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of waters? But the "All," it is possible to see not only in this, but also in all visible things, in animals, in irrational creatures; and if one should ascend to the angels themselves, the archangels, one will see great goodness, many mercies; for each work enjoys great love for humanity. Understanding this himself, he added: Let all your works confess you, O Lord, and let your holy ones bless you; that is, let them give you thanks, let them send up hymns to you, both those honored with reason and those that have no voice. For even each of the voiceless things has been made so as to send up a blessing through its own nature, even if it is voiceless, through the men who see and enjoy them. And those things through their own substance, but men also through their conduct and through their actions. Therefore he also makes this clear by adding, Let your holy ones bless you. And here he calls holy those saints who fulfill the commandments of God, those who are inaccessible to sins and wickedness. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom. What is, They shall speak of the glory? That which is without need, that which is philanthropic, he says, that which is solicitous, not needing those who are ruled, showing so much providence for them, the inaccessibility of the light, the ineffable nature of the substance, the incomprehensible. And they shall speak of your power; that is, they will sing of the unconquerable, the invincible power; not because you have need of these hymns and praises, but for the sake of those who say them, and so as to teach others, and to make them partakers of the praise. Therefore he added: To make known to the sons of men your power, and the glory of the majesty of your kingdom. He shows by these things that he accepts the praises so that others might learn of his power. Great therefore is the power, great the glory, great the majesty, great and ineffable, not only surpassing all speech, but also conquering all understanding. But this great and ineffable reality has need of those who teach it, because of the foolishness of the many. Since the sun also is a most brilliant star, and yet those whose eyes are diseased do not see its light; so also the providence of God is brighter than any sun, but those who are perverse in their thoughts, and have stopped their ears, have great need of care, so that their mind might be opened. 4. It is necessary, therefore, to continually sound in their ears and to instill the teaching concerning these things. Then, since he spoke of the glory of the kingdom and majesty, and passed over it without clarifying, he takes it up again, and says, as far as is possible for him, what the glory is, by adding: Your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages. Not only of the present ages, he says, but also of those to come; for it is unending and infinite, and alone possesses eternity. And your dominion is in every generation and generation. See from this also its unending nature. Every 55.470 where in the inhabited world, everywhere in the ages, everywhere in time it is extended. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works. Having spoken of the kingdom's unending, established, firm, immovable nature, he also speaks of the steadfastness of his words. For "Faithful" means this: sure, true. And if he is faithful, the things spoken by him will certainly come to be. And just as his kingdom is unfailing and has no end, so also his words are steadfast, established. Therefore, neither is that ever interrupted, nor do these ever fail. And if they do not fail, the works must certainly follow. But if he said something somewhere, and it did not happen, this too is a proof of his truth; For I will speak finally against a nation and a kingdom, to tear down and to root out; and if they repent of their evil, I also will repent of what I spoke of doing to them. And concerning good things
