5. For us then, what are we? Already we are begotten of Him; but because we are such in hope, he saith, “Beloved, now are we sons of God.” Now already? Then what is it we look for, if already we are sons of God? “And not yet,” saith he, “is it manifested what218    Quid erimus. Vulg. τί ἐσόμεθα. Enarr. in Psa. xxxvii. 2, § 8, quod erimus, ὅ τι: so St. Jerome in Epist. Epiphan. “the thing which we shall be is not yet made manifest.” we shall be.” But what else shall we be than sons of God? Hear what follows: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” Understand, my beloved. It is a great matter: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” In the first place mark, what is called “Is.” Ye know what it is that is so called. That which is called “Is,” and not only is called but is so, is unchangeable: It ever remaineth, It cannot be changed, It is in no part corruptible: It hath neither proficiency, for It is perfect; nor hath deficiency, for It is eternal. And what is this? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”219    John i. 1. And what is this? “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”220    Phil. ii. 6. To see Christ in this sort, Christ in the form of God, Word of God, Only-Begotten of the Father, equal with the Father, is to the bad impossible. But in regard that the Word was made flesh, the bad also shall have power to see Him: because in the day of judgment the bad also will see Him; for He shall so come to judge, as He came to be judged. In the selfsame form, a man, but yet God: for “cursed is every one that putteth his trust in man.” 221    Jer. xvii. 5. A man, He came to be judged, a man, He will come to judge. And if He shall not be seen, what is this that is written, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced?”222    John xix. 37. For of the ungodly it is said, that they shall see and be confounded. How shall the ungodly not see, when He shall set some on the right hand, others on the left? To those on the right hand He will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom:”223    Matt. xxv. 41. to those on the left He will say, “Go into everlasting fire.” They will see but the form of a servant, the form of God they will not see. Why? because they were ungodly; and the Lord Himself saith, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”224    Matt. v. 8. Therefore, we are to see a certain vision, my brethren, “which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man:”225    1 Cor. ii. 9. a certain vision, a vision surpassing all earthly beautifulness, of gold, of silver, of groves and fields; the beautifulness of sea and air, the beautifulness of sun and moon, the beautifulness of the stars, the beautifulness of angels: surpassing all things: because from it are all things beautiful.

5. Quid ergo nos? Jam nati sumus ex ipso; sed quia in spe sumus, Dilectissimi, inquit, nunc filii Dei sumus. Jam nunc? Quid est ergo quod exspectamus, si jam filii Dei sumus? Et nondum, inquit, manifestatum est quid erimus. Quid autem erimus aliud, quam filii Dei? Audite quid sequitur: «Scimus quia cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus; quoniam videbimus cum sicut est.» Intelligat Charitas vestra. Magna res: «Scimus quia cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus; quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est.» Jam illud attendite quid vocatur est. Nostis quid vocatur. Est quod vocatur, et non solum vocatur, sed vere est, incommutabile est; semper manet, mutari nescit, nulla ex parte corrumpitur: nec proficit, quia perfectum est; nec deficit, quia aeternum est. Et quid est hoc? In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum (Joan. I, 1). Et quid est hoc? Qui cum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est esse aequalis Deo (Philip. II, 6). Hoc modo Christum in forma Dei, Verbum Dei, Unicum Patri, aequalem Patri, non possunt videre mali. Secundum id vero quod Verbum caro factum est, poterunt et mali: quia in die judicii videbunt et mali; quia sic veniet judicaturus quomodo venerat judicandus. In ipsa forma homo, sed Deus: nam maledictus omnis qui spem suam ponit in homine (Jerem. XVII, 5). Homo venit ut judicaretur, homo veniet ut judicet. Et si non videbitur, quid est quod scriptum est, Videbunt in quem confixerunt (Joan. XIX, 37)? De impiis enim dictum est quia videbunt, et confundentur. Quomodo non videbunt impii, quando alios ponet ad dexteram, alios ad sinistram? Ad dexteram positis dicet, Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipite regnum: ad sinistram positis dicet, Ite in ignem aeternum (Matth. XXV, 34, 41). Videbunt, sed formam servi: formam Dei non videbunt. Quare? Quia impii sunt; et ipse Dominus dicit, Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt (Id. V, 8). Ergo visuri sumus quamdam visionem, fratres, quam nec oculus vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit (I Cor. II, 9): visionem quamdam, visionem praecellentem omnes pulchritudines terrenas, auri, argenti, nemorum atque camporum, pulchritudinem maris et aeris, pulchritudinem solis et lunae, pulchritudinem stellarum, pulchritudinem Angelorum, omnia superantem; quia ex ipsa pulchra sunt omnia.