Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

³ Let us then love Him, for He is sweet. “Taste and see that the Lord is sweet.” He is to be feared, but to be loved still more. He is Man and God; the One Christ is Man and God; as one man is soul and body: but God and Man are not two Persons. In Christ indeed there are two substances, God and Man; but one Person, that the Trinity may remain, and that there be not a quaternity introduced by the addition of the human nature. How then can it be that God should not have mercy upon us, for whose sake God was made Man?

Much is that which He has done already; more wonderful is that which He has done, than what He has promised; and by that which He has done, ought we to believe what He has promised. For that which He has done, we should scarcely believe, unless we also saw it. Where do we see it? In the peoples that believe, in the multitude that has been brought unto Him. For that has been fulfilled which was promised to Abraham; and from these things which we see, we believe what we do not see.

Abraham was one single man, and to him was it said, “In your seed shall all nations be blessed.” If he had looked to himself, when would he have believed? He was one single man, and was now old; and he had a barren wife, and one who was so far advanced in age, that she could not conceive, even though she had not been barren. There was nothing at all from which any hope could be drawn. But he looked to Him That gave the promise, and believed what he did not see. Lo, what he believed, we see.

Therefore from these things which we see, we ought to believe what we see not. He begot Isaac, we saw it not; and Isaac begot Jacob, and this we did not see; and Jacob begot twelve sons, and them we saw not; and his twelve sons begot the people of Israel; this great people we see. I have now begun to mention those things which we do see. Of the people of Israel was born the Virgin Mary, and she gave birth to Christ; and, lo, in Christ all nations are blessed. What more true? More certain?

More plain? Together with me, long after the world to come, you who have been gathered together out of the nations. In this world has God fulfilled His promise concerning the seed of Abraham. How shall He not give us His eternal promises, whom He has made to be Abraham's seed? For this the Apostle says: “But if you be Christ's” (they are the Apostle's words), “then are you Abraham's seed.”