XIII. But here, as in port, putting in the vessel that bears the ensign of the cross, let us reef the sails of our oration, in order that it may be with itself commensurate. Only first, in as few words as possible, let us salute the city of the Great King [3096] together with the whole body of the Church, as being present with them in spirit, and keeping holy-day with the Father, and the brethren most held in honour there. Hail, thou city of the Great King, in which the mysteries of our salvation are consummated. Hail, thou heaven upon earth, Sion, the city that is for ever faithful unto the Lord. Hail, and shine thou Jerusalem, for thy light is come, the Light Eternal, the Light for ever enduring, the Light Supreme, the Light Immaterial, the Light of one substance with God and the Father, the Light which is in the Spirit, and in which is the Father; the Light which illumines the ages; the Light which gives light to mundane and supramundane things, Christ our very God. Hail, city sacred and elect of the Lord. Joyfully keep thy festal days, for they will not multiply so as to wax old and pass away. Hail, thou city most happy, for glorious things are spoken of thee; thy priest shall be clothed with righteousness, and thy saints shall shout for joy, and thy poor shall be satisfied with bread. [3097] Hail! rejoice, O Jerusalem, for the Lord reigneth in the midst of thee. [3098] That Lord, I say, who in His simple and immaterial Deity, entered our nature, and of the virgin's womb became ineffably incarnate; that Lord, who was partaker of nothing else save the lump of Adam, who was by the serpent tripped up. For the Lord laid not hold of the seed of angels [3099] --those, I say, who fell not away from that beauteous order and rank that was assigned to them from the beginning. To us He condescended, that Word who was always with the Father co-existent God. Nor, again, did He come into the world to restore; nor will He restore, as has been imagined by some impious advocates of the devil, those wicked demons who once fell from light; but when the Creator and Framer of all things had, as the most divine Paul says, laid hold of the seed of Abraham, and through him of the whole human race, He was made man for ever, and without change, in order that by His fellowship with us, and our joining on to Him, the ingress of sin into us might be stopped, its strength being broken by degrees, and itself as wax being melted, by that fire which the Lord, when He came, sent upon the earth. [3100] Hail to thee, thou Catholic Church, [3101] which hast been planted in all the earth, and do thou rejoice with us. Fear not, little flock, the storms of the enemy, [3102] for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom, and that you should tread upon the necks of your enemies. [3103] Hail, and rejoice, thou that wast once barren, and without seed unto godliness, but who hast now many children of faith. [3104] Hail, thou people of the Lord, thou chosen generation, thou royal priesthood, thou holy nation, thou peculiar people--show forth His praises who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; and for His mercies glorify Him.
XIV. Hail to thee for ever, thou virgin mother of God, our unceasing joy, for unto thee do I again return. [3106] Thou art the beginning of our feast; thou art its middle and end; [3107] the pearl of great price that belongest unto the kingdom; the fat of every victim, the living altar of the bread of life. Hail, thou treasure of the love of God. Hail, thou fount of the Son's love for man. Hail, thou overshadowing mount [3108] of the Holy Ghost. Thou gleamedst, sweet gift-bestowing mother, of the light of the sun; thou gleamedst with the insupportable fires of a most fervent charity, bringing forth in the end that which was conceived of thee before the beginning, making manifest the mystery hidden and unspeakable, the invisible Son of the Father--the Prince of Peace, who in a marvellous manner showed Himself as less than all littleness. Wherefore, we pray thee, the most excellent among women, who boastest in the confidence of thy maternal honours, that thou wouldest unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in thee, and who in hymns august celebrate the memory, which will ever live, and never fade away. And do thou also, O honoured and venerable Simeon, thou earliest host of our holy religion, and teacher of the resurrection of the faithful, be our patron and advocate with that Saviour God, whom thou wast deemed worthy to receive into thine arms. We, together with thee, sing our praises to Christ, who has the power of life and death, saying, Thou art the true Light, proceeding from the true Light; the true God, begotten of the true God; the one Lord, before Thine assumption of the humanity; that One nevertheless, after Thine assumption of it, which is ever to be adored; God of Thine own self and not by grace, but for our sakes also perfect man; in Thine own nature the King absolute and sovereign, but for us and for our salvation existing also in the form of a servant, yet immaculately and without defilement. For Thou who art incorruption hast come to set corruption free, that Thou mightest render all things uncorrupt. For Thine is the glory, and the power, and the greatness, and the majesty, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever. Amen.
