Part 23

3. The Apostle also, though he has not said it in so many words, has yet given us to understand, like a good master and spiritual husbandman calling forth the faculties of his disciples by the hidden seeds of doctrine, that our souls are of a better creation and a more excellent nature. For when he says that _the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly but by reason of Him Who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God_, he shews that the grace of souls is not small, seeing that by their strength and excellence mankind rises to the adoption of the sons of God, having within itself that which is given to it to make it in the likeness and image of God. For souls are not perceived by truth, nor are they seen by the bodily eye, wherefore they bear upon them the likeness of this incorporeal and invisible nature, and excel in their substance corporeal and sensible qualities. _For the things that are seen are temporal_, they represent and are united to things that are temporal, but the things that are not seen are united to the Eternal and Chief Good, _in Him they live and move and have their being_, and suffer not themselves, if they are wise, to be separated or divided from Him.

Sidenote: 2 Cor. v. 4.

Sidenote: Wisd. ix. 15.

Sidenote: 2 Cor. v. 7, 8.

4. Every soul therefore, seeing herself shut up in the prison-house of the body, if it be not debased by her connexion with this earthly habitation, groans under the burthen of the body to which she is joined; _for the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things_, knowing also that she walks _by faith not by sight_, she is willing _to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord_.

Sidenote: Ib. 10.

5. Let us consider then how _the creature hath been made subject to vanity, not_ indeed _willingly_, but by the Divine ordinance, which has appointed that our souls should be united to our bodies on account of their hopes, in order that, hoping for good, they should make themselves worthy of a heavenly recompense. _For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things belonging to the body[178]._ Every man’s soul must therefore consider that she will be rewarded according to deserts of life. And he says well _the things belonging to the body_, that is to say, the body which was assigned to her to govern, that if she have governed it well she may receive the reward for the sake of which she was subjected in hope, but if ill, she may be punished, forasmuch as she did not trust in God, nor aspire to that adoption of sons, and to the liberty of true glory.

Sidenote: 2 Cor. v. 4.

Sidenote: Ps. cxliv. 4.

Sidenote: Ib. xxxix. 6.

6. So then the Apostle has taught that man is a creature subject to vanity. For what is so truly the man as his soul? of its companions he says, _For we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burthened_. David also says, _Man is like a thing of nought_, and, _Every man living is altogether vanity_. Wherefore the life of man in this world is vanity, to which vanity the soul is subject. And when a holy man doeth the things of the body, he doeth them not willingly but _by reason of Him Who hath subjected the same in hope_, he does them for obedience sake. From this example of the soul then let us proceed to the other creatures.

Sidenote: Ps. civ. 19.

7. Consider the sun the moon and the stars; these heavenly luminaries, although they shine with an excellent brightness, are yet but creatures, and rise and set in performance of their daily task, obeying the ordinance of the eternal Creator, dispensing the radiance wherewith they are clothed, and giving light by night and by day. As often as the sun is obscured by clouds, as often as is it hidden by the interposition of the earth, or when the rays of its light are intercepted, eclipses occur, and, as the Scripture saith, _The moon knoweth her going down[179]._ She knows when she shines with a full, and when with a diminished orb. The stars also are overclouded and disappear, while going through the service of this earthly ministry, not willingly indeed but in hope; for they hope for the reward of this their toil from Him Who subjected them. Wherefore they go through it for His sake, that is, to do His will.

Sidenote: Rom. xi. 25, 26.

Sidenote: S. John xix. 6.

Sidenote: S. Matt. xxvii. 25.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 20.

8. Nor is it surprising that they bear it with patience, knowing that their Lord, the Creator of all things in heaven and in earth, took upon Him our frail body and our servile state. Should not they then patiently bear the bondage of their corruption, seeing that the Lord of all humbled Himself even to death for the whole world, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made the sin of the world, nay even a curse for us? Wherefore the heavenly bodies although they groan in that they are subject to the vanity of this world, yet follow the example of His goodness, and console themselves with the expectation of being _delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of glory_, when the adoption of the sons of God, that is, the redemption of all men, shall have arrived. For when _the fulness of the Gentiles shall be come in_, then _all Israel shall be saved_. For what people will He not pardon when He even pardons that persecuting people, who said, _Crucify Him, crucify Him_, and, _His blood be on us and on our children_. But since even the heavenly creation is subject to vanity, albeit in hope, will not He Who is truly Mercy itself and the Redeemer of the world, suffer even the perfidy and insolence into which these men through the vanity of the world have fallen to obtain pardon?

