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For what fire falling upon thorns will hold back? But nevertheless, he says, though they were so violently, so quickly kindled and had surrounded me in their midst, not only did I escape, but I also defended myself. See this also happening with the material itself. For fire was burning a bush, and neither was the bush consumed, nor was the fire extinguished, but both remained interacting with each other, and not being consumed. And yet what is more fragile than a bush? What is more caustic than fire? But nevertheless the wonder-working power of God 55.333, performing a paradox, allowed both to remain. And such a paradox was also happening then. For they ran like fire, they attacked with zeal like bees, they had me enclosed within, and they were able to do nothing. For the weapon not made by hands, the unconquerable alliance, the name of God, drove them all away. Being pushed, I was overturned to the point of falling, and the Lord helped me. He spoke of the magnitude of the terrible things, from the multitude, from the formation, from the zeal, from the wrath of those attacking; he also speaks of what he himself suffered. So much did the terrible things overcome me, he says, that I came very close to falling and being cast down. For I was so pushed and overturned, as to be about to fall down; but when at last I was about to be brought to my knees, and to lie down, and all human hope was despaired of, then He showed His own alliance. And God does this, so that no one may appropriate His glory. This He also did in the history of the Judges in the case of Gideon. For this reason also in the case of Hezekiah, it being night, He set up the trophy. For if, though having contributed nothing to the victory and the war, he nevertheless became reckless; if he had only been present at the battle-line, if he had seen the slain falling, would he not have suffered this more greatly? Therefore, when matters are despaired of from human hope, then He brings His own alliance. This He also did in the case of Goliath; this also in the case of the apostles. Wherefore Paul also said: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. My strength and my praise is the Lord, and He has become my salvation. As if he said: He Himself became my power and my help. What does he mean by, My praise? My glory, my praise, my adornment, my renown. For He not only delivers from dangers, but also makes men illustrious and renowned; and everywhere it is possible to see this, salvation being given with glory. And he hints at something else through this. What is this? That this, he says, is my perpetual song, this my perpetual voice, the hymn to Him, this is my work, to praise Him perpetually. 4. Let those who are corrupted by satanic songs hear what sort of harm they endure, and what sort of pardon they could obtain, while this one perpetually praises the savior, they perpetually wallow in the songs of demons. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. For when God sets everything right, those who enjoy the victory rejoice, they leap, being doubly gladdened, both by being saved, and by being saved through God. This He who set up the trophy makes gladness. Then, showing also the occasion of such an alliance, he added: In the tents of the righteous. He did not say, In houses, but, In tents, wishing to represent the improvised nature of their dwelling. Such was the tent of Abraham, when he returned, having overcome the barbarians, having become brilliant from his achievements. Such was the tent of Paul, when he returned having overcome the demons, and putting an end to error, and narrating his achievements. The right hand of the Lord has wrought strength, the right hand of the Lord has exalted me. 55.334 See the cause of the rejoicing. For he says this now, which he said before

