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it is necessary to be fortified on all sides and vigorously nourished. The nourishment for this war, and the weapons of such soldiers, is the hearing of the divine Scriptures. He who does not enjoy this wastes away with famine. For I will give them, he says, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. And here, therefore, just as in perceptible wars, there is need of influence from above. For a king, he says, is not saved by great power, and a giant will not be saved by the abundance of his strength. A horse is a false thing for salvation, and by the abundance of its power it will not be saved. Thus indeed many routed their enemies, with prayers going before and overthrowing the enemy phalanxes. My mercy, and my refuge, my helper and my deliverer. Do you see him again deeming it right to be saved by loving-kindness? Rather, he hints at something else here. For through this he shows and says that I was not even worthy of mercy itself, unless He Himself had assented. He Himself, therefore, is *My mercy*, he says; it was not I who possessed it in my works. For even if it is mercy, yet it does not come to all without judgment; For I will have mercy, he says, on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Therefore, if we are to be shown mercy, 55.458 we must provide from within ourselves the starting points for such loving-kindness. But this man says he has from Him the very fact of being shown mercy. Did you see a contrite soul? did you see a grateful mind, and how he attributes the whole to the man-loving God? My helper, and my deliverer, my defender; and in Him I have hoped. He continually turns about the hope in Him, teaching everyone not to be overwhelmed by terrible things, but even in the midst of misfortunes to gaze there, and not to give up and fall back. For He is my helper and my deliverer. So that even if He does not help or deliver at the very beginnings of the terrible things, one must be of good courage. If, therefore, He is a helper, He will deliver everyone from terrible things. For hope exists especially then, when visible things cast one into despair, this hope prepares one to be confident about the future. Who subdues my people under me. He spoke well thus. For here too there is need of help from above, so that subjects may yield, and not be seditious, nor rise up in revolt. Not only, then, in the subjection of enemies and foes, but also in that of our own people do we have need of much influence from above. For this too is a great thing, to manage one's own people well, and no less than to overcome one's enemies. Many, indeed, have often set up trophies in wars, but in peace have been cut down, not knowing how to hold the reins of those they rule. It is not, therefore, in the power of the kingdom that the armies are subjected, but in the influence of God. And just as from this come the victories over enemies, so also the subjections of one's own people. Lord, what is man, that you were made known to him? or the son of man, that you take account of him? Another. What is man, that you should know him? Another, That you know him? Therefore, one must be someone great who is to know God, or rather, who is to be known by Him; and not only this one, but also that one to whom God is to make Himself known. For this reason the Seventy have said excellently, "You were made known to him," showing that it was not we who found Him, but He Himself was found. For he did not say, What is man who has known You, but, What is man, that You were made known to him? 2. This is why Paul also constantly turns this over and over, saying: Then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. And Christ Himself: You did not choose me, but I chose you. And elsewhere again Paul: If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. For this very reason he also constantly, over and over, calls himself "called," showing that he did not run to it himself, but was first called. Thus also elsewhere

