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its size only, but that he also allotted to it the unnavigable part of the sea as a region. And it is worthy of wonder, how it does not cross its own boundaries, being a wild and exceedingly large animal, but remains living in its own places, and not only does it not come out to the land, nor to the inhabited country, but it does not even damage the part of the sea suitable for navigation; it does not consume the species of fish, but lives within its own country. And it is worthy to wonder not only at these things, but also at the abyss, how great its depth is. And what is true of the beast, this one can also see in the sea. For it too, being unbearable in the violence of the winds, and having such a multitude of waters, does not break out of its own boundaries, it does not flood the neighboring land, but it too is shackled by immovable bonds; and yet the nature of waters is disorderly. But when there is such a multitude, and it is pushed by so many winds, consider how great a wonder it is that it does not fall out of its own country on account of its disorderliness, or its bulk, or its violence, but maintains all good order in such great disorder. Therefore, by considering these things, you will be able from this to weave a hymn to God, and to marvel at his power, his wisdom, his strength, his authority. And there are other secret accounts of these things, which he who made them knows himself. For this reason someone said: Do not say, Why is this? For what purpose is this? For all things were made for his need. Fire, hail, snow, ice, a storm-wind, fulfilling his word. Here he also adds another thing with what has been said. For in the previous psalm he marveled at this, that in a brief moment of time the snow, the ice, covers the whole earth, that it freezes, that it is changed, that it is transformed to its opposites; but here, that they have come into being from not being, and that having come into being they remain, 55.489 and that remaining they fulfill the order of servants, although they are without reason, and they carry out his command into action with much obedience. Rather, a single command has often accomplished things contrary to nature, just as in the case of the Babylonian furnace the fire was shown to be doing both things, burning and refreshing with dew. Is this, then, he says, worthy of thanksgiving? Indeed, of much. For it is right to praise God equally, both when punishing and when ceasing from punishment. For both are of care, both are of goodness. For men do one thing out of goodness, and another out of wickedness and anger; but God does both out of love for mankind. Therefore it is necessary to praise him equally, both because he placed Adam in paradise, and because he cast him out, and to be grateful not only for the kingdom, but also for Gehenna. For he both made this and threatened it, in order to deliver from wickedness. Just as, therefore, we admire a physician not only when he nourishes, but also when he chokes with hunger, not only when he takes one out to the marketplace, but also when he shuts one up somewhere in their houses, not only when he anoints, but also when he cauterizes and cuts; for although the things that happen are contrary, they look to one end; so also it is right to praise God for all things, and much more, inasmuch as the one is God, and the other a man; and because the things of these men often have turned out for the contrary, but the things of God happen with fitting wisdom and care. But not only do hail and fire punish, but they have also delivered from punishments, and have stopped wars, and have repelled advancing enemies. Or do you not know how many wonders were worked in Egypt through these elements, and among the Jews, and in our generation? And so great is the power of the one who commands, that the very things he used to do through angels, those intelligent and great powers, these he often worked wondrously also through the elements, so that when an angel also does these things, no one among the more foolish may attribute it to him, but to the one who commanded. Did an angel then stop a war? Hail also stopped one. Did an angel destroy the firstborn? A storm of the sea also destroyed the entire people. For all these things, therefore, give thanks to the God who loves mankind. The mountains and

