Shall we hesitate to add to these splendid names another victorious name, which is now close to the lips and hearts of every son of the Fatherland? Shall we dare not notice the sacred thorns with which the hand of Providence adorns the crown and our beloved monarch? Ah, who does not know that our beloved Fatherland is suddenly struck by those calamities from which David once feared to choose (2 Samuel 24:14)? For whose head is the weight of the searching right hand of God more perceptible, if not for the head of the people? In whose heart do the blows of fate resonate more strongly, if not in the heart of the father of the Fatherland? More than once the royal lips were opened to humbly confess the inscrutable ways of God; the autocratic hand more than once, instead of commands, wrote a prayer of contrition and devotion: David himself would not have rejected the expressions of this sorrow and would not have hesitated to admit that his image of the ascetic king in the person of our monarch had once again found its fulfillment.

Reverent before such signs of autocratic humility, it is our duty, however, to tell you that the bright side of the God-inscribed image of David is very clearly and faithfully reflected in the fate of our anointed. Our task is to announce in the ears of all that the grave temptations with which the Providence of the Most High was pleased to visit our Fatherland (meaning the cholera epidemic of 1830, which occurred in the European part of the Russian Empire, and the Polish uprising of 1830-1831 (Ed.)), serve to reveal the high qualities of the Tsar's soul to the whole world; that all his enemies and the kingdom are visibly clothed with frost and one by one lie at the footstool, that the time is approaching for the final triumph of good over evil, loyalty to duty and order over violence and impunity.

So the longed-for time is approaching! The angel of death, pursued by the humility of the tsar and the prayers of the people, is apparently hastening from the borders of our Fatherland; the earth, hardened under the feet of the frightened laborers, has opened its bowels, and in great abundance bears life and joy; the monster of rebellion has already been struck at the head, and those who thought to drown out the cry of truth with the noise of weapons are themselves beginning to heed the voice of duty; the very capital of treachery (Warsaw - ed.) is already trembling within its walls, if only they still dare to stand in the face of the Russian army. Let us also see the final end of the calamities! A series of victories will be followed by the triumph of generosity and mercy. The same right hand that now punishes disobedience and violence will stretch out even more willingly to heal ulcers and dry tears. Those people who have hitherto seen no other way out of the abysses of rebellion than victory or death in the darkening of their minds, will find a beneficial middle ground in the bosom of gentleness and meekness of the same tribe, and the brothers, separated for a time by a spirit of sedition alien to them, will be all the more closely united forever under the autocratic sceptre of one common father.

And what could have so horribly dissolved the sacred union of two peoples, which, according to the intention of Providence itself, are forever bound together by the unity of origin, the affinity of language, the sharing of all the advantages of location, the antiquity of intercourse, and the recent vow of oath? Oh, truly, if anything is good, or what is beautiful, let these brethren live together (Psalm 132:1)! Only the pernicious spirit of falsehood, which now flatters almost the whole world (Rev. 12:9), could drown out the voice of truth and prudence with its charms. But what will this tempter of Eden bring with him? At his mere appearance his silence and security vanished, social activity ceased, order gave way to violence, family and civic virtues were replaced by mad outbursts of despair. What followed the adoption of the "serpentine" advice? - The overthrow of that in which the cities and villages found their prosperity; the desolation of that which has been built and adorned for centuries; the fear of some, the shame and repentance of others, the misfortunes and tears of all: And the eyes were opened... and razumsha, as if nasi besha... And he heard the voice of God walking in paradise... and hid themselves (Gen. 3:7:8): this is the inevitable end of all mad rebellions against the King of Heaven and the kings of the earth! The first reason for temptation in such a case is usually the dream of a better one: "Ye shall be as God" (Gen. 3:5). And indeed, there is nothing more laudable than to desire perfection for oneself and others; And it cannot be denied that in the poor earth inhabited by the human race there is much that could be better. The Word of God directly says that we are all in a state of exile from Eden. And when is such a state perfect? But who can guarantee that everything that seems to us to be a defect in social life is really so? "Especially since the means we have devised for the correction of the civil order will certainly lead to the end and avert all defects?" How difficult it is sometimes to judge correctly what is truly useful or harmful for one person - even for ourselves! It is all the more difficult to comprehend what the well-being of an entire people depends on in the nearest way. For this it is necessary to know him in all his composition and parts, to see his abilities and shortcomings, needs and desires, to grasp with consideration his past, present and future state; to distinguish with precision in his fate the possible from the actual, the accidental from the essential. How many can boast of such knowledge? And without it, one can easily fall into the grossest errors and wish one's Fatherland such perfections that are either impossible for it, or would turn into real evil. Is it not so true that they sometimes murmur against the Providence of God, which, without a doubt, is the most wise and righteous? - they murmur because they do not see all the ways of Providence and do not know how to correctly judge what seems to be disorder in the world.

He who knows all the limitations of nature, and even more so of human works, will not be in the least shaken in his faithfulness and love for the social order and in noticing real shortcomings in it. Is there perfection on earth that has nothing to do with shortcomings? It is easy to imagine the best, but how difficult it is to put it into action! And it is impossible to suddenly educate one person and make him happy, especially nations. Everyone is his own best well-wisher; but does he do all that is possible for his true good? And when he does, does he achieve all that he imagined? The struggle with shortcomings is our lot on earth, and moderation and patience are the first virtues.

And should I tell a truth that is unpleasant for some? We must thank Providence that it did not allow human societies, as well as people in particular, to reach complete perfection in their present state on earth! And now, when various misfortunes and shortcomings of earthly life constantly awaken in our souls a longing for the primitive perfection that we have lost, and for the Heavenly Fatherland that awaits us, even now we remember little of this future Fatherland, where only truth lives; and then, clinging to the earth, no one would want to think about it.

From what has been said, it does not in the least follow that anyone is allowed to remain a completely idle spectator of the shortcomings (if any) of public life, which are supposedly inevitable and therefore inviolable. On the contrary, this is the place for true diligence. The laws cannot embrace all particular needs and occasions, which are innumerable: [thus] cover the unsuitable under the shadow of the law with your love for humanity! Earthly justice is not able to strike directly at all possible abuses: stand against them with firmness where you can; do without command what you would like to see prescribed in the law; Be better than the law, if possible.

But is there any good deed that has not already been prescribed by God Himself in our conscience? Can one wish for a better law than that found in the word of God? Follow such leaders and you will never find reasons for repentance. That transformation which you consider necessary for all, begin with yourself; Bring order into the circle of your subordinates, set an example in your life of those perfections that you would like to see in public life. And one such example cannot remain without effect, especially if there are many of them. And what would happen if all the self-proclaimed reformers of societies followed this path of self-correction? How many crimes and horrors would have been avoided! How much disorder and evil have been destroyed in an inconspicuous way! How much good has been produced in silence and peace! And the tears of the deceived, which are now flowing before the God of vengeance, would then be tears of sincere gratitude.

There may, of course, be such shortcomings in the structure of human societies as are unable to overcome all the jealousy of private people. But for this very reason there is a supreme power, in whose hands are concentrated the forces and means to strengthen the weak, to grow the young, to heal the weak, to eradicate, to plant and to take away. Should we complain about the lack of these remedies or about the lack of their use? If all peoples were to doubt the beneficial activity of the powers that be, then Russia cannot. Its greatness is the true work of its autocrats. Who stretched the boundaries of the land of the Fatherland to the ends of the universe, forced non-Christian Asia to bow down before the sign of the Cross, and recently freed the whole of Europe from the heavy yoke?** - Our autocrats. Who has called to us enlightenment, who has increased the vineyards of sciences, who has commanded the light of the intellect to spread even where the light of the sun seldom appears? - Our autocrats. Who has paved the immeasurable paths of domestic industry, facilitated the movement of the people's surpluses, opened the entrances and exits for industry in all the countries of the world? - Autocrats. Who in the course of so many centuries pronounced rights and laws for the Fatherland, was the sonorous organ of the people's conscience and sense, the voice of God Himself? - Autocrats. In other countries, good things often began below and ascended to the throne; with us it has always arisen on the throne and descended to the valley. Others preceded, we were always preceded, and could hardly contain what was served. After such a past, with our present, is it possible to fear for the future?

