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Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

Methodius of Olympus

Section 9

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

IX. Let then, says he, what I have

‹ Section 8 Section 10 ›

thus

far

said

in

brief

,

suffice

for

the

present

as

my

offering

of

thanks

to

God

.

But

what

shall

I

say

to

thee

,

O

mother

-

virgin

and

virgin

-

mother

?

For

the

praise

even

of

her

who

is

not

man’s

work

exceeds

the

power

of

man

.

Wherefore

the

dimness

of

my

poverty

I

will

make

bright

with

the

splendour

of

the

gifts

of

the

spirits

that

around

thee

shine

,

and

offering

to

thee

of

thine

own

,

from

the

immortal

meadows

I

will

pluck

a

garland

for

thy

sacred

and

divinely

crowned

head

.

With

thine

ancestral

hymns

will

I

greet

thee

,

O

daughter

of

David

,

and

mother

of

the

Lord

and

God

of

David

.

For

it

were

both

base

and

inauspicious

to

adorn

thee

,

who

in

thine

own

glory

excellest

with

that

which

belongeth

unto

another

.

Receive

,

therefore

,

O

lady

most

benignant

,

gifts

precious

,

and

such

as

are

fitted

to

thee

alone

,

O

thou

who

art

exalted

above

all

generations

,

and

who

,

amongst

all

created

things

,

both

visible

and

invisible

,

shinest

forth

as

the

most

honourable

.

Blessed

is

the

root

of

Jesse

,

and

thrice

blessed

is

the

house

of

David

,

in

which

thou

hast

sprung

up

.

God

is

in

the

midst

of

thee

,

and

thou

shalt

not

be

moved

,

for

the

Most

High

hath

made

holy

the

place

of

His

tabernacle

.

For

in

thee

the

covenants

and

oaths

made

of

God

unto

the

fathers

have

received

a

most

glorious

fulfilment

,

since

by

thee

the

Lord

hath

appeared

,

the

God

of

hosts

with

us

.

That

bush

which

could

not

be

touched

,

which

beforehand

shadowed

forth

thy

figure

endowed

with

divine

majesty

,

bare

God

without

being

consumed

,

who

manifested

Himself

to

the

prophet

just

so

far

as

He

willed

to

be

seen

.

Then

,

again

,

that

hard

and

rugged

rock

,

which

imaged

forth

the

grace

and

refreshment

which

has

sprung

out

from

thee

for

all

the

world

,

brought

forth

abundantly

in

the

desert

out

of

its

thirsty

sides

a

healing

draught

for

the

fainting

people

.

Yea

,

moreover

,

the

rod

of

the

priest

which

,

without

culture

,

blossomed

forth

in

fruit

,

the

pledge

and

earnest

of

a

perpetual

priesthood

,

furnished

no

contemptible

symbol

of

thy

supernatural

child

-

bearing

.

What

,

moreover

?

Hath

not

the

mighty

Moses

expressly

declared

,

that

on

account

of

these

types

of

thee

,

hard

to

be

understood

,

he

delayed

longer

on

the

mountain

,

in

order

that

he

might

learn

,

O

holy

one

,

the

mysteries

that

with

thee

are

connected

?

For

being

commanded

to

build

the

ark

as

a

sign

and

similitude

of

this

thing

,

he

was

not

negligent

in

obeying

the

command

,

although

a

tragic

occurrence

happened

on

his

descent

from

the

mount

;

but

having

made

it

in

size

five

cubits

and

a

half

,

he

appointed

it

to

be

the

receptacle

of

the

law

,

and

covered

it

with

the

wings

of

the

cherubim

,

most

evidently

pre

-

signifying

thee

,

the

mother

of

God

,

who

hast

conceived

Him

without

corruption

,

and

in

an

ineffable

manner

brought

forth

Him

who

is

Himself

,

as

it

were

,

the

very

consistence

of

incorruption

,

and

that

within

the

limits

of

the

five

and

a

half

circles

of

the

world

.

On

thy

account

,

and

the

undefiled

Incarnation

of

God

,

the

Word

,

which

by

thee

had

place

for

the

sake

of

that

flesh

which

immutably

and

indivisibly

remains

with

Him

for

ever

.

The

golden

pot

also

,

as

a

most

certain

type

,

preserved

the

manna

contained

in

it

,

which

in

other

cases

was

changed

day

by

day

,

unchanged

,

and

keeping

fresh

for

ages

.

The

prophet

Elijah

likewise

,

as

prescient

of

thy

chastity

,

and

being

emulous

of

it

through

the

Spirit

,

bound

around

him

the

crown

of

that

fiery

life

,

being

by

the

divine

decree

adjudged

superior

to

death

.

Thee

also

,

prefiguring

his

successor

Elisha

,

having

been

instructed

by

a

wise

master

,

and

anticipating

thy

presence

who

wast

not

yet

born

,

by

certain

sure

indications

of

the

things

that

would

have

place

hereafter

,

ministered

help

and

healing

to

those

who

were

in

need

of

it

,

which

was

of

a

virtue

beyond

nature

;

now

with

a

new

cruse

,

which

contained

healing

salt

,

curing

the

deadly

waters

,

to

show

that

the

world

was

to

be

recreated

by

the

mystery

manifested

in

thee

;

now

with

unleavened

meal

,

in

type

responding

to

thy

child

-

bearing

,

without

being

defiled

by

the

seed

of

man

,

banishing

from

the

food

the

bitterness

of

death

;

and

then

again

,

by

efforts

which

transcended

nature

,

rising

superior

to

the

natural

elements

in

the

Jordan

,

and

thus

exhibiting

,

in

signs

beforehand

,

the

descent

of

our

Lord

into

Hades

,

and

His

wonderful

deliverance

of

those

who

were

held

fast

in

corruption

.

For

all

things

yielded

and

succumbed

to

that

divine

image

which

prefigured

thee

.

Notes

74
Ps. xlvi. 4, 5.
75
Exod. iii. 2.
76
Exod. xvii. 6.
77
Num. xvii. 8.
78
Heb. ix. 4.
79
Exod. xxv. 8.
80
Heb. ix. 4.
81
2 Kings ii. 11.
82
Ecclus. xlviii. 1.
83
2 Kings ii. 20; iv. 41; v.