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making the word manifest, and showing that He withholds the grace of the Spirit, whenever He is angry with us; so that when you are persuaded that the absence of the Holy Spirit is a proof of His wrath, and you see the Spirit being sent down again, you may learn that if He had not been reconciled, He would not have sent the Holy Spirit. How then shall we know this? Eli was an old man, in other respects gentle and temperate, but not knowing how to correct the wickedness of his children, loving his offspring beyond measure. Hear, as many of you as have children, so that you may make your affection and respect measured. For Eli, by this, provoked God and cast Him into such a wrath, that He turned away from the entire nation. The one who wrote these things, therefore, showing that God had strongly turned away from them, said: The word was precious, and there was no vision to distinguish, here calling precious that which is rare; for by these things he showed that the gift of prophecy was rare then.

Again another, lamenting and bewailing the wrath of God, said: There is no ruler, nor prophet at this time; and again the evangelist says: For the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified. For since He was not yet crucified, he says, the Holy Spirit was not given among men; for, He was crucified, is He was glorified. For even if the deed is by nature a reproach, yet because it was done for those who are loved, Christ calls it glory. And for what reason, tell me, was the Spirit not given before the cross? Because the world was in sins, in stumbling blocks, and enmity, and dishonor; the lamb who takes away the sin of the world not yet having been offered. Since, therefore, Christ was not yet crucified, reconciliation had not yet occurred; and since reconciliation had not yet occurred, it was fitting that the Spirit was not sent, so that the Spirit would be sent as a proof of reconciliation. For this reason Christ also says: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, He will not come; if I do not go away and reconcile the Father, He says, I will not send you the Comforter. Do you see through how many things we have proved to you that the absence of the Holy Spirit among men is a sign of God's wrath? The word was precious, and there was no vision to distinguish; For there is no ruler nor prophet at this time; For the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, He will not come. Therefore, the absence of the Holy Spirit is a sign of God's wrath. When you see the Holy Spirit being sent down abundantly, no longer doubt the reconciliation. And where, he says, is the Holy Spirit now? For at that time he speaks well, when signs were happening, and the dead were being raised, and all the lepers were being cleansed; but now how shall we show that the Holy Spirit is present with us? Do not be afraid; for I am proving that even now the Holy Spirit is among us. How and in what way?

For if the Holy Spirit is not among us, how could these who have been enlightened on this holy night have been freed from their sins? for it is not possible to be freed from sins 50.458 without the working of the Spirit. Hear then Paul saying: For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions; but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit; and again elsewhere: Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Did you see all the forms of wickedness? And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified. How? for this is the question, whether it was through the Holy Spirit that we put away wickedness. Therefore listen:

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φανερὸν ποιῶν τὸν λόγον, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι ἀναστέλλει τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν, ἐπειδὰν ἡμῖν ὀργίζηται· ἵνα ὅταν πεισθῇς, ὅτι τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ τεκμήριον τὸ μὴ εἶναι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, καὶ ἴδῃς πάλιν Πνεῦμα καταπεμπόμενον, μάθῃς ὅτι εἰ μὴ κατηλλάγη, οὐκ ἂν ἔπεμψε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Πόθεν οὖν εἰσόμεθα τοῦτο; Ὁ Ἠλὶ πρεσβύτης ἄνθρωπος ἦν, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἐπιεικὴς καὶ σώφρων, παίδων δὲ πονηρίαν οὐκ εἰδὼς διορθώσασθαι, ἀλλὰ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου φιλῶν τὰ ἔκγονα. Ἀκούετε ὅσοι παῖδας ἔχετε, ὥστε μεμετρημένην ποιεῖσθαι τὴν φιλίαν καὶ τὴν αἰδῶ. Ὁ γὰρ Ἠλὶ ἐντεῦθεν παροξύνας τὸν Θεὸν, εἰς ὀργὴν αὐτὸν ἔῤῥιψε τοσαύτην, ὡς ἅπαν αὐτὸν ἀποστραφῆναι τὸ ἔθνος. ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν ὁ ταῦτα γράψας, ὅτι σφόδρα αὐτοὺς ἀπέστραπτο ὁ Θεὸς, ἔλεγε· Ῥῆμα τίμιον ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα, τίμιον ἐνταῦθα τὸ σπάνιον λέγων· διὰ γὰρ τούτων ἐδήλωσεν, ὅτι τὰ τῆς προφητείας ἐσπάνιζε τότε.

