Section LXXXVIII

But the goodness of God is far greater than the malice of men, and therefore¹

the Lord does not relinquish care of them, but continually presses upon them by exhorting, terrifying, impelling, arousing, and admonishing; and those who have been entangled in errors he awakens and raises from the midst of darkness: “Awake,” he says², “thou who sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ the Lord shall shine upon thee,” that sun of resurrection who³ was begotten before the morning star and furnished life by his rays. Therefore, let no one spurn the Word, lest perhaps, unawares, he be found to have contemned himself. For Scripture says somewhere⁴: “Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the desert, where your fathers tempted me⁵ ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ, in trial.” But what is that trial? If thou desirest to learn, the Holy Spirit will explain it to thee:

“And they saw,” he says⁶, “my works for forty years. Wherefore I was offended with this generation, and I said: They always err in heart, but they have not known my ways. Therefore I swore in my wrath: If they shall enter into my rest.” Behold the threats! Behold the exhortation! Behold the punishment! Why, therefore, even now do we make God angry with us from being clement and beneficent? Why do we not open our ears to the Word and receive God as guest with pure souls? For his promise shall be in the place of immense grace and benefit if today we hear his voice. But that today increases for him with each day, so long as it is named today. Μέχρι δὲ συντελείας, καὶ ἡ σήμερον, καὶ ἡ μάθησις διαμένει. For unto the final consummation of things, both the present day and the time for learning remain.

For God vehemently⁷ loves men,

and therefore sends the Paraclete, who⁸ exhorts all men to recognize the truth.

Concerning him thou mayest rightly affirm⁹ that he wills nothing more earnestly than σώζεσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, that man be saved. Wherefore he urges and impels him to salvation, crying¹⁰: “The kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” Hence οὐκ ἀπεκρύβη τινὰς ὁ λόγος· φῶς ἐστι κοινόν, ἐπιλάμπει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· οὐδεὶς Κιμμέριος ἐν λόγῳ, “the Word passed over no one; the light is common, it shines¹¹ upon all men, and, as far as pertains to it, no one is a Cimmerian.”

By promises and threats¹², ὁ Κύριος σώζει, φόβῳ καὶ χάριτι παιδαγωγῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, “the Lord leads to salvation and instructs man by fear and grace. Why do we delay? Why do we not flee punishment? Why do we not receive the gift?” Certainly¹³,

the light which cannot be extinguished is diffused everywhere, and the West has believed in the East. This indeed was signified by a new creation.

For the Sun¹⁴ of justice, τὰ πάντα καθιππεύων, by whom all things are ridden through¹⁵, ἐπίσης περιπολεῖ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, τὸν πατέρα μιμούμενος, equally traverses the whole human race, imitating the Father, who¹⁶ causes his sun to rise upon all men and sprinkles them with the dew of truth. He translated the West to the East and, as it were, raised death crucified into life; but the divine husbandman, having rescued man from destruction, suspended him from the heavens, transferring corruption into freedom from destruction and earth into heaven… He lavishly bestows upon us an inheritance truly great and divine, and one which cannot be taken away: οὐρανίῳ διδασκαλίᾳ θεοποιῶν¹⁷ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, διδοὺς νόμους εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν γράφων αὐτούς, by heavenly doctrine making man God, giving laws into their mind and inscribing them upon their heart¹⁸.

The rationale of this most benevolent providence is this¹⁹:

πρόκειται ἀεὶ τῷ θεῷ, τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλην σώζειν, ταύτῃ καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ποιμένα ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀπέστειλεν θεός, it is always God’s purpose to save the flock of men, and therefore the good God sent the good shepherd. But the Word, having unfolded the truth, showed men the height of salvation, ὅπως ἢ μετανοήσαντες σωθῶσιν, ἢ μὴ ὑπακούσαντες, κριθῶσιν· τοῦτο τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ κήρυγμα, ὑπακούουσιν εὐαγγέλιον,

παρακουσάσῃ κριτήριον, that either, led by penance, they might obtain salvation, or, if they were unwilling to obey, they might be subject to judgment. This is the preaching of justice, which is good news to those who obey, but judgment to the disobedient.

Wherefore this exhortation²⁰ must be directed to all,

that they may be saved. Τοῦτο Χριστὸς βούλεται· ἑνὶ λόγῳ, ζωὴν σοι χαρίζεται· καὶ τίς ἐστιν οὗτος; μάθε συντόμως· λόγος ἀληθείας, λόγος ἀφθαρσίας, ὁ ἀναγεννῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς ἀλήθειαν αὐτὸν ἀναφέρων, τὸ κέντρον τῆς σωτηρίας, ὁ ἐξελαύνων τὴν φθοράν, ὁ ἐκδιώκων τὸν θάνατον, ὁ ἐν ἀνθρώποις οἰκοδομήσας νεών, ἵνα ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἱδρύσῃ τὸν θεόν. Christ wills this; and, to say it summarily, he lavishes life upon thee. But who is he? Receive it in few words: the Word of truth, the incorruptible Word, who regenerates man and leads him back to truth, the goad of salvation, who drives away destruction, who expels death, who built a temple among men that he might establish God within them.