And certainly, God’s immaterial nature had no need of the material language of voice, since His very thoughts could be transmitted to His fellow-worker. Haud facilem esse viam voluit.” Such is the road and the course which Scripture follows to lead us to the idea of the Only begotten. the German proverb, Gut ding wil weile haben, and Virgil in Georg. We seize with delight, and carefully keep, the fruit of laborious efforts, whilst a possession easily attained is despised. It is not that it grudges us the knowledge of the truth, but that it may kindle our desire by showing us some trace and indication of the mystery. But, by making God command and speak, the Scripture tacitly shows us Him to Whom this order and these words are addressed. Scripture might continue the history as it is begun: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth afterwards He created light, then He created the firmament. And first let us ask how God speaks? Is it in our manner? Does His intelligence receive an impression from objects, and, after having conceived them, make them known by particular signs appropriate to each of them? Has He consequently recourse to the organs of voice to convey His thoughts? Is He obliged to strike the air by the articulate movements of the voice, to unveil the thought hidden in His heart? Would it not seem like an idle fable to say that God should need such a circuitous method to manifest His thoughts? And is it not more conformable with true religion to say, that the divine will and the first impetus of divine intelligence are the Word of God? It is He whom Scripture vaguely represents, to show us that God has not only 66wished to create the world, but to create it with the help of a co-operator. It lays down the reason necessitating the structure of the firmament: it is, it is said, to separate the waters from the waters. The word is not limited to a simple command. Yesterday we heard God’s decree, “Let there be light.” To-day it is, “Let there be a firmament.” There appears to be something more in this. And God said “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 1459 1459 Gen. Of what avail will it be to you if you are here in the body, and your heart is anxious about your earthly treasure?Ģ. Deliver your heart, then, from the cares of this life and give close heed to my words. And, even if in this life our efforts should not realise our hopes, the teachings of the Holy Spirit are none the less a rich treasure for the ages to come. To those who have preferred spiritual welfare, He will give health of body, keenness of mind, success in business, and unbroken prosperity. Whatever difficulties may trouble you the Lord will disperse them. What shall I say to them? The time which you lend to God is not lost: he will return it to you with large interest. A day’s labour hardly suffices to maintain them therefore I am compelled to abridge my discourse, so as not to keep them too long from their work. I know that many artisans, belonging to mechanical trades, are crowding around me. Yesterday then, as far as we were able, we delighted our souls by conversing about the oracles of God, and now to-day we are met together again on the second day to contemplate the wonders of the second day. It is this charm of truth which the Psalmist expresses so emphatically when he says, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” 1458 1458 Ps. And here I do not wish to speak of the narrator’s talent, but of the grace of Scripture, for the narrative is so naturally told that it pleases and delights all the friends of truth. To-day we pass on to the wonders of the second day. Our discussion yesterday treated of the works of this day, and divided the narrative so as to give you food for your souls in the morning, and joy in the evening. Far be it from me indeed, to take from it the privilege it enjoys of having been for the Creator a day apart, a day which is not counted in the same order as the others. We have now recounted the works of the first day, or rather of one day.
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