and offered Isaac to God, and performed the priestly office with his own inward parts. There God shows him a great miracle: the birth of the Lord in the plant of Sabeque, the growth in an instant, and that of the blessing which He Himself blessed: *In thy seed shall all nations be blessed.* Moses also was deemed worthy of this, having ascended the mountain of Sinai to God and received the law from Him; whence also his face was glorified, so that it appeared above the sun. In like manner also Aaron was deemed worthy of this, having become an intercessor before God for the sins of the people. For Moses and Aaron A are among His priests. Likewise also Phinees with this all-holy thing prevented death from that people; and Elias again, having been clothed with this, was heard in fire, and slaughtered the shame-bearing priests. Let us learn therefore, brothers, that the dignity of the priesthood is great and burdensome. Glory to the Only-Begotten and only Good One, who granted it to His own apostles, through His own new and holy covenant, that they also might show us a pattern in the laying on of their hands upon the worthy. Let us all therefore sincerely honor those who hold the degree of the priesthood, knowing that if anyone loves the friends of the king, the king loves him very much more. Let us love therefore the priests of God, since they are friends of God, and intercede for us always; honor the priests, fulfilling the command of Christ which says, that *He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.* But if you are ignorant of a casual priest, whether he is worthy of the degree or unworthy, do not for that reason disregard the command of Christ. For just as gold is not harmed when mingled with mud, nor does a bright pearl change, when it is joined with certain unclean things; in the same way also the priesthood is not stained by anyone, even if he who receives it is unworthy. If indeed B anyone is deemed worthy to come to this dignity, and walks in it worthily and blamelessly, he procures for himself life and an incorruptible crown; but if anyone dares to come to it unworthily, he procures for himself the outer darkness and a merciless judgment. But indeed I give you a pattern, O man, lest you dare in your arrogance to take unworthily the degree of the priesthood, since God does not approve of those who have been ordained arrogantly. Know therefore what those wretches suffered, who opposed Moses C and Aaron, and acted rashly, shamelessly, and stubbornly in offering incense to God; did not fire consume them all, because they dared to approach a degree of which they were not worthy? Again, also Mary the prophetess of God, for merely saying a slight word to Moses concerning the priesthood, such a blemish did the Most High appoint for her, that having become leprous, she might be separated for seven days outside the camp. And now, brothers, live purely in this, imitating Moses and Aaron and Eleazar. Consider these pious priests, how they warded off in it the encampments of the enemies. Having this, Moses stretched out his hands to God, and struck Amalek an incurable blow; Abraham, having girded himself with this, routed the kings; Melchizedek, having taken this, blessed Abraham with a special blessing. Were you deemed worthy, brother, to receive the degree of the priesthood? Have diligence to be well-pleasing to Him who enlisted you, in purity and in righteousness and in spiritual wisdom and in bright virginity. Be a fervent zealot like Elias, a guardian like Jeremiah, sober like Joseph, and pure like Jesus, hospitable like Abraham, tenderhearted like David, and meek like Moses; gather the one who has wandered, bind the lame, raise up the one who fell, aid the infirm, and all things similar. But I am struck with awe, beloved, at what some of the foolish are accustomed to dare, and attempt shamelessly and rashly to take the priesthood, not having been called by the grace of Christ, ignorant that the wretches are heaping fire and death upon themselves. I do not tell you, man, not to take the priesthood rashly, but not even to touch anything else of the vessels of the all-holy worship, if indeed you have read what Uzzah suffered, in his touching of the ark of God. Always be mindful, beloved brother, of this divine word of the Most High, the one spoken through Isaiah the prophet: *On whom shall I rest, but on the meek and humble and him who trembles at my words?* Always be mindful of this command, and acquire as a treasure the meek mind, that you may thus be able to ascend mentally to the Jerusalem above, and offer mental sacrifices to the King and God upon the altar above, where crowns of incorruption are woven; and there before the angels Christ will crown you with a crown of immortality, and with the armies above you will sing a hymn of victory to the holy Trinity, unto the ages of the ages. Amen. D
A SERMON BY THE SAME: That it behooves the disciple of Christ to be gentle, and not to be quickly angered.
