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From this they will reap fruit and gain. For such are your gifts, set before all, so that those who wish may both partake and enjoy them. Therefore, the kingdom can benefit them in no such way as to hear your words. This is security for them, this is strength, this is ornament, this is seemliness, this is a kingdom, this is both the splendor and power of rule. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord. But another, Let them sing the ways of the Lord.If, then, In your ways, that is what is said, In your laws, in your commandments. But if, Your ways, these your right-doings, he says, let them tell, let them hymn, let them proclaim; for this is, Let them sing. For great is the glory of the Lord; that is, manifest to all, clear to all, evident to all, prepared for the benefactions of all, holding all accountable for grace. For the Lord is high, and he looks upon the lowly. High in nature, he says, high in substance. But here, for the time being, it is said more condescendingly for the Judean 55.410 worship, and more figuratively. But what follows corrects this, and raises even the humble hearer to a great understanding. And what is this, And he knows the high things from afar? For here the word is about foreknowledge, which is most proper to the power of God; for this reason also, speaking often in the prophets, from here he extends to those who are held by the error of idols. Another, And he distinguishes the exalted from afar, Another, And the lofty. For since he said, The Lord is high, and he looks upon the lowly, he added, that And he knows the high things from afar, showing that he does not simply know the high things, but also from a great distance, that is, before they come to pass, before they are finished, before they come to be. If I walk in the midst of affliction, you will give me life. He did not say that you will drive away the affliction, but, While I remain in those terrors you will give me life; that is, you will be able to save me having fallen into those dangers; which is indeed wonderful and paradoxical, that when griefs and schemers surround, to place in safety the one encircled by them. And against the wrath of my enemies you have stretched out your hands. Another, Against the breath of my enemies you will stretch out. Did you see the very great power on both sides? For me, he says, being in the midst of terrors you will be able to save, and to humble and restrain those who are raging and furious and breathing fire. And your right hand saved me. Another, And your right hand will save me, that is, your power, your strength. For God is resourceful, and ingenious, and able to lead to salvation from desperate situations. The Lord will repay on my behalf. Another, He will complete. Another, He will accomplish, that is, he will defend against the enemies. And he did not say, He will defend, but, He will repay, showing that even if I am responsible, he himself will pay and settle; for he is a lover of mankind. And it is possible that this also be said of the things done by Christ for us. For he himself repaid on our behalf. O Lord, your mercy is forever. Do not overlook the works of your hands. He puts forth these two claims for obtaining philanthropy: one, that he is merciful, and good, and continuously merciful, so that his philanthropy is never interrupted nor ceases, nor gives way; another, that he is the Creator and Maker. But just as we claim to be saved by these things, so let us also show something worthy of mercy. For I will have mercy, he says, on whom I have mercy. For mercy does not simply come, but it too has a certain discernment. For if indeed it simply came, no one would be punished. Therefore let us not only do things worthy of being shown mercy, but also because we have come from God. For he who was created by God, and has such a maker and king, ought to exhibit a way of life worthy of His care and such providence. If we do these things, of the future

