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he says that appropriately to the abysses the dragons were also named, being different from the serpents on the earth, and in another psalm in some so-called waters, being no different from the abyss named here, dragons were said to be. For it is written in the seventy-third, You broke the heads of the dragons upon the water, you crushed the head of the dragon. But it is necessary to be persuaded that evil powers are signified through these, which the Word of God broke at the time when he also descended into the abysses. But observe, he says, how very precisely the word does not command the dragons in the abysses to praise, but simply mentions them; for they are not worthy of praising God. But they are necessarily called to obey the hymn that is sent up by all creation to the Lord and King and God of all. Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy wind, fulfilling his word. All these things, existing around the air, were necessarily mentioned as being parts of the entire cosmos and as having been brought into existence through the divine Word and serving him. For without the creative Word traversing the whole cosmos at once and overseeing its parts, neither snow nor fire nor ice nor storm nor wind could ever exist, nor would they even act without his will. Thus, then, one must hear these things as fulfilling his word. 1281 Ps 148,11 And it is possible to call kings and rulers and judges those who live transcendently and approach matters critically and investigatively, and peoples those who have believed in a lesser way. 1282 Ps 148,14 The horn of the people is the only-begotten Word of God, whom the saints addressing said, In you we will horn our enemies. For this reason also the Word was named unicorn according to As the glory of a unicorn is to him. About this it has been said, There will I make a horn to spring forth for David, I have prepared a lamp for my Christ; for it clearly showed that Christ, who was to be born according to the flesh from the seed of David, is himself a horn, whom it ordains to spring forth like the sun and light. This horn, then, he says he will raise up for his people, so that being raised up it may become manifest to all the nations. It is for the holy alone to sing hymns but not for the sinners, since Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner; for praise is fitting for the upright. But who are the holy ones whose is the hymn? The sons of Israel who are discerning and have a mind that sees God, who are also said to be a people drawing near to God. And those who have an enlightened mind and a pure soul draw near to God in relationship and disposition, having come by the exhortation of the one who said, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. But this is not for just anyone; for instance, it is said concerning the hierophant Moses that he alone will draw near to God.

1283 Ps 149,1bc Only those who have put on the new man are able to sing

the new song by thinking and doing the things of the new covenant, serving in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter. These same ones also make up a church of holy ones, achieving the sure holy things of David and having a most holy righteousness toward God; whence also the praise, that is the new song, happens to be in their church. 1284 Ps 149,5 Those who have achieved holiness so as to be named from it will boast in the future and eternal glory; For we reckon, says the apostle, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And it is possible to hear the glory in which the holy ones boast as that about which it is said, The glory of the Lord shall be seen, and The glory of your God has risen upon you, it being none other than the radiance of the glory of God. For which reason it is also written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. In this glory and wisdom, sleeping together, the holy ones will boast; for it is said, Whenever

