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he clarifies, saying: "As a wise master builder, I have laid a foundation." And he builds fences who fortifies the ecclesiastical doctrines with dialectical proofs, so that those who wish may not pass through it as through a deserted garden. For a lazy soul suffers this also, with every contrary thought and demon passing through it, until it fences itself with the fear of God. And he who removes the apparent stumbling blocks from the divine readings through clarity, this is the one who removes the stones from the midst of the paths. And He wills that along with the things that have been said, the Sabbaths also be kept, so as not to be occupied 2597 with drunkenness and revelry, but with holiness and purity, and through these things the day is to be sanctified, becoming delightful and without grief through leisure according to God. And it is necessary not to move a foot, or pollute the lips, to be involved in other matters while attending to the divine Scripture. But the divine Apostle, pushing aside the shadow of the law, suggests a spiritual circumcision and a Sabbath-rest, saying: "But circumcision is of the heart, not in letter, but in spirit." And again: "Therefore a Sabbath-rest remains for the people of the Lord." For he who has entered into His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His own. Therefore, a Sabbath-rest according to God is to cease from one's own works and wills. Which also the present prophecy says. And Paul also says: "But I see another law warring against the law of my mind." According to this, therefore, are the wills, which, being prone to them, we ought to cut off. For thus we will keep delightful Sabbaths having nothing from a hard mind that opposes God, according to, "And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened." Thus God said to Israel: "I know that you are stubborn, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze." And He wills now that we overcome tongue and anger: "For if anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." And again: "An angry man is not comely." And, "For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." He wills that those who keep the Sabbath be such, and those who call the fast acceptable. For thus, he says, you will be trusting, not in some rotten and temporary thing, but in the God of all, being confident for the rest of your life, as having His unfailing promises, in which is also to be brought up to a certain land from the sojourn here, to obtain those things: "Which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man," and to enjoy the promised spiritual food for the fathers, laid up in the city above, about which Paul says: "For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland." And if they were seeking that from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly one. That these things will certainly be, he says, it is God who has spoken. But how, as if they have not yet obtained the land of promise, into which Joshua the son of Nun led them, does He now give a promise to bring them in? It is clear then that he speaks about the land of the meek. But some say that the return from captivity is promised to them. Who also interpreted the things above bodily concerning the bones being made fat, and being compared to a well-watered garden, and to a spring not lacking water. And that the deserted places of the city will be rebuilt, and these will stand for a long time. 2600 And it remains also unravaged, no longer being a passage for foreigners. For it will be guarded by God, when you have turned to virtue. For the guard of each man is to be impressed by God, and to keep the laws, and the Sabbaths, which those who do not keep them transgress. For these, going out of the city, as if having received license to sin, transgress; it being necessary for those who keep the Sabbath to do this everywhere, and what follows. CHAPTER 59. 1-18. 9Is not the hand of the Lord strong enough to save? or is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear? but your sins separate between you and God. And because of your sins

