The Letters of S. Ambrose, Bishop of MilanAmbrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan
Religion
The Letters of S. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397 -- Correspondence
5. And in order to encourage us to suffer, he adds that all things
which we suffer fall far below and are not worthy to be compared with
the recompense of our labours, the reward of future good, which shall
be revealed in us, when we shall be formed anew after the Image of God,
and shall be worthy to behold His Glory face to face.
Sidenote: Rom. viii. 21.
6. And to exalt the greatness of this future revelation, he adds that
the creation also waits for this revelation of the sons of God, which
now is made subject to vanity, not willingly, but in hope, because it
hopes for the reward of its ministry from Christ, or else because it
also will be _delivered from the bondage of corruption_, and received
into _the glorious liberty of the sons of God_, that there may be one
liberty of the creation and of the sons of God, when their glory shall
have been revealed. But now, so long as this revelation is delayed, the
whole creation groans together, looking for the glory of our adoption
and redemption, already travailing with that Spirit of salvation, and
willing to be delivered from the servitude of vanity.
7. And to this the Apostle has conjoined the groans of the saints, who
have the first-fruits of the Spirit, for they groan also. Of their own
merits they are indeed secure, but since the redemption of the whole
body of the Church is still future, they suffer together with it. For
seeing that the members of this our body still suffer, shall not the
other members, although higher, sympathize with the suffering members
of one and the same body?
Sidenote: 1 Cor. xv. 28.
Sidenote: Ib.
8. And this, I suppose, is why the Apostle has said that the _Son
Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things under Him_, for
they who still labour are not yet subject, and in these perhaps Christ
still thirsts, in these is still hungry, in these is still naked, in
that they do not fulfil the word of God, nor put on Christ, Who is the
Garment of believers, and the Robe of the faithful. They also in whom
He is sick still need medicine, and therefore are not yet subdued, for
this subjection is of strength not of weakness: again, in those who
are strong and obey the commands of God, the Son of God is subject.
But now His travail is greater in those who do not succour those who
are toiling, than in those who still require aid themselves. And this
is the pious and true meaning of the subjection of the Lord Jesus, Who
will subject Himself, to the intent _that God might be all in all_.
Sidenote: Rom. viii. 23.
Sidenote: Exod. xxii. 29.
Sidenote: Ib. xxxiv. 26.
Sidenote: Gen. iv. 4.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account