130. (Vers. 73.). Secondly, he adds the establishing oath, when he says: The oath which he swore to Abraham our father: and the preceding word must always be repeated, namely performed: Genesis twenty-two: "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not spared your only-begotten son for my sake, blessing I will bless you." Introducing this, the Apostle in Hebrews six says: "For God, promising to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself"; and thus, so that "he might show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, he interposed an oath, so that through two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have the strongest consolation." To Abraham, he promised, namely that he would give to us, his children, that is through the promise, his Only-begotten; John three: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son"; and: "He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how has he not also given us all things with him?" Romans eight. Moreover, the figure of this is in Genesis fifteen: "To your seed I will give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates."
131. (Vers. 74.). Then he adds the benefit or subsequent remedy, when he says: That without fear, delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him. For this is the remedy which we have obtained through Christ given to us: Romans six: "But now being freed from sin and made servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, life everlasting"; Wisdom sixteen: "You showed our enemies that it is you who deliver from all evil," namely those who hear you by believing and obeying: Proverbs one: "But he who hears me shall be without terror and shall enjoy abundance, the fear of evils being removed." And these are those who serve the Lord: 1 Kings seven: "Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him alone"; and he will deliver us from the hands of our enemies.
132. (Vers. 75.). And because not every manner of serving is acceptable to God, therefore he adds the manner, namely holily with respect to oneself, justly with respect to one's neighbor, simply with respect to God, perseveringly with respect to all the aforesaid. — On account of holiness he says: In holiness indeed let us serve him, because, as it is said in the Psalm, "he who walks in the immaculate way, he ministered to me"; therefore Exodus twenty-eight: "You shall sanctify Aaron and his sons, that they may exercise the priesthood to me," and "let them minister in the sanctuary, lest they die guilty of iniquity"; 1 Peter one: "According to him who called you, the Holy One, that you also may be holy in all your conduct, because it is written: You shall be holy, because I am holy."
133. On account of justice with regard to one's neighbor, he says: And justice: Romans 6: "As you have yielded your members to serve iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification"; so that you may be able to say that word of the Psalm: "But I in justice shall appear before your sight."
134. On account of simplicity he says: Before him, namely God: which is done through simple intention, as Hezekiah, 4 Kings 20: "I beseech you, Lord, remember how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done what is pleasing before you." Thus "the boy Samuel ministered in the sight of the Lord before the face of Eli," 1 Kings 3; and 1 Chronicles, last chapter: "I know, Lord, that you test hearts and love simplicity."
135. On account of perseverance he adds: All our days, as the Apostle, Acts 20: "You know how through all the time I was with you, serving the Lord with all humility and tears and trials"; and Joshua 22: "Cleave to God and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."
136. (Verse 76). And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, etc. This is the fourth part of the canticle, in which he recounts the benefit of our redemption, inasmuch as it was already begun in the precursor; and this by a prophetic proclamation, which he commends in three ways, namely from the authority of prophecy, from the utility of doctrine, and from the proximity of the divine presence.
He commends therefore the proclamation of John, initiatory of our restoration, from the authority of prophecy, turning his discourse to the child. And you, child, prophet of the Most High: you, child both in age and in purity: 1 Corinthians 14: "In malice be children, but in understanding be perfect." You shall be called a prophet; Matthew 11: "Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet"; and prophet of the Most High, that is, of Christ, by reason of his Divinity: the Psalm: "A man is born in her, and the Most High himself has founded her." — For you shall go before the face of the Lord, by reason of his humanity: the Psalm: "Show your face, and we shall be saved"; and Malachi 3: "Behold, I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face." — To prepare his ways, he says ways in the plural, that is, the way of knowledge in faith and of affection in charity. Concerning the first, Job 17: "The just man shall hold to his way, and with clean hands shall add strength"; Romans 1: "The just man lives by faith." Concerning the way of charity: 1 Corinthians 12: "I show you a still more excellent way." John prepared the way of faith inasmuch as he was a voice: below in chapter 3: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord"; the way of charity, inasmuch as he was a lamp: John 5: "He was a burning and shining lamp."