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πάντοθεν φράττεσθαι καὶ τρέφεσθαι εὐτόνως χρή. Τροφὴ δὲ τοῦ πολέμου τούτου, καὶ ὅπλα τῶν τοιούτων στρατιωτῶν, τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἡ ἀκρόασις. Ταύτης ὁ μὴ ἀπολαύων, λιμῷ τήκεται. ∆ώσω γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶν, οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτου, οὐδὲ δίψαν ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Κυρίου. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς πολέμοις, τῆς ἄνωθεν χρεία ῥοπῆς. Οὐ σώζεται γὰρ, φησὶ, βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ. Ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐν δὲ πλήθει δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ οὐ σωθήσεται. Οὕτω γοῦν οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτροποῦντο, τὸ πρότερον εὐχῶν προηγουμένων, καὶ τὰς πολεμίας φάλαγγας καταβαλουσῶν. Ἔλεός μου, καὶ καταφυγή μου, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου καὶ ῥύστης μου. Ὁρᾷς πάλιν ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας ἀξιοῦντα σώζεσθαι; Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἕτερόν τι ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ διὰ τούτου καὶ λέγει, ὅτι Οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐλέους ἄξιος ἤμην, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ἐπένευσεν. Αὐτὸς οὖν ἐστιν Ὁ ἔλεός μου, φησίν· οὐκ ἐγὼ ἔσχον αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἔλεός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκρίτως ἅπασιν ἔπεισιν· Ἐλεήσω γὰρ, φησὶν, ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ, καὶ οἰκτειρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτείρω. ∆εῖ τοίνυν, εἰ καὶ ἐλεεῖσθαι μέλλο 55.458 μεν, παρέχεσθαι τὰς ἀφορμὰς οἴκοθεν τῆς τοιαύτης φιλανθρωπίας. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐλεηθῆναι παρ' αὐτοῦ ἔχειν λέγει. Εἶδες συντετριμμένην ψυχήν; εἶδες γνώμην εὐγνώμονα, καὶ πῶς τὸ πᾶν ἀνατίθησι τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ; Ἀντιλήπτωρ μου, καὶ ῥύστης μου, ὑπερασπιστής μου· καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἤλπισα. Συνεχῶς περιστρέφει τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν, παιδεύων ἅπαντας μὴ βαπτίζεσθαι τοῖς δεινοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν μέσαις ταῖς· συμφοραῖς ἐκεῖ κεχηνέναι, μηδὲ ἀπαγορεύειν καὶ ἀναπεπτωκέναι. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀντιλήπτωρ μου καὶ ῥύστης μου. Ὥστε κἂν μὴ παρ' αὐτὰ τῶν δεινῶν τὰ προοίμια ἀντιλάβηται, μηδὲ ῥύσηται, δεῖ θαῤῥεῖν. Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτός ἐστιν ἀντιλήπτωρ, πάντας ἀπαλλάξει τῶν δεινῶν. Ἐλπὶς γὰρ μάλιστα τότε ἐστὶν, ὅταν τῶν ὁρωμένων εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβαλλόντων, αὕτη θαῤῥεῖν ὑπὲρ μέλλοντος παρασκευάζῃ. Ὁ ὑποτάσσων λαόν μου ὑπ' ἐμέ. Καλῶς οὕτως εἶπε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἄνωθεν χρεία βοηθείας, ὥστε εἴκειν τοὺς ὑπηκόους, καὶ μὴ στασιάζειν, μηδὲ κατεξανίστασθαι. Οὐκ ἄρα ἐν τῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ὑποταγῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν οἰκείων πολλῆς ἡμῖν τῆς ἄνωθεν δεῖ ῥοπῆς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μέγα ἐστὶ, τὸ τοὺς οἰκείους εὖ διαθεῖναι, καὶ οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ τῶν ἐχθρῶν περιγενέσθαι. Πολλοὶ γοῦν πολλάκις ἐν πολέμοις μὲν τρόπαια ἔστησαν, ἐν εἰρήνῃ δὲ κατεκόπησαν, τῶν ἀρχομένων οὐκ εἰδότες φέρειν τὰς ἡνίας. Οὐκ ἄρα ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τῆς βασιλείας ἐστὶ τὸ ὑποτετάχθαι τὰ στρατόπεδα, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῇ. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἀπὸ ταύτης αἱ τῶν πολεμίων νῖκαι, οὕτω καὶ αἱ τῶν οἰκείων ὑποταγαί. Κύριε, τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ; ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι λογίζῃ αὐτόν; Ἕτερος. Τί ἄνθρωπος, καὶ γνώσῃ αὐτόν; Ἕτερος, Ὅτι γνωρίζεις αὐτόν; Ἄρα μέγαν τινὰ εἶναι χρὴ τὸν μέλλοντα τὸν Θεὸν γνωρίζειν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν μέλλοντα γνωρίζεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ· οὐ τοῦτον δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνον, ᾧ μέλλει γνωρίζειν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Θεός. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἄριστα εἰρήκασιν οἱ Ἑβδομήκοντα τὸ, Ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ, δεικνύντες ὅτι οὐχ ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν εὕρομεν, ἀλλὰ αὐτὸς εὑρέθη. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ γνωρίσας σε, ἀλλὰ, Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ; βʹ. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἄνω καὶ κάτω συνεχῶς τοῦτο περιστρέφει λέγων· Τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Χριστός· Οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς. Καὶ ἑτέρωθι δὲ πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος· Εἰ δέ τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Θεὸν, οὗτος ἔγνωσται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ συνεχῶς ἑαυτὸν ἄνω καὶ κάτω κλητὸν λέγει, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐπέδραμεν, ἀλλὰ πρότερον ἐκλήθη. Οὕτω καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