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through it as through dry land. For then its swellings became wondrous. Yet also the rivers lifted up their voice in another way, when the ark passed through the Jordan, and the waters drew back and stood still, crying out by their deeds the glory of God; and when the Savior Himself was baptized in the same river, the heavenly voice proclaimed him the beloved Son to the hearing of all. The testimonies were made exceedingly sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, for length of days. The prophecies concerning future things, in which the testimonies concerning the kingdom of the Lord were also borne, before the outcome of the events, did not yet allow the faithfulness of the words to be seen. But after the outcome, and the results through works, the testimonies of God were made sure. For long ago it had been spoken and prophesied, and for a long time the things concerning God's kingdom over all the nations had been expected; but this testimony that spoke was made sure now, when the oracle is seen to be fulfilled by works. And long ago it was said of the Lord, that He had clothed Himself with majesty; but now, with the word being confirmed by the works themselves, the truth of the prophecy has appeared, when, having put off the form of God, and put on that of a servant, and having reached even to an unseemly death, after these things He has laid aside this unseemliness, and has clothed Himself with the majes 23.1193 ty of the paternal glory, having bound upon Himself the kingdom over all things, both in heaven and on earth. And again, the prophetic testimonies contained, that the Lord, having clothed Himself with power, has established the world, which shall not be moved. And these things were also made sure, when after the passion, having received back His own power, in all the inhabited world of men He established His Church, so that the souls of men, wandering in godless superstition, should no longer be shaken here and there. And again, the testimonies through the prophets prophesied that the rivers will lift up their voice, and other rivers will lift up their breakings; and these testimonies were also made sure, when throughout all the Churches of God and throughout the whole world the multitudes of the pious according to the Gospel raise up eucharistic voices, which are sent up to God through prayers and hymns, by which the wise men of this age, who were formerly being crushed, have been brought to naught, and they have taken away their breakings, so that all their philosophy has been extinguished. And in the same way, going through the remaining predictions of the prophecies, you will apply to each one: Your testimonies were made exceedingly sure. The testimonies, therefore, from the divine Scriptures, have received their exceeding certainty through the truth seen in the outcomes; but for your house, that is, for your Church, nothing is so fitting for its preservation for length of days, as holiness. For as truth and faith are proper to your testimonies, so also holiness befits your house; being guarded by which, it remains and will continue for length of days. For if ever it should happen that unseemliness be found in your house, and instead of holiness, a profane, and unclean, and abominable deed, it is no longer possible for it to continue for length of days. For God who dwells in it, being holy and resting in the saints, will say, if—may it not happen—something unseemly and alien to holiness should ever be found concerning his house: Behold, your house is left to you desolate. Therefore it will be necessary for us, before all and above all, to take care for holiness and self-control when entering into the house of God. A PSALM OF DAVID. ON THE FOURTH DAY OF THE WEEK. 3. The Lord is a God of vengeance; the God of vengeance has spoken freely. The psalm is without a title among the Hebrews, but it contains an exhortation and consolation for those who are in accordance with the

