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of the sea of Egypt, or concerning certain waters, we shall understand the multitude of the ungodly. But some say that the preceding saying was spoken concerning all of Israel, whose remnant he promises to save through faith in Christ. And the phrase, 'he who dwells on high,' shows the undiminished nature of his preeminence by nature (for the divine nature is above all), which remains, even if Israel humbled it, comparing it to idols. Just as, therefore, he defiled the holy one with impure thoughts, who rests in those purified by faith; whom when he sees them being fainthearted, he says: 'Be strong, and let your heart be strengthened,' and he gives true life to the poor in spirit, and to those who obey the word; "For the rest of Israel was lifted up against Christ. Nevertheless, he makes even these hopeful because of the remnant, and their salvation in the last days. For I will not extend my wrath to the end, because of the promise to the Fathers, and because you all happen to be my creatures. For he speaks of a going forth of a spirit, not of the all-holy. For how could he have taken it as a creation in his case? but by a figurative word he alludes to what was created in us. But some, instead of 'will go forth,' positing the saying as 'will be enfolded,' say it indicates the breath which is interwoven with the body, even if not of the same substance with it, but sent from above, as Moses says. And he calls the punishment small in comparison to their sins, and the drunken insolence they wrought against Christ, for which he turned away from them, having said beforehand: "When you stretch out your hands to me, I will turn my face from you. 2585 And if you multiply your prayer, I will not listen to you. For your hands are full of blood." But I will cease turning away, when, having repented, you walk gloomily. For you will obtain true consolation, from the grace of Christ which justifies in faith, and fills with sanctification; for he imparts both adoption and the good things to come, and peace upon peace. This is ..... he will give ..... near to Israel; for they had known ..... the ..... by law and prophets a song ..... and to the gentiles afar off, because they are deprived of these things. For to these Paul also says: "But now you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. Nevertheless, Christ made both one, creating the two peoples into one new man, and having broken down the middle wall of the fence, he made peace with the Father," to whom he said: "I will that as I and you are one, so they also may be one in us." And the prophet brought forth the main point, saying: I will heal them. But those of them who disobey will be tossed by waves; for even at the time of the calling some of them will disobey, concerning whom Paul says: "Because they did not receive the knowledge of the truth, for this reason God will send them a working of delusion." And the Savior also says: "I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive;" that is, the son of lawlessness; who endure a soul's tempest like the sea, being punished by themselves, which raises continuous waves, and sends them to the shores, but receives their breaking back again into itself, just as these, being tossed by the reasonings from their heart, will not be able to find rest. Therefore, they cannot rejoice, being deprived of the true joy of Christ. For even if the ungodly rejoice in fleshly pleasures, yet they turn toward destruction. For joy alone is that which, out of afflictions, brings about eternal life. But it should be known that some have taken the aforementioned healing and peace, and cessation of wrath, to be about the recall from the Assyrians, who also understood the phrase, 'to those far off, and to those near,' in this way, that God, being good, gives relief not only to those who repent; but on account of them also to those who happen to be in captivity, gathering all together with one signal, even if some draw near through repentance, while others persisting in evils are far from God, for whom a conscience perpetually troubled is sufficient for punishment. 2587 CHAPTER 58. 1-21. 9Cry aloud with strength, and do not spare; lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to my people their sins
