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most precious to them and of those called Christians, since the name of the Lord has become holy among them, and the Holy One of Israel is glorious. And being one and the same, He is both Lord and Holy One, and has been glorified. To Him, therefore, not to idols as of old, they offer not at all the material things, gold and silver, but faith, and the splendor from all virtue. And He also says in the Psalms concerning Christ, that "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of the Arabians and Saba shall offer gifts, and all the kings of the earth shall worship Him." These things, then, if the phrase, "Who are these that fly as a cloud?" is spoken from the Church. But if from the ancient godly commonwealth, from it would also be the phrase, "The isles waited for me," that is, the Churches; since, reading the promises in the prophets to the Fathers, they awaited them. Therefore they waited for me, expecting to obtain the same things. And the ships of Tarshish allude to the bodies, on which the souls swam through mortal life. And Tarshish is a land of foreigners. Wherefore it is said somewhere concerning the unbelieving foreigners: "With a violent wind you will shatter the ships of Tarshish." But those were shattered. But here the children of the old Jerusalem, those from the nations who have joined her, are said to come to her from afar in their ships; that is, in their own bodies changed for the better. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." Therefore they will come in their own bodies, bringing with them their deeds of virtue, which are called silver and gold. For Paul, understanding this, says: "But if any man builds upon 2629 this foundation gold, silver, precious stones." Some, however, took the word "Who" as coming from the prophet who foresaw future things. Others, as from one marveling at the multitude of those returning to Jerusalem. For he likens their multitude to dense clouds, and to doves with their young. And it is similar to what has already been said: Where have these been for me? What the prophet saw, therefore, he says. Which Micaiah also said he would do, not tolerating to say anything to please Ahab. But saying: "I see the people upon the mountains, as sheep which have no shepherd;" so also now he says, that all will come as if escorted by a guard, and as if carried on shoulders to Jerusalem, as to a city dedicated to God. And he calls ships of Tarshish those coming from Tarshish, which is situated in India, which he also mentions in Ionia. But these things will be for Jerusalem not for her own sake, but for the sake of God, who determined to establish the promise to the fathers through His own majesty. In addition to these things it is said: And strangers shall build up your walls; which is also seen now; for gentiles lead the Churches, fencing them in with their own teachings, so that a foreign word may have no place for plotting. And their kings shall minister to you, he says. And now, therefore, the rulers of the Roman legions, and the fear of kings restrain those who plot against the Churches; that is, by "ministering" he means obedience. For they yield to the sacred decrees, and they consider the preaching of the Church worthy of all account. And it is possible, they say, to find these things also in history, with Cyrus rebuilding Jerusalem, and after him Darius. And Alexander, too, upon seeing the holy vestment, changed his anger to reverence. For in my wrath I struck you, and in my mercy I have loved you. For I struck you, who professed to worship God, by handing the city over to enemies because of the multitude of the impious in you, so that even prophets and God-fearing men might suffer from the wickedness of the rest. And now because of those who do right in you, I have loved you, the wrath thus being reckoned not to the anger of God, but to their sins. For God inflicts punishment itself out of goodness, so that from the things for which they were punished for sinning, they might know what things they will enjoy for doing right. For if He who is without wrath punishes for a beneficial purpose, for which reason He is also said to be angry, how much more will He, being a fountain of goodness, have mercy on us when we act righteously? And he adds, showing that of love

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αὐτοῖς τιμιώτατα καὶ καλουμένων Χριστιανῶν, ἐπειδήπερ ἅγιον γέγονε παρ' αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, ἔνδοξος δὲ ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Εἷς δὲ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων Κύριός τε καὶ ἅγιος, καὶ δεδοξασμένος ἐστίν. Αὐτῷ τοίνυν, οὐ τοῖς εἰδώλοις, ὡς πάλαι, προσφέρουσιν οὐ πάντως τὰς ὕλας, χρυσόν τε καὶ ἄργυρον, ἀλλὰ πίστιν, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀρετῆς ἁπάσης φαιδρότητα. Φησὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς περὶ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι "Βασιλεῖς Θαρσεῖς καὶ νῆσοι δῶρα προσάξουσι, βασιλεῖς Ἀράβων καὶ Σαβὰ δῶρα προσοίσουσι, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς." Ταῦτα μὲν, εἰ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας λέγοιτο τὸ, Τίνες οἵδε; ὡς νεφέλαι πέτονται. Εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πάλαι θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸ, Ἐμὲ νῆσοι ὑπέμειναν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι· ἐπείπερ τὰς ἐν προφήταις ἐπαγγελίας πρὸς τοὺς Πατέρας ἀναγινώσκουσαι, προσεδόκων αὐτάς. Ὑπέμειναν οὖν με, τῶν αὐτῶν προσδοκῶσαι τυχεῖν. Πλοῖα δὲ Θαρσεῖς αἰνίττεται τὰ σώματα, οἷς ἐπενήξαντο κατὰ τὸν θνητὸν βίον αἱ ψυχαί. Ἀλλοφύλων δὲ χώρα Θαρσεῖς. ∆ιὸ περὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἀπίστων εἴρηταί που· "Πνεύματι βιαίῳ συντρίψεις πλοῖα Θαρσεῖς." Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν συνετρίβετο. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὰ τέκνα τῆς παλαιᾶς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τὰ ἐξ ἐθνῶν αὐτῇ προσγενόμενα αὐτοῖς πλοίοις μακρόθεν πρὸς αὐτὴν ἥξειν λέγεται· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, αὐτοῖς σώμασιν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβληθεῖσι. "∆εῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν." Ἥξουσι τοίνυν αὐτοῖς σώμασι τὰς κατ' ἀρετὴν πράξεις, ἄργυρον καὶ χρυσὸν ὀνομαζομένας, ἐπαγόμενοι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος νοῶν φησίν· "Εἰ δέ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ 2629 ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους." Τινὲς δὲ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ προφήτου τὰ μέλλοντα θεωρήσαντος ἔλαβον τὸ, Τίνες. Οἱ δὲ θαυμάζοντος τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐπαναγόντων ἐπὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Νέφεσι γὰρ πεπυκνωμένοις, καὶ περιστεραῖς σὺν νεοσσοῖς ἀπεικάζει τούτων τὸ πλῆθος. Ὅμοιον δὲ τῷ ἤδη ῥηθέντι· Οὗτοι δέ μοι ποῦ ἦσαν; Ὃ τοίνυν ἔβλεπεν ὁ προφήτης φησίν. Ὃ καὶ Μιχαίας ποιήσειν ἔλεγεν, μηδὲν ἀνασχόμενος πρὸς ἡδονὴν εἰπεῖν Ἀχαάβ. Ἀλλ' εἰπών· "Θεωρῶ τὸν λαὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὡσεὶ πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα·" οὕτω καὶ νῦν φησι, πάντας δορυφορουμένους ἥξειν, καὶ ὡς ἐπ' ὤμων ἀγομένους ἐπὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὡς εἰς πόλιν ἀνακειμένην Θεῷ. Πλοῖα δὲ Θαρσεῖς καλεῖ, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Θαρσεῖς ἐρχομένους ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ κειμένης ἧς καὶ ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ μέμνηται. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔσται τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οὐ δι' αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ὃς ἔγνω στῆσαι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίαν διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μεγαλειότητα. Πρὸς τούτοις εἴρηται· Καὶ οἰκοδομήσουσιν ἀλλογενεῖς τὰ τείχη σου· ὃ καὶ νῦν ὁρᾶται· ἐθνικοὶ γὰρ Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡγοῦνται, ταῖς ἑαυτῶν διδασκαλίαις αὐτὰς περιφράττοντες, εἰς τὸ μὴ λόγον ἀλλότριον χώραν ἔχειν ἐπιβουλῆς. Καὶ βασιλεῖς δὲ αὐτῶν παραστήσονταί σοι, φησί. Καὶ νῦν γ' οὖν τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ταγμάτων οἱ ἄρχοντες, καὶ τῶν βασιλέων ὁ φόβος ἀνείργουσι τοὺς ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐπιβουλεύοντας· ἤγουν παράστασιν σημαίνει τὴν ὑπακοήν. Εἴκουσι γὰρ τοῖς ἱεροῖς θεσπίσμασι, καὶ τὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κήρυγμα παντὸς ἀξιοῦσι λόγου. Ἔστι δὲ, φασὶ, ταῦτα καὶ καθ' ἱστορίαν εὑρεῖν, Κύρου μὲν ἀνοικοδομήσαντος Ἱερουσαλὴμ, μετ' αὐτὸν δὲ ∆αρείου. Καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ τὸν ἱερὸν θεασάμενος στόλον, τὸν θυμὸν μετέβαλεν εἰς προσκύνησιν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ ὀργήν μου ἐπάταξά σε, καὶ δι' ἔλεον ἠγάπησά σε. Καὶ γὰρ σὲ τὴν θεοσεβεῖν ἐπαγγειλαμένην ἐπάταξα, πόλιν παραδοὺς πολεμίοις διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀσεβησάντων ἐν σοὶ, ὡς καὶ προφήτας καὶ θεοσεβεῖς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς τῶν λοιπῶν μοχθηρίας. Καὶ νῦν δὲ διὰ τοὺς ἐν σοὶ κατορθοῦντας, ἠγάπησά σε, τῆς ὀργῆς οὕτω θυμῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λογιζομένης, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐκείνων ἁμαρτίαις. Καὶ αὐτὴν γὰρ δι' ἀγαθότητα τὴν δίκην ἐπάγει Θεὸς, ἵν' ἐξ ὧν ἁμαρτόντες ἐτιμωρήθησαν, γνῶσιν οἵων ἀπολαύσουσι κατορθώσαντες. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἀόργητος τιμωρεῖται δι' ὠφέλειαν, δι' ὃ καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι λέγεται· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐλεήσει πηγὴ τυγχάνων ἀγαθότητος δικαιοπραγοῦντας ἡμᾶς; Ἐπάγει δὲ δεικνὺς ὡς τῆς ἀγάπης