장음표시 사용
141쪽
extinguished shali bo privileged to receive the amaranthine crown os immortali . Alt who have possessed themselves of th stainless robe of temperance ahail be received into the mystical bride-chamber of righteousness. All Who havo me nearer the angelic degree than others shail also enter into the more real enjoyment of their Lord's beatitude. Allulio havs possessed the illuminating oil os understanding, and the pure incense of conscience, shali inherit the promise of spirituat favour and the spiritual adoption. All who orthily observe the festival of the Annunciation of tho Virgin Mary, tho mother of God, acquire as their meet recomponso the fuller interest in the message, Hail, thou thal
but then it was with unleavened bread and bittor herbs, of whicli the prophot says r I wili turn their se is into afflictions and lamentation, and their joy into fhame. - But our affictions our Lord has assured us He wili turn into joy by the fruits of penitenco. And again, the fidit covenant maintainod tho righteous requirements or, justibing observanees, δικαιώματα) os a divino service, as in the case of our fore-father Abraham; but theso stood in tho inflictions of pain in the flesh is circumcision, untii the timo of the fulfilment. e laW was ovon to them through Moses' for their discipline; μbut graco and truth ' have been given to us by Jesus Christi' The beginning of ali these blessings to us appeared in the annunciation to Mary, the hight favoured, in the oeconomy of the Saviour Whicli is Worthy of ali praiso, and in
His divino and supramundano instruction. Thence rise the
142쪽
130 GREGORY THAUMATVRGVS rvs of tho light os underetanding upon us. Thence sp ingsor us the fruits of Wisdom and immortali , sending forththe clear pure streams of pie . Thence come to us thobrilliant splendours of tho treasures of divine knowledge.
treasure of the knowledge of God is revealed to them .hosearch tho divino oracles. That troasuro of tho inspired Scriptures the Paraclete has uniolded in us this day. Andiet tho langue os prophecy and tho doctrine os apostles bothe tremuro os misdom to us; for Without the laW and the propheis, or the evangelisis and the apostles, it is notpossibio to havo the certain hope of salvation. For bytho longus of the holy propheis and apostles our Lordspealis, and God talies pleasure in the words of tho sainis; not that He requires the spolien address, but that Ho deligitis in the good disposition ; not that He receives any profit Dommon, but that Ho finds a restiui satisfaction in tho righil affected foul of the rightsons. For it is not that Christ is magnified by What me say; bnt as Wo receive beninis DomHim, me proclaim With gratesul mind His boneficenco in us; not that we can attain to what is Worthy therein, but that me give the meos return to tho best of our ability. Andwhen tho Gospsis or the Episties, therelare, Me read, let notyour attention centre on tho book or on tho reader, but on
143쪽
Savioux altogether in be praued, to Wit, that to them Who had mandered astray the Way of salvation mas inown, and that totae despatring the grace of salvation Was mado known, Whichia aes ali in different modes; searching alter ste erring,
tho claves, rodeeming the captives, and becoming est thingsto est of us in order to be tho truo Way of salvation to us tand est this He does, not by reason of o. good-Will to ardHim, but in virtve of a benignity that is proper to our Ben factor Himself. For the Saviour did est, not in ordor thalm might acquire virtus Himself, but that He might put usin possession os eternat lite. He made man, indeed, after
tho image of God, and appotnted him is sive in a paradiso of pleasure. But tho man being deceived by the devit, and
haring become a transgressor of tho divino commandment, as mado subject to the doom os deast. Whenes, also,
signified the oeconomy of salvation. When, mor-Ver, thefulaeis of tho times came for His glorious appearing, Ηο
144쪽
132 GREGORY THAUMATURGUSit, the Holy Spirit entored into tho undefiled temple of the
Virgin, and her mind and her members mere sanctis ed i gether. And nature stood opposite, and natural intercourseat a distance, belloiding mith amagement the Lord os nature,
in a manner contrisy to nature, or rather aboVe nature,
was deficient in it. And here sin abounded, grace didmuch more abound .' And appropriately Was grace sent to the holy Virgin. For this Word also is contained in the oracle ostiis evangelic histo : And in the silath monili the angel
the fixili monili to Zacharias. Aud rightly, then, did the holy Virgin prove to be of the family os David, and sho hadher homo in Bethlehem, and was botrothed rightsully to
Joseph, in accordance With tho laws ot rolationship. Andher espoused husband was hor guardian, and possessor viso of the uniarnished incorruption which was hera. And the namegiven to tho holy Virgin was one stat hecame her exceedingly. For she was called Mary, and that, is interpretation, means illumination. And what shines moro brightly than tho lightoi virginiui For this reason also the virtves are called virgins by those Who strive rightly to get at their true nature.
