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he deems it worthy not that the ears of God simply exist but that they exist paying attention to him. Following these things, one must also understand what was said about Christ, Who became for us wisdom from God, and That God made him both Lord and Christ, and as many such things. 1179 Ps 129,3.4 Since with you is the propitiation, the Savior who propitiates and forgives sins, do not mark iniquities by examining them; for if you should do this, no one will stand; For all have turned aside, all have sinned. Therefore, since no one withstands your judgment, there is need of your propitiation propitiating for the sake of the salvation of all. And that the Savior is a propitiation, John writes, And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ the righteous; and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. But also Paul, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, through faith, and what follows. A symbol of this mercy seat was constructed in the law, about which also now the one praying to God says, That with you is the propitiation; with you, as an offspring from the only good Father, is the propitiation. Not every rational creature is in need, with no one withstanding God observing the iniquities of each of those who have done them. 1180 Ps 129,6-8 Always and at every time one must hope in the Lord, not only when circumstances are pleasant but also when they are grim. From the morning watch, then, when present things are bright, and until the night, when surrounding circumstances are unpleasant and darker, and still from the morning watch when the true light rises and makes the beginning of the spiritual day, let the discerning mind, called Israel in the Hebrew tongue, hope in the Lord, expecting from him an increase of bright things and a release from grim things, because with him as in a fountain and from him is the mercy which those who hope in him need; but also with him is plentiful redemption, which is no different from that of the propitiation; whence the Lord himself will redeem him from all his iniquities. For even if the iniquities of Israel are many, yet he will redeem him from them all.

1181 Ps 131,1 David, having achieved meekness, says the things that are set forth; for remembering me, he says, for these things you will give me as an inheritance the land of the meek. 1182 Ps 131,9.10a And the holy ones with these priests will rejoice not in a chance way but will rejoice with rejoicing, with only the perfect one who rejoices from his state having this from the most perfect rejoicing. And it is possible for the same one to be priest and holy, so that in substance the subject is one, but differing in the relations according to which he is priest and holy one of God. And who is the cause for them of being clothed with righteousness and rejoicing with rejoicing but the holy David, mighty in hand? Whence was added, For the sake of David your servant. For he who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh is a servant of God, having taken the form of a servant, when he emptied himself. 1183 Ps 131,10b You will also understand it thus: having purposed by your grace that the face of your Christ shine upon men, O master, do not turn it away, so that they who are to be benefited by his appearance remain without a vision of it. And he added the reason for which there will surely be a shining forth, saying, The Lord swore to David a truth and he will not set it aside. 1184 Ps 131,11 The "it will surely be," which truth he swore to David, is concerning the coming of the Lord, who is the fruit of David's womb who will sit upon his throne. Having sworn, he will fulfill it; for an oath of God is truth, according to what was said by Gabriel to Mary concerning him who was descended from David, And God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. 1185 Ps 131,13.14 If one should take the earthly Zion,

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ἁπλῶς γενέσθαι τὰ ωτα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλ' αὐτῷ προσέχοντα γενέσθαι ἀξιοῖ. τούτοις ἑπομένως νοεῖν δεῖ καὶ τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ εἰρημένον Ος ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ θεοῦ, καὶ Οτι κύριον καὶ χριστὸν αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, καὶ οσα τοιαῦτα. 1179 Ps 129,3.4 ̓Επεὶ παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν, ὁ ἱλασκόμενος καὶ ἀφεὶς τὰς ἁμαρτίας σωτήρ, μὴ παρατήρου ἐξετάζων ἀνομίας· εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο ποιήσειας, οὐδεὶς ὑποστήσεται· Πάντες γὰρ ἐξέκλιναν, πάντες ημαρτον. διὸ μηδενὸς ὑφισταμένου τὴν παρὰ σοῦ κρίσιν, χρεία τοῦ παρὰ σοῦ ἱλασμοῦ ἱλασκομένου τῆς πάντων ενεκα σωτηρίας. οτι δὲ ἱλασμὸς ὁ σωτήρ, ̓Ιωάννης γράφει Καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον εχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, κύριον ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον· καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ολου τοῦ κόσμου. ἀλλὰ καὶ Παῦλος Πάντες γὰρ ημαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ, δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ̓Ιησοῦ, ον προέθετο ὁ θεὸς ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αιματι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. τούτου τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου σύμβολον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ κατεσκευάσθη, περὶ ου καὶ νῦν ὁ εὐχόμενος τῷ θεῷ φησιν Οτι παρὰ σοῦ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστι· παρὰ σοῦ ὡς ἐκ μόνου ἀγαθοῦ πατρὸς γέννημα ἱλασμός ἐστιν. οὐ πᾶσα λογικὴ δέεται κτίσις, οὐχ ὑποστησομένου τινὸς θεοῦ παρατηρησομένου τὰς ἀνομίας ἑκάστου τῶν πεποιηκότων. 1180 Ps 129,6-8 ̓Αεὶ καὶ κατὰ πάντα καιρὸν ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον δεῖ, οὐ μόνον οτε προσηνῆ ἀλλὰ καὶ οτε σκυθρωπὰ περιεστηκότα. ἀπὸ φυλακῆς γοῦν πρωϊνῆς οτε λαμπρὰ τὰ παρόντα καὶ μέχρι νυκτὸς οτε ἀηδῆ καὶ ζοφώτερα τὰ περιεστηκότα καὶ ετι ἀπὸ φυλακῆς πρωΐας ἀνατέλλοντος τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἀρχὴν ἡμέρας νοητῆς ποιοῦντος ὁ διορατικὸς νοῦς, ̓Ισραὴλ καλούμενος ̔Εβραίων φωνῇ, ἐλπισάτω ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον, προσθήκην τῶν φαιδρῶν καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν σκυθρωπῶν προσδοκῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ, οτι παρ' αὐτῷ ὡς ἐν πηγῇ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ελεος ου χρῄζουσιν οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπ' αὐτόν· ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴ παρ' αὐτοῦ λύτρωσις τοῦ παρὰ τοῦ ἱλασμοῦ οὐχ ἑτέρα ουσα· οθεν αὐτὸς ἐκ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν λυτρώσεται αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλαὶ αἱ τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ ἀνομίαι, ἀλλ' ἐκ πασῶν αὐτὸν λυτρώσεται.

