nd the words occur, "took" and "gave" and "highly exalted," that we
might take, and to us might be given, and we might be exalted, in
him; as also for us he sanctifies himself, that we might be
sanctified in him.

But if they take advantage of the word "wherefore," as connected
with the passage in the Psalm, "Wherefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee," for their own purposes, let these novices in
Scripture and masters in irreligion know that, as before, the word
"wherefore" does not imply reward of virtue or conduct in the Word,
but the reason why he came down to us, and of the Spirit's
anointing, which took place in him for our sakes. For he says not,
"Wherefore he anointed thee in order to thy being God or King or Son
or Word,"--for so he was before, and is forever, as has been
shown,--but rather, "Since thou art God and king, therefore thou
wast anointed, since none but thou couldst unite man to the Holy
Ghost, thou the image of the Father, in which we were made in the
beginning; for thine is even the Spirit," For the nature of things
generate could give no warranty for this, angels having
transgressed, and men disobeyed. Wherefore there was need of God;
and the Word is God; that those who had become under a curse, he
himself might set free. If then he was of nothing, he would not
have been the Christ or Anointed, being one among others and having
fellowship as the rest. But, whereas he is God, as being the Son of
God, and is everlasting King, and exists as radiance and expression
of the Father, wherefore fitly is he the expected Christ, whom the
Father announces to mankind, by revelation to his holy prophets;
that as through him we have come to be, so also in him all men might
be redeemed from their sins, and by him all things might be ruled.
And this is the cause of the anointing which took place in him, and
of the incarnate presence of the Word; which the Psalmist
foreseeing, celebrates, first his Godhead and kingdom, which is the
Father's, in these tones, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a
sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom"; then
announces his descent to us thus: "Wherefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

SAINT AUGUSTINE (354-430)

Saint Augustine who is always classed as one of the four great Latin
fathers is generally conceded to be chief among them in natural
strength of intellect. Saint Jerome, who excelled him