The divine voice of the Lord in the Gospels teaches us, which fulfills the law, not abolishing it, not to be angry with a brother, and through this addition of the word He fulfilled, *Thou shalt not kill*, removing the very root of murder, and purifying the heart from within, and not the hands from without. For He imposed a punishment not like that which the law does, the immediate one, but that which is at the judgment, saying: *For he who is angry with his brother without cause, shall be liable to the judgment.* For the punishments from Christ are not swift, as in the law; but there is much delay of the retributions according to justice, but the judgment is terrible later on. Just as He commands greater things, so also He is more greatly longsuffering, seeking the purification of the heart, which is difficult to accomplish. Wherefore even if we should be led into anger, He does not punish immediately; for if He punished immediately, there would be no return through repentance. For this reason He puts off the punishment, so that we may have time for repentance, so that the one who was angered yesterday at his brother, may repent today, and pledge to himself to be no longer angry with his brother; and little by little we become like God. For He changes us from those things which alienate our life from the likeness of God, and leads us to the good which is according to nature, after the present; for we are led to that which is according to nature, and to the communion of the divine Spirit, and the continuous life with God, striving for such things. Let us attend to ourselves, and not neglect
the work of likeness to God, since the Lord delays to come. Let us not give ourselves license to transgress the words of the Lord; let us not despair as though we were unable to attain this likeness to God, and abandon the struggle. Rather, let hope be present, through Him who has commanded and who grants the power for what is commanded. And let disdain and sloth be cast away, for we expect a more fearful punishment on account of His long-suffering. For as much as He is long-suffering, seeking our correction, so much will He be indignant if we are not corrected, and toward those who have insulted His grace, He will come swiftly. A Let all the things of this present age be held in contempt by us, rather than the divine commandment; for there are many things that summon quick-tempered men, those easily provoked, to anger. But he who fears the commandment of the fearful King, who has commanded us not to be angry at all, will despise all who wish to provoke him. He will easily endure those who pain him with words, and he will remain steadfast against those who wish to pain him with deeds; and to him who strikes his cheek, he will present the other also, and he who brings foul language for the sake of abuse, he will bear nobly, possessing the wonderful comfort of the beatitude, and in order that he may be found obedient to the Lord, and may quench the anger against his brother, and flee the punishment appointed for it. For on this account Christ commands us to be delivered from bodily sympathy, and to flee the love of money, and to stand aside from vainglory, and above all not to receive pleasure in oneself, so that we may not, through any of these things, harm the soul and become alienated from the Holy Spirit. For he who has been taught to despise money, how will he be provoked on account of money, even if someone wishes to plunder it? And he who does not lust after glory, how will he be provoked on account of glory? Strip off, therefore, the worldly garment, and put on the spiritual one; strip off the old man, so that you may put on the new. For on this account it is called regeneration, and has been proclaimed by the divine Scriptures. For our salvation requires a change of our former state, so that we may become other than that which we are, B so that we may cease to be what we are, and may begin another life, which we possessed before the transgression. For you were not such before God as you have become from the time of your youth, nor did you hold such a character from your deified creation as that which you have from human generation. Hear, therefore, the Lord swearing, and fear: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." Therefore, begin a newer life; leave behind the life grown old in sins; let the lecher of yesterday become temperate today; let the glutton of yesterday become a faster today. Cast away the evil which came later, so that you may recover what was given well from the beginning. It is a small thing to continue tranquil and without anger.
