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leading up their thought, and giving wings to their mind, and gently leading them upward. For this reason he did not simply say, He who dwells on high, and looks upon the humble things; but after first saying, Who is like the Lord our God? then he added, He who dwells on high, and looks upon the humble things; and he said that, showing why he said the second part. For because of the Judaic weakness, which was terrified by idols, and worshipped gods who were enclosed in places and temples. For this reason he makes the comparison gradually, although God is incomparably superior to all; but for the weakness of the hearers, as I have already said—for I will not cease from continually saying the same thing—he orders his discourse. For he was not seeking, how to say something worthy of the glory of God for the time being, but how it might be comprehensible to them. For this reason he leads them up gradually, and yet even so he does not remain in lowliness, but opens up again other, higher thoughts. For when he had said, He who dwells on high, and looks upon the humble things, again leading his discourse to what is higher, he says: In heaven and on earth; showing that he is everywhere, both there and here. For not as one enclosed in heaven, does he see from afar the things on earth, but is present everywhere, and stands by all. 3. Do you see how he gradually gives wings to the thought of his hearers? Then, having raised the hearer from the earth and fastened him to heaven, having prepared him to imagine something greater still, he comes to another proof of his power, saying: He who raises the poor from the earth, and lifts the needy from the dunghill. For it is of a great and exceedingly ineffable power, to raise up even the small things. Elsewhere, however, he also states the opposite: that he also humbles the great, saying thus: Dividing destruction upon the strong, and bringing misery upon the fortress. Here, however, it is said, that he is able to raise up the small. The saying is therefore also universal. But if one should wish to take it also in a spiritual sense, he will see this happening in the case of the nations, he will see this in the case of our people at the coming of Christ. For what is poorer than our nature? But yet he raised it up and led it up with our first-fruits to heaven, and seated it together on the paternal throne. And lifting the needy from the dunghill; to make him sit with princes, with the princes of his people. Here "dunghill" means what is lowly, and the sudden change from there, showing that all things are easy and effortless for him. Then he comes to another, greater thing. And what is this? That he is able not only to transpose circumstances, nor to transform lowliness into dignity, but also to transpose the very bounds of nature, and to make a barren woman a mother. Wherefore he added: He makes the barren woman to dwell in a house, a mother rejoicing over children. Which happened in the case of Han 55.304 nah, which happened in the case of countless others. Have you seen a perfected hymn? have you seen a fulfilled hymn? He spoke of the things that were to be set right in the world, how Judaism is to cease, how the new polity of the Church is to shine forth, how a sacrifice is to be offered everywhere. Then, making his discourse trustworthy even to the more dull-witted, he gives assurance concerning the things to come from the things that are already happening. And what he says is this: Do not disbelieve, O man, that there will be such a great change, and the rejected nations will come to the greatest glory. Do you not see these things happening every day? the humble being exalted, and sitting with princes? do you not see nature being disabled and set right, barren women becoming mothers? Something of this sort also happened concerning the Church; she was barren, but she became a mother of many children. Wherefore Isaiah also says: Rejoice, O barren one, you who do not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate one are more than of her who has a

