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nature is made soft by luxury, and is puffed up, and rises up against the soul; but by the hardship of ascetic practice it is humbled and pressed down. And of this Paul is a witness, crying out, "But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." Therefore the Prophet also, since when being persecuted by Saul, he was superior to his passions; but having enjoyed peace, he was harmed by the stirrings that come from luxury, having humbled the body, he renewed the memory of the divine laws. 84. "How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?" The time, he says, of human nature is short. For the days of our years are seventy years. When therefore will you judge for me, and deliver me from my enemies? 85. "The transgressors have told me idle tales, but not as thy law, O Lord." They advised the Prophet to destroy his enemies; but he, obeying the divine law, awaited 80.1849 the divine decree. But for us also the teaching of these oracles is most useful. For it is fitting to flee not only the myths of the Greeks, and the unbelief of the Jews, but also the blasphemous doctrines of the heretics. 86. "All thy commandments are truth." For this reason I prefer your law, because I see all your commandments are adorned with truth. "They have persecuted me wrongfully; help me. [87] They had almost made an end of me on earth; but I did not forsake thy commandments." Great, he says, is the injustice, and the power of my enemies; for they deprived me of almost life itself. 88. "According to thy mercy, give me life, and I will keep the testimonies of thy mouth." With humility he adorned the saying. For he did not ask for life as a reward for righteousness, but he besought to receive it as a gift of mercy, promising to keep the testimonies of God. 89. "Forever, O Lord, thy word endures in heaven." For all things, he says, are easy for you, the Master, and possible. For your command keeps the vaults of the heavens unmoved. And this he also said in the one hundred and forty-eighth psalm: "He hath established them for ever, even for ever and ever: He hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away." And he hints at the same time, that the hosts of angels inhabiting heaven keep the divine law, and are free from all transgression. 90. "Thy truth is unto generation and generation." For this you kept for the generation of the Jews, and for the other that came to be after that one; he means the people from the gentiles, who have obtained salvation through our Savior Jesus Christ. "Thou didst establish the earth, and it abides. [91] By thy ordinance the day continues." You have given the earth the greatest duration, and it has remained as you commanded; you have separated the day from the night, and it proceeds according to your laws. "For all things are thy servants." For all things serve you, and yield to your commands; for you are the Creator of all. 92. "Unless thy law had been my meditation, then I should have perished in my affliction." Each of the pious would say these things, having fallen into misfortunes; and Joseph having fled slavery, adultery, and slander; and Daniel, forbidden to pray, and those three being forced to worship the image; and the victorious martyrs having endured all kinds of punishments. And with good reason did the blessed David say these things, having been driven out by Saul, and being forced to live with foreign and impious men. For he would have partaken of impiety, if he had not carried about the meditation of the divine laws. 80.1852 93. "I will never forget thy justifications, for in them thou hast given me life." For having learned by experience that your justifications produce life, I will keep the memory of them unquenchable. 94. "I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy justifications." Not all of us are able to use this voice. For he lies, who, being a slave of sin, calls himself a servant of God; for by whom a man is overcome, to him he is also enslaved. If therefore, having been delivered from that, we choose the divine laws, we are able to use this voice. 95. "The sinners have waited for me

