cerning wisdom is declared or narrated in the wisely; although the Father also is wisdom,
108 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Book VII.
form of God and as equal with God and as God; so, in order that He might also give Himself as an example of returning to fallen man, who on account of the uncleanness of sins and the punishment of mortality,cannot_ see. God, ''He emptied Himself;'' not by changing His own divinity, but by assuming our changeableness: and "' taking upon Him the form of aservant,''?? °* He came to us into this world,"® who ''was in this warld," because ''the world was made by Him;"? that He might be an example upwards to those who see God, an example downwards to those who admire man, an example to the sound to persevere, an example to the sick to be made whole, an example to those who are to die that they may not fear, an example to . the dead that they may rise again, "' that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.''" So that, because man ought not to follow any except God to blessedness, and yet cannot perceive God; by following God made man, he might follow at once Him whom he could perceive, and whom he ought to follow. Let us then love Him and cleave to Him, by charity spread abroad in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." It is not therefore to be wondered at, if, on ac- © count of the example which the Image, which is equal to the Father, gives to us, in order that we may be refashioned after the image of God, Scripture, when it speaks of wisdom, speaks of the Son, whom we follow by living wisely; although the Father also is wisdom, as He is both light and God.
of life. For '' with Thee,'' He says, "'is the fountain of life, and in Thy light shall we see light.''* Because, ''as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself:" ? and, °' He was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world:'' and this light, °° the Word," was ''with God;'' but '' the Word also was God;''3 and '' God is light, and in
Him is no darkness at all:''4 but a light that is not corporeal, but spiritual; yet not in such way spiritual, that it was wrought by illumination, as it was said to the apostles,
Ye are the light of the world, "'5 but °"' the light which lighteth every man,'' that very supreme wisdom itself who is God, of whom we now treat. The Son therefore is Wisdom of wisdom, namely the Father, as He is Light of light, and God of God; so that both the Father singly is light, and the Son singly is light; and the Father singly is God, and the Son singly is God: therefore the Father also singly is wisdom, and the Son singly is wisdom. And as both together are one light and one God, so both are one wisdom. But the Son is '*by God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification;''® because we turn ourselves to Him in time, that is, from some particular time, that we may remain with Him for ever. And He Himself from a certain time was "'the Word made flesh, and dwelt among us."'
5. On this account, then,when anything concerning wisdom is declared or narrated in the Scriptures, whether as itself speaking, or where anything is spoken of it, the Son chiefly is intimated to us. And by the example of Him who is the image, let us also not depart from God, since we also are the Image of God: not indeed that which is equal to Him, since we are made so by the Father through the Son, and not born of the Father, as that is. And we are so, because we are enlightened with light; but that is so, because it is the light that enlightens; and which, therefore, being without pattern, is to us a pattern. For He does not imitate any one going before Him, in respect to the Father, from whom He is never separable at all, since He is the very same substance with Him from whom
6. The Holy Spirit also, whether we are to call Him that absolute love which joins together Father and Son, and joins us also from beneath, that so that is not unfitly said which is written, '* God is love;"'" how is He not also Himself wisdom, since He is light, because *'God is light"? or whether after any other way the essence of the Holy Spirit is to be singly and properly named; then, too, since He is God, He is certainly light; and since He is light, He is certainly wisdom. But that the Holy Spirit is God, Scripture proclaims by the apostle, who says, '' Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?" and immediately subjoins, ''And the Spirit of God dwelleth in you;"™ for God dwelleth in His own temple. For the Spirit of God does not dwell in the temple of God as a servant, since he says more plainly in another place,
He is. But we by striving imitate Him who abides, and follow Him who stands still, and walking in Him, reach out towards Him; because He is made for us a way in time by His humiliation, which is to us an eternal abiding-place by His divinity. For since to pure intellectual spirits, who have not fallen through pride, He gives an example in tHe
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
TPhaily ii, 72
Sir Dim. iors. 9 John i. ro, 1r Rom, v. 5. 12x John iv. 8.
I Ps, xxxvi. 9. 2 pene Viena 5 3 John i. 9, 1. 41x John i. 5. Matt. v. 14. i. 3 6 x Cor. i. 30.
10 Col. i. 18. 43x Cor. ili. 36,