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to understand, who even from their very appearance are recognizable through their good works, as being disciples of saints, being a seed blessed by God. Such are the divine communities of monks, concerning whom Paul says: "And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts;" who also themselves will rejoice in the Lord, having become such a seed, concerning whom he said: And everlasting joy shall be upon their head. But some say it is possible to understand the whole saying as also being spoken from the prophet. For since he spoke of the surpassing philanthropy of the Master who will change all things for the better, "Not mine is the word," he says, "but of the inspiration of the Spirit of God who appointed me to proclaim the good news of the good things to come to those who will be in poverty, so that receiving a spiritual healing they may return from this captivity," which is also truly so. For bodily in captivity were Daniel and the three young men, having an unenslaved mind; but rather even the body, with neither fire nor beasts touching it. And an acceptable year of the Lord, in which the soul will change for the better, offering its fruitfulness to the farmer of souls, just as the yearly crop of seeds sprouting in winter, growing in spring, and being perfected in summer. To whom he proclaims joy instead of mourning, and release from the two-fold captivity which holds them, who will also rebuild the most ruined places, and they will have foreigners in the rank of servants, praying to serve the Israelites who are consecrated by the word of piety. For that each one can be a priest of God is shown both by the lamb sacrificed at 2652 home, and the prayer offered to God through the words of each person. Therefore, being devoted to piety, they will receive offerings from the nations, being rich and admired; and instead of the former they will inherit another land, appearing different than they were before, and being friends. For I am the Lord of justice, not hating all things seized, but those seized by injustice. For I love those who seize the kingdom of heaven by force. But those who seize unjustly will go away naked of their spoils, and they will pay the penalty for them. But the just, having become good stewards of what they have taken, will enjoy both present and eternal goods, when, as heirs of blessing, they will be made known, just as the wicked are punished, while those others inherit eternal joy. 10, 11. 9Let my soul be joyful in the Lord. For he has clothed me with the garment of salvation, and with the robe of gladness. As a bridegroom he has set a crown upon me, and as a bride he has adorned me with an ornament9, etc. After the promises, which Christ, having appeared on earth, fulfilled (among which was also, "They will rejoice in the Lord"), the text personifies the Church, confessing and rejoicing in what it has received. For having received as its own members the fullness of those who are saved, being a bride composed of a comely body, and having also received the ornament from the bridegroom, she reasonably says: Let my soul be joyful in the Lord. For the soul of those who fill it is one through their concord with one another, according to that which is said: "And the heart and soul of all who believed were one." Which will happen by much more in the new age, in which it will utter the aforesaid words. And the cause of salvation: For he has clothed me with the garment of salvation. For the body of the resurrection will be full of light, no longer called of death, according to that which is said, Who will deliver me from the body of this death? And a garment of salvation will be placed upon the soul, and a robe of gladness. For each one will put on his own virtuous deeds, rejoicing in them. That is, he calls Christ the robe, according to what was said to the Apostle: "Put on our Lord Jesus Christ." He who receives him, in addition to salvation, also gains to be in joys. Such as is the saying: "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." Saying more abundantly

