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HOMILIES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
St Macarius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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33 Pages
Page 17
7. Therefore it behooves every one, as he forces himself to prayer, so also to an assurance in God; to humility, to meekness, sincerity, and simplicity; to all patience and long-suffering, with joy. Thus ought he, by an habitual violence, to esteem himself as nothing; to break himself of unprofitable discourse; ever to meditate upon the things of GOD, and to declare them with his mouth, and with his heart. The same way should he proceed to conquer " all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and. clamor, and evil speaking;" to conform to our Lord's whole deportment; to an universal good conversation; to all the humility of meekness, so as neither to be exalted, nor high-minded, nor puffed up, nor to speak against any man.
8. All these ought he to bring himself to by downright force, that is desirous to be well-pleasing to CHRIST; that so, (when he shall behold this forwardness and full intention of his, in thus compelling himself to all goodness,) he may impart his whole self to him, the Lord himself performing all these things within him in purity, without trouble, and without compulsion, which before he was not able, not even with force and violence, to observe. Then all these exercises of virtue become to him as nature. For the Lord, when he comes, and is in him, and he in the Lord, performs in him his own commands without labor, filling him with the fruits of the Spirit.
9. Whoever therefore is willing to please GOD in truth, and receive from him the heavenly grace, and to grow up and be perfected in the Holy Spirit, ought to force himself upon all the commandments of GOD, and to bring his unwilling heart in subjection to them, according as it is written, "Therefore hold I straight all thy commandments, and all false ways I utterly abhor." For as a man, in order to perseverance in prayer, acts with violence and constraint, till he can bring himself to it; so also, in all instances, if he has a willing mind, he is violent and pressing with himself. Nay, and after he has obtained his petition, and is come to taste of GOD, and is made partaker of the Holy Ghost, he takes pains to improve the gift imparted to him.
1O. The Spirit itself then teaches him the true prayer, the true love, the true meekness-which before he forced himself to, and sought after, and which took up his whole thoughts. And being thus grown up, and consummated in GOD, he is thought worthy to become the heir of the kingdom: for the humble man never falls. For whence should he fall, who is below all? Self-elevation is a great abasement; but self-abasement is a great exaltation, and honor, and dignity.
11. And thus the commandments of GOD being fulfilled by us through his Spirit, and that Spirit perfecting us in itself, and being itself completed in us, when once cleansed from all the pollution and stain of sin, it will then present our souls to CHRIST as beautiful brides, pure and blameless: we, on the one hand, reposing ourselves in GOD, in his kingdom,-and GOD, on the other, taking up his rest in us to endless ages! Glory be to his mercies, and compassion, and love; for that he has vouchsafed to admit the race of mankind unto so great honor, to be the sons of his heavenly Father, and declared them to be his own brethren. To him be glory for ever! Amen.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/macarius/homilies.asp?pg=17