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γὰρ ὑφέξει πῦρ ἀκάνθαις ἐμπεσόν; Ἀλλ' ὅμως, φησὶν, οὕτω σφοδρῶς, οὕτω ταχέως ἀναφθέντας καὶ ἐν μέσῳ περιλαβόντας οὐ μόνον διέφυγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠμυνάμην. Τοῦτο ὅρα καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ὕλης αὐτῆς γινόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ πῦρ βάτον ἔκαιε, καὶ οὔτε ἡ βάτος ἐκαίετο, οὔτε ἐκεῖνο ἐσβέννυτο, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα ἔμεινεν ὁμιλοῦντα ἀλλήλοις, καὶ οὐκ ἀναλισκόμενα. Καίτοι τί σαθρότερον βάτου; τί δὲ πυρὸς καυστικώτερον; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ θαυματουργὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ 55.333 δύναμις παραδοξοποιοῦσα ἀμφότερα εἴασε μένειν. Τοιοῦτον δέ τι παράδοξον καὶ τότε συνέβαινε. Ὡς πῦρ γὰρ ἐπέδραμον, ὡς μέλισσαι μετὰ προθυμίας ἐπέθεντο, ἔνδον εἶχον ἀπειλημμένον, καὶ οὐδὲν ποιῆσαι ἴσχυσαν. Τὸ γὰρ ὅπλον τὸ ἀχείρωτον, ἡ συμμαχία ἡ ἀκαταμάχητος, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ὄνομα πάντας αὐτοὺς ἀπήλασεν. Ὠσθεὶς ἀνετράπην τοῦ πεσεῖν, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου. Εἶπε τὸ μέγεθος τῶν δεινῶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους, ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας, ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς τῶν ἐπιόντων· λέγει καὶ ἀφ' ὧν αὐτὸς ἔπαθεν. Οὕτω μου ἐπεκράτησε τὰ δεινὰ, φησὶν, ὡς καὶ μικροῦ ἐγγὺς γενέσθαι τοῦ πεσεῖν καὶ κατενεχθῆναι. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀνετράπην ὠσθεὶς, ὡς μέλλειν καταπίπτειν· ἀλλ' ὅτε λοιπὸν ἔμελλον ἐπὶ γόνυ φέρεσθαι, καὶ κατακλίνεσθαι, καὶ πάντα ἀπέγνωστο τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, τότε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ συμμαχίαν ἐπεδείξατο. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μηδεὶς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δόξαν νοσφίζηται. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ τῶν Κριτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γεδεὼν ἐποίησε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου, νυκτὸς οὔσης, τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν συντελέσας εἰς τὴν νίκην ἐκεῖνος καὶ τὸν πόλεμον, ὅμως ἀπενοήθη· εἰ παρέστη μόνον τῇ παρατάξει, εἰ πίπτοντας εἶδε τοὺς ἀναιρουμένους, οὐκ ἂν μειζόνως τοῦτο ἔπαθεν; Ὅταν τοίνυν ἀπογνωσθῇ ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐλπίδος τὰ πράγματα, τότε ἐπάγει τὴν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ συμμαχίαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Γολιὰθ ἐποίησε· τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ἐγείροντι τοὺς νεκρούς. Ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ὕμνησίς μου ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐγένετό μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν. Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· ∆ύναμίς μου αὐτὸς ἐγένετο καὶ βοήθεια. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὅ φησιν, Ὕμνησίς μου; Ἡ δόξα μου, ὁ αἶνός μου, ὁ κόσμος μου, ἡ περιφάνειά μου. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον ἀπαλλάττει τῶν κινδύνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπροὺς ποιεῖ καὶ περιφανεῖς· καὶ πανταχοῦ τοῦτο ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, μετὰ δόξης τὴν σωτηρίαν διδομένην. Καὶ ἕτερον δέ τι διὰ τούτου αἰνίττεται. Ποῖον δὲ τοῦτο; Ὅτι τοῦτό μοι, φησὶ, διηνεκὴς ᾠδὴ, τοῦτό μοι διηνεκὴς φωνὴ, ὁ ὕμνος ὁ εἰς αὐτὸν, τοῦτό μοι ἔργον, διηνεκῶς αὐτὸν ἀνυμνεῖν. δʹ. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ ταῖς σατανικαῖς ᾠδαῖς κατασηπόμενοι, οἵαν ὑπομένουσι βλάβην, ποίας δ' ἂν καὶ τύχοιεν συγγνώμης, τούτου διηνεκῶς τὸν σωτῆρα ἀνυμνοῦντος, ἐκεῖνοι διηνεκῶς ἐν ταῖς τῶν δαιμόνων ᾠδαῖς ἐγκαλινδούμενοι. Φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ σωτηρίας ἐν σκηναῖς δικαίων. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς κατορθώσῃ τὸ πᾶν, οἱ τῆς νίκης ἀπολαύοντες χαίρουσι, σκιρτῶσι, διπλῇ γαννύμενοι, καὶ τῷ σωθῆναι, καὶ τῷ διὰ Θεοῦ σωθῆναι. Τοῦτο ποιεῖται εὐφροσύνην, ὁ τὸ τρόπαιον στήσας. Εἶτα δεικνὺς καὶ τῆς συμμαχίας τῆς τοιαύτης τὴν ἀφορμὴν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐν σκηναῖς δικαίων. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐν οἰκίαις, ἀλλ', Ἐν σκηναῖς, τὸ ἐσχεδιασμένον τῆς οἰκήσεως αὐτῶν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος. Τοιαύτη ἦν ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτε ἐπανῆλθε, τῶν βαρβάρων περιγενόμενος, λαμπρὸς ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων γεγονώς. Τοιαύτη ἦν ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ Παύλου, ὅτε ἐπανῄει τῶν δαιμόνων περιγενόμενος, καὶ τὴν πλάνην καταλύων, καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα διηγούμενος. ∆εξιὰ Κυρίου ἐποίησε δύναμιν, δεξιὰ Κυρίου ὕψωσέ με. 55.334 Ὅρα τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νῦν λέγει, ὅπερ ἔμπροσθεν