Πάλιν θρηνῶν ἄλλος καὶ ἀποδυρόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ ὀργῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρχων, οὐδὲ προφήτης ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ· καὶ πάλιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής φησιν· Οὐδέπω γὰρ ἦν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδέπω ἐσταυρώθη, φησὶν, οὐκ ἦν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοθέν· τὸ γὰρ, ἐσταυρώθη, ἐστὶν Ἐδοξάσθη Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φύσει τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπονείδιστον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων ἐγένετο, δόξαν αὐτὸ καλεῖ ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ οὐκ ἐδόθη τὸ Πνεῦμα; Ὅτι ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἦν ἡ οἰκουμένη, ἐν προσκρούσμασι, καὶ ἔχθρᾳ, καὶ ἀτιμίᾳ· οὐδέπω τοῦ ἀμνοῦ προσενεχθέντος τοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αἴροντος τοῦ κόσμου. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδέπω ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς σταυρωθεὶς, οὐδέπω ἦν καταλλαγὴ γενομένη· τῆς δὲ καταλλαγῆς μηδέπω γενομένης, εἰκότως οὐδὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐπέμπετο, ὥστε καταλλαγῆς τεκμήριον τὸ Πνεῦμα ἀποσταλῆναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστός φησι· Συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ἐκεῖνος οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ· ἐὰν μὴ ἀπέλθω, καὶ καταλλάξω τὸν Πατέρα, φησὶν, οὐ πέμπω ὑμῖν τὸν παράκλητον. Εἴδετε διὰ πόσων ἀπεδείξαμεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σημεῖόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ εἶναι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν ἀνθρώποις; Ῥῆμα τίμιον ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα· Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἄρχων οὐδὲ προφήτης ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ· Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη. Συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ἐκεῖνος οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ. Οὐκοῦν σημεῖόν ἐστι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ μὴ εἶναι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Ὅταν ἴδῃς Πνεῦμα ἅγιον καταπεμπόμενον δαψιλῶς, μηδὲν λοιπὸν ἀμφιβάλλῃς περὶ τῆς καταλλαγῆς. Καὶ ποῦ, φησὶν, ἔστι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον νῦν; Τότε μὲν γὰρ καλῶς λέγει, ὅτε σημεῖα ἐγίνετο, καὶ νεκροὶ ἠγείροντο, καὶ λεπροὶ πάντες ἐκαθαίροντο· νῦν δὲ πόθεν δείξομεν, ὅτι πάρεστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἡμῖν; Μὴ δείσητε· ἀποδείκνυμι γὰρ, ὅτι καὶ νῦν Πνεῦμα ἅγιόν ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ;

Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ Πνεῦμα ἅγιόν ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν, πῶς ἂν οὗτοι οἱ κατὰ τὴν ἱερὰν νύκτα ταύτην φωτισθέντες τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπηλλάγησαν; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν ἁμαρτημάτων 50.458 ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας. Ἀκούσατε γοῦν τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· Ἦμεν γάρ ποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνόητοι, ἀπειθεῖς, πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις· ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ὧν ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἔλεον ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως Πνεύματος ἁγίου· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι, οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι, οὔτε μοιχοὶ, οὔτε μαλακοὶ, οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται, οὐ κλέπται, οὐ πλεονέκται, οὐ μέθυσοι, οὐ λοίδοροι, οὐχ ἅρπαγες βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν. Εἶδες ἅπαντα τὰ εἴδη τῆς κακίας; Καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε, ἀλλ' ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλ' ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλ' ἐδικαιώθητε. Πῶς; τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ζητούμενον, εἰ διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν κακίαν ἀπεθέμεθα. Οὐκοῦν ἄκουσον·