XXIII.
"And he mounted upon his ass." [4834] The ass was the type of the body of Christ, upon whom all men, resting from their labours, are borne as in a chariot. For the Saviour has taken up the burden of our sins. [4835] Now the angel who appeared to Balaam was the Word Himself; and in His hand He held a sword, to indicate the power which He had from above.
[4834] Num. xxii. 22, 23.
[4835] From one of the mss. Stieren would insert en to idio somati, in His own body; see 1 Pet. ii. 24.
XXIV.
"God is not as a man." [4836] He thus shows that all men are indeed guilty of falsehood, inasmuch as they change from one thing to another (metapheromenoi); but such is not the case with God, for He always continues true, perfecting whatever He wishes.
[4836] Num. xxiii. 19.
XXV.
"To inflict vengeance from the Lord on Midian." [4837] For this man (Balaam), when he speaks no longer in the Spirit of God, but contrary to God's law, by setting up a different law with regard to fornication, [4838] is certainly not then to be counted as a prophet, but as a soothsayer. For he who did not keep to the commandment of God, received the just recompense of his own evil devices. [4839]
[4837] Num. xxxi. 3.
[4838] Num. xxxi. 16.
[4839] Num. xxxi. 8.
XXVI.
Know [4840] thou that every man is either empty or full. For if he has not the Holy Spirit, he has no knowledge of the Creator; he has not received Jesus Christ the Life; he knows not the Father who is in heaven; if he does not live after the dictates of reason, after the heavenly law, he is not a sober-minded person, nor does he act uprightly: such an one is empty. If, on the other hand, he receives God, who says, "I will dwell with them, and walk in them, and I will be their God," [4841] such an one is not empty, but full.
[4840] It is not certain from what work of Irenæus this extract is derived; Harvey thinks it to be from his work peri epistemes, i.e., concerning Knowledge.
[4841] Lev. xxvi. 12.
XXVII.
The little boy, therefore, who guided Samson by the hand, [4842] pre-typified John the Baptist, who showed to the people the faith in Christ. And the house in which they were assembled signifies the world, in which dwell the various heathen and unbelieving nations, offering sacrifice to their idols. Moreover, the two pillars are the two covenants. The fact, then, of Samson leaning himself upon the pillars, [indicates] this, that the people, when instructed, recognized the mystery of Christ.
[4842] Judg. xvi. 26.
XXVIII.
"And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a tree, and cast it in there, and the iron floated." [4843] This was a sign that souls should be borne aloft (anagoges psuchon) through the instrumentality of wood, upon which He suffered who can lead those souls aloft that follow His ascension. This event was also an indication of the fact, that when the holy soul of Christ descended [to Hades], many souls ascended and were seen in their bodies. [4844] For just as the wood, which is the lighter body, was submerged in the water; but the iron, the heavier one, floated: so, when the Word of God became one with flesh, by a physical and hypostatic union, the heavy and terrestrial [part], having been rendered immortal, was borne up into heaven, by the divine nature, after the resurrection.
[4843] 2 Kings vi. 6. Comp. book v. chap. xvii. 4.
[4844] Matt. xxvii. 52.
XXIX.
The [4845] Gospel according to Matthew was written to the Jews. For they laid particular stress upon the fact that Christ [should be] of the seed of David. Matthew also, who had a still greater desire [to establish this point], took particular pains to afford them convincing proof that Christ is of the seed of David; and therefore he commences with [an account of] His genealogy.
[4845] Edited by P. Possin, in a Catena Patrum on St. Matthew. See book iii. chap. xi. 8.
XXX. [4846]
"The axe unto the root," [4847] he says, urging us to the knowledge of the truth, and purifying us by means of fear, as well as preparing [us] to bring forth fruit in due season.
[4846] From the same Catena. Compare book v. chap. xvii. 4.
[4847] Matt. iii. 10.
XXXI.
Observe [4848] that, by means of the grain of mustard seed in the parable, the heavenly doctrine is denoted which is sown like seed in the world, as in a field, [seed] which has an inherent force, fiery and powerful. For the Judge of the whole world is thus proclaimed, who, having been hidden in the heart of the earth in a tomb for three days, and having become a great tree, has stretched forth His branches to the ends of the earth. Sprouting out from Him, the twelve apostles, having become fair and fruitful boughs, were made a shelter for the nations as for the fowls of heaven, under which boughs, all having taken refuge, as birds flocking to a nest, have been made partakers of that wholesome and celestial food which is derived from them.
[4848] First edited in Latin by Corderius, afterwards in Greek by Grabe, and also by Dr. Cramer in his Catena on St. Luke.