The seventh, which is the rest of souls having no end, corresponds to the seventh day, on which God rested from all the work that He had done .
And thus these seven ages are distinguished on account of the notable events that occurred at their beginnings, by reason of which they correspond to the days of the formation of the world. Now the first age is called infancy, because, just as infancy is entirely erased by forgetfulness, so that first age was consumed by the flood.
The second, childhood; for just as in childhood we begin to speak, so in the second age the distinction of tongues was made.
The third is called adolescence, because, just as the generative power then begins to pass into its act, so then Abraham was called, and circumcision was given to him, and the promise concerning the seed was made.
The fourth is called youth, because, just as in youth the age of man flourishes, so in the fourth age the synagogue flourished under kings.
The fifth, old age, because just as in old age strength diminishes and beauty fades, so also in the exile it happened concerning the priesthood of the Jews.
The sixth age is called decrepitude, because, just as that is the age which is joined with death, yet possessing a great light of wisdom; so the sixth age of the world is terminated with the day of judgment, and in it wisdom flourishes through the teaching of Christ.
Thus the whole of this world is described by Scripture as proceeding in a most ordered course from beginning to end, after the manner of a most beautiful and ordered poem, wherein one may contemplate according to the course of time the variety, multiplicity, and equity, order, rectitude, and beauty of the many divine judgments proceeding from the wisdom of God governing the world. Whence, just as no one can see the beauty of a poem unless his gaze is carried over the whole verse, so no one sees the beauty of the order and governance of the universe unless he contemplates it as a whole. And because no man is so long-lived that he can see the whole of it with the eyes of his flesh, nor can he of himself foresee the future, the Holy Spirit has provided for us the book of Sacred Scripture, whose length is commensurate with the course of the governance of the universe.
§ 3. On the Sublimity of Sacred Scripture.
Sacred Scripture nevertheless possesses in its progression a sublimity, which consists in the description of hierarchies arranged in graduated order, which are the ecclesiastical, angelic, and divine hierarchy, or the subcelestial, celestial, and supercelestial ; such that it describes the first openly, the second somewhat more hiddenly, and the third still more hiddenly. From its description of the ecclesiastical hierarchy it is lofty; from its description of the angelic, loftier; from its description of the divine, loftiest, so that we may say that word of the Prophet:
Your knowledge is become wonderful to me; it is strengthened, and I cannot reach unto it.
And this indeed is fitting enough. For since things have being in matter, have being in the soul through acquired knowledge, have also being in it through grace, have being in it through glory, and have being in the eternal art, philosophy indeed treats of things as they are in nature, or in the soul according to knowledge naturally implanted or also acquired; but theology, as a science founded upon faith and revealed through the Holy Spirit, treats also of those things which pertain to grace and glory and also to the eternal Wisdom. Whence theology itself, laying beneath itself philosophical knowledge and taking from the natures of things as much as it needs to fashion a mirror through which a representation of divine things may be made, as it were erects a ladder which at its lowest point touches the earth but at its summit touches heaven; and this entirely through that one hierarch, Jesus Christ, who by reason of the human nature assumed is not only hierarch in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but also in the angelic, and the middle Person in that supercelestial hierarchy of the most blessed Trinity; so that through Him from God the supreme head, the grace of anointing descends not only upon the beard, but also upon the hem of the garment, because not only upon the heavenly Jerusalem, but even unto the Church Militant.
For there is great beauty in the machine of the world, but far greater in the Church adorned with the beauty of holy charisms, greatest however in the heavenly Jerusalem, and supremely greatest in that supreme and most blessed Trinity. Therefore Scripture itself not only has the most exalted subject matter, through which it delights and through which it raises the understanding of the mind on high, but it is also most beautiful and in a certain wondrous manner delights our intellect, and thus by delighting more and more accustoms us to the contemplation of divine spectacles and anagogical ascents.
§ 4. On the Depth of Sacred Scripture.
Finally, Scripture itself has depth, which consists in the multiplicity of mystical understandings. For beyond the literal sense, it can be expounded in various places in a threefold manner, namely allegorically, morally, and anagogically. Now allegory is when through one deed another deed is indicated, according to what is to be believed. Tropology or morality is when through that which was done, something else is given to be understood, namely what is to be done. Anagogy, as it were a leading upward, is when that which is to be desired is given to be understood, namely the eternal happiness of the Blessed.
Now rightly this threefold sense ought to be in Scripture beyond the literal understanding: because it thus befits the subject of Scripture itself, its hearer or disciple, its origin, and also its end.
It befits the subject, I say, because it is a teaching which is about God, about Christ, about the works of restoration, and about the credible. For the subject of Scripture with respect to substance is God; with respect to power, Christ; with respect to operation, the work of restoration; with respect to all these, it is the credible itself. Now God is triune and one: one in essence and triune in persons. Therefore Scripture, which is about Him, has in the unity of the letter a triformity of understanding.
Christ also, since He is one Word, all things are said to have been made through Him and shine forth in Him, so that His wisdom is manifold and one.
The works of restoration, though they are many, all have regard to the principal offering of Christ.
The credible as credible shines forth in diverse ways according to the diverse state of believers. Therefore, on account of its conformity to all the aforesaid, Sacred Scripture in one letter gives birth to a manifold understanding.
This also befits the hearer: because no one is a fitting hearer of it unless he is humble, pure, faithful, and studious. Therefore beneath the bark of the open letter, a mystical and profound understanding is hidden for the purpose of suppressing pride, so that by the depth hidden in the humility of the letter, the proud are suppressed, the unclean are repelled, the deceitful are turned aside, and the negligent are aroused to the understanding of mysteries.
And because the hearer of this doctrine is not of one kind, but of every kind — for all who are to be saved must know something of this doctrine — therefore it has a manifold understanding, so that it may capture every intellect, condescend to every intellect, surpass every intellect, and both illuminate and enkindle every intellect diligently attending to it by the multitude of its radiance.
It is also fitting to the principle from which it proceeds: because it is from God through Christ and the Holy Spirit speaking through the mouths of the Prophets and others who wrote this doctrine. Since, moreover, God speaks not only through words but also through deeds, because His speaking is doing, and His doing is speaking — and all created things as effects of God point to their cause — therefore in Scripture divinely handed down, not only words but also deeds must signify.
Christ also as teacher, although He was humble in the flesh, was nevertheless exalted in His divinity: therefore it was fitting that He and His doctrine should have humility in speech with profundity of meaning, so that, just as Christ was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so the wisdom of God in Scripture would be wrapped in certain humble figures.
The Holy Spirit also illuminated in diverse ways and made revelations in the hearts of the Prophets: moreover no understanding can be hidden from Him, and He was sent to teach all truth: therefore it was fitting to His doctrine that manifold meanings should lie hidden in a single expression.