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ὑδάτων; Τὸ δὲ, Σύμπασιν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου μόνον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἁπάντων, ἐπὶ τῶν ζώων, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων· κἂν εἰς αὐτοὺς δὲ ἄν τις ἀναβῇ τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους, πολλὴν ὄψεται τὴν χρηστότητα, πολλοὺς τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς· ἕκαστον γὰρ ἔργον πολλῆς ἀπολαύει φιλανθρωπίας. Ὅπερ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς συνιδὼν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι, Κύριε, πάντα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ οἱ ὅσιοί σου εὐλογησάτωσάν σε· τουτέστιν, Εὐχαριστείτωσάν σοι, ἀναπεμπέτωσάν σοι ὕμνους, οἵ τε λόγῳ τετιμημένοι, τά τε φωνὴν οὐκ ἔχοντα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἀφώνων ἕκαστον οὕτω γέγονεν, ὥστε εὐλογίαν ἀναπέμπειν διὰ τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως, κἂν ἄφωνα ᾖ, διὰ τῶν ὁρώντων καὶ ἀπολαυόντων ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἐκεῖνα μὲν διὰ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς αὑτῶν, ἄνθρωποι δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς διαγωγῆς, καὶ διὰ τῆς πράξεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ποιεῖ διὰ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς τοῦ, Οἱ ὅσιοί σου εὐλογησάτωσάν σε. Ὁσίους δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἁγίους καλεῖ τοὺς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ προστάγματα πληροῦντας, τοὺς ἀβάτους ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ πονηρίᾳ. ∆όξαν τῆς βασιλείας σου ἐροῦσι. Τί ἐστι, ∆όξαν ἐροῦσι; Τὸ ἀνενδεὲς, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, φησὶν, τὸ κηδεμονικὸν, τὸ μὴ δεόμενον τῶν ἀρχομένων, τὸ τοσαύτην περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι πρόνοιαν, τὸ ἀπρόσιτον τοῦ φωτὸς, τὸ ἄῤῥητον τῆς οὐσίας, τὸ ἀκατάληπτον. Καὶ τὴν δυναστείαν σου λαλήσουσι· τουτέστιν, Τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἄμαχον, τὴν ἀχείρωτον ᾄσονται· οὐκ ἐπειδή σοι χρεία τούτων τῶν ὕμνων καὶ τῶν εὐφημιῶν, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτούς τε τοὺς λέγοντας, καὶ ὥστε καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι τῆς εὐφημίας κοινωνούς. ∆ιὸ ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦ γνωρίσαι τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν δυναστείαν σου, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας τῆς βασιλείας σου. ∆είκνυσι διὰ τούτων, ὅτι διὰ τὸ μαθεῖν ἑτέρους τὴν δυναστείαν αὐτοῦ τὰς εὐφημίας προσίεται. Πολλὴ τοίνυν ἡ δύναμις, πολλὴ ἡ δόξα, πολλὴ ἡ εὐπρέπεια, πολλὴ καὶ ἄφατος, οὐ μόνον πάντα ὑπερβαίνουσα λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα νικῶσα νοῦν. Ἀλλ' ἡ πολλὴ καὶ ἄφατος αὕτη χρείαν ἔχει τῶν διδασκόντων αὐτὴν διὰ τὴν ἄνοιαν τῶν πολλῶν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἥλιος φανότατόν ἐστιν ἄστρον, καὶ ὅμως οἱ τὰ ὄμματα νοσοῦντες οὐχ ὁρῶσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ φῶς· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια ἡλίου μὲν παντός ἐστι φαιδροτέρα, ἀλλ' οἱ τοῖς λογισμοῖς διεστραμμένοι, καὶ βεβυσμένοι τὰς ἀκοὰς, πολλῆς δέονται τῆς ἐπιμελείας, ὥστε ἀνοιγῆναι αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. δʹ. ∆εῖ τοίνυν συνεχῶς αὐτοῖς ἐνηχεῖν καὶ ἐνιέναι τὴν περὶ τούτων διδασκαλίαν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ εἶπε δόξαν βασιλείας καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν, καὶ μὴ διασαφήσας παρέδραμε, πάλιν ἀναλαμβάνει, καὶ λέγει κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν αὐτῷ, τί ἐστιν ἡ δόξα, ἐπαγαγών· Ἡ βασιλεία σου, βασιλεία πάντων τῶν αἰώνων. Οὐ τῶν παρόντων μόνον, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐρχομένων· ἀτελεύτητος γὰρ καὶ ἄπειρος, καὶ μόνη τὸ ἀΐδιον ἔχουσα. Καὶ ἡ δεσποτεία σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ. Ὅρα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τὸ ἀτελεύτητον. Παν 55.470 ταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης, πανταχοῦ τῶν αἰώνων, πανταχοῦ τῶν χρόνων ἐκτέταται. Πιστὸς Κύριος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅσιος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ· εἰπὼν τῆς βασιλείας τὸ ἀτελεύτητον, τὸ βεβηκὸς, τὸ πάγιον, τὸ ἀκίνητον, λέγει καὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ τὸ στεῤῥόν. Τὸ γὰρ, Πιστὸς, τοῦτό ἐστιν, βέβαιος, ἀληθής. Εἰ δὲ πιστὸς, πάντως ἔσται τὰ εἰρημένα παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ ἀδιάπτωτος, καὶ πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσα· οὕτω καὶ οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ στεῤῥοὶ, βεβηκότες. Οὔτε οὖν ἐκείνη ποτὲ διακόπτεται, οὔτε οὗτοι διαπίπτουσιν. Εἰ δὲ οὐ διαπίπτουσι, δεῖ πάντως ἀκολουθῆσαι τὰ ἔργα. Εἰ δέ πού τι καὶ εἶπε, καὶ οὐ γέγονε, καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτοῦ ἀπόδειξις· Πέρας γὰρ λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνη καὶ βασιλείαν, τοῦ κατασκάπτειν καὶ ἐκριζοῦν· καὶ ἐὰν μετανοήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ, μετανοήσω κἀγὼ ἐφ' οἷς ἐλάλησα ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν