21. And furthermore, to make all
self-deception unlawful, that Wisdom, which you have yourself confessed
to be Christ, shall confront you with the words, When He was
establishing the fountains under the heaven, when He was making strong
the foundations of the earth, I was with Him, setting them in
order. It was I, over Whom He rejoiced. Moreover, I was
daily rejoicing in His sight, all the while that He was rejoicing in
the world that He had made, and in the sons of men Prov. viii. 28–31.. Every difficulty is removed; error
itself must recognise the truth. There is with God Wisdom,
begotten before the worlds; and not only present with Him, but setting
in order, for She was with Him, setting them in order.
Mark this work of setting in order, or arranging. The Father, by
His commands, is the Cause; the Son, by His execution of the things
commanded, sets in order. The distinction between the Persons is
marked by the work assigned to Each. When it says Let us
make, creation is identified with the word of command; but when it
is written, I was with Him, setting them in order, God reveals
that He did not do the work in isolation. For He was rejoicing
before Him, Who, He tells us, rejoiced in return; Moreover, I was
daily rejoicing in His sight, all the while that He was rejoicing in
the world that He had made, and in the sons of men. Wisdom
has taught us the reason of Her joy. She rejoiced because of the
joy of the Father, Who rejoices over the completion of the world and
over the sons of men. For it is written, And God saw that they
were good. She rejoices that God is well pleased with His
work, which has been made through Her, at His command. She avows
that Her joy results from the Father’s gladness over the finished
world and over the sons of men; over the sons of men, because in the
one man Adam the whole human race had begun its course. Thus in
the creation of the world there is no mere soliloquy of an isolated
Father; His Wisdom is His partner in the work, and rejoices with Him when their
conjoint labour ends.