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peaceful, and who trembles at my words? Let us therefore pursue this virtue, that we may draw 55.455 His face to ourselves, that we may not fall down into the pits of wickedness, while much darkness holds us. It is possible even for those who have fallen to rise. Therefore, those who fall down must not remain lying below. The nature of sin is a pit, having fierce beasts and full of darkness. Therefore let us lower the ropes of the Scriptures, and give our will; and quickly we shall rise up, even if we fall down. How might there be a beginning of the way? If, having fallen, we do not despair, nor give up hope, but chant to ourselves these prophetic words: Does he who falls not rise? And again: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion; and having bound ourselves with these thoughts, let us pull ourselves up. Make me hear Your mercy in the morning, for in You I have hoped. Another, Make me hear Your mercy at dawn, that is, quickly. 2. Did you see a soul afflicted and troubled? For it wishes to hear before the trial, so that it may be set right by hopes and by expectation. What he says is this: Raise me up from the promise. Then he also adds the justification for obtaining it, saying: For in You I have hoped. For God seeks nothing so much as to have us gaze continually toward Him. Make known to me, O Lord, the way in which I should walk; for to You I have lifted up my soul. What are you saying? when nature has the law placed in it by God from the beginning, and the Mosaic writings renew it, how do you ask again, saying, Make known to me, O Lord, the way in which I should walk? Either, then, this is what it means to say: Since my conscience has been buried by wickedness, I ask that it be renewed. Or, by 'way' here he means the many things unknown to men, just as Paul also shows, saying: For what we should pray for as we ought, we do not know. But if Paul is ignorant after so much knowledge, why are you surprised if this man says these things? But see him seeking nothing of the senses here, but the way that leads to God, and providing the starting points from himself. For he did not simply say: Make known to me, O Lord, the way that leads to You, but what? Because to You I have lifted up my soul; that is, Toward You I gaze, toward You I look. For to these especially God makes Himself known. Therefore concerning the Jews He said, when asked why He speaks to them in parables: Because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear. And the phrase, 'I have lifted up,' means, I have transferred, or I have set my soul toward You. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to You I have fled for refuge. See how everywhere the reasons are also offered by the one who is praying. Do not turn away, he says, Your face from me, for I have hoped in You. Make known to me the way, for to You I have lifted up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, for to You I have fled for refuge. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. He did not say, Teach me Your will, simply, but, To do Your will 55.456; that is, Lead me into the very works. For there is need of influence from above, and of teaching from there, so as to walk the road that leads to virtue; not with us being idle, but with us also contributing what is from ourselves. For You are my God. Do you see his spiritual requests? For he presents his request not concerning money and power, and glory, but for doing the will of God; which is a treasure of all good things, and unfailing wealth, and the beginning of prosperity, and the root, and the middle, and the end. Your good Spirit will guide me in a level land. Do you see how we learn, how we are taught to travel the way through the Holy Spirit? Therefore Paul also said: But to us God has revealed it through His Spirit. In a level land. According to the literal sense, he means his fatherland; but according to the spiritual sense, the way that leads to virtue. But another says: Through smooth ground. For nothing is smoother than virtue, freed from turmoil and

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ἡσύχιον, καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Ταύτην τοίνυν διώκωμεν τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἵνα ἐπισπασώμεθα 55.455 αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον, ἵνα μὴ καταπέσωμεν εἰς τὰ βάραθρα τῆς κακίας, πολλοῦ τοῦ σκότους κατέχοντος. Ἔστι καὶ πεσόντας ἀνελθεῖν. ∆εῖ τοίνυν τοὺς καταπίπτοντας μὴ μένειν κάτω κειμένους. Λάκκος δέ ἐστι χαλεπὰ θηρία ἔχων καὶ σκότους γέμων, τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ φύσις. Οὐκοῦν χαλάσωμεν τῶν Γραφῶν τὰ σχοινία, καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐπιδῶμεν· καὶ ταχέως ἀναστησόμεθα, κἂν καταπέσωμεν. Πῶς δ' ἂν γένοιτο ἀρχὴ ὁδοῦ; Ἂν καταπεσόντες μὴ καταφρονήσωμεν, μηδὲ ἀπογνῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐπᾴδωμεν ἑαυτοῖς τὰ προφητικὰ ταῦτα· Μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται; Καὶ πάλιν· Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ· καὶ τούτοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς δήσαντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀνελκύσωμεν. Ἀκουστὸν ποίησόν μοι τὸ πρωῒ τὸ ἔλεός σου, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. Ἕτερος, Ἀκουστὸν ποίησόν μοι ἐξ ὄρθρου τὸ ἔλεός σου, τουτέστι, ταχέως. ʹ. Εἶδες θλιβομένην ψυχὴν καὶ θορυβουμένην; Πρὸ γὰρ τῆς πείρας ἀκοῦσαι βούλεται, ὥστε ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ὀρθωθῆναι καὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ἀνάστησόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Εἶτα καὶ τὴν δικαιολογίαν τοῦ τυχεῖν προστίθησι, λέγων· Ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἐπιζητεῖ, ὡς τὸ διηνεκῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν κεχηνέναι. Γνώρισόν μοι, Κύριε, ὁδὸν, ἐν ᾗ πορεύσομαι· ὅτι πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τὴν ψυχήν μου. Τί λέγεις; καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἐχούσης τὸν νόμον τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντεθέντα, καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων αὐτὸν ἀνανεούντων τῶν Μωσαϊκῶν, πῶς ἀξιοῖς λέγων πάλιν, Γνώρισόν μοι, Κύριε, ὁδὸν, ἐν ᾗ πορεύσομαι; Ἢ οὖν τοῦτό ἐστιν εἰπεῖν· Ἐπεὶ ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας κατεχώσθη μου τὸ συνειδὸς, ἀξιῶ αὐτὸ ἀνανεωθῆναι. Ἢ ὁδὸν ἐνταῦθα τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀγνοουμένων ἀνθρώποις λέγει, ὥσπερ καὶ Παῦλος δείκνυσι, λέγων· Τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξώμεθα καθ' ὃ δεῖ, οὐκ οἴδαμεν. Εἰ δὲ Παῦλος ἀγνοεῖ μετὰ τοσαύτην γνῶσιν, τί θαυμάζεις εἰ οὗτος ταῦτα λέγει; Ὅρα δὲ αὐτὸν οὐδὲν αἰσθητὸν ἐνταῦθα ζητοῦντα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν φέρουσαν, καὶ οἴκοθεν παρέχοντα τὰς ἀρχάς. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἶπε· Γνώρισόν μοι, Κύριε, τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν πρὸς σὲ φέρουσαν, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τὴν ψυχήν μου· τουτέστι, Πρὸς σὲ κέχηνα, πρὸς σὲ βλέπω. Τούτοις γὰρ μάλιστα ὁ Θεὸς γνωρίζει. ∆ιὸ περὶ Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγεν, ἐρωτώμενος διὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖ αὐτοῖς· Ὅτι βλέποντες οὐ βλέπουσι, καὶ ἀκούοντες οὐκ ἀκούουσι. Τὸ δὲ, Ἦρα, Μετέστησα, ἢ μετέθηκα πρὸς σὲ τὴν ψυχήν μού ἐστιν. Ἐξελοῦ με ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου, Κύριε, πρὸς σὲ κατέφυγον. Ὅρα πανταχοῦ τὰς αἰτίας καὶ παρὰ τοῦ δεομένου προσφερομένας. Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς, φησὶ, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἤλπισα ἐπὶ σέ. Γνώρισόν μοι ὁδὸν, ὅτι πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τὴν ψυχήν μου. Ἐξελοῦ με ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου, ὅτι πρὸς σὲ κατέφυγον. ∆ίδαξόν με τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεός μου. Οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ίδαξόν με τὸ θέλημά σου, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ, Τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά 55.456 σου· τουτέστιν, Εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ ἐμβίβασον. Τῆς γὰρ ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς χρεία, καὶ ἐκεῖθεν τῆς διδασκαλίας, ὥστε βαδίζειν τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν φέρουσαν ὁδόν· οὐχ ἡμῶν ἀργούντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῶν τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσφερόντων. Ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεός μου. Ὁρᾷς τὰς αἰτήσεις αὐτοῦ πνευματικάς; Οὐ γὰρ περὶ χρημάτων καὶ δυναστείας, καὶ δόξης, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιεῖν, προσάγει τὴν αἴτησιν· ὅπερ ἐστὶ θησαυρὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ πλοῦτος ἀνελλιπὴς, καὶ εὐημερίας ἀρχὴ, καὶ ῥίζα, καὶ μέσα, καὶ τέλος. Τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς μανθάνομεν, πῶς διδασκόμεθα ἀνύειν τὴν ὁδὸν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου; ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ. Ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ. Κατὰ μὲν τὴν ῥῆσιν, τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ φησι· κατὰ δὲ ἀναγωγὴν, τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν φέρουσαν ὁδόν. Ἄλλος δέ φησι· ∆ιὰ γῆς ὁμαλῆς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ λειότερον ἀρετῆς, θορύβων ἀπηλλαγμένης καὶ