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ἐντεῦθεν καρπώσονται καὶ κερδανοῦσι. Τοιαῦτα γάρ σου τὰ δῶρα πᾶσιν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ πρόκειται, ὥστε τοὺς βουλομένους, μετέχειν τε καὶ ἀπολαύειν αὐτῶν. Οὐδὲν οὖν αὐτοὺς ἡ βασιλεία ὀνῆσαι δύναται τοιοῦτον, οἷον τὸ τῶν σῶν ἀκούειν ῥημάτων. Τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἀσφάλεια, τοῦτο ἰσχὺς, τοῦτο κόσμος, τοῦτο εὐπρέπεια, τοῦτο βασιλεία, τοῦτο τῆς ἀρχῆς ἡ φαιδρότης τε καὶ δύναμις. Καὶ ᾀσάτωσαν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς Κυρίου. Ἕτερος δὲ, Ἀδέτωσαν τὰς ὁδοὺς Κυρίου.Ἂν μὲν οὖν, Ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς σου, τουτέστι τὸ εἰρημένον, Ἐν τοῖς νόμοις σου, ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασί σου. Ἂν δὲ, Τὰς ὁδούς σου, Τὰ κατορθώματά σου ταῦτα, φησὶ, λεγέτωσαν, ὑμνείτωσαν, ἀνακηρυττέτωσαν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἀδέτωσαν. Ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ δόξα Κυρίου· τουτέστι, πᾶσι κατάδηλος, πᾶσι σαφὴς, πᾶσι δήλη, περὶ τὰς ἁπάντων εὐεργεσίας παρεσκευασμένη, πάντας ὑπευθύνους ἔχουσα χάριτος. Ὅτι ὑψηλὸς Κύριος, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορᾷ. Ὑψηλὸς τὴν φύσιν, φησὶν, ὑψηλὸς τὴν οὐσίαν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα τέως συγκαταβατικώτερον εἴρηται πρὸς τὴν θεραπείαν τὴν Ἰου 55.410 δαϊκὴν, καὶ τροπικώτερον. Τὸ δὲ ἑξῆς καὶ τοῦτο διορθοῦται, καὶ εἰς μεγάλην διάνοιαν ἀνάγει καὶ τὸν ταπεινὸν ἀκροατήν. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι, Καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν γινώσκει; Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ περὶ προγνώσεως ὁ λόγος, ὅπερ μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεώς ἐστιν ἴδιον· διὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις πολλάκις διαλεγόμενος, ἐντεῦθεν ἀποτείνεται πρὸς τοὺς τῇ πλάνῃ τῶν εἰδώλων κατεχομένους. Ἄλλος, Καὶ ἐπηρμένον μακρόθεν διαγινώσκει, Ἄλλος, Καὶ μετέωρον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὑψηλὸς Κύριος, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορᾷ, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν γινώσκει, δηλῶν, ὅτι τὰ ὑψηλὰ οὐχ ἁπλῶς γινώσκει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ διαστήματος, τουτέστι, πρὶν ἢ ἐκβῆναι, πρὶν ἢ τελεσθῆναι, πρὶν ἢ εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν. Ἐὰν πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ θλίψεως, ζήσεις με. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Τὴν θλίψιν ἀπελάσεις, ἀλλ', Ἐν αὐτοῖς μένοντα τοῖς δεινοῖς ζήσεις με· τουτέστι, διασῶσαι δυνήσῃ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐμπεσόντα τοὺς κινδύνους· ὅπερ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον, περιεστώτων τῶν λυπηρῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καταστῆσαι τὸν περιστοιχιζόμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐπ' ὀργὴν ἐχθρῶν μου ἐξέτεινας χεῖράς σου. Ἕτερος, Κατὰ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου ἐκτενεῖς. Εἶδες ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τὰ μέρη μεγίστην οὖσαν τὴν δύναμιν; Ἐμέ τε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν μέσοις ὄντα τοῖς δεινοῖς διασῶσαι δυνήσῃ, ἐκείνους τε μαινομένους καὶ λυττῶντας καὶ πῦρ πνέοντας ταπεινῶσαι καὶ καταστεῖλαι. Καὶ ἔσωσέ με ἡ δεξιά σου. Ἄλλος, Καὶ σώσει με ἡ δεξιά σου, τουτέστιν, ἡ δύναμίς σου, ἡ ἰσχύς σου. Εὔπορος γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ εὐμήχανος, καὶ ἐξ ἀπεγνωσμένων ἱκανὸς εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀναγαγεῖν. Κύριος ἀνταποδώσει ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. Ἕτερος, Συντελέσει. Ἄλλος, Ἐπιτελέσει, τουτέστιν ἀμυνεῖται τοὺς ἐχθρούς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀμυνεῖται, ἀλλ', Ἀνταποδώσει, δηλῶν, ὅτι Κἂν ὑπεύθυνος ὦ, αὐτὸς καταβαλεῖ καὶ καταθήσει· φιλάνθρωπος γάρ ἐστι. ∆υνατὸν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γινόμενα εἰς ἡμᾶς λέγεσθαι. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀνταπέδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου μὴ παρίδῃς. ∆ύο ταῦτα τίθησι δικαιώματα τοῦ τυχεῖν φιλανθρωπίας· ἓν μὲν, τὸ ἐλεήμονα αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἐλεήμονα διηνεκῶς, ὡς μηδέποτε αὐτοῦ διακόπτεσθαι καὶ λήγειν τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, μηδὲ ἐνδιδόναι· ἕτερον δὲ, τὸ ∆ημιουργὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ Ποιητήν. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τούτων ἀξιοῦμεν σώζεσθαι, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ ἐλέους ἄξιόν τι ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Ἐλεήσω γὰρ, φησὶν, ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ὁ ἔλεος ἔπεισιν, ἀλλ' ἔχει τινὰ καὶ αὐτὸς διάκρισιν. Εἰ γὰρ δὴ ἁπλῶς ἐπῄει, οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐκολάσθη. ∆ιὸ μὴ μόνον διὰ τὸ ἐλεεῖσθαι ἄξια πράττωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενῆσθαι. Τὸν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ δημιουργηθέντα, καὶ τοιοῦτον ἐσχηκότα ποιητήν τε καὶ βασιλέα, ἀξίαν τῆς κηδεμονίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης προνοίας πολιτείαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρή. Ἂν ταῦτα ποιῶμεν, τῶν μελλόντων