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διασαφεῖ λέγων· "Ὡς σοφῶς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα." Φραγμοὺς δὲ οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ τὰ ἐκκλησιαστικὰ δόγματα περιτειχίζων διαλεκτικαῖς ἀποδείξεσιν, ἵνα μὴ καθάπερ ἔρημον κῆπον οἱ θέλοντες διοδεύοιεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ῥᾳθυμοῦσα πάσχει ψυχὴ παντὸς ἐναντίου διοδεύοντος αὐτὴν λογισμοῦ τε καὶ δαίμονος, ἕως ἑαυτὴν τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ περιφράξειεν. Ὁ δὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα προσκόμματα ἐκ τῶν θείων ἀναγνωσμάτων περιαιρῶν διὰ σαφηνείας, οὗτος ὁ τοὺς ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν τρίβων λίθους περιαιρῶν. Βούλεται δὲ μετὰ τῶν εἰρημένων φυλάττεσθαι καὶ τὰ Σάββατα, ὡς μὴ μέθαις καὶ κρεπάλαις σχολά 2597 ζειν, ἁγιασμῷ δὲ καὶ καθαρότητι, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἁγιάζεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν διὰ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν σχολῆς τρυφερὰν γινομένην καὶ ἄλυπον. Καὶ δεῖ μὴ μέχρι τοῦ κινῆσαι πόδα, ἢ μολῦναι τὰ χείλη, πρὸς ἑτέροις γίνεσθαι πράγμασι τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ προσανέχοντας. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος τοῦ νόμου τὴν σκιὰν παρωθούμενος, περιτομὴν πνευματικὴν καὶ Σαββατισμὸν ὑποτίθεται λέγων· "Ἀλλὰ περιτομὴ καρδίας οὐ γράμματι, ἀλλὰ πνεύματι." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἄρα ἀπολείπεται Σαββατισμὸς τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Κυρίου." Ὁ γὰρ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὁ Θεός. Σαββατισμὸς ἄρα κατὰ Θεὸν τὸ παύσασθαι τῶν ἰδίων ἔργων καὶ θελημάτων. Ὃ καὶ ἡ παροῦσα προφητεία φησί. Λέγει δὲ καὶ Παῦλος· "Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου." Κατὰ τοῦτον οὖν ἐστι τὰ θελήματα, πρὸς ἃ ἐπιῤῥεπῶς ἔχοντες, περικόπτειν ὀφείλομεν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐπιτελέσομεν Σάββατα τρυφερὰ μηδὲν ἔχοντα τῶν ἀπὸ γνώμης σκληρᾶς καὶ ἀντιτεινούσης Θεῷ, κατὰ τὸ, "Καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραώ." Οὕτως ἔλεγε τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Θεός· "Γινώσκω ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ, καὶ νεῦρον σιδηροῦν ὁ τράχηλός σου, καὶ τὸ μέτωπόν σου χαλκοῦν." Βούλεται δὲ νῦν ἡμᾶς γλώττης καὶ θυμοῦ περιγίνεσθαι· "Εἴτις γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ, δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα." Καὶ πάλιν·" Ἀνὴρ θυμώδης οὐκ εὐσχήμων." Καὶ, "Ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην Θεοῦ οὐκ ἐργάζεται." Τοιούτους εἶναι τοὺς σαββατίζοντας βούλεται, καὶ τοὺς νηστείαν καλοῦντας δεκτήν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἔσῃ, φησὶ, πεποιθὼς, οὐκ ἐπὶ σαθρῷ τινι καὶ προσκαίρῳ πράγματι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ πάντων Θεῷ παῤῥῶν εἰς τὸν ἐπίλοιπον βίον, ὡς ἔχων ἀψευδεῖς αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐν αἷς ἔστι καὶ τὸ ἐπί τινα γῆν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς ἀναβιβασθῆναι τευξόμενον ἐκείνων· "Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη," καὶ ἀπολαύσοντα τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης, τοῖς πατράσι τροφῆς πνευματικῆς ἐν τῇ ἄνω κειμένης πόλει, περὶ ἧς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· "Οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες, ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ζητοῦσιν." Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνην ἐζήτουν ἀφ' ἧς ἐξῆλθον, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι. Νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐπουρανίου. Ὅτι δὲ πάντως ἔσται ταῦτα, Θεὸς, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ φθεγξάμενος. Ἀλλὰ πῶς ὡς μήπω τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λαχόντων, εἰς ἣν αὐτοὺς εἰσήγαγεν Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυὴ, νῦν δίδωσιν ἐπαγγελίαν εἰσάξειν αὐτούς; ∆ῆλον οὖν ὡς περὶ τῆς τῶν πραέων φησίν. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἄνοδόν φασιν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι. Οἳ καὶ τὰ ἀνωτέρω σωματικῶς ἐξηγήσαντο περὶ τοῦ πιανθῆναι τὰ ὀστᾶ, καὶ παραβάλλεσθαι κήπῳ πολυύδρῳ, καὶ πηγῇ μὴ ὑστερουμένῃ ὕδατος. Καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἔρημα τῆς πόλεως ἀνοικοδομηθήσεται, καὶ ἐπιπολὺ ταῦτα 2600 στήσεται. Μένει δὲ καὶ ἀπόρθητος μηκέτι δίοδος ἐσομένη τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. Φρουρηθήσεται γὰρ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, μεταβαλόντων ὑμῶν πρὸς ἀρετήν. Ἑκάστου γὰρ ἀνδρὸς φρουρὰ, τὸ ἐντυποῦσθαι παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ φυλάττειν τὰ νόμιμα, καὶ τὰ Σάββατα, ἃ πλημμελοῦσιν οἱ μὴ φυλάττοντες. Οὗτοι γὰρ ἐξιόντες τῆς πόλεως, ὡς ἄδειαν λαβόντες τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, παραβαίνουσι· δέον τοὺς σαββατίζοντας πανταχοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΝΘʹ. αʹιηʹ. 9Μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι; ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι; ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν