108 THE TREATISES OF CYPRIAN. 9. That thisshould be the signof His nativity,that He should be born of a virgin— man and God — a sonof man and a Son of God. In Isaiah: " And the Lord went on to speak to Ahaz, saying,Ask thee a sign from the Lord thy God, in the heightabove and in the depth below. And Ahaz said,I will not ask,and I willnot tempt the Lord my God. And He said,Hear ye,therefore,O house of David : itisno trifling contestunto you with men, since God suppliesthe struggle. On thisaccount God Himself willgiveyou a sign. Behold, a virginshallconceive,and shallbear a son, and ye shall callHis name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shallHe eat; beforethatHe knows to prefer the evil,He shallexchange the good."1 This seed God had foretoldwould proceedfrom the woman thatshouldtrampleon the head of the devil.In Genesis: " Then God said unto the serpent,Because thou hastdone this,cursedart thou from every kind of the beasts of the earth. Upon thy breastand thy belly shaltthou crawl,and earth shallbe thy food allthe days of thy life. And I willplace enmity between theeand the woman and her seed. He shallregard thy head,and thou shaltwatch hisheel."* 10. That Christ is both man and God, compounded of both natures,that He might be a Mediator between us and the Father. In Jeremiah: "And He is man, and who shallknow Him?"3 Also in Numbers: "A star shallariseout of Jacob, and a man shallriseup from Israel."4 Also in the same place: " A man shallgo forth out of his seed,and shallrule over many nations; and His kingdom shallbe exaltedas Gog,5 and His kingdom shallbe increased; and 1 Isa.vii.10-15. The ordinaryreadinghereis," beforeHe knows, to refusetheeviland to choosethegood." Thereadingin thetext, however,ismoreauthentic. 3 Gen.iii.14,15. 3 Jer.xvii.9. 4Num. xxiv.17. 5The Oxfordtranslatorfollowsthe Englishversion,and reads, " overAgag."