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he transfers. For just as beginning from heaven he descended to the earth, so from all visible things he leads him up again above heaven, saying: His praise is upon earth and heaven. That is, even if the powers above, the invisible and intellectual ones, do not cease giving thanks and singing hymns, yet God, so great and of such a kind, deemed us worthy to be called his people, and not only to be called, but also to be lifted up and exalted. Therefore he added: And he will exalt the horn of his people, in this way drawing them again to his greater service, showing that he does not need service from them, for how could he who by nature possesses glory as his inheritance and has so great a creation subject to him? but through goodness alone he made them his own, and made them renowned and brilliant throughout the whole world. Which indeed he declared, saying: A hymn for all his saints, for the sons of Israel, a people near to him. For lest in this way he should again make them more slothful and supine by saying, "and his people," and trusting in this alone they should neglect the virtue of the soul; having said, "A hymn for all," he did not say simply, "for men," but, "for his saints;" and again, having said, "for the sons of Israel," he added, "a people near to him." But another interpreter, instead of "hymn," said "praise." What he says, therefore, is this: if you are holy, if you draw near to him, you will enjoy much glory. For all his things are sufficient, since he is so rich and has so much 55.493 glory. But from now on what is from us must follow, and we too shall enjoy much renown, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

ON THE 149TH PSALM. Sing to the Lord a new song.

1. According to the allegorical sense, the song of the New Covenant is called a new song. For all things then became new. Covenant: I will make with you, he says, a new covenant. Creation: If anyone is in Christ, he says, he is a new creation. Man: Having put off, he says, the old man, and having put on the new, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Therefore, on account of the new life, and all the other things, it is called the New Covenant, and the prophet now urges us to sing its new song. But according to the historical sense, what they were to sing upon victories, upon achievements, upon trophies, was brilliant and distinguished. His praise in the Church of the saints. Do you see how before words he seeks thanksgiving through life and deeds, and leads these into the choir of those who sing hymns? For it is not enough to give thanks through words alone, unless virtue through action also accompanies it. His praise in the Church of the saints. And he teaches something else here. For he shows that praises must be offered up together and with all harmony. For Church is the name of a system and a synod. Let Israel rejoice in him who made him. Before his own benefits he places the universal one, practically admonishing and saying this through what he added: Give thanks to God, because he brought you into being from non-being, and breathed a soul into you. For this too is no small part of his beneficence. But here he shows something more. For he does not simply indicate the creation, but the close relationship by speaking thus; and he exhorts to give thanks, not because he made him, but because he also made him his own people. Do you see how, uniting and joining him to God, he does not want him to give thanks simply, but with pleasure, with gladness, and with an inflamed mind? For he hinted at all these things through, "Let him rejoice." He seeks, therefore, the disposition of the one giving thanks, so that

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μετατίθησιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀρχόμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πρὸς τὴν γῆν κατέβη, οὕτως ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἁπάντων ἀνάγει πάλιν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανὸν, λέγων· Ἡ ἐξομολόγησις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ. Τουτέστιν, εἰ καὶ αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις αἱ ἀόρατοι καὶ νοεραὶ οὐ παύονται εὐχαριστοῦσαι καὶ ἀνυμνοῦσαι, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ τοσοῦτος καὶ τηλικοῦτος Θεὸς κατηξίωσε λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμᾶς ὀνομάσαι, καὶ οὐκ ὀνομάσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπᾶραι καὶ ὑψῶσαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ ὑψώσει κέρας λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ταύτῃ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐπισπώμενος πρὸς μείζονα αὐτοῦ θεραπείαν, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν δεόμενος θεραπείας, πῶς γὰρ ὁ φύσει συγκεκληρωμένην ἔχων τὴν δόξαν καὶ τοσαύτην κτίσιν ὑποτεταγμένην; ἀλλὰ δι' ἀγαθότητα μόνην ᾠκειώσατο αὐτοὺς ἑαυτῷ, καὶ περιφανεῖς ἐποίησε καὶ λαμπροὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ὕμνος πᾶσι τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ, τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, λαῷ ἐγγίζοντι αὐτῷ. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ταύτῃ πάλιν ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιήσῃ καὶ ὑπτιωτέρους τῷ λέγειν, καὶ λαὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τούτῳ μόνῳ θαῤῥοῦντες τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀμελῶσι τῆς ἀρετῆς· εἰπὼν, Ὕμνος πᾶσιν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ, Τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν εἰπὼν, Τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, προσέθηκε, Λαῷ ἐγγίζοντι αὐτῷ. Ἕτερος δὲ ἑρμηνευτὴς, ἀντὶ τοῦ Ὕμνος, Ἔπαινος εἶπεν. Ὃ τοίνυνλέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ἐὰν ἦτε ὅσιοι, Ἐὰν ἐγγίζητε αὐτῷ, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσεσθε δόξης. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα διαρκῆ ἐστιν, οὕτω πλουτοῦντος καὶ τοσαύ 55.493 την δόξαν ἔχοντος. ∆εῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν λοιπὸν ἀκολουθεῖν, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς περιφανείας, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΜΘʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινόν.

