310

ON THE 133RD PSALM. Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the house

of the Lord.

Here he concluded the psalms of ascents, bringing his discourse to a good end, with praise and blessing. He wishes them to be servants of the Lord not only in doctrine, but also in the precision of their way of life; for this reason he also added, *Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God*. For it is not lawful for the impure and profane even to set foot within the sacred precincts. So if anyone is worthy to enter, he is also worthy to bless. For the house of God is like heaven; and just as it is not lawful for any of the opposing powers to set foot there, so it is also in the house of God. Consider what great dignity you enjoy, O man, since you yourself have also become a temple, how much purity you ought to furnish. But how might you furnish that purity? If you cast out every evil thought, if you make the region of your mind inaccessible to diabolical activities, if you remain as in a holy sanctuary, beautifying your own mind. For if in the Jewish temple not every place was accessible to all, but there were many different demarcations—one for the proselytes, another for the original Jews, another for the priests, and another for the high priest alone, and not even for him always, but once a year—consider how much holiness you need, who have received far greater symbols than what the holy of holies received then. For you do not have Cherubim, but you have the very Lord of the Cherubim dwelling within; nor a jar, and manna, and stone tablets, and the rod of Aaron, but the body and blood of the Lord, and the Spirit instead of the letter, and a grace surpassing human reason, and an indescribable gift. And the greater the symbols and awesome mysteries you were deemed worthy of, the greater the holiness for which you are responsible, and the greater the punishment if you transgress the commandments. *In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places*. Another, *Holily*. Another, *In a sanctified manner*. *And bless the Lord*. Why does he say, *In the nights*? To teach us not to spend the whole of it in sleep, and to show that prayers are purer then, when the mind is lighter, and there is more leisure. But if one must come to the holy places at night, consider what pardon he will obtain who does not even offer prayers at home at that time. For the Prophet raises you from your bed and leads you to the temple, bidding you to spend the night there; but you do not do this even while sitting at home. He said well, *Holily*, showing that one must pray without evil thoughts, without malice, without greed, without any other such sin that defiles the mind. *And bless the Lord*. For this is above all 55.387 an exact blessing, when with the words the life also utters things in harmony, and through your works you glorify God who made you, according to the Gospel which says: *Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven*. *May the Lord bless you from Sion, he who made heaven and earth*. That is, if you do these things, you will also obtain the blessing from God, if you keep vigil through the night, if you pray holily, if you are worthy to stand in the house of the Lord, if you offer yourself as a suitable temple. Having therefore exhorted as he ought, he then concludes his discourse with a prayer. For this belongs to the best teacher, both to correct the hearer with counsel, and to strengthen him with prayers. What does he mean to show by saying, *From Sion*? The name was dear to them, and there the whole matter of sanctification was accomplished. For this reason indeed he prays for them

310

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΛΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Ἰδοὺ δὴ εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι Κυρίου, οἱ ἑστῶτες ἐν οἴκῳ

Κυρίου.