Sidenote: S. Matt. xxiv. 35.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xv. 28.

9. To conclude then, both this great and glorious sun, and this moon which is not obscured by the shades of night, and these stars which are the garniture of the heaven, all these now suffer _the bondage of corruption_, for all creatures are corruptible, and the heavens shall perish and _the heaven and earth pass away_. But hereafter the sun and moon and the stars of heaven shall rest in the glory of the sons of God, when God shall be _all in all_, He Who now in His immensity and mercy is in thee and in us.

Sidenote: Rev. iii. 1 &c.

10. And shall we not believe that the Angels themselves, who in the toils of this world fulfil divers ♦ministries, as we read in the Revelation of S. John, do not also groan when made the ministers of vengeance and destruction? Seeing that their life is blessed, would they not rather pass it in their ancient state of tranquillity than be interrupted by the infliction of vengeance on our sins? They who rejoice in the salvation of one sinner must surely groan over the miseries of so grievous sins.

11. If therefore the creatures and powers of heaven suffer the bondage of corruption, but still in hope, that hereafter they may rejoice on our behalf and together with us, let us also alleviate the sufferings of this present time by the hope and expectation of future glory. Farewell, my son; love me, for I love you.

LETTER XXXV.

IN this Letter S. Ambrose continues his comment on the passage of S. Paul, especially on the ‘groans of creation.’

AMBROSE TO HORONTIANUS.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 22.

Sidenote: Ib. 20.

Sidenote: Ib. 21.

Sidenote: Ib. 22.

1. MY former Letter was a reply to your inquiry; this is a part of my answer, supplemental not contradictory to the former. In reviewing the latter part of the passage I was struck, I confess, with his adding, _we know that every creature groaneth_, seeing that previously he had said without any addition, _The creature was made subject to vanity_. For he said not every creature, but, _the creature was made subject_. And again he says, _Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption_. But in the third place he adds that _every creature groaneth together_.

2. Now what does this addition mean? It means haply that every creature is not _subject to vanity_, and therefore every creature will not be _delivered from the bondage of corruption_. For why should that be delivered which is free and secure from the subjection of vanity and the bondage of that corruption? But they all groan together not in their own but in our pangs, and haply are in travail together of the Spirit of Salvation, the Spirit of sweetness, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, that in the redemption of the human race they may attain to a common joy and gladness. So then either because of their charity they all groan for our labour, or for us as a member of their body, whose head is Christ. But you may understand this as you please, either as we have said, or simply that every creature groans and travails together.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 23.

3. And now let us consider what follows. _And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of the body._ We are taught in the previous passage what the adoption of sons is; therefore, in order to explain its meaning, to that passage we must recur.

Sidenote: Ib. 13.

Sidenote: Ib. 16.

Sidenote: Gal. iv. 6.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 17.

4. _He who through the Spirit_, says S. Paul, _mortifies the deeds of the body shall live_. Nor is it surprising that he should live, since he who has the Spirit of God, becomes the son of God. Wherefore he is the son of God that he may receive not the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption of sons; to the intent that the Holy _Spirit may bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God_. But this is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that He it is Who cries in our hearts, _Abba Father_, as it is written to the Galatians. There is also the great testimony that we are the sons of God; namely that we are _heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ_. Now he is joint heir with Him, who is glorified together with Him, and he is glorified together with Him who by suffering for Him suffers together with Him.

5. And in order to encourage us to suffer, he adds that all things which we suffer fall far below and are not worthy to be compared with the recompense of our labours, the reward of future good, which shall be revealed in us, when we shall be formed anew after the Image of God, and shall be worthy to behold His Glory face to face.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 21.

