The Blessedness of Seeking God's Law

Regarding His distance, some find Him coming near to them (Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Ps 117:27bc), while those who are distanced are not departing locally but, as I have previously said, by relationship; for God is far from the ungodly (Ps 117:27). And not in this way: they are pruning the shoots and the fruits just as they bear them.

In these things, not finding them, establish a feast extending until the horns of the spiritual altar, from which, having taken a coal with tongs, the other of the seraphim is sent to the prophet to cleanse him and to take away his iniquities and his sins. But to whom is it commanded to establish a feast—the teachers and priests? Perhaps you will even say to the angels. But to do what is necessary and to think the truth is a feast established according to the guidance of God. This has especially much room among those who have cast off oldness in order to become a new planting.

And since the Passover is fulfilled in the month of the new moons, it is possible to conceive that anyone passing from wickedness and the sensible things to virtue and the intelligible things, being renewed, prunes, so as to celebrate and to bring forward spiritual sacrifices, as those showing the altar to be royal by its horns. And if these things were said concerning our feast of the weeks, they would not be lacking truth (Ps 117:28-29).

He who is thanking God through the Psalm for having made such great and so many blessings proclaims: 'You are my God, and I will confess to you; you are my God, and I will exalt you' (Ps 118:2-3). Glorifying, theologizing you, I say: 'You have done wonderful things in me; for having exalted me and having made strength, so that I might not die but living, I might recount your works.' And second, I will confess that you heard my petitions and became my salvation. Having learned through experience your great mercy and your goodness, and exhorting others, I say to many, proclaiming: 'Confess to the Lord, what is good, what has mercy extending into the age, according to how he shows mercy by his much goodness' (Ps 118:2a). For if even the words of God were to testify to Him and to His truth.

Blessed then are those searching out his testimonies and seeking him with all their heart, turning away from all human haste and approaching him through good works and right understanding. But the blessing is not for those who have gone away, but for those who are going; even though those working lawlessness in his law have not gone, it is evident that they have never attempted to test the divine law as if it were among them; for whoever sins lawlessly, lawlessly he shall perish. Nor are they those who have never heard the divine teaching; for those who, after being initiated into this, stumble, are said to have sinned against the law and to be transgressors of it.

Then I shall not be ashamed in keeping all your commandments; not on one thing, but on all (Ps 118:6). For according to those commandments I do not look, I shall be ashamed (Ps 118:8b). For I am often abandoned for a little while for the sake of testing and my trial, having bravely endured circumstances to be benefited. But immediately, with your helping, having run the race, I shall be crowned; therefore, so that I may not be defeated by those striving mightily, do not leave me exceedingly. He who does not receive the words of God from above and hides them in his heart, so that having made his mind and purpose according to these, is without sin before God who sees the hidden, not only not committing adultery but not even reaching for the shameful thing (Ps 118:11).

The Son also agrees with what is set forth: if, having received the word of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, your intellect will obey wisdom. So that I may not be glorified for nothing having had your judgments performed, repay me the divine and blessed life, so that living according to it I may keep your words; for after remembering them, to keep them following (Ps 118:17). To this end you will take that which was said by Jesus: 'He who holds my commandments and keeps them' (John 14:15/21); for he who remembers them also keeps them, doing them as well. Another, saying 'judgments' instead of 'rights/statutes', did not explain it thus: 'God's rights always benefit, being truly good. Desiring them at all times, he has loved them, not wanting to do them out of grief or out of necessity, as those do...'