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In sanctum pascha (sermo 5) [Sp.]

On the same subject, 5.

59.731 a. Among the Jews are the types, but with us is the truth. For the law, it says, had a shadow of the good things to come; and, The law, it says, was given through Moses; for 59.732 grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. For the things of the Jews are not alien to Christ, but had a typical and shadowy relationship to Christ; but the fulfillment was reserved 59.733 for his presence in person, and the clear, firsthand view of things, which is also the firsthand view of the king. For someone painting an image first sketches it in shadow, then perfects the painting with colors; and the image is different from the shadow in appearance, but the same in the underlying character for the colors. Consider for me, then, the true things through the shadows, and contemplate through types the things being revealed, and proceed from the small things to the great; and do not remain for me on the earth, celebrating memorials of the freedom of one nation from a tyrant, and of the temporary salvation of children, and of a migration from land to land. For you will not find the feasts of the Greeks to be very far removed from such memorials. For they too celebrate escapes from diseases, and liberation from tyrannies, and the founding of colonies and cities, and victories in wars, and such things, whatever earthly and temporary things they take as the subject for their feasts.

Now it is necessary to remember the great things, the divine and truly God's gifts, and they who celebrate the great, eternal feast, a liberation from opposing demons who war against the good, dragging us away from the kingdom of God, a salvation not for some short life, but for an eternal permanence, a migration from earth to heaven according to the present way of life, and into an eternal possession according to the future resurrection. Egypt afflicted the Jews, who were free from their fathers, subjecting them to the yoke of slavery, compelling them to make bricks and to build cities. This is a symbol of worldly affliction, in which the human race was worn down, having fallen from the delight and freedom from God, laboring over earthly work, and building up perishing tents; for nothing among men is lasting or secure, but all are the perishing works of human hands, and the waste products of time. God wishes to free from this slavery, pitying his own creation as it is worn down, just as he saw the affliction of the sons of Israel, he frees through possession. For those who willingly jumped away must willingly return to God. Servants are sent, bearing a law, through the law exhorting to righteousness, through righteousness leading to God, bringing some small punishments upon the opposing powers, not yet bringing utter destruction in part, not yet completely wiping out the impious. For this was reserved for the coming of the Master, arriving after the servants. And types and symbols of these things are Moses being sent to the Jews with Aaron his brother, calling them to the worship of God, scourging Egypt with partial plagues on behalf of the enslaved and afflicted people. But while these things were happening, Israel was still in Egypt, and the king of the Egyptians still had room to fight against God. Nine plagues, and still not the end of the matter. The last must be brought on, the destruction of the firstborn, and along with this Israel is to depart.

Here a lamb is sacrificed, and the entrances of the Hebrew houses are anointed with the blood, and the firstborn of the Jews escape the plague of death

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In sanctum pascha (sermo 5) [Sp.]

Εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν εʹ.

59.731 αʹ. Ἐν Ἰουδαίοις οἱ τύποι, παρ' ἡμῖν δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια. Σκιὰν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ νόμος εἶχε τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν· καὶ, Ὁ νόμος, φησὶ, διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη· ἡ χάρις 59.732 γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ Ἰουδαίων ἀλλότρια Χριστοῦ, τυπικὴν δὲ καὶ σκιώδη τὴν πρὸς Χριστὸν εἶχεν οἰκείωσιν· ἐτηρεῖτο δὲ 59.733 τῇ κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ ἡ τελείωσις, καὶ ἡ σαφὴς αὐτοψία τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅτε καὶ ἡ αὐτοψία τοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ γάρ τις εἰκόνα γράφων, σκιογραφεῖ πρῶ τον, εἶτα τοῖς χρώμασι τελειοῖ τὴν γραφήν· καὶ ἔστιν ἕτερον μὲν τῆς σκιᾶς ἡ εἰκὼν κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον, ταὐ τὸν δὲ κατὰ τὸν ὑποκείμενον τοῖς χρώμασι χαρακτῆρα. Σκόπει δή μοι διὰ τῶν σκιῶν τὰ ἀληθινὰ, καὶ θεώρει διὰ τύπων τὰ δηλούμενα, καὶ ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν πρὸς τὰ μεγάλα πρόϊθι· καὶ μή μοι περὶ γῆν ἀπομείνῃς, ἐλευ θερίας ἔθνους ἑνὸς τῆς ἀπὸ τυράννου, καὶ σωτηρίας παι δίων τῆς προσκαίρου, καὶ μετοικίας τῆς ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς γῆν ἐπιτελῶν ὑπομνήματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰς Ἑλλήνων ἑορτὰς εὑρήσεις πάνυ τι τῶν τοιούτων ἀφεστηκυίας ὑπομνημά των. Ἑορτάζουσι γάρ τοι καὶ ἐκεῖνοι νόσων ἀποφυγὰς, καὶ τυραννίδων ἐλευθερώσεις, ἀποικίας τε καὶ πόλεων κτίσεις, καὶ νίκας πολέμων, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὅσα γήϊνα καὶ πρόσκαιρα λαμβάνοντες εἰς ὑπόθεσιν ἑορτῶν.

