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of his commandments, but putting deeds to words, and thereby ordering one's own life. For these are not given for us to have a bare memory and knowledge of them, but a memory for the purpose of doing them. The Savior also makes this clear, saying: He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; for the reward is for the doing, not for the memory of them alone; and not the hearers, but the doers of the law will be justified. And the law of God is rightly called a testament, so that we who keep it might hope for an inheritance from it. That our nature is mortal, but the divine love for humanity preserves even to our descendants the recompense owed to the forefathers for their righteousness, you would find countless testimonies. For on account of the righteousness of Abraham, and of Isaac and Jacob, He deemed the people who sprung from them afterwards worthy of the calling and of his own visitation; for Jehu he preserved the kingdom until the fourth generation, although he did not possess perfect piety, but showed zeal at the beginning of his reign; for the divine David, he kept the spark of his lineage unquenched, and this though many impious men had sprung up in their midst. The Lord has prepared his throne in heaven, and his kingdom will rule over all. But "will rule over all" is said precisely, and not "rules over all"; since not all happen to be worthy of his kingdom. Therefore, the Savior promised the kingdom of heaven to those who live the gospel life rightly. But he rules over all in another sense, holding power even over those unworthy of his kingdom, as indeed Lord of all. Bless the Lord, all his angels, mighty in strength, who do his word, to hear the voice of his words. Above, the divine Spirit was calling the soul of man to the thanksgiving and blessing of God, saying: Bless, my soul, the Lord; but now, since he has mentioned the throne of God, 23.1269 and the heavenly dwellings which God has prepared for the worthy, very consistently he exhorts the heavenly powers to rejoice with the soul in its salvation, according to the saving word which said that there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents; but he also brings to a conclusion the soul of man and the heavenly powers; for he commands the same work of blessing to this one and to those. Mighty in strength, who do his word, to hear the voice of his words. As for you, he says, O soul, you are too weak to praise God worthily; nevertheless, do this in part. But know that his angels, being mighty in strength, and unerringly doing his word, and being worthy to hear his voice and his words, bless him fittingly and worthily. And if there should be among men any who pursue an angel-like life, as bearing the image of the heavenly one, being able also themselves to do his word, and able to obey his voice, according to him who said: I can do all things through him who strengthens me. These too, being like angels, let them bless him. But let no one of those who transgress his word and disobey his voice dare to do this rashly. Bless the Lord, all his powers, his ministers, who do his will. David, since there are also opposing powers, very necessarily adds: his ministers, who do his will, showing which and what kind of powers he wants to bless God; that not all, nor the contrary ones, but only the worthy ones who minister to him in various ranks, that is, who do his will. For the ministers of God are powers who serve him for what he wishes to do through them for the benefit and advantage of all; wherefore they are also said to do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works, in every

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ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπιτιθέντας τοῖς λόγοις τὰ ἔργα, καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸ τὸν οἰκεῖον βίον ῥυθμίζοντας. ∆ίδονται γὰρ αὗται οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ μνήμην αὐτῶν ψιλὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ἔχειν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ μνήμην εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ παρίστησιν εἰπών· Ὁ ἔχων τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τηρῶν αὐτὰς, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαπῶν με· τῆς γὰρ ποιήσεως ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς μνήμης αὐτῶν μόνης ὁ μισθός· καὶ οὐχ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται. Καλῶς δὲ διαθήκη ὁ νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ προσηγόρευται, ἵνα κληρονομίαν ἐλπίζωμεν ἐξ αὐτῆς οἱ φυλάσσοντες. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ μὲν φύσις ἡμῶν ἐπίκηρος, ἡ δὲ θεία φιλανθρωπία καὶ μέχρις ἐγγόνων διατηρεῖ τὴν τοῖς προγόνοις ὀφειλομένην τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀντίδοσιν, μυρία ἂν εὕροις μαρτύρια. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν φύντα μετὰ ταῦτα λαὸν τῆς κλήσεως καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἐπισκοπῆς κατηξίωσε· τῷ Ἰηοῦ μέχρι τετάρτης γενεᾶς τὴν βασιλείαν τετήρηκε, καίτοι μηδὲ τελείαν κτησαμένῳ εὐσέβειαν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιδειξαμένῳ τὸν ζῆλον· τῷ θεσπεσίῳ ∆αυῒδ, ἄσβεστον ἐτήρησε τὸν τοῦ γένους σπινθῆρα, καὶ ταῦτα πολλῶν δυσσεβῶν ἐν μέσῳ βεβλαστηκότων. Κύριος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἡτοίμασε τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ πάντων δεσπόσει. Ἀκριβῶς δὲ τὸ πάντων δεσπόσει, εἴρηται, ἀλλ' οὐ, πάντων δεσπόζει· ἐπεὶ μὴ πάντες ἄξιοι τυγχάνουσι τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας. ∆ιὸ τοῖς τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν κατορθοῦσι βίον τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπηγγείλατο. ∆εσπόζει δὲ πάντων καθ' ἑτέραν ἐπίνοιαν καὶ τῶν ἀναξίων τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ κρατῶν, οἷα δὴ πάντων Κύριος. Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ. Ἀνωτέρω μὲν τὸ θεῖον Πνεῦμα τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν ἐκάλει ἐπὶ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, φάσκον· Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον· νῦν δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐμνημόνευσε, 23.1269 καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων διατριβῶν, ἃς τοῖς ἀξίοις ὁ Θεὸς ἡτοίμασε, σφόδρα ἀκολούθως ταῖς οὐρανίοις δυνάμεσι συγχαίρειν τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς σωτηρίᾳ παρακελεύεται, κατὰ τὸν σωτήριον λόγον φήσαντα χαρὰν ἔσεσθαι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι· ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τέλος ἄγει τὴν ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν καὶ τὰς οὐρανίους δυνάμεις· τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ τῆς εὐλογίας ἔργον καὶ ταύτῃ κἀκείνοις ἐπιτάττει. ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ. Τὰ μὲν κατὰ σὲ, φησὶν, ὦ ψυχὴ, ἐξασθενεῖ πρὸς τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ὑμνεῖν τὸν Θεόν· ἐκ μέρους δὲ ὅμως τοῦτο ποίει. Ἴσθι δὲ, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ ὄντες, καὶ ἀδιαπτώτως τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦντες, ἄξιοί τε ἀκούειν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ, πρεπόντως καὶ κατ' ἀξίαν εὐλογοῦσιν αὐτόν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἶέν τινες τὸν ἰσάγγελον βίον μετερχόμενοι, ἅτε τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου φοροῦντες, ἰσχύοντες δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ποιεῖν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ δυνατοὶ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ὑπακούειν, κατὰ τὸν φήσαντα· Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με. Καὶ οὗτοι, ἰσάγγελοι ὄντες, εὐλογείτωσαν αὐτόν. Μηδεὶς δὲ τῶν παραβαινόντων τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ παρακουόντων τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ, προπετέστερον τολμάτω τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ, λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ, ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ. Ὁ μὲν ∆αυῒδ, ἐπειδήπερ εἰσὶ καὶ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις, σφόδρα ἀναγκαίως ἐπιφέρει τό· λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ, ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ, δεικνὺς τίνας βούλεται καὶ ὁποίας δυνάμεις εὐλογεῖν τὸν Θεόν· ὅτι μὴ πάσας, μηδὲ τὰς ἐναντίας, ἀλλὰ μόνος τὰς ἀξίας τὰς ἐν διαφόροις τάξεσι λειτουργούσας αὐτῷ, ἤτοι ποιούσας αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα. Λειτουργοὶ γάρ εἰσι Θεοῦ δυνάμεις ὑπερητοῦσαι αὐτῷ εἰς ἃ βούλεται ποιεῖν δι' αὐτῶν ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ καὶ ὠφελείᾳ παντός· διὸ καὶ ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ εἴρηνται. Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἐν παντὶ