6. And to exalt the greatness of this future revelation, he adds that the creation also waits for this revelation of the sons of God, which now is made subject to vanity, not willingly, but in hope, because it hopes for the reward of its ministry from Christ, or else because it also will be _delivered from the bondage of corruption_, and received into _the glorious liberty of the sons of God_, that there may be one liberty of the creation and of the sons of God, when their glory shall have been revealed. But now, so long as this revelation is delayed, the whole creation groans together, looking for the glory of our adoption and redemption, already travailing with that Spirit of salvation, and willing to be delivered from the servitude of vanity.

7. And to this the Apostle has conjoined the groans of the saints, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, for they groan also. Of their own merits they are indeed secure, but since the redemption of the whole body of the Church is still future, they suffer together with it. For seeing that the members of this our body still suffer, shall not the other members, although higher, sympathize with the suffering members of one and the same body?

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xv. 28.

Sidenote: Ib.

8. And this, I suppose, is why the Apostle has said that the _Son Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things under Him_, for they who still labour are not yet subject, and in these perhaps Christ still thirsts, in these is still hungry, in these is still naked, in that they do not fulfil the word of God, nor put on Christ, Who is the Garment of believers, and the Robe of the faithful. They also in whom He is sick still need medicine, and therefore are not yet subdued, for this subjection is of strength not of weakness: again, in those who are strong and obey the commands of God, the Son of God is subject. But now His travail is greater in those who do not succour those who are toiling, than in those who still require aid themselves. And this is the pious and true meaning of the subjection of the Lord Jesus, Who will subject Himself, to the intent _that God might be all in all_.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 23.

Sidenote: Exod. xxii. 29.

Sidenote: Ib. xxxiv. 26.

Sidenote: Gen. iv. 4.

9. We have received the Apostle’s meaning, let us now consider who are they that _have the first-fruits of the Spirit_. With this view let us inquire what is intended under the name of first-fruits or of beginning, _Thou shalt not delay_, it is said, _to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors_; further on, _The first of the first-fruits of thy lands thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God_. First-fruits and tenths are different, first-fruits are of greater merit, an act of pious consecration. And on this account Abel pleased God, for he delayed not to offer his gift, but offered of the first-fruits of his flock. Although some suppose that there is a difference between first-fruits[180] and first-born[181], in that on gathering in the crops, the beginning, so to speak, of all kinds in the threshing floor are offered, while the first reaping of the harvest is offered to the Lord; but of this we will speak in another place. But by the offering of the first-fruits, the whole harvest appears to be sanctified, but the first-fruits themselves are the most holy.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xii. 28.

Sidenote: S. Luke ii. 28.

Sidenote: S. John i. 47.

Sidenote: S. Luke xxiii. 53.

Sidenote: S. Matt. iii. 9.

10. In like manner the saints are the first-fruits of the Lord, and the chief are the Apostles, _for God hath set in the Church first Apostles_, who have prophesied many things and preached the Lord Jesus, for they first received Him. Simeon too received Him, and the prophet Zacharias, John his son, Nathanael, _in whom there was no guile_, who rested under the fig tree, Joseph also who was called just, who buried Him. These are the first-fruits of our faith, nevertheless the nature of other seeds is the same as that of the first-fruits, although in some there is less grace, for _God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham_.

Sidenote: Col. i. 18.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xv. 23. Vulg.

Sidenote: Col. i. 15.

Sidenote: Heb. i. 3.

11. You have an example in the Lord Jesus Himself. In the resurrection of the dead He is called _the first-born from the dead_. The Apostle also has called Him the first-fruits; _In Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ’s, who have believed in His coming_. His body is as truly a body as our own, nevertheless He is called the first-born from the dead, because He rose first; and He is called the first-fruits because He is holier than all the other fruits, and they by union with Him are hallowed also. He also as _the Image of the invisible God_ is the Head of those found after that Image; in Him according to His Divinity there is nothing corporeal, nothing temporary; for _He is the brightness of His Father’s glory, and the express Image of His Person_. But in our desire to explain the meaning of first-fruits we have greatly extended the length of our letter.

Sidenote: S. John xiv. 12.

Sidenote: 2 Cor. xi. 29.