Finally, there is no reason to be troubled by the thought that the actions of the powers that be, however solicitous and wise they may be, like human actions, may, so to speak, lag behind the development of the forces and needs of the people, and thereby retard the progress of civil society. The King of Heaven, in Whose right hand are kings and kingdoms, saw this danger before us, and averted it once and for all. How did he turn him away? By the fact that he has subordinated the essential development of human societies not to the weak arbitrariness of man, but to his all-encompassing and all-wise Providence. In fact, the growth of nations, as well as of man, depends largely on external circumstances, and has its own internal law, the actions of which no force can stop. In human societies there is a principle of perfection (the possibility of perfection - ed.) laid down by God Himself, not stifled by anything. This life-giving principle, innate to all, is the striving for the true, which in nations, as well as in individuals, ceases to act and bear fruit only when they themselves, in the darkening of their minds and the violence of their will, deviate from the main goal of their existence. With the development of such a beginning of life, all the worst passes by itself, prejudices disappear, concepts and desires are purified, everyone enters into his own rights, mountains and hills are humbled, the wilds are filled, and the whole body of society assumes of itself a slender and splendid appearance. On the contrary, violent upheavals of societies not only do not accelerate their true improvement, although they are apparently undertaken for this purpose, but even slow it down. The inevitable consequence, and at the same time the punishment for them, is civil schism and mutual hatred. When one half of the citizens rushes headlong forward, the other, as if by some law of opposite, rushes backwards. In the middle, an abyss opens that swallows thousands of victims before it is filled. Between extremes there begins a struggle and hesitation, at the end of which, thinking to be at the goal, they often find themselves further away from it than before.

No, the path of true civil advancement comes from the throne, and not from the wilderness, and leads to the temple of piety, and not to the caves of turmoil. It is long-lasting, but safe and firm; long for the life of one man, short for the life of nations. Kingdoms grow over the centuries, and the slower, the more durable they become.

Dear Fatherland! With what joyful calm from these sacred truths do we turn to you, in whose fate they are so truly and fully realized! It was not by admiration (thought - ed.) that you did not ascend to the height of world fame. When other nations were already enjoying the fruits of freedom and citizenship, you still bore chains and were diminished. The series of your temptations has been long, the bloody feats have been long, the test of faithfulness has been terrible, but behold, God has exalted you.

What can lead you astray from the path to true greatness if you do not deviate from your high goal? Continue to walk the peaceful path of lawful self-perfection, not deviating either to the neck or to the right hand, not giving way to those pernicious impulses of strength that elevate for years and weaken for eternity. Let the tongues wander and the people learn in vain, let the king of the land appear on the field of battle, and the princes gather together against the Lord and against your Christ; Let them say: Let us break their bonds - the bonds of love and prosperity of the people, and let us cast away from us their yoke - a good and easy yoke. He who lives in heaven – and in your Orthodox churches, and even more so in your Christ-loving heart – will laugh at them, and the Lord will mock them, as they swear at you. He will cry out to them with His wrath, and with His wrath He will crush me. And He will not only restore to you the former ones, but also give new tongues for your inheritance, and for your possession the ends of the earth. Only continue to work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice before Him with trembling; only accept the punishment sent down to you with good humor. Blessed are all the hopeful Nan (Psalm 2).

Dear compatriots! There is no doubt that each of us wholeheartedly participates in these good wishes for the Fatherland. But every true good will must be expressed in good action. Let us repeat before the God of righteousness the vow, in imitation of the example of the monarch, to use all our strength and abilities for the good of the Fatherland. The day of the sacred coronation should be a day of repetition of sacred vows before God for the king and his people—especially at times like the present. Amen.