登陆注册
5214200000465

第465章

And now let us consider, with such ability as God may vouchsafe, how the saints shall be employed when they are clothed in immortal and spiritual bodies, and when the flesh shall live no longer in a fleshly but a spiritual fashion.And indeed, to tell the truth, I am at a loss to understand the nature of that employment, or, shall I rather say, repose and ease, for it has never come within the range of my bodily senses.And if I should speak of my mind or understanding, what is our understanding in comparison of its excellence? For then shall be that "peace of God which," as the apostle says, "passeth all understanding,"(1)--that is to say, all human, and perhaps all angelic understanding, but certainly not the divine.That it passeth ours there is no doubt; but if it passeth that of the angels,--and he who says ""all understanding" seems to make no exception in their favor,then we must understand him to mean thai neither we nor the angels can understand, as God understands, the peace which God Himself enjoys.Doubtless this passeth all understanding but His own.But as we shall one day be made to participate, according to our slender capacity, in His peace, both in ourselves, and with our neighbor, and with God our chief good, in this respect the angels understand the peace of God in their own measure, and men too, though now far behind them, whatever spiritual advance they have made.For we must remember how great a man he was who said, "We know in part, and we prophesy in part, until that which is perfect is come;"(2) and "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face."(3)Such also is now the vision of the holy angels, who are also called our angels, because we, being rescued out of the power of darkness, and receiving the earnest of the Spirit, are translated into the kingdom of Christ, and already begin to belong to those angels with whom we shall enjoy that holy and most delightful city of God of which we have now written so much.Thus, then, the angels of God are our angels, as Christ is God's and also ours.

They are God's, because they have not abandoned Him;they are ours, because we are their fellow-citizens.The Lord Jesus also said, "See that ye despise not one of these little ones:

for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always see the face of my Father which is in heaven."(4) As, then, they see, so shall we also see; but not yet do we thus see.Wherefore the apostle uses the words cited a little ago, "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face." This vision is reserved as the reward of our faith; and of it the Apostle John also says, "When He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."(5) "By "the face" of God we are to understand His manifestation, and not a part of the body similar to that which in our bodies we call by that name.

And so, when I am asked how the saints shall be employed in that spiritual body, I do not say what I see, but I say what Ibelieve, according to that which I read in the psalm, "I believed, therefore have I spoken."(6) I say, then, they shall in the body see God; but whether they shall see Him by means of the body, as now we see the sun, moon, stars, sea, earth, and all that is in it, that is a difficult question.For it is hard to say that the saints shall then have such bodies that they shall not be able to shut and open their eyes as they please; while it is harder still to say that every one who shuts his eyes shall lose the vision of God.

For if the prophet Elisha, though at a distance, saw his servant Gehazi, who thought that his wickedness would escape his master's observation and accepted gifts from Naaman the Syrian, whom the prophet had cleansed from his foul leprosy, how much more shall the saints in the spiritual body see all things, not only though their eyes be shut, but though they themselves be at a great distance? For then shall be "that which is perfect," of which the apostle says," We know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." Then, that he may illustrate as well as possible, by a simile, how superior the future life is to the life now lived, not only by ordinary men, but even by the foremost of the saints, he says, "When I was a child, I understood as a child, I spake as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.Now we see through a glass, darkly;but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."(1) If, then, even in this life, in which the prophetic power of remarkable men is no more worthy to be compared to the vision of the future life than childhood is to manhood, Elisha, though distant from his servant, saw him accepting gifts, shall we say that when that which is perfect is come, and the corruptible body no longer oppresses the soul, but is incorruptible and offers no impediment to it, the saints shall need bodily eyes to see, though Elisha had no need of them to see his servant? For, following the Septuagint version, these are the prophet's words: "Did not my heart go with thee, when the man came out of his chariot to meet thee, and thou tookedst his gifts?"(2)Or, as the presbyter Jerome rendered it from the Hebrew, "Was not my heart present when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee?" The prophet said that he saw this with his heart, miraculously aided by God, as no one can doubt.But how much more abundantly shall the saints enjoy this gift when God shall be all in all? Nevertheless the bodily eyes also shall have their office and their place, and shall be used by the spirit through the spiritual body.For the prophet did not forego the use of his eyes for seeing what was before them, though he did not need them to see his absent servant, and though he could have seen these present objects in spirit, and with his eyes shut, as he saw things far distant in a place where he himself was not.Far be it, then, from us to say that in the life to come the saints shall not see God when their eyes are shut, since they shall always see Him with the spirit.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编家范典夫妇部

