6. If this Queen ye see not,
now rich also with royal progeny. If she see not that fulfilled
which she heard to have been promised, she, unto whom it was said,
“Hear, O daughter, and see.” If she hath not left the ancient
rites of the world, she, unto whom it was said, “Forget thy own
people and thy Father’s house.” If she confesses not every
where Christ the Lord, she, unto whom it was said, “The King hath
desired thy beauty, for He is the Lord thy God.” If she sees not
the cities of the nations pour forth prayers and offer gifts unto
Christ, concerning Whom it was said unto her, “There shall
worship Him the daughters of Tyre with gifts.” If the pride also
of the rich is not laid aside, and they do not entreat help of the
Church, unto whom it was said, “Thy face shall all the rich of
the people entreat.” If He acknowledges not the King’s
daughter, unto Whom she was bidden to say, “Our Father Who art in
Heaven;”1664
and in her
saints in the inner man she is not
renewed from day to day,
concerning whom it was said, “All the
glory of that King’s
daughter is within:” although she strike upon the
eyes of them
also that are without with the blaze
1665
| 1665 Ben. conj.
“fulgente,” for
“fulgentes.” |
of the
fame of her
preachers, in
diversity of
tongues, as “in fringes of
gold, and
raiment of
divers colors.” If there be not, now that His
fame is spread
abroad in every place by His good
odor,
1666
virgins also brought unto
Christ
to be
consecrated, of Whom it is said, and to Whom it is said,
“There shall be brought unto the King the
virgins after her, her
companions shall be brought unto Thee.” And that they might not
seem to be brought like captives, into some, as it were,
prison, he
says, “They shall be brought in
joy and
gladness, they shall be
brought into the King’s
temple.” If she brings not forth sons,
that of them she may have, as it were, fathers, whom she may
appoint unto herself every where as
rulers, she, unto whom it is
said, “Instead of thy fathers there are
born unto thee sons, thou
shall set them as
princes over the whole
earth:” unto whose
prayers their mother both preferred and made subject, commends
herself, “They shall be mindful of thy name, even from generation
to generation.” If, by reason of the
preaching of those same
fathers, wherein they have without ceasing made mention of her
name, there are not so great multitudes in her gathered together,
and without end in their own
tongues unto her confess the
praise of
grace, unto whom it is said, “Therefore shall the people confess
unto thee for ever, and for ever and ever.” If these things are
not so shown to be clear, as that the
eyes of
enemies find not in
what direction to turn aside, where the same clearness strikes them
not, so as by it to be obliged to confess what is evident: you
perhaps assert with reason, that no
proofs are shown to you, by
seeing which you may believe those things also which you see not.
But if those things, which you see, both have been foretold long
before, and are so clearly fulfilled; if the truth itself makes
itself clear to you, by effects
1667
| 1667 The Prophecy might be called an
“effect” as well as its fulfillment; or read
“verbis,” for “vobis,” “clear by words
going before and effects following after.” For further
illustration see St. Aug. on Ps. 45. |
going before and following after,
O remnant of unbelief, that ye may believe the things which you see
not, blush at those things which ye see.
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