There are then in faith these three things. He in whom that faith is which worketh by love,
must necessarily hope for that which God doth promise. Hope therefore is the associate of
faith. For hope is necessary as long as we see not what we believe, lest perhaps through not
seeing, and by despairing to see, we fail. That we see not, doth make us sad; but that we hope
we shall see, comforteth us. Hope then is here, and she is the associate of faith. And then
charity also, by which we long, and strive to attain, and glow with desire, and hunger and
thirst. This then is taken in also; and so there will be faith, hope, and charity. For how shall
there not be charity there, since charity is nothing else but love? And this faith is itself defined
as that “which worketh by love.” Take away faith, and all thou believest perisheth; take away
charity, and all that thou dost perisheth. For it is the province of faith to believe, of charity
to do. For if thou believest without love, thou dost not apply thyself to good works; or if
thou dost, it is as a servant, not as a son, through fear of punishment, not through love of
righteousness. Therefore I say, that faith purifieth the heart, which worketh by love.
12. And what does this faith effect at present? What does it by so many testimonies of
Scripture, by its manifold lessons, its various and plentiful exhortations, but make us “see
now through a glass darkly, and hereafter face to face.” But return not now in thought again
to this thy bodily face. Think only of the face of the heart. Force, compel, press thine heart
to think of things divine. Whatsoever occurs to thy mind that is like to a body, throw it off
from thee. If thou canst not yet say, “It is this,” yet at least say, “It is not this.” For when wilt
thou be able to say, “This is God”? Not even then, when thou shall see Him; for what thou
shalt then see is ineffable. Thus the Apostle says, that he “was caught up into the third
heaven, and heard ineffable words.”1915 If the words are ineffable, what is He whose words
they are? Therefore as thou dost think of God, perchance there is presented to thee the idea
of some human figure of marvellous and exceeding greatness, and thou hast set it before
the eyesof thy mind as something very great, and grand, and of vast extension. Still some-
where thou hast set bounds to it. If thou hast, it is not God. But if thou hast not set bounds
to it, where can the face be? Thou art fancying to thyself some huge body, and in order to
distinguish the members in it, thou must needs set bounds to it. For in no other way but by
setting bounds to this large body, canst thou distinguish the members. But what art thou
about, O foolish and carnal imagination! Thou hast made a large bulky body, and so much
the larger, as thou hast thought the more to honour God. Another adds one cubit to it, and
makes it greater than before.
13. But “I have read,” you will say. What hast thou read, who hast understood nothing?
Yet tell me, what hast thou read? Let us not thrust back the babe in understanding with his
play. Tell me, what hast thou read? “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.”1916
1915 2 Cor. xii. 2–4.
1916 Isa. lxvi. 1.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. Chap. v. 3 and 8, 'Blessed are the poor…