C. ii. 25-35. Is. lii. 7. с SERMON IV. THE prophet Isaiah says, "Beautiful are the feet of "them that bring good tidings of good:" and what could there be so sweet to learn as that God has saved the world by the mediation of the Son, in that He was made like unto us? 1 Tim. ii. 5. For it is written, "that there is one God, and one Mediator of "God and men, the Man Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself a "( ransom for us." For of His own accord He descended to our poverty, that He might make us rich by our gaining what is His. Behold Him therefore as one in our estate presented unto the Father, and obedient to the shadows of the law, offering sacrifice moreover according to what was customary, true though it be that these things were done by the instrumentality of His mother according to the flesh. Was He then unrecognised by all at Jerusalem, and known to none dwelling there? How could this be the case? For God the Father had before T. ayiwv. proclaimed by the holy prophets, that in due season the Son would be manifested to save them that were lost, and to give light to them that were in darkness. By one too of the holy prophets He said, "My righteousness approacheth quickly, "and My mercy to be revealed, and My salvation shall burn "as a torch." But the mercy and righteousness is Christ: for through Him have we obtained mercy and righteousness, having washed away our filthy vileness by faith that is in Him. And that which a torch going before them is to those in night and darkness, this has Christ become for those who are in mental gloom and darkness, implanting in them the divine light. For this reason also the blessed prophets prayed to be Ps. lxxxv. made partakers of His great grace, saying, "Shew us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation." Aub. an' αἰῶνος. Is. Ixii. 1. 7. c The text is now taken from the Tr. Coll. MS. B. Q. 7. apparently of the 12th century. It is a volume of sermons, and among them has one with the following superscription: Κυρίλλου ἀρχεπισκπ. ἀλεξανδρείας, εἰς τὸν δίκαιον συμεὼν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγε λíov kê evλo+ I owe my transcript to a friend, himself engaged in collecting and editing the Greek remains of this Father. Christd therefore was carried into the temple, being yet a little child at the breast: and the blessed Symeon being endowed with the grace of prophecy, takes Him in his arms, and filled with the highest joy, 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 the nations, the "Gentiles' light for revelation, and a glory of Thy people "Israel." For the mystery of Christ had been prepared even before the very foundation of the world, but was manifested in the last ages of time, and became a light for those who in darkness and error had fallen under the devil's hand. These were they "who serve the creation instead of the Creator," wor- Rom. i. 25. shipping moreover the dragon, the author of evil, and the im- axiány. pure throng of devils, to whom they attach the honour due unto God: yet were they called by God the Father to the acknowledgment of the Son Who is the true light. Of them in sooth He said by the voice of Isaiah, "I will make signs unto them, Zech. x. 8. "and receive them, because I will ransom them, and they shall "be multiplied, as they were many and I wiH sow them (6 among the nations, and they who are afar off shall remem"ber Me." For very many were they that were astray, but were called through Christ: and again they are many as they d Mai, whose extracts begin again at this clause, has admitted at the end of the first sentence an interpolation so curious, that I append it: "... and offered what is appointed "in the law, a pair of turtles and "two young pigeons, the type of temperance and gentleness, as "well as also of each kind of life, "marriage, namely, and celibacy, "of both of which He is the Law'giver. For you may say that the "active and more spiritual, who "have taken upon themselves the single life, are the pigeons: but "that those who occupy themselves "with a family and other domestic 66 cares are the turtle doves." As in the unworthy interpretation of the butter, referred to in the note at the end of the 2nd Sermon, it is impossible to say which MS. contains this interpolation, as the letters put by Mai at the commencement of each extract merely mean that those MSS. severally contain more or less of what follows. Immediately afterwards he has another passage, the false philosophy and bad Greek of which confirm its rejection by the two trustworthy MSS. It is to the effect, that Symeon was to be set free from the leaping-ground of life: for life is a ransom and prison, (λύτρα καὶ δη oμwτýρiov.) Upon the offering of the turtle doves, the reader may compare S. Cyril's explanation in the De Ador. Spir. Ed. Aub. I. 531. which agrees with the present Commentary. E were before; for they have been received and ransomed, having obtained as the token of peace from God the Father, the adoption into His family and the grace that is by faith in Jesus Christ. And the divine disciples were sown widely among the nations and what is the consequence? Those who in disposition