150. Слово по освящении храма Благоверного Князя Александра Невского, в учрежденном от Московского градского Общества доме воспитания бедных детей и призрения престарелых и немощных

(Said September 28th; printed in Christ. Reading, 1839 and in collections of 1844 and 1848) For this faith is pure and undefiled before God and the Father, to visit the orphans and widows in their sorrows, and to keep itself undefiled from the world. (James 1:27). Many pleasant thoughts are born at the sight of this church, now consecrated, and this house, for which this church serves as a crown of kindness. It is pleasant to see the creation of this church as a free act of piety. It is pleasant to see the establishment of this house as a generous act of philanthropy. It is pleasant to see here the combination of piety and philanthropy, in one matter, for one purpose, so that these virtues, in combination, reinforce one another, one exalts the other. It is pleasant to think that this work of piety and love for mankind is the fruit of the good dispositions of not one person, or not many, but an entire class of citizens of the great city. It is pleasant to remember what incident set in motion good intentions and produced a beneficial deed. The Firstborn Son of the Tsars, the hope of Russia, reached adulthood and solemnly entered into his rights. The Crowned Parents rejoiced. Russia rejoiced. Moscow felt this joy, as is typical for the heart of Russia. Everyone, under the leadership of the Church, raised this joy to heaven and prayed for its strengthening; everyone who did their best wanted to commemorate it in earthly life. Then this public voice rose: “The Tsar cared for his Firstborn, the Tsar rejoices over his Firstborn, not only out of parental love for the Son, but also out of the Tsar’s love for the Fatherland, out of prudent concern for the future good of Russia: how should we mark the fact that we feel this, that we want to live up to this, to the extent that it is possible for us? – There are children about whom there is no one to care, about whom there is no one to rejoice: let our love for the King and His Son be their mother. Despised by her, provided for, educated 602, may they be her living monuments, her heirs from us, her preachers to posterity.” - So, founders, you believed that in order to commemorate joy; you need to do a good deed; that in order to prove love for the Tsar, one must do a work of love for mankind; that in order to please the King, one must do a deed of charity! Wonderful, beloved! This way of thinking is worthy of the sons of faith. Such a thought about the King is worthy of true greatness. Such an undertaking is worthy of the faithful subjects of the most pious King. At the sight of such dispositions, one can only wish that they are preserved and do not cease to bear fruit worthy of them; so that the feelings that sparkle so brightly in moments of delight become a constant and all-encompassing light of deeds and life in the people animated by them. “Who will give” - let’s say in the word of the Lord - “who will give to their hearts to be so in them all the days, that it may be good for them, and for their sons forever” (Deut. 5:29)? And who would have given us this without You, “Father of lights,” from whom “every good gift comes down from above, and every gift is perfect?” (James 1:17) You “look upon Thy servants and Thy works, and instruct their children: and bring the grace of the Lord our God upon us, and correct the work of our hands” (Ps. 89:16-17). Let Your blessing come from this church to this house, and to those who live in it, and to the creators and guardians of this and that. On our part, Christian brothers, we need constant attention to our hearts, so that pure streams of love for mankind emanate from the source of true faith. This is a rule that should be basic not only for those who are especially called to improve the abodes of philanthropy, but also for everyone who wants to improve their spiritual home. In the conciliar epistle, that is, in the teaching written for the guidance of all members of the Conciliar or Universal Church, the Holy Apostle James left us a wonderful saying about the union of faith with love of mankind. “Faith,” he says, “is pure and undefiled before God and the Father, to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep itself undefiled from the world” (James 1:27). This is almost the same as if it were said that pure faith is pure love for mankind and purity of life. If someone else had said this, it might have happened that he would have been reproached for confusing concepts. But as the Apostle said this; and through the Apostle the Holy Spirit spoke; and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth: then there is no doubt that in the words of Saint James there is pure truth, and not a confusion of concepts. You can’t correct it or challenge it, but