In Genesis, to Abraham: "And the Angel of the Lord called him from heaven, and said unto him, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here am I. And He said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest thy God, and hast not spared thy son, thy beloved son, for my sake." [3956] Also in the same place, to Jacob: "And the Angel of the Lord spake unto me in dreams, I am God, whom thou sawest in the place of God [3957] where thou anointedst me a pillar of stone, and vowedst to me a vow." [3958] Also in Exodus: "But God went before them by day indeed in a pillar of cloud, to show them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire." [3959] And afterwards, in the same place: "And the Angel of God moved forward, which went before the army of the children of Israel." [3960] Also in the same place: "Lo, I send my Angel before thy face, to keep thee in the way, that He may lead thee into the land which I have prepared for thee. Observe Him, and obey Him, and be not disobedient to Him, and He will not be wanting to thee. For my Name is in Him." [3961] Whence He Himself says in the Gospel: "I came in the name of my Father, and ye received me not. When another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." [3962] And again in the cxviith Psalm: "Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord." [3963] Also in Malachi: "My covenant of life and peace was with Levi; [3964] and I gave him fear, that he should fear me, that he should go from the face of my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. In the peace of the tongue correcting, he walked with us, and turned many away from unrighteousness. Because the lips of the priests shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at His mouth; for He is the Angel of the Almighty." [3965] Footnotes: [3955] [i.e., the Jehovah-Angel. See Tertullian, vol. iii.[p. 335.] [3956] Genesis 22:11, 12. [3957] Scil. "Beth-el," "the house of God." [3958] Genesis 31:13. [3959] Exodus 13:21. [3960] Exodus 14:19. [3961] Exodus 23:20, 21. [See Tertullian, vol. iii. p. 335, a valuable passage. De Maistre has something to say on this, quite to the purpose. See Bull passim: e.g., vol. v. pp. 21-26, 33, 40; 745-760.] [3962] John 5:43. [3963] Psalm 118:26. [3964] Otherwise, "My covenant was with life and peace." [3965] Malachi 2:5-7. |
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