BOOK XIII

(“Continuation of the exposition of Genesis i, 1; it contains the mystery of the Trinity, and a type of the formation, extension, and support of the Church.”)

(xxxii) 47. Thanks to Thee, O Lord. We behold _the heaven and earth_, whether the corporeal part, superior and inferior, or the spiritual and corporeal creature; and in the adorning of these parts, whereof the universal pile of the world, or rather the universal creation, doth consist, we see _light_ made, and _divided from the darkness_. We see the _firmament of heaven_, whether that primary body of the world, _between the_ spiritual upper _waters and the_ inferior corporeal _waters_, or (since this also is called heaven) this space of air through which wander the fowls of heaven, _betwixt those waters_ which are in vapors borne above them, and in clear nights distil down in dew; _and_ those heavier _waters_ which flow along the earth. We behold a face of _waters gathered together_ in the fields of _the sea_; and _the dry land_ both void, and formed so as to be visible and harmonized, yea and the matter of herbs and trees. We behold _the lights_ shining from above, _the sun_ to suffice for _the day, the moon and the stars_ to cheer _the night_; and that by all these, _times_ should be marked and signified. We behold on all sides a moist element, replenished with fishes, beasts, and birds; because the grossness of the air, which bears up the flights of birds, thickeneth itself by the exhalation of the waters. We behold the face of the earth decked out with earthly creatures, and _man, created after Thy image and likeness_, even through that Thy very _image and likeness_, (that is the power of reason and understanding), set over all irrational creatures. And as in his soul there is one power which has dominion by directing, another made subject, that it might obey; so was there for the man, corporeally also, made a woman, who in the mind of her reasonable understanding should have a parity of nature, but in the sex of her body, should be in like manner subject to the sex of her husband, as the appetite of doing is fain to conceive the skill of right-doing, from the reason of the mind. These things we behold, and they are severally _good_, and altogether _very good_.

(xxxiii) 48. Let Thy works praise Thee, that we may love Thee; and let us love Thee, that Thy works may praise Thee, which from time have beginning and ending, rising and setting, growth and decay, form and privation. They have then their succession of morning and evening, part secretly, part apparently; for they were made of nothing, by Thee, not of Thee; not of any matter not Thine, or that was before, but of matter concreated, (that is, at the same time created by Thee), because to its state _without form_, Thou without any interval of time didst give form. For seeing the matter of _heaven and earth_ is one thing, and the form another, Thou madest the matter of merely nothing, but the form of the world out of the matter _without form_; yet both together, so that the form should follow the matter, without any interval of delay.

(xxxiv) 49. We have also examined what Thou willedst to be shadowed forth, whether by the creation, or the relation of things in such an order. And we have seen, that things singly _are good_, and together _very good_, in Thy word, in Thy Only-Begotten, both _heaven and earth_, the Head and the body of the Church, in Thy predestination before all times, without _morning and evening_. But when Thou begannest to execute in time the things predestinated, to the end Thou mightest reveal hidden things, and rectify our _disorders_; for our sins hung over us, and we had sunk into the _dark deep_, and Thy good _Spirit was borne_ over us, to help us _in due season_; and Thou didst _justify the ungodly_, and _dividest_ them from the wicked; and Thou _madest the firmament_ of authority of Thy Book between those placed _above_, who were to be docile unto Thee, and those _under_, who were to be subject to them: and Thou _gatheredst together_ the society of unbelievers _into one_ conspiracy, that the zeal of the faithful might appear, and they might _bring forth_ works of mercy, even distributing to the poor their earthly riches, to obtain heavenly. And after this didst Thou kindle certain _lights in the firmament_, Thy Holy ones, having _the word of life_; and shining with an eminent authority set on high through spiritual gifts; after that again, for the initiation of the unbelieving Gentiles, didst Thou out of corporeal matter produce the Sacraments, and visible miracles, and forms of words according to the firmament of Thy Book, by which the faithful should be _blessed_ and _multiplied_. Next didst Thou form the _living soul_ of the faithful, through affections well ordered by the vigor of continency: and after that, the mind subjected to Thee alone and needing to imitate no human authority, hast Thou renewed _after_ Thy _image and likeness_; and didst subject its rational actions to the excellency of the understanding, as _the_ woman to the man; and to all Offices of Thy Ministry, necessary for the perfecting of the faithful in this life, Thou willedst, that for their temporal uses, good things, fruitful to themselves in time to come, be given by the same faithful. _All_ these we see, and they are _very good_, because Thou seest them in us, Who hast given unto us Thy Spirit, by which we might see them, and in them love Thee.

(xxxv) 50. O Lord God, _give peace unto us_: (for Thou hast given us all things); the peace of rest, the peace of the Sabbath, which hath no evening. For all this most goodly array of things _very good_, having finished their courses, is to pass away, for in them there _was morning and evening_.

(xxxvi) 51. But the seventh day hath no evening, nor hath it setting; because Thou hast sanctified it to an everlasting continuance; that that which Thou didst _after Thy works which were very good, resting the seventh day_, although Thou madest them in unbroken rest, that may the voice of Thy Book announce beforehand unto us, that we also after our works, (therefore, _very good_, because Thou hast given them us), shall _rest_ in Thee also in the Sabbath of eternal life.

(xxxvii) 52. For then shalt Thou so rest in us, as now Thou workest in us; and so shall that be Thy rest through us, as these are Thy works through us. But Thou, Lord, ever workest, and art ever at rest. Nor dost Thou see in time, nor art moved in time, nor restest in a time; and yet Thou makest things seen in time, yea the times themselves, and the rest which results from time.

(xxxviii) 53. We therefore see these things which Thou madest, because they are: but they are, because Thou seest them. And we see without, that they are, and within, that they are good, but Thou sawest them there, when made, where Thou sawest them, yet to be made. And we were at a later time moved to do well, after our hearts had conceived of Thy spirit; but in the former time we were moved to do evil, forsaking Thee; but Thou, the One, the Good God, didst never cease doing good. And we also have some _good works_, of Thy gift, but not eternal; _after them_ we trust to _rest_ in Thy great _hallowing_. But Thou, being the Good which needeth no good, art ever at rest, because Thy rest is Thou Thyself. And what man can teach man to understand this? or what Angel, an Angel? or what Angel, a man? Let it be _asked_ of Thee, _sought_ in Thee, _knocked_ for at Thee; so, so shall it be _received_, so shall it be _found_, so shall it be _opened_. Amen.

GRATIAS TIBI DOMINE.

● Transcriber’s Notes: ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). ○ Footnotes have been moved to follow the Books in which they are referenced.