were far from God, have been made near. Eph. ii. 13. To whom also the divine Paul sends an epistle, saying, "Now "ye who some time were afar off have been made near in the "blood of Christ." And having been brought near, they make Christ their glorying for again, God the Father has said of Zech. x. 12. them, "And I will strengthen them in the Lord their God, and "in His Name shall they glory, saith the Lord." This also the blessed Psalmist teaches, speaking as it were unto Christ the Ps. lxxxix. Saviour of all, and saying, "Lord, they shall walk in the light "of Thy countenance, and in Thy Name shall they exult all "the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted : for "Thou art the glorying of their strength." And we shall find Jer. xvi. 19. also the prophet Jeremiah calling out unto God, "Lord, my "strength and my help, and my refuge in the day of my evils, "to Thee shall the heathen come from the end of the earth, "and say, Our fathers took unto themselves false idols, in "which there is no help." 15. Christ therefore became the Gentiles' light for revelation : but also for the glory of Israel. For even granting that some of them proved insolent, and disobedient, and with minds void of understanding, yet is there a remnant saved, and admitted unto glory through Christ. And the firstfruits of these were the divine disciples, the brightness of whose renown lightens the whole world. And in another sense Christ is the glory of Israel, for He Rom. ix. 5. came of them according to the flesh, though He be "God over 'all, and blessed for evermore, Amen." Also in the MS.12,154. And Symeon blesseth also the holy Virgin as the handmaid of the divine counsel, and the instrument of the birth that submitted not itself to the laws of human nature. For being a virgin she brought forth, and that not by man, but by the power of the Holy Ghost having come upon her. "Be And what does the prophet Symeon say of Christ? "hold This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be spoken against." For the 16. Immanuel is set by God the Father for the foundations of Sion, "being a stone elect, chief of the corner, and honourable." 1 Pet. ii. 6. Those then that trusted in Him were not ashamed: but those who were unbelieving and ignorant, and unable to perceive the mystery regarding Him, fell, and were broken in pieces. For God the Father again has somewhere said, "Be- Is. xxviii. "hold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, Luke xx. "and He that believeth on It shall not be ashamed; but on 18. "whomsoever It shall fall, It will winnow him." But the prophet bade the Israelites be secure, saying, "Sanctify the Lord Is. viii. 13. "Himself, and He shall be thy fear: and if thou trust upon "Him, He shall be thy sanctification, nor shall ye strike against Him as on a stone of stumbling, and a rock of of"fence." Because however Israel did not sanctify the Emmanuel Who is Lord and God, nor was willing to trust in Him, having stumbled as upon a stone because of unbelief, it was broken in pieces and fell. But many rose again, those, namely, who embraced faith in Him. For they changed from a legal to a spiritual service from having in them a slavish spirit, they were enriched with That Spirit Which maketh free, even the : Holy Ghost they were made partakers of the divine nature: 2 Pet. i. 4. And by the sign that is spoken against, he means the precious Also in the Cross, for as the most wise Paul writes, " to the Jews it is a stumSyriac MS. 12,154. blingblock, and foolishness to the heathen." And again, "To 1 Cor. i. 23. "them that are perishing it is foolishness: but to us who are 1 Cor. i. 18. "being saved, it is the power of God unto salvation." The sign therefore is spoken against, if to those that perish it seem to be folly; while to those who acknowledge its power it is salvation and life. And Symeon furtherf said to the holy Virgin, "Yea, a "sword shall go through thy own soul also," meaning by the sword the pain which she suffered for Christ, in seeing Him * Aubert's reading here, perepvτεύθησαν, for μετεφοίτησαν, is worthy of notice. It is possibly, nevertheless, only the correction of some scribe, not aware that poráw, and its compounds, occur in S. Cyril f 'The Tr. MS. has πрòs тоùS TOL- Whom she brought forth crucified; and not knowing at all that He would be more mighty than death, and rise again from the grave. Nor mayest thou wonder that the Virgin knew this not, when we shall find even the holy Apostles themselves with little faith thereupon: for verily the blessed Thomas, had he not thrust his hands into His side after the resurrection, and felt also the prints of the nails, would have disbelieved the other disciples telling him, that Christ was risen, and had shewed Himself unto them. The very wise Evangelist therefore for our benefit teaches us all things whatsoever the Son, when He was made flesh, and consented to bear our poverty, endured for our sakes and in our behalf, that so we may glorify Him as our Redeemer, as our Lord, as our Saviour, and our God: sby Whom and with Whom to God the Father and the Holy Ghost be the glory and the power for ever and ever, Amen.h |