1181 Ps 131,1 Ὁ ∆αυὶδ πραΰτητα κατορθώσας λέγει τὰ προκείμενα· μνησθεὶς

γάρ μου, φησίν, ἐπὶ τούτοις δώσεις μοι κληρονομίαν τὴν τῶν πραέων γῆν. 1182 Ps 131,9.10a Καὶ οἱ σὺν τούτοις δὲ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν οσιοι οὐχ ὡς ετυχεν ἀλλ' ἀγαλλιάσει ἀγαλλιάσονται, μόνου τοῦ τελείου καὶ ἀπὸ εξεως ἀγαλλιῶντος ἀπὸ ἀγαλλιάσεως τῆς τελειωτάτης τοῦτ' εχοντος. ἐνδέχεται δὲ τὸν ἱερέα καὶ οσιον ειναι τὸν αὐτόν, ὡς τῇ ὑποστάσει μὲν ενα ειναι τὸν ὑποκείμενον, διαλλάττοντα δὲ ταῖς σχέσεσι καθ' ας ἱερεὺς καὶ οσιος θεοῦ ἐστι. τίς δὲ αὐτοῖς αιτιος τοῦ ἐνδύσασθαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀγαλλιάσει ἀγαλλιάσασθαι η ὁ τῇ χειρὶ ἱκανὸς ∆αυὶδ αγιος ὑπάρχων; οθεν ἐπενήνεκται τὸ Ενεκεν ∆αυὶδ τοῦ δούλου σου. ὁ γὰρ ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυὶδ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα γεγονὼς θεοῦ δοῦλός ἐστι, λαβὼν τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, οτε ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτόν. 1183 Ps 131,10b Νοήσεις καὶ ουτως· προθέμενος τῇ χάριτι τῇ σῇ ἐπιλάμψαι ἀνθρώποις τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ χριστοῦ σου, ω δέσποτα, μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς αὐτό, ωστε ἀφαντάστους αὐτοὺς διαμεῖναι ἐκ τῆς ἐπιφανείας αὐτοῦ ὠφεληθησομένους. Τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν δι' ην πάντως εκλαμψις εσται ἐπήνεγκεν εἰπὼν Ωμοσε κύριος τῷ ∆αυὶδ ἀλήθειαν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσει αὐτήν. 1184 Ps 131,11 Τὸ πάντως εσται, ην ωμοσε τῷ ∆αυὶδ ἀλήθειαν, περὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ κυρίου, ος καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ ∆αυίδ ἐστι καθήσειν ἐπὶ θρόνου αὐτοῦ. ὀμωμοκὼς πληρώσει· ἀλήθεια γὰρ θεοῦ ορκος κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ Γαβριὴλ πρὸς τὴν Μαριὰμ περὶ τοῦ ἐκ ∆αυὶδ γενεαλογουμένου Καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οικον ̓Ιακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. 1185 Ps 131,13.14 Εἰ τὴν ἐπίγειον Σιὼν λαμβάνοι τις,