12. Now the Apostles are our first-fruits, chosen from all the first-fruits of that time; to them it is said, _And greater things than these shall ye do_, for the Grace of God hath poured itself into them. These, I say, groaned, waiting for the redemption of the whole body, and they still groan, because many are still toiling, who are yet tossing on the sea. Just as, if a man is reaching the higher shore, but the waves still dash up to his middle, he groans and is in travail until he be wholly out of danger. Verily he groans, who still says to us, _Who is weak, and I am not weak?_

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 23.

Sidenote: Gal. iv. 6.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 24.

Sidenote: S. Luke xviii. 42.

13. We need not then to be perplexed by the words, _We, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body_, for the sense is plain, forasmuch as they, having the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan, waiting for the adoption of sons. This adoption of sons is the redemption of the whole body, when he who is to be the son of God by adoption shall see face to face that Divine and Eternal Good; for there is the adoption of sons in the Church of God, when the Spirit cries, _Abba, Father_, as it is written to the Galatians. But this will be perfected when all shall rise again in incorruption power and glory who are counted worthy to see the Face of God, for then the human race will judge itself to be truly redeemed. And so the Apostle boasts, saying, _For we are saved by hope_. For hope saves, as also faith, whereof it is said, _Thy faith hath saved thee_.

Sidenote: Phil. i. 24.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 24.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. ii. 9.

14. Therefore the creature which _is made subject to vanity not willingly but in hope_, is saved by hope; just as Paul too, knowing that _to die was gain_ to him, that he might be freed from the body and be with Christ, remained in the flesh for their sakes whom he wished to win to Christ. Now what is hope but the expectation of things future? Wherefore he says, _But the hope that is seen is not hope_. For it is not what is seen but what is unseen that is eternal, _for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?_ The things that we see we seem to possess, how then can we hope for that which we already possess? Thus none of those things which we hope for can we see; _eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him_.

Sidenote: Ps. xl. 1.

Sidenote: Lament. iii. 25.

15. Wherefore, if that which is seen cannot be hoped for, it is not well to read as some do, ‘for[182] because any one sees a thing he also hopes for it;’ unless it may be understood thus, ‘for that which any one sees, why does he also hope for or expect it?’ For most true it is that we hope for that which we see not, and therefore, although it seem to be absent from us, we still look for it in patience; _I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me_. And we wait patiently, because _the Lord is good unto them that wait for Him_. And it seems to agree with this, that through patience He has given it back to us. We wait for the things which we hope for, but see not. For he does much who hopes and looks for those things which are not seen, and endures because he directs his mind to that which is.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 24.

Sidenote: S. John i. 26.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. ii. 9.

16. Now it is well said that _hope that is seen is not hope_, referring to the power and honour and riches of this world. You may see a man distinguished by his retinue and equipages, but he has not hope in his equipages which are seen. Nor is hope in the firmament of heaven, but in the Lord of heaven. The Chaldæan has not hope in the stars which he watches; nor the rich man in his possessions or the avaricious man in usury; but he hath hope who places his hope in Him Whom he sees not, that is, in the Lord Jesus, Who stands in the midst of us, yet is not seen. Finally, _eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him_.

LETTER XXXVI.

S. AMBROSE continues, in reply to a question of Horontianus, his discussion of the passage of S. Paul, and explains what are his ‘groanings unutterable.’

AMBROSE TO HORONTIANUS.

1. OUR letters are so linked together that we seem to be holding actual conversation with one another, so well do you with your question and I with my explanations supply subject matter for our correspondence.

Sidenote: Rom. viii. 26.

Sidenote: Ps. xxvii. 9.

2. You have intimated your doubt of what spirit it is said that he _maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered_. Let us then refer to what has gone before, that the passage may make plain what we are seeking. _Likewise_, it is said, _the Spirit helpeth our infirmities_. Does it not seem to you that this is the Holy Spirit, for He is our Helper, as He to Whom it is said, _Thou hast been my succour, leave me not neither forsake me, O God of my salvation_?

Sidenote: S. Luke xi. 1.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiv. 15.

Sidenote: Ps. cxliii. 10.

Sidenote: 1 Cor. xii. 7.

Sidenote: S. Matt. vi. 33.