Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 4: The Writings Of Clement Of Alexandria, Volume 1

발행: 1867년

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THE INSTRUCTOR 133 is learned hom Him is the stemat salvation of the eternat

having miped off the sins Whicli obscuro tho light of tho Divino Spirit, havo the eys os the spirit irae, unimpeded, and fuit os light, by which alone we contemplate the Divine, the Hesy Spirit flowing down in us hom above. This is thoeternal adjustment of tho vision, Which is able is seo the eternal

and the daanem comprehendeth him noti There is nothingintermediate betwoen light and datanem. But the end is reserved illi tho resurrection of those Who bellove; and itis not the reception of some other thing, but the obtainingos the promise previo ly made. For me do not say that both take place together at the fame time-both the a valat the end, and the anticipation of that arrivia. For eterni and time are not the fame, netther is the attempi and tho final rosuit; but both have reference to the fame thino indone and the fame person is concerned in both. Falth, in tospeis, is the attempt generaled in time ; the finia result is theattainment of the promise, secured for eterni . NoW the

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134THE INSTRUCTOR

but haring in anticipation grasped by faith that whieli is

future, after the resurrection Me receive ii as present, in order

and the consummation of the promise is rest. So that in illumination What we receivo is knowledge, and the end of knowle o is rest ho last thing conceived as the object os aspiration. As, then, inexperience comes to an en d by eXperiene

and perplexi by finding a clear ouilet, so by illumination

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to Christ, stat me miot be justified by faith; but altor that

consem stat tho spirit in repentanee retraces ita ster. In the fame Way, thereiore, me also, Tepenting of our sim, renouncing our iniquities, purised by baptism, speed bach totho Mornal light, ehildren to the Fassier. Jesus the fore, rejoicing in spirit, said: I thank Thoo, o Father, God of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid theso things imm tho

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136mE INSTRUCTOR

Wise and prudent, and hast reveHod them to babes; Vin tho

stature, nor a definite measure of time, nor additional secretteachings in things that are manly and more perfeci, that the ostie, Who himself professes to bo a preacher of childistiness, alludes to When he sends it, as it mere, into banishment; buthe applies the name chilhen ' to those Who are under thelaw, Who are terrified by fear as children are is buoears; and mon V to us who are obedient to the Word and mastersos oursolves, who have belleved, and are saved is voluntarychoice, and are rationalty, not irrationaliri frightened by terror.

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138TNE INSTRUCTOR.

maho out some sucii sonse as this : I have instructed Du in Christ missi simple, true, and natural nourishment, amely, that whieli is spirituat: for such is the nourishing substance of milh s olling out from breans os love. So that the wholematter may be conceived thus: As nurses nourish ne bornchildren on milia, so do I also by tho Word, the milh of Christ, instilling into you spiritual nutriment. Thus, thon, the milh Which is perfect is perfeci nonrishment, and brings to that consummation Whicli cannot cease.

Where ore also the samo milh and honey mero promised in the rest. Rightly, therefore, the Lord again promises millito the righteous, that the Word mav bo ciearly inown to bo

you as unio spirituat, but as unio carnes, eum as unis babes

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man glory in his might; but let him stat glorieth glory in tho

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140 THE INSTRUCTOR.

and as meat, faith, whicli hom instruction is compacted intoa foundation, Whicli, being moro substantiat than hearing, is lihonod to meat, and assimilates to tho soul iraeli nourishmentos this hind. Elso hero the Lord, in the Gospei accordingto Jolin, brought this out by symbols, when He said : Eat

metaphor the drinhabio properties os salth and the promise, is means os whicli the Church, liho a human being consistingos many members, is refreshed and νοWs, is meided togetherand compacted os both, i faith, whicli is the body, and of hope, Which is the foui; as also the Lord os flesh and blood. For in reality the bl ood of saith is hopo, in Whieli faith is holdas by a vitai principie. And when hope expires, it is as is biood flowed fortit; and tho vitality of faith is destroyed. Ιη then,

Some Mould oppose, saying that by milh is meant tho sint lessons-as it mere, tho fidit Aod-and that by meat is meant thoso spirituat cognitions to Whicli they attain by riasingiliemselves to knowledge, let them understand that, in saying that meat is solid sood, and tho flesh and blood of Jesus, they are brought by their oKn vainglorious Wisdom to thotrue simplici . For the blood is found to be in originalproduci in man, and somo havo consequently ventured to callit tho substance of the foui. And this biood, transmuted by a natural process of assimilation in the preman of thomother, through the sympathy of parental assection, efforeseos and grows old, in order that there may be no fear for tho

sent through the navel of the mollier, or Whether it bo thomenses themsolves aliut out froin their proper passage, andis a natural diffusion, bidden by the all-nourishing and crea ing God, proceed to the already s elling breasis, and by thoheat of the spirita transmuted, fwhester it bo the one or thootheri that is formod into food destrabis for tho babe, that whieli is changed is tho blood. For of ali the members, tho breasis have the most sympathy with the womb. When

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Boox LJME INSTRUCTOR 141 there is parturition, the vesset by Which blood was conveyedio the scelus is cui off: there is an obstruction of the MW, and the blood receives an impulso toWards the breasta; and on a considerable rusti taking place, they ars distended, and change tho blood to milh in a manner analogous tothe chango os blood into pus in ulceration. Or is, on thoother hand, tho blood from the volns in the vicini of thebre is, Which have been opened in pregnancy, is poured into the natural hollows os tho breasis; and tho spirit discliargedfrom the neto uring arteries being mixed with it, the substance of tho blood, stili remaining pure, it becomes Whiteis being agitated like a Wave; and by an interruption inchas this is changed by hothing it, lihe What tahes place Withthe sea, Whicli at the assauits of the Winds, the poets say, spita fortii briny laam.' Yet stili tho essence is supplied

by the bl d.

In this Way also tho rivere, borne on milli rushing motion, and fretted by contact with the surrounding air, murmur forth Mam. The moisture in Our mouth, too, is Whitened by tho brinth. What an absurdity is it, then, not to achno ledgethat tho Nood is converted into that very bright and whito substanco by tho breathi The change it suffers is in quali , not in essenco. You Will certainly find nothing elae more nourishing, or SW ter, or Whiter than milh. In every respect, accordingly, it is like spiritual nourishment, Whicli is sweet

throuo grace, nourishing as lite, bright M tho day of Christ. o blood of tho Word has been also exhibited as missi. vi Ming thus provided in parturition, is supplied to the insant; and tho breasts, whicli tili then looked struight i

y me emendation ἀπολερυις is adopted instead of the reading in tho

text.

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