αʹ. Κατὰ μὲν ἀναγωγὴν τὸ τῆς Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης ᾆσμα καινὸν εἴρηται. Πάντα γὰρ τότε γέγονε καινά. ∆ιαθήκη· ∆ιαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην, φησὶ, καινήν. Κτίσις· Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, φησὶ, καινὴ κτίσις. Ἄνθρωπος· Ἀπεκδυσάμενοι, φησὶ, τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τὴν καινὴν τοίνυν ζωὴν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ∆ιαθήκη Καινὴ λέγεται, καὶ ᾆσμα καινὸν τὸ ταύτης ᾄδειν νῦν ὁ προφήτης προτρέπει. Κατὰ δὲ ἱστορίαν, ὃ ἐπὶ νίκαις, ὃ ἐπὶ κατορθώμασιν, ὃ ἐπὶ τροπαίοις ἔμελλον ᾄδειν, λαμπρὸν καὶ ἐπίσημον. Ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὁσίων. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πρὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τὴν διὰ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν ἔργων εὐχαριστίαν ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ τούτους εἰς τὸν χορὸν ἄγει τῶν ὑμνούντων; Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ διὰ ῥημάτων εὐχαριστεῖν μόνον, ἂν μὴ καὶ ἡ διὰ τῆς πράξεως ἀρετὴ συμβαίνῃ. Ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὁσίων. Καὶ ἕτερόν τι ἐνταῦθα παιδεύει. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ, ὅτι ὁμοῦ καὶ μετὰ συμφωνίας ἁπάσης δεῖ τὰς εὐφημίας ἀναφέρειν. Ἐκκλησία γὰρ συστήματος καὶ συνόδου ἐστὶν ὄνομα. Εὐφρανθήτω Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν. Πρὸ τῶν ἰδικῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τίθησι τὴν καθολικὴν, μονονουχὶ τοῦτο, δι' ὧν ἐπήγαγε, παραινῶν καὶ λέγων· Εὐχαρίστει τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι οὐκ ὄντα σε παρήγαγε, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐνέπνευσεν. Οὐ μικρὸν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο εὐεργεσίας μέρος. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ πλέον τι δείκνυσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τὴν δημιουργίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκειότητα ἐμφαίνει τῷ οὕτως εἰπεῖν· καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν παρακελεύεται, οὐχ ὅτι ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ οἰκεῖον λαόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἑνῶν αὐτὸν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ συνάπτων οὐχ ἁπλῶς εὐχαριστεῖν βούλεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἡδονῆς, μετὰ εὐφροσύνης, καὶ διαθερμαινόμενον τὴν διάνοιαν; Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα διὰ τοῦ, Εὐφρανθήτω, ᾐνίξατο. Τὴν διάθεσιν οὖν ζητεῖ τοῦ εὐχαριστοῦντος, ἵνα