363

and he became more intimate with God. Wherefore also he added, showing this, I have spread out my hands to you. He did not say, "I stretched out," but, "I have spread out," showing the great disposition of his heart, almost leaping out of the body, hastening to run up to him. Having become inspired, therefore, by the memory of his achievements, and having considered all philanthropy, and the instruction from calamities, and the freedom from deliverance, I fled to you again. My soul is as a waterless land to you. Another, As a thirsty land always to you; for this is the "Diapsalma." Both in calamities and in prosperous times and in every difference of seasons, I showed the same zeal, he says. What does "As a waterless land to you" mean? Just as a thirsty land desires the rain, so I also desire to be with you continuously. And the weight of afflictions especially intensified this desire; wherefore God also allowed them to increase, showing his great providence. For not only did he make creatures, but he also cares for them once they are made, both for men and for all other things. Knowing this, at least, Paul also said: For in him we live, and move, and 55.454 have our being. And again: In him all things hold together. And David: All things look to you to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they will gather it up; when you open your hand, all things will be filled with goodness; but when you turn away your face, they will be troubled. And again: He who looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble. And Isaiah: He who holds the circle of the earth. And concerning virtue: Unless the Lord, he says, builds a house, they who build it have labored in vain. And again: He who makes the barren woman to dwell in a house, a joyful mother of children. For this reason also he shakes the earth, and makes the mountains smoke by touching them, declaring his dominion. And he darkens the sun, and makes it eclipse, through this again proclaiming his creation. And in the Scriptures you see the sun going backward, and the moon with it standing still again, and many other wonders. For when the knowledge of him was not yet spread, these things happened; but now there is no need of this teaching, as the facts cry out and show the Master. Did you see darkness in Egypt, and changes of the elements? But if some should say that the eclipse happened naturally, and not by God's command, let them say how it happened at the time of the cross. For it did not indeed happen at the appointed time then, but when it was least to be expected, or according to the course of nature, it happened then, it being the fourteenth day and full; but eclipses do not happen so. But they would not have. So it is clear that just as other things happen by the Creator's command, so also do all eclipses. Hear me speedily, O Lord, my spirit has failed. What are you saying? Are you hurrying the physician to the cure? Not at all; but this is also a custom for afflicted souls, just as for sick men, to beseech the physicians, even if the time does not demand it, and to bring on the relief quickly. Wherefore also he himself, adding the reason, said: My spirit has failed. And yet God, being able to raise even from the dead, much more so before death. But as I said before, the weakness of nature is hereby exposed. For he knew that all things are easy for him, but he cannot bear the infliction of terrible things. Do not turn your face away from me, and I will be like those who go down into the pit. Another, Do not hide your face from me. And from where does the turning away happen? God himself says through Isaiah: Does my hand not have strength? But your sins separate between me and you. Therefore, whenever we do something wicked, he turns away. For your eye, he says, is pure, so as not to see evil things; and you will not be able to look upon troubles. For this reason he also turns away from the desperate. Wherefore he says: On whom shall I look, but on the meek and

