The Trinity and Divine Providence

The uncomposed and entirely incorporeal, that is, the Word being with God and the Spirit being, the one who is the Father's manifestationcording to this the Word is named), and the other being the reception of the Word as Spirit from the mouth. He speaks of heavens and powers of heavens, dividing the creation not by the Word for those, but by the Spirit for these (for the things working upon the Trinity are indivisible), but he expresses the same differently, just as in 'Jacob came into Egypt and Israel dwelt in the land of Ham' the entrance is as one to Jacob, but the dwelling is as another to Israel; for from parallel lines he shows the same, and this custom we can find in many things.

In Psalm 33:7 he says of himself, having been impoverished, having struggled in flight, having escaped this danger by the will of God, as he would not have been able to overcome the craft of madness except according to the will of God. In Psalm 33:9 he says, 'I have tasted the experience of things,' which also was present to him then. Therefore, what has happened to him according to the goodness of God—that he was not devoured being persecuted by a foreign king, but was saved from two most difficult and powerful wars—this he adds as a common thing for all, as happening not to him alone but also coming upon others, those who join themselves to God by hope toward God.

In this must the blessedness be, not in any other, which David says in 'Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood?' and 'Know that the Lord marveled at his holy one.' In Psalm 33:20 he commands to look toward the end and to be courageous in the deliverance from tribulations, not to make the beginning difficult for oneself when it happens to be being afflicted. For thus the soul must be prepared, not as if it would not suffer, but as if it would not be defeated by the labors.

To make a likeness to all mankind, he forms a word concerning God just as Isaiah, so that he may demonstrate to God the impossible thing as possible in him, worthy of fighting and arming himself with shield and spear and parrying the attacks of enemies with a middle wall.

And Isaiah shows this in Christ, coming from the punishment of the unrighteous, foreseeing himself clothed in the garment of the slaughter of the foreigners (Who is this coming from Edom, a garment of clothing from Bozrah, and the following things?;). Thus, what is divinely attributed to the Father is clearly both to be a Son and to be fulfilled toward a Son.

Regarding those unrighteous, it is thought they will become invisible, just as dust driven by the wind, and they will be cast out not by human hand—because the righteous suffer this more from the unrighteous—but this happens through angels, as the Lord says that the holy will go forth and choose from among the righteous the unrighteous and separate them. For now the discordant are mixed, but then they will be divided according to the changing manner, as it was said, and again according to what the Savior said, 'For many mansions are in my Father's house' (John 14:2).

The ways of the unrighteous, he says, are dark; they do not know how they advance (Ps 34:6). This is worthy of being fulfilled, praying that the work of the unrighteous be seized by darkness, just as it suited the darkness, and that they fall by slipping, since they walk a slippery path (for there is nothing supporting them in unrighteousness), and that they become invisible being pursued by angels, just as they themselves do against the righteous. He says, 'He flees to his own strength, which is God' (Ps 34:13), for someone seeks God through fastings and humiliations, turning the whole soul toward invocations of God instead of the indulgence of bodily pleasures, when they occupy the mind according to prayer and enter into the bosom of the soul.

For indeed the things arranged by God are certain and unshakeable, such as that said concerning Noah, that he would no longer bring the flood upon the destruction of animals, which happens according to the word concerning the forbearance of God (Ps 35:6). For indeed the certainty of the word is established through all things, being something great and manifest. So also whatever else has been arranged and established according to the justice and goodness of God, the remaining in eternity has something firm and unshakeable; such as 'I will by no means lie in the Holy One' in David (Ps 35:7). For even the unalterable gifts of God incline toward this. Again, the high mountain compares itself to righteousness (Ps 35:8). This carries a threat of recompense, because it is impossible for anything to happen that is not according to the just, since justice is the guarantor of what comes to pass; so even those now escaping the punitive recompenses, or those not obtaining recompenses at all, will certainly be brought in later; and this is unwavering.