    明伦汇编家范典夫妇部

    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。
  • 孔易阐真

    孔易阐真

    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。
  • 童子礼

    童子礼

    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。
  • 太上玄司灭罪紫府消灾法忏

    太上玄司灭罪紫府消灾法忏

    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。
  • 大般涅槃经

    大般涅槃经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 铸剑江湖(上)

    铸剑江湖(上)

    百年前,一代邪魔“九面暴魔”突现武林,因其易容绝技及魔道奇技天下无敌,以致乾坤笼罩在一片魔气之中,巧幸正道武林出现了一位力敌群魔之人——“孔孟神刀”,他终以浩然之气将“九面暴魔”驱出武林。数十年后,因“穷恶剑”为祸武林,而被“四情剑客”围剿于荒山枯野之中。
  • 褒姒秘史:美人笑

    褒姒秘史:美人笑

    褒姒本为褒城小户人家养女。然而一场战争却改变了她的一切,所爱之人战死、被人指责为妖孽。为心爱之人亦为褒城百姓,她不得不走入这世间最为繁华的周王宫。莲池边的神秘男子、心狠手辣的周国王后、匆匆逝去的丽妃以及深藏不露的姜绿萝。不被周王待见的太子宜臼对她痴狂,曾经心爱的人死而复生与她纠缠。荣宠、冷宫,一生沉浮。且看她是如何得到周天子一生的爱,凤临天下。她无心至人于死地,人却往往因她而死。她原以为她和姬宫涅可以拥有像常人那样的爱,却没有想到,这份爱情在帝王家却是那样的奢侈;它的代价是那样的大,一个国家的兴衰,全天下的百姓,还有无止尽的认命;原以为背叛了天下的所有人,就可以抓住眼前的一切;然而她却错了,背叛天下人,只会让天下人离弃姬宫涅,让他背上骂名;原来背叛了天下所有的人,只会让他们更加的不配拥有幸福;尘封近四千年的往事,娓娓道来……还原一个别样褒姒。『只谈风月,无关历史』
  • 岂有此理

    岂有此理

    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。
  • 缘来是王妃嫁到

    缘来是王妃嫁到

    她是异世而来的一缕魂,穿越千年变成了十岁小豆丁;他是受宠无比的齐王殿下;她在他命悬一线的时候救他助他,成就了他一代攻无不克战无不胜的“将军王”称号;他却在功成名就后认不出她就是豆丁“弟弟”。是可忍孰不可忍。“你不认我,我有的是哥哥认我,我还不稀罕你呢。”当“弟弟”摇身一变,变成了女子一枚,他是闪瞎了眼,“你不是会变吗?男孩变成女孩,那就让你知道‘兄弟’也能变成夫妻。”
  • 鬼王在上:王妃有喜了

    鬼王在上:王妃有喜了

    从喜欢到仇恨再到忘记要花多少年的时间?姬瑶活了三世也不知道答案。从一开始的迷迷糊糊到后来的不畏艰难,她觉得自己已经懂了这所谓的红尘姻缘,可哪知最后却落得个人散缘灭的下场。“我知道,我于她此生不负,我的红尘仅她一人而已。”——封玄奕“爱恨太重,我姬瑶这一生,不背重的东西。”——姬瑶“她十里红妆走来,顷刻间,便温暖了我的世界。”——温子然……所幸今生,我的红尘有你;若有来世,我的红尘愿不再有你!——————————————每日双更,希望大家多多支持
  • 龙渊惊虹

    龙渊惊虹

    一个来历不明的失忆少年,本是杀伐果断,冷酷非常,可却因为一个花痴少女,乱了这个江湖,亦是乱了整个世界。
  • 王子复仇记(语文新课标课外读物)

    王子复仇记(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 2011年度思想随笔排行榜版

    2011年度思想随笔排行榜版

    遴选了2011年发表在各类文学报刊上的优秀思想随笔作品,全面展现了2011年的思想随笔创作成绩及美学风貌。
  • 太上老君经律

    太上老君经律

    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。
  • 剧情之外

    剧情之外

    第一系列:即使青春留不住(苏酥)第二系列:蜀山战纪之剑侠传奇(玉无心)第三系列:琅琊榜(公孙竺)第四系列:杜拉拉追婚记(阿乐)第五系列:我的少女时代(欧阳非凡)