268

there was a time of the incarnation, in which He gave the promises in hope to those who believed; which the law through Moses did not have, confining the rewards to the present life, speaking of long life, and the good things of the earth, and release from wars, for which reason Zechariah also says: "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a fruitful land because of the multitude of men and cattle in it." And again: "Old men shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one having his staff in his hand from the multitude of days, and the streets of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing." But the Savior stores up the rewards for the future. And you might say that a recompense has also come to be in the time of the incarnation. For He destroyed the strength of the devil who trampled upon us. Therefore, in David the person of the redeemed confessing adds: "Because you have maintained my judgment and my cause, you sat on the throne, judging righteousness. You have rebuked the nations, and the wicked has perished." Concerning whom he says again: "His sin will be sought, and will not be found." And the Savior also says: "Now is the judgment of this world, now the ruler of this world will be cast out." And he says he was anointed also to comfort all who mourn; "For blessed," he says, "are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." But also to those who mourn for Zion He will give glory. For the saints among the Jews mourned the fall of the people. Such was Paul saying: that "I have sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh," for whom he was praying even to become anathema. And to these, therefore, He will give glory, and instead of ashes, which they sprinkled on themselves praying to God for them, an ointment of gladness, and a glorious robe, in place of the despondency they have been in on their behalf. But some say [it means] those who, before the visitation of the people, were mourning for their sins, who also were expecting the one who justifies the ungodly by faith, being saints, and knowing the prophecies. For indeed Simeon, taking the infant Christ in his arms, confessed to have seen "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." And Zechariah the father of John, that He has visited and has accomplished redemption for His people. And Nathanael, "The one of whom Moses and the prophets wrote," he says, "we have found, Jesus." Therefore, to them as they mourned, the comfort through Christ has been given. And the ointment of gladness represents cheerfulness. And Christ was given to them as glory; or, as some say, because they have been appointed its leaders and teachers; and being children of the Jewish Synagogue, they became fathers. To which David says: Instead of your fathers, your sons have been born. And indeed Paul wrote to the disciples: For in Christ Jesus through the Gospel I begot you. And in another way also they received glory, at one time hearing: "Heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead," and at another time, "You are the light of the world." Then he says: And they will be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory, that is, those who will be deemed worthy of the acceptable year. But Symmachus, instead of "generations," says "strong ones." For those from the gentiles are called a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for possession. And generations of the righteousness which is in Christ and which surpasses that in the law. "For unless," he says, "your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven," which they accomplished, having become strong, as Symmachus rendered it. And the planting of the Lord, as God's tilled land, concerning which David sang: "Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God." And Paul also says: "I planted you, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." And this is in harmony with, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree." And they will build up the ancient ruins: the souls of the formerly desolate nations. That is, some say, it indicates the multitude of those called through faith, so that there is need of other cities to be built in deserts; that is, the churches formerly devoid of the worship of God. And foreigners will come, tending the

