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Oration on the Palms

Methodius of Olympus

Section 5

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

V. Once, indeed, the aged Simeon met the Saviour

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

and

received

in

his

arms

,

as

an

infant

,

the

Creator

of

the

world

,

and

proclaimed

Him

to

be

Lord

and

God

;

but

now

,

in

the

place

of

foolish

elders

,

children

meet

the

Saviour

,

even

as

Simeon

did

,

and

instead

of

their

arms

,

strew

under

Him

the

branches

of

trees

,

and

bless

the

Lord

God

seated

upon

a

colt

,

as

upon

the

cherubim

,

Hosanna

to

the

son

of

David

:

Blessed

is

He

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

;

and

together

with

these

let

us

also

exclaim

,

Blessed

is

He

that

cometh

,

God

the

King

of

Glory

,

who

,

for

our

sakes

,

became

poor

,

yet

,

in

His

own

proper

estate

,

being

ignorant

of

poverty

,

that

with

His

bounty

He

might

make

us

rich

.

Blessed

is

He

who

once

came

in

humility

,

and

who

will

hereafter

come

again

in

glory

:

at

the

first

,

lowly

,

and

seated

upon

an

ass’s

colt

,

and

by

infants

extolled

in

order

that

it

might

be

fulfilled

which

was

written

:

Thy

goings

have

been

seen

,

O

God

;

even

the

goings

of

my

God

,

my

King

,

in

the

sanctuary

;

but

at

the

second

time

seated

on

the

clouds

,

in

terrible

majesty

,

by

angels

and

powers

attended

.

O

the

mellifluous

tongue

of

the

children

!

O

the

sincere

doctrine

of

those

who

are

well

pleasing

to

God

!

David

in

prophecy

hid

the

spirit

under

the

letter

;

children

,

opening

their

treasures

,

brought

forth

riches

upon

their

tongues

,

and

,

in

language

full

of

grace

,

invited

clearly

all

men

to

enjoy

them

.

Therefore

let

us

with

them

draw

forth

the

unfading

riches

.

In

our

bosoms

insatiate

,

and

in

treasure

-

houses

which

cannot

be

filled

,

let

us

lay

up

the

divine

gifts

.

Let

us

exclaim

without

ceasing

,

Blessed

is

He

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

!

Very

God

,

in

the

name

of

the

Very

God

,

the

Omnipotent

from

the

Omnipotent

,

the

Son

in

the

name

of

the

Father

.

The

true

King

from

the

true

King

,

whose

kingdom

,

even

as

His

who

begat

Him

,

is

with

eternity

,

coeval

and

pre

-

existent

to

it

.

For

this

is

common

to

both

;

nor

does

the

Scripture

attribute

this

honour

to

the

Son

,

as

if

it

came

from

another

source

,

nor

as

if

it

had

a

beginning

,

or

could

be

added

to

or

diminished

—

away

with

the

thought

!

—

but

as

that

which

is

His

of

right

by

nature

,

and

by

a

true

and

proper

possession

.

For

the

kingdom

of

the

Father

,

of

the

Son

,

and

of

the

Holy

Ghost

,

is

one

,

even

as

their

substance

is

one

and

their

dominion

one

.

Whence

also

,

with

one

and

the

same

adoration

,

we

worship

the

one

Deity

in

three

Persons

,

subsisting

without

beginning

,

uncreate

,

without

end

,

and

to

which

there

is

no

successor

.

For

neither

will

the

Father

ever

cease

to

be

the

Father

,

nor

again

the

Son

to

be

the

Son

and

King

,

nor

the

Holy

Ghost

to

be

what

in

substance

and

personality

He

is

.

For

nothing

of

the

Trinity

will

suffer

diminution

,

either

in

respect

of

eternity

,

or

of

communion

,

or

of

sovereignty

.

For

not

on

that

account

is

the

Son

of

God

called

king

,

because

for

our

sakes

He

was

made

man

,

and

in

the

flesh

cast

down

the

tyrant

that

was

against

us

,

having

,

by

taking

this

upon

Him

,

obtained

the

victory

over

its

cruel

enemy

,

but

because

He

is

always

Lord

and

God

;

therefore

it

is

that

now

,

both

after

His

assumption

of

the

flesh

and

for

ever

,

He

remains

a

king

,

even

as

He

who

begat

Him

.

Speak

not

,

O

heretic

,

against

the

kingdom

of

Christ

,

lest

thou

dishonour

Him

who

begat

Him

.

If

thou

art

faithful

,

in

faith

approach

Christ

,

our

very

God

,

and

not

as

using

your

liberty

for

a

cloak

of

maliciousness

.

If

thou

art

a

servant

,

with

trembling

be

subject

unto

thy

Master

;

for

he

who

fights

against

the

Word

is

not

a

well

-

disposed

servant

,

but

a

manifest

enemy

,

as

it

is

written

:

He

that

honoureth

not

the

Son

,

honoureth

not

the

Father

which

hath

sent

Him

.

Notes

43
Luke ii. 29.