Gregory Nazianzen the Theologian Last Farewell in the Presence of the One Hundred and Fifty Bishops (Oration XLII), Complete

Translated by Ch. Browne and J. Swallow.

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Page 6

5. But since God, Who maketh poor and maketh rich, Who killeth and maketh alive; [4311] Who maketh and transformeth all things; Who turneth night into day, [4312] winter into spring, storm into calm, drought into abundance of rain; and often for the sake of the prayers [4313] of one righteous man [4314] sorely persecuted; Who lifteth up the meek on high, and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground; [4315] since God said to Himself, I have surely seen the affliction of Israel; [4316] and they shall no longer be further vexed with clay and brick-making; and when He spake He visited, and in His visitation He saved, and led forth His people with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, [4317] by the hand of Moses and Aaron, [4318] His chosen—what is the result, and what wonders have been wrought? Those which books and monuments contain. For besides all the wonders by the way, and that mighty roar, to speak most concisely, Joseph came into Egypt alone, [4319] and soon after six hundred thousand depart from Egypt. [4320] What more marvellous than this? What greater proof of the generosity of God, when from men without means He wills to supply the means for public affairs? And the land of promise is distributed through one who was hated, and he who was sold [4321] dispossesses nations, and is himself made a great nation, and that small offshoot becomes a luxuriant vine, [4322] so great that it reaches to the river, and is stretched out to the sea, [4323] and spreads from border to border, and hides the mountains with the height of its glory and is exalted above the cedars, even the cedars of God, whatever we are to take these mountains and cedars to be.

[4311] 1 Sam. ii. 6 sqq.

[4312] Amos v. 8.

[4313] 1 Kings xviii. 42.

[4314] S. James v. 16, 17.

[4315] Ps. cxlvii. 6.

[4316] Exod. iii. 7.

[4317] Ps. cxxxvi. 12.

[4318] Ib. lxxvii. 20.

[4319] Gen. xxxvii. 28.

[4320] Exod. xii. 37.

[4321] Gen. xlix. 22.

[4322] Hos. x. 1.

[4323] Ps. lxxx. 8 et seq.

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