約伯倫理 第 1425 章 第 2/2 段

but the Redeemer of all, having made a scourge of cords, cast out the sellers and buyers from the temple, overturned the chairs of them that sold doves, and poured out the money of the money-changers (Matthew 21:12; John 2:15). In all that they do valiantly, they guard humility with all their intent; but through our Redeemer it is said: 'Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart' (Matthew 11:29). The holy preachers also love their persecutors; but He, the author of all and the Redeemer, being set in His passion, intercedes for His persecutors, saying: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34). They lay down their members in suffering for their brethren; but the Author of life delivered Himself up even unto death for the life of the elect.

Let it therefore be said of the holy living creatures that the likeness of a man is in them, because whatever is holy in them, whatever is wondrous, this is in them from the appearance of the likeness—that is, from the virtue of imitation. For the Head of us all is our Redeemer. And through Solomon it is said: 'The eyes of a wise man are in his head; the fool walketh in darkness' (Ecclesiastes 2:14). For then we have eyes in the head, when we behold the life of our Redeemer with attentive thought, when our whole intent lifts itself up to imitation of Him, lest, if the eye of the mind neglect to gaze upon the ways of light, it straightway fall shut up in the darkness of error. Toward the likeness of this Man the Prophet hastened to rise, when he said:

'I will be exercised in thy commandments, and I will consider thy ways' (Psalm 118:15). For he who silently considers the ways of the Lord in his mind, and hastens to exercise himself in His commandments, what else does he re-form in himself but the image of the new man? And because this is unceasingly wrought in the hearts of the saints, it is now rightly said of the living creatures: 'The likeness of a man is in them.' 20. But after this likeness, which is now held in conduct, one arrives at length at the likeness of glory. Hence indeed John says: 'Now we are the sons of God, and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like to him' (1 John 3:2). And he presently adds whence this may come to pass, saying:

'Because we shall see him as he is' (ibid.). For to be God is to remain eternal and unchangeable. For everything that is changed ceases to be what it was, and begins to be what it was not; but for God, to be is never to be otherwise. Whence it is said to Moses: 'I am who am. And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: He who is hath sent me to you' (Exodus 3:14). James also says: 'With whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration' (James 1:17). And so through John it is said: 'We shall be like to him, because we shall see him as he is,' because by this, that we behold the essence of His nature, we, freed from our mutability, are fixed in eternity.

We shall indeed be changed in Him whom we shall see, because we shall lack death by seeing life; we shall transcend our mutability by seeing the Immutable; we shall be held by no corruption by seeing the Incorrupt. 21. But there shall then be the likeness of a man even in our bodies. Hence indeed through Paul it is said: 'Our conversation is in heaven, whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform the body of our lowliness, made conformable to the body of his glory' (Philippians 3:20). The bodies of the elect shall therefore then be conformed to the glory of the Lord's body, which, although they do not have equality of His glory by nature, shall nevertheless have the likeness of conformation to Him by grace.

Since, therefore, the likeness of His life is now drawn in the conduct of the elect, and in the resurrection there follows the likeness of eternity in the mind, because we shall see Him as He is; and since our bodies also shall receive His likeness in the conformation, let it rightly be said of the holy living creatures: 'The likeness of a man is in them.' Let it suffice to have offered these things by way of foretaste at the outset of the exposition, so that the power of speech, refreshed by silence, may rise up more robust for the searching out of the mysteries which follow. For we are certain that we have as our helper Him of whom we speak, who liveth and reigneth with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, throughout all ages of ages. Amen.