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| He Briefly Repeats the Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis (Ch. I.), and Confesses that We See It by the Divine Spirit.
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Chapter XXXIV.—He Briefly Repeats
the Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis (Ch. I.), and Confesses
that We See It by the Divine Spirit.
49. We have also examined what Thou willedst
to be shadowed forth, whether by the creation, or the description
of things in such an order. And we have seen that things severally
are good, and all things very good,1428
in Thy Word, in Thine
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 didst begin to execute in time the things
predestinated, that Thou mightest make manifest things hidden, and
adjust our disorders (for our sins were over us, and we had sunk
into profound darkness away from thee, and Thy good Spirit was
borne over us to help us in due season), Thou didst both justify
the ungodly,1429
and didst
divide them from the wicked; and madest firm the authority of Thy
Book between those above, who would be docile unto Thee, and those
under, who would be subject unto them; and Thou didst collect the
society of unbelievers into one conspiracy, in order that the zeal
of the faithful might appear, and that they might bring forth works
of mercy unto Thee, even distributing unto the poor 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 preferred by spiritual gifts; and
then again, for the instruction of the unbelieving Gentiles, didst
Thou out of corporeal matter produce the sacraments and visible
miracles, and sounds of words according to the firmament of Thy
Book, by which the faithful should be blessed. Next didst Thou form
the living soul of the faithful, through affections ordered by the
vigour of continency; and afterwards, the mind subjected to Thee
alone, and needing to imitate no human authority,1430
| 1430 See p. 165, note 2, above. | Thou didst
renew after Thine image and likeness; and didst subject its
rational action to the excellency of the understanding, as the
woman to the man; and to all Thy ministries, necessary for the
perfecting of the faithful in this life, Thou didst will that, for
their temporal uses, good things, fruitful in the future time,
should be given by the same faithful.1431
| 1431 “The peace of heaven,” says Augustin in his
De Civ. Dei, xix. 17, “alone can be truly called and
esteemed the peace of the reasonable creatures, consisting as it
does in the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God, and
of one another in God. When we shall have reached that peace, this
mortal life shall give place to one that is eternal, and our body
shall be no more this animal body which by its corruption weighs
down the soul, but a spiritual body feeling no want, and in all its
members subjected to the will.” See p. 111, note 8 (end),
above. | We behold all these things, and
they are very good, because Thou dost see them in us,—Thou who
hast given unto us Thy Spirit, whereby we might see them, and in
them love Thee.
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