[2986] The oration likewise treats of the Holy Theotocos. [Published by Pantinus, 1598, and obviously corrupt. Dupin states that it is "not mentioned by the ancients, nor even by Photius." The style resembles that of Methodius in many places.]
[2987] 2 Cor. iii. 18.
[2988] 2 Cor. v. 17.
[2989] 2 Sam. vi. 7.
[2990] Matt. xi. 28.
[2991] 2 Sam. vi. 10.
[2992] John i. 11; Ps. l. 3. elthen--emphanos. The text plainly requires this connection with evident allusion to Ps. l. "Our God will manifestly come" emphanos hexei, which passage our author connects with another from John i.--Tr.
[2993] Ecclus. i. 10.
[2994] 2 Cor. v. 17.
[2995] ten akineton hettan enkauchesamenoi. It seems better to retain this. Pantinus would substitute aniketon for akineton, and render less happily "invicto hoc certamine victos."
[2996] [See p. 309, note 1, supra, and the reflection upon even the Banquet of Philosophers, the Symposium of Plato.]
[2997] Rom. ix. 5.
[2998] Isa. vi. 1-9. The quotations are from LXX. version.
[2999] musterion is, in the Greek Fathers, equivalent to the Latin Sacramentum.--Tr.
[3000] Prov. viii. 9.
[3001] hierateuma. Perhaps less definitely priesthood. Acc. Arist. it is he peri tous theous epimeleia. The cult and ordinances of religion to be observed especially by the priests, whose business it is to celebrate the excellence of God.--Tr.
[3002] kata ten eudokian. Allusion is made to Eph. i. 5, According to the good pleasure of God, and His decree for the salvation of man. Less aptly Pantinus renders, ob propensam secæm in nos voluntatem.--Tr.
[3003] "One and the same essence." This is the famous homoousiosof the Nicene Council.--Tr.
[3004] hierophantes, teacher of the divine oracles. This, which is the technical term for the presiding priest at Eleusis, and the Greek translation of the Latin "Pontifex Maximus," is by our author applied to St. Paul.--Tr.
[3005] 2 Cor. v. 19.
[3006] 2 Sam. vi. 14.
[3007] Hab. iii. 3.
[3008] Exod. xv. 2.
[3009] hupotitthion tunchanonta. It is an aggravation, so to speak, that He not only willed to become an infant, and to take upon Him, of necessity, the infirmities of infancy, but even at that tender age to be banished from His country, and to make a forcible change of residence, metoikos genesthan. metoikoi are those who, at the command of their princes, are transferred, by way of punishment, to another State. Their lands are confiscated. They are sometimes called anaspastoi. Like to the condition of these was that of Jesus, who fled into Egypt soon after His birth. For the condition of the metoikoi at Athens, see Art. Smith's Dict. Antiq.--Tr.
[3010] Exod. xxxi. 19.
[3011] Rom. xi. 33.
[3012] Luke xi. 24.
[3013] Isa. lxvi. 7.
[3014] Cf. Luke ii. 22.
[3015] [Here seems to me a deep and true insight regarding the scriptural topics and events touched upon.]
[3016] Isa. vi. 3.
[3017] The quotation from the prophet Habakkuk is from the LXX. version.--Tr.
[3018] Hab. iii. 2.
[3019] Exod. xxv. 22.
[3020] Gal. iv. 4, 5.
[3021] Hab. ii. 20.
[3022] Ps. xcvi. 9.
