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goes well for you, even if he is well-disposed, even if he is grateful, he says, even if he intends to repay, ending his life in the midst of his promises, he has left you with empty hopes, because his life did not suffice 55.474 for the fulfillment of the promise. But when he does not even have a life sufficient for the promise, but his life is cut short before its fulfillment, you take refuge in a rotten alliance. Or do you not know of many who have suffered this, and when their ally fell, having been stripped of their protector, were brought down all the more because of this? And what am I saying about the promise, that it is scattered and perishes, when even the one who is master of it does not himself remain? For he returns, it says, to his earth. But if he has perished, much more so have these things. Therefore he also added this, In that day all his thoughts will perish; showing that not only will the things promised not come to fulfillment, but he who promises will himself be gone. What then does he do from here? Since he has led us away from human hopes, he then shows the safe harbor and the unconquerable tower, and gives counsel. For this is indeed the best manner of exhortation, to lead away from the unsound, and to lead toward the strong; to tear down the vain things, and to establish the true things; to refute the deceptive things, and to show the beneficial things. Blessed is he, whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Do you see the abundance of counsel and exhortation? And when he speaks a blessing, he speaks of all good things, and shows the security of the hope. Therefore, having blessed the one who hopes in him, he then speaks of the power of the helper, showing that the one is man, but the other is God; the one perishes, but the other remains; and not only does he himself remain, but also his works. Therefore he also added thus: Who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. 2. And if his works endure, much more is he himself both enduring and powerful; and that he is such, his creations show his strength. What then, if he is both enduring and powerful, but is unwilling? For many of the foolish say these things. But see how he refutes this suspicion as well. For having said, Who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, he added: Who keeps truth for ever, who executes judgment for the oppressed. What he is saying is this: This is his work, this is his custom, this is especially proper to God, not to overlook the oppressed, not to pass by those who are abused, to extend a hand to those who are conspired against; and this forever. Therefore he also said, For ever, indicating this; but not only this, but also what follows: Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind. Another, gives light. The Lord raises up those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he will uphold the orphan and the widow, and will destroy the way of sinners. Do you see how through all things he shows his providence extended, and that this is his work, to resolve calamities, to relieve famine, to free from bonds. But these things, in part, even men can do; but what follows, no longer. For he also corrects the maiming of nature itself, he raises up the fallen, he says, he praises those who shine 55.475 in virtue, he saves the unprotected, he comforts and restores those who are distressed and in pain because of orphanhood or widowhood. Then, since he said, He loves the righteous, he shows that he has helped many out of misfortune alone. For those whom he feeds, he feeds because they are hungry, which is not a matter of virtue; and the prisoners, he frees because of their bonds; and this itself is not a matter of virtue, but of misfortune; and the blind he enlightens because of their disability; this too is not an achievement, but also a misfortune. Likewise also being bowed down, and being a sojourner, and an orphan, and a widow. But if those in