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φύσις χαυνοῦται μὲν τῇ τρυφῇ, καὶ ἐξογκοῦται, καὶ κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐξανίσταται· τῆς δὲ ἀσκητικῆς κακουχίᾳ ταπεινοῦται καὶ πιέζεται. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυς ὁ Παῦλος βοῶν, "Ἀλλ' ὑποπιέζω μου τὸ σῶμα, καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μήπως ἄλ λοις κηρύξας αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι." Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ Προφήτης, ἐπειδὴ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, κρείττων ἦν τῶν παθῶν· εἰρήνης δὲ ἀπολαύσας, τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς τρυφῆς ἐβλάβη σκιρτήμασι, ταπεινώσας τὸ σῶμα, τῶν θείων νόμων τὴν μνήμην ἀνενεώ σατο. πδʹ. "Πόσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ δούλου σου; πότε ποιήσεις μοι ἐκ τῶν καταδιωκόντων με κρίσιν;" Ὀλίγος, φησὶν, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ὁ χρόνος. Αἱ γὰρ ἡμέραι τῶν ἐτῶν ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη. Πότε τοίνυν μοι δικάσεις, καὶ τῶν δυσμενῶν ἀπαλλάξεις; πεʹ. "∆ιηγήσαντό μοι παράνομοι ἀδολεσχίας, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ νόμος σου, Κύριε." Τῷ μὲν Προ φήτῃ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀνελεῖν συνεβούλευσαν· αὐτὸς δὲ τῷ θείῳ νόμῳ πειθόμενος, τὴν θείαν ψῆφον ἀνέμε 80.1849 νεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῖν τῶν λογίων τούτων διδασκαλία χρησιμωτάτη. Προσήκει γὰρ φυγεῖν οὐ μόνον τοὺς Ἑλλήνων μύθους, καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων ἀπιστίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὰ βλάσφημα δόγματα. πʹ. "Πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαί σου ἀλήθεια." ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γάρ σου προαιροῦμαι τὸν νόμον, ἐπειδὴ πάσας σου τὰς ἐντολὰς ἀληθείᾳ κοσμουμένας ὁρῶ. "Ἀδίκως κατεδίωξάν με, βοήθησόν μοι. [πζʹ] Παρὰ βραχὺ συνετέλεσάν με ἐν τῇ γῇ· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκατ έλιπον τὰς ἐντολάς σου." Πολλὴ, φησὶν, ἡ ἀδικία, καὶ ἡ δυναστεία τῶν δυσμενῶν· καὶ αὐτῆς γάρ με μικροῦ δεῖν ἐστέρησαν τῆς ζωῆς. πηʹ. "Κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου ζῆσόν με, καὶ φυλάξω τὰ μαρτύρια τοῦ στόματός σου." Ταπεινοφροσύνῃ τὸν λόγον ἐκόσμησεν. Οὐ γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀντί δοσιν ᾔτησε τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ δῶρον ἐλέου ταύτην λα βεῖν ἠντιβόλησε, φυλάττειν ὑποσχόμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ μαρτύρια. πθʹ. "Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε, ὁ λόγος σου διαμένει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ." Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, ῥᾴδιά σοι τῷ ∆ε σπότῃ καὶ δυνατά. Τὸ πρόσταγμα γὰρ τὸ σὸν ἀκίνη τα φυλάττει τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰ κύτη. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τῷ ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ ὀγδόῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Ἔστησεν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· πρόσταγμα ἔθετο, καὶ οὐ παρελεύσεται." Αἰνίττεται δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὸν, ὡς τῶν ἀγγέλων οἱ δῆμοι τὸν οὐρανὸν κατοικοῦντες τὸν θεῖον διαφυλάττουσι νόμον, καὶ παραβάσεώς εἰσιν ἁπάσης ἐλεύθεροι. ʹ. "Εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου." Ταύ την γὰρ καὶ τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐφύλαξας γενεᾷ, καὶ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῇ μετ' ἐκείνην γεγενημένῃ· λέγει δὲ τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸν, τὸν διὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς σωτηρίας τετυχηκότα. "Ἐθεμελίωσας τὴν γῆν, καὶ διαμένει. [αʹ] Τῇ διατάξει σου διαμένει ἡμέρα." Ἔδωκας τῇ γῇ τὸ ἐπιπλεῖστον διαρκὲς, καὶ μεμένηκεν ὡς προσέταξας· διώρισας ἀπὸ τῆς νυκτὸς τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς σοὺς ὁδεύει νόμους. "Ὅτι τὰ σύμπαντα δοῦλα σά." Πάντα γάρ σοι δουλεύει, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς νεύμασιν εἴκει· σὺ γὰρ ὁ ∆ημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων. βʹ. "Εἰ μὴ ὅτι ὁ νόμος σου μελέτη μού ἐστι, τότε ἂν ἀπωλόμην ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει μου." Ταῦτα ἕκαστος εἴποι ἂν τῶν εὐσεβῶν περιπεσὼν συμφοραῖς· καὶ Ἰωσὴφ δουλείαν, μοιχείαν, καὶ συκοφαντίαν φυ γών· καὶ ∆ανιὴλ εὔξασθαι κωλυθεὶς, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς ἐκεῖνοι προσκυνῆσαι καταναγκαζόμενοι τὴν εἰκόνα· καὶ οἱ νικηφόροι μάρτυρες παντοδαπῆς τιμωρίας ὑπομείναντες εἴδη. Εἰκότως δὲ ταῦτα ἔφη ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ, ἐξελασθεὶς μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, Ἀλλοφύλοις δὲ καὶ δυσσεβέσιν ἀνθρώποις συνδιάγειν ἀναγκαζόμενος. Ἐκοινώνησε γὰρ ἂν τῆς ἀσεβείας, εἰ μὴ τῶν θείων νόμων συμπεριέφερε τὴν μελέτην. 80.1852 γʹ. "Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐ μὴ ἐπιλάθωμαι τῶν δι καιωμάτων σου, ὅτι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔζησάς με." Τῇ πείρᾳ γὰρ μαθὼν, ὅτι ζωὴν τὰ σὰ δικαιώματα φύει. ἄσβεστον τούτων διατηρήσω τὴν μνήμην. δʹ. "Σός εἰμι ἐγὼ, σῶσόν με· ὅτι τὰ δικαιώματά σου ἐξεζήτησα." Οὐ πάντες ταύτῃ κεχρῆσθαι δυνά μεθα τῇ φωνῇ. Ψεύδεται γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὢν ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζων· ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττη ται, τούτῳ καὶ δεδούλωται. Ἐὰν τοίνυν ἐκείνης ἀπαλ λαγέντες, τοὺς θείους προελώμεθα νόμους, ταύτῃ κε χρῆσθαι δυνάμεθα τῇ φωνῇ. εʹ. "Ἐμὲ ὑπέμειναν