He who wishes to be according to the image and likeness of God, ought to be held in contempt by all, to be spat upon, to be treated as of no account, through words, through deeds. For this reason He did not even command to render evil for evil to the one who has done wrong, so that you might not, by rendering evil for evil to the wrongdoer, lose the gentleness which is according to nature. Therefore, do not become wise in your own estimation, as if you were righteous to avenge yourself against the wrongdoer. Remember the holy teachings of Paul: "Do not become," he says, "wise in your own sight, nor render evil for evil." It is not good to become an adversary, nor to seek justice for yourself, but cast your cause upon God, who brings vengeance without anger upon those who do wrong. "For do not avenge yourselves," he says, "but give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." Do not say, "God repays, I also will repay"; C consider what Christ showed to you, coming into the world, so that He might display the saving pattern of life, and emulate this, so that you may be saved. For He did not come as a judge, nor revenging Himself upon those who rose up against Him; and this, though He was not seeking gain for Himself through His long-suffering, but was accomplishing salvation for the world. For Christ's long-suffering has cast down the insolence of the devil, and the Lord's gentleness has overcome the wild fury of the Wicked one. And you, therefore, set this pattern before you for imitation. He was not angry with those who insulted Him, but when He was called a Samaritan and one who has a demon, He answered those speaking to Him gently and meekly: "I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father; and you dishonor Me; but I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges." Therefore, you also do not avenge yourself, but wait for the Judge. For if the Judge Himself, having come in human form, did not pay back when He was able, but awaited the judgment of God (for "being reviled," He says, "He did not revile in return; suffering, He did not threaten, but handed Himself over to Him who judges justly"), you too, therefore, do likewise, and imitate the Master, who even until the cross bore godless insult, and extends salvation to those worthy of destruction. For He even said to the Father, "Forgive them this sin; for they do not know what they do." The brother wronged you, he appeared unworthy of brotherhood; but do not you destroy the brotherhood. The brother imitated the brothers of Joseph, he armed himself for fratricide, he appeared as an enemy instead of a brother, he showed a surfeit of wickedness; he does wrong, though he is in no way wronged. But you, do the opposite, so that you too may say according to the psalmist David: "With those who hate peace I was peaceable." Overcome the evil with good, call him to that which is good, dissolve the fury with gentleness, show him that he unjustly persecutes the Christ who is in you, demonstrating that you yourself are not worthy of being persecuted. But he is incurable, and he does not change toward your gentleness. And beasts indeed are changed into the gentleness of men, but that man has become more savage than the beasts. Do not be contentious toward such a one, nor draw out anger against anger; but turn away, D like the wise pilot from the violent rocks; and keep yourself like an adder that is deaf and stops her ears, which will not hear the voice of the charmer. "Redeem the time, because the days are evil; walk in wisdom, knowing that you are a stranger and a sojourner on the earth and a wanderer, as all your fathers were." You were sent as a sheep in the midst of wolves, just as the apostles were; do not become a wolf instead of a sheep; being contentious against wolves, keep yourself as much as you have strength, so that you do not lose the treasure of righteousness; beware of those who plunder; being prudent as a serpent, guard against their plots; but if the wolf should even harm you, and if he should even intend to tear you apart, prepare yourself to bear it, remembering Him who says, "We were accounted as sheep of slaughter," looking to the Lord Himself, "Who as a sheep was led to slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is voiceless."
The time of your victory will also come, when you shall conquer by being long-suffering with Christ. For the Lord did not contend, nor did He cry out, nor did anyone hear His voice in the streets. And the Apostle says that he has in readiness to avenge every disobedience, when the obedience of those who obey shall be fulfilled. But while God is long-suffering, be you also long-suffering; for since Christ suffers today, when you suffer, you must endure for Christ's sake, even the servant of Christ. Cry out to Him, and He will accomplish the vengeance swiftly; He will bring the wickedness of sinners to an end, and God, the just Judge, will make the righteous man straight; He is strong and long-suffering; for He is long-suffering to the end that we might turn back. To Him be the glory unto the ages. Amen.