Liberation From Death

Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ζήσεται καὶ οὐκ ὄψεται θάνατον; Ἀληθὲς οὖν ὅτι οὐ ματαίως ἔκτισας τοὺς υιοὺς ἀνθρώπων· μαρτυρήσει καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φήσις· ἀπεθάνομεν ἐν Ἀδὰμ, ἀλλ' ἐζήσαμεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ποῦ ἐστιν τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα; Ἀρχαῖα ἐλέη τοῦ Θεοῦ φησιν, ἡ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου ὡρισμένη, εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ἀναστοιχείωσις Οὖ ὑπέσχον ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ μου πολλῶν ἐθνῶν Δεχομεθα γάρ πως εἰς κόλπους τὰ δῶρα ὅταν προσφέρουσι τινες. Μνησθῆναι δὲ παρακαλοῦσι Θεὸν τῆς ὑποσχέσεως δοθείσης ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ πολλῶν ἐθνῶν. Τί γὰρ ὑπέσχετο τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ Σωτήρ; ἁμαρτίας ἄφεσιν, θανάτου λύσιν, σωτηρίαν καὶ ζωήν. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Εἰς Τους Ψαλμους, Ψαλμός ΠΗ' Souce: Migne PG 69.1216d-1217a

'Who is the man who shall live and not see death?' 1 Truly, then, that the sons of men are not made in vain, the very nature of events give witness, for we died in Adam, in Christ we were revived. Where are your mercies of old?2 The old mercy of God that he speaks of was established before the foundation of the world, for the restoration of immortality That I bear in my lap the many nations. 3 For when someone gives gifts we receive them in the lap. Here God is asked that He remember His promise which brought many nations into the lap. And what did the Saviour promise to the nations? Forgiveness of sins, liberation from death, salvation and life. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 88 1 Ps 88. 49 2 Ps 88. 50 3 Ps 88. 51