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those who have borne witness, whom the Father, having chosen with his own hand, places around the Son, crowning him and honoring him with a royal diadem, by the multitude of those saved through him and by him. Wherefore she who has received the new name will no longer be called Forsaken and Desolate, but my will, that is, according to my will. By which he also declares that she who was formerly made desolate will be desired, because of the things she rejected concerning Christ; but with the remnant being saved, and those from the nations being united to him, she has increased to an infinite multitude, with God being well-pleased in her, even if he often overlooks her being persecuted for the sake of discipline. Some say that the phrase, and your land inhabited, means that in the new age of the kingdom of Christ it will have inhabitants worthy of the promises; who will live in such gladness as to be like a young man dwelling with a virgin. But some say that it was established at first from the Jews, of whom the disciples of Christ were preeminent, preserving to the uttermost their love for her, so that Paul was in anguish for them and prayed to be anathema. Great is the newness of things. For the ancient Synagogue, grown old in a way by its antiquity, is compared to a young maiden. And her sons, the apostles, dwelt in her, leading her by the hand as a nurse, exhorting her as a mother, suggesting that she flee the shadows of the law, so that David says: Instead of your fathers, sons have been born to you. For being sons, they became fathers. This being so, thus the Lord will rejoice over 2657 you, just as a bridegroom over a bride; For the only-begotten Word descended from heaven to make the Church fruitful, which he himself presented to himself as a pure virgin, having no spot or wrinkle. And having received from him the seeds of the evangelical life, she has brought forth no longer the worship through blood and smoke, but that in which the beauty of truth is fashioned, in which he rightly rejoices, seeing the types transformed into truth. And beholding the bride composed of perfect members, of both the former and the new people, as a bridegroom over a bride he will rejoice, and he will set up guards, that is, divine angels, and holy powers to guard the walls of the new Jerusalem, so that beginning in peace, he himself may live for ever. Or perhaps by guards he means the holy mystagogues, who always sing praise to his glory, being mindful of his wonders, as it is written: About whom they will say, that there is none like to you. For as much as he differs in nature, so much does he differ in goodness. For as it is said in the Psalms: "He has not dealt with us according to our iniquities, nor rewarded us according to our sins." But instead of: For there is none like us, if he should set it right, and make Jerusalem a boast upon the earth; Symmachus says, Be not silent, and do not give rest to a stone, until he prepares, and until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. These things have been said to those who said above: For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as light. For with the prophetic choir having said these things, the Holy Spirit encourages them to persist in their prayers for them, and not to allow God who promised these things to be silent, until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. And as they were crying out, he who said: "While you are still speaking I will say, Behold, I am here," answers: The Lord has sworn. But according to the Seventy, the phrase, If he should set it right, and the rest, must be taken from another beginning. What then does he swear that they will no longer suffer the things which they formerly endured while being impious, their country being ravaged by enemies? Not simply, but if they set themselves right by ceasing from the legal types, having received the grace through faith, and boasting in Christ. For this is what makes a boast. For then, according to David who spoke spiritually, "You will eat the fruit of your labors." And according to Paul, "For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." And, "He who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap eternal life." But formerly they offered their own fruit as food to the enemies of God, their own deeds as food for demons

