with milk and honey.”69 What, then, says Knowledge?70 Learn: “Trust,” she says, “in Him
who is to be manifested to you in the flesh—that is, Jesus.” For man is earth in a suffering
state, for the formation of Adam was from the face of the earth. What, then, meaneth this:
“into the good land, a land flowing with milk and honey?” Blessed be our Lord, who has
placed in us wisdom and understanding of secret things. For the prophet says, “Who shall
understand the parable of the Lord, except him who is wise and prudent, and who loves his
Lord?”71 Since, therefore, having renewed us by the remission of our sins, He hath made
us after another pattern, [it is His purpose] that we should possess the soul of children,
inasmuch as He has created us anew by His Spirit.72 For the Scripture says concerning us,
while He speaks to the Son, “Let Us make man after Our image, and after Our likeness; and
let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and the fowls of heaven, and the fishes
of the sea.”73 And the Lord said, on beholding the fair creature74 man, “Increase, and mul-
tiply, and replenish the earth.”75 These things [were spoken] to the Son. Again, I will show
thee how, in respect to us,76 He has accomplished a second fashioning in these last days.
The Lord says, “Behold, I will make77 the last like the first.”78 In reference to this, then, the
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prophet proclaimed, “Enter ye into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have
dominion over it.”79 Behold, therefore, we have been refashioned, as again He says in another
prophet, “Behold, saith the Lord, I will take away from these, that is, from those whom the
Spirit of the Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and I will put hearts of flesh within them,”80
because He81 was to be manifested in flesh, and to sojourn among us. For, my brethren, the
habitation of our heart is a holy temple to the Lord.82 For again saith the Lord, “And
69 Ex. xxxiii. 1; Lev. xx. 24.
70 The original word is “Gnosis,” the knowledge peculiar to advanced Christians, by which they understand
the mysteries of Scripture.
71 Not found in Scripture. Comp. Isa. xl. 13; Prov. i. 6. Hilgenfeld, however, changes the usual punctuation,
which places a colon after prophet, and reads, “For the prophet speaketh the parable of the Lord. Who shall
understand,” etc.
72 The Greek is here very elliptical and obscure: “His Spirit” is inserted above, from the Latin.
73 Gen. i. 26.
74 Cod. Sin. has “our fair formation.”
75 Gen. i. 28.
76 Cod. Sin. inserts, “the Lord says.”
77 Cod. Sin. has “I make.”
78 Not in Scripture, but comp. Matt. xx. 16, and 2 Cor. v. 17.
79 Ex. xxxiii. 3.
80 Ezek. xi. 19, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
81 Cod. Sin. inserts “Himself;” comp. John i. 14.
82 Comp. Eph. ii. 21.
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Chapter VI.—The sufferings of Christ, and the new covenant, were announced…