Truth and Divine Mercy
Truth is spoken of in the Savior and in the psalm where God sent His mercy and His truth and rescued my soul from the midst of troubles (Psalm 57:3). Thus truth and the hope of the nations are one; therefore, having shone upon the human race, it calls all the nations and all the peoples, teaching them to give thanks to the Father who strengthens His mercy and makes His truth remain unto the age.
Since God is good and wills the repentance of the sinner rather than his death, you who are responsible for sin, by performing confession through repentance upon him, you will have him forgiving those for whom you confess. For His mercy is found inseparable from Him unto the age, since it is always so; in His mercy, not only now but also formerly from the beginning, all those having experience of His goodness confess to Him.
A righteous man having become in affliction does not so much entreat to be outside of it, but how to bravely and cheerfully bear it (Psalm 118:5-9; LXX 117:5-9). For indeed the one being distressed in the stadium against opponents does not wish the contest to pass by him, lest he become exhausted, but entreats the trainer to cooperate with him, so that, enduring the things brought by the adversary with hope of victory and crown, the things through which the crown is awarded may seem gentle to him.
And it is possible to say different things concerning mortals, 'I shall not fear what man shall do to me' (Psalm 118:6; LXX 117:6), but concerning invisible enemies, 'I also shall see my enemies' (Psalm 118:7; LXX 117:7); for some enemies are even the men who rise up against us, waging war against us and setting themselves against us lethally. And if 'I shall not fear what man shall do to me' is also referred to the devil, on account of 'An enemy, a man, did this' (Matt 13:28)—for it is clear that he did the sowing of the tares—and 'But you are man and not God: visit' (Ezek 28:2).
'It is good to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in man' (Psalm 118:8; LXX 117:8), and the following: it is not that trusting and hoping in the Lord is good only when compared with trusting in man and hoping in rulers. For this is simply and properly good.
But to trust and hope in man and ruler is not good; rather, such instruction is brought to those who are eager to trust in man and hope in a ruler, that they may learn to trust in the ever-abiding and strong and almighty God, and not in mortal man, easily corrupted.
And sometimes he is also double-minded in intention; for instead of helping, sometimes he will also greatly harm the one who trusts in him; therefore blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, remaining unashamed, according to 'In you, Lord, I hoped; let me not be ashamed unto the age' (Psalm 31:1).
Ps 117:10-13: If it is not said hyperbolically, what is promised is impossible; for how did all the nations surround one man dwelling in Judea, warring as they surrounded him, and he defended himself against them in the name of the Lord?
For it becomes weapon and shield and fortress to the one who wears it.
But consider whether it is not possible to understand the things set before us similarly to the 'In the mornings I slew all the sinners of the earth' (Psalm 101:8; LXX 100:8), by the serious man being surrounded by evil spirits suggesting the titillations of the flesh and the other passions with all the works of the flesh, and moreover godless words refuting with sophistic cleverness the doctrines of the truth.
But the well-strung and strong one, armed with the appellation of God, shall overthrow all the nations, turning them to flight, and sometimes even destroying them.
For the one who instead of weapon and sword used the name of God shall cut off the passionate impulses along with the troubled reasonings, but also loosing and overthrowing the [...].
Greek
ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγεται, ω σπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ ̓Εξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ ε λεος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐρρύσατο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ μέσου σκύμνων. αυ τη τοιγαροῦν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ προσδοκία τῶν ἐθνῶν η ν· διὸ καὶ ἐπιλάμψασα τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει εἰς αι νον πάντα τὰ ε θνη καὶ πάντας τοὺς λαοὺς καλεῖ, εὐχαριστεῖν διδάσκουσα τῷ πατρὶ τῷ κραταιώσαντι τὸ ε λεος αὐτοῦ καὶ μένειν ποιήσαντι τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ ε ως τοῦ αἰῶνος. 1072 Ps 117,1 ̓Επεὶ ἀγαθὸς ω ν ὁ θεὸς βούλεται τὴν μετάνοιαν τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ η τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ, ο σοι ὑπεύθυνοι ἁμαρτίας ἐστέ, τὴν ἐκ μετανοίας ἐξομολόγησιν ἐπ' αὐτῷ ποιούμενοι ε ξετε αὐτὸν ἀφιέντα τὰ ὑπὲρ ω ν ἐξομολογεῖσθε. τὸ γὰρ ε λεος αὐτοῦ ἀχώριστον αὐτοῦ τυγχάνον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ει η, ἐπείπερ καὶ η ν ἀεί, ἐλεοῦντος αὐτοῦ οὐ νῦν πρότερον ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι α νωθεν, ἐξομολογουμένων αὐτῷ πάντων τῶν πεῖραν ἐχόντων τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ. 1073 Ps 117,5–9 ̔Ο ἐν θλίψει γενόμενος δίκαιος οὐ τοσοῦτον παρακαλεῖ περὶ τοῦ ἐκτὸς αὐτῆς γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' ο πως γενναίως καὶ ἱλαρῶς αὐτὴν ἐνέγκῃ. καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἐν σταδίῳ πρὸς ἀντιπάλους θλιβόμενος οὐ τὸν ἀγῶνα ευ χεται αὐτῷ παρελθεῖν, ι να μὴ ἐξαγώνιος γένηται, ἀλλὰ παρακαλεῖ τὸν παιδοτρίβην συνεργεῖν αὐτῷ, ο πως ἐγκαρτερῶν τοῖς ἐπιφερομένοις πρὸς τοῦ ἀντιπάλου ἐλπίδι νίκης καὶ στεφάνου προσηνῆ δόξῃ ει ναι τὰ δι' ω ν ἀποδίδοται ὁ στέφανος. Καὶ δύναται μὲν περὶ θνητῶν διαφόρων λέγεσθαι τὸ Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι τί ποιήσει μοι α νθρωπος, περὶ δὲ ἀοράτων πολεμίων τὸ Κἀγὼ ἐπόψομαι τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου· οι τινες ἐχθροὶ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπεγείρουσι καθ' ἡμῶν ἐκπολεμοῦντες αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ φονικῶς διατιθέντες καθ' ἡμῶν. εἰ δὲ 230 καὶ τὸ Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι τί ποιήσει μοι α νθρωπος ἐπὶ τὸν διάβολον ἀναφέρεται διὰ τὸ ̓Εχθρὸς α νθρωπος ἐποίησε τοῦτο, φανερὸν δ' ο τι τὸ ἐπισπεῖραι τὰ ζιζάνια καὶ τὸ Σὺ δὲ ει α νθρωπος καὶ οὐ θεός, συνεπίσκεψαι. ̓Αγαθὸν πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ κύριον η πεποιθέναι ἐπ' α νθρωπον, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· οὐ καθάπαξ τὸ πεποιθέναι καὶ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ κύριον συνκρινόμενον τῷ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' α νθρωπον καὶ ἐλπίζειν ἐπ' α ρχοντας ἀγαθόν ἐστιν. ἁπλῶς γὰρ καὶ κυρίως ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο. τὸ δὲ ἐπ' α νθρωπον καὶ α ρχοντα πεποιθέναι καὶ ἐλπίζειν οὐκ ἀγαθόν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῦς ἐπ' ἀνθρώπῳ πεποιθέναι καὶ ἐν α ρχοντι ἐλπίζειν σπουδάζοντας ἡ τοιαύτη προσάγεται παίδευσις, ο πως μάθωσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀεὶ μένοντα καὶ ἰσχυρὸν ο ντα καὶ παντοδυνάμενον θεὸν πεποιθέναι καὶ μὴ ἐπ' α νθρωπον θνητὸν καὶ ῥᾷστα φθειρόμενον. ε στιν ο τε καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ παλίμβολον ο ντα· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ βοηθεῖν ε στιν ο τε καὶ βλάψει μεγάλα τὸν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθότα· διὸ μακάριος ὁ πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ κύριον ἀκαταίσχυντος διαμένων, κατὰ τὸ ̓Επὶ σοί, κύριε, η λπισα, μὴ καταισχυνθείην εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 1074 Ps 117,10–13 Εἰ μὴ ὑπερβολικῶς ει ρηται, ἀδύνατον τὸ ἐπαγγελλόμενον· πῶς γὰρ ε να α νδρα ἐν τῇ ̓Ιουδαίᾳ διατρίβοντα πάντα τὰ ε θνη ἐκύκλωσαν καὶ κυκλοῦντά γε αὐτὸν πολεμοῦντες, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου ἠμύνατο αὐτούς; αὐτὸ γὰρ ο πλον καὶ ἀσπὶς καὶ φρούριον τοῦ φοροῦντος αὐτὸ γίνεται. ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ μὴ παραπλησίως τῷ Εἰς τὰς πρωΐας ἀπέκτεννον πάντας τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τῆς γῆς δυνατὸν νοῆσαι τὰ προκείμενα τῷ κυκλοῦσθαι τὸν σπουδαῖον ὑπὸ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν ὑποβαλλόντων τοὺς σαρκὸς γαργαλισμοὺς καὶ τὰ α λλα πάθη μετὰ πάντων τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς ε ργων, ε τι μὴν λόγους ἀθέους ἀνασκευάζοντας σοφιστικῇ δεινότητι τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας δόγματα. ἀλλ' ὁ ευ τονος καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ καθωπλισμένος προσηγορίᾳ ἀνατρέψει τὰ ε θνη πάντα εἰς φυγὴν τρέπων, ἐσθ' ο τε δὲ καὶ ἀναιρῶν αὐτά. ὁ γὰρ ἀντὶ ο πλου καὶ ξίφους χρησάμενος τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ὀνόματι ἐκκόψει τὰς παθητικὰς ὁρμὰς μετὰ καὶ τῶν τεταραγμένων λογισμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λύων καὶ ἀνατρέπων τὰ