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is earth and ashes proud? and again, as when this prophet says, What is man, that You are mindful of him? everywhere declaring the worthlessness of our nature, its nothingness. For we even say of crops: The crops have been a lie, that is, 55.325 they brought forth nothing worthy of the hope; and, The year has been a lie, again declaring the very same thing. Since, therefore, man is also a thing of nothing and worthless, and especially in misfortune we are accustomed to philosophize on such things, and to consider the weakness of our nature; for this reason he, being in despondency, and seeing nature being refuted, and its worthlessness and nothingness being demonstrated from every side, says, Every man is a liar; that is, man is nothing. Wherefore also elsewhere he said: Surely man walks about as an image. What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has rendered to me? See how he shows the greatness of the benefaction not from what has been done, but also from its being done to such a one, recounting what is in the psalm, with different words, but with the same meanings. For just as he said there: What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You visit him? so also here. Then the benefactions are shown to be twofold, when they are both great by nature, and are done to someone of no account; which is an intensification of benefaction and grace. Wishing, therefore, to present this very thing, he says: What shall I render to the Lord; declaring that He has deemed man, who is a deception, a nothing, worthless, worthy of so great a gift. For all that He has rendered to me. This is the mark of a grateful mind, to go about and seek to render something to the benefactor in return for the good things he has received, and, having offered everything, to consider that he is giving nothing worthy. Which, having hinted at from the beginning of the repayment, he promises he will offer as he proceeds. For he shows a twofold thanksgiving, both in giving what he was able, and in, while giving these things, considering that he gives nothing worthy. What then is it, which he is about to give? Hear him saying; for he adds: I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Those, therefore, who interpret the saying anagogically, say it is the communion of the mysteries. But we, for now holding to the historical sense, say that he is speaking here of libations, and sacrifices, and eucharistic hymns. For in ancient times there were different sacrifices: for there was a sacrifice of praise, for sins, and whole burnt offerings, for salvation, and peace offerings, and many others. What he says, therefore, is this: I do not have anything worthy to offer, but what I have, I offer. For I will bring a eucharistic sacrifice to God, and I will call upon him for salvation. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Here he calls his promises, his pledges, vows. For in these terrible things he took refuge in God, and made himself a debtor, promising, if he should escape the terrible things, to offer these sacrifices. Since, therefore, the misfortune has been resolved, he says, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Another, Honorable. And what is the sequence here? what harmony does it have with what went before? If anyone should examine it with precision, he will find this to be much. For since he said: What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has rendered to me? showing His benefactions, he says that not only the life, but also the death of the saints is of great 55.326 concern to God, not simply occurring by the law of nature, but also happening in many places according to His will. Or do you not hear Paul saying: But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake, and being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all? And why do you wonder, if also death, when even the birth of some does not happen by the law of nature, as that of Isaac, as that of Samuel? Wherefore he calls them not children of the flesh, but children of the promise. So also Moses did not simply die, but of God