you need to understand it correctly. Saint James, immediately after the now quoted saying, says: “My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory only by sight” (James 2:1). Here it is clear that he teaches the essence of the Christian faith, and does not think, as some do today, to neglect dogma in order to turn all attention to morality alone. Therefore, the previous saying should not be understood in this way, as if all faith pleasing to God consisted in love for mankind; but in such a way that pure faith is also love for mankind. Faith abides by faith; love of mankind - love of mankind: but between them there is such a close relationship, such an inextricable connection, that where there is pure faith, there will certainly be pure love of mankind as a consequence. Every true believer must be truly philanthropic. In order to more fully understand this Apostolic teaching, and more accurately apply it to life, two questions can be proposed: is it really impossible to have pure faith without love for mankind? And conversely, can there be pure love for mankind without pure faith? The solution to the first of these questions is not difficult to extract from the words of the Apostle we have cited. If pure faith is purely pure love for mankind, or, which is the same, love for mankind is an inseparable consequence of pure faith: then the absence of an inseparable consequence must necessarily be a sign of the absence of an active principle; and consequently, where there is no love for mankind, pure faith cannot be assumed; He who does not have love for mankind cannot reliably assure himself that he has pure faith. How? - another will say, - I believe in the consubstantial Trinity, in the Lord Jesus Christ the God-Man, in His saving suffering, death on the cross and resurrection, in His ascension to heaven and the coming judgment, in the gracious mysteries of the Holy Spirit; I reject all non-Orthodox wisdom: isn’t this pure faith in God, whatever my relationship to people? - There is no dispute, my fellow believer, that this is the true Apostolic faith in the essence of its dogmas: but there may be doubt as to whether you really have it, and how you have it. Because you have it in the Word of God and in the Creed: because it belongs to God, His Prophets, Apostles, Fathers of the Church, and not yet to you. When you have it in your thoughts and memory: then you begin to assimilate it to yourself; but I still fear for this property, because your faith in your thoughts, perhaps, is only a deposit by which you must receive the treasure, that is, the living power of faith. How to get it? - with the heart, as the Apostle Paul says: “with the heart he believes the truth” (Rom. 10:10). But if you have assimilated faith into your heart, that is, in the depths of your soul you felt its dignity, holiness and strength, loved it, clung to it: then, as a result of this, it is necessary, according to the word of the Apostle, “Christ to dwell in your heart by faith” (Eph. 3:17), that is, to bring into it Your grace, Your light, strength and life, Your wisdom, love and virtue; and then you will love all people - it cannot be otherwise - with the love of Christ; out of love and gratitude to those who suffered and died for you, you will be ready to suffer and die for those saved by His love and redeemed by His death; To put it briefly, as you become perfect in faith, you will be perfect in love for mankind. Thus, one of two things: either you have pure faith, and coupled with it is love for mankind, and in general Christian virtue and integrity; or, if you do not have these, then do not be bold, boasting of faith alone, only verbal or mental, but strive to establish faith in your heart, so that you believe in the truth, living and not dead, active in love, but not idle faith, so that you will be justified at the judgment of Christ, where you will be rewarded for your deeds of love for mankind, and with “the righteous by faith you will live” forever ( Rom.1:17). Considering the relationship between faith and love for mankind, as between the beginning and the consequence, will open the way for us to resolve that question: can there be pure love for mankind without pure faith? If they ask about a believer: where does his pure love for humanity come from? the answer, according to the Apostolic teaching, is simple: from pure faith. “For this faith is pure and undefiled before God and the Father, to visit the orphans and widows in their sorrows.” But if you assume pure love for mankind in a person who does not have pure faith, then the question arises: where does it come from? I don’t know what a satisfactory answer could be given to this. Would you say from nature? But human nature, damaged by sin, does not produce pure good by its own power without the special grace of God, which is accepted only by faith. Will you speak from your mind? But