** Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get by Sara, vz. the one whom the Scripture calls
ST. AUGUSTIN. [Book II.
46 THE WORKS OF appeared to him, or whether the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit appeared to him. Unless, perhaps, they think that it was the Son who appeared to Abraham, because it is not written, God appeared to him, but '*the Lord appeared to him.'' For the Son seems to be called the Lord as though the name was appropriated to Him; as e.g. the apostle says, '' For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we manner of speech it was that God then uttered to the outward ears of men, especially in speaking to the first man, it is both difficult to discover, and we have not undertaken to say in this discourse. But if words alone and sounds were wrought, by which to bring about some sensible presence of God to those first men, I do not know why I should not there understand the person of God the Father, seeing that His person is manifested also in that voice, when Jesus appeared in glory on the mount before the three disciples;* and in that when the dove descended upon Him at
His baptism;? and in that where He cried to the Father concerning His own glorification, and it was answered Him, ''I have both glorified, and will glorify again.''3 Not that the voice could be wrought without the work of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (since the
But since it is found that God the Father also is called Lord in many places, —for instance, '' The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee;''" and again, '* The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand; "'® since also the Holy Spirit is found to be called Lord, as where the apostle says, 'Now the Lord is that Spirit;'' and then, lest any one should think the Son to be signified, and to be called the Spirit on account of His incorporeal substance, has gone on to say, ''And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty;'*® and no one ever doubted the Spirit of the Lord to be the Holy Spirit: therefore, neither here does it appear plainly whether it was any person of the Trinity that appeared to Abraham, or God Himself the Trinity, of which one God it is said, '' Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.''* But under the oak at Mamre he saw three men, whom he invited, and hospitably received, and ministered to them as they feasted. Yet Scripture at the beginning of that narrative does not say, three men appeared to him, but, '* The Lord appeared to him.'' And then, setting forth in due order after what manner the Lord appeared to him, it has added the account of the three men, whom Abraham invites to his hospitality in the plural number, and afterwards speaks to them in the singular number as one; and as one He promises him a son by Sara, vz. the one whom the Scripture calls iby ims 76
Trinity works indivisibly), but that such a voice was wrought as to manifest the person of the Father only; just as the 'Trinity wrought that human form from the Virgin
Mary, yet it is the person of the Son alone; for the invisible Trinity wrought the visible person of the Son alone. Neither does anything forbid us, not only to understand those words spoken to Adam as spoken by the Trinity, but also to take them as manifesting the person of that Trinity. For we are compelled to understand of the Father only, that which is said, '' This is my beloved Son.''+4
For Jesus can neither be believed nor understood to be the Son of the Holy Spirit, or even His own Son. And where the voice uttered, "'I have both glorified, and will glorify again," we confess it was only the person of the Father; since it is the answer to that word of the Lord, in which He had said, "** Father, glorify thy Son,'? which He could not say except to God the Father only, and not also to the Holy Spirit, whose Son
He was not. But here, where it is written, *'And the Lord God said to Adam,'' no reason can be given why the Trinity itself should not be understood.
19. Likewise, also, in that which is written,
Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and thy father's house,"' it is not clear whether a voice alone came to the ears of Abraham, or whether anything also appeared to his eyes. But a little while after, it is somewhat more clearly said, ''And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.''5 But. neither there is it expressly said in what form God
Lord, as in the beginning of the same narrative, *'The Lord,'' it says, '' appeared to Abraham." He invites them then, and washes their feet, and leads them forth at their departure, as though they were men; but he speaks as with the Lord God, whether when a son is promised to him, or when the destruction is shown to him that was impending over Sodom."
1 Matt. xvii. 5. KV 2 Matt, iii. 17. 4 Matt. iii. 17. ii
3 John xii. 28. 5 Gen. xii. 1, 7.
8 Ps. cx. 1. 7S. Mere 11 Gen, xviii. 6 x Cor. viii. 5, 6. : 10 Deut. vi. 13. 9 2 Cor, 1ii. 17.