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| Chapter VII. Solomon's words, “The Lord created Me,” etc., mean that Christ's Incarnation was done for the redemption of the Father's creation, as is shown by the Son's own words. That He is the “beginning” may be understood from the visible proofs of His virtuousness, and it is shown how the Lord opened the ways of all virtues, and was their true beginning.
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Chapter VII.
Solomon’s words, “The Lord created
Me,” etc., mean that Christ’s Incarnation was done for the
redemption of the Father’s creation, as is shown by the
Son’s own words. That He is the “beginning” may
be understood from the visible proofs of His virtuousness, and it is
shown how the Lord opened the ways of all virtues, and was their true
beginning.
46. Hereby we are
brought to understand that the prophecy of the Incarnation, “The
Lord created me the beginning of His ways for His
works,”2194
means that the
Lord Jesus was created of the Virgin for the redeeming of the
Father’s works. Truly, we cannot doubt that this is spoken
of the mystery of the Incarnation, forasmuch as the Lord took upon Him
our flesh, in order to save the works of His hands from the slavery of
corruption, so that He might, by the sufferings of His own body,
overthrow him who had the power of death. For Christ’s
flesh is for the sake of things created, but His Godhead existed before
them, seeing that He is before all things, whilst all things exist
together in Him.2195
47. His Godhead, then, is not by reason of
creation, but creation exists because of the Godhead; even as the
Apostle showed, saying that all things exist because of the Son of God,
for we read as follows: “But it was fitting that He,
through Whom and because of Whom are all things, after bringing many
sons to glory, should, as Captain of their salvation, be made perfect
through suffering.”2196
Has he not
plainly declared that the Son of God, Who, by reason of His Godhead,
was the Creator of all, did in after time, for the salvation of His
people, submit to the taking on of the flesh and the suffering of
death?
48. Now for the sake of what works the Lord
was “created” of a virgin, He Himself, whilst healing the
blind man, has shown, saying: “In Him must I work the works
of Him that sent Me.”2197
| 2197 S. John ix. 4. “In him” is, in our
Bible, attached to the preceding verse. |
Furthermore He said in the same Scripture, that we might believe Him to
speak of the Incarnation: “As long as I am in this world, I
am the Light of this world,”2198
for, so
far as He is man, He is in this world for a season, but as God He
exists at all times. In another place, too, He says:
“Lo, I am with you even unto the end of the
world.”2199
49. Nor is there any room for questioning
with respect to “the beginning,” seeing that when, during
His earthly life, He was asked, “Who art Thou?” He
answered: “The beginning, even as I tell
you.”2200
| 2200 S. John viii. 25. St. Ambrose’s
words: “Principium quod et loquor
vobis.” | This refers
not only to the essential nature of the eternal Godhead, but also to
the visible proofs of virtues, for hereby hath He proved Himself the
eternal God, in that He is the beginning of all things, and the Author
of each several virtue, in that He is the Head of the Church, as it is
written: “Because He is the Head of the Body, of the
Church;2201
Who is the
beginning, first-begotten from the dead.”2202
50. It is clear, then, that the words
“beginning of His
ways,” which, as it seems, we must refer to the mystery of the
putting on of His body, are a prophecy of the Incarnation. For
Christ’s purpose in the Incarnation was to pave for us the road
to heaven. Mark how He says: “I go up to My Father
and your Father, to My God and your God.”2203
Then, to give you to know that the
Almighty Father appointed His ways to the Son, after the
Incarnation,2204
| 2204
“secundum incarnationem,” “as a result
of the Incarnation.” | you have in
Zechariah the words of the angel speaking to Joshua clothed in filthy
garments: “Thus saith the Lord Almighty: If thou wilt
walk in My ways and observe My precepts.”2205
What is the meaning of that filthy
garb save the putting on of the flesh?
51. Now the ways of the Lord are, we may
say, certain courses taken in a good life, guided by Christ, Who says,
“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.”2206
The way, then, is the surpassing
power of God, for Christ, is our way, and a good way, too, is He, a way
which hath opened the kingdom of heaven to believers.2207
| 2207 Cf. the
“Te Deum,” ver. 17. | Moreover, the ways of the Lord are
straight, as it is written: “Make Thy ways known unto me, O
Lord.”2208
Chastity
is a way, faith is a way, abstinence is a way. There is, indeed,
a way of virtue, and there is a way of wickedness; for it is
written: “And see if there be any way of wickedness in
me.”2209
52. Christ, then, is the beginning of our
virtue. He is the beginning of purity, Who taught maidens not to
look for the embraces of men,2210
but to yield the
purity of their bodies and minds to the service of the Holy Spirit
rather than to a husband. Christ is the beginning of frugality,
for He became poor, though He was rich.2211
Christ is the beginning of patience,
for when He was reviled, He reviled not again, when He was struck, He
did not strike back. Christ is the beginning of humility, for He
took the form of a servant, though in the majesty of His power He was
equal with God the Father.2212
From Him
each several virtue has taken its origin.
53. For this cause, then, that we might
learn these divers virtues, “a Son was given us, Whose beginning
was upon His shoulder.”2213
| 2213 Isa. ix. 6. St. Ambrose’ version is
“Filius datus est nobis, cujus principium super humeros
ejus.” | That
“beginning” is the Lord’s Cross—the beginning
of strong courage, wherewith a way has been opened for the holy martyrs
to enter the sufferings of the Holy War.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