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δι' αὐτῆς ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς. Καὶ τότε γὰρ θαυμαστοὶ γεγόνασιν αὐτῆς οἱ μετεωρισμοί. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ποταμοὶ ἐπῆραν φωνὴν ἑτέρως, ὅτε ἡ κιβωτὸς διῄει τὸν Ἰορδάνην, ὑπανεχώρει τε καὶ ἵστατο τὰ ὕδατα ἔργοις τὴν δόξαν ἐκβοῶντα τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτε, αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος βαπτισθέντος ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ποταμῷ, ἡ οὐράνιος φωνὴ Υἱὸν αὐτὸν ἀγαπητὸν εἰς τὰς πάντων ἀκοὰς ἀνεκήρυττε. Τὰ μαρτύρια ἐπιστώθησαν σφόδρα· τῷ οἴκῳ σου πρέπει ἁγίασμα, Κύριε, εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν. Αἱ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων προφητεῖαι, καθ' ἃς ἐφέροντο καὶ αἱ περὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου βασιλείας μαρτυρίαι, πρὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκβάσεως, οὔπω παρεῖχον ὁρᾷν τὸ πιστὸν τῶν λόγων. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἔκβασιν, καὶ τὰ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιτελέσματα ἐπιστώθη τὰ μαρτύρια τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ εἴρητο καὶ προπεφήτευτο, ἐκ μακροῦ τε προσεδοκᾶτο τὰ περὶ τῆς εἰς ἅπαντα τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείας· ἐπιστώθη δὲ τὸ φῆσαν τοῦτο μαρτύριον νῦν, ὅτε ἔργοις ὁρᾶται πεπληρωμένον τὸ λόγιον. Καὶ πάλαι μὲν ἐλέγετο περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὡς ἄρα εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο· νῦν δὲ, πιστουμένου τοῦ λόγου δι' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων, πέφηνεν ἡ ἀλήθεια τῆς προῤῥήσεως, ὅτε ἀποδυσάμενος τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μορφὴν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δούλου περιθέμενος, καὶ μέχρι γε τοῦ ἀπρεποῦς θανάτου φθάσας, μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν μὲν ἀπρέπειαν ταύτην ἀποτέθειται, ἐνεδύσατο δὲ τῆς πατρικῆς δόξης τὴν εὐπρέ 23.1193 πειαν, τὴν κατὰ πάντων βασιλείαν, τῶν τε ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀναδησάμενος. Καὶ πάλιν τὰ μὲν προφητικὰ μαρτύρια περιεῖχεν, ὡς ἐνδυσάμενος δύναμιν ὁ Κύριος, ἐστερέωσε τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἥτις οὐ σαλευθήσεται. Ἐπιστώθη δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, ὅτε μετὰ τὸ πάθος, τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπολαβὼν δύναμιν, ἐν πάσῃ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένῃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ ἐστερέωσεν, εἰς τὸ μηκέτι σαλεύεσθαι ὧδε κἀκεῖσε τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς περὶ τὴν ἄθεον δεισιδαιμονίαν πλανωμένας. Καὶ πάλιν τὰ μὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν μαρτύρια προεφήτευον, ὡς ἄρα οἱ ποταμοὶ ἐπαροῦσι φωνὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἄλλοι ποταμοὶ ἀροῦσι τὰς ἐπιτρίψεις αὐτῶν· καὶ ταῦτα δὲ τὰ μαρτύρια ἐπιστώθη, ὅτε κατὰ πάσας τὰς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ πλήθη τῶν εὐσεβούντων κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἐπαίρει φωνὰς εὐχαριστηρίους, τὰς δι' εὐχῶν καὶ ὑμνολογιῶν τῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀναπεμπομένας, ὑφ' ὧν οἱ πάλαι ἐπιτριβόμενοι σοφοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου κατῄρηνται, καὶ τὰς ἐπιτρίψεις αὐτῶν περιεῖλον, ὡς πᾶσαν αὐτῶν σβεσθῆναι τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς τῶν προφητειῶν προῤῥήσεις διεξιὼν, ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ ἁρμόσεις τὸ, Τὰ μαρτύριά σου ἐπιστώθησαν σφόδρα. Αἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν μαρτυρίαι, σφόδρα τὸ πιστὸν εἰλήφασι διὰ τῆς ἐν ταῖς ἐκβάσεσιν ὁρωμένης ἀληθείας· τῷ δὲ οἴκῳ σου, τουτέστι τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ σου, οὐδὲν οὕτω πρέπει εἰς τὸ φυλάττεσθαι αὐτὴν εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν, ὡς ἁγιωσύνη. Ὡς γὰρ τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου οἰκεία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ πίστις, οὕτω καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ σου πρέπει ἁγιωσύνη· ὑφ' ἧς φυλαττόμενος μένει καὶ παραμενεῖ εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν. Εἰ γάρ ποτε συμβαίη ἀπρέπειαν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου εὑρεθῆναι, καὶ ἀντὶ ἁγιάσματος βέβηλον, καὶ ἀκάθαρτον, καὶ μυσαρὰν πρᾶξιν, οὐκέθ' οἷόν τε αὐτὸ εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν διαμένειν. Ἐρεῖ γὰρ ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικῶν Θεὸς ἅγιος ὢν καὶ ἐν ἁγίοις ἀναπαυόμενος, ἢ, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, ἀπρεπές τι καὶ ἀλλότριον ἁγιάσματος περὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ εὑρηθείη ποτὲ, τὸ, Ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. ∆ιὸ δεήσει ἡμᾶς πρὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων φροντίζειν, εἰσιόντας εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ σωφροσύνης. ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ ΤΕΤΡΑ∆Ι ΣΑΒΒΑΤΩΝ. Γʹ. Θεὸς ἐκδικήσεων Κύριος, Θεὸς ἐκδικήσεων ἐπαῤῥησιάσατο. Ἀνεπίγραφος μέν ἐστι παρ' Ἑβραίοις ὁ ψαλμὸς, περιέχει δὲ παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν τῶν κατὰ τὸν