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Twenty-two verses of the thirty-eighth chapter, from the twelfth to the thirty-third inclusive, are explained; and many truths are taught, especially concerning the arts and snares of Satan, grace, predestination, reprobation, and the secret judgments of God.

1. OUR Lord Jesus Christ, in that He is the Power and Wisdom of God, is born of the Father before all times, or rather, because He neither began, nor ceased to be born, let 1 natus. us say more truly that He was ever born'. Yet we cannot 2 nasci- say, He is ever being born, lest He should seem imperfect. But in order that He may be designated both eternal and perfect, let us say that He was even ever born, so that 'born' may relate to His perfection, and 'ever' to His eternity. In order that, in some way or another, that Essence which is without time may be able to be described in words of time. Although in calling Him perfect, we deviate much from the 3 factum expression of His truth, since that which has not been made3, *perfec- cannot be called perfect. And yet the Lord says, contum. descending to our words of infirmity, Be ye perfect, even as

Matt. 5,

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21.

your heavenly Father is perfect. In that Divine Sonship
therefore He could not be discerned by the human race,
wherefore He came in human nature, to be seen; He wished
to be scen, in order to be imitated. Which birth of the flesh
appeared contemptible to the wise ones of the world; for
they despised the weaknesses of His humanity, judging
them unworthy of God. And man was the more His debtor,

1 Cor. 1, the more God took on Himself indignities for his sake. For
since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. As if
He were saying, When the world by its wisdom found not
God, Who is Wisdom itself, it seemed good that it should

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XXIX.

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Eternal Nativity of the Son. The Church, the dawn. 303 behold God made Man through the foolishness of humanity, BOOK in order that His Wisdom might come down to our folly, and that our darkness, when enlightened by means of the clay John 9, of its own flesh, might behold the light of heavenly Wisdom. Born therefore of the Father, before all time, He deigned to be born of His Mother in time, in order that by confining His birth between a beginning and an end, He might disclose to eyes of the human mind that birth, which neither rises from a beginning, nor is bounded by an end. Whence it is now well said to blessed Job,

Ver. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy birth, and hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place?

2. Thou understandest, as I. For the origin of His ii. Divinity has no before and after. And while Its ever being is through all eternity, while It circumscribes every thing which passes away, It bounds within Itself the ebbings and flowings of times. But because the origin of His Humanity began and ended, It received from time a before and after. But because, when He took on Himself the shadows of our temporal being, He shed on us the light of His eternity, after this beginning which the Creator made for Himself in time, the day-spring rightly learned its own place without time. For because the dawn, or day-spring, is turned from darkness into light, the whole Church of the Elect is, not improperly, designated by the name of dawn, or day-spring. For whilst it is brought from the night of unbelief to the light of faith, it is laid open to the splendour of heavenly brightness, as the dawn bursts into day after the darkness. Whence it is also well said in the Song of Songs, Who is she Sol. that cometh forth as the rising dawn? For Holy Church, 10. secking for the rewards of the heavenly life, is called the dawn, because, while it leaves the darkness of sin, it shines with the light of righteousness.

3. But we have a deeper point to examine, on considering the nature of the dawn, or day-spring. For the day-spring, or dawn, announces that night has already passed, but yet does not present to us the full brightness of day but whilst they dispel the one, and take up the other, they keep the light intermingled with darkness. What then are all we who follow the truth in this life, but day-spring, or dawn?

Song 6,

2.

12.

3, 2. Rom. 7,

23.

804

The night departing, full daylight not yet come. JOB 38, Because we now both do some things which are of the light, and yet are hitherto not free from some remains of the darkPs. 143, ness. For it is said to God by the Prophet, In Thy sight James shall no man living be justified. And it is written again, In many things we offend all. Paul also says, I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. Where then the law of sin is contending with the law of the mind, there is surely still day-break; because the light, which has already shone forth, has not yet entirely overpowered the passing darkness. It is yet day-break ; because while the law of the flesh assails the law of the mind, and the law of the mind that of the flesh, light and darkness are contending one against the other. Whence, when Paul was saying again, The night is far spent; he did not 13, 12. subjoin, 'The day has come,' but, The day is at hand. For he who says, after the departure of night, not that the day ' has arrived,' but that it is at hand,' doubtless proves that he is still in twilight before the sun, and after the darkness.

Rom.

