Chapter IX.—God’s Love for the Flesh of Man, as Developed in the Grace of Christ Towards It. The Flesh the Best Means of Displaying the Bounty and Power of God.

To recapitulate, then: Shall that very flesh, which the Divine Creator formed with His own hands in the image of God; which He animated with His own afflatus, after the likeness of His own vital vigour; which He set over all the works of His hand, to dwell amongst, to enjoy, and to rule them; which He clothed with His sacraments and His instructions; whose purity He loves, whose mortifications He approves; whose sufferings for Himself He deems precious;—(shall that flesh, I say), so often brought near to God, not rise again?  God forbid, God forbid, (I repeat), that He should abandon to everlasting destruction the labour of His own hands, the care of His own thoughts, the receptacle of His own Spirit,59    Afflatus. the queen of His creation, the inheritor of His own liberality, the priestess of His religion, the champion of His testimony, the sister of His Christ! We know by experience the goodness of God; from His Christ we learn that He is the only God, and the very good. Now, as He requires from us love to our neighbour after love to Himself,60    Matt. xxii. 37–40. so He will Himself do that which He has commanded. He will love the flesh which is, so very closely and in so many ways, His neighbour—(He will love it), although infirm, since His strength is made perfect in weakness;61    2 Cor. xii. 9. although disordered, since “they that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick;”62    Luke v. 31. although not honourable, since “we bestow more abundant honour upon the less honourable members;”63    1 Cor. xii. 23. although ruined, since He says, “I am come to save that which was lost;”64    Luke xix. 10. although sinful, since He says, “I desire rather the salvation of the sinner than his death;”65    Ezek. xviii. 23. although condemned, for says He, “I shall wound, and also heal.”66    Deut. xxxii. 39. Why reproach the flesh with those conditions which wait for God, which hope in God, which receive honour from God, which He succours? I venture to declare, that if such casualties as these had never befallen the flesh, the bounty, the grace, the mercy, (and indeed) all the beneficent power of God, would have had no opportunity to work.67    Vacuisset.

CAPUT IX.

Igitur, ut retexam quam Deus manibus suis ad imaginem Dei struxit, quam de suo adflatu ad similitudinem suae vivacitatis animavit, quam incolatui, fructui, dominatui, totius suae operationis praeposuit, quam sacramentis suis disciplinisque vestivit: cujus munditias amat, cujus castigationes probat, cujus passiones sibi adpretiat; haeccine non resurget totiens 0807B Dei? Absit, absit , ut Deus manuum suarum operam ingenii sui curam, adflatus sui vaginam, molitionis suae reginam, liberalitatis suae haeredem, religionis suae sacerdotem, testimonii sui militem, Christi sui sororem, in aeternum destituat interitum! Bonum Deum novimus; solum optimum a Christo ejus addiscimus; qui dilectionem mandans, post suam, in proximum, faciet et ipse quod praecepit: diliget carnem, tot modis sibi proximam, etsi infirmam (Matth. XXVI, 41); sed virtus in infirmitate perficitur (II Cor., XII, 9); etsi imbecillam; sed medicum non desiderant, nisi male habentes (Matth. XXII); etsi inhonestam; sed inhonestioribus majorem circumdamus honorem (II Cor., XII); etsi perditam; sed ego,0807C inquit, veni ut quod periit salvum faciam (Luc., V); etsi peccatricem; sed malo mihi, inquit, salutem peccatoris, quam mortem (Ezech., XVIII); etsi damnatam; sed ego, inquit (Deut., XXXII), percutiam, et sanabo. Quid ea exprobras carni, quae Deum exspectant, quae in Deum sperant, quae honorantur ab illo, quibus subvenit? Ausim dicere, si haec carni non accidissent, 0808A benignitas, gratia, misericordia, omnis vis Dei benefica, vacuisset .