145쪽
comε to me Blessed art thou among Nomen .' ' For thouhast become to momen tho beginning of tho neW creation or, resurrection). Thou hast given to us boldnem os accessinio paradis' and thou hast put to flight our ancient Woe. For aster thee the raco os Woman shali no more bo made tho subject os reproach. No more do the successors of Eve fear
but yet mors clearly did the holy Virgin heraeis expressinis again When site presented to God the song repleto missi thanksgiving, and acceptance, and divino knowledge; announcing ancient things together With What was neW; procliaming along With things which wero os old, thingsalso which belong to tho consummation of the ages; and
146쪽
hath holpen His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy, and of the covenant Which He est lished with Abraham and wita his seed for ever. Thou seest hon the holy Virgin hassurpassed even the perfection os the patriarchs, and hoW she confirma the covenant Which was made With Abraham by God, whon Ho said, This is the covenant which I shali estabilis
firmed the covenant milh Abraham, having received mystuealty in Himself tho sim es circumcision, and haring proved Himself tho sulfilment of the laW and the propheta. This
For He has overthrown EveryWhere his altam and the Wo
147쪽
ON THE ANNUNCTA NON TO MARIT 135
In theso tarms is intimated in bries the extrusion os thodews and the admission of tho Gentiles. For the oldersos tho δε- and the scribes in the la and those Who mero richly privileged with other prerogativos, M use they used their riches ill and thoir poWor lawlessi' mere cast doWn byHim frem every sint, Whether of prophecy or of priesthood, whether of legislatum or os doctrine, and were stripped os est their anc tres mealth, and of their sacrifices and multitudinous festivata, and of Hl tho hono ablo privileges of tho hingdom. Spossed os ali theso boons, as nised fugitivos they Wero cast out into captivi . And in their stoad thohumble nere exalted, namely, the Gentile peoples Whohungered aster rightso ness. For, discovering their omlo liness, and the hungor that pressed umn thom for thokno ledge of God, they pleaded for the divine Word, thoughit mero but for crumba of tho fame, liho the woman os Canaan; ' and for this reason thoy woro filled with thorichos of the divina mysterios. For the Christ who was bornos the Virgin, and who is our God, has givon over the Whola inheritance of divino blomings to tho Gentiles. IIo hath holpen His servant Israel. Not any Israel in generat, in ed, but His servant, Who in very dedd maintains the trus nobili es Israel. And on this account also did tho mother of God
148쪽
136 GREGORY THAUMATURGUS holy Virgin; and He was bom a man, in order that Hemight discliarge our debi, and sulfil even in Himself μαρις
mysteries. Thy praise, o most holy Virgin, surpasses alllaudation, is reason of the God Who received tho floshand was bom man of thee. To thee every creature, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under thoearth, offers the meet offering os honour. For thou hastbeon indeed set fortii as the true cherubio throne. Thou
149쪽
Father, noW and ever, and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
notin ments of liberty, again tho restoration, again thoretum, again the promise of gladness, again the releaso fromalavery. An anget talis With tho Virgin, in ordor that thoserpent may no more havo converse With the woman. In tho fixin month, it is sald, the angel Gabriel mas sent DomGod to a virgin espoused to a man. Gabriel mas sent in declare tho mort&wido salvation; Gabriel Was sent to Marto Adam tho signaturo of his restoration; Gabriel mas sentis a Virgin, in order to transform the dishonour of the fomale sex into honour; Gabriel Was sent to prepare the w thychamber for the puro spouso; Gabriel Was sent to wed thocreature With the Creator; Gabriel Was sent to the animato palaeo of tho Κing of the angeis; Gabriel Was sent to a virgines used in Joseph, but preserved for Jesus tho Son os God. The incorporeat servant mas sent to tho virgin undefited.
150쪽
arms of tho mother. Gabrisi mas sent to declare Him .hois upon the throne, and yet also in the cavere. The subalternWas sent to ulter aloud the mystery of the meat Κing; tho
mystery, I mean, Whicli is discerned by faith, and which
by this fixili monili Τ What ' It is the fixin monili homilie time whon Elisabeth received the glad tidings, iram tho