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Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

Methodius of Olympus

Section 8

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

VIII. Upon all this that righteous man, waxing bold

‹ Section 7 Section 9 ›

and

yielding

to

the

exhortation

of

the

mother

of

God

,

who

is

the

handmaid

of

God

in

regard

to

the

things

which

pertain

to

men

,

received

into

his

aged

arms

Him

who

in

infancy

was

yet

the

Ancient

of

days

,

and

blessed

God

,

and

said

,

“

Lord

,

now

lettest

Thou

Thy

servant

depart

in

peace

,

according

to

Thy

word

:

for

mine

eyes

have

seen

Thy

salvation

,

which

Thou

hast

prepared

before

the

face

of

all

people

;

a

light

to

lighten

the

Gentiles

,

and

the

glory

of

Thy

people

Israel

.

”

I

have

received

from

Thee

a

joy

unmixed

with

pain

.

Do

thou

,

O

Lord

,

receive

me

rejoicing

,

and

singing

of

Thy

mercy

and

compassion

.

Thou

hast

given

unto

me

this

joy

of

heart

.

I

render

unto

Thee

with

gladness

my

tribute

of

thanksgiving

.

I

have

known

the

power

of

the

love

of

God

.

Since

,

for

my

sake

,

God

of

Thee

begotten

,

in

a

manner

ineffable

,

and

without

corruption

,

has

become

man

.

I

have

known

the

inexplicable

greatness

of

Thy

love

and

care

for

us

,

for

Thou

hast

sent

forth

Thine

own

bowels

to

come

to

our

deliverance

.

Now

,

at

length

,

I

understand

what

I

had

from

Solomon

learned

:

“

Strong

as

death

is

love

:

for

by

it

shall

the

sting

of

death

be

done

away

,

by

it

shall

the

dead

see

life

,

by

it

shall

even

death

learn

what

death

is

,

being

made

to

cease

from

that

dominion

which

over

us

he

exercised

.

By

it

,

also

,

shall

the

serpent

,

the

author

of

our

evils

,

be

taken

captive

and

overwhelmed

.

”

Thou

hast

made

known

to

us

,

O

Lord

,

Thy

salvation

,

causing

to

spring

up

for

us

the

plant

of

peace

,

and

we

shall

no

longer

wander

in

error

.

Thou

hast

made

known

to

us

,

O

Lord

,

that

Thou

hast

not

unto

the

end

overlooked

Thy

servants

;

neither

hast

Thou

,

O

beneficent

One

,

forgotten

entirely

the

works

of

Thine

hands

.

For

out

of

Thy

compassion

for

our

low

estate

Thou

hast

shed

forth

upon

us

abundantly

that

goodness

of

Thine

which

is

inexhaustible

,

and

with

Thy

very

nature

cognate

,

having

redeemed

us

by

Thine

only

begotten

Son

,

who

is

unchangeably

like

to

Thee

,

and

of

one

substance

with

Thee

;

judging

it

unworthy

of

Thy

majesty

and

goodness

to

entrust

to

a

servant

the

work

of

saving

and

benefiting

Thy

servants

,

or

to

cause

that

those

who

had

offended

should

be

reconciled

by

a

minister

.

But

by

means

of

that

light

,

which

is

of

one

substance

with

Thee

,

Thou

hast

given

light

to

those

that

sat

in

darkness

and

in

the

shadow

of

death

,

in

order

that

in

Thy

light

they

might

see

the

light

of

knowledge

;

and

it

has

seemed

good

to

Thee

,

by

means

of

our

Lord

and

Creator

,

to

fashion

us

again

unto

immortality

;

and

Thou

hast

graciously

given

unto

us

a

return

to

Paradise

by

means

of

Him

who

separated

us

from

the

joys

of

Paradise

;

and

by

means

of

Him

who

hath

power

to

forgive

sins

Thou

hast

blotted

out

the

handwriting

which

was

against

us

.

Lastly

,

by

means

of

Him

who

is

a

partaker

of

Thy

throne

and

who

cannot

be

separated

from

Thy

divine

nature

,

Thou

hast

given

unto

us

the

gift

of

reconciliation

and

access

unto

Thee

with

confidence

in

order

that

,

by

the

Lord

who

recognises

the

sovereign

authority

of

none

,

by

the

true

and

omnipotent

God

,

the

subscribed

sanction

,

as

it

were

,

of

so

many

and

such

great

blessings

might

constitute

the

justifying

gifts

of

grace

to

be

certain

and

indubitable

rights

to

those

who

have

obtained

mercy

.

And

this

very

thing

the

prophet

before

had

announced

in

the

words

:

No

ambassador

,

nor

angel

,

but

the

Lord

Himself

saved

them

;

because

He

loved

them

,

and

spared

them

,

and

He

took

them

up

,

and

exalted

them

.

And

all

this

was

,

not

of

works

of

righteousness

which

we

have

done

,

nor

because

we

loved

Thee

,

—

for

our

first

earthly

forefather

,

who

was

honourably

entertained

,

in

the

delightful

abode

of

Paradise

,

despised

Thy

divine

and

saving

commandment

,

and

was

judged

unworthy

of

that

life

-

giving

place

,

and

mingling

his

seed

with

the

bastard

off

-

shoots

of

sin

,

he

rendered

it

very

weak

;

—

but

Thou

,

O

Lord

,

of

Thine

own

self

,

and

of

Thine

ineffable

love

toward

the

creature

of

Thine

hands

,

hast

confirmed

Thy

mercy

toward

us

,

and

,

pitying

our

estrangement

from

Thee

,

hast

moved

Thyself

at

the

sight

of

our

degradation

to

take

us

into

compassion

.

Hence

,

for

the

future

,

a

joyous

festival

is

established

for

us

of

the

race

of

Adam

,

because

the

first

Creator

of

Adam

of

His

own

free

-

will

has

become

the

Second

Adam

.

And

the

brightness

of

the

Lord

our

God

hath

come

down

to

sojourn

with

us

,

so

that

we

see

God

face

to

face

,

and

are

saved

.

Therefore

,

O

Lord

,

I

seek

of

Thee

to

be

allowed

to

depart

.

I

have

seen

Thy

salvation

;

let

me

be

delivered

from

the

bent

yoke

of

the

letter

.

I

have

seen

the

King

Eternal

,

to

whom

no

other

succeeds

;

let

me

be

set

free

from

this

servile

and

burdensome

chain

.

I

have

seen

Him

who

is

by

nature

my

Lord

and

Deliverer

;

may

I

obtain

,

then

,

His

decree

for

my

deliverance

.

Set

me

free

from

the

yoke

of

condemnation

,

and

place

me

under

the

yoke

of

justification

.

Deliver

me

from

the

yoke

of

the

curse

,

and

of

the

letter

that

killeth

;

and

enrol

me

in

the

blessed

company

of

those

who

,

by

the

grace

of

this

Thy

true

Son

,

who

is

of

equal

glory

and

power

with

Thee

,

have

been

received

into

the

adoption

of

sons

.

Notes

63
Luke ii. 29–32.
64
Cant. viii. 6.
65
Ps. xcviii. 2.
66
Isa. ix. 2; xlii. 7; Luke i. 79.
67
Ps. xxxvi. 9.
68
Mark ii. 10.
69
Col. ii. 4.
70
Isa. lxiii. 9, Sept. version.
71
Tit. iii. 5.
72
John iv. 9.
73
2 Cor. iii. 6.