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μαρτυρήσαντας, οὓς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ χειρὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐκλεξάμενος τῷ Υἱῷ περιτίθησιν, στεφανῶν αὐτὸν καὶ διαδήματι βασιλικῷ τιμῶν, τῷ πλήθει τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ σεσωσμένων. Ἐφ' οἷς οὐκ ἔτι κληθήσεται ἡ τὸ καινὸν ὄνομα λαβοῦσα, ὑπολελειμμένη καὶ ἔρημος, ἀλλὰ θέλημα ἐμὸν, τοῦτ' ἔστι, κατὰ τὸ θέλημά μου. ∆ι' οὗ δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ, θελητὴν αὐτὴν ἔσεσθαι τὴν πρὶν ἐρημωθεῖσαν, ἀνθ' ὧν ἠθέτησεν εἰς Χριστόν· ἀλλὰ σωθέντος τοῦ καταλείμματος, καὶ ἑνωθέντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἐξ ἐθνῶν, εἰς πλῆθος ἐπέδωκεν ἄπειρον, εὐδοκοῦντος ἐν αὐτῇ Θεοῦ, εἰ καὶ παρορᾷ πολλάκις γυμνασίας χάριν διωκομένην. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ, καὶ ἡ γῆ σου οἰκουμένη, ἐν τῷ καινῷ αἰῶνι τῆς Χριστοῦ βασιλείας φασὶ τοὺς τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἀξίους οἰκήτορας ἕξουσαν· οἳ καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ θυμηδίᾳ διάξουσιν, ὡς ἐοικέναι νεανίσκῳ συνῳκηκότι παρθένῳ. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων συνέστη τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς, ὧν προὔχοντες ἦσαν οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ τὴν εἰς ἄκρον ἀγάπην εἰς αὐτὴν διασώζοντες, ὡς καὶ ὀδυνᾶσθαι τὸν Παῦλον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καὶ εὔχεσθαι ἀνάθεμα εἶναι. Πολὺς δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων ὁ καινισμός. Ἡ γὰρ ἀρχαία Συναγωγὴ τρόπον τινὰ πεπαλαιωμένη τῇ παλαιότητι, νεάνιδι παρεικάζεται. Οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ αὐτῆς ἀπόστολοι ἐν αὐτῇ κατῴκουν, ὡς τροφὸν χειραγωγοῦντες, παρακαλοῦντες ὡς μητέρα, φεύγειν τοῦ νόμου τὰς σκιὰς εἰσηγούμενοι, ὡς τὸν ∆αβὶδ λέγειν· Ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγενήθησάν σοι υἱοί. Υἱοὶ γὰρ ὄντες, εἰς πατέρας ἐγένοντο. Ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων, οὕτως εὐφρανθήσεται Κύριος ἐπὶ 2657 σοὶ, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ νυμφίος ἐπὶ νύμφῃ· Καθίκετο γὰρ ἐξ οὐρανῶν ὁ μονογενὴς Λόγος ἔγκαρπον ἀποφῆναι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ παρέστησε παρθένον ἁγνὴν, μὴ ἔχουσαν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα. ∆εξαμένη δὲ παρ' αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς πολιτείας τὰ σπέρματα, τέτοκεν οὐκέτι τὴν δι' αἱμάτων καὶ καπνοῦ λατρείαν, ἀλλ' ἐν ᾗ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐντετόρνευται κάλλος, ᾗπερ εἰκότως εὐφραίνεται, τοὺς τύπους εἰς ἀλήθειαν μετατιθεμένους ὁρῶν. Καὶ ἐκ τελείων μελῶν τὴν νύμφην συνεστῶσαν θεώμενος, τοῦ τε προτέρου καὶ τοῦ νέου λαοῦ, οἷα νυμφίος ἐπὶ νύμφῃ εὐφρανθήσεται, καταστήσει τε φυλακὰς, ἀγγέλους δηλαδὴ θείους, καὶ δυνάμεις ἁγίας εἰς τὸ τῆς νέας Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὰ τείχη φυλάττειν, ὅπως ἐν εἰρήνῃ κατάρχων, αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα διάγοι. Ἢ τάχα φυλακὰς λέγει τοὺς ἁγίους μυσταγωγοὺς, οἳ διὰ παντὸς ἀνυμνοῦσι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, μεμνημένοι τῶν θαυμασίων αὐτοῦ, καθὰ γέγραπται· Περὶ οὗ λέξουσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν ὅμοιος. Ὅσον γὰρ τῇ φύσει, τοσοῦτον διαφέρει χρηστότητι. Ὡς εἴρηται γὰρ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· "Οὐ κατὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνταπέδωκεν ἡμῖν." Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἡμῖν ὅμοιος, ἐὰν διορθώσῃ, καὶ ποιήσῃ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀγαυρίαμα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· Σύμμαχος, Μὴ ἡσυχάσητε, φησὶ, μηδὲ δῶτε ἡσυχάσαι λίθῳ, ἕως ἑτοιμάσῃ, καὶ ἕως θῇ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ αἴνεσιν ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ἃ δὴ λέλεκται τοῖς εἰποῦσιν ἄνω· ∆ιὰ Σιὼν οὐ σιωπήσομαι, καὶ διὰ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οὐκ ἀνήσω, ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ὡς φῶς ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτῆς. Τοῦ γὰρ προφητικοῦ ταῦτα εἰρηκότος χοροῦ, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παραθαῤῥύνει ταῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιμένειν εὐχαῖς, καὶ μὴ συγχωρεῖν ἡσυχάσαι τῷ ἐπαγγειλαμένῳ ταῦτα Θεῷ, ἕως ἂν θῇ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ αἴνεσιν ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ὧν δὴ βοώντων, ὁ εἰπών· "Ἔτι σου λαλοῦντος ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι," ἀποκρίνεται· Ὤμοσεν Κύριος. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα ἐξ ἑτέρας ἀρχῆς ληπτέον τὸ, Ἐὰν διορθώσῃ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τί οὖν ὄμνυσι μηκέτι πείσεσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἃ πρότερον ἀσεβοῦντες ὑπέμενον, δῃουμένης αὐτῶν ὑπὸ πολεμίων τῆς χώρας; Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν διορθώσωνται τύπων παυσάμενοι νομικῶν, τὴν διὰ πίστεως δεξάμενοι χάριν, καυχώμενοί τε ἐν Χριστῷ. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ποιεῖν ἀγαυρίαμα. Τότε γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν ∆αβὶδ νοητῶς εἰρηκότα, "Τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν πόνων σου φάγεσαι." Καὶ κατὰ Παῦλον, "Ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει." Καὶ, "Ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον." Πάλαι δὲ τὸν ἑαυτῶν καρπὸν βρῶμα παρεῖχον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ, δαιμόνων τροφὴν τὰς ἑαυτῶν πράξεις