363

καὶ οἰκειότερος πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐγίνετο. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε τοῦτο ἐμφαίνων, ∆ιεπέτασα πρὸς σὲ τὰς χεῖράς μου. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐξέτεινα, ἀλλὰ, ∆ιεπέτασα, πολλὴν δεικνὺς τὴν διάθεσιν τῆς καρδίας, μονονουχὶ ἐξάλλεσθαι τοῦ σώματος ἐπειγομένης καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνατρέχειν. Ἔνθους οὖν γενόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς μνήμης τῶν κατορθωμάτων, καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἀναλογισάμενος ἅπασαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν συμφορῶν παίδευσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς ἐλευθερίαν, πρὸς σὲ πάλιν κατέφυγον. Ἡ ψυχή μου ὡς γῆ ἄνυδρός σοι. Ἕτερος, Ὡς γῆ διψῶσα πρὸς σὲ ἀεί· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, ∆ιάψαλμα. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς συμφοραῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς εὐημερίαις καὶ ἐν πάσῃ καιρῶν διαφορᾷ τὴν ἴσην ἐπεδεικνύμην σπουδὴν, φησί. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ὡς γῆ ἄνυδρός σοι; Ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα τοῦ ὑετοῦ ἐφίεται, οὕτω κἀγὼ τοῦ παρὰ σοὶ εἶναι διηνεκῶς. Μάλιστα δὲ ταύτην ἐπέτεινε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν θλίψεων ὁ ὄγκος· διὸ καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὰς ὁ Θεὸς αὐξηθῆναι, τὴν πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐποίησε τὰ κτίσματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενομένων ἐπιμελεῖται, καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος εἰδὼς ἔλεγεν· Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν, καὶ κινούμεθα, καὶ 55.454 ἐσμέν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα συνέστηκε. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυΐδ· Πάντα πρὸς σὲ προσδοκῶσι δοῦναι τὴν τροφὴν αὐτῶν εἰς εὔκαιρον. ∆όντος σου αὐτοῖς, συλλέξουσιν· ἀνοίξαντός σου τὴν χεῖρα, τὰ σύμπαντα πλησθήσεται χρηστότητος· ἀποστρέψαντος δέ σου τὸ πρόσωπον ταραχθήσονται. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ ἐπιβλέπων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὴν τρέμειν. Καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας· Ὁ κατέχων τὸν γῦρον τῆς γῆς. Καὶ περὶ ἀρετῆς· Ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος, φησὶν, οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες αὐτόν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ κατοικίζων στεῖραν ἐν οἴκῳ, μητέρα ἐπὶ τέκνοις εὐφραινομένην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ σείει τὴν γῆν, καὶ καπνίζει τὰ ὄρη ἁπτόμενος, τὴν δεσποτείαν αὐτοῦ δηλῶν. Σκοτοῖ δὲ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἐκλείπειν ποιεῖ, διὰ τούτου πάλιν τὴν δημιουργίαν αὐτοῦ ἀνακηρύττων. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς δὲ ὁρᾷς ἥλιον ἀναποδίζοντα, καὶ σελήνην μετ' αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἱσταμένην, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα θαύματα. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἡ γνῶσις οὔπω ἐκτέτατο, ταῦτα ἐγίνετο· νυνὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι χρεία ταύτης τῆς διδασκαλίας, τῶν πραγμάτων βοώντων καὶ δεικνύντων τὸν ∆εσπότην. Εἶδες ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ σκότος, καὶ στοιχείων μεταβολάς; Εἰ δὲ λέγοιέν τινες, ὅτι ἡ ἔκλειψις φυσικῶς, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος συνέβη, εἰπάτωσαν πῶς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ σταυροῦ γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῷ ὡρισμένῳ τότε καιρῷ, ἀλλ' ὅτε μάλιστα οὐκ ἦν ἀκόλουθον, ἢ κατὰ δρόμον φύσεως, τότε συνέβη, τεσσαρεσκαιδεκαταίας καὶ πλήρους οὔσης· αἱ δὲ ἐκλείψεις οὐχ οὕτω γίνονται. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν Ὥστε δῆλον ὅτι καθάπερ τὰ ἄλλα τῇ τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ προστάξει, οὕτω καὶ ἐκλείψεις ἅπασαι γίνονται. Ταχὺ εἰσάκουσόν μου, Κύριε, ἐξέλιπε τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Τί λέγεις; ἐπείγεις τὸν ἰατρὸν πρὸς τὴν θεραπείαν; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλ' ἔθος καὶ τοῦτο ταῖς θλιβομέναις ψυχαῖς, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῖς κάμνουσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἰατροὺς, κἂν ὁ καιρὸς μὴ ἀπαιτῇ, καὶ ταχέως ἐπάγειν τὴν λύσιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς τὴν αἰτίαν προστιθεὶς ἔλεγεν· Ἐξέλιπε τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Καίτοι ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγείρειν δυνατὸς ὢν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον πρὸ τελευτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἡ ἀσθένεια τῆς φύσεως ἐντεῦθεν ἐλέγχεται. Ἤδει μὲν γὰρ, ὅτι αὐτῷ πάντα ῥᾴδια, ἀλλ' οὐ φέρει τὴν ἐπαγωγὴν τῶν δεινῶν. Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ὁμοιωθήσομαι τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον. Ἕτερος, Μὴ κρύψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Καὶ πόθεν ἡ ἀποστροφὴ γίνεται; Αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγει· Μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χείρ μου; Ἀλλ' αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν. Ὅταν οὖν τι πράξωμεν πονηρὸν, ἀποστρέφεται. Καθαρὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου τοῦ μὴ ὁρᾷν πονηρά· καὶ ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ πόνους οὐ δυνήσῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀποστρέφεται καὶ τοὺς ἀπονενοημένους. ∆ιό φησιν· Ἐπὶ τίνα ἐπιβλέψω, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