The Deception of the Enemy and True Repentance
That we may be able. Everyone shifting from virtue into vice is shaken (Ps 61:3), but this does not happen abruptly; a disturbance first occurs in the thoughts through the passions, so that if appropriate action is taken, the shaken thoughts do not become a collapse and a fall.
For when an ugly desire or some other irrational movement begins, the pious thought must intervene, grasping God, to direct the impulse toward action, so that a greater shaking does not occur. The Savior clearly teaches this in the Gospel, uprooting the beginnings of sins so that their remaining does not result in a greater practical shaking.
He who is established and rooted in love is an unshakable wall and has a firmly set hedge (Ps 61:4c); how then could those passing by the way, wicked men and evil powers, not strike it? God surrounds him with such a secure hedge, saying, 'I have plowed and set a hedge.' For this hedge consists of angels guarding, and of truths of dogmas, and of actions being performed according to virtue. While this remains, no one will be able to harm the divine fruits of the spiritual plant. But if the one guarding the vineyard should ever bring forth thorns instead of grapes, God, abandoning him, says, 'I will take away his hedge and it shall be for plunder, and I will pull down his wall and it shall be for trampling.' If this happens because of the production of bad fruit from us, the wall is leaned and the hedge is pushed.
The honor of the wise, which the wicked plot to cast away, is virtue and piety (Ps 61:5), according to 'Glory and honor and peace to everyone working the good' (1 Clem 1:1). Therefore, vice is a dishonor, in which those who have fallen, feeling they have suffered, say, 'Our dishonor has uncovered us unto tribulation' (Ps 61:5). To this, man also takes part, not understanding the value of being in honor. Since the deceivers lying in wait cannot draw one into vice by force, they say, 'They did not drive away my honor, but they plotted to cast it away'; for they are not those who can overcome the one standing strongly against them. Related to these are those about whom Paul writes, 'Deceiving through flattering speech and lying words the hearts of the innocent' (2 Cor 11:14).
It is of the same mind: 'If your enemy entreats you with a great voice, do not be persuaded Ps 61:7; for seven evils are in his soul, perhaps coming from the seven spirits, as the unclean spirit receives from more evil spirits than himself.'...as if he were entreating for the seven evils existing in his soul, the First God saying brightly and pleasantly in a punishing way, 'do not be persuaded'; for blessing with the mouth, he curses the heart.
I will not repent, becoming a repentant one by sinning and being distanced from God Ps 61:8, according to what is written concerning Jacob, who was overwhelmed and turned away from God his savior. Grasping God, I have not become a repentant one, they attain salvation and glory upon God; for I was not saved by my own power or art. And he says 'glory upon God' because it is that which the only God gives to those seeking him, and 'salvation' not of the flesh but of the rational soul, which the one having believed into the Trinity possesses, according to what is said, 'Finishing the faith, the salvation of souls.' Therefore, even if he is violently thrust back into error, I make hope upon him, who has often saved me.
All the assemblies of the peoples of the nations who have believed Ps 61:9, who no longer have God and hope, hope in him against all craftiness, making your hearts manifest before him; for God will become a helper to you. The same is meant by to pour out before him the heart, to love him from the whole soul and the whole heart. For often to pour out has been arranged instead of a rich abundance and a lavish supply, as in 'the love of God is poured out in the hearts of you through the Holy Spirit' Rom 5:5.
To such people it was said Ps 61:10, 'Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood, even though you are commanded not to have a small and a great weight, but a true scale, since a double weight is an abomination to the Lord.' It must be said whether these things are intended, and also toward those who have dealings and fellowship; for in every matter, justice is desired; for those running together toward vanity vainly strive, always having a vain agreement and zeal. Here it must be known: the 'Sons of men' signifies circumspectly those who are...
