Wonder of GotVs trustiny His tvork to secular Powers. 431 8. The Lord asserts that He has confidence in the Book strength of the rhinoceros; because He inclined the powers,—; — * which He had conferred for a temporal purpose on an earthly priuce, to minister to His reverence, in order that by the power he had received, through which he had, heretofore, been puffed up against God, he might now bestow on God religious obedience. For the more powerful he is toward the world, the more does he prevail for the Creator of the world. For because he is himself dreaded by his subjects, he persuades them the more readily, the more he points out ^ with his power, Who is truly to be feared. Let it be said then; Wilt thou have conjidence in his great strength? As if it were said, As I, Who see, that the powers of earthly princes are about to submit to My worship. For I regard those things which thou art now doing, as of so much the less consequence, the more I now foresee, that I shall bend down to Myself even the greater powers of this world. But it is well subjoined; And wilt thou leave to him thy labours? For the Lord left His labours to this rhinoceros, because He entrusted to an earthly prince, on his conversion, that Church which He purchased by His own death, because, namely, He committed to his hand the great anxiety of pre- serving the peace of the faith. It follows ; Ver. 12. Wilt thou trust him, to bring back thy seed to thee, and to gather Uiyfloor? 9. What else is meant by ^ seed,' but the word of preach- vii. ing? As the Truth says in the Gospel, A sower wentforth T^^t.u, to sow; and as the Prophet says; Blessed are ye who sow {^^^2 upon all waters. What else but the Church, ought to be^^- understood by the threshing floor? Of which it is said by the voice of the Forerunner; And He ivill throughly purye Mdtt. 3 ^ Hisfloor. Who therefore could believe, in the beginning of *^" the rising Church, when that unconquered sovereignty of the world was raging with so many threats and tortures against her, that this rhinoceros would bring back seed to God, that is, repay by his works the word of preaching which he had received? Which of the infirm could then believe, that he would gather His floor? For behold, he is now i)romulgating laws for the Church, who was before raging against it with various torments. Behold, whatever I