manner of speaking in many places of God's scriptures. What else, after all, is
Book I 61 works of the six days?" And they also point to the Lord's own evidence, where he says: My Father is working up until now (Jn 5:17), and on the strength of this they take in many unlearned people, whom they are trying to convince that the New Testament contradicts the Old.
But the people to whom the Lord says, My Father is working up until now, had over-literal ideas according to the flesh about God's resting, and by observing the sabbath in an over-literal way according to the flesh, they failed to see what was represented by the real meaning of that day. ln the same way these people, though with a quite contrary intention, fail equally to understand the sacramental significance of the sabbath. Thus both have been ignorant of what the sabbath really is, the former by observing it over-literally according to the flesh, the latter by being over-literal in their detestation of it according to the flesh. So then, let each and every one of them cross over to Christ so that the veil may be taken off (2 Cor 3 : 1 6), as the apostle says. The veil is taken off, you see, when the covering of comparison and allegory is taken off, so that the naked truth can be seen.
34. So then, the first thing to be done is to notice and learn the rule for this manner of speaking in many places of God's scriptures. What else, after all, is signified when God is said to have rested from all his works, which he had made very good, but the rest which he is going to give us from all our works, if we too have done good works? lt is in accordance with this figure of speech that the apostle also says: For we do not know what we shouldprayfor as we ought; but the Spirit himselfpleadsfor us with inexpressible groans (Rom 8:26). The Holy Spirit, after all, doesn't groan, as though he were in want or in sore straits, seeing that he intercedes for the saints at God's behest; but he is said to do so himself because he moves us to turn our groanings into prayers, which we only do as moved to it by him.
lt is the same with that other text: The LordyourGod is testing you, in order to know ifyou love him (Dt 13:3). lt is not, you see, in order to know this himself, from whom nothing is hidden, but it' s in order to make us know how much prog ress we have made in loving him that he permits us to be tried and tested. It is in accordance with the same manner of speaking that our Lord also says about the end of the world that he doesn't know the day and the hour.28 Can there be anything, after all, that he is ignorant of? But because it was in the interests of his disciples to withhold this knowledge from them, he said that he didn't know, because by not telling them he caused them not to know.29
Those who are familiar with this figure of speech can invoke it to solve many apparent problems in the divine scriptures without any difficulty.
28. See Mt 24:36. 29. 1n accordance with the same style he also said that the Father alone knows the very day, because he made the Son know it.