The Prayer for Mercy and the Sabbath Symbol

If it is a bath, it is fitting that those who have acted impiously after the bath are not buried (Ps 78:4).

By analogy, you call the heretics neighbors; for their dwellings are near us because they hold to the same writings. They do not reproach us, saying we are heretics, but they call us as slaves, well-behaved and foolish. Around us, if there are wise men among the Greeks, they sneer and mock us as believing without examination and foolishly (Ps 78:5–6).

'You have disciplined the Jews sufficiently,' they say; 'surely, at some time, turn your wrath upon the impious mortals and upon the kingdom of your reverence that is alien' (Ps 78:7, 8a).

By analogy: if the word is about invisible enemies, we did not consume the one who once became a wing for the wicked, and their place was laid waste. The place of each is his own station of life; for the prudent man in some way inhabits prudence. We say that the prudent man inhabits the place of the prudent, and others the order of the righteous. If it happens that those possessing these things of yours are devoured by enemies, their order and their place will be laid waste. We say, for example, the place of a bishop and a presbyter. As the saved are food for Jesus, the perishing are not by the eating of the wicked.

'Do not remember our ancient iniquities' (Ps 51:3). And in other places, if no one confesses what he does evilly, but rather what he acted upon of old, 'Do not remember the sin of my youth and my ignorance' (Ps 25:7). And now, those who repent of their ceased iniquities are not worthy that their ancient sins not be remembered by God. For indeed, the sensual ones always call upon God not concerning youthful sins but concerning past deeds, saying: 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have transgressed' (Ps 51:1-3). For it is contrary to the one repenting to be sinning.

'We have become exceedingly impoverished, having fallen from the wealth of virtue and knowledge, Lord; therefore we beseech you to grant us mercy, not in the future, but surely even now and quickly (Ps 51:7). For you are the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, and your mercies are sufficient to make us rich again.' And this will be easy for us, with your helping and saving; for many times, with your helping...

We experience the salvation of the Lord. Even if we are not worthy to suffer well because of the sins that are among us, but since your name has been called upon us (for we are your inheritance and your people), be propitiated toward our sins, so that your name may be glorified. For we do not bear the reproach of the nations saying, 'Where is their God?' (Ps 78:10). For they hold us in subjection because we have sinned, and they reproach even your name, thinking that you have been defeated by those who are beneath us.

And toward a turning point of discourse: those being squeezed by the chains of their own sins have been brought low, but having become aware of the weight, they are overcome by the plains, through which they are hindered from running toward salvation and from working out those things that contribute to happiness, groaning thus, being utterly exhausted. Therefore they also pray that their groan may be known to God and enter before him. For he will move his own goodness to intervene to break their bonds; for the Lord looses the bound (Ps 78:12). And he will set them apart for blessed life, according to the greatness of the God Word, his arm, so that, even if they appeared as sons of men having been dead, they might be shown to be children becoming living ones. For their fathers, having been killed by the enemies, are living before the Lord, and they are found to be his sons and his servants.

Since the number seven holds a symbol of rest, they desire the retribution to be upon the description of their impiety, through which they reproached God and were roughly brought to his servants, to be led away. For those knowing the good God will not lift up the reproaches of the scourged, but they want the scourgings to be brought upon them, so that the workers of that laziness, to whom punishment follows by necessity, may be idle. But the Sabbath number is a symbol of laziness. Since we are being enriched as your people and sheep grazing your pasture, concerning which it has been said, 'He shall enter and go out and shall find pasture' (Ps 78:13) (clearly meaning the sheep of Christ), we asked for blessings; do according to your greatness, so that, as you are clearly present, we may gratefully acknowledge you throughout life; for this clearly signifies 'unto the age' regarding the present. And if one were to take the usual meaning of 'age', you would say not only in the...