how doth He rest? But in that sabbath, in which it is said that God rested from all His works,
in the Rest of God our rest was signified; because the sabbath of this world shall be, when
the six ages shall have passed away. The six days as it were of the world are passing away.
One day hath passed away, from Adam unto Noe; another from the deluge unto Abraham;
the third from Abraham unto David; the fourth from David unto the carrying away into
Babylon; the fifth from the carrying away into Babylon unto the advent of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now the sixth day is in passing. We are in the sixth age, in the sixth day. Let us then
be reformed after the image of God, because that on the sixth day man was made after the
image of God.3707 What formation did then, let reformation do in us, and what creation
did there, let creating-anew do in us. After this day in which we now are, after this age, the
rest which is promised to the saints and prefigured in those days, shall come. Because in
very truth too, after all things which He made in the world, He hath made nothing new in
478
creation afterwards. The creatures themselves shall be transformed and changed. For since
the creatures were fashioned, nothing more has been added. But nevertheless, if He who
made did not rule the world, what is made would fall to ruin: He cannot but administer that
which He hath made. Because then nothing hath been added to the creation, He is said to
have rested from all His works; but because He doth not cease to govern what He made,
rightly did the Lord say, “My Father worketh even hitherto.” Attend, Beloved. He finished,
He is said to have rested; for He finished His works, and hath added no more. He governeth
what He hath made; therefore He doth not cease to work. But with the same facility that He
made, with the same doth He govern. For do not suppose, brethren, that when He created
He did not labour, and that He laboureth in that He governeth: as in a ship, they labour
who build the ship, and they who manage it labour too; for they are men. For with the same
facility wherewith “He spake and they were made,” with the same facility and judgment
doth He govern all things by the Word.
5. Let us not, because human affairs seem to be in disorder, fancy that there is no gov-
ernance of human affairs. For all men are ordered in their proper places; but to every man
it seems as though they have no order. Do thou only look to what thou wouldest wish to be;
for as thou shalt wish to be, the Master3708 knoweth where to place thee. Look at a painter.
Before him are placed various colours, and he knows where to set each colour on. Question-
less the sinner hath chosen to be the black colour; does not then the Artist3709 know where
to place him? How many parts does the painter finish off with the colour of black? how
many ornaments does he make of it? With it he makes the hair, the beard, the eye-brows;
he makes the face of white only. Look then to that which thou wouldest wish to be; take no
3707 Gen. i. 27.
3708 Artifex.
3709 Artifex.
992
Again in John v. 2, etc., on the five porches, where lay a great multitude…