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the joy in which we will be; whoever might receive it will be crowned with the entire intelligible world. But if one has arrived at a perfect man, he will be crowned as a bridegroom. But falling short in measure, one is adorned as a bride, while the one who has reached the measure of the stature is able to say: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness." 2653 That is, he calls the same ones a bridegroom on account of their manliness. But a bride, on account of having fruitfulness along with varied beauty from virtues. For it is said, "Because of your fear, O Lord, we have conceived in the womb," and what follows. But Aquila rendered it, as a bridegroom ministering as a priest, and as a bride adorned with her finery. And Symmachus: As a bridegroom adorned with a crown, and as a bride putting on her attire. And this same one, being a certain bride of the Bridegroom Logos, and having received the seeds from him, rendering beautiful and flourishing fruits, says, and as the earth bringing forth its flower. But lest the Jews, appropriating these things to themselves, should take them, he makes a distinction, saying: And exultation before all the nations. And they say the flower is either Christ who says in the Song of Songs: "I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys," or the evangelical proclamation, in whose righteousness the one who succeeds will rejoice, when he hears: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Lord." CHAPTER 62. 1-12. 9For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until my righteousness goes forth as light, and my salvation as a burning torch. And the nations shall see your righteousness, and kings your glory, and he will call you by your new name, which the Lord will name. And you shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God9, etc. And being moved by what has been said, and as it were becoming inspired with pleasure, the prophet says, For Zion's sake I will not be silent. For I will cry out continually to God, supplicating to see the result of what has been said, which will be when the righteousness and salvation of Jerusalem shines forth upon all men. For her light will pass to the nations after her. For the chorus of the apostles extended the teaching to all the kingdoms, which was also of those of old who fulfilled the pious polity among the Jews called Jerusalem. But some say the new. For the apostles became the firstfruits of the Church. I will not rest, therefore, until God fulfills for her the things that were promised, namely, the salvation through Christ for all the earth. For God is not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. But some (since the text has: my righteousness, and my salvation) say the word is from the person of God, promising to fulfill these things. And Christ is righteousness and salvation, like some torch in the 2656 world, having said: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world," since all were previously darkened by impiety and transgressions. And again he calls Christ righteousness and glory. For we have been justified in him, and we have been enriched with the glory from him. And having turned to a newness of life, it also received a new name, instead of Synagogue, Church, and house, and city of God, of which David says: Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God. And that it will also be comely, and crowned with incomparable beauty, he added: You shall be a crown of beauty. For every holy soul, and the whole Church, must be compared to a crown composed of many flowers, and to a royal diadem. For David says the Church is clothed in golden robes, embroidered, saying things equal to the preceding. And the phrase, in the hand of God, signifies under his protection. Who also says: And under the shadow of my hand I will cover you. And Christ also says concerning his own sheep: And no one will snatch them out of my Father's hand. But some have said that the crown of Christ are those who achieve righteousness through him; and the diadem of his kingdom, those who for his sake

