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| The Bones and Flesh of Wisdom; The Side Out of Which the Spiritual Eve is Formed, the Holy Spirit; The Woman the Help-Meet of Adam; Virgins Betrothed to Christ.
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Chapter
VIII.—The Bones and Flesh of Wisdom; The Side Out of Which the
Spiritual Eve is Formed, the Holy Spirit; The Woman the Help-Meet of
Adam; Virgins Betrothed to Christ.
For it has been already established by no contemptible
arguments from Scripture, that the first man may be properly referred
to Christ Himself, and is no longer a type and representation and image
of the Only-begotten, but has become actually Wisdom and the Word.
For man, having been composed, like water, of
wisdom and life, has become identical with the very same untainted
light which poured into him. Whence it was that the apostle
directly referred to Christ the words which had been spoken of
Adam. For thus will it be most certainly agreed that the Church
is formed out of His bones and flesh; and it was for this cause that
the Word, leaving His Father in heaven, came down to be “joined
to His wife;”2571
and slept in the trance of His passion, and willingly suffered death
for her, that He might present the Church to Himself glorious and
blameless, having cleansed her by the laver,2572
for the receiving of the spiritual and
blessed seed, which is sown by Him who with whispers implants it in the
depths of the mind; and is conceived and formed by the Church, as by a
woman. so as to give birth and nourishment to virtue. For in this
way, too, the command, “Increase and multiply,”2573
is duly
fulfilled, the Church increasing daily in greatness and beauty and
multitude, by the union and communion of the Word who now still comes
down to us and falls into a trance by the memorial of His passion; for
otherwise the Church could not conceive believers, and give them new birth
by the laver of regeneration, unless Christ, emptying Himself for their
sake, that He might be contained by them, as I said, through the
recapitulation of His passion, should die again, coming down from
heaven, and being “joined to His wife,” the Church, should
provide for a certain power being taken from His own side, so that all
who are built up in Him should grow up, even those who are born again
by the laver, receiving of His bones and of His flesh, that is, of His
holiness and of His glory. For he who says that the bones and
flesh of Wisdom are understanding and virtue, says most rightly; and
that the side2574
is the Spirit
of truth, the Paraclete, of whom the illuminated2575
receiving are fitly born again to
incorruption. For it is impossible for any one to be a partaker
of the Holy Spirit, and to be chosen a member of Christ, unless the
Word first came down upon him and fell into a trance, in order that he,
being filled2576
| 2576
Jahn’s reading, ἀναπλησθείς. Migne has ἀναπλασθεὶς, moulded. | with the
Spirit, and rising again from sleep with Him who was laid to sleep for
his sake, should be able to receive renewal and restoration. For
He may fitly be called the side2577
of the Word, even the sevenfold Spirit
of truth, according to the prophet;2578
of whom God taking, in the trance of
Christ, that is, after His incarnation and passion, prepares a
help-meet for Him2579
—I mean
the souls which are betrothed and given in marriage to Him. For
it is frequently the case that the Scriptures thus call the assembly
and mass of believers by the name of the Church, the more perfect in
their progress being led up to be the one person and body of the
Church. For those who are the better, and who embrace the truth
more clearly, being delivered from the evils of the flesh, become, on
account of their perfect purification and faith, a church and help-meet
of Christ, betrothed and given in marriage to Him as a virgin,
according to the apostle,2580
so that receiving the pure and genuine seed of His doctrine, they may
co-operate with Him, helping in preaching for the salvation of
others. And those who are still imperfect and beginning their
lessons, are born to salvation, and shaped, as by mothers, by those who
are more perfect, until they are brought forth and regenerated unto the
greatness and beauty of virtue; and so these, in their turn making
progress, having become a church, assist in labouring for the birth and
nurture of other children, accomplishing in the receptacle of the soul,
as in a womb, the blameless will of the Word.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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