6. But this Only Son of God, the Father Almighty, let us see what He did for us, what He suffered for us. “Born of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary.” He, so great God, equal with the Father, born of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, born lowly, that thereby He might heal the proud. Man exalted himself and fell; God humbled Himself and raised him up. Christ’s lowliness, what is it? God hath stretched out an hand to man laid low. We fell, He descended: we lay low, He stooped. Let us lay hold and rise, that we fall not into punishment. So then His stooping to us is this, “Born of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary.” His very Nativity too as man, it is lowly, and it is lofty. Whence lowly? That as man He was born of men. Whence lofty? That He was born of a virgin. A virgin conceived, a virgin bore, and after the birth was a virgin still.

CAPUT III.

6. Filii Dei nativitas humana ex virgine. Passio sub praeside Pilato. Nativitas Christi aeterna de Patre. Crucis supplicium cur electum a Christo. Patientiae merces non temporalis in praesenti, sed aeterna speretur in futuro saeculo. Sed iste Filius unicus Dei Patris omnipotentis videamus quid fecit propter nos, quid passus est propter nos. Natus de Spiritu sancto et virgine Maria. Ille Deus tantus aequalis Patri, natus de Spiritu sancto et virgine Maria humilis, unde sanaret superbos. Exaltavit se homo, et cecidit: humiliavit se Deus, et erexit. Humilitas Christi quid est? Manum Deus homini jacenti porrexit. Nos cecidimus, ille descendit: nos jacebamus, ille se inclinavit. Prendamus et surgamus, ut non in poenam cadamus. Ergo inclinatio ipsius haec est, Natus est de Spiritu sancto et virgine Maria. Et ipsa nativitas humana, humilis et excelsa. Unde humilis? Quia homo natus est ex hominibus. Unde excelsa? Quia de virgine. Virgo concepit, virgo peperit, et post partum virgo permansit.