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up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. That is, for the one repenting, you will forgive not only the small things that happen by consent, but also the actions.

QUESTION 20.

Concerning the different wills of God. Answer. It is necessary to understand three wills concerning God: according to good pleasure, according to economy,

according to concession. And that according to good pleasure signifies the things concerning Abraham, when He said to him, Get out of your country. And that according to economy signifies the things managed concerning Joseph, for the outcome of future events; and that according to concession signifies the things that happened concerning Job.

QUESTION 21.

What does the Psalmist mean when he says concerning enemies: "Of those who attack all around?" Answer. “All around” is in front, behind, on the right, on the left. Therefore, they attack us

the demons, in front, when they entice through the appearances of matter; behind, when through the preconceptions of wicked thoughts they stir up the memory [R. the wicked thought according to memory.]; on the left, when through carnal and licentious passions they force open the soul; and on the right, when they attack the soul through vainglory and pride.

QUESTION 22.

What is: "Take up a psalm, and bring the timbrel; a pleasant psaltery with the harp. " Answer. Receive divine teaching, and give virtuous action through the mortification of the

body. And the pleasant psaltery with the harp: by psaltery he means the spirit; by harp, the soul; and by timbrel, the body.

QUESTION 23.

What is: "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoking flax he will not quench." Answer. The one who, in imitation of the Lord, uses a word of compassion (804), neither causes the one

crushed by sin to be utterly broken by despair; nor does he quench the one who has a smoking reason, on account of vainglory from certain virtues, but allows him to have zeal, until he should come to the perfection of knowledge; for this is, as I think, also what it means to let the tares grow with the good seed; that is, for the passion of pleasing men and vainglory to sprout up together with the virtues. Wherefore the farmer of souls commands that these not be rooted out, until the virtues may become firm, lest someone wishing to pull up such things, should root out the zeal for virtue along with them.

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ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ᾿ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Τουτέστι, τῷ μετανοοῦντί σοι, μή μόνον τά μικρά τά ἐν συγκαταθέσει γινόμενα, ἀλλά καί τάς ἐνεργείας ἀφήσεις.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κ΄.

Περί διαφόρων θελημάτων Θεοῦ. Ἀπόκρισις. Τρία θελήματα ἐπί Θεοῦ χρή ὑπολαμβάνειν· κατ᾿ εὐδοκίαν, κατ᾿ οἰκονομίαν,

κατά συγχώρησιν. Καί τό μέν κατ᾿ εὐδοκίαν δηλοῖ, τά κατά τόν Ἀβραάμ, λέγοντος πρός αὐτόν,Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου. Τό δέ κατ᾿ οἰκονομίαν, δηλοῖ τά κατά τόν Ἰωσήφ οἰκονομηθέντα, πρός τήν τῶν μελλόντων ἔκβασιν, τό δέ κατά συγχώρησιν, δηλοῖ τά κατά τόν Ἰώβ γενόμενα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΑ΄.

Τί σημαίνει ὁ Ψαλμῳδός περί ἐχθρῶν λέγων; " Τῶν κύκλῳ ἐπιτιθεμένων;" Ἀπόκρισις. Τό κύκλῳ ἐστί τό ἐμπρός, ὀπίσω, τό δεξιόν, τό ἀριστερόν. Ἐπιτίθενται οὖν ἡμῖν

οἱ δαίμονες, ἔμπροσθεν μέν, ὅταν διά τῶν τῆς ὕλης ἐπιφανειῶν δελεάζωσιν· ὀπίσω δέ, ὅταν διά τῶν προλήψεων τῶν λογισμῶν τῆς κακίας τήν μνήμην [R. τόν λογισμόν τῆς κακίας κατά μνή.] ἀνακινῶσιν· ἀριστερά δέ, ὅταν διά τῶν σαρκικῶν καί ἀκολάστων παθῶν, τήν ψυχήν ἐκμοχλεύωσι· δεξιά δέ, ὅταν διά κενοδοξίας καί ὑπερηφανίας τῇ ψυχῇ ἐπιτίθενται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΒ΄.

Τί ἐστι τό; "Λάβετε ψαλμόν, καί δότε τύμπανον· ψαλτήριον τερπνόν μετά κιθάρας. " Ἀπόκρισις. Λάβετε διδασκαλίαν ἔνθεον, καί δότε πρᾶξιν ἐνάρετον διά τῆς νεκρώσεως τοῦ

σώματος. Τό δέ ψαλτήριον τερπνόν μετά κιθάρας· ψαλτήριον λέγει, τό πνεῦμα· κιθάραν δέ τήν ψυχήν· τύμπανον δέ, τό σῶμα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΓ΄.

Τί ἐστι; "Κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καί λῖνον τετυφωμένον οὐ σβέσει." Ἀπόκρισις. Ὁ κατά μίμησιν τοῦ Κυρίου συμπαθείας λόγῳ (804) χρώμενος, οὔτε τόν τῇ

ἁμαρτίᾳ συντετριμμένον τῇ ἀπογνώσει εἰς τέλος κατεαγῆναι ποιεῖ· οὔτε τόν τό λογιστικόν ἔχοντα τετυφωμένον, διά κενοδοξίαν τινῶν ἀρετῶν, σβεννύει, ἀλλ᾿ ἐᾷ ἔχειν τήν προθυμίαν, μέχρις ἄν εἰς τό τέλειον ἔλθοι τῆς γνώσεως· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς οἶμαι, καί τό συναυξάνειν τῷ ἀγαθῷ σπόρῳ τά ζιζάνια· τουτέστι ταῖς ἀρεταῖς, τό τῆς ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας καί κενοδοξίας πάθος συναναβλαστάνειν. Ὅθεν ὁ τῶν ψυχῶν γεωργός μή ἐκτίλλεσθαι ταῦτα προστάσσει, μέχρις ἄν αἱ ἀρεταί λάβωσι πῆξιν, μή ποτε ἀνασπάσαι τά τοιαῦτα θέλων τις, συνεκτίλλῃ τήν τῆς ἀρετῆς προθυμίαν.