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ἀνάγων αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ πτερῶν τὴν γνώμην, καὶ ἀναβιβάζων ἠρέμα. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν· ἀλλὰ πρότερον εἰπὼν, Τίς ὡς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν; τότε ἐπήγαγεν, Ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν· εἶπε δὲ ἐκεῖνο δηλῶν, τίνος ἕνεκεν τὸ δεύτερον εἶπε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν τὴν πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα ἐπτοημένην, καὶ θεοὺς προσκυνοῦσαν τοὺς ἐν τόποις καὶ ναοῖς συγκεκλεισμένους. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο κατὰ μικρὸν τὴν σύγκρισιν ποιεῖται, καίτοι ἀσυγκρίτως ἁπάντων ὁ Θεὸς ὑπερέχει· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι συνεχῶς τὸ αὐτὸ λέγων, ῥυθμίζει τὸν λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐζήτει, ὅπως ἄξιόν τι τῆς δόξης εἴποι τοῦ Θεοῦ τέως, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἐκείνοις χωρητὸν γένηται. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτοὺς ἀνάγει, καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐναπομένει τῇ ταπεινότητι, ἀλλὰ διανοίγνυσι πάλιν ὑψηλότερα νοήματα ἕτερα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὑψηλότερον ἄγων τὸν λόγον, φησίν· Ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ· δεικνὺς ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἐστι, κἀκεῖ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἄν τις ἐν οὐρανῷ συγκεκλεισμένος, πόῤῥωθεν βλέπει τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ παρὼν, καὶ πᾶσι παριστάμενος. γʹ. Εἶδες πῶς κατὰ μικρὸν πτεροῖ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ἀκουόντων; Εἶτα ἀναστήσας ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν ἀκροατὴν καὶ τῷ οὐρανῷ προσηλώσας, πάλιν μεῖζόν τι φαντάζεσθαι παρασκευάσας, ἐφ' ἕτερον ἔρχεται τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ δεῖγμα, λέγων· Ὁ ἐγείρων ἀπὸ γῆς πτωχὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψῶν πένητα. Μεγάλης γὰρ δυνάμεως καὶ σφόδρα ἀφάτου, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ἐπαίρειν. Ἀλλαχοῦ μέντοι καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον τίθησιν· ὅτι καὶ τὰ μεγάλα ταπεινοῖ, λέγων οὕτως· ∆ιαιρῶν σύντριμμα ἐπὶ ἰσχὺν, καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἐπὶ ὀχύρωμα ἐπάγων. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι γε εἴρηται, ὅτι τοὺς μικροὺς ἐπᾶραι δύναται. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν καὶ καθολικὸς ὁ λόγος. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν αὐτὸν ἐκλαβεῖν βουληθείη, ὄψεται τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν γινόμενον, ὄψεται τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί γὰρ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως πτωχότερον; Ἀλλ' ὅμως αὐτὴν ἤγειρε καὶ ἀνήγαγε μετὰ τῆς ἀπαρχῆς ἡμῶν εἰς οὐρανὸν, καὶ συνεκάθισεν εἰς τὸν πατρικὸν θρόνον. Καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψῶν πένητα· τοῦ καθίσαι αὐτὸν μετὰ ἀρχόντων, μετὰ ἀρχόντων τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Κοπρίαν ἐνταῦθα τὸ εὐτελὲς λέγει, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀθρόον γινομένην μεταβολὴν, δεικνὺς ὅτι πάντα αὐτῷ ῥᾴδια καὶ εὔκολα. Εἶτα ἐφ' ἕτερον ἔρχεται μεῖζον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι οὐ τὰ πράγματα μεταθεῖναι δύναται, οὐδὲ τὴν εὐτέλειαν εἰς ἀξίωμα μεταστῆσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς φύσεως μεταθεῖναι τοὺς ὅρους, καὶ στεῖραν ποιῆσαι μητέρα. ∆ιόπερ ἐπήγαγεν· Ὁ κατοικίζων στεῖραν ἐν οἴκῳ, μητέρα ἐπὶ τέκνοις εὐφραινομένην. Ὅπερ γέγονεν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἄν 55.304 νης, ὅπερ γέγονεν ἐπὶ μυρίων ἑτέρων. Εἶδες ὕμνον ἀπηρτισμένον; εἶδες ὕμνον πεπληρωμένον; Εἶπε τὰ μέλλοντα κατορθοῦσθαι τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, πῶς ὁ Ἰουδαϊσμὸς παύεσθαι μέλλει, πῶς καινὴ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πολιτεία διαλάμπειν, πῶς θυσία πανταχοῦ προσάγεσθαι. Εἶτα ἀξιόπιστον ποιῶν καὶ τοῖς παχυτέροις τὸν λόγον, ἀπὸ τῶν ἤδη γινομένων καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων βεβαιοῦται. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοῦτό ἐστι· Μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς, ἄνθρωπε, ὅτι τοσαύτη ἔσται μεταβολὴ, καὶ τὰ ἀπεῤῥιμμένα ἔθνη εἰς δόξαν ἥξει μεγίστην. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ταῦτα γινόμενα; τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ὑψουμένους, καὶ μετὰ ἀρχόντων καθημένους; οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν φύσιν πηρουμένην καὶ διορθουμένην, στείρας μητέρας γινομένας; Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συνέβη· στεῖρα ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐγένετο μήτηρ τέκνων πολλῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ λέγει ὁ Ἡσαΐας· Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα· ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν