11. “He ascended into heaven:” believe. “He sitteth at the right hand of the Father:” believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, “In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years.” The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time.30 1 Kings ii. 38. LXX. Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes).31 Cf. Serm. 214, n. 8. Ben. Where people are seated (in this sense), are they always sitting? Is there no rising, no walking, no lying down? And yet they are called seats (sedes). In this way, then, believe an inhabiting of Christ on the right hand of God the Father: He is there. And let not your heart say to you, What is He doing? Do not want to seek what is not permitted to find: He is there; it suffices you. He is blessed, and from blessedness which is called the right hand of the Father, of very blessedness the name is, right hand of the Father. For if we shall take it carnally, then because He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, the Father will be on His left hand. Is it consistent with piety so to put Them together, the Son on the right, the Father on the left? There it is all right-hand, because no misery is there.
CAPUT IV.
11. Sedere ad dexteram Patris, quid sit. Dextera Patris, beatitudo. Ascendit in coelum: credite. Sedet ad dexteram Patris: credite. Sedere, intelligite habitare: quomodo dicimus de quocumque homine, In illa patria sedit per tres annos. Dicit illud et Scriptura, sedisse quemdam in civitate tantum tempus (III Reg. II, 38, sec. LXX). Numquid sedit, et nunquam surrexit? Ideo hominum habitationes sedes dicuntur . Ubi habentur sedes, numquid semper sedetur? non surgitur, non ambulatur, non jacetur? et tamen sedes vocantur. Sic ergo credite habitare Christum in dextera Dei Patris: ibi est. Nec dicat vobis cor vestrum, Quid agit? Nolite quaerere quod non licet invenire: ibi est; sufficit vobis. Beatus est, et a beatitudine, quae dextera Patris vocatur, ipsius beatitudinis nomen est, dextera Patris. Nam si carnaliter acceperimus; quia sedet ad dexteram Patris, ille erit ad sinistram. Numquid fas est ut sic illos componamus, Filium ad dexteram, Patrem ad sinistram? Ibi omnis dextera est, quia nulla ibi est miseria.