Ἤδη τὰ μεγάλα μνησθῆναι δεῖ, τὰ θεῖα καὶ ὄντως Θεοῦ δῶρα, καὶ μεγάλην τὴν αἰωνίαν ἑορτάζουσιν ἑορτὴν, ἐλευθέρω σιν ἐκ δαιμόνων ἀντικειμένων πολεμούντων πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἀφελκόντων ἀπὸ τῆς Θεοῦ βασιλείας, σωτηρίαν οὐ πρὸς βραχύν τινα βίον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αἰωνίαν διαμονὴν, μετοικίαν ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν πο λιτείαν, καὶ εἰς αἰωνίαν κτῆσιν κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀνά στασιν. Αἴγυπτος ἔθλιβεν Ἰουδαίους ἐλευθέρους ὄντας ἐκ πατέρων, ὑποβαλοῦσα δουλείας ζυγῷ, πλινθουργεῖν καὶ πόλεις κατασκευάζειν ἀναγκάζουσα. Σύμβολον τοῦτο θλίψεως κοσμικῆς, ἐν ᾗ κατεπονεῖτο τὸ γένος τὸ ἀνθρώ πινον, ἀποπεσὸν τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ τρυφῆς τε καὶ ἐλευθε ρίας, περὶ τὴν γηΐνων ἐργασίαν διαπονούμενον, καὶ τὰς σκηνὰς ἀπολλυμένας κατασκευάζον· ὅτι μηδὲν τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις μόνιμον μηδὲ ἀσφαλὲς, ἀλλὰ πάντα φθειρό μενα χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἔργα, καὶ χρόνου παραναλώ ματα. Ἐλευθερῶσαι τῆς δουλείας ταύτης ὁ Θεὸς βούλε ται, καταπονούμενον τὸ ποίημα τὸ ἴδιον οἰκτείρας, ὥσπερ εἶδε τὴν κάκωσιν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ἐλευθεροῖ διὰ κτή σεως. Ἑκουσίως γὰρ εἰς Θεὸν ἐπανελθεῖν δεῖ τοὺς ἑκου σίως ἀποπηδήσαντας. Πέμπονται δοῦλοι νόμον κομίζον τες, διὰ νόμου πρὸς δικαιοσύνην παρακαλοῦντες, διὰ δικαιοσύνης πρὸς Θεὸν ὁδηγοῦντες, μικρὰς ἔτι κολάσεις ταῖς ἀντικειμέναις δυνάμεσιν ἐπάγοντες, οὔπω τέλεον ὄλεθρον ἐν μέρει κομίζοντες, τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς οὔπω παντε λῶς ἐξαλείφοντες. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐφυλάττετο τῇ τοῦ ∆εσπό του παρουσίᾳ μετὰ τοὺς δούλους παραγινομένου. Τύποι δὲ τούτων καὶ σύμβολα, Μωϋσῆς ἀποστελλόμενος πρὸς Ἰουδαίους μετὰ Ἀαρὼν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, καλῶν ἐπὶ λατρείαν Θεοῦ, μαστιγῶν Αἴγυπτον πληγαῖς μερικαῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ δουλουμένου καὶ θλιβομένου λαοῦ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τούτων γι νομένων, ἔτι καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χώραν εἶχε τοῦ θεομαχεῖν. Ἐννέα πλη γαὶ, καὶ τέλος οὔπω τοῦ πράγματος. Τὴν τελευταίαν ἐπαχθῆναι δεῖ τὴν τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀναίρεσιν, καὶ ἅμα ταύτῃ ἐξιέναι τὸν Ἰσραήλ.

Ἐνταῦθα πρόβατον θύεται, καὶ αἱ τῶν οἰκιῶν εἴσοδοι τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν τῷ αἵματι χρίονται, καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐκφεύγει τὴν τοῦ θανάτου πληγὴν