[3023] [Note "made worthy;" so "found grace" and "my Saviour," in St. Luke. Hence not immaculate by nature.]
[3024] Luke ii. 14.
[3025] ton teiplasiasmon tes hagiotetos, Pantinus translates triplicem sanctitatis rationem, but this is hardly theological. Allusion is made to the song of the seraphim, Isa. vi.; and our author contends that the threefold hymn sung by the angels at Christ's birth answers to that threefold acclamation of theirs in sign of the triune Deity.--Tr.
[3026] Ps. lxxii. 18, 19.
[3027] ton ta panta en akatalepsia huperidrumenon. Cf. 1 Tim. vi. 16, phos oikon aprositon, hon eiden oudeis anthropon oude idein dunatai.--Tr.
[3028] [This apostrophe is not prayer nor worship. (See sec. xiv., infra.) It may be made by any orator. See Burgon's pertinent references to Legh Richmond and Bishop Horne, Lett. from Rome, pp. 237, 238.]
[3029] Cant. ii. 16, 17.
[3030] Ps. xcvii. 11.
[3031] ho ton teloumenon teleiotes, initiator, consummator. dia tou Pneumatos hagiou is to be referred to sunekalesen, rather than to ton prattomenon .--Tr.
[3032] ton authenten didaskalon. The allusion is to Mark i. 22.
[3033] Exod. iii. 23.
[3034] Isa. xliii. 10.
[3035] Wisd. xv. 3.
[3036] Ps. cxviii. 22; Isa. xxviii. 16; 1 Pet. ii. 6.
[3037] Acts xviii. 28.
[3038] Exod. xv. 2; Isa. xxv. 1; Ps. civ. 1.
[3039] Isa. xlii. 7; Luke i. 79.
[3040] 1 Tim. i. 17; Ps. xlv. 2.
[3041] Isa. xi. 5.
[3042] Isa. xlv. 8.
[3043] 2 Cor. vii. 4.
[3044] Exod. iii. 2.
[3045] Dan. iii. 21.
[3046] Exod. xix. 16.
[3047] Ps. vi. 6.
[3048] Luke ii. 29-32.
[3049] Cant. viii. 6.
[3050] Ps. xcviii. 2.
[3051] Isa. ix. 2; xlii. 7; Luke i. 79.
[3052] Ps. xxxvi. 9.
[3053] Mark ii. 10.
[3054] Col. ii. 4.
[3055] Isa. lxiii. 9, Sept. version.
[3056] Tit. iii. 5.
[3057] John iv. 9.
[3058] 2 Cor. iii. 6.
[3059] Ps. xlvi. 4, 5.
[3060] Exod. iii. 2.
[3061] Exod. xvii. 6.
[3062] Num. xvii. 8.
[3063] Heb. ix. 4.
[3064] Exod. xxv. 8.
[3065] Heb. ix. 4.
[3066] 2 Kings ii. 11.
[3067] Ecclus. xlviii. 1.
[3068] 2 Kings ii. 20; iv. 41; v.
[3069] [The feast of the Purification. Here follows an impassioned apostrophe, which apart from its Oriental extravagance is full of poetical beauty. Its language, however, like that of other parts of this Oration, suggests at least interpolation, subsequent to the Nestorian controversy. Previously, there would have been no call for such vehemence of protestation.]
[3070] Isa. xl. 1.
[3071] Heb. i. 3.
[3072] Ezek. xliv. 2.
[3073] Isa. vi. 6.
[3074] Judg. vi. 37.
[3075] 2 Sam. xxiii. 17.
[3076] Exod. xxxv. 17.
[3077] Ps. civ. 2.
[3078] Jer. xxiii. 24.
[3079] Ephes. vi. 16.
[3080] Exod. xx. 12.
[3081] [Apostrophes like the above; panegyrical, not odes of worship.]
[3082] 1 Tim. i. 17.
[3083] Baruch iii. 24, 25.
[3084] [This must have been interpolated after the Council of Ephesus, a.d. 431. The whole Oration is probably after that date.]