137. (Vers. 77.). He commends it also secondly from the utility of the doctrine, when he says: To give knowledge of salvation to his people: to give, namely freely: Matthew 10: "Freely you have received, freely give"; and Proverbs 2: "The Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come prudence and knowledge." To give, I say, knowledge, not just any, but of salvation: because without knowledge there is no salvation; Isaiah 5: "Therefore my people has been led captive, because it did not have knowledge." This every ruler of the people ought to have; Hosea 4: "Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, so that you shall not serve me as priest"; Isaiah 33: "The riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge," of salvation, I say, not of just any kind, but spiritual: on account of which he adds: In the remission of their sins. Bede: "Lest you think that temporal salvation was being promised, he adds 'in the remission of their sins.'" For of the Savior it is said in Matthew 1: "He shall save his people from their sins"; and Mark 1: "John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
138. (Vers. 78.). He commends also John's proclamation from the proximity of the divine presence, when he says: Through the bowels of mercy of our God. And he describes this in three ways: first, as visiting to console the affection; second, as illuminating to teach the intellect, at: To illuminate those, etc.; third, as directing to rectify the action, at: To direct the feet, etc.
He therefore first describes the divine presence joined to the prophecy of the precursor, when he says: Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us: and it should be continued from the preceding thus: You shall go before to give knowledge of salvation to his people unto the remission of sins, which indeed was through the tender mercy of God, which hastens the divine presence in the flesh, in which he visited us. The tender mercy is exceeding love and exceeding compassion: Ephesians 2: "But God, who is rich in mercy, on account of his exceeding charity with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together in Christ, by whose grace you are saved"; and Isaiah 63: "Where is the multitude of your tender mercies and your compassions? They have restrained themselves over me." But after the Son of God was incarnate, that word of Genesis 43 concerning Joseph was verified: "His bowels were moved for his brother." Following this example, Colossians 3: "Put on, as the elect of God, tender mercy, kindness, humility, modesty, patience." Through this tender mercy the Dayspring from on high has visited us: Malachi 4: "For you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall arise, and healing in his wings"; and Zechariah 6: "Behold a man, the Dayspring is his name." From on high, according to that word of John 3: "He who comes from above is above all." In this there was a wondrous condescension: the Psalm: "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you visit him?"
139. (Verse 79). Now this visitation of the heavenly sun was not only a cause of consolation, but also of illumination: and therefore he adds: To illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: and it should be construed: he visited to illuminate, that is, for the purpose of illuminating, those who sit in darkness, that is, the erring nations: Isaiah 9: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, a light has risen for them"; and again, [Isaiah] 42: "I have given you as a light to the nations, that you might open the eyes of the blind and lead forth the bound from confinement, those sitting in darkness from the prison house." And therefore John 9: "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
140. And because through illumination we are led to direction, therefore there follows: To direct our feet into the way of peace: Proverbs 16: "The heart of man disposeth his way, but it is the Lord's to direct his steps." And therefore Proverbs 3: "In all thy ways think upon him, and he shall direct thy steps"; and the Psalm: "Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the right land," where there is the kingdom of peace without toil; Wisdom 10: "The Lord conducted the just one through right ways and showed him the kingdom of God"; of which kingdom it is said in the Psalm: "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, who hath placed peace in thy borders." For Jerusalem is interpreted as "vision of peace," to which we are led through the guidance of Christ and through the way of the commandments, which leads to peace: the Psalm: "Much peace have they that love thy law"; and Isaiah 48: "Would that thou hadst attended to my commandments: thy peace would have been as a river."
141. Note that the Lord visits to correct offenders, as a legate a province; Obadiah 1: "He hath sent a legate to the nations. Arise, and let us rise up against him in battle"; the Psalm: "I will visit their iniquities with a rod." — To justify the penitent, as a physician the sick: Mark 2: "They that are well have no need of the physician, but they that are ill." — To teach the ignorant, as a master a disciple, as here: He hath visited us, to enlighten, etc.; the Psalm: "Thou hast visited the earth and plentifully watered it"; there follows: "The river of God is filled with waters."