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νοεῖν, οἳ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς ὄψεως διὰ τῆς ἀγαθουργίας ὑπάρχουσι γνώριμοι, ὡς ἁγίων ὑπάρχουσι μαθηταὶ, σπέρμα ὄντες εὐλογημένον ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. Ὁποῖα τὰ θεῖα τῶν μοναζόντων συστήματα, περὶ ὧν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· "Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν σὺν τοῖς παθήμασι καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις·" οἳ καὶ αὐτοὶ εὐφρανθήσονται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, οἷα δὴ τοιούτων σπέρμα γενόμενοι, περὶ ὧν ἔλεγεν· Καὶ εὐφροσύνη αἰώνιος ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν ὅλην ῥῆσιν δύνασθαί φασι καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ προφήτου λεγομένην νοεῖν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἔφη τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον πάντα μετοίσοντος, Οὐκ ἐμὸς ὁ λόγος, φησὶ, τῆς δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνηχήσεως Θεοῦ με πρὸς εὐαγγελισμὸν ἀναδείξαντος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἐν πενίᾳ γενησομένων, ὡς ἂν ἴασιν δεξάμενοι ψυχικὴν ἐπανέλθωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ ταύτην αἰχμαλωσίας, ἥτις καὶ κυρίως ἐστίν. Σωματικῶς γὰρ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς γενόμενοι παῖδες, ἀδούλωτον ἔχον τὸ φρόνημα· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα μήτε πυρὸς, μήτε θηρίων καθικνουμένων. Ἐνιαυτὸς δὲ Κυρίου δεκτὸς, ἐν ᾧ μεταβαλεῖ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ψυχὴ τῷ τῶν ψυχῶν γεωργῷ τὴν εὐκαρπίαν παρέχουσα, καθάπερ φορὰν σπερμάτων ἐτήσιον βλαστανόντων μὲν ἐν χειμῶνι, ἐν ἔαρι δὲ αὐξομένων, ἐπὶ δὲ θέρους τελειουμένων. Οἷς ἀντὶ πένθους εὐφροσύνην εὐαγγελίζεται, καὶ τῆς κατεχούσης αὐτοὺς ἑκατέρας αἰχμαλωσίας, οἳ καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσουσι τὰς πλείστας κατεστραμμένας, ἕξουσί τε τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἐν ὑπηρετῶν τάγματι εὐχομένων θητεῦσαι τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις τῷ λόγῳ τῆς θεοσεβείας ἱερωμένοις. Ὅτι γὰρ ἕκαστος ἱερεὺς εἶναι δύναται τοῦ Θεοῦ, δείκνυσι καὶ τὸ κατ' 2652 οἶκον θυόμενον πρόβατον, καὶ ἡ διὰ λόγων ἐκάστου προσαγομένη τῷ Θεῷ προσευχή. Θεοσεβείᾳ τοίνυν προσκείμενοι δέξονται παρὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν προσφορὰς πλουτοῦντες καὶ θαυμαζόμενοι· καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς ἀρχαίας ἑτέραν κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, ἀντ' ἄλλων ἄλλοι φαινόμενοι, καὶ φίλοι ὄντες. ∆ικαιοσύνης ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Κύριος, οὐχὶ πάντα τὰ ἁρπάγματα μισῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐξ ἀδικίας. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἁρπάζοντας τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀγαπῶ. Οἱ δὲ ἀδίκως ἁρπάζοντες γυμνοί τε τῶν ἁρπαγμάτων ἀπίασι, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποτίσουσι δίκην. Οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι καλοὶ τῶν ληφθέντων οἰκονόμοι γενόμενοι, καὶ τῶν παρόντων, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσουσιν, ὅτε, ὡς εὐλογίας ὄντες κληρονόμοι, γνωσθήσονται, ὤσπερ οὖν καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ κολαζόμενοι, κληρονομούντων ἐκείνων εὐφροσύνην αἰώνιον. ιʹ, ιαʹ. 9Ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου, καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης. Ὡς νυμφίῳ περιέθηκέ μοι μίτραν, καὶ ὡς νύμφην κατεκόσμησέ με κόσμῳ9, κ.τ.λ. Μετὰ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἃς φανεὶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπὶ γῆς ἐπληρώσατο (ἐν αἷς ἦν καὶ τὸ, Εὐφρανθήσονται ἐπὶ Κύριον), προσωποποιεῖ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὁ λόγος, ἐφ' οἷς ἔτυχεν ἐξομολογουμένην καὶ χαίρουσαν. Ἀπολαβοῦσα γὰρ ὥσπερ ἴδια μέλη, τῶν σωζομένων τὸ πλήρωμα, ὡς ἐκ σώματος εὐπρεποῦς συγκειμένη νύμφη, καὶ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ νυμφίου προσλαβοῦσα κόσμον, εἰκότως φησίν· Ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Μία γὰρ τῶν αὐτὴν πληρούντων ἡ διὰ τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους συμπνοίας ψυχὴ, κατὰ τό· "Καὶ ἦν πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία." Ὃ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ νέου γενήσεται, ἐν ᾧ τὰς προκειμένας ἀποδώσει φωνάς. Τὸ δὲ τῆς σωτηρίας αἴτιον, Ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου. Τὸ γὰρ σῶμα τῆς ἀναστάσεως φωτὸς ἔσται πλῆρες, οὐκ ἔτι θανάτου λεγόμενον, κατὰ τὸ, Τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Σωτηρίου δὲ ἱμάτιον περιτεθήσεται τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ χιτὼν εὐφροσύνης. Ἕκαστος γὰρ τὰς ἰδίας ἀνδραγαθίας ἐνδύσεται, ταύταις ἐνευφραινόμενος. Ἤγουν χιτῶνά φησι τὸν Χριστὸν, κατὰ τὸ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ ῥηθέν· "Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν." Ὃν ὁ δεχόμενος πρὸς τῇ σωτηρίᾳ, καὶ τὸ ἐν εὐφροσύναις εἶναι κερδαίνει. Ὁποῖόν ἐστι τό· "Ἐγὼ ἦλθον, ἵνα ζωὴν ἔχωσι, καὶ περισσὸν ἔχωσι." Περισσὸν λέγων