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Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

Methodius of Olympus

Section 11

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

XI. But for the time that remains, my most

‹ Section 10 Section 12 ›

attentive

hearers

,

let

us

take

up

the

old

man

,

the

receiver

of

God

,

and

our

pious

teacher

,

who

hath

put

in

here

,

as

it

were

,

in

safety

from

that

virginal

sea

,

and

let

us

refresh

him

,

both

satisfied

as

to

his

divine

longing

,

and

conveying

to

us

this

most

blessed

theology

;

and

let

us

ourselves

follow

out

the

rest

of

our

discourse

,

directing

our

course

unerringly

with

reference

to

our

prescribed

end

,

and

that

under

the

guidance

of

God

the

Almighty

,

so

shall

we

not

be

found

altogether

unfruitful

and

unprofitable

as

to

what

is

required

of

us

.

When

,

then

,

to

these

sacred

rites

,

prophecy

and

the

priesthood

had

been

jointly

called

,

and

that

pair

of

just

ones

elected

of

God

—

Simeon

,

I

mean

,

and

Anna

,

bearing

in

themselves

most

evidently

the

images

of

both

peoples

—

had

taken

their

station

by

the

side

of

that

glorious

and

virginal

throne

,

—

for

by

the

old

man

was

represented

the

people

of

Israel

,

and

the

law

now

waxing

old

;

whilst

the

widow

represents

the

Church

of

the

Gentiles

,

which

had

been

up

to

this

point

a

widow

,

—

the

old

man

,

indeed

,

as

personating

the

law

,

seeks

dismissal

;

but

the

widow

,

as

personating

the

Church

,

brought

her

joyous

confession

of

faith

and

spake

of

Him

to

all

that

looked

for

redemption

in

Jerusalem

,

even

as

the

things

that

were

spoken

of

both

have

been

appositely

and

excellently

recorded

,

and

quite

in

harmony

with

the

sacred

festival

.

For

it

was

fitting

and

necessary

that

the

old

man

who

knew

so

accurately

that

decree

of

the

law

,

in

which

it

is

said

:

Hear

Him

,

and

every

soul

that

will

not

hearken

unto

Him

shall

be

cut

off

from

His

people

,

should

seek

a

peaceful

discharge

from

the

tutorship

of

the

law

;

for

in

truth

it

were

insolence

and

presumption

,

when

the

king

is

present

and

addressing

the

people

,

for

one

of

his

attendants

to

make

a

speech

over

against

him

,

and

that

to

this

man

his

subjects

should

incline

their

ears

.

It

was

necessary

,

too

,

that

the

widow

who

had

been

increased

with

gifts

beyond

measure

,

should

in

festal

strains

return

her

thanks

to

God

;

and

so

the

things

which

there

took

place

were

agreeable

to

the

law

.

But

,

for

what

remains

,

it

is

necessary

to

inquire

how

,

since

the

prophetic

types

and

figures

bear

,

as

has

been

shown

,

a

certain

analogy

and

relation

to

this

prominent

feast

,

it

is

said

that

the

house

was

filled

with

smoke

.

Nor

does

the

prophet

say

this

incidentally

,

but

with

significance

,

speaking

of

that

cry

of

the

Thrice

-

Holy

,

uttered

by

the

heavenly

seraphs

.

You

will

discover

the

meaning

of

this

,

my

attentive

hearer

,

if

you

do

but

take

up

and

examine

what

follows

upon

this

narration

:

For

hearing

,

he

says

,

ye

shall

hear

,

and

shall

not

understand

;

and

seeing

,

ye

shall

see

,

and

not

perceive

.

When

,

therefore

,

the

foolish

Jewish

children

had

seen

the

glorious

wonders

which

,

as

David

sang

,

the

Lord

had

performed

in

the

earth

,

and

had

seen

the

sign

from

the

depth

and

from

the

height

meeting

together

,

without

division

or

confusion

;

as

also

Isaiah

had

before

declared

,

namely

,

a

mother

beyond

nature

,

and

an

offspring

beyond

reason

;

an

earthly

mother

and

a

heavenly

son

;

a

new

taking

of

man’s

nature

,

I

say

,

by

God

,

and

a

child

-

bearing

without

marriage

;

what

in

creation’s

circuit

could

be

more

glorious

and

more

to

be

spoken

of

than

this

!

yet

when

they

had

seen

this

it

was

all

one

as

if

they

had

not

seen

it

;

they

closed

their

eyes

,

and

in

respect

of

praise

were

supine

.

Therefore

the

house

in

which

they

boasted

was

filled

with

smoke

.

Notes

100
Luke ii. 38.
101
Deut. xviii. 15–19.
102
Isa. vi. 4.
103
Isa. vi. 9; Acts xxviii. 26.
104
Ps. xlvi. 8; Isa. vii. 11.