— To rouse the negligent, as a prince his people; 1 Kings 17: "Visit thy brethren, whether they fare well, and learn with whom they have been stationed"; Acts 15: "Let us return and visit the brethren throughout all the cities." — To advance those who labor, as a vinedresser his vineyard; the Psalm: "Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vineyard"; Isaiah 5: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel." — To preserve the obedient, as a shepherd his flock; Ezekiel 34: "I will visit my sheep, as a shepherd visits his flock."
To make fruitful those who contemplate, as a bridegroom his bride; Genesis twenty-one: "The Lord visited Sarah, and she conceived"; Judith fifteen: "Joachim, the high priest, came from Jerusalem to Bethulia with all his priests, to see Judith." — To aid those who fight, as a king his army; Genesis, the last chapter: "After my death God will visit you"; and Luke, the last chapter: "Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." To console those who suffer, as a healthy person the sick; Job ten: "Your visitation has preserved my spirit"; and Job two and James one: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations"; Ecclesiasticus seven: "Let it not weary you to visit the sick." — To reward those who persevere, as a householder; Matthew twenty: "Call the workers and pay them their wages"; and Isaiah sixty: "I will make your visitation peace and your overseers justice."
On the upbringing of the child and the amplification of praise, three points.
142. (Verse 80.). But the child grew, etc. After the origin of the precursor has been described and the thanksgiving for his origin, here thirdly is added his upbringing, in which there is an amplification of divine praise. The upbringing is described with respect to the progress of age in the flesh and virtue in the mind and religiosity in manner of life.
With respect to the progress of age he says: But the child grew, namely, in body, according to what is said of Samuel in 1 Kings two: "The child Samuel grew and was pleasing both to God and to men." For he had found blessing, like Joseph, of whom Genesis, the penultimate chapter says: "Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold"; but contrarily it is said of Reuben in Genesis, the penultimate chapter: "You were poured out like water; may you not grow." Whence also that passage of Genesis twenty-six applies to him: "Isaac advancing and growing, until he became exceedingly great."
143. With respect to the progress of virtue in the mind he says: And he was strengthened in spirit, namely, of divine power, of which Ezekiel three says: "The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me"; whence he could say that word of the Apostle in Philippians, the last chapter: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me." Now this is the Holy Spirit, who gives power to the other Saints; the Psalm: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of his mouth all their power."
144. With respect to the progress of religiosity in manner of life he adds: And he was in the deserts, namely, so that there he might lead a religious life, according to what is sung of him:
The caves of the desert in your tender years, fleeing the throngs of citizens, you sought, lest you might stain your life with even a slight utterance; because, "if anyone considers himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, his religion is vain." And therefore he cast forth that prophetic word in the Psalm: "I went far off fleeing and remained in solitude." For whoever wishes to live perfectly ought, having left the cities, to seek the desert places: First Maccabees, chapter two: "Many went down with Mattathias, seeking judgment and justice in the desert, and they settled there." — And because religious devotion is not praiseworthy unless it is persevering, therefore he adds: Until the day of his manifestation to Israel, when, namely, he showed himself in virtuous preaching: according to what the Apostle says in First Corinthians, chapter two: "My speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power." Whence he first lived hidden to himself for a long time, so that afterward through his manifestation he might live for the salvation of others, according to that saying in James, chapter three: "Who is wise and learned among you? Let him show from his good conduct his works in the meekness of wisdom." — In this all preachers are instructed, that they should first devote themselves to their own perfection and then to the edification of others, because "he whose life is despised, it remains that his preaching be condemned." A figure of this preceded in Elijah, in Third Kings, chapter nineteen, who first went away into the desert and arrived at the mountain of God, where he was instructed: and afterward it follows that he anointed kings and prophets for the governance of the people of God.