268

ἐνανθρωπήσεως ὑπῆρξε καιρὸς, καθ' ὃν τοῖς πιστεύσασι τὰς ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἐπαγγελίας ἀπέδωκεν· ὅπερ ὁ διὰ Μωσέως νόμος οὐκ ἔσχε, τῷ παρόντι βίῳ περικλείων τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, μακροημέρευσιν λέγων, καὶ γῆς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ πολέμων ἀπαλλαγὰς, διὸ καὶ Ζαχαρίας φησί· "Κατάκαρπος οἰκηθήσεται Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων, καὶ κτηνῶν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἔτι καθήσονται πρεσβύτεροι ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἕκαστος τὴν ῥάβδον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ἔχων ἀπὸ πλήθους ἡμερῶν, καὶ αἱ πλατεῖαι τῆς πόλεως πλησθήσονται παιδαρίων καὶ κορασίων παιζόντων." Ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ τῷ μέλλοντι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ταμιεύεται. Εἴποις δ' ἂν καὶ ἀνταπόδοσιν ἐν τῷ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως γεγονέναι καιρῷ. Τὴν γὰρ τοῦ καταπατήσαντος ἡμᾶς διαβόλου καθεῖλεν ἰσχύν. ∆ιὸ παρὰ ∆αβὶδ τὸ τῶν λελυτρωμένων ἐξομολογησάμενον πρόσωπον ἐπιφέρει· "Ὅτι ἐποίησας τὴν κρίσιν μου, καὶ τὴν δίκην μου, ἐκάθισας ἐπὶ θρόνου ὁ κρίνων δικαιοσύνην. Ἐπετίμησας ἔθνεσιν, καὶ ἀπώλετο ὁ ἀσεβής." Περὶ οὗ πάλιν φησίν· "Ζητηθήσεται ἡ ἁμαρτία αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ." Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δὲ λέγει· "Νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω." Κεχρίσθαι δέ φησι καὶ παρακαλέσαι πάντας τοὺς πενθοῦντας· "Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται." Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τὴν Σιὼν πενθοῦσι δώσει δόξαν. Ἐπένθουν γὰρ οἱ παρ' Ἰουδαίοις ἅγιοι τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ. Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· ὅτι Λύπη μοί ἐστι, καὶ ἀδιάλειπτος ὀδύνη τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν κατὰ σάρκα, ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ ἀνάθεμα γενέσθαι προσηύχετο. Καὶ τούτοις οὖν δώσει δόξαν, καὶ ἀντὶ σποδοῦ, ἣν κατεπάσαντο δεόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' αὐτοὺς, εὐφροσύνης ἄλειμμα, καὶ στολὴν ἔνδοξον, ἀνθ' ὧν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐν ἀκηδίᾳ γεγόνασι. Τινὲς δὲ τοὺς πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ λαοῦ πεν 2645 θοῦντας τὰς ἁμαρτίας φασὶν, οἳ καὶ προσεδόκων τὸν δικαιοῦντα τῇ πίστει τὸν ἀσεβῆ, ἅγιοί τε ὄντες, καὶ τὰς προφητείας εἰδότες. Βρέφος γ' οὖν ὁ Συμεὼν ἐν ἀγκάλαις λαβὼν τὸν Χριστὸν, ἰδεῖν ἐξομολογεῖτο "φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν, καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ." Καὶ Ζαχαρίας ὁ Ἰωάννου πατὴρ, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο, καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ Ναθαναὴλ, Ὃν ἔγραψε Μωσῆς καὶ οἱ προφῆται, φησὶν, εὑρήκαμεν Ἰησοῦν. Πενθοῦσιν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἡ διὰ Χριστοῦ παράκλησις δέδοται. Τὸ δὲ ἄλειμμα τὸ τῆς εὐφροσύνης παρίστησιν ἱλαρόν. Ἐδόθη δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ δόξα Χριστός· ἢ, ὥς φασί τινες, ἐπειδὴ τέθεινται αὐτῆς καθηγηταὶ, καὶ διδάσκαλοι· καὶ τέκνα ὄντες τῆς Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγῆς εἰς πατέρας ἐγένοντο. Πρὸς ἥν φησιν ὁ ∆αβίδ· Ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγενήθησαν οἱ υἱοί σου. Καὶ γοῦν Παῦλος ἔγραφε τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ δόξαν ἐδέξαντο, ποτὲ μὲν ἀκούοντες· Ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, ποτὲ δὲ, Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. Εἶτά φησι· Καὶ κληθήσονται γενεαὶ δικαιοσύνης φύτευμα Κυρίου εἰς δόξαν, δηλονότι οἱ καταξιωθησόμενοι τοῦ δεκτοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ. Σύμμαχος δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ γενεαὶ, φησὶν ἰσχυροί. Χρηματίζουσι γὰρ οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν, γένος ἐκλεκτὸν, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν. ∆ικαιοσύνης δὲ γενεαὶ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν ἐν νόμῳ νικώσης. "Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ περισσεύσῃ, φησὶν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν," ἣν διήνυσαν ἰσχυροὶ γεγονότες, ὡς ἐξέδωκε Σύμμαχος. Φύτευμα δὲ Κυρίου, ὡς Θεοῦ γεώργιον, περὶ ὧν ἔψαλλεν ὁ ∆αβίδ· "Πεφυτευμένοι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξανθήσουσι." Καὶ Παῦλος δέ φησιν· "Ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα ὑμᾶς, Ἀπολλὼς ἐπότισεν, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν." Συνᾴδει καὶ τὸ, "∆ίκαιος ὡς φοῖνιξ ἀνθήσει." Καὶ οἰκοδομήσουσιν ἐρήμους αἰωνίας· τῶν πρὶν ἐρήμων ἐθνῶν τὰς ψυχάς. Ἤγουν, φασί τινες, τὸ πλῆθος ἐμφαίνει τῶν διὰ πίστεως κεκλημένων, ὡς δεῖσθαι πόλεων ἑτέρων ἐν ἐρήμοις γενησομένων· ἤγουν τὰς ἐκκλησίας τὰς πρὶν ἐρήμους θεοσεβείας. Καὶ ἥξουσιν ἀλλογενεῖς, ποιμαίνοντες τὰ