The mode of His love and His instruction we have shown
as we could. Wherefore He Himself, declaring Himself very beautifully,
likened Himself to a grain of mustard-seed;1290
and pointed
out the spirituality of the word that is sown, and the productiveness
of its nature, and the magnificence and conspicuousness of the power of
the word; and besides, intimated that the pungency and the purifying
virtue of punishment are profitable on account of its sharpness. By
the little grain, as it is figuratively called, He bestows salvation
on all humanityabundantly. Honey, being very sweet, generates bile,
as goodness begets contempt, which is the cause of sinning. But
mustard lessens bile, that is, anger, and stops inflammation, that
is, pride. From which Word springs the true health of the soul,
and its eternalhappy temperament (εὐκρασία).
senseless repletion
with victuals being called χόρτασμα
(fodder), not βρῶμα (food). And
when, having senselessly filled themselves, they senselessly played; on
that account the law was given them, and terror ensued for the prevention
of transgressions and for the promotion of right actions, securing
attention, and so winning to obedience to the true Instructor, being one
and the same Word, and reducing to conformity with the urgent demands of
the law. For Paul says that it was given to be a “schoolmaster to
bring us to Christ.”1292
So that from this it is clear, that one alone,
true, good, just, in the image and likeness of the Father, His Son Jesus,
the Word of God, is our Instructor; to whom God hath entrusted us, as an
affectionate fathercommits his children to a worthy tutor, expressly
charging us, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him.”1293
The
divine Instructor is trustworthy, adorned as He is with three of the
fairest ornament”—knowledge, benevolence, and authority of
utterance;—with knowledge, for He is the paternal wisdom: “All
Wisdom is from the Lord, and with Him for evermore;”—with
authority of utterance, for He is God and Creator: “For all things
were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made;”1294