[3085] Luke ii. 38.
[3086] Deut. xviii. 15-19.
[3087] Isa. vi. 4.
[3088] Isa. vi. 9; Acts xxviii. 26.
[3089] Ps. xlvi. 8; Isa. vii. 11.
[3090] Luke ii. 32.
[3091] Ps. xviii. 8.
[3092] Ecclus. xxii. 7.
[3093] Matt. xxiii. 38.
[3094] Matt. xvii. 7.
[3095] Isa. vi. 3, 4; i.
[3096] Ps. xlviii. 2; Matt. v. 35; Isa. i. 26.
[3097] Isa. lx. 1; Ps. lxxxvii. 3; Ps. cxxxii. 16.
[3098] Isa. xii. 6.
[3099] Heb. ii. 16.
[3100] Luke xii. 49.
[3101] [Here is an apostrophe to the Church, a hymn to "the Elect Lady." See, illustrating note 17, p. 390, supra.]
[3102] trikumias, stormy waves. Latin, decumani fluctus. Methodius perhaps alludes to Diocletian's persecution, in which he perished as a martyr.--Tr.
[3103] Luke xii. 32.
[3104] Isa. liv. 1.
[3105] 1 Pet. ii. 9.
[3106] [He again apostrophizes the Blessed Theotocos, but in language hardly appropriate to the period preceding Cyril of Alexandria.]
[3107] [Not so, for he ends with a noble strain of worship to the Son of God. This expression suggests interpolation.]
[3108] Hab. iii. 3.
Oration on the Palms. [3109]
------------------------
I. Blessed be God; let us proceed, brethren, from wonders to the miracles of the Lord, and as it were, from strength to strength. [3110] For just as in a golden chain the links are so intimately joined and connected together, as that the one holds the other, and is fitted on to it, and so carries on the chain--even so the miracles that have been handed down by the holy Gospels, one after the other, lead on the Church of God, which delights in festivity, and refresh it, not with the meat that perisheth, but with that which endureth unto everlasting life. [3111] Come then, beloved, and let us, too, with prepared hearts, and with ears intent, listen to what the Lord our God shall say unto us out of the prophets and Gospels concerning this most sacred feast. Verily, He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints, and to those which turn their hearts unto Him. To-day, [3112] the trumpet-blast of the prophets have roused the world, and have made glad and filled with joyfulness the churches of God that are everywhere amongst the nations. And, summoning the faithful from the exercise of holy fasting, and from the palæstra, wherein they struggle against the lusts of the flesh, they have taught them to sing a new hymn of conquest and a new song of peace to Christ who giveth the victory. Come then, every one, and let us rejoice in the Lord; O come, all ye people, and let us clap our hands, and make a joyful noise to God our Saviour, with the voice of melody. [3113] Let no one be without portion in this grace; let no one come short of this calling; for the seed of the disobedient is appointed to destruction.--Let no one neglect to meet the King, lest he be shut out from the Bridegroom's chamber.--Let no one amongst us be found to receive Him with a sad countenance, lest he be condemned with those wicked citizens--the citizens, I mean, who refused to receive the Lord as King over them. [3114] Let us all come together cheerfully; let us all receive Him gladly, and hold our feast with all honesty. Instead of our garments, let us strew our hearts before Him. [3115] In psalms and hymns, let us raise to Him our shouts of thanksgiving; and, without ceasing, let us exclaim, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord;" [3116] for blessed are they that bless Him, and cursed are they that curse Him. [3117] Again I will say it, nor will I cease exhorting you to good, Come, beloved, let us bless Him who is blessed, that we may be ourselves blessed of Him. Every age and condition does this discourse summon to praise the Lord; kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens [3118] --and what is new in this miracle, the tender and innocent age of babes and sucklings hath obtained the first place in raising to God with thankful confession the hymn which was of God taught them in the strains in which Moses sang before to the people when they came forth out of Egypt--namely, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord."