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the city being full of idols. 140. "Your word is exceedingly refined, and your servant has loved it." Your word, he says, is proven and unadulterated, and free from every fault; and I have a fervent affection for it. 141. "I am younger, and despised, I have not forgotten your ordinances;" When God instructed the divine Samuel to anoint one of the sons 80.1865 of Jesse as king, he rejected all the others who were adorned with strength, and power, and beauty of body, and he asked Jesse if the children had run out; and when he said that a small youth was left, who shepherds the flocks, and as unfit for kingship, the prophet ordered this one to be brought, and anointed him immediately upon his arrival. Here the Prophet recalled this gift, and says: Though I was young, and considered of no account by my parents, you deemed me worthy of such great grace, and made me both a prophet and a king; for which reason I desire with all eagerness to keep your ordinances. 142. "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth." He who obeys human laws does not enjoy honor from the lawgivers even in the present life; but he who follows the divine commandments has eternal life as a reward for his labors. And human laws do not all in every case possess what is just; but the law of God is illumined by truth. Rightly, therefore, did he say: "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth." 143. "Tribulations and necessities have found me." For these are joined to the lovers of virtue. "Your commandments are my meditation." For from their teaching I learn courage, and I bear painful things nobly. 144. "Your testimonies are righteousness forever." That is, they are the cause of eternal goods. "Give me understanding, and I shall live." For being enlightened by you, I shall enjoy true life. 145. "I have cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord, I will seek your ordinances." Again he calls the eagerness of the soul a cry; for this reason he added 'with my whole heart.' Thus also Moses cried out while silent; and to him praying in his mind God said, "Why do you cry to me?" 146. "I have cried to you, save me, and I shall keep your testimonies." For receiving salvation from you, I will become a keeper of your laws. 147. "I arose at an untimely hour, and cried out, I have hoped in your words." The Prophet, being a king, and beset by countless cares, and having in addition to these undertaken military contests, not only offered supplications to God at daybreak; but also in the middle of the night, not waiting for the songs of the roosters. Thus he longed for God his maker, thus he eagerly asked for help from there. 148. "My eyes have prevented the morning watch, that I might meditate on your words." Not only during the time of sweet sleep, but also at dawn, he made the divine laws his meditation. 80.1868 But we, living in poverty, and freed from all care, spend the night tossing on our bed, and not even at the beginning of the day do we offer a hymn to the giver of good things. 149. "Hear my voice, O Lord, according to your mercy; according to your judgment, give me life." He who boasts in such good things deems it worthy to receive mercy, and does not ask for mercy indefinitely; but according to the beneficial decree. 150. "Those who persecute me with iniquity have drawn near, but from your law they are far removed." For those who attempt to war against the righteous one are far from the divine laws. "For 'he who rejects you,' he says, 'does not reject you, but him who sent you.'" And: "I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you." 151. "You are near, O Lord, and all your ways are truth." You see all things, O Lord, he says; for you have not stood aloof, but you fill the inhabited world, and using truth you govern creation. This God himself also says through the prophet: "'I am a God at hand, and not a God far off.'" And the blessed Paul, "In him," he says,

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κατείδωλον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν. ρμʹ. "Πεπυρωμένον τὸ λόγιόν σου σφόδρα, καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σου ἠγάπησεν αὐτό." ∆όκιμος, φησὶν, ἐστὶ καὶ ἀκίβδηλος ὁ σὸς λόγος, καὶ μώμου παντὸς ἐλεύ θερος· ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ τοῦτον θερμὸν ἔχω τὸ φίλ τρον. ρμαʹ. "Νεώτερος ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἐξουδενωμένος, τὰ δικαιώματά σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην·" Ἡνίκα τῷ θείῳ Σαμουὴλ παρηγγύησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἕνα τῶν παίδων 80.1865 τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ βασιλέα