Greek
δυνηθῶμεν. 116 627a Ps 61,3 β Σαλεύεται πᾶς ὁ ἐξ ἀρετῆς εἰς κακίαν μεταπίπτων· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀθρόως συμβαίνει τοῦτο, προτέρας γινομένης ταραχῆς ἐν λογισμοῖς διὰ παθῶν μεθ' η ν, εἰ προσληφθείη κατάλληλος πρᾶξις, τοῖς τεταραγμένοις λογισμοῖς κλόνος καὶ πτῶμα γίνεται. ἀρχομένης τοιγαροῦν αἰσχρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας η ἑτέρου τινὸς ἀλόγου κινήματος, ἐπισχεῖν δεῖ τῷ εὐσεβεῖ λογισμῷ, συλλαμβανομένου θεοῦ, τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν ὁρμήν, ι να μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον κλόνος γένηται. ταῦτα ὁ σωτὴρ σαφῶς ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ διδάσκει, τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναιρῶν ι να μὴ μενόντων αὐτῶν τὸ ἐπὶ πλεῖον σαλευθῆναι πρακτικῶς γένηται. 628 Ps 61,4c ̔Ο ἐν ἀγάπῃ τεθεμελιωμένος καὶ ἐρριζωμένος α σειστός ἐστι τοῖχος καὶ φραγμὸν ε χει ἠσφαλισμένον, ο πως μὴ τρυγῶσιν αὐτὸν οἱ τὴν ὁδὸν παραπορευόμενοι φαῦλοι α νθρωποι καὶ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις. τὸν ου τως ἀσφαλῶς ε χοντα φραγμὸν ὁ θεὸς περιβάλλει, φάσκων Καὶ ἐχαράκωσα καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα. σύγκειται γὰρ ου τος ὁ φραγμὸς ἐξ ἀγγέλων φρουρούντων καὶ δογμάτων ἀληθείας καὶ πράξεων κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐπιτελουμένων. τούτου μένοντος, οὐδεὶς βλάψαι τοὺς θείους καρποὺς τοῦ πνευματικοῦ φυτοῦ δυνήσεται. εἰ δὲ συμβαίη ποτὲ ἀντὶ σταφυλῶν ἀκάνθας ἐξενέγκειν τὸν φρουρούμενον ἀμπελῶνα, ἐγκαταλιπὼν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς λέγει ̓Αφελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ε σται εἰς διαρπαγήν, καὶ καθελῶ τὸν τοῖχον αὐτοῦ καὶ ε σται εἰς καταπάτημα. εἰ δὴ τοῦτο συμβαίνει διὰ τὸ φαῦλον καρπὸν γενέσθαι ἐξ ἡμῶν, κεκλιμένος ὁ τοῖχος καὶ ὠσμένος γίνεται ὁ φραγμός. *** 629 Ps 61,5 Τιμὴ τοῦ σοφοῦ η ν βουλεύονται ἀπώσασθαι οἱ πονηροὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ εὐσέβεια, κατὰ τὸ ∆όξα καὶ τιμὴ καὶ εἰρήνη παντὶ τῷ ἐργαζομένῳ τὸ ἀγαθόν. ἀτιμία τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡ κακία εἰς η ν οἱ ἐκπεσόντες ο πεπόνθασιν αἰσθανόμενοι λέγουσιν ̓Επεκάλυψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία ἡμῶν εἰς θλῖψιν. εἰς τοῦτο λήψῃ καὶ τὸ Ανθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ω ν οὐ συνῆκεν. ει τ' ἐπεὶ μὴ βίᾳ ἑλκύσαι εἰς κακίαν δύνανται οἱ ἐπικείμενοι ἀπατεῶνες, οὐκ ̓Απώσαντο ει πε τὴν τιμήν μου ἀλλ' ̓Εβουλεύσαντο ἀπώσασθαι· οὐ γὰρ οι οί τέ εἰσιν ἑλεῖν τὸν ἰσχυρῶς ἀνθιστάμενον. τούτων συγγενεῖς εἰσι περὶ ω ν γράφει ὁ Παῦλος ∆ι' εὐλογίας καὶ χρηστολογίας ἐξαπατῶντες τὰς τῶν ἀκάκων καρδίας. τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας ἐστὶ τὸ ̓Εὰν δέηταί σου ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, μὴ πεισθῇς· ἑπτὰ γάρ εἰσι πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, ἐγγινόμεναι τάχα ἀπὸ τῶν Ζ πνευμάτων ω ν παραλαμβάνει τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα πονηρωτέρων ἑαυτοῦ ὑπαρχόντων ** ...σαν τὰς ἑπτὰ πονηρίας ε χων ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἱκετεύησε, τὸ Πρωῒ λαμπρὰ καὶ ἡδέα λέγων κολαστικῶς, μὴ πεισθῇς· στόματι γὰρ εὐλογῶν καταρᾶται τῇ καρδίᾳ. 630 Ps 61,7b Οὐ μὴ μεταναστεύσω, μετανάστου γινομένου τοῦ δι' ἁμαρτίας μακρυνομένου τοῦ θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον περὶ τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ ̓Ελιπάνθη, ἐπαχύνθη καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπὸ θεοῦ σωτῆρος αὐτοῦ. 631 Ps 61,8 ̓Αντιλαμβανομένου θεοῦ οὐ γέγονα μετανάστης, ο θεν η ν ε χω σωτηρίαν καὶ δόξαν ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ τυγχάνουσι· οὐ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει η τέχνῃ ἐσώθην. δόξαν δὲ λέγει ἐπὶ θεῷ ε χειν η ν δίδωσιν ὁ μόνος θεὸς τοῖς ζητοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ σωτηρίαν οὐ τὴν σαρκῶν ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχῆς λογικῆς η ν ε χει ὁ πιστεύσας εἰς τὴν τριάδα κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν Κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν. ∆ιὸ κα ν τι πάλιν εἰς σάλον με βιάζηται, ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὴν ἐλπίδα ποιοῦμαι πολλάκις με σώσαντι. 632a Ps 61,9 Πᾶσαι αἱ τῶν λαῶν τῶν πιστευσάντων ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν συναγωγαί, ο πως μηκέτι α θεοι καὶ ἐλπίδα μὴ ε χοντες η τε, ἐλπίσατε ἐπ' αὐτὸν α νευ πάσης πανουργίας, ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ φανερώσαντες τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν· γενήσεται γὰρ ὑμῖν ὁ θεὸς βοηθός. Ταὐτὸν τῷ ἐκχεῖν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν τὸ ἐξ ο λης ψυχῆς καὶ ἐξ ο λης καρδίας ἀγαπᾶν αὐτόν. πολλαχοῦ γὰρ τὸ ἐκχέαι ἀντὶ δαψιλείας πλουσίας καὶ χορηγίας τέτακται, ὡς ἐν τῷ ̔Η ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου. 633a Ps 61,10 633a Πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ἐρρήθη Ινα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος, καίτοι παραγγέλλονται μὴ στάθμιον ε χειν μικρὸν 117 καὶ μέγα ἀλλὰ ζυγὸν ἀληθινόν, ἐπείπερ βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ ἐστὶ δισσὸν στάθμιον. ̔Ρητέον δὲ εἰ βουλητὸν ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς ῥητὸν τοῖς περὶ συναλλάγματα καὶ κοινωνίαν ε χουσιν· ἐν παντὶ γὰρ πράγματι ποθεινὴ ἡ δικαιοσύνη· οἱ γὰρ συντρέχοντες εἰς τὴν ματαιότητα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ματαιοῦνται, ἀεὶ περὶ ματαίαν συμφωνίαν καὶ σπουδὴν ε χοντες. ̓Ενταῦθα δ' ἰστέον· τὸ Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων περιφραστικῶς σημαίνει τοὺς ὡς
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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