3 What then? Is our hope built upon a stone? God forbid. But because the Lord hath hardened his flesh against sufferings, he saith, I have put me as a firm rock. 4 And again the prophet adds; The stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner. And again he saith This is the great and wonderful day which the Lord hath made. a I write these things the more plainly to you that ye may understand: I For indeed I could be content even to die for your sakes. 5 But what saith the prophet again; The counsel of the wicked encompassed me about. They came about me, as bees about the honey-comb: and, Upon my vesture they cast lots. 6 Forasmuch then as our Saviour was to appear in the flesh and suffer, his passion was hereby foretold. 7 For thus saith the prophet against Israel: "Woe be to their soul because they have taken wicked counsel against themselves, saying; let us lay snares for the righteous, because he is unprofitable to us." 8 Moses also in like manner speaketh to them; Behold thus saith the Lord God; Enter ye into the good land of which the Lord path sworn to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give it you, and possess it; a land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Now what the spiritual meaning of this is, learn; It is as if it had been said, Put your trust in Jesus, who shall be manifested to you in the flesh. For man is the earth which suffers: forasmuch as out of the substance of the earth Adam was formed. 10 What therefore does he mean when he says, Into a good land flowing with milk and honey? Blessed be our Lord, who has given us wisdom, and a heart to understand his secrets. For so says the prophet, "Who shall understand the hard sayings of the Lord? But he that is wise, and intelligent, and that loves his Lord." 11 Seeing therefore he has renewed us by the remission of our sins, he has put us into another frame, that we should have souls like those of children, forming us again himself by the spirit. 12 For thus the Scripture saith concerning us, where it introduceth the Father speaking to the Son; Let us make man after our likeness and similitude; and let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and over the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea. 13 And when the Lord saw the man which he had formed, that behold he was very good; he said, Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth. And this he spake to his son. 14 I will now show you, how he made us a new creature, in the latter days. 15 The Lord saith; Behold I will make the last as the first. Wherefore the prophet thus spake, Enter into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it. 16 Wherefore ye see how we are again formed anew; as also he speaks by another prophet; Behold saith the Lord, I will take from them; that is, from those whom the spirit I of the Lord foresaw, their hearts of stone, and I will put into them hearts of flesh.