Ἐνταῦθα κατέλυσε τοὺς περὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν ψαλμοὺς, εἰς καλὸν τέλος κατακλείσας τὸν λόγον, εὐφημίαν τε καὶ εὐλογίαν. ∆ούλους δὲ Κυρίου βούλεται εἶναι οὐ κατὰ τὰ δόγματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῆς πολιτείας ἀκρίβειαν· διὸ καὶ προσέθηκεν, Οἱ ἑστῶτες ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἐν αὐλαῖς οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. Τὸν γὰρ ἀκάθαρτον καὶ βέβηλον οὐδὲ ἐπιβῆναι τῶν ἱερῶν περιβόλων θέμις. Ὥστε εἴ τις ἄξιός ἐστιν ἐπιβαίνειν, καὶ εὐλογεῖν ἄξιός ἐστιν. Ὁ γὰρ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ οὐρανῷ ἔοικε· καὶ καθάπερ ἐκεῖ τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων μηδεμίαν ἐπιβῆναι θέμις, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐννόησον ἡλίκης ἀπολαύεις τῆς ἀξίας, ἄνθρωπε, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγένου ναὸς, ὅσην δίκαιος ἂν εἴης παρέχειν καθαρότητα. Πῶς δὲ ἂν παράσχοις τὴν καθαρότητα; Εἰ πάντα λογισμὸν πονηρὸν ἐκβάλοις, εἰ διαβολικαῖς ἐνεργείαις ἄβατον ποιήσῃς τὸ χωρίον τῆς διανοίας, εἰ καθάπερ ἐν ἀδύτοις ἁγίοις μένεις καλλωπίζων τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν σαυτοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ οὐ πᾶς τόπος ἅπασιν ἦν βατὸς, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ καὶ διάφοροι διορισμοὶ, καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῖς προσηλύτοις, ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ἰουδαίοις, ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ὁ δὲ τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ μόνῳ, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ ἀεὶ, ἀλλ' ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ· πόσης ἐννόησον ἁγιωσύνης σοι δεῖ τῷ πολλῷ μείζονα σύμβολα δεξαμένῳ, ὧν ἐδέξατο τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων τότε. Οὐ γὰρ Χερουβὶμ ἔχεις, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν Χερουβὶμ ∆εσπότην ἔχεις ἐνοικοῦντα, οὐδὲ στάμνον, καὶ μάννα, καὶ πλάκας λιθίνας, καὶ τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν Ἀαρὼν, ἀλλὰ σῶμα καὶ αἷμα δεσποτικὸν, καὶ Πνεῦμα ἀντὶ τοῦ γράμματος, καὶ χάριν ὑπερβαίνουσαν λογισμὸν ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ δωρεὰν ἀνεκδιήγητον. Ὅσῳ δὲ μειζόνων ἠξιώθης συμβόλων καὶ φρικτῶν μυστηρίων, τοσούτῳ μείζονος εἶ ὑπεύθυνος τῆς ἁγιωσύνης, καὶ πλείονος κολάσεως, εἰ παραβαίης τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα. Ἐν ταῖς νυξὶν ἐπάρατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ἅγια. Ἕτερος, Ἁγίως. Ἄλλος, Ἡγιασμένως. Καὶ εὐλογεῖτετὸν Κύριον. ∆ιὰ τί φησιν, Ἐν νυξί; Παιδεύων ἡμᾶς μὴ τὴν πᾶσαν αὐτὴν εἰς ὕπνον δαπανᾷν, καὶ δεικνὺς τότε καθαρωτέρας εἶναι τὰς εὐχὰς, ὅτε καὶ κουφότερος ὁ νοῦς, καὶ πλείων ἡ σχολή. Εἰ δὲ ἐν νυκτὶ παραγίνεσθαι εἰς τὰ ἅγια δεῖ, ἐννόησον ποίας τεύξεται συγγνώμης ὁ μηδὲ οἴκοι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον εὐχὰς ἐπιτελῶν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Προφήτης ἀνίστησί σε ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ναὸν ἄγει, κελεύων ἐνταῦθα διανυκτερεύειν· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ οἴκοι καθήμενος τοῦτο ποιεῖς. Καλῶς δὲ εἶπεν, Ἁγίως, δηλῶν ὅτι χωρὶς διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν εὔχεσθαι δεῖ, χωρὶς μνησικακίας, χωρὶς πλεονεξίας, χωρὶς ἄλλης τινὸς τοιαύτης ἁμαρτίας, λυμαινομένης τὴν διάνοιαν. Καὶ εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστιν 55.387 εὐλογία ἠκριβωμένη, ὅταν μετὰ τῶν ῥημάτων καὶ ὁ βίος σύμφωνα φθέγγηται, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων δοξάσῃς τὸν ποιήσαντά σε Θεὸν, κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τὸ λέγον· Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εὐλογήσαι σε Κύριος ἐκ Σιὼν, ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. Τουτέστιν, ἂν ταῦτα ποιῇς, τεύξῃ καὶ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογίας, ἂν διανυκτερεύῃς, ἂν εὔχῃ ἁγίως, ἂν ἄξιος ᾖς τοῦ ἑστάναι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἂν σαυτὸν ναὸν ἐπιτήδειον παράσχῃς. Παραινέσας τοίνυν ὡς ἐχρῆν, λοιπὸν εἰς εὐχὴν κατακλείει τὸν λόγον. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἀρίστου διδασκάλου, καὶ τῇ συμβουλῇ διορθοῦν τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς νευροῦν. Τί βούλεται δηλοῦν διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Ἐκ Σιών; Ποθεινὸν αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομα ἦν, καὶ ἐκεῖ τῆς ἁγιαστίας ἁπάσης ἡ ὑπόθεσις ἐτελεῖτο. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο ἐπεύχεται αὐτοῖς