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a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward. But if you do not know a certain priest, whether he is worthy of the rank or unworthy, for the sake of the command of Christ, do not overlook him.

For just as gold is not harmed when mixed with clay, nor is a shining pearl altered when it is joined to certain unclean forms; so in the same way, the priesthood is not stained by anyone, even if he who receives it is unworthy. If one is deemed worthy to come to this dignity, and walks in it worthily and blamelessly, it procures for him 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. I give you another example, O man, so that you may not dare in your arrogance to receive unworthily the rank of the priesthood, since God is not pleased with those who are ordained arrogantly.

Know, then, what those wretched ones suffered, who once opposed Moses and 48.1070 Aaron, and rashly, shamelessly and audaciously presumed to burn incense to God; did not fire devour them all, because they dared to seek a rank for which they were not worthy? And again, Miriam the prophetess of God, because she reproached Moses with a brief word about the priesthood, the Most High inflicted such a blemish upon her that she was made a leper and cast out of the camp for seven days. And now, brothers, live it purely, imitating Moses and Aaron and Eleazar. Behold these pious priests, how in it they repelled the attacks of the enemies. Having this, Moses stretched out his hands to God, and wounded Amalek with an incurable blow; girded with this, Abraham routed the kings; having taken up this, Melchizedek blessed Abraham with an exceptional blessing. Have you then, brother, been deemed worthy to receive the rank of the priesthood? Be zealous to please him who enlisted you, in purity and in righteousness and spiritual wisdom and in shining virginity. Become a fervent zealot like Elijah, a protector like Jeremiah, temperate like Joseph, and pure like Jesus, hospitable like Abraham, affectionate like David, and meek like Moses; gather the one who has strayed, bind up the lame, raise up the fallen, help the weak, and all such things. But I am astonished, beloved, what things some of the foolish are accustomed to dare, and attempt shamelessly and rashly to receive the priesthood, not having been called by the grace of Christ, being ignorant that the wretched ones are heaping up for themselves fire and death. I tell you, man, not only not to receive the priesthood rashly, but not even to touch any other of the vessels of the all-holy worship, if indeed you have read what Uzzah suffered, when he touched the ark of God.

Always remember this, beloved brother, the divine word of the Most High, spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 'On whom shall I rest, but on him who is meek and humble and trembles at my words?' Always be mindful of this commandment, and acquire as a treasure a meek disposition, so that you may thus be able to ascend spiritually to the heavenly Jerusalem, and offer spiritual sacrifices to the King and God upon the heavenly altar, where crowns of incorruptibility are woven; and there, in the presence of the angels, Christ will crown you with a diadem of immortality, and with the heavenly hosts you will sing a hymn of victory to the Holy Trinity, for ever and ever. Amen.

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προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται. Ἐὰν δὲ τὸν τυχόντα ἱερέα ἀγνοεῖς, εἰ ἄξιός ἐστι τοῦ βαθμοῦ ἢ ἀνάξιος, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐντολὴν μὴ παρίδῃς.

Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐ βλάπτεται χρυσὸς τῷ πηλῷ συμπεφυρμένος, οὐδὲ φαιδρὸς μαργαρίτης ἀλλοιοῦται, ὅταν τισὶ συναφθῇ εἴδεσιν ἀκαθάρτοις· τὸν αὐτὸν οὖν τρόπον οὐδὲ ἡ ἱερωσύνη κηλιδοῦται ἔκ τινος, κἂν ἀνάξιος ᾖ ὁ ταύτην δεχόμενος. Ἐὰν μέν τις ἀξιωθῇ εἰς ταύτην τὴν ἀξίαν ἐλθεῖν, καὶ πορευθῇ ἐν αὐτῇ ἀξίως καὶ ἀμέμπτως, ζωὴν αὐτῷ προξενεῖ καὶ στέφανον ἄφθαρτον· ἐὰν δέ τις ἀναξίως εἰς ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τολμήσῃ, προξενεῖ ἑαυτῷ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον καὶ κρίσιν ἀνίλεων. Ἄλλο σοι ὑπόδειγμα δίδωμι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, ἵνα μὴ τολμήσῃς ἐν τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ σου λαβεῖν ἀναξίως τὸν τῆς ἱερωσύνης βαθμὸν, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἀλαζονικῶς κεχειροτονημένοις.

