Forgiveness of Heart-Impurity and the Flight to Christ
Especially regarding Christ according to the economy; and that there is no deceit in his mouth is likewise to be understood as the fact that he has not possessed deceit. For there is no deceit in the mouth of the Word, being true and unsearchable.
Glancing from the true light in the day, I ran and in this day I cried out to you, praying Ps 31:3. Since I did not fall silent from this cry due to inattention, my bones were struck, both the strong and the soft of the dogmas, which are called my bones. And he means by saying these things the falling away, that his bones are becoming old, but are not old by nature.
And in those things that lead forward it is said, as in many places of the Scripture, that the punishing power of God is called his hand Ps 31:4. That this lies heavily upon him day and night—that is, he says continuously—is because of the change that comes upon the hand. The Savior interpreted the cares of life, both the pleasure and the thorns of deceit of this age. And if one is pierced by such a thorn, he is immediately turned into misery. It must be understood what one becomes miserable through change and turning, not being such by nature. The word means the wretched and the pitiable. And to be pierced by a thorn signifies not being such by nature, but it approaching from without. 'I was turned into misery' through repentance and through the instructive admonishment of the Lord; for the Lord loves whom he disciplines, but he scourges every son whom he does not receive Heb 12:6. Let us know in the Kings who endured because of this sin, being disciplined by the Lord because of his former righteousness, so that, having been freed from that sin and the punishment through it, he might take back his former health 1 Kings 15:3-5.
He who has fallen into sin, if he wishes to work it, provides a cover and hides it; but he who has hated it makes it manifest to the one who is able to heal through confession, declaring it Ps 31:5. But he also reveals the lawlessness appropriate to this; for the sight of sin is lawlessness; for everyone who acts lawlessly sins, though not everyone who sins acts lawlessly. It can be said by analogy, especially because everyone who does sin also does lawlessness, and lawlessness is sin. But having spoken truly, 'I confessed my sin against myself' Ps 32:5 which I have done...
I did not ask for more lawlessness than what I had; for God has forgiven not only this but also the impiety of the heart. And impiety of the heart is able to be the dissatisfaction of providence occurring to many through the irregularity of things as they seem.
If even the righteous cleanse themselves from practical lawlessness (Ps 31:6a), they still often have impure thoughts from the aforementioned impiety of the heart. Even if those who pray do not have thoughts concerning lawlessness, they will pray concerning impiety, asking for its forgiveness in a favorable time. And a favorable time of prayer concerning the aforementioned forgiveness is when one cleanses himself from practical filthiness. And just as one who is wounded in a small scratch will not demand a physician's treatment, but having the whole body intact, only suffering in that single scratch, so no one filled with the guilt of actions will pray concerning the purity of thoughts, but only every righteous person.
When a flood of many spiritual waters comes (Ps 31:6b), having had a spring of water within himself changing into eternal life—that is, the waters vanishing all sins and the impiety of the heart upon them—impiety and lawlessness will not approach the one who has prayed for them.
He who says these things thinks he finds deliverance from the standing affliction in no other way than by fleeing to Christ (Ps 31:7). Just as righteousness and wisdom are, so also is the joy of the diligent Jesus. For he says to Him as our joy: 'Deliver me from those pursuing me; for lawless demons and evil men pursue me; for I will be persuaded that nothing evil can happen, You saving me.'
That is, not having cast away acting logically, you do not fall into an irrational state (Ps 31:9), such that through being headstrong you become like a mule because of being deficient toward evils; for such an impulse does not have understanding. The prophet says toward God: He brings those who have become like horses because of being skittish and unruly, and a mule, hard-mouthed, subduing their bits with nails and drawing them with Your suitable bridle, with which You lead them under Your yoke. The compliant and gentle ones approach God by a voluntary impulse, but those previously mentioned as horses and mules because of the lack of understanding...
