65. We find our Lord in the Gospels knowing, yet not knowing, many things. Thus He does not know the workers of iniquity, who glory in their mighty works and in His name, for He says to them, Then will swear, I never knew you; depart from Me, all ye that work iniquity564    St. Matt. vii. 23.. He declares with an oath even, that He does not know them, but nevertheless He knows them to be workers of iniquity. He does not know them, not because He does not know, but because by the iniquity of their deeds they are unworthy of His knowledge, and He even confirms His denial with the sanctity of an oath. By the virtue of His nature He could not be ignorant, by the mystery of His will He refused to know. Again the Unbegotten God does not know the foolish virgins; He is ignorant of those who were too careless to have their oil ready, when He entered the chamber of His glorious coming. They come and implore, and so far from not knowing them, He cries, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not565    St. Matt. xxv. 12.. Their coming and their prayer compel Him to recognize them, but His profession of ignorance refers to His will, not to His nature: they are unworthy to be known of Him to Whom nothing is unknown. Hence, in order that we should not impute His ignorance to infirmity, He says immediately to the Apostles, Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour566    Ib. xxv. 13.. When He bids them watch, for they know not the day or the hour, He points out that He knew not the virgins, because through sleep and neglect they had no oil, and therefore were unworthy to enter into His chamber.

65. Dicitur nescire cognitione sua indignos, operarios iniquitatis, virgines stultas.---In Evangeliis vero Dominum multa scientem nescire invenimus. Operarios iniquitatis, in virtutibus multis et in nomine ejus gloriantes, non novit dicens: Et tunc jurabo, quia non novi vos. Discedite a me, omnes qui operamini iniquitatem (Matt. VII, 23). Etiam cum jurejurando eos non novit, quos tamen iniquitatis operarios esse non nescit. Nescit ergo, non idcirco quia nesciat, sed quia cognitione ejus per iniquitatem operationis indigni sint: fidem dicti etiam jurisjurandi religione confirmans, et habens in naturae virtute ne nesciat, et retinens in sacramento voluntatis ut nesciat. Nescit 0333B quoque unigenitus Deus virgines stultas: et comparandi sibi olei incuriosas, gloriosi adventus sui thalamum ingressus, ignorat. Namque et adeunt et rogant, et usque adeo non ignorantur, ut his respondeatur: Amen dico vobis, quia nescio vos (Matth. XXV, 12). Nam et occursus 309 et deprecatio non ignorabiles esse eas patitur: sed nesciendi responsio non naturae potius quam voluntatis est; dum ab eo, qui nihil non nescit, indignae sunt quae sciantur. Denique ne per infirmitatem ignorare existimaretur, continuo Apostolis ita locutus est: Vigilate itaque, quia nescitis diem neque horam (Ibid., 13): ut cum vigilare eos ob ignorationem diei atque horae monet, per id nesciri ab eo virgines noscerentur, quod consopitae et negligentes, indignae aditu thalami sui 0333C oleo indigendo mansissent.