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these obscure sayings, the word in Ezekiel says: “The great eagle with great wings, long in its expanse, full of talons, which has the purpose of entering into Lebanon, and broke off the tender shoots of the cedar:” to which is added in sequence: “When the king of Babylon shall come and enter into Jerusalem, and shall take the rulers.” For clearly through these words the prophecy interpreted the great eagle with great wings as the king of the Babylonians, and Lebanon as Jerusalem. And you will apply the things spoken as of Lebanon in the other prophets to Jerusalem. But not even one of the circumcision would doubt to confess that the things spoken concerning Lebanon allude to Jerusalem. “It shall be exalted,” therefore, the present oracle says, “above Lebanon his fruit,” that is, of the prophesied Savior. And what could His fruit be other than His Church, established throughout the whole world, concerning which it was said: “There shall be a firm support in the land upon the top of the mountains?” This, therefore, is prophesied to be exalted above Lebanon; for if even the aforementioned Lebanon, I mean Jerusalem, once seemed to be glorified and to flourish, yet the fruit of our Savior, that is, the Church throughout the whole world, has been exalted and has become much more beautiful than that with incomparable superiority. Next to these things he presents the peoples gathered in every city and the great multitudes, saying: “And they shall flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth.” But, “out of the city,” is said, instead of, in each city and in every place. But his Church has also been named the city of God because of the lawful and evangelical way of life established in it. Wherefore it is said: “Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God;” and again: “The streams of the river make glad the city of God.” Since therefore the 23.817 city of God, being watered by the overflowing river in it, by the Word, brings forth a great multitude of those gathered in the Church, it has been fittingly said: “And they shall flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth.” Therefore, his aforementioned fruit, being much better and greater than the grass of the earth, preceded the multitude flourishing like grass; wherefore this was placed before: “His fruit shall be exalted above Lebanon;” and after the choice fruit, that is, those bearing fruit in the Church, he numbers the remaining multitudes through the words: “And they shall flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth.” Then upon these things it is said: “His name shall be for ever.” And while the name of Christ remains and endures for ever, it would follow that the name of Christians is extended along with it. And this name, which is above every name, was even before the foundation of the world; wherefore it is said: “His name endures before the sun.” And it was said above that it endures with the sun and before the moon for generations of generations. And that it is not possible to apply these things to a mortal nature, we have already established. And after these things it is said: “And in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” To which you will add the oracle that spoke to Abraham: “And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” And observe how the promise to Abraham was kept, being renewed from time to time through each prophet. For to Abraham first it was said: “In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;” and after these things Jacob, prophesying concerning Christ, is recorded as having said: “A ruler shall not fail from Judah until he comes for whom it is reserved; and he shall be the expectation of the nations.” And in the times after these things it was said again through Balaam: “A man shall come forth from his seed, and he will rule over many nations.” And Moses also remembered the nations in a great song, saying: “Rejoice, O nations, his people; and let all the sons of God worship him.” So therefore also here the things concerning the