Greek
μάλιστα τῷ Χριστῷ κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν· καὶ τὸ Οὐκ ε στιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος ὁμοίως ἐκδεκτέον η τῷ ἀποβεβληκέναι η τῷ μὴ ἐσχηκέναι δόλον. οὐκ ε στιν δὲ δόλος ἐν στόματι τοῦ λόγον ἀληθῆ καὶ ἀκατάγνωστον ε χοντος. 283 Ps 31,3 ̓Απὸ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς καταυγαζόμενος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ διῆγον καὶ ἐν ο λῃ ταύτῃ ε κραζον ὑμνῶν εὐχόμενος. ἐπεὶ ου ν ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς κραυγῆς ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας ἐσίγησα, ἐπαιλαιώθη τὰ ἰσχυρὰ καὶ τὰ ευ τονα τῶν δογμάτων, ὀστᾶ μου ὀνομαζόμενα. σημαίνει δὲ τὴν μετάπτωσιν τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος τῷ πεπαλαιῶσθαι καὶ μὴ φύσει παλαιὰ ει ναι τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ. 284 Ps 31,4 Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προάγουσιν ει ρηται, ὡς ἐν πολλοῖς τόποις τῆς γραφῆς ἡ κολαστικὴ τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ὀνομάζεται. ταύτην ου ν βαρέως ἐπικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς τουτέστιν συνεχῶς λέγει διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον μεταβολήν. Τὰς βιωτικὰς μέντοι μερίμνας ἡδονάς τε καὶ ἀπάτας τούτου τοῦ αἰῶνος ἀκάνθας ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ σωτήρ. ο τ' α ν ου ν τοιαύτη α κανθα ἐμπαγῇ τινι, εὐθέως εἰς ταλαιπωρίαν στρέφεται. ἰστέον ο τι κατὰ μεταβολὴν καὶ τροπὴν ταλαίπωρός τις γίνεται μὴ φύσει ω ν τοιοῦτος. σημαίνει δὲ ἡ λέξις τὸν οἰκτρὸν καὶ ἐλεεινόν. Καὶ τὸ ἐμπαγῆναι δὲ α κανθαν τὸ μὴ φύσει δηλοῖ ἀλλ' ε ξωθεν ἐπεισιοῦσαν. νυττόμενος ου ν ὑπὸ ταύτης ̓Εστράφην εἰς ταλαιπωρίαν, τὴν διὰ τῆς μετανοίας καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου παιδευτικῆς νουθεσίας· Ον γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ο ν παραδέχεται. ε γνωμεν δὲ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις ο σα ὑπέμεινεν διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὸ κυρίου παιδευόμενος διὰ τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνην, ι ν' ἐκείνης τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς δι' αὐτὴν τιμωρίας ἀπαλλαγεὶς 67 τὴν προτέραν ὑγείαν ἀναλήψηται. 285 Ps 31,5 ̔Ο εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ἐμπεσὼν ο σον ἐνεργεῖν αὐτὴν βούλεται σκέπει καὶ κρύπτει αὐτήν, ὁ δὲ μισήσας αὐτὴν φανερὰν ποιεῖ τῷ δυναμένῳ ἰάσασθαι δι' ἐξομολογήσεως ἐξαγορεύων αὐτήν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ κατάλληλον ἀνομίαν ἀποκαλύπτει· ει δος γὰρ ἁμαρτίας ἡ ἀνομία· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ἀνομῶν ἁμαρτάνει, οὐ παντὸς ἁμαρτάνοντος ἀνομοῦντος. δύναται ἐκ παραλλήλου εἰρῆσθαι μάλιστα διὰ τὸ Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία. Πραγματικῶς δὲ εἰπὼν ἐξαγορεύειν κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ η ν πεποίηκα ἀνομίαν πλέον ου ᾐτησάμην ε σχον· οὐ μόνον γὰρ ταύτην ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τῆς καρδίας ἀσέβειαν ἀφῆκεν ὁ θεός. ἀσέβεια δὲ καρδίας ει ναι δύναται ἡ συμβαίνουσα τοῖς πολλοῖς δυσαρέστησις τῆς προνοίας ἐκ τῆς δοκούσης τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνωμαλίας. 