Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Chapter XXV.—Both covenants were prefigured in Abraham, and in the labour of Tamar; there was, however, but one and the same God to each covenant.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter XXV.—Both covenants were
prefigured in Abraham, and in the labour of Tamar; there was, however, but one
and the same God to each covenant.
1. For thus it had behoved the sons
of Abraham [to be], whom God has raised up to him from the stones,4141
and caused to take a place beside him who was
made the chief and the forerunner of our faith (who did also receive the
covenant of circumcision, after that justification by faith which had
pertained to him, when he was yet in uncircumcision, so that in him both
covenants might be prefigured, that he might be
the father
of all who follow the Word of God, and who sustain a life of pilgrimage
in this world, that is, of those who from among the circumcision and of
those from among the uncircumcision are faithful, even as also
“Christ4142
is the chief
corner-stone” sustaining all things); and He gathered into the one
faith of Abraham those who, from either covenant, are eligible for
God’s building. But this faith which is in uncircumcision, as
connecting the end with the beginning, has been made [both] the first and
the last. For, as I have shown, it existed in Abraham antecedently to
circumcision, as it also did in the rest of the righteous who pleased
God: and in these last times, it again sprang up among mankind through
the coming of the Lord. But circumcision and the law of works occupied
the intervening period.4143
| 4143
[Note, the Gentile Church was the old religion and was Catholic; in
Christ it became Catholic again: the Mosaic system was a parenthetical
thing of fifteen hundred years only. Such is the luminous and
clarifying scheme of Irenæus, expounding St. Paul (Gal. iii.
14–20). Inferences: (1) They who speak as if the Mosaic
system covered the whole Old Testament darken the divine counsels.
(2) The God of Scripture was never the God of the Jews only.] |
2. This
fact is indeed set forth by many other [occurrences], but typically by
[the history of] Thamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law.4144
For when she had conceived twins, one of them put forth
his hand first; and as the midwife supposed that he was the first-born,
she bound a scarlet token on his hand. But after this had been done, and
he had drawn back his hand, his brother Phares came forth the first;
then, after him, Zara, upon whom was the scarlet line, [was born] the
second: the Scripture clearly pointing out that people which possessed
the scarlet sign, that is, faith in a state of circumcision, which was
shown beforehand, indeed, in the patriarchs first; but after that
withdrawn, that his brother might be born; and also, in like manner, him
who was the elder, as being born in the second place, [him] who was
distinguished by the scarlet token which was [fastened] on him, that is,
the passion of the Just One, which was prefigured from the beginning in
Abel, and described by the prophets, but perfected in the last times in
the Son of God.
3. For it was requisite that certain facts should be
announced beforehand by the fathers in a paternal manner, and others
prefigured by the prophets in a legal one, but others, described after
the form of Christ, by those who have received the adoption; while in one
God are all things shown forth. For although Abraham was one, he did in
himself prefigure the two covenants, in which some indeed have sown,
while others have reaped; for it is said, “In this is the saying
true, that it is one ‘people’ who sows, but another who shall
reap;”4145
but it is one God who
bestows things suitable upon both—seed to the sower, but bread
for the reaper to eat. Just as it is one that planteth, and another who
watereth, but one God who giveth the increase.4146
For the patriarchs and prophets sowed the word [concerning]
Christ, but the Church reaped, that is, received the fruit. For this
reason, too, do these very men (the prophets) also pray to have a
dwelling-place in it, as Jeremiah says, “Who will give me in the
desert the last dwelling-place?”4147
| 4147 Jer. ix. 2. [A “remote
dwelling-place” rather (σταθμὸν ἔσχατον according
to LXX.) to square with the argument.] | in order that both the
sower and the reaper may rejoice together in the kingdom of Christ, who
is present with all those who were from the beginning approved by God,
who granted them His Word to be present with them.4148
| 4148 [The touching words which conclude the
former paragraph are illustrated by the noble sentence which begins this
paragraph. The childlike spirit of these Fathers recognises Christ
everywhere, in the Old Testament, prefigured by countless images
and tokens in paternal and legal (ceremonial) forms.] | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