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σοι κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρηται, κἂν εὔνους ᾖ, κἂν χάριν εἰδὼς, φησὶ, κἂν μέλλῃ ἀποδιδόναι, ἐν μέσαις ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι καταλύσας τὸν βίον, ἀφῆκέ σε ἐν ἐλπίσι κεναῖς, διὰ τὸ τὴν ζωὴν μὴ ἀρκέ 55.474 σαι πρὸς τὸ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως τέλος. Ὅταν δὲ μηδὲ ζωὴν ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχῃ πρὸς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν, ἀλλὰ προκαταλύηται τοῦ τέλους ὁ βίος, ἐπὶ σαθρὰν καταφεύγεις συμμαχίαν. Ἢ οὐκ ἴστε πολλοὺς τοῦτο πεπονθότας, καὶ τοῦ συμμάχου πεσόντος, τοῦ προστάτου γυμνωθέντας, ἐντεῦθεν μᾶλλον κατενεχθέντας; Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὅτι διαχεῖται καὶ ἀπόλλυται, ὅταν καὶ ὁ ταύτης κύριος ὢν μηδὲ αὐτὸς μένῃ; Ἐπιστρέφει γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἀπόλωλε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ταῦτα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται πάντες οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ· δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ μόνον εἰς τέλος οὐχ ἥξει τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς οἰχήσεται ὁ ἐπαγγελλόμενος. Τί οὖν ἐντεῦθεν ποιεῖ; Ἐπεὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀπήγαγεν ἐλπίδων, δείκνυσι λοιπὸν τὸν ἀσφαλῆ λιμένα καὶ τὸν ἀχείρωτον πύργον, καὶ συμβουλεύει. Οὗτος γὰρ μάλιστα παραινέσεως ἄριστος τρόπος, ἀπάγειν τῶν σαθρῶν, καὶ ἐνάγειν πρὸς τὰ ἰσχυρά· καθαιρεῖν τὰ μάταια, καὶ ἱστᾷν τὰ ἀληθινά· διελέγχειν τὰ ἀπατῶντα, καὶ δεικνύναι τὰ ὠφελοῦντα. Μακάριος, οὗ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ βοηθὸς αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ. Εἶδες περιουσίαν συμβουλῆς καὶ παραινέσεως; Ὅταν δὲ μακαρισμὸν εἴπῃ, πάντα λέγει τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ δείκνυσι τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ἐλπίδος. Μακαρίσας τοίνυν τὸν ἐλπίζοντα ἐπ' αὐτὸν, λέγει λοιπὸν τοῦ βοηθοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, δεικνὺς ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος, ὁ δὲ Θεός· ὁ μὲν ἀπολλύμενος, ὁ δὲ μένων· οὐκ αὐτὸς δὲ μένων μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως ἐπήγαγε· Τὸν ποιήσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς. βʹ. Εἰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ διαρκῆ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς καὶ διαρκὴς καὶ δυνατός· καὶ ὅτι τοιοῦτος, δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὰ γενόμενα τὴν ἰσχύν. Τί οὖν, εἰ καὶ διαρκής ἐστι καὶ δυνατὸς, οὐ βούλεται δέ; Πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀνοήτων ταῦτα λέγουσιν Ἀλλ' ὅρα πῶς καὶ ταύτην ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Τὸν ποιήσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐπήγαγε· Τὸν φυλάσσοντα ἀλήθειαν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ποιοῦντα κρῖμα τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· Τοῦτο αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἔργον, τοῦτο σύνηθες, τοῦτο μάλιστα Θεοῦ ἴδιον, τὸ μὴ περιορᾷν ἀδικουμένους, τὸ μὴ παρατρέχειν ἐπηρεαζομένους, τὸ χεῖρα ὀρέγειν τοῖς ἐπιβουλευομένοις· καὶ τοῦτο εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔφησεν, Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τοῦτο δηλῶν· οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς ἐχόμενον· ∆ιδόντα τροφὴν τοῖς πεινῶσι. Κύριος λύει πεπεδημένους, Κύριος σοφοῖ τυφλούς. Ἄλλος, Φωτίζει. Κύριος ἀνορθοῖ κατεῤῥαγμένους. Κύριος ἀγαπᾷ δικαίους. Κύριος φυλάσσει τοὺς προσηλύτους· ὀρφανὸν καὶ χήραν ἀναλήψεται, καὶ ὁδὸν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀφανιεῖ. Εἶδες πῶς διὰ πάντων δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν τεταμένην, καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτῷ, λύειν συμφορὰς, λιμὸν διορθοῦσθαι, δεσμῶν ἐλευθεροῦν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ μέρους καὶ ἄνθρωποι δύνανται· τὰ δὲ ἑξῆς οὐκέτι. Καὶ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως αὐτῆς τὴν πήρωσιν διορθοῦται, τοὺς πεπτωκότας ἀνιστᾷ, φησὶ, τοὺς ἐν 55.475 ἀρετῇ λάμποντας ἐπαινεῖ, τοὺς ἀπροστατεύτους σώζει, τοὺς δι' ὀρφανίαν ἢ χηρείαν δυσχεραίνοντας καὶ ὀδυνωμένους παραμυθεῖται καὶ ἀνακτᾶται. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, Ἀγαπᾷ δικαίους, δείκνυσιν ὅτι πολλοῖς καὶ ἀπὸ συμφορᾶς μόνης ἐπήρκεσε. Καὶ γὰρ οὓς διατρέφει, διὰ τὸ πεινῇν τρέφει, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρετῆς· καὶ τοὺς πεπεδημένους, διὰ τὰ δεσμὰ λύει· οὐδὲ αὐτὸ δὲ ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ συμφορᾶς· καὶ τοὺς τυφλοὺς δὲ διὰ τὴν πήρωσιν φωτίζει· οὐδὲ τοῦτο δὲ κατορθώματος, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ συμφορᾶς. Ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ κατεῤῥάχθαι, καὶ τὸ προσήλυτον εἶναι, καὶ ὀρφανὸν, καὶ χήραν. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς ἐν