Letter 324

To the same person. Since you write to me that you are being greatly comforted, and that you take delight in my scribblings, receive now also holy David [the psalmist] in place of the gloomy things of the present age, proclaiming to you unceasing exultation. For "Blessed," he says, "is the man whom you instruct, O Lord. In all the days to come we have rejoiced, in return for the days in which you humbled us, for the years in which we saw evils" [Psalm 93:12 and Psalm 89:15, LXX]. And: "You will give us all to drink of the torrent of your delight" [Psalm 35:9, LXX] - us, who hope for the shelter of the wings of providence.

Ἐπειδὴ γράφεις μοι πάνυ θεραπεύεσθαι, καὶ ἥδε- σθαι τοῖς ἐμοῖς χαράγμασι, δέχου νῦν καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Δαυῒδ ἀντὶ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος, εὐαγγελιζόμενον σοι ἀγαλλίασιν ἄπαυστον. «Μακά- ριος γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, ὃν ἂν παιδεύσῃς, Κύριε· Ἐν πάσαις ταῖς μελλούσαις ἡμέραις ηὐφράνθημεν, ἀνθ' ὧν ἡμερῶν ἐταπείνωσας ἡμᾶς, ἐτῶν ὧν ἴδομεν κακά.» Καὶ «Τὸν χειμάῤῥουν τῆς τρυφῆς σου πο- τιεῖς ἡμᾶς ἅπαντας, » τοὺς εἰς τὴν σκέπην ἐλπίζον- τας τῶν τῆς προνοίας πτερύγων.