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ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; καὶ πάλιν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ οὗτος ὁ προφήτης, Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐμνήσθης αὐτοῦ; πανταχοῦ τῆς φύσεως τὸ εὐτελὲς δηλῶν, τὸ οὐδαμινόν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ ληΐων λέγομεν· Τὰ λήϊα διεψεύσατο, τουτέστιν, 55.325 οὐδὲν ἐκόμισεν ἄξιον τῆς ἐλπίδος· καὶ, Ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς διεψεύσατο, ταὐτὸ δὴ πάλιν δηλοῦντες. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος πρᾶγμα οὐδαμινὸν καὶ εὐτελὲς, μάλιστα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς τὰ τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν εἰώθαμεν, καὶ τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι· διὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ γενόμενος, καὶ τὴν φύσιν ὁρῶν ἐλεγχομένην, καὶ τὴν εὐτέλειαν καὶ οὐδένειαν αὐτῆς πανταχόθεν διαδεικνυμένην, Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης, φησί· τουτέστιν, οὐδὲν ἄνθρωπος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἔλεγε· Μέντοι γε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος. Τί ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἀνταπέδωκέ μοι; Ὅρα πῶς δείκνυσι τὴν εὐεργεσίαν μεγάλην οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν γεγενημένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς τοιοῦτον γεγενῆσθαι, ἑτέροις μὲν ῥήμασι, τοῖς δὲ αὐτοῖς νοήμασι τὰ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ διηγούμενος. Καθάπερ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ ἔλεγε· Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν; οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Τότε διπλᾶ τὰ τῆς εὐεργεσίας δείκνυται, ὅταν καὶ φύσει μεγάλα ᾖ, καὶ εἰς οὐδαμινόν τινα γίνηται· ὅπερ εὐεργεσίας καὶ χάριτος ἐπίτασις. Τοῦτο οὖν αὐτὸ βουλόμενος παραστῆσαι, φησί· Τί ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ· δηλῶν ὅτι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν ὄντα διάψευσμα, τὸν οὐδαμινὸν, τὸν εὐτελῆ τοσαύτης ἠξίωσε δωρεᾶς. Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἀνταπέδωκέ μοι. Τοῦτο εὐχαρίστου γνώμης, τὸ περιέρχεσθαι καὶ ζητεῖν, ἀνθ' ὧν εὖ ἔπαθεν ἀποδοῦναί τι τῷ εὐεργέτῃ, καὶ τὸ πάντα καταβαλόντα μηδὲν ἄξιον νομίζειν διδόναι. Ὅπερ ἐκ προοιμίων τῆς ἀντιδόσεως αἰνιξάμενος, καταθήσειν προϊὼν ἐπαγγέλλεται. ∆ιπλῆν γὰρ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἐνδείκνυται, τῷ τε δοῦναι ἅπερ οἷός τε ἦν, καὶ τῷ ταῦτα διδοὺς μηδὲν ἄξιον νομίζειν διδόναι. Τί οὖν ἐστιν, ὅπερ μέλλει διδόναι; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· ἐπάγει γάρ· Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐπικαλέσομαι. Οἱ μὲν οὖν κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν τὸ εἰρημένον ἐκλαμβάνοντες, τῶν μυστηρίων τὴν κοινωνίαν φασίν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς ἱστορίας τέως ἐχόμενοι, σπονδὰς αὐτὸν λέγειν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ θυσίας, καὶ εὐχαριστηρίους ὕμνους λέγομεν. Καὶ γὰρ διάφοροι τὸ παλαιὸν ἦσαν θυσίαι· θυσία γὰρ αἰνέσεως ἦν, ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα, ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας, καὶ εἰρηνικαὶ, καὶ ἕτεραι πλείους. Ὃ οὖν λέγει τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὐκ ἔχω μὲν ἄξιόν τι καταθεῖναι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω τίθημι. Θυσίαν γὰρ εὐχαριστήριον τῷ Θεῷ προσοίσω, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτὸν ἀναμνήσω. Τὰς εὐχάς μου τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀποδώσω ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, εὐχὰς λέγει, τὰς ὑποσχέσεις. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς τούτοις ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν κατέφευγε, καὶ ὀφειλέτην ἑαυτὸν καθίστη ἐπαγγελλόμενος, εἰ διαφύγοι τὰ δεινὰ, ταύτας καταβαλεῖν τὰς θυσίας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν λέλυται, φησὶν, ἡ συμφορὰ, Τὰς εὐχάς μου τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀποδώσω ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ. Ἕτερος, Ἔντιμος. Καὶ ποία αὕτη ἀκολουθία; τί δὲ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἔχει συνῳδόν; Εἴ τις μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξετάσειε, πολὺ τοῦτο εὑρήσει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε· Τί ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἀνταπέδωκέ μοι; δεικνὺς αὐτοῦ τὰς εὐεργεσίας, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐχ ἡ ζωὴ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων τῷ Θεῷ περι 55.326 σπούδαστος, οὐχ ἁπλῶς νόμῳ φύσεως παραγινόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῦ πολλαχοῦ γινόμενος. Ἢ οὐκ ἀκούεις Παύλου λέγοντος· Τὸ δὲ ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς, καὶ τούτῳ πεποιθὼς οἶδα ὅτι μενῶ καὶ συμπαραμενῶ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν; Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ καὶ ὁ θάνατος, ὅπου οὔτε ἡ γέννησις ἐνίων νόμῳ φύσεως γίνεται, ὡς ἡ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, ὡς ἡ τοῦ Σαμουήλ; ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ τέκνα σαρκὸς αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τέκνα ἐπαγγελίας. Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσῆς οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀπέθνησκεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