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to have this in safety through peace. For my brethren’s sake and for my neighbors’ sake. Either he means those from the neighbors, who rejoiced over them when they stumbled, and he prays for peace to come, so that they too might be humbled and know the strength of God; or he calls the inhabitants of the city brethren. Therefore, for my brethren's sake and for my neighbors' sake, let there be peace, so that at long last they might catch their breath, having become better from their calamities. I spoke peace concerning you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you. Another version, I will speak peace in you. Since he said, For my brethren's sake and for my neighbors' sake, showing that he prays this not because of their worthiness, but rather to benefit them, he added: For the sake of the house of the Lord our God; that is, for His glory I pray for peace, so that His worship may return again, and that there may be greater teaching. For some were born in captivity, while others were witnesses both of the descent and of the return. And when the worship was being performed, they learned all these things from the elders: the former well-being, the prosperity, and that being in these states they had fallen. Do you see how he quells their arrogance, so that they might not think they have received good things as if having paid a worthy penalty, but might learn that it was for the glory of God that they returned to their own homeland, and having learned this, they might remain in much safety, and not by sinning again experience the same things? Knowing these things, therefore, let us above all not stumble; but if we should ever fall into sins, let us be eager to rise up quickly, and not to turn back to our former ways, lest we hear the words said to the paralytic: See, you have been made well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you. For he spoke thus for this reason, teaching both those who are in virtue to preserve 55.351 it with safety, and those who are freed from sins to abide in the best change, so that all together may obtain the heavenly goods; which may it be granted for all of us to enjoy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. ON THE 122ND PSALM. To you have I lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven. Do you see the benefit of the captivity shining forth everywhere? For those who were always fixed on the things of this life, and trusted in Assyrians and Egyptians, and in the circuit of walls, and in the abundance of wealth, having torn themselves away from all those things, flee to the invincible hand, and hang upon that hope, and acquire a lofty mind, and being freed from the earth, and from being occupied with the temple, since their temple was destroyed, they henceforth call upon God from heaven. He is said to dwell in heaven, not as being enclosed in a place, far from it; for He Himself fills all things; but rather as resting upon the powers there; since He is also said to dwell in men: For I will dwell in them, and walk among them. Therefore, being in the land of the barbarians, they were taught no small doctrines: both to be separated from all worldly things, and to know clearly that God, when called upon anywhere, readily assents. For since the ray of the new commonwealth was about to rise, the Prophet begins to prelude what is to come, gently and through riddles relaxing the observance of places: Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters; as the eyes of a maidservant are on the hands

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ταύτην ἔχειν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ διὰ τῆς εἰρήνης. Ἕνεκα τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν πλησίον μου. Ἢ τοὺς ἐκ γειτόνων φησὶ, τοὺς ἐφησθέντας αὐτοῖς ἐπταικόσι, καὶ εὔχεται γενέσθαι εἰρήνην, ὥστε κἀκείνους ταπεινωθῆναι καὶ γνῶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν· ἢ ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντας καλεῖ. Ἕνεκα τοίνυν τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν πλησίον μου γενέσθω εἰρήνη, ὥστε ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε ἀναπνεῦσαι, βελτίους ἀπὸ τῶν συμφορῶν γενομένους. Ἐλάλουν δὴ εἰρήνην περὶ σοῦ. Ἕνεκα τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξεζήτησα ἀγαθά σοι. Ἄλλος, Λαλήσω εἰρήνην ἐν σοί. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, Ἕνεκεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν πλησίον μου, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τὴν ἐκείνων, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτοὺς μᾶλλον εὐεργετήσῃ τοῦτο εὔχεται, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἕνεκα τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τουτέστι, διὰ τὴν δόξαν τὴν αὐτοῦ εὔχομαι τὴν εἰρήνην, ὥστε πάλιν αὐτοῦ τὴν λατρείαν ἐπανελθεῖν, καὶ πλείονα γενέσθαι διδασκαλίαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐτέχθησαν, οἱ δὲ μάρτυρες καὶ τῆς καθόδου καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου γεγόνασι. Καὶ τῆς λατρείας ἐπιτελουμένης, ἅπαντα ταῦτα παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐμάνθανον, τὴν παλαιὰν εὐπραγίαν, τὴν εὐημερίαν, ὅτι ἐν τούτοις ὄντες ἐξέπεσον. Ὁρᾷς πῶς αὐτῶν καταστέλλει τὴν ἀπόνοιαν, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἀξίαν δεδωκότες δίκην, νομίζωσιν ἀπειληφέναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἀλλὰ μάθωσιν, ὅτι διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπανῆλθον πατρίδα, καὶ μαθόντες μένωσι μετὰ ἀσφαλείας πολλῆς, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνοντες πάλιν τῶν αὐτῶν λάβωσι πεῖραν; Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες καὶ ἡμεῖς μάλιστα μὲν μὴ πταίωμεν· εἰ δ' ἄρα ποτὲ περιπέσωμεν ἁμαρτήμασι, σπουδάζωμεν ἀνίστασθαι ταχέως, καὶ μὴ παλινδρομεῖν εἰς τὰ πρότερα, ἵνα μὴ τὰ τοῦ παραλύτου ἀκούσωμεν· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι γένηται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπε, τούς τε ἐν ἀρετῇ ὄντας παιδεύων διατηρεῖν 55.351 αὐτὴν μετὰ ἀσφαλείας, τούς τε ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαττομένους πρὸς τὴν ἀρίστην μένειν μεταβολὴν, ὥστε κοινῇ πάντας τῶν ἐπουρανίων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΚΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, τὸν κατοι κοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὸ κέρδος διαλάμπον. Οἱ γὰρ τοῖς βιωτικοῖς ἀεὶ προσηλωμένοι, καὶ Ἀσσυρίοις καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις θαῤῥοῦντες, καὶ περιβολῇ τειχῶν, καὶ πλήθει χρημάτων, πάντων ἐκείνων ἀποῤῥήξαντες ἑαυτοὺς, ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμαχον καταφεύγουσι χεῖρα, καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκείνης ἐκκρέμανται, καὶ ὑψηλὴν κτῶνται διάνοιαν, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπαλλαγέντες, καὶ τοῦ περὶ ναὸν ἠσχολῆσθαι, ἐπειδὴ κατέστρεψαν αὐτῶν τὸν ναὸν, ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καλοῦσι λοιπὸν τὸν Θεόν. Οἰκεῖν δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ λέγεται, οὐχ ὡς τόπῳ περικλειόμενος, ἄπαγε· πάντα γὰρ αὐτὸς πληροῖ· ἀλλ' ὡς ταῖς ἐκεῖ δυνάμεσιν ἐπαναπαυόμενος μᾶλλον· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐνοικεῖν λέγεται· Ἐνοικήσω γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω. Γενόμενοι τοίνυν ἐν τῇ βαρβάρων χώρᾳ, οὐ μικρὰ δόγματα ἐπαιδεύθησαν· τό τε πάντων κεχωρίσθαι τῶν βιωτικῶν, τό τε εἰδέναι σαφῶς, ὅτι πανταχοῦ καλούμενος ὁ Θεὸς ἐπινεύει ῥᾳδίως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμελλε τῆς καινῆς λοιπὸν πολιτείας ἡ ἀκτὶς ἀνίσχειν, ἄρχεται τὰ μέλλοντα προανακρούεσθαι ὁ Προφήτης, τὴν τῶν τόπων παρατήρησιν παραλύων ἠρέμα πως καὶ δι' αἰνιγμάτων· Ἰδοὺ ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ δούλων εἰς χεῖρας τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν· ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ παιδίσκης εἰς χεῖρας