4. But the Church of the Elect will then be fully day, when the shade of sin will be no longer blended with it. It will then be fully day, when it has been brightened with the perfect warmth of the inward light. It will be then fully day, when tolerating no longer the seducing remembrance of its sins, it will conceal from itself even all the remains of darkness. Whence also this dawn is well pointed out as still only in progress, when it is said, And hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place? For that, whose place is pointed out, is certainly being called from one condition to another. For what is the place of dawn but the perfect brightness of the eternal vision? And when it has been conducted and has arrived thither, it has no longer any of the darkness of the past night. But now, when it is still enduring the annoyances of temptations, because the Church is in intention of heart hastening to another condition, the dawn is proceeding to its place. But if it did not behold this spot with its mind, it would still remain in the night of this life. But when it is daily striving to be perfected, and daily to be increased in light, it already beholds its place, and seeks for the sun to shine fully upon it. The dawn considers its

How our Lord taught the Church her true Place. 305

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place, when a holy soul is burning to contemplate the sight BooK of its Creator. The dawn was busily engaged in reaching. its place, when David was saying, My soul thirsteth for the P.42,2. living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? The Truth was pointing out its place to the dawn, when It was saying by Solomon, For what hath the wise Eccles. more than the fool? and what the poor, except to go thither 6, 8. where there is life? And this place our Lord after His birth doubtless manifested even to the Patriarchs who preceded His Incarnation; because unless they knew, by the spirit of Prophecy, that the King of their heavenly country was to become Incarnate, they would not see how desirable are the goods of this same country. The Truth made known its place to the dawn, when in the presence of Ilis disciples He asked His Father, saying, Father, I will that they also John17, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am. He pointed out its place to the dawn, when saying, Wheresoever Mat.24, the carcase is, there will also the eagles be gathered together. The dawn was hastening to arrive at this place, which it had known, when Paul was saying that he had a desire to be Phil. 1, dissolved, and to be with Christ. And again, To me to live. 21. is Christ, and to die is gain. And again, We know that if 2 Cor. our earthly house of this habitation were dissolved, we 5, 1. have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. But He well says that He shewed its place to the dawn after His birth, because before He Himself made known the blessedness of future retribution by His own Body, He confined it in the knowledge of a few. But when He took the infirmities of a human birth, He extended the knowledge of coming glory in the love of a countless multitude. But because compassion so carries on the mystery of the Divine work, that anger still attends it, in order that the secret Judge may look favourably on and ransom some, and pass over and ruin others, since we have learnt how He enlightens the Elect by His Incarnation, let us now hear how He condemns the reprobate. It follows;

Ver. 13. Hast Thou held and shaken the ends of the earth, and hast Thou shaken the wicked out of it?

23.

5. The Lord held the ends of the earth,' because He iii. came in the end of the world to the synagogue which was

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13-15.

ALLEG.

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306 God took the last of Israel, and shook out the Wicked. JOB 38, now forsaken and subject to foreign kings: and He shook the wicked out of it, because He cast out even from the glory of the carnal sacrifice, those who denied the spiritual preaching of the faith. Or He certainly held the ends of the earth, because He chose out of Judæa a few abject and humble men. He held the ends of the earth, because He forsook the doctors of the law, and chose fishermen. And while He holds the ends of the earth, He shakes the wicked out of it, because while He strengthens weak believers, He condemns the sturdy unbelievers therein. But the word 'shaking,' He also rightly added: because by His coming He stirred up even the hearts of the reprobates with immeasurable fear. John12, For they in truth were shaken who were saying, We prevail nothing, behold, the whole world is gone after Him. But a thing which is shaken is wearied out by being drawn hither and thither. Judæa therefore had been shaken, which was John 7, saying of Christ by some, That He is a good Man, and was resisting Him by others, saying, Nay; but He deceiveth the John 9, people. It was saying by some, If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing. And at last it exclaims by John18, others, If this Man were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee. The reprobate were shaken indeed but not prostrated, when at one time they beheld the miracles with wonder, and at another despised and derided the disgraces of His weakness. Had not they been John10, shaken, who were saying, How long dost Thou hold our soul in suspense? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Or He certainly shook and held the ends of the earth, because when He terrified the feeble hearts of the humble with pious fear, He did not abandon them to strict judgment. For the multitude of the believers in God stood more firmly, from the same reason that it was alarmed when humbled in itself. For that God holds firm the person whom He shakes, Is. 66, He teaches by the Prophet, saying, On whom shall My LXX. Spirit rest, but on the humble and quiet, and Him who trembleth at My words? That He holds the person whom He shakes, is intimated by the testimony of Solomon, who says, Happy is the man who feareth alway, but he that is of a hard heart shall fall into mischief. Because therefore the Lord held the ends of Judæa in the Apostles, and

33.

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2. see

Prov. 28, 14.

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