286 Ps 31,6a Εἰ καὶ πρακτικῆς ἀνομίας καθαρεύουσιν οἱ ο σιοι, ἀλλά γε χραινομένους ε χουσι τοὺς λογισμοὺς πολλάκις ἐκ τῆς εἰρημένης καρδίας ἀσεβείας. καίτοι οὐ περὶ ἀνομίας η ς οὐκ ε χουσιν οἱ προσευχόμενοι, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀσεβείας προσεύξονται, α φεσιν αὐτῆς αἰτούμενοι ἐν εὐθέτῳ καιρῷ. ευ θετος δὲ καιρὸς προσευχῆς περὶ τῆς εἰρημένης ἀφέσεως, ο τε τις ἀπὸ πράξεως ῥυπαρᾶς καθαρεύει. καὶ ω σπερ τις τραυματίας ο λος ω ν περὶ ἀμυχῆς οὐκ ἀπαιτήσει ἰατρὸν θεράπειαν ἀλλ' ο λον τὸ σῶμα ὁλόκληρον ε χων ἐν μόνῃ τῇ ἀμυχῇ τυγχάνων, ου τως οὐδεὶς πράξεων ἐναγῶν πεπληρωμένος περὶ καθαρότητος λογισμῶν προσεύξεται ἀλλὰ μόνος πᾶς ο σιος. 287 Ps 31,6b Οτ' α ν κατακλυσμὸς πολλῶν πνευματικῶν ὑδάτων γένηται, ἐσχηκότος τινὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ πηγὴν υ δατος ἀλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον τουτέστιν τῶν ὑδάτων ἐξαφανιζόντων πάντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ τὴν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας, οὐκ ἐγγιοῦσιν ἡ ἀσέβεια καὶ ἡ ἀνομία τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν προσευξαμένῳ. 288 Ps 31,7 Τῆς περιεστηκυίας θλίψεως ἀπαλλαγὴν οὐκ α λλως εὑρίσκειν ὁ ταῦτα λέγων νομίζει η καταφυγὼν πρὸς Χριστόν. Ωσπερ δικαιοσύνη καὶ σοφία ου τω καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα τοῦ σπουδαίου ̓Ιησοῦς. φησὶν γοῦν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς ἀγαλλίαμα ἡμέτερον· Λύτρωσαί με ἀπὸ τῶν καταδιωκόντων με· καταδιώκουσι γάρ με δαίμονες ἀλιτήριοι καὶ α νθρωποι πονηροί· πείσομαι γὰρ οὐδὲν κακόν, σοῦ ῥυομένου. 289 Ps 31,9 Τουτέστιν μὴ τὸ λογικῶς ἐνεργεῖν ἀποβαλόντες εἰς α λογον πέσητε κατάστασιν, ω στε ι ππῳ διὰ τὸ θηλυμανὲς ὁμοιωθῆναι η ἡμιόνῳ διὰ τὸ ἐστερεῶσθαι πρὸς τὰ κακά· μὴ ἐχόντων γὰρ σύνεσιν ἡ τοιαύτη ὁρμή. Πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὁ προφήτης φησίν· τοὺς γενομένους ὡς ι ππους διὰ τὸ σκιρτητικὸν καὶ ἀφηνιαστικὸν καὶ ἡμίονον σκληρόστομον ἐν χαλινῷ τῷ σῷ λόγῳ καὶ κημῷ τῇ καταλλήλῳ προτροπῇ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτῶν α γξαις δαμάζων καὶ ε λκων τῷ σῷ χαλινῷ, ῳ α ξεις ὑπὸ ζυγὸν τὸν σόν. Οἱ μὲν εὐεικτοὶ καὶ εὐήνιοι ἑκουσίᾳ ὁρμῇ ἐγγίζουσι τῷ θεῷ, οἱ δὲ προειρημένοι ὡς ι ππος καὶ ἡμίονος διὰ τὸ ἀσύνετον
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
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Khazarzar scan
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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