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| Psalm xxii. 16, &c. Majesty of His birth and death. Confusion of oracles and demons in Egypt.
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§37. Psalm xxii. 16, &c. Majesty of His birth and
death. Confusion of oracles and demons in Egypt.
Or who among those recorded in Scripture was
pierced in the hands and feet, or hung at all upon a tree, and was sacrificed on a
cross for the salvation of all? For Abraham died, ending his life on a
bed; Isaac and Jacob also died with their feet raised on a bed; Moses
and Aaron died on the mountain; David in his house, without being the
object of any conspiracy at the hands of the people; true, he was
pursued by Saul, but he was preserved unhurt. Esaias was sawn asunder,
but not hung on a tree. Jeremy was shamefully treated, but did not die
under condemnation; Ezechie suffered, not however for the people, but
to indicate what was to come upon the people. 2. Again, these, even
where they suffered, were men resembling all in their common nature;
but he that is declared in Scripture to suffer on behalf of all is
called not merely man, but the Life of all, albeit He was in fact like
men in nature. For “ye shall299
| 299 Cf. 35.
2, and 34. 3. | see,” it
says, “your Life hanging before your eyes;” and “who
shall declare his generation?” For one can ascertain the
genealogy of all the saints, and declare it from the beginning, and of
whom each was born; but the generation of Him that is the Life the
Scriptures refer to as not to be declared. 3. Who then is he of whom
the Divine Scriptures say this? Or who is so great that even the
prophets predict of him such great things? None else, now, is found in
the Scriptures but the common Saviour of all, the Word of God, our Lord
Jesus Christ. For He it is that proceeded from a virgin and appeared as
man on the earth, and whose generation after the flesh cannot be
declared. For there is none that can tell His father after the flesh,
His body not being of a man, but of a virgin alone; 4. so that no one
can declare the corporal generation of the Saviour from a man, in the
same way as one can draw up a genealogy of David and of Moses and of
all the patriarchs. For He it is that caused the star also to mark the
birth of His body; since it was fit that the Word, coming down from
heaven, should have His constellation also from heaven, and it was
fitting that the King of Creation when He came forth should be openly
recognized by all creation. 5. Why, He was born in Judæa, and men
from Persia came to worship Him. He it is that even before His
appearing in the body won the victory over His demon adversaries and a
triumph over idolatry. All heathen at any rate from every region,
abjuring their hereditary tradition and the impiety of idols, are now
placing their hope in Christ, and enrolling themselves under Him, the
like of which you may see with your own eyes. 6. For at no other time
has the impiety of the Egyptians ceased, save when the Lord of all,
riding as it were upon a cloud, came down there in the body and brought
to nought the delusion of idols, and brought over all to Himself, and
through Himself to the Father. 7. He it is that was crucified before
the sun and all creation as witnesses, and before those who put Him to
death: and by His death has salvation come to all, and all creation
been ransomed. He is the Life of all, and He it is that as a sheep
yielded His body to death as a substitute, for the salvation of all,
even though the Jews believe it not.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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