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θαλάσσης Αἰγύπτου, ἢ περὶ ὑδάτων τινῶν, τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐκδεξόμεθα. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν προκειμένην ῥῆσιν περὶ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ εἰρῆσθαί φασιν, οὗ τὸ κατάλειμμα σώσειν κατεπαγγέλλεται διὰ πίστεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ. Τὸ δὲ, ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, τὸ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ὑπεροχῆς ἀμείωτον δείκνυσιν (ὑπὲρ πάντα γὰρ ἡ θεία φύσις), ὅπερ ἐστὶ διαμένουσα, εἰ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ αὐτὴν ἐταπείνωσε, παραβαλὼν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτήν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐμόλυνε ταῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ἐννοίαις τὸν ἅγιον, καὶ τοῖς διὰ πίστεως καθαρθεῖσιν ἀναπαυόμενον· οὓς ἂν ἴδῃ μικροψυχοῦντας, φησίν· Ἀνδρίζεσθε, καὶ κραταιούσθω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν, ζωήν τε δίδωσιν ἀληθῆ τοῖς πτωχοῖς τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ πειθαρχοῦσι τῷ λόγῳ· "Ὁ γὰρ λοιπὸς Ἰσραὴλ κατεπῄρετο τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πλὴν καὶ τούτου εὐέλπιδας ἀπεργάζεται διὰ τὸ κατάλειμμα, καὶ τὴν ἐπ' ἐσχάτων αὐτῶν σωτηρίαν. Οὐκ εἰς τέλος γὰρ παρατενῶ τὴν ὀργὴν, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Πατέρας ἐπαγγελίαν, καὶ ὅτι πάντες ἐμὰ τυγχάνετε κτίσματα. Ἐξέλευσιν γὰρ πνεύματος οὐ τοῦ παναγίου φησίν. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ποίησιν παρείληφεν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ; καταχρηστικῇ δὲ λέξει τὸ δημιουργηθὲν ἐν ἡμῖν ὑπαινίττεται. Τινὲς δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐξελεύσεται, ἐνειληθήσεται τὸ ῥητὸν παραθέμενοι, τὴν πνοὴν δηλοῦν φασι τὴν συμπλεκομένην τῷ σώματι, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὁμοούσιος αὐτῷ, πεμπομένη δὲ ἄνωθεν, καθά φησι Μωσῆς. Μικρὰν δὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν πρὸς τὰς αὐτῶν ἁμαρτίας καλεῖ, καὶ ἣν κατὰ Χριστοῦ παροινίαν εἰργάσαντο, δι' ἣν αὐτοὺς ἀπεστράφη προειπών· "Ὅταν τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν ἐκτείνητε πρός με, ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀφ' ὑμῶν. 2585 Καὶ ἐὰν πληθύνητε τὴν δέησιν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι ὑμῶν. Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν αἵματος πλήρεις." Παύσω δὲ τὴν ἀποστροφὴν, ὅταν μετανοήσας πορεύσῃ στυγνός. Τεύξῃ γὰρ ἀληθινῆς παρακλήσεως, τῆς Χριστοῦ χάριτος δικαιούσης ἐν πίστει, καὶ πληρούσης ἁγιασμοῦ· Υἱοθεσίας τε γὰρ καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν μεταδίδωσι, καὶ εἰρήνης ἐπ' εἰρήνῃ. Τοῦτ' ἔστιν .....εκουσην δώσει .... ἐγγὺς Ἰσραήλ· ἦσαν γὰρ ἐγνωκότες ..... τὸν νο...μῳ καὶ προφήταις ᾠδὴ ..... καὶ τοῖς μακρὰν ἐθνικοῖς, ὅτι γε τούτων ἐστέρηνται. Τούτοις γὰρ καὶ Παῦλός φησι· "Νυνὶ δὲ οἱ ποτὲ ὄντες μακρὰν, ἐγενήθητε ἐγγὺς ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πλὴν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀμφότερα ἐποίησεν ἓν, τοὺς δύο κτίσας λαοὺς εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας εἰρηνεύσατο τῷ Πατέρι," πρὸς ὃν ἔλεγε· "Θέλω ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐγὼ καὶ σὺ ἕν ἐσμεν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσιν." Καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον ὁ προφήτης ἐπήνεγκεν εἰπών· Ἰάσομαι αὐτούς. Οἱ δ' ἐκ τούτων ἀπειθοῦντες κλυδωνισθήσονται· κἀν τῷ καιρῷ γὰρ τῆς κλήσεως τινὲς αὐτῶν ἀπειθήσουσι, περὶ ὧν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· "Ἀνθ' ὧν τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο, διὰ τοῦτο πέμψει αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἐνέργειαν πλάνης." Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δέ φησιν· "Ἐγὼ ἐλήλυθα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Πατέρος μου, καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετέ με. Ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, ἐκεῖνον λήψεσθε·" δηλαδὴ τὸν τῆς ἀνομίας υἱόν· οἵτινες ψυχικὸν ὑπομένουσι κλύδωνα δίκην θαλάσσης ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν τιμωρούμενοι, τῆς ἐγειρούσης μὲν κύματα συνεχῆ, καὶ παραπεμπούσης αἰγιαλοῖς, τὴν δὲ τούτων ἀνάκλασιν πάλιν εἰς ἑαυτὴν δεχομένης, ὥσπερ οὗτοι τοῖς ἀπὸ καρδίας κυμαίνοντες λογισμοῖς ἀναπαύλης τυχεῖν οὐ δυνήσονται. ∆ιὸ καὶ χαίρειν οὐ δύνανται τῆς ὄντως χαρᾶς ἐστερημένοι Χριστοῦ. Κἂν γὰρ χαίρωσιν ἐφ' ἡδοναῖς σαρκικαῖς ἀσεβεῖς, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀπώλειαν καταστρέφουσιν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐκ θλίψεων ζωὴν αἰώνιον πραγματευομένη μόνη χαρά. Ἱστέον δὲ, ὡς τὴν εἰρημένην ἴασίν τε εἰρήνην, καὶ παῦλαν ὀργῆς, περὶ τῆς ἐξ Ἀσσυρίων ἀνακλήσεώς τινες ἐξειλήφασιν, οἳ καὶ τὸ, τοῖς μακρὰν, καὶ τοῖς ἐγγὺς, οὕτως ἐνόησαν, ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὢν ὁ Θεὸς οὐ μόνοις τοῖς μετανοοῦσι δίδωσιν ἄνεσιν· ἀλλὰ γὰρ δι' αὐτοὺς καὶ τοῖς ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τυγχάνουσιν, ἑνὶ πάντας συναγαγὼν συνθήματι, κἂν οἱ μὲν διὰ μετανοίας ἐγγίζοιεν, οἱ δὲ τοῖς κακοῖς ἐπιμένοντες μακρύνοιντο τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἷς ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τιμωρίαν τὸ συνειδὸς διὰ παντὸς ταραττόμενον. 2587 ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΝΗʹ. ακαʹ. 9Ἀναβόησον ἐν ἰσχύϊ, καὶ μὴ φείσῃ· ὡς σάλπιγγα ὕψωσον τὴν φωνήν σου, καὶ ἀνάγγειλον τῷ λαῷ μου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα