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saying. What then is the introduction? Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. For having considered the benefaction of the world, the Prophet, and the enduring love for humanity which he showed through all things, calls everyone to the fellowship of thanksgiving, setting forth the greatest summary of his good things in their midst. Let the house of Israel say, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. What are you saying? The house of Israel, which endured countless captivities, which served as a slave in Egypt, which was carried away to the ends of the world, which suffered countless hardships in Palestine? Yes, he says. For these are especially witnesses of his good things, and they have enjoyed more than others. And this very thing, which they suffered, is proof of great benefaction. But if someone were to examine precisely, they ought especially to give thanks for the very coming of Christ. For even if they endured the opposite, it was not on account of the one who came, but on account of their own lack of understanding. For he himself came to them, and continually said: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and to the disciples: Go not into the way of the Gentiles; but go rather to 55.329 the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and to the Canaanite woman: It is not good to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. For he did and managed all things for the sake of their salvation. But if they appeared unworthy of the benefaction, let them reckon it to their own transgressions, and to the excess of their lack of understanding. Let the house of Aaron say, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Here he calls the priests separately to psalmody, showing how pre-eminent the priesthood is. For the greater these were than the others, by so much more did they enjoy honor from God, not only on account of the priesthood, but also in all other things. For when fire was brought down, it was brought down because of them, and the earth was opened, and a rod budded, and countless other miracles happened because of them, or rather, on their behalf. Let all who fear God say, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. For these are especially the ones able to see his love for humanity, and to perceive his goodness through all things. And what is, For his mercy endures forever? It is continuous, he says, not interrupted, but shining and being shown through all things. And if many do not see, they do not see because of the weakness of their own reasoning. Since also those whose sight is diseased for this reason especially do not see the sun; just as not even those who are healthy can always gaze at it, because of the excess of its brightness; so also it is not possible to learn with all precision the providence of God, because the magnitude of his understanding and wisdom greatly surpasses human reasoning. And there are also many passions that overshadow the foolish so that they do not see it at all. First, the love of pleasure; for which reason they also overlook things clear to all. After these, second, is folly and the perversity of judgment. For how is it not absurd to see a father striking a child and to approve, and to praise, and for this reason especially to consider him a father; but towards God, if he should wish to exact punishment for what has been done, to be vexed and distressed? And what could be worse than this perversity, of those who are vexed at opposites, now being distressed because he does not punish; now because he does punish? For when they see some plundering and being greedy, they want them to pay the penalty; but when they see themselves sinning, not at all; which is a sign of a corrupt judgment. Third, in addition to these, is that they do not know what is good and what is bad, but are mistaken concerning the judgment of things, because of their love of evil and inclination toward wickedness. Fourth, is not to take into account their own sins. Fifth, is that the distance between God is unspeakable and great

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εἰπόντες. Τί τοίνυν ἐστὶ τὸ προοίμιον; Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Ἐννοήσας γὰρ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν τῆς οἰκουμένης ὁ Προφήτης, καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν διαρκῆ, ἣν διὰ πάντων ἐπεδείξατο, πάντας εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς εὐχαριστίας καλεῖ, τὸ μέγιστον κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτοῦ προτιθεὶς εἰς μέσον. Εἰπάτω δὴ οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἀγαθὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Τί λέγεις; Οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ μυρίας αἰχμαλωσίας ὑπομείνας, ὁ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δουλεύσας, ὁ πρὸς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπαχθεὶς, ὁ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ μυρία ταλαιπωρήσας; Ναὶ, φησίν. Οὗτοι γὰρ μάλιστα μάρτυρές εἰσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πλειόνων ἀπήλαυσαν, ἢ ἕτεροι. Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο, ὅπερ ἔπαθον, πολλῆς εὐεργεσίας τεκμήριον. Εἰ δέ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσειε, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία ὑπέμειναν, ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὸν παραγενόμενον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀγνωμοσύνην. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀφικνεῖτο, καὶ συνεχῶς ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην, εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ· καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε· πορεύεσθε δὲ μᾶλλον πρὸς 55.329 τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ· καὶ πρὸς τὴν Χαναναίαν· Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ δοῦναι αὐτὸν τοῖς κυναρίοις. Καὶ γὰρ πάντα ἐποίει καὶ ἐπραγματεύετο ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων σωτηρίας. Εἰ δὲ ἀνάξιοι τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐφάνησαν, ταῖς ἑαυτῶν λογιζέσθωσαν παρανομίαις, καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης ὑπερβολῇ. Εἰπάτω δὴ οἶκος Ἀαρὼν, ὅτι ἀγαθὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα κεχωρισμένως τοὺς ἱερέας εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν καλεῖ, δεικνὺς ὅση τίς ἐστιν ὑπερέχουσα ἡ ἱερωσύνη. Καὶ γὰρ ὅσῳ μείζους ἦσαν οὗτοι τῶν ἄλλων, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλείονος ἀπήλαυον τῆς τιμῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἱερωσύνης λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκα πῦρ κατηνέχθη, δι' αὐτοὺς κατηνέχθη, καὶ γῆ ἠνοίχθη, καὶ ῥάβδος ἐβλάστησε, καὶ μυρία ἕτερα γέγονε δι' αὐτοὺς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν θαύματα. Εἰπάτωσαν δὴ πάντες οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἀγαθὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Μάλιστα γὰρ οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ δυνάμενοι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἰδεῖν τὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ πάντων τὴν ἀγαθότητα καταμανθάνειν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ; ∆ιηνεκὲς, φησὶν, οὐ διακοπτόμενον, ἀλλὰ διὰ πάντων λάμπον καὶ διαδεικνύμενον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ πολλοὶ βλέπουσι, διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν οἰκείων οὐ βλέπουσι λογισμῶν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν ἥλιον οἱ τὰς ὄψεις νοσοῦντες διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα οὐχ ὁρῶσιν· ὥσπερ οὐδὲ οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἀεὶ δύνανται πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀτενίζειν, διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς λαμπρότητος· οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαθεῖν δυνατὸν πᾶσαν μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὴν πρόνοιαν, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ὑπερβαίνειν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων λογισμῶν τὸ μέγεθος τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς σοφίας. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ πάθη τὰ πολλὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ἐπισκοτοῦντα πρὸς τὸ μηδ' ὅλως αὐτὴν ἰδεῖν. Πρῶτον μὲν τὸ φιλήδονον· διόπερ καὶ τὰ πᾶσι σαφῆ παρατρέχουσι. Μετὰ τούτων δεύτερον ἡ ἄνοια καὶ τὸ διεστραμμένον τῆς γνώμης. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον πατέρα μὲν ὁρῶντα τύπτοντα παιδίον ἀποδέχεσθαι, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν, καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα πατέρα νομίζειν· πρὸς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ βουληθείη δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι τῶν πεπραγμένων, δυσχεραίνειν καὶ ἀλύειν; Τί δὲ τῆς διαστροφῆς ταύτης χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἂν, οἳ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις δυσχεραίνουσι, νῦν μὲν ἀλύοντες, ὅτι μὴ ἐπεξέρχεται· νῦν δὲ ὅτι ἐπεξέρχεται; Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἴδωσιν ἁρπάζοντας, καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντάς τινας, βούλονται δίκας αὐτοὺς διδόναι· ὅταν δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, οὐδ' ὅλως· ὅπερ ἐστὶ διεφθαρμένης γνώμης. Τρίτον πρὸς τούτοις, τὸ μηδὲ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς, τί ποτε καλὸν, καὶ τί ποτε κακὸν, ἀλλ' ἐσφάλθαι περὶ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων κρίσιν, διὰ τὸ φιλοπόνηρον καὶ πρὸς κακίαν ἐπιῤῥεπές. Τέταρτον, τὸ μηδὲ λογίζεσθαι τὰ οἰκεῖα ἁμαρτήματα. Πέμπτον, τὸ ἄφατον εἶναι καὶ πολὺ τὸ μέσον Θεοῦ