CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 343 Lord upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstoneand fire."And thisisthe Word of God. And the Word of God was made flesh,and dwelt among us ; and thisisChrist. It was not the Father,then,who was a guestwith Abraham, but Christ. Nor was it the Father who was seen then, but the Son ; and Christ was seen. Rightly, therefore,Christ is both Lord and God, who was not otherwiseseen by Abraham, except that as God the Word He was begottenof God the Father beforeAbraham himself. Moreover, says the Scrip ture,the same Angel and God visitsand consolesthe same Hagar when driven with her son from the dwelling of Abraham. For when in the desert she had exposed the infant,becausethe water had fallenshortfrom the pitcher; and when the lad had criedout,and she had liftedup her •weepingand lamentation," God heard,"says the Scripture, " the voice of the lad from the place where he was."1 Having told that itwas God who heard the voice of the infant,itadds : " And the angelof the Lord calledHagar herselfout of heaven,"saying thatthatwas an angel whom it had calledGod, and pronouncing Him to be Lord whom ithad setforthas an angel;which Angel and God moreover promises to Hagar herselfgreater consolations,in saying, " Fear not; for I have heard the voiceof the lad from the place where he was. Arise,take up the lad,and hold him ; for I willmake of him a great nation."2 Why does this angel, if angel only,claim to himself thisrightof saying, I willmake of him a great nation,sinceassuredlythiskind of power belongs to God, and cannot belong to an angel? -Whence alsoHe isconfirmedto be God, sinceHe is ableto do this; because,by way of proving thisvery point,it is immediately added by the Scripture: "And God opened her eyes,and she saw a wellof running water;and she went and filledthe bottlefrom the well,and gave to the lad: and God was with the lad."8 If,then,thisGod was with the Lord, who opened the eyes of Hagar thatshe might seethe wellof running water,and might draw the water on accountof the urgent need of [thelad's]thirst,and thisGod who callsher 1 Gen.xxi.17,etc. 2 Gen.xxi.18. 8Gen.xxi.20.