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| Chapter XCV
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Chapter XCV.
The true God, however, neither employs irrational
animals, nor any individuals whom chance may offer,4054
| 4054 οὔτε τοῖς
τυχοῦσι τῶν
ἀνθρώπων. | to convey a knowledge of the future; but, on
the contrary, the most pure and holy of human souls, whom He inspires
and endows with prophetic power. And therefore, whatever else in
the Mosaic writings may excite our wonder, the following must be
considered as fitted to do so: “Ye shall not practise
augury, nor observe the flight of birds;”4055
| 4055 Cf. Lev. xix. 26. The Septuagint here differs from
the Masoretic text. |
and in another place: “For the nations whom the
Lord thy God will destroy from before thy face,
shall listen to omens and divinations; but as for thee, the
Lord thy God has not suffered thee to do
so.”4056
And he
adds: “A prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you from among your brethren.”4057
On one occasion, moreover, God,
wishing by means of an augur to turn away (His people) from the
practice of divination, caused the spirit that was in the augur to
speak as follows: “For there is no enchantment in Jacob,
nor is there divination in Israel. In due time will it be
declared to Jacob and Israel what the Lord will do.”4058
And now, we who knew these and similar
sayings wish to observe this precept with the mystical meaning, viz.,
“Keep thy heart with all diligence,”4059
that nothing of a demoniacal nature may
enter into our minds, or any spirit of our adversaries turn our
imagination whither it chooses. But we pray that the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God may shine in our hearts, and that the
Spirit of God may dwell in our imaginations, and lead them to
contemplate the things of God; for “as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”4060
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