Diotimos Reading Desk

Tap the page, move to the top or bottom edge, swipe down, or press Tab to reveal reading controls. Use the arrow keys or swipe sideways to turn pages.

← ExitCenturies of Meditations

The Second Century

33

One great cause why no Angel was admitted to this office, was because it was an honour infinitely too great and sublime for them, God accounting none but His own Son worthy of that dignity. Wherefore, it is written, no man taketh this honour to himself, but He that is called of God, as was Aaron. Neither did Jesus (though He were the Son of God) make Himself an High Priest, but He that said unto Him, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Nor yet was it forced or imposed upon Him, but He voluntarily undertook it. For which cause God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name in Heaven and Earth, because being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet took upon Him the form of a servant, and being found in the fashion of a man would humble Himself to the Death of the Cross for our sakes.

Where we learn several strange and admirable things: First, how high an honour it is to suffer for God in this world: Secondly, in what an infinite dignity man is exalted for whom God counted none worthy to suffer but His own Son: And thirdly the equity of God’s proceeding in chastising another for our sins: (against the Socinians who, being blind in this mystery, are the enemies of our Saviour’s Deity in this world.) For had He imposed this task upon one that was unwilling, it had been injustice: had He imposed it upon one that was unable to perform it, it had been folly: had He imposed it upon any one to his harm, cruelty; but laying it upon one that was willing and able, to His highest benefit, it was righteousness, wisdom, and glory. All mercy goodness and love on every side.

34

How vile are they, and blind and ignorant, that will not see every one to be the heir of the world, for whose sake all this was done! He that spared not His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Is not he an object of infinite Love for whom our Saviour died? Shall not all things in Heaven and Earth serve him in splendour and glory, for whom the Son of God came down to minister in agonies and sufferings? O here contemplate the glory of man, and his high exaltation in the Throne of God. Here consider how you are beloved, and be transported with excess of joy at this wonderful mystery. Leave the trash and vanities of the world, to live here in communion with the blessed Trinity. Imitate St. Paul who counted all things but dross and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of God in Christ. And thus the Works of God serve you in teaching you the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.

35

Another reason for which our Redemption was denied to Angels and reserved only to be wrought by our Saviour, is the dignity of Man; for the redemption of their Soul is precious and ceaseth forever. None of them can by any means redeem him, nor give to God a ransom for him. Having sinned, he must be clothed in the righteousness of God or perish for ever. All the Angels and Cherubims in Heaven, though their righteousness should be imputed to him could not justify him. No created righteousness is able to cover him, the exceeding glory of his primitive estate being so great, that it made his sin infinitely infinite.

36

Yet further, another reason why this office was delegated to none of them, was this: He that died for us must by his own merits save us. Being therefore our Saviour was to merit for us, by His own actions, it was necessary that He should be such an one, who, by His own power, could sustain infinite punishments, and offer them up to God on our behalf with infinite Love as a voluntary obedience. Which only Christ was able to do out of the treasury of His own fullness. For the divine essence in Him could overcome infinite punishments, and infinitely love the Inflicter of them: without any repining, despondency, or hatred, returned for the same. Where it is curious to observe, how fully our Saviour satisfied for us. We hated God when He loved us: our Saviour not only loved God, while God loved Him but loved Him also with infinite love, even while He expressed hatred against Him.

37

Finally another reason was the dignity of our Saviour’s person, who, being infinitely more excellent than all Angels, was, in His condescentions infinitely more acceptable. Which excellency both of His person and condescention is not a little magnified by His Eternity. By His sufferings He brought in eternal righteousness. That He should stoop down for our sakes was infinitely meritorious. And since the Will before God is the Highest Deed: accepting this from all Eternity, it is as if from all Eternity He had suffered for us. His love to God and man, in this Act was infinite and eternal. And therefore is it said, that He through the Eternal Spirit, offered up Himself a sacrifice to God for us. His Eternal Spirit from everlasting offered up itself, when He said, Lo, I come in the volume of the Book is it written of me: to do Thy will, O God; and He offered up Himself through the Eternal Spirit in time when He was slain upon the Cross. Now no creature can offer up itself eternally, because it was not from everlasting. Nor can anything work Eternal Righteousness for us, but God alone.

38

How then should we be saved? since eternal righteousness must be paid for our temporal iniquity since one must suffer by His own strength on our behalf; and out of His own fullness defray our debt of infinite charity, and that in the midst of sufferings; which no Angel nor Seraphin is able: Since He must pay an obedience which He did not owe: both in loving men when themselves were hateful, and in loving God when He was hated of Him: since none but God could do this, and it was inconvenient for God to do it: whither shall we fly for refuge? Verily, we are in a great strait: but in the midst of these exigencies Love prepareth for itself an offering. One mighty to save, concerning whom it is written, This day have I begotten Thee.

