♦8. Wherefore the Lord Jesus Himself is that chief Good which was announced to us by Prophets, declared by Angels, promised by the Father, preached by Apostles. He hath come to us as ripeness; nor as ripeness only, but as ripeness in the mountains; to the intent that in our counsels there should be nothing sour, or unripe, nothing harsh or bitter in our actions or manners, the first Preacher of good tidings hath come among us. Wherefore also He saith, I, Who spoke, am present with[163] you, that is, I Who spoke in the Prophets, am present in that Body which I took of the Virgin; I am present as the inward Likeness of God, and the _express Image of His person_, I am present too as Man. But who knows Me? For they saw the Man, but His Works made them believe He was above man. Was He not as man when weeping over Lazarus? again, was He not above man, when He raised him to life? Was He not as man when scourged? and again, above man when _He took away the sin of the world_? Sidenote: S. Matt. iv. 17. Sidenote: Amos v. 14. Sidenote: Col. ii. 9. Sidenote: S. John i. 16. 9. To Him therefore let us hasten in Whom is the chief Good: for He is the bounty and patience of Israel, Who calls thee to repentance, that thou come not into condemnation but mayest receive the remission of thy sins. He saith, Repent. This is He of Whom the Prophet Amos cries, _Seek good_. He is the chief Good, Who is in need of nothing, but abounds in all things. And well may He abound, _in Whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily_; of _Whose fulness we have all received_, and _in Whom we are filled_, as saith the Evangelist. Sidenote: Ps. cxix. 68. Sidenote: Cant. i. 3. 10. If then the mind with its capacities of desire and pleasure hath tasted the chief Good, and by means of these two affections hath drank It in, unalloyed by sorrow and fear, it is wonderfully inflamed. For having embraced the Word of God, she knows no measure and yet feels no satiety, as it is written, _Thou art good and gracious, O teach me Thy statutes_: having embraced the Word of God, she desires Him above all beauty, she loves Him above all joy, she is delighted with Him above all perfumes, she desires often to see, often to look upon Him, often to be drawn to Him that she may follow. _Thy Name_, it is said, _is as ointment poured forth; therefore we maidens love Thee_, therefore we strive but cannot attain to Thee. _Draw us_ that we may _run after Thee_, that by the _fragrance of Thy ointments_ we may gain power to follow Thee. Sidenote: Ps. cxix. 103. Sidenote: Exod. xxxiv. 28. Sidenote: 1 Kings xix. 4. Sidenote: S. Matt. xvii. 4. Sidenote: 1 Pet. i. 12.