15. Moreover, in the fifth age, in the fifth water-pot as it were, Daniel saw a stone that had been cut from a mountain without hands, and had broken all the kingdoms of the earth; and he saw the stone grow and become a great mountain, so as to fill the whole face of the earth. [217] What can be plainer, my brethren? The stone is cut from a mountain: the same is the stone which the builders rejected, and is become the head of the corner. [218] From what mountain is it cut, if not from the kingdom of the Jews, of which our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh? And it is cut without hands, without human exertion; because Christ sprung from a virgin, without a husband's embrace. The mountain from which it was cut had not filled the whole face of the earth; for the kingdom of the Jews did not possess all nations. But, on the other hand, the kingdom of Christ we see occupying the whole world.
16. To the sixth age belongs John the Baptist, than whom none greater has arisen among those born of women; of whom it was said, that he was "greater than a prophet." [219] And how did John show that Christ was sent to all nations? When the Jews came to him to be baptized, that they might not pride themselves on the name of Abraham, he said to them, "O generation of vipers, who has proclaimed to you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance;" that is, be humble; for he was speaking to proud people. But whereof were they proud? Of their descent according to the flesh, not of the fruit of imitating their father Abraham. What said he to them? "Say not, We have Abraham for our father: for God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham." [220] Meaning by stones all nations, not on account of their durable strength, as in the case of that stone which the builders rejected, but on account of their stupidity and their foolish insensibility, because they had become like the things which they were accustomed to worship: for they worshipped senseless images, themselves equally senseless. "They that make them are like them, and so are all they that trust in them." [221] Accordingly, when men begin to worship God, what do they hear said to them? "That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; who maketh His sun to rise on the good and on the evil, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." [222] Wherefore, if a man becomes like that which he worships, what is meant by "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham"? Let us ask ourselves and we shall see that it is a fact. For of those nations are we come, but we should not have come of them had not God of the stones raised up children unto Abraham. We are made children of Abraham by imitating his faith, not by being born of his flesh. For just as they by their degeneracy have been disinherited, so have we by imitating been adopted. Therefore, brethren, this prophecy also of the sixth water-pot extended to all nations; and hence it was said concerning all, "containing two or three metretæ apiece."
17. But how do we show that all nations belong to the "two or three metretæ apiece"? It was a matter of reckoning, in some measure, that he should say the same water-pots contained "two apiece," which he had said contained "three apiece;" evidently in order to intimate to us a mystery therein. How are there "two metretæ apiece"? Circumcision and uncircumcision. Scripture mentions these two classes of people, and leaves out no kind of men, when it says, "Circumcision and uncircumcision;" [223] in these two appellations thou hast all nations: they are the two metretæ apiece. In these two walls, meeting from different quarters, "Christ became the corner-stone, in order to make peace in Himself." [224] Let us show also the "three metretæ apiece" in the case of these same all nations. Noah had three sons, through whom the human race was restored. Hence the Lord says, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." [225] What is this woman, but the flesh of the Lord? What is the leaven, but the gospel? What the three measures, but all nations, on account of the three sons of Noah? Therefore the "six water-pots containing two or three metretæ apiece" are six periods of time, containing the prophecy relating to all nations, whether as represented in two sorts of men, namely, Jews and Greeks, as the apostle often mentions them; [226] or in three sorts, on account of the three sons of Noah. For the prophecy was represented as reaching unto all nations. And because of that reaching it is called a measure, [227] even as the apostle says, "We have received a measure for reaching unto you." [228] For in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, he says, "A measure for reaching unto you."
[198] 1 Tim. iv. 3.
[199] Matt. xix. 6.
[200] 2 Cor. iii. 14-16.
[201] Phil. iii. 13.
[202] Gen. i. 1.
[203] Matt. i. 17.
[204] Col. iii. 10.
[205] 1 John ii. 15.
[206] Rom. viii. 9.
[207] 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3.
[208] Rom. v. 5.
[209] John x. 30.
[210] Gen. xxii. 18.
[211] Eph. iii. 31.
[212] Gen. ii. 24.
[213] Phil. ii. 6.
[214] Rom. v. 14.
[215] Ps. lxxxii. 8.
[216] Matt. xxii. 13.
[217] Dan. ii. 34.
[218] Ps. cxviii. 22.
[219] Matt. xi. 11.
[220] Matt. iii. 9.
[221] Ps. cxv. 8.
[222] Matt. v. 45.
[223] Col. iii. 11.
[224] Eph. ii. 14.
[225] Luke xiii. 21.
[226] Rom. ii. 9; 1 Cor. i. 24, etc.
[227] Metreta.
[228] 2 Cor. x. 13.
Tractate X.