Philo of Alexandria

XVII. Let us then, with reference to our gratitude to and honouring of the omnipotent God, be active and ready, deprecating all sluggishness and delay ; for those who are passing over from obedience to the passions to the contemplation of virtue, are enjoined to keep the passover with their loins girded up, being ready to do service, and binding up the burden of the flesh, or, as it is expressed, their shoes, " standing upright, and firmly on their feet, and having in their hands a staff, "f that is to say education, with the object of succeeding without any failure in all the affairs of life ; and lastly, " to eat the passover in haste." For, by the passover, is signified the crossing over of the created and perishable being to God : — and very appropriately ; for there is no single good thing which does not belong to God, and which is not divine. Seek it therefore, quickly, 0 my soul ! as did that practiser of contemplation, Jacob, who, when his father asked him, " Howfound you this so quickly, 0 my son?" J answered, with a doctrine concealed underneath his words, " The Lord God brought it before me." For he, being well skilled in many matters, knew that whatever creation bestows on the soul is Exodus xii. 34. f Exodus xii. 11. J Genesis xxvii. 20. confirmed by long time, as those men know who give to their pupils arts, and lessons in arts : for their case is not like that of men who pour water into a vessel, they are not in a moment able to fill their minds with the lessons which have been brought before them. But when the fountain of wisdom, that is to say, God, gives knowledge of the sciences to the race of mankind, he gives it to them without any limitation of time. But they, as being disciples of the only wise Being, and being competent by nature, quickly accomplish the discovery of the things which they seek to understand. XYIII. But the principal virtue of pupils is to endeavour to imitate their perfect master, as far as those who are imperfect can imitate a perfect man. But the master is more rapid than any time, which did not even co-operate with him when he was creating the universe, since it is plain that time itself was created at the same moment that the world was made. For God, while he spake the word, did at the same moment create ; nor did he allow anything to come between the word and the deed ; and if one may advance a doctiine which is pretty nearly true, His word is his deed. But among the race of mankind nothing is more easily moved than the word ; for by its rapidity and by the volubility of its nouns and verbs, it outstrips even the comprehension which hastens to overtake them. As, therefore, everlasting springs, which are poured down in rivers, have a course which never ceases, the stream as it comes on continually taking up the cessation of the waves which have preceded, so too the abundant flow of words, when they begin to be poured forth, keep pace with the most swiftly-moving of all the qualities which are in us, namely, the mind, which can itself outstrip even flying natures. As therefore the uncreated God outstrips all creation, so also does the word of the uncreated God outrun the word of creation, and is borne on with exceeding swiftness in the clouds. On which account God speaks freely, saying. " Now you shall see, because my word shall overtake you." As the divine word can outstrip and overtake everything, but if his word can thus outstrip everything, much more can he who utters it, as he testifies in another place, where he says, " Here am I, I stood here before you."f For he declares here that he stood before any created being : and lie who is here is also there, Numbers xi. 23. t Exodus xvi. 6. 222 and in other places, and every where, having filled every place in every direction, and having left nothing whatever destitute of himself: for he does not say, " Here I stand and there, but now also when I am present do I stand there also at the same moment ;" not being moved or changing his place so as to occupy one place and to quit another, but using one intense motion. Very properly therefore do his subject children, imitating the nature of their father, do all that is right without any delay, and with all diligence, their most excellent employment being the paying prompt and unremitting honour to God.