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τὴν ἐν ᾗ χαρᾷ γενησόμεθα· ὃν εἴτις λάβοι, στεφανωθήσεται κόσμῳ παντὶ νοητῷ. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν εἰς ἄνδρα κατήντησε τέλειον, ὡς νυμφίος στεφανωθήσεται. Ὑποβαίνων δὲ τοῖς μέτροις, ὡς νύμφη κοσμεῖται, δυναμένου τοῦ εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας ἐφθακότος εἰπεῖν· "Τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα, λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος." 2653 Ἤγουν τοὺς αὐτοὺς, διὰ μὲν τὴν ἀνδρείαν, νυμφίον καλεῖ. ∆ιὰ δὲ τὸ καρπογόνον μετὰ τοῦ ποικίλον ἐξ ἀρετῶν ἔχειν τὸ κάλλος, νύμφην. Εἴρηται γοῦν. "∆ιὰ τὸν φόβον σου, Κύριε, ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν," καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ὡς νυμφίον ἱερατευμένον, καὶ ὡς νύμφην κοσμουμένην σκεύεσιν αὐτῆς, ἐξέδωκεν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Ὥσπερ νυμφίον κεκοσμημένον στεφάνῳ, καὶ ὡς νύμφην περικειμένην τὴν σκευὴν αὐτῆς. Ἡ δὲ αὐτὴ νύμφη τις οὖσα τοῦ Νυμφίου Λόγου, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ σπέρματα ὑποδεξαμένη, καρποὺς ὡραίους ἀποδιδοῦσα καὶ εὐανθεῖς λέγει, καὶ ὡς γῆν αὔξουσαν τὸ ἄνθος αὐτῆς. Ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ συναρπάζοντες εἰς ἑαυτοὺς Ἰουδαῖοι ταῦτα λαμβάνοιεν, διαστέλλεται λέγων· Καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἄνθος δέ φασιν, ἢ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν ἐν Ἄσμασι λέγοντα· "Ἐγὼ ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου, κρῖνον τῶν κοιλάδων," ἢ τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα, οὗ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὁ κατορθῶν εὐφρανθήσεται, ὅταν ἀκούσῃ· "Εὖ δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστὲ, ἐπὶ ὀλίγα ἦς πιστός· ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω. Εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου σου." ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΞΒʹ. αιβʹ. 9∆ιὰ Σιὼν οὐ σιωπήσομαι, καὶ διὰ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οὐκ ἀνήσω, ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ὡς φῶς ἡ δικαιοσύνη μου, τὸ δὲ σωτήριόν μου ὡς λαμπὰς καυθήσεται. Καὶ ὄψονται ἔθνη τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, καὶ βασιλεῖς τὴν δόξαν σου, καὶ καλέσει σε τὸ ὄνομά σου τὸ καινὸν, ὃ ὁ Κύριος ὀνομάσει αὐτό. Καὶ ἔσῃ στέφανος κάλλους ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου, καὶ διάδημα βασιλείας ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ σου9, κ.τ.λ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὁ προφήτης διατεθεὶς, καὶ οἷον ἔνθους ὑφ' ἡδονῆς γενόμενος, ∆ιὰ Σιὼν, φησὶν, οὐ σιωπήσομαι. ∆ιὰ παντὸς γὰρ βοήσω πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύων τὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ἰδεῖν ἀποτέλεσμα, ὅπερ ἔσται ἐπ' ἂν ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ τὸ σωτήριον Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐκλάμψῃ. Τὸ γὰρ φῶς αὐτῆς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη μετ' αὐτὴν διαβήσεται. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν ἀποστόλων χορὸς τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας ἐξέτεινεν, ἥτις ἦν καὶ τῶν πάλαι πληρούντων τὸ θεοσεβὲς παρ' Ἰουδαίοις πολίτευμα καλούμενον Ἱερουσαλήμ. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν νέαν φασίν. Τῆς γὰρ Ἐκκλησίας οἱ ἀπόστολοι γεγόνασιν ἀπαρχή. Οὐκ ἀνήσω τοίνυν μέχρι πληρώσῃ Θεὸς αὐτῇ τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα, τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ δηλαδὴ σωτηρίαν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. Οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων μόνων ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐθνῶν. Τινὲς δὲ (ὡς τοῦ ῥητοῦ ἔχοντος· τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν μου) ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν λόγον εἶναί φασιν ἐπαγγελλομένου ταῦτα πληροῦν. ∆ικαιοσύνη δὲ καὶ σωτήριον ὁ Χριστὸς, οἷά τις ἐν κό 2656 σμῳ λαμπὰς, εἰπών· Ὅτ' ἂν ὦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου, ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ πλημμελήμασιν ἁπάντων ἐσκοτισμένων τὸ πρότερον. ∆ικαιοσύνην δὲ καὶ δόξαν πάλιν καλεῖ τὸν Χριστόν. ∆εδικαιώμεθα γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ πεπλουτήκαμεν δόξαν. Πρὸς καινότητα δὲ τραπεῖσα ζωῆς, καινὸν ἔσχε καὶ τοὔνομα, ἀντὶ Συναγωγῆς Ἐκκλησία, καὶ οἶκος, καὶ πόλις Θεοῦ, ᾗ φησιν ὁ ∆αβίδ· ∆εδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ εὐπρεπὴς ἔσται, καὶ ἀπαραβλήτῳ κάλλει κατεστεμμένη, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἔσῃ στέφανος κάλλους. Πᾶσαν γὰρ ἁγίαν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὅλην, στεφάνῳ παρεικαστέον ἐκ πολλῶν ἀνθέων συγκειμένῳ, βασιλικῷ τε διαδήματι. Φησὶ γὰρ εἶναι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ∆αβὶδ ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένην, πεποικιλμένην, ἴσα λέγων τοῖς προκειμένοις. Τὸ, ἐν χειρὶ δὲ Θεοῦ, τὸ ὑπὸ σκέπην δηλοῖ τὴν αὐτοῦ. Ὃς καί φησιν· Καὶ ὑπὸ σκέπην τῆς χειρός μου σκεπάσω σε. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ περὶ τῶν ἰδίων προβάτων φησί· Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἁρπάσει αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ Πατέρος μου. Τινὲς δὲ στέφανον Χριστοῦ τοὺς δι' αὐτοῦ κατορθοῦντας εἰρήκασι· καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας διάδημα, τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