Chapter 32

§ 1.

Because, I say, certain men have opinions imported from the discourses of heretics, and know not the counsels of God, and the mystery of the Resurrection of the Just, and of the Kingdom which is the beginning of incorruption, by which Kingdom such as have been worthy by little and little are used to comprehend God—therefore it is needful too to speak of them,¹ how that it is appointed that the righteous first, in this creation which is being renewed, rising again at the appearance of God, should receive the promise of the inheritance which God promised unto the Fathers, and reign therein: then in course the judgment take place. For in that Creation wherein they laboured, or were afflicted, being in all ways proved by suffering, in the same it is meet for them to receive the fruits of Suffering: and in what creation they were slain for the love of God, in the same to be brought to life: and in what creation they endured slavery, in the same they should reign. For God is rich in all things, and all things are His. The Creation therefore itself must be renewed to its old condition, and without hindrance serve the righteous: and this the Apostle hath made evident in the Epistle to the Romans thus speaking,² For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God. For the creature is made subject unto vanity, not willingly, but because of him who hath subjected it in hope: because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.

§ 2.

Thus then also the promise of God, which He made unto Abraham, remaineth firm.³ For He said, Look upward with thine eyes, and behold from this place, where thou now art, to the North, and South, and East, and West, for all the Land which thou seest, unto thee will I give and to thy seed for ever.⁴ And again He saith, Arise, go into the Land in its length and in its breadth: for I will give it thee. And he received not inheritance in it, not even a Foot step: but was always a pilgrim and a stranger therein.⁵ And when Sarah his wife died, the Hittites consenting to grant him for nothing a place to bury her, he would not accept it; but bought the sepulchre, giving forty double pieces of silver,⁶ from Effron son of Seor the Hittite; awaiting God’s Promise, and unwilling to seem to receive of men what God had engaged to give him, saying to him thus a second time,⁷ To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates. If then to him God promised the inheritance of the Land, and he did not receive it in all his own time of habitation there; it must be received by him and his seed, i.e., by them that fear God, and believe in Him in the resurrection of the just.⁸ But his seed is the Church, receiving by the Lord the Adoption unto God; as said John Baptist,⁹ That God is able of stones to raise up sons unto Abraham. Yea, and the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Galatians,¹⁰ But ye, brethren, as Isaac, are children of Promise. And again in the same he saith plainly, that those who have believed in Christ receive Christ, the Promise of Abraham;¹¹ thus speaking, To Abraham and his seed were the Promises made. And he saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, ‘And to thy seed;’ which is Christ. And again, confirming what hath been said, he saith, As Abraham believed God,¹² and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Ye know then that they which are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture foreseeing that God justifieth the Gentiles by Faith, preached before unto Abraham, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed.’ So then they which are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. You see then how they which are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham, and these are Abraham’s sons. Now God promised the inheritance of the Land¹³ to Abraham and his seed; and neither Abraham nor his seed, i.e., those who are justified by faith, now receive an inheritance therein: but they shall receive it in the Resurrection of the Just. For God is true and stedfast: and therefore He said that the meek are blessed,¹⁴ for they shall inherit the earth.