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φησιν ὡς καταλλήλως ταῖς ἀβύσσοις καὶ οἱ δράκοντες ὠνομάσθησαν ετεροι οντες παρὰ τὰ ἑρπετὰ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐν αλλῳ δὲ ψαλμῷ εν τισι καλουμένοις υδασιν οὐκ αλλοις ουσι τῆς ἐνταῦθα ὀνομαζομένης ἀβύσσου δράκοντες ειναι ἐλέγοντο. γέγραπται γοῦν καὶ ἐν ἑβδομηκοστῷ τρίτῳ Σὺ συνέτριψας τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν δρακόντων ἐπὶ τοῦ υδατος, σὺ συνέθλασας τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ δράκοντος. δυνάμεις δὲ πονηρὰς πεπεῖσθαι χρὴ σημαίνεσθαι διὰ τούτων, ας ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος συνέτριψε καθ' ον χρόνον καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἀβύσσων κατελήλυθε. Τήρει δέ, φησίν, οπως ἀκριβῶς σφόδρα ὁ λόγος οὐ προστάττει τοῖς δράκουσι τοῖς ἐν ταῖς ἀβύσσοις αἰνεῖν, ἁπλῶς δὲ αὐτῶν μνημονεύει· οὐ γὰρ αξιοι τοῦ αἰνεῖν τὸν θεόν. καλοῦνται δὲ ἀναγκαίως εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν τοῦ υμνου τοῦ ὑπὸ πάσης κτίσεως ἀναπεμπομένου τῷ τῶν ολων κυρίῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ θεῷ. Πῦρ, χάλαζα, χιών, κρύσταλλος, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, τὰ ποιοῦντα τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. ταῦτα πάντα ἀμφὶ τὸν ἀέρα ὑφιστάμενα ἀναγκαίως ἐμνημονεύθη ὡς αν μέρη οντα τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου καὶ ὡς διὰ τοῦ θείου λόγου ὑποστάντα καὶ αὐτῷ ἐξυπηρετούμενα. δίχα γὰρ τοῦ δημιουργικοῦ λόγου ἀθρόως τε τὸν σύμπαντα κόσμον ἐπιπορευομένου καὶ τοῖς μέρεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐπιστατοῦντος, ουτε χιὼν ουτε πῦρ ουτε κρύσταλλος ουτε καταιγὶς ουτε ανεμος ὑποσταίη ποτ' αν, ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐνεργήσει ετι δίχα τῆς αὐτοῦ βουλῆς. ουτως ουν ἀκουστέον ταῦτα ποιοῦντα τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. 1281 Ps 148,11 ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ βασιλέας καὶ αρχοντας καὶ κριτὰς εἰπεῖν τοὺς ὑπεραναβεβηκότως βιοῦντας καὶ κριτικῶς καὶ ἐξεταστικῶς τοῖς πράγμασι προσερχομένους, λαοὺς δὲ τοὺς ὑποδεέστερον πεπιστευκότας. 1282 Ps 148,14 Κέρας λαοῦ ὁ μονογενής ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ῳ προσφωνοῦντες οἱ αγιοι ελεγον ̓Εν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν. διὸ καὶ μονόκερως ὁ λόγος ὠνομάζετο κατὰ τὸ ̔Ως δόξα μονοκέρωτος αὐτῷ. περὶ τούτου ειρηται ̓Εκεῖ ἐξανατελῶ κέρας τῷ ∆αυίδ, ἡτοίμασα λύχνον τῷ χριστῷ μου· αντικρυς γὰρ ἐδήλωσε τὸν κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυὶδ γενησόμενον Χριστὸν αὐτὸν ειναι κέρας, ον δίκην ἡλίου καὶ φωτὸς ἐξανατέλλειν θεσπίζει. τοῦτο τοίνυν τὸ κέρας φησὶν ὑψώσειν τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ιν' ὑψωθὲν πᾶσι τοῖς εθνεσιν ἐμφανὲς γένηται. Μόνων δὲ τῶν ὁσίων ἐστὶν ὑμνεῖν ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἐπείπερ Οὐχ ὡραῖος αινος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ· Τοῖς γὰρ εὐθέσι πρέπει αινεσις. τίνες δὲ οἱ οσιοι ων ὁ υμνος η οἱ τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ υἱοὶ οἱ διορατικοὶ καὶ νοῦν θεὸν ὁρῶντα εχοντες, οιτινες καὶ λαὸς ἐγγίζοντες θεῷ ειρηνται. ἐγγίζουσι δὲ θεῷ σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει οἱ πεφωτισμένον νοῦν καὶ ψυχὴν εχοντες καθαράν, ηκοντες τῇ προτροπῇ τοῦ εἰπόντος ̓Εγγίσατε τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν. οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν· ἀμέλει γοῦν ειρηται περὶ τοῦ ἱεροφάντου Μωυσέως οτι μόνος ἐγγιεῖ πρὸς θεόν.

1283 Ps 149,1bc Μόνοι οἱ τὸν νέον ανθρωπον ἐνδυσάμενοι ᾳδειν δύνανται

τὸ καινὸν ᾳσμα τῷ φρονεῖν καὶ πράττειν τὰ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, δουλεύοντες καινότητι πνεύματος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος. οἱ αὐτοὶ δὲ συμπληροῦσι καὶ ἐκκλησίαν ὁσίων, κατορθοῦντες τὰ οσια ∆αυὶδ τὰ πιστὰ καὶ ὁσιωτάτην πρὸς τὸν θεὸν δικαιοσύνην εχοντες· οθεν καὶ ἡ αινεσις ου τὸ καινὸν ᾳσμα τυγχάνει ἐν τῇ τούτων ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐστίν. 1284 Ps 149,5 Οἱ ὁσιότητα κατορθώσαντες ὡς καὶ παρωνύμως ἀπ' αὐτῆς αὐτοὺς χρηματίζειν ἐν δόξῃ καυχήσονται τῇ μελλούσῃ καὶ αἰωνίῳ· Λογιζόμεθα γάρ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος οτι οὐκ αξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξαν εἰς ἡμᾶς. ∆υνατὸν δὲ τὴν δόξαν ἀκοῦσαι ἐφ' ῃ οσιοι καυχῶνται ἐκείνην περὶ ης ειρηται ̓Οφθήσεται ἡ δόξα κυρίου, καὶ ̔Η δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκεν, οὐχ ἑτέρας ουσης τοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ. διὸ καὶ γέγραπται ̔Ο καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω. ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ δόξῃ τῇ καὶ σοφίᾳ συγκαθεύδοντες οἱ οσιοι καυχήσονται· ειρηται γὰρ ̔Ηνίκα αν