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τὸ μέγεθος δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ χωρίον αὐτῷ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ ἄπλωτον ἀπεκλήρωσε μέρος. Καὶ ἄξιον θαυμάζειν, πῶς οὐχ ὑπερβαίνει τοὺς οἰκείους ὅρους, ζῶον ἄγριον ὂν καὶ σφόδρα μέγιστον, ἀλλὰ μένει τοῖς οἰκείοις τόποις ἐνδιαιτώμενον, καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔξεισι πρὸς τὴν γῆν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην χώραν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῆς θαλάττης τὸ πρὸς ναυτιλίαν ἐπιτήδειον λυμαίνεται μέρος· οὐ δαπανᾷ τῶν ἰχθύων τὰ γένη, ἀλλ' εἴσω τῆς οἰκείας ἐνδιαιτᾶται χώρας. Καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον ἄξιον θαυμάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄβυσσον, ὅση τὸ βάθος ἐστίν. Ὅπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ θηρίου, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ταῖς τῶν πνευμάτων βίαις οὖσα ἀφόρητος, καὶ τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ὑδάτων ἔχουσα, οὐκ ἐκρήγνυται τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων, οὐκ ἐπικλύζει τὴν γείτονα γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ δεσμοῖς ἀκινήτοις πεπέδηται· καίτοι γε ἄτακτος ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων φύσις. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ πλῆθος τοσοῦτον ᾖ, καὶ ὑπὸ τοσούτων πνευμάτων ὠθῆται, ἐννόησον ἡλίκου θαύματος τὸ μήτε κατὰ τὴν ἀταξίαν μήτε τὸν ὄγκον μήτε τὴν βίαν ἐκπίπτειν τῆς οἰκείας χώρας, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐν ἀταξίᾳ τοσαύτῃ διατηρεῖν εὐταξίαν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἀναλογιζόμενος δυνήσῃ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ὕμνον ὑφαίνειν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ θαυμάζειν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, τὴν σοφίαν, τὴν ἰσχὺν, τὴν ἐξουσίαν. Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι λόγοι ἀπόῤῥητοι τούτων, οὓς ὁ ποιήσας οἶδεν αὐτός. ∆ιὸ καί τις ἔλεγε· Μὴ εἴπῃς, ∆ιὰ τί τοῦτο; Εἰς τί τοῦτο; Πάντα γὰρ εἰς χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο. Πῦρ, χάλαζα, χιὼν, κρύσταλλος, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, τὰ ποιοῦντα τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἕτερόν τι μετὰ τῶν εἰρημένων προστίθησιν. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ προτέρῳ ψαλμῷ τοῦτο ἐθαύμαζεν, ὅτι ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ πᾶσαν ἔπεισι τὴν γῆν ἡ χιὼν, ὁ κρύσταλλος, ὅτι πήγνυται, ὅτι μεταβάλλεται, ὅτι πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία μεθίσταται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ὅτι τε οὐκ ὄντα γέγονε, καὶ ὅτι γενόμενα μένει, 55.489 καὶ ὅτι μένοντα διακόνων τάξιν ἀναπληροῖ, καίτοι γε ἄλογα ὄντα, καὶ τὸ πρόσταγμα αὐτοῦ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπακοῆς εἰς ἔργον ἐξάγει. Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐναντία τῇ φύσει ἓν πολλάκις ἐπίταγμα ἤνυσεν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας καμίνου τό τε καῖον τὸ πῦρ καὶ δροσίζον, ἑκάτερα πρᾶττον ἐδείκνυτο. Τοῦτο οὖν, φησὶν, εὐχαριστίας ἄξιον; Καὶ πολλῆς μὲν οὖν. Τὸν γὰρ Θεὸν ὁμοίως ἀνυμνεῖν χρὴ, καὶ κολάζοντα καὶ ἀνιέντα κολάσεως. Ἀμφότερα γὰρ κηδεμονίας, ἀμφότερα ἀγαθότητος. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὲν ἀγαθότητι ποιοῦσι, τὸ δὲ πονηρίᾳ καὶ θυμῷ· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀμφότερα φιλανθρωπίᾳ. Ὁμοίως γοῦν αὐτὸν ἀνυμνεῖν δεῖ, καὶ ὅτι ἔθηκεν ἐν παραδείσῳ τὸν Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ὅτι ἐξέβαλε, καὶ χάριν εἰδέναι οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῆς βασιλείας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς γεέννης. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταύτην ἐποίησέ τε καὶ ἠπείλησεν, ὥστε κακίας ἀπαλλάξαι. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἰατρὸν οὐ τρέφοντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄγχοντα λιμῷ, οὐκ εἰς ἀγορὰν μόνον ἐξάγοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν οἴκοις που κατακλείοντα, οὐκ ἀλείφοντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καίοντα καὶ τέμνοντα θαυμάζομεν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐναντία τὰ γινόμενα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἓν ὁρᾷ τέλος· οὕτω καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἀνυμνεῖν χρὴ, καὶ πολλῷ πλέον, ὅσῳ ὁ μὲν Θεὸς, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος· καὶ ὅτι τὰ μὲν τούτων πολλάκις καὶ εἰς τοὐναντίον ἐξέβη, τὰ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης γίνεται σοφίας καὶ κηδεμονίας. Οὐ τιμωρεῖται δὲ μόνον χάλαζα καὶ πῦρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμωρίας ἀπήλλαξε, καὶ πολέμους ἔστησε, καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἐπιόντας ἀπεκρούσατο. Ἢ οὐκ οἶσθα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ὅσα διὰ τούτων ἐθαυματουργήθη τῶν στοιχείων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γενεᾶς τῆς ἡμετέρας; Καὶ τοσαύτη ἡ τοῦ κελεύοντος δύναμις, ὅτι ἅπερ δι' ἀγγέλων ἐποίει, τῶν νοερῶν ἐκείνων καὶ μεγάλων δυνάμεων, ταῦτα πολλάκις καὶ διὰ τῶν στοιχείων ἐθαυματούργει, ἵνα ὅταν καὶ ἄγγελος ταῦτα ἐργάσηται, μηδεὶς τῶν ἀνοητοτέρων ἐκείνῳ λογίζηται, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπιτάξαντι. Ἔστησεν οὖν ἄγγελος πόλεμον; Ἔστησε καὶ χάλαζα. Ἀνεῖλε τὰ πρωτότοκα ἄγγελος; Ἀνεῖλε καὶ καταιγὶς θαλάττης τὸν δῆμον ἅπαντα. Ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τοίνυν εὐχαρίστει τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ. Τὰ ὄρη καὶ