登陆注册
5214200000347

第347章

For it is said of it in the Psalms, "And He led me forth out of the lake of misery, and from the miry clay."3Malachi, foretelling the Church which we now behold propagated through Christ, says most openly to the Jews, in the person of God, "I have no pleasure in you, and I will not accept a gift at your hand.For from the rising even to the going down of the sun, my name is great among the nations; and in every place sacrifice shall be made, and a pure oblation shall be offered unto my name: for my name shall be great among the nations, saith the Lord."(4)Since we can already see this sacrifice offered to God in every place, from the rising of the sun to his going down, through Christ's priesthood after the order of Melchisedec, while the Jews, to whom it was said, "I have no pleasure in you, neither will I accept a gift at your hand," cannot deny that their sacrifice has ceased, why do they still look for another Christ, when they read this in the prophecy, and see it fulfilled, which could not be fulfilled except through Him? And a little after he says of Him, in the person of God, "My covenant was with Him of life and peace: and I gave to Him that He might fear me with fear, and be afraid before my name.The law of truth was in His mouth: directing in peace He hath walked with me, and hath turned many away from iniquity.For the Priest's lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at His mouth: for He is the Angel of the Lord Almighty."(5) Nor is it to be wondered at that Christ Jesus is called the Angel of the Almighty God.For just as He is called a servant on account of the form of a servant in which He came to men, so He is called an angel on account of the evangel which He proclaimed to men.For if we interpret these Greek words, evangel is "good news," and angel is "messenger."Again he says of Him, "Behold I will send mine angel, and He will look out the way before my face: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into His temple, even the Angel of the testament, whom ye desire.Behold, He cometh, saith the Lord Almighty, and who shall abide the day of His entry, or who shall stand at His appearing?"(6) In this place he has foretold both the first and second advent of Christ: the first, to wit, of which he says, "And He shall come suddenly into His temple;"that is, into His flesh, of which He said in the Gospel, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again."(7)And of the second advent he says, "Behold, He cometh, saith the Lord Almighty, and who shall abide the day of His entry, or who shall stand at His appearing?" But what he says, "The Lord whom ye seek, and the Angel of the testament whom ye desire,"just means that even the Jews, according to the Scriptures which they read, shall seek and desire Christ.But many of them did not acknowledge that He whom they sought and desired had come, being blinded in their hearts, which were preoccupied with their own merits.Now what he here calls the testament, either above, where he says, "My testament had been with Him," or here, where he has called Him the Angel of the testament, we ought, beyond a doubt, to take to be the new testament, in which the things promised are eternal, and not the old, in which they are only temporal.Yet many who are weak are troubled when they see the wicked abound in such temporal things, because they value them greatly, and serve the true God to be rewarded with them.On this account, to distinguish the eternal blessedness of the new testament, which shall be given only to the good, from the earthly felicity of the old, which for the most part is given to the bad as well, the same prophet says, "Ye have made your words burdensome to me: yet ye have said, In what have we spoken ill of Thee? Ye have said, Foolish is every one who serves God; and what profit is it that we have kept His observances, and that we have walked as suppliants before the face of the Lord Almighty? And now we call the aliens blessed; yea, all that do wicked things are built up again;yea, they are opposed to God and are saved.They that feared the Lord uttered these reproaches every one to his neighbor: and the Lord hearkened and heard; and He wrote a book of remembrance before Him, for them that fear the Lord and that revere His name."(1) By that book is meant the New Testament.Finally, let us hear what follows: "And they shall be an acquisition for me, saith the Lord Almighty, in the day which I make; and I will choose them as a man chooseth his son that serveth him.And ye shall return, and shall discern between the just and the unjust, and between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.For, behold, the day cometh burning as an oven, and it shall burn them up; and all the aliens and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that shall come will set them on fire, saith the Lord Almighty, and shall leave neither root nor branch.And unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, and health shall be in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and exult as calves let loose from bonds.And ye shall tread down the wicked, and they shall be ashes under your feet, in the day in which I shall do [this], saith the Lord Almighty."(2) This day is the day of judgment, of which, if God will, we shall speak more fully in its own place.

CHAP.36.--ABOUT ESDRAS AND THE BOOKS OF

THE MACCABEES.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 大学生必知的重要历史人物

    大学生必知的重要历史人物

    本书讲述了上起公元前 9世纪的行吟诗人荷马,下迄20世纪中华人民共和国的缔造者、伟领袖毛泽东。从中我们可以领略到开国元勋的王者风范,思想家的深邃睿智,政治家的宦海浮沉,文学家的沧桑人生,艺术家的独具匠心,科学家的智慧灵感及施行探险家的神奇经历……
  • 关于你的我都退让

    关于你的我都退让

    谁年轻的时候没有那么一丢丢冲动呢?这个故事关乎我的青春,是我最宝贵,最美好的回忆。
  • THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

    THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 补天

    补天

    陈其一夜里做了好几个梦,但醒过来的时候,一个梦也没有想起来。陈其一还在努力地回忆夜里的梦境,希望能回想起点儿什么来。这个时候,王彪对着正前方的一辆大卡车破口大骂:“这瞎贼日的!”随即急促地摁起了喇叭。寂静就这样被打破了,大家都从低迷的思维中清醒过来,伸着头去看这个堵在路中央的庞然大物,它不偏不倚地站在路中间,没有争辩,任人去诽谤和诬陷。雨下得有气无力,路面上裸露出几块灰色的大石头,凸凹不平的土路上到处是湿漉漉的煤渣。“咋办?”王彪朝坐在副驾驶座的陈其一望去,征求他的意见。
  • 惑乱帝心

    惑乱帝心

    如果爱一个人必须得卑微的话,那我也甘愿卑微!
  • 电影大师

    电影大师

    从坏小子到男子汉,从无名小卒到全球偶像。从一个天才少年到一个电影大师,要走过多少路。无愧情义,无悔青春,追逐梦想,对抗世界,要做到多少事。“原始部落尊敬讲故事的人,但是如果他的故事没讲好,他们就会杀了他,然后当晚餐吃掉。”叶惟不想被吃掉,当踏上电影之路那一刻,就注定是个独一无二的传奇。一个电影大师正在崛起。
  • 魔王的神医王后

    魔王的神医王后

    他是大陆最富强的中斯国的三皇子,传闻他帅气逼人,但却冷酷无情,不近女色,甚至杀人不眨眼…而他亦是大陆组织魔域的域主,一双紫色双眸,深邃,迷人,一袭银色面具,遮盖了他的王者风华…她是大陆人人皆知的丞相府的三小姐,传闻她丑如鬼魅,而且无半分灵力,还花痴的要命…可谁人又知,她是大陆组织暗楼的最高掌舵,一身白色衣裙,圣洁,高贵,一袭白色面纱,掩饰了她的绝代美貌…她以为他是无情无爱的“魔王”,却不曾想遇到她之后是个用情至深,入得厅堂,下得厨房,当得了奶爸的极品好男人……他以为她是世人皆传的“废物”,却不曾想她是来自现代21世纪的新新人类,古灵精怪,爱憎分明的调皮小鬼……他们的初次相遇究竟是命中注定,还是缘分使然,一见钟情,曾经自以为遥不可及,却真真实实,或许,那是来自灵魂深处的依依眷恋…前世,今生,缘起缘尽,是携手共进,还是擦肩而过?只能说,问世间情为何物,直教人生死相许,看他们两个就是真谛…他为她,弱水三千只取一瓢怎样?她为他,拒绝若干桃花又有何妨?他曾许她太平天下,所以甘愿颠覆世界她愿与他执子之手,陪他站在世界巅峰绝世强者,超强萌宠,三个举世无双的小萝卜头,拉开了盛世巅峰的帷幕…….本文绝宠,无虐,无误会,男女主角身心干净,宠物超萌,孩子超可爱,期待不?期待的话,就留言,收藏,推荐吧,爱你们,么么哒…
  • 地狱蝴蝶

    地狱蝴蝶

    余丽虹拉着皮箱走下出租车,拿出钥匙正要开门,却见门虚掩着。她心里诧异,老公也太大意了,竟忘了锁门?推门进屋,余丽虹突然看到眼前飘起一片黑云,黑云层层叠叠地朝着她扑过来,像一片诡异可怕的黑斗篷,又如招魂时飞扬的纸钱一般。余丽虹捂住胸口后退两步,定定神,见竟然是黑色的蝴蝶。无数只黑蝴蝶扑扇着翅膀,大的像婴儿手掌,小的如同豆粒,它们瞪着猩红的眼睛,看上去极为恐怖。余丽虹反应很快,后退两步打开大门,然后脱下外套抡起来,往外轰着这些蝴蝶。可这些黑蝴蝶似乎格外留恋她的居所,它们朝墙上撞着,沿着楼梯上楼,不停地飞舞,却逃避着窗口。
  • 天唐娱乐指南

    天唐娱乐指南

    “砰”一声,罗励的额头狠狠的撞在青砖墙壁上,在墙壁上留下了一朵凄美的血色娇花。壮汉们打……
  • 竹马殿下太太太妖孽

    竹马殿下太太太妖孽

    【男强女强eve】作为世界精英组中的杀手成员,萄荀拥有着惊人的身手与敏锐的洞察力,一次任务,她被迫来到星恩学院,却意外的发现对方是她失散多年的青梅竹马……可是,谁能告诉她,为什么时隔八年,这个家伙摇身一变居然成了她的未婚夫?!而且一言不合就对她壁咚床咚地板咚,什么鬼!【校园杀手+青梅竹马】【日更√原创√禁止转载与改写】