this one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and stretching forth unto those
things which are before, I press earnestly toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.”3061 He was running on the earth; the prize hung suspended from
heaven. He ran then on the earth; but in spirit he ascended. Behold him thus stretching
himself out, behold him hanging forth after the suspended prize. “I press on,” he says, “for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
7. We must journey on then, yet for this no need of anointing the feet, or looking out
for beasts, or providing a vessel. Run with the heart’s affection, journey on with love, ascend
by charity. Why seekest thou for the way? Cleave unto Christ, who by Descending and As-
cending hath made Himself the Way. Dost thou wish to ascend? Hold fast to Him that as-
cendeth. For by thine own self thou canst not rise. “For no man hath ascended up to heaven,
but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.”3062 If no
one ascendeth but He that descended, that is, the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus, dost thou
wish to ascend also? Be then a member of Him who Only hath ascended. For He the Head,
with all the members, is but One Man. And since no one can ascend, but he who in His
Body is made a member of Him; that is fulfilled, “that no man hath ascended, but He that
descended.” For thou canst not say, “Lo, why hath Peter, for instance, ascended, why hath
Paul ascended, why have the Apostles ascended, if no one hath ascended, but He that des-
cended?” The answer to this is, “What do Peter, and Paul, and the rest of the Apostles, and
all the faithful, what do they hear from the Apostle? ‘Now ye are the Body of Christ, and
members in particular.’3063 If then the Body of Christ and His members belong to One, do
not thou make two of them. For He left ‘father and mother, and clave to his wife, that two
might be one flesh.’3064 He left His Father, in that here He did not show Himself as equal
with the Father; but ‘emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.’3065 He left His mother
also, the synagogue of which He was born after the flesh. He clave to His Wife, that is, to
His Church. Now in the place where Christ Himself brought forward this testimony, He
showed that the marriage bond might not be dissolved: ‘Have ye not read,’ said He, ‘that
God which made them at the beginning, made them male and female; and said, They twain
shall be in one flesh? What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’
3066 And what is the meaning of ‘They twain shall be in one flesh’? He goes on to say;
3061 Phil. iii. 12, etc.
3062 John iii. 13.
3063 1 Cor. xii. 27.
3064 Eph. v. 31.
3065 Phil. ii. 7.
3066 Matt. xix. 4, etc.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xxii. 42, where the Lord asks the Jews…