The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 1 (of 2)Clement, of Alexandria, Saint
Religion
The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Clement, of Alexandria, Saint
Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
The King, then, who is Christ, beholds from above our laughter,
and looking through the window, as the Scripture says, views the
thanksgiving, and the blessing, and the rejoicing, and the gladness,
and furthermore the endurance which works together with them and their
embrace: views His church, showing only His face, which was wanting to
the church, which is made perfect by her royal Head. And where, then,
was the door by which the Lord showed Himself? The flesh by which He
was manifested. He is Isaac (for the narrative may be interpreted
otherwise), who is a type of the Lord, a child as a son; for he was
the son of Abraham, as Christ the Son of God, and a sacrifice as the
Lord, but he was not immolated as the Lord. Isaac only bore the wood
of the sacrifice, as the Lord the wood of the cross. And he laughed
mystically, prophesying that the Lord should fill us with joy, who
have been redeemed from corruption by the blood of the Lord. Isaac
did everything but suffer, as was right, yielding the precedence in
suffering to the Word. Furthermore, there is an intimation of the
divinity of the Lord in His not being slain. For Jesus rose again
after His burial, having suffered no harm, like Isaac released from
sacrifice. And in defence of the point to be established, I shall
adduce another consideration of the greatest weight. The Spirit calls
the Lord Himself a child, thus prophesying by Esaias: “Lo, to us a
child has been born, to us a son has been given, on whose own shoulder
the government shall be; and His name has been called the Angel of
great Counsel.” Who, then, is this infant child? He according to whose
image we are made little children. By the same prophet is declared His
greatness: “Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace; that He might fulfil His discipline: and of His peace
there shall be no end.”[201] O the great God! O the perfect child! The
Son in the Father, and the Father in the Son. And how shall not the
discipline of this child be perfect, which extends to all, leading as a
schoolmaster us as children, who are His little ones? He has stretched
forth to us those hands of His that are conspicuously worthy of trust.
To this child additional testimony is borne by John, “the greatest
prophet among those born of women:”[202] “Behold the Lamb of God!”[203]
For since Scripture calls the infant children lambs, it has also called
Him--God the Word--who became man for our sakes, and who wished in all
points to be made like to us--“the Lamb of God”--Him, namely, that is
the Son of God, the child of the Father.
CHAPTER VI.
THE NAME CHILDREN DOES NOT IMPLY INSTRUCTION IN
ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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