39

God by loving begot His Son. For God is Love, and by loving He begot His Love. He is of Himself, and by loving He is what He is, INFINITE LOVE. God is not a mixt and compounded Being, so that His Love is one thing and Himself another: but the most pure and simple of all Beings, all Act, and pure Love in the abstract. Being Love therefore itself, by loving He begot His Love. Had He not Loved, He had not been what He now is, The God of Love, the most righteous of all beings, in being infinitely righteous to Himself, and all. But by loving He is infinitely righteous to Himself and all. For He is of Himself, Infinitely Blessed and most Glorious; and all His creatures are of Him, in whom they are infinitely delighted and Blessed and Glorious.

40

In all Love there is a love begetting, and a love begotten, and a love proceeding. Which though they are one in essence subsist nevertheless in three several manners. For love is benevolent affection to another: Which is of itself, and by itself relateth to its object. It floweth from itself and resteth in its object. Love proceedeth of necessity from itself, for unless it be of itself it is not Love. Constraint is destructive and opposite to its nature. The Love from which it floweth is the fountain of Love. The Love which streameth from it, is the communication of Love, or Love communicated. The Love which resteth in the object is the Love which streameth to it. So that in all Love, the Trinity is clear. By secret passages without stirring it proceedeth to its object, and is as powerfully present as if it did not proceed at all. The Love that lieth in the bosom of the Lover, being the love that is perceived in the spirit of the Beloved: that is, the same in substance, tho’ in the manner of substance, or subsistence, different. Love in the bosom is the parent of Love, Love in the stream is the effect of Love, Love seen, or dwelling in the object proceedeth from both. Yet are all three one and the Selfsame Love: though three Loves.

41

Love in the fountain and Love in the stream are both the same. And therefore are they both equal in Time and Glory. For love communicateth itself: And therefore love in the fountain is the very love communicated to its object. Love in the fountain is love in the stream, and love in the stream equally glorious with love in the fountain. Though it streameth to its object it abideth in the lover, and is the love of the lover.

42

Where Love is the Lover, Love streaming from the Lover, is the Lover; the Lover streaming from himself, and existing in another Person.

43

This Person is the Son of God: who as He is the Wisdom of the Father, so is He the Love of the Father, For the Love of the Father is the Wisdom of the Father. And this Person did God by loving us, beget, that He might be the means of all our glory.

113.Hebrews 5:4-6, quoted nearly word for word; verse 6 in turn quotes Psalm 110:4. Melchisedec (Melchizedek) is the king of Salem and priest of the most high God who blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20). Between the two quotations Hebrews 5:5 cites Psalm 2:7, “Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee”, which returns at II.38. The next sentence adapts Philippians 2:6-9, putting Christ’s exaltation before His self-emptying.

114.Followers of the Italian Fausto Sozzini (1539-1604), whose Racovian Catechism (1605; in English 1652) denied the deity of Christ and the teaching that He made satisfaction for sin, arguing that to punish the innocent for the guilty is unjust. Their chief English spokesman was John Biddle (1615-62). Traherne answers the charge of injustice by the Son’s free consent.

115.Psalm 49:7-8 in reverse order. The Authorised Version sets verse 7, “None of them can by any means redeem his brother”, before verse 8 on the precious redemption of the soul. The psalm speaks of rich men who cannot buy off death; Traherne applies it to the angels, who could not redeem man.

116.Hebrews 10:7, quoting Psalm 40:7-8, “in the volume of the book it is written of me”. The volume is the roll of the Law. Traherne reads the words as the Son’s offering of Himself from eternity. The phrase just before, “through the Eternal Spirit”, is Hebrews 9:14.

117.Unfitting, unbecoming to His nature, not merely troublesome. The dilemma is Anselm’s. Only God can make satisfaction for sin, but only man ought to make it, so it must be made by one who is both God and man (Cur Deus Homo II.6).

118.The Son is God’s Love, begotten. Scripture calls Christ the Son of the Father’s love (Colossians 1:13 in the Greek; the Authorised Version has “his dear Son”), but in the Latin tradition after Augustine it is the Holy Spirit who is properly named Love, the bond of Father and Son (see the note at I.10). Traherne gives the name first to the Son and brings the Spirit in at II.45-46.

119.The language of the Nicene Creed, in which the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy Ghost “proceedeth from the Father and the Son”, applied to love itself. Augustine found the Trinity mirrored in love in the same way, “the lover, and that which is loved, and love” (De Trinitate VIII.10.14). Compare II.56.

120.Christ is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24), and the divines read the Wisdom who was with God before the creation (Proverbs 8:22-31) as the Son. Traherne’s step is to make the Father’s Wisdom and the Father’s Love one and the same.