317. Беседа пред благодарственным молебствием, по прекращении губительной болезни

(Spoken in Chudov Mon. December 18th; printed in collection 1861) Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling (Ps. 2:11). Those gathered here today gathered, I think, with some joy. We bring confession and thanksgiving to God, after He, in His truth, visited this city with the invasion of a destructive disease, and delighted some of its inhabitants with a quick death, frightened some with the nearness of death, crushed some with sorrow for those abducted by death, but, in His mercy, did not allow the destructive disease to strike many, and, finally, said to the Angel of Death: “Enough now; take away your hand" (2 Samuel 24:16). To the extent that a disaster is scary or sad, to the extent that liberation from a disaster is joyful. But we have more than once had joy similar to the present 780: and then more than once a disaster befell us, the end of which we rejoiced; The Angel of Death returned and again stretched out his sword over us. Therefore, shouldn’t our present joy be dissolved with a good measure of fear? Yes. We have already offered this city, freed from a destructive illness, the admonishing and protecting word of Christ: “Behold, you are healthy; let no one sin." Apparently, it is now necessary to repeat it with greater severity and threat: “Behold, you are healthy; Let no one sin, lest it be worse” (John 5:14). The Word of God teaches us, not only in special circumstances, but also in general, to unite our joy before God, and even our every action, with the fear of God. “Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling.” Even if we had no reason to fear the special, menacing visits of God, the fear of God would nevertheless be our duty. And if it were not our duty, nevertheless it would be characteristic of us, as a natural feeling for us in relation to the highest Being. And if the fear of God did not appear in us as a feeling that is natural to us, we should, and should, try to arouse it in ourselves as a feeling that is useful and beneficial for us. The one called before the face of the Tsar, even if he does not feel guilty before him, and has no reason to fear his anger, even if he sees in the calling a sign of his favor, and knows that the Tsar does not want to see him in fear, nevertheless feels more or less in his presence fear, or reasonable, stemming from the fear of sinning before him in word or deed, and appearing unworthy of his attention, or simply involuntary and unconscious. If such can be the impression of the present earthly greatness: shouldn’t the effect on us of the heavenly greatness, which is never absent from us anywhere, be immeasurably stronger, which penetrates us with omniscience, embraces us with omnipotence, and with its only strength and mercy supports us, so that we do not fall into the insignificance from which we were raised, or, what is worse than insignificance, into the dark fiery false existence hellish? When reflecting on this, it is only with surprise and fear that we must remember that even in those places in which we recognize the special mysterious presence of God, in the churches of God, we sometimes enter without the fear of God; and here, in the presence of the Heavenly King, we allow ourselves what we would not allow ourselves in the presence of the earthly King. The prophet Isaiah saw a vision in the temple of Jerusalem. The church was filled with glory. The Lord appeared “on a throne, high and exalted.” Around Him stood “Seraphim, ...six kril to one, and six kril to another; and two were the coverings of their faces, and two were the coverings of their feet, and two were the coverings of the fly” (Is. 6:1-2). Do you see the dust, son? The heavenly grace-filled sons of God, the pure spirits of the highest rank, the closest primates of the Throne of God, the second lights (according to the word of the Fathers), full vessels of light, pouring it onto the lower ranks of heaven, do not dare to look at the uncreated light, do not dare to stand before Him with an open face, reverently cover their eyes, lips, faces with two wings, or, in the church expression, “they are covered with fear.” And are you a son of dust, an exile of paradise, a slave still only seeking heavenly adoption - or are you, having been honored to stand not far from the mysterious Throne of God, you forget who you stand before, you wander, with unbridled eyes, mental and sensory, between the Holy and vanity, you sow like tares among the wheat, words alien to the Holy between the voices of prayers and praises? - Let this not seem to anyone too grave an indignation. If I am indignant, then first of all at myself. I wish that what I said does not fall on any of those present as a well-deserved reproof. I think that a humbling word is never superfluous, if not for correction, then for warning against harmful distraction, and for raising to the highest degree of reverent attention those approaching God and His Holy Place in the church. It is not only for saints of places and times that the fear of God is useful. According to the instructions of the word of God, we must have it as an ever-present companion, interlocutor, guardian, and assistant in organizing our temporary life so that it can be the threshold of an eternally blessed life. Do you want to acquire wisdom? - Acquire the fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10), and not only the beginning, but even “the fulfillment of wisdom is to fear the Lord” (Sir. 1:16). Do you want to be freed from sins, successfully repel sinful temptations, and get rid of God’s wrath for sins? – “The fear of the Lord takes away sins, and abiding... in it turns away sins” (Sir.1:21). Do you want to achieve true love for God, which is the perfection of life? – “The fear of the Lord... places you on the paths of love” (Sir.1:13). Do you want to ensure a prosperous and secure end to your life for the future? - Provide with the fear of God. “Whoever fears the Lord will have good fortune in the end, and on the day of his death he will find grace” (Sir.1:13). The fear of God has the power to free you from all other fear. “He who fears the Lord will neither fear nor be afraid of anything; This is his hope” (Sir.34:14). Brethren! Isn’t it the same good and righteous destiny that the Lord rules over us today, which He proclaimed to His people who were grieving from disasters and brought into bewilderment through the Prophet: “The sun of righteousness will shine upon you who fear My name, and healing will be on its wings: and you will come forth and leap like bulls from loose bonds, and you will trample on the wrongdoers, and you will be ashes.” under your feet? (Mal.4:2-3). Why is it not quite the same with us today? An impending disease is discovered; – “healing” comes; – and the threatening disease finds itself again. We see unrighteous enemies “trampled down” by our army: but they rise up, strengthen themselves, and the dark cloud of battle does not dissipate, and the “sun of righteousness” and peace does not “shine.” What is this from? Is it not because the Lord, who tests our hearts, does not find us truly and actively “who fear His name,” and therefore has not yet given us the right to the fullness of His gracious promise. If we have not yet learned to fear God with the humble fear of creatures disappearing before the greatness of the Creator, with the pure fear of sons reverent before a loving father, let us at least begin our correction with the fear of slaves who recognize themselves as unworthy, guilty, righteously punished, but who want to appease their Lord, and who do not lose hope in His mercy. But let us not become numb in the fruitless fear of the evil servants, who tremble before the punisher and return to what they deserved punishment with. “Work for the Lord” - work diligently and unremittingly in fulfilling His will and His commandments, “with fear” - so as not to offend Him by violating His will; and “rejoice in Him” - in hope of His mercy, but “with trembling” - remembering your unworthiness and insignificance before Him. Amen. You might be interested in: