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he called them cords; taking the occasion for the metaphor from their weaving. So also Isaiah: "Woe to those who draw their sins as with a long cord!" And when these cords, he says, were stretched around me, I did not shake off the memory of the divine law. Then he also teaches the causes of the memory. 62. "At midnight I arose to give thanks to you for the judgments of your righteousness." For not only during the day, but also at night at the very middle of the night, when sleep comes upon men with greater pleasure, I continued to praise you, I acclaimed your righteous decrees. This the divine Apostle also did with Silas [he did it; for being in bonds with Silas] and bound in the stocks after torment and scourging, he mixed the singing of hymns with prayer, and they reaped the fruit of their good vigil; for they enjoyed the divine generosity. 63. "I am a companion of all who fear you and of those who keep your commandments." But Symmachus, instead of companion, said united, and the Syrian, friend. For turning away from those who choose what is contrary to your laws, I had as associates and companions those who hold [your] fear in high regard, and who choose to live according to the law. This he also said in another psalm, "But to me your friends, O God, were greatly honored." 64. "The earth, O Lord, is full of your mercy; teach me your statutes." Upon all, he says, you richly pour out the springs of mercy, and you make your sun rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the just and on the unjust, and you do not bring on wrath each day, but you bear with long-suffering those who violate others' marriages, and those who are stained with unjust blood; and others who usurp what does not belong to them; and those who pollute their tongue with blasphemies, and others daring some other lawless act. Therefore, using such philanthropy, deem me also worthy of it, O Master, by granting me the knowledge of your statutes. 65. "You have dealt kindly with your servant. 80.1844 O Lord, according to your word." I have had experience of your goodness; therefore I ask to enjoy it again, and I beseech to live according to your laws. 60. "Teach me kindness and discipline and knowledge, for I have believed in your commandments." The Prophet knows the usefulness of discipline; and that the Master, acting with philanthropy, brings it upon men. For which reason he asks to partake of it. For God, acting with kindness, brings on discipline, and discipline produces knowledge. So also the prophet Jeremiah beseeches, "Discipline us, O Lord; but in judgment, and not in anger, lest you make us few." So also a sick person longing for health, also seeks the cut of the knife, and cauteries. Then he teaches from where he knew the usefulness of discipline. 67. "Before I was humbled, I went astray; therefore I have kept your word." I, he says, brought the discipline upon myself. Free from injustice is the decree of punishment; discipline followed sin; keeping of the laws followed discipline. I was sick, I was cut, I was made well. 68. "You are good, O Lord." Truly [for] you are good and philanthropic. "And in your goodness teach me your statutes." Therefore I confidently ask to receive from you the knowledge of your statutes. 69. "The injustice of the proud has multiplied against me; but I with my whole heart will search out your commandments." For those who practice arrogance devise every kind of plot against me; but nevertheless I am not provoked to their lawlessness, being regulated by your commandments. 70. "Their heart was curdled like milk; but I have meditated on your law." This is like the prophetic saying, "For the heart of this people has grown dull, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have closed." And it is also like what was said in Exodus about Pharaoh, "And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened." Those therefore, he says, have had a resistant heart, having themselves made its softness hard, and having curdled and cheesed it like milk;

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σχοινία ἐκάλεσεν· ἐκ τῆς πλοκῆς τὴν ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν τῆς τροπῆς. Οὕτω καὶ Ἡσαΐας· "Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπισπώμενοι τὰς ἁμαρ τίας αὑτῶν ὡς σχοινίῳ μακρῷ!" Τούτων δὲ, φησὶ, τῶν σχοινίων περιταθέντων μοι, οὐκ ἀπεσεισάμην τοῦ θείου νόμου τὴν μνήμην. Εἶτα διδάσκει καὶ τῆς μνήμης τὰ αἴτια. ξβʹ. "Μεσονύκτιον ἐξεγειρόμην τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί σοι ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου." Οὐ γὰρ μεθ' ἡμέραν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νύκτωρ κατ' αὐτὸ τῆς νυκτὸς τὸ μεσαίτατον, ἐν ᾧ μετὰ πλείονος ἡδο νῆς ὁ ὕπνος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπέρχεται, ὑμνῶν σε δι ετέλουν, τὰς δικαίας σου ψήφους ἀνευφήμουν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος μετὰ τοῦ Σίλα [πεποίηκεν· πεπεδημένος γὰρ σὺν τῷ Σίλᾳ] καὶ τῇ ποδοκάκῃ προσδεδεμένος μετὰ αἰκίας καὶ μάστιγος, τῇ προσευχῇ τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν ἐκέρασε, καὶ τῆς καλῆς ἀγρυπνίας ἐτρύγησαν τὸν καρπόν· τῆς θείας γὰρ φιλοτιμίας ἀπήλαυσαν. ξγʹ. "Μέτοχος ἐγώ εἰμι πάντων τῶν φοβουμένων σε καὶ τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολάς σου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ἀντὶ τοῦ μέτοχος, συνημμένος εἴρηκεν, ὁ δὲ Σύρος, φίλος. Ἀποστρεφόμενος γὰρ τοὺς τἀναντία τοῖς σοῖς νόμοις προαιρουμένους, κοινωνοὺς εἶχον καὶ συνήθεις τοὺς τὸν [σὸν], φόβον περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένους, καὶ βιοτεύειν ἐννόμως προαι ρουμένους. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ, "Ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ Θεός." ξδʹ. "Τοῦ ἐλέους σου, Κύριε, πλήρης ἡ γῆ· τὰ δικαιώματά σου δίδαξόν με." Ἐπὶ πάντας, φησὶ, πλουσίως ἐκχέεις τὰς τοῦ ἐλέους πηγὰς, καὶ ἀνατέλ λεις τὸν ἥλιόν σου ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχεις ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ οὐκ ἐπάγεις τὴν ὀργὴν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ φέρεις μα κροθύμως τοὺς μὲν γάμους διορύττοντας ἀλλο τρίους, τοὺς δὲ αἵματι μιαινομένους ἀδίκῳ· ἄλλους δὲ σφετεριζομένους τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα· τοὺς δὲ βλασφημίαις τὴν γλῶτταν μολύνοντας, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἄλλο τι τῶν παρανόμων τολμῶντας. Τοσαύτῃ τοίνυν φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρώμενος, κἀμὲ ταύτης ἀξίωσον, ∆έσπο τα, τῶν σῶν μοι δικαιωμάτων παρέχων τὴν γνῶσιν. ξεʹ. "Χρηστότητα ἐποίησας μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου. 80.1844 Κύριε, κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου." Πεῖραν τῆς σῆς ἔλα βον ἀγαθότητος· διόπερ αὖθις ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς σοὺς διαβιῶναι νόμους ἀν τιβολῶ. ξʹ. "Χρηστότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν δί δαξόν με, ὅτι ταῖς ἐντολαῖς σου ἐπίστευσα." Οἶδεν ὁ Προφήτης παιδείας τὸ χρήσιμον· καὶ ὅτι φιλανθρω πίᾳ χρώμενος ὁ ∆εσπότης ταύτην ἐπιφέρει τοῖς ἀν θρώποις. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ταύτης μεταλαχεῖν ἀξιοῖ. Χρη στότητι γὰρ χρώμενος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν παιδείαν ἐπάγει, ἡ δὲ παιδεία τὴν γνῶσιν ἐργάζεται. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ προ φήτης Ἱερεμίας ἀντιβολεῖ, "Παίδευσον ἡμᾶς, Κύ ριε· πλὴν ἐν κρίσει, καὶ μὴ ἐν θυμῷ, ἵνα μὴ ὀλιγο στοὺς ποιήσῃς ἡμᾶς." Οὕτω καὶ ἄῤῥωστος ὑγίειαν ποθῶν, καὶ σιδήρου τομὴν, καὶ καυστήρια ἐπιζη τεῖ. Εἶτα διδάσκει πόθεν ἔγνω τῆς παιδείας τὸ χρή σιμον. ξζʹ. "Πρὸ τοῦ με ταπεινωθῆναι, ἐγὼ ἐπλημμέλη σα· διὰ τοῦτο τὸ λόγιόν σου ἐφύλαξα." Ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐμαυτῷ τὴν παιδείαν προὐξένησα. Ἀδικίας ἐλευθέρα τῆς τιμωρίας ἡ ψῆφος· τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἠκο λούθησεν ἡ παιδεία· τῇ παιδείᾳ, τῶν νόμων ἡ φυλα κή. Ἠῤῥώστησα, ἐτμήθην, ἐῤῥώσθην. ξηʹ. "Χρηστὸς εἶ σὺ, Κύριε." Τῷ ὄντι [γὰρ] χρηστὸς ὑπάρχεις καὶ φιλάνθρωπος. "Καὶ ἐν τῇ χρηστότητί σου δίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου." ∆ιὰ τοῦτο θαῤῥῶν αἰτῶ παρὰ σοῦ λαβεῖν τῶν σῶν δι καιωμάτων τὴν γνῶσιν. ξθʹ. "Ἐπληθύνθη ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἀδικία ὑπερηφάνων· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου ἐξερευνήσω τὰς ἐντολάς σου." Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀλαζονείᾳ χρώμενοι πᾶν εἶδος ἐπι βουλῆς καττύουσι κατ' ἐμοῦ· ἀλλ' ὅμως πρὸς τὴν αὐ τῶν παρανομίαν οὐκ ἐρεθίζομαι, ταῖς σαῖς ἐντολαῖς ῥυθμιζόμενος. οʹ. "Ἐτυρώθη ὡς γάλα ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν νόμον σου ἐμελέτησα." Ἔοικε τοῦτο τῷ προφη τικῷ ῥητῷ, "Ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τού του, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶ βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλ μοὺς ἐκάμμυσαν." Ἔοικε δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ περὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ εἰρημένοις, "Καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραώ." Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν, φησὶν, ἀντίτυπον ἐσχήκασι τὴν καρδίαν, αὐτοὶ τὸ ἁπαλὸν αὐτῆς σκληρὸν ἐργασάμενοι, καὶ καθάπερ γάλα πήξαντες, καὶ τυρώσαντες·