Γνῶθι τοίνυν ὃ πεπόνθασιν οἱ τάλανες ἐκεῖνοι, οἱ τῷ Μωσεῖ καὶ 48.1070 Ἀαρὼν ἀντιστάντες ποτὲ, καὶ προπετευσάμενοι ἀναιδῶς καὶ αὐθαδῶς θυμιᾶσαι τῷ Θεῷ· οὐχὶ πῦρ κατέφαγεν ἅπαντας, ἀνθ' ὧν κατετόλμησαν εἰς βαθμὸν οὗ οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι; Πάλιν δὲ καὶ Μαριὰμ ἡ προφῆτις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα βραχύν τινα λόγον τῷ Μωσῇ ὀνειδίσῃ περὶ ἱερωσύνης, τοιοῦτον αὐτῇ μῶμον ὥρισεν ὁ Ὕψιστος, ἵνα λεπρωθεῖσα ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀφορισθῇ ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς. Καὶ τὸ νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἁγνῶς αὐτὴν πολιτεύσασθε, μιμούμενοι τὸν Μωσῆν καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ τὸν Ἐλεάζαρ. Θεώρησον τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς τούτους ἱερεῖς, πῶς ἐν αὐτῇ ἠμύναντο τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν παρεμβολάς. Ταύτην ἔχων ὁ Μωσῆς, ἥπλωσε τὰς χεῖρας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔτρωσε τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ πληγὴν ἀνίατον· ταύτην Ἀβραὰμ ζωσάμενος, τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἐτροπώσατο· ταύτην ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ ἀναλαβὼν, εὐλόγησε τὸν Ἀβραὰμ εὐλογίαν ἐξαίρετον. Ἠξιώθης οὖν, ἀδελφὲ, κομίσασθαι βαθμὸν ἱερωσύνης; σπουδὴν ἔχε εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ στρατολογήσαντί σε, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ σοφίᾳ πνευματικῇ καὶ ἐν λαμπρᾷ παρθενίᾳ. Γενοῦ θερμὸς ζηλωτὴς ὡς Ἠλίας, κηδεμὼν ὡς Ἱερεμίας, σώφρων ὡς ὁ Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ ἁγνὸς ὡς Ἰησοῦς, φιλόξενος ὡς Ἀβραὰμ, φιλόστοργος ὡς ∆αυῒδ, καὶ πρᾶος ὡς Μωσῆς· τὸν πλανηθέντα σύναξον, τὸν χωλὸν ἐπίδησον, τὸν πεσόντα ἀνάστησον, ἀσθενοῦντας ἀντιλαβοῦ, καὶ ὅσα ὅμοια. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκπλήττομαι, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὁποῖα εἰώθασί τινες ἐκ τῶν ἀφρόνων τολμᾷν, καὶ ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἀναιδῶς καὶ προπετῶς ἱερωσύνην λαβεῖν, μὴ κληθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀγνοοῦντες ὅτι πῦρ καὶ θάνατον ἑαυτοῖς σωρεύουσιν οἱ ἄθλιοι. Οὐ λέγω σοι, ἄνθρωπε, τὴν ἱερωσύνην μόνον μὴ προπετῶς κομίσασθαι, ἀλλ' οὐδέ τι ἕτερον ἐκ τῶν σκευῶν ἅψασθαι τῆς πανσέμνου λατρείας, εἴ γε ἄρα ἀνέγνως τί πέπονθεν Ὀζᾶ, ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν ἅψασθαι τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Ταύτης ἀεὶ μέμνησο, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητὲ, τῆς θείας λέξεως τοῦ Ὑψίστου, τῆς ῥηθείσης διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου, τὸ, Ἐπὶ τίνα ἐγὼ ἀναπαύσομαι, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ταπεινὸν καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Ταύτης ἀεὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς μνημόνευσον, καὶ κτῆσαι θησαυρὸν τὸν πρᾶον λογισμὸν, ἵνα οὕτω δυνηθῇς νοερῶς ἀναβῆναι εἰς τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ θυσίας νοερὰς προσενέγκαι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω θυσιαστήριον, ὅπου πλέκονται στέφανοι ἀφθαρσίας· κἀκεῖσε ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀναδήσει σε ὁ Χριστὸς στέμμα ἀθανασίας, καὶ σὺν ταῖς ἄνω στρατείαις ὑμνήσεις ὕμνον ἐπινίκιον τῇ ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.