Word II. On the Day of the Accession to the All-Russian Ancestral Throne of Our Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich

October 21, 1907.

“«The Lord looks down from heaven, He sees all the sons of men. From the throne on which He sits He looks upon all who dwell on the earth; He fashioned all their hearts, and He observes all their deeds» (Ps 32:13-15).”

Do you believe, dear brethren, in this uncreated, all-seeing, eternal, fearsome Eye, which fashioned two eyes for every living creature, that they might see with them, not doubly, everything near or far, and might have freedom of movement, seek out their food, avoid danger to their life, and rejoice with the joy of living?

It is this very all-seeing, fearsome Eye, which made the light, the sun, and every light, every eye of every creature, that unceasingly, day and night, looks upon all men in the universe, and upon each man individually, and observes all their thoughts and feelings, and all their deeds—the deeds of tsars and subjects, of rulers and the ruled, of the learned and the simple, the rich and the poor, the good and the evil. The Watchman of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps—I mean the new, that is, the Christian Israel, or the Church of Christ, and Russia, which holds the Orthodox faith of Christ.

From the throne on which He sits, He looks upon all who dwell on the earth, and judges the whole world with just measures. We shall all give account of ourselves to Him, wrote the holy Apostle Paul (Hebr 4:13). Of him to whom much is given, much will be required; but the small are worthy of indulgence, as not knowing better.

Today we remember and solemnly celebrate the accession of our Sovereign to the all-Russian throne. Who seats the kings of the earth upon their thrones? He who alone, from eternity, sits upon a throne of fire, and He alone, in the proper sense, reigns over all creation—heaven and earth with all the creatures dwelling in them. To earthly kings, from Him alone, is given royal power; He crowns them with the royal diadem. He alone sets up kings and removes them (translates them, according to the word of Scripture); therefore the Tsar, as one who has received royal power from the Lord, is and must be Autocrat.

Be silent, then, you dreaming constitutionalists and parliamentarians! Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me: for you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men,—the Lord said to Peter, who had contradicted Him (Mt 16:23). Depart, you too, who resist the ordinance of God. It is not for you to dispose of the thrones of earthly kings: away, you presumptuous ones, who cannot govern even yourselves, but wrangle with one another, and have done nothing of substantial benefit for Russia. From the Lord alone is given to the Tsar the authority, strength, courage, and wisdom to govern his subjects.

But let worthy helpers draw near to the throne—men of a righteous, God-fearing conscience, who love God and His Church, which He Himself founded on earth—and let all flee from the throne whose conscience is seared, in whom there is no righteous, wise, and well-intentioned counsel, as was recently the case with the traitorous first minister.

Ponder well the words of the prophet and king David, you especially who are about to gather in the third State Duma and are preparing to be counselors to the Tsar, whose realm occupies a sixth of the world—study thoroughly its needs and its wants, the sicknesses and wounds of the fatherland, its countless treasures of land and water, of which foreigners make such great use, through the lack of enterprise of the Russians themselves—and be his right hand, his eyes, sincere and faithful, active well-wishers and counselors to him, God-fearing withal and unchanging in faith and fatherland.

God calls you to this great work—the good order and pacification of the fatherland. In this, remember that the earthly fatherland, with its Church, is the vestibule of the heavenly fatherland; therefore love it ardently, and be ready to lay down your soul for it, that you may inherit eternal life there.

«Our Father, we say, who art in heaven.» See where our Father, the Lord God, dwells in all His eternal glory? In heaven; there too is our fatherland. Whoever is faithful to God is faithful to the Tsar also.

Let me remind you once more of the words of the psalmist, prophet, and king: the Lord looks down from heaven, He sees all the sons of men. From the throne on which He sits He looks upon all who dwell on the earth; He fashioned all their hearts and observes all their deeds (Ps 32:13-15). It follows that He will judge all with strictness. Amen.