9. The Son of God, therefore, having the charge of mankind, was first made man, that men might believe on Him; that He might be to us a witness, sprung from ourselves, of things Divine, and preach to us, weak and carnal as we are, through the weakness of the flesh concerning God the Father, so fulfilling the Father’s will, even as He says, I came not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me133    St. John vi. 38.. It was not that He Himself was unwilling, but that He might manifest His obedience as the result of His Father’s will, for His own will is to do His Father’s. This is that will to carry out the Father’s will of which He testifies in the words: Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee; even as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that whatsoever Thou hast given Him, He should give it eternal life. And this is life eternal, that they should know Thee the only true God, and Him Whom Thou didst send, Jesus Christ. I have glorified Thee upon earth, having accomplished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me with Thine own Self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy Name unto the men whom Thou hast given Me134    Ib. xvii. 1–6.. In words short and few He has revealed the whole task to which He was appointed and assigned. Yet those words, short and few as they are, are the true faith’s safeguard against every suggestion of the devil’s cunning. Let us briefly consider the force of each separate phrase.

9. Christi officium apud nos.---Curam ergo humani generis habens Dei filius, primum, ut sibi crederetur, homo factus est: ut testis divinarum rerum nobis esset ex nostris, perque infirmitatem carnis Deum patrem nobis infirmibus et carnalibus praedicaret, voluntatem in eo Dei patris efficiens, ut dicit: Non veni voluntatem meam facere, sed voluntatem ejus qui me misit (Joan. VI, 38), non quod nolit et ille quod faciat; sed obedientiam suam sub effectu paternae voluntatis ostendit, volens ipse voluntatem Patris explere. Erat autem haec efficiendae voluntatis 0080D voluntas, cujus ipse testis est dicens: Pater, venit hora, clarifica filium tuum, ut filius clarificet te: sicut dedisti ei potestatem omnis carnis, ut omne quod 0081A dedisti illi, det ei vitam aeternam. Haec est autem vita aeterna, ut cognoscant te solum Deum verum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum. Ego te clarificavi super terram, opere consummato quod dedisti mihi ut faciam. Et nunc clarifica me Pater apud temetipsum claritate quam habui, prius quam mundus esset, apud te. Manifestavi nomen tuum hominibus, quos dedisti mihi (Joan. XVII, 1 et seqq.). Verbis brevibus et paucis omne opus officii sui et dispensationis exposuit, nihilo minus fidei veritatem 55 adversum omnem inspirationem diabolicae fraudulentiae communiens. Curramus ergo per singulas sermonis sui virtutes.