χειροτονῆσαι, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους καὶ ῥώμῃ, καὶ δυνάμει, καὶ κάλλει σώματος κεκο σμημένους ἀπεδοκίμασεν ἅπαντας ἤρετο δὲ τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ εἰ ἐκλελοίπει τὰ παιδάρια· τοῦ δὲ εἰρη κότος, ὑπολελεῖφθαι μειράκιον σμικρὸν, ὃ ποι μαίνει τὰ ποίμνια, καὶ ὡς ἀνάρμοστον βασιλείᾳ, ἐκέλευσεν ὁ προφήτης τοῦτον ἀχθῆναι, καὶ ἔχρι σεν ἀφικόμενον παραχρῆμα. Ταύτης ἐνταῦθα τῆς δωρεᾶς ὁ Προφήτης ἐμνήσθη, καὶ φησί· Καὶ νέον ὄντα με, καὶ τοῖς γεγεννηκόσιν εὐτελῆ νομισθέντα, σὺ τοσαύτης ἠξίωσας χάριτος, καὶ προφήτην ὁμοῦ καὶ βασιλέα πεποίηκας· οὗ δὴ χάριν σὺν πάσῃ προ θυμίᾳ τὰ σὰ φυλάττειν ἐφίεμαι δικαιώματα. ρμβʹ. "Ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου δικαιοσύνη εἰς τὸν αἰῶ να, καὶ ὁ νόμος σου ἀλήθεια." Ὁ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις νόμοις πειθόμενος οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον τῆς παρὰ τῶν νομοθετούντων ἀπολαύει τιμῆς· ὁ δὲ ταῖς θείαις ἀκολουθῶν ἐντολαῖς, μισθὸν ἔχει τῶν πόνων τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον. Καὶ οἱ νόμοι δὲ οἱ ἀνθρώπειοι οὐ πάντως πάντες τὸ δίκαιον ἔχουσι· ὁ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος ἀληθείᾳ λαμπρύνεται. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ἔφη· "Ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου δικαιοσύνη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ὁ νόμος σου ἀλήθεια." ρμγʹ. "Θλίψεις καὶ ἀνάγκαι εὕροσάν με." Ταῦτα γὰρ συνέζευκται τοῖς ἐρασταῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς. "Αἱ ἐντολαί σου μελέτη μου." Ἐκ τῆς γὰρ τούτων δι δασκαλίας τὴν ἀνδρίαν μανθάνω, καὶ φέρω γενναίως τὰ λυπηρά. ρμδʹ. "∆ικαιοσύνη τὰ μαρτύριά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶ να." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πρόξενα τῶν αἰωνίων ἐστὶν ἀγα θῶν. "Συνέτισόν με, καὶ ζήσομαι." Ὑπὸ σοῦ γὰρ φωτιζόμενος τῆς ἀληθοῦς ζωῆς ἀπολαύσομαι. ρμεʹ. "Ἐκέκραξα ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου, ἐπάκουσόν μου, Κύριε, τὰ δικαιώματά σου ἐκζητήσω." Κραυ γὴν πάλιν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς προθυμίαν καλεῖ· διὰ τοῦτο προστέθεικε τὸ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου. Οὕτω καὶ Μωσῆς ἐβόα σιγῶν· καὶ προσευχομένῳ κατὰ διάνοιαν ὁ Θεὸς ἔφη, "Τί βοᾷς πρὸς ἐμέ;" ρμʹ. "Ἐκέκραξά σοι, σῶσόν με, καὶ φυλάξω τὰ μαρτύριά σου." Παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ τὴν σωτηρίαν δεχόμενος, φύλαξ τῶν σῶν γενήσομαι νόμων. ρμζʹ. "Προέφθασα ἐν ἀωρίᾳ, καὶ ἐκέκραξα, εἰς τοὺς λόγους σου ἐπήλπισα." Βασιλεὺς ὢν ὁ Προφή της, καὶ μυρίαις φροντίσι περικλυζόμενος, καὶ πο λεμικοὺς πρὸς ταύταις ἀναδεδεγμένος ἀγῶνας, οὐ μόνον ἡμέρας ὑπολαμπούσης τῷ Θεῷ τὰς ἱκετείας προσέφερεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ μεσούσης νυκτὸς, οὐκ ἀνα μένων τὰς τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾠδάς. Οὕτως ἐπόθει τὸν πεποιηκότα Θεὸν, οὕτω προθύμως τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ᾔτει βοήθειαν. ρμηʹ. "Προέφθασαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου πρὸς ὄρ θρον, τοῦ μελετᾷν τὰ λόγιά σου." Οὐ μόνον δὲ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ γλυκέως ὕπνου καιρὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τὸν ὄρθρον, τῶν θείων νόμων ἐπεποίητο μελέτην. 80.1868 Ἡμεῖς δὲ πενίᾳ συζῶντες, καὶ πάσης φροντίδος ἀπηλλαγμένοι, ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης διανυκτερεύομεν κα λινδούμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀρχομένης ἡμέρας τῷ δο τῆρι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸν ὕμνον προσφέρομεν. ρμθʹ. "Τῆς φωνῆς μου ἄκουσον, Κύριε, κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου, κατὰ τὸ κρῖμά σου ζῆσόν με." Ὁ το σούτοις κομῶν ἀγαθοῖς ἐλέου τυχεῖν ἀξιοῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀορίστως αἰτεῖ τὸν ἔλεον· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὀνησιφό ρον ψῆφον. ρνʹ. "Προσήγγισαν οἱ καταδιώκοντές με ἀνομίᾳ, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ νόμου σου ἐμακρύνθησαν." Πόῤῥω γὰρ τῶν θείων νόμων εἰσὶν οἱ τῷ δικαίῳ πειρώμενοι πο λεμεῖν. "Ὁ ἀθετῶν γὰρ ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, οὐχ ὑμᾶς ἀθε τεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποστείλαντα ὑμᾶς." Καί· "Ἐχ θρεύσω τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου, καὶ ἀντικείσομαι τοῖς ἀν τικειμένοις σοι." ρναʹ. "Ἐγγὺς εἶ σὺ, Κύριε, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοί σου ἀλήθεια." Ὁρᾷς, φησὶν, ἅπαντα, Κύριε· οὐ γὰρ ἀφέστηκας, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην πληροῖς, καὶ ἀληθείᾳ χρώμενος πρυτανεύεις τὴν κτίσιν. Τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησί· "Θεὸς ἐγ γίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν." Καὶ ὁ μα κάριος Παῦλος, "Ἐν αὐτῷ, φησὶ,