶ ποιήσατε δικαιοσύνην. Ἤγγικε γὰρ τὸ σωτήριόν μου παραγίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἔλεός μου ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἀντεχόμενος αὐτῶν, καὶ φυλάσσων τὰ Σάββατα μὴ βεβηλοῦν· καὶ διατηρῶν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, μὴ ποιεῖν ἄδικα9, κ.τ.λ. Περιγράψας ὁ λόγος τὴν περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προφη 2565 τείαν, ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τάγμα μετέβη τῶν τότε τῷ προφήτῃ συνόντων, οἵτινες ἐφρόνουν ἐπ' εὐγενείᾳ, καὶ τῷ φυλάττειν τὰ Σάββατα, καὶ τὸ πολύγονον εὐσεβείας ἐνόμιζον γέρας, ὡς ἀναπίπτειν ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς προσηλύτους καὶ τοὺς εὐνούχους· τοὺς μὲν ὡς εὐγενείας, τοὺς δὲ ὡς παίδων ἐστερημένους. ∆ιὸ