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ταύτας τὰς φωνὰς ἀσαφεῖς οὔσας ὁ παρὰ τῷ Ἐζεκιὴλ φάσκων λόγος· «Ὁ ἀετὸς ὁ μέγας ὁ μεγαλοπτέρυγος, ὁ πλατὺς τῇ ἐκτάσει, πλήρης ὀνύχων, ὃς ἔχει τὸ ἥγημα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν Λίβανον, καὶ ἀπέκοψε τὰ ἁπαλὰ τῆς κέδρου·» οἷς ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγεται· «Ὅτε ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος καὶ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ λήψεται τοὺς ἄρχοντας.» Σαφῶς γὰρ διὰ τούτων ἡ προφητεία τὸν μὲν ἀετὸν τὸν μέγαν τὸν μεγαλοπτέρυγον τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ἡρμήνευσε, τὸν δὲ Λίβανον τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐφαρμόσεις δὲ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς προφήταις ὥσπερ Λιβάνου λελεγμένα τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς τις ἀμφιβάλλοι ἂν μὴ οὐχὶ περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ αἰνίττεσθαι ὁμολογεῖν τὰ περὶ Λιβάνου λελεγμένα. «Ὑπεραρθήσεται» τοίνυν, τὸ παρὸν λόγιόν φησιν, «ὑπὲρ τὸν Λίβανον ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ,» δηλαδὴ τοῦ προφητευομένου Σωτῆρος. Καρπὸς δὲ αὐτοῦ τίς ἂν γένοιτο ἢ Ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ ἡ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐστηριγμένη, περὶ ἧς ἐλέγετο· «Ἔσται στήριγμα ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐπ' ἄκρον τῶν ὀρέων;» Αὕτη τοίνυν ὑπεραρθήσεσθαι ὑπὲρ τὸν Λίβανον προφητεύεται· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἔδοξέ ποτε ὁ δηλωθεὶς Λίβανος, λέγω δὲ ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, δοξάζεσθαι καὶ ἀνθεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑπερήρθη καὶ πολὺ κάλλιον ἐκείνης ἀσυγκρίτῳ ὑπεροχῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὁ καρπὸς, ἡ καθ' ὅλης δηλαδὴ τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἐκκλησία γέγονε. Τούτοις ἑξῆς τοὺς λαοὺς τοὺς κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν συγκροτουμένους καὶ τὰ πολλὰ πλήθη παρίστησι λέγων· «Καὶ ἐξανθήσουσιν ἐκ πόλεως ὡσεὶ χόρτος τῆς γῆς.» Τὸ δὲ, «ἐκ πόλεως,» εἴρηται, ἀντὶ τοῦ, καθ' ἑκάστην πόλιν καὶ κατὰ πάντα τόπον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ πόλις ὠνόμασται τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ συνισταμένην νόμιμον καὶ εὐαγγελικὴν πολιτείαν. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· «∆εδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ·» καὶ πάλιν· «Τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰ ὁρμήματα εὐφραίνουσι τὴν πόλιν τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡ 23.817 πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀρδευομένη τῷ ἐν αὐτῇ πλημμύροντι ποταμῷ, λόγῳ, πολὺ πλῆθος προφέρει τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ συγκροτουμένων, εἰκότως ἐπιλέλεκται· «Καὶ ἐξανθήσουσιν ἐκ πόλεως ὡσεὶ χόρτος τῆς γῆς.» Προηγεῖτο μὲν οὖν τοῦ χόρτου δίκην ἐξανθοῦντος πλήθους ὁ προλελεγμένος καρπὸς αὐτοῦ, πολὺ βελτίων καὶ κρείττων τυγχάνων τοῦ χόρτου τῆς γῆς· διὸ προτέτακται τό· «Ὑπεραρθήσεται ὑπὲρ τὸν Λίβανον ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ·» μετὰ δὲ τὸν καρπὸν τὸν ἐξαίρετον, τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ δηλαδὴ καρποφοροῦντας, τὰ λοιπὰ πλήθη καταριθμεῖ διὰ τοῦ· «Καὶ ἐξανθήσουσιν ἐκ πόλεως ὡσεὶ χόρτος τῆς γῆς.» Εἶτ' ἐπὶ τούτοις λέγεται· «Ἔσται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.» ∆ιαμένοντος δὲ καὶ διαιωνίζοντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀνόματος, συμπαρεκτείνεσθαι καὶ τὸ Χριστιανῶν ὄνομα ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου συστάσεως ἦν· διὸ εἴρηται· «Πρὸ τοῦ ἡλίου διαμένει τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ ἐλέγετο συμπαραμένειν τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ πρὸ τῆς σελήνης εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν. Ὅτι δὲ ταῦτα οὐ δυνατὸν θνητῇ ἐφαρμόσαι φύσει, φθάσαντες ἤδη παρεστήσαμεν. Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ λέλεκται· «Καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς.» Οἷς παραθήσεις τὸν φήσαντα πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ χρησμόν· «Καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς.» Καὶ θέα, ὅπως ἡ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγελία ἐφυλάττετο κατὰ χρόνους ἀνανεουμένη δι' ἑκάστου προφήτου. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ πρώτῳ λέλεκτο τό· «Εὐλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς·» μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰακὼβ θεσπίζων περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναγέγραπται εἰρηκώς· «Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὃ ἀπόκειται· καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται προσδοκία ἐθνῶν.» Καὶ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνοις αὖθις εἴρηται διὰ τοῦ Βαλαάμ· «Ἐξελεύσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ κυριεύσει ἐθνῶν πολλῶν.» Καὶ Μωϋσῆς δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐν ᾠδῇ μεγάλῃ μέμνητο λέγων· «Εὐφράνθητε, ἔθνη λαὸς αὐτοῦ· καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες υἱοὶ Θεοῦ.» Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὰ πρὸς τὸν