he belongs to the same damaged human nature, and therefore also does not promise purity without grace. In human nature, damaged by sin, there is also a disposition towards philanthropy; The unfavored mind also approves of this disposition: therefore, both nature and reason will condemn someone who is not philanthropic: but will they elevate philanthropy to the level of purity? For example, the rule: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (Rom. 12:20); – would reason have invented? Would nature be happy about him? - Don't know. Otherwise I know for certain that nature and reason, uncorrected by faith, drink the blood of enemies and devour their corpses. Even someone uncontrolled by faith can sometimes do a good deed to an enemy, out of pride, for the glory of generosity, out of pleasure in seeing the humiliation of the borrower, for his own benefit envisaged ahead; consequently from unclean motives. But only the Lord Jesus speaks the pure law of love for enemies, only faith accepts it, only grace makes it amiable and easy to implement. That is why the Lord, pronouncing this law, places Himself in contrast with other law-givers and mentors: “I say to you: love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). Seeking immutable truth that can withstand every test, let us pay attention to special cases in which pure love for mankind appears, apparently beyond the bounds of pure faith. Ruth the Moabite, therefore a natural pagan, out of compassionate love for the childless and helpless Naomi, leaves both her family and fatherland, and decides to follow her to the land of Israel, without any hope for herself, but only in order to console and repose her beloved mother-in-law. Isn’t this pure love for mankind beyond the bounds of pure faith? - No. Love for the pious Naomi instilled faith in Ruth’s soul, and faith made her capable of love for mankind, pure to the point of self-forgetfulness and self-sacrifice. “Your God, my God” (Ruth. 1:16), Ruth said to Naomi, performing a wonderful feat of love for mankind. The angel said to Cornelius the Centurion, also a natural pagan: “Your prayers and your alms have gone up as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). If the alms of Cornelius came as a memorial before God, that is, they were accepted into God’s favor: then they must be pure, because unclean things cannot approach God. Isn’t this pure love for mankind beyond the bounds of pure faith? - No. From the words of the Angel it is clear that Cornelius’s prayers ascended to God ahead of his alms: and prayers ascend to God only as led by faith. The sincere desire to do God's will became in his soul the companion of God's prevenient grace, and this accelerated the sowing of the seed of faith in him, at first unrevealed, buried in natural ignorance; and so that it would open and vegetate, then she sent an Angel, and finally the Apostle Peter. That the Apostle’s sermon, like a ray of sunshine, fell on the ready-made, although closed, grain of faith in the soul of Cornelius, this can be seen from how quickly his faith opened up, and how highly it grew in a few hours. She had already reached the communion of the Holy Spirit before baptism with water. But in order to decide the matter with an infallible and final judgment, let us proceed to the great judgment of Christ. It is obvious that philanthropy is justified on it. “You are hungry,” he says, “and give Me food; you are thirsty, and give Me something to drink,” and so on. But do you notice the important feature of love for mankind, which the Lord justifies and rewards with eternal bliss? “Because,” he says, “you have made one of these lesser brothers of mine, you have made one for me” (Matthew 25:35, 40). In order for deeds of love for mankind to be pure, worthy of the Lord, justifying, and blessed, for this purpose it is necessary that they be done in the person of a person to the Lord Jesus himself. But how to achieve this? I think that it is possible in no other way than through pure faith, which in everything and through everything looks to the Lord, places Him as the focus of all intentions and deeds, for His sake does good, sees Him in those who do good, as His chosen brethren, and thus, “having mercy on the poor, he gives in return to God” (Prov. 19:17). “The judgment of God is according to truth” (Rom. 2:2). How will the Lord justify our deeds, how will He say to us: “Do it for me,” if we do our deeds not for Him, but according to completely different types, if in our deeds we do not look to Him, and we do not think about Him, if we do not approach Him with true and pure faith and love? “As I foretold, and now I speak again” (Gal. 1:9). Brothers Christians! May we constantly pay attention to our hearts, so that pure streams of love for mankind emanate from the source of true faith. Amen. In Chr. Read: educated, educated... You might be interested in: