II.  Again the darkness is past; again Light is made; again Egypt is punished with darkness; again Israel is enlightened by a pillar.3    Exod. xiv. 20.  The people that sat in the darkness of ignorance, let it see the Great Light of full knowledge.4    Isa. ix. 6.  Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.5    1 Cor. v. 17.  The letter gives way, the Spirit comes to the front.  The shadows flee away, the Truth comes in upon them.  Melchisedec is concluded.6    The meaning clearly is that the type presented by Melchisedec (Heb. vii. 3) is fulfilled in Christ.  The explanation here given by S. Gregory is the ordinary one found in the Fathers.  Thus, e.g., Theodoret says, “Christ our Lord is without Mother as God, for He was begotten of the Father alone; and without Father as Man, for He was born of a pure Virgin.”  Œcumenius has almost the exact words of Gregory.  So also S. Augustine (Tract in Joann, 8), “Christ was singularly born of a Father without a Mother, of a Mother without a Father; without Mother as God, without Father as Man.”  He that was without Mother becomes without Father (without Mother of His former state, without Father of His second).  The laws of nature are upset; the world above must be filled.  Christ commands it, let us not set ourselves against Him.  O clap your hands together all ye people,7    Ps. xlvii. 1. because unto us a Child is born, and a Son given unto us, Whose Government is upon His shoulder (for with the Cross it is raised up), and His Name is called The Angel of the Great Counsel of the Father.8    Isa. ix. 6.  Let John cry, Prepare ye the way of the Lord:9    Matt. iii. 3.  I too will cry the power of this Day.  He Who is not carnal is Incarnate; the Son of God becomes the Son of Man, Jesus Christ the Same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.10    Heb. xiii. 8.  Let the Jews be offended, let the Greeks deride;11    1 Cor. i. 23. let heretics talk till their tongues ache.  Then shall they believe, when they see Him ascending up into heaven; and if not then, yet when they see Him coming out of heaven and sitting as Judge.

Βʹ. Πάλιν τὸ σκότος λύεται, πάλιν τὸ φῶς ὑφίσταται, πάλιν Αἴγυπτος σκότῳ κολάζεται, πάλιν Ἰσραὴλ στύλῳ φωτίζεται. Ὁ λαὸς, ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει τῆς ἀγνοίας, ἰδέτω φῶς μέγα τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως. Τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν: ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. Τὸ γράμμα ὑποχωρεῖ, τὸ πνεῦμα πλεονεκτεῖ, αἱ σκιαὶ παρατρέχουσιν, ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐπεισέρχεται. Ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ συνάγεται: ὁ ἀμήτωρ, ἀπάτωρ γίνεται: ἀμήτωρ τὸ πρότερον, ἀπάτωρ τὸ δεύτερον. Νόμοι φύσεως καταλύονται. Πληρωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν ἄνω κόσμον. Χριστὸς κελεύει: μὴ ἀντιτείνωμεν. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, κροτήσατε χεῖρας, ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν, υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ (τῷ γὰρ σταυρῷ συνεπαίρεται), καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, μεγάλης βουλῆς, τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς, Ἄγγελος. Ἰωάννης βοάτω: Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου. Κἀγὼ βοήσομαι τῆς ἡμέρας τὴν δύναμιν: Ὁ ἄσαρκος σαρκοῦται, ὁ Λόγος παχύνεται, ὁ ἀόρατος ὁρᾶται, ὁ ἀναφὴς ψηλαφᾶται, ὁ ἄχρονος ἄρχεται, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου γίνεται, Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἰουδαῖοι σκανδαλιζέσθωσαν, Ἕλληνες διαγελάτωσαν, αἱρετικοὶ γλωσσαλγείτωσαν. Τότε πιστεύσουσιν, ὅταν ἴδωσιν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνερχόμενον: εἰ δὲ μὴ τότε, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐρχόμενον, καὶ ὡς κριτὴν καθεζόμενον.