and John established the ascetic life
in the New Testament, as Christ instructed him,
and he belonged both to the Law and to the Gospel,
like a landmark between Moses and us,
so constant a man of God, that God Himself said of him,
that no greater man was there upon earth,
born of man and of woman; thus God honoured him.
Behold then, our Saviour, the Son of the heavenly God,
showed forth His great love which He had to us men,
so that He was born of a pure virgin,
without man's commerce, and was manifested as Man,
in soul and in body, Very God and Very Man,
to the end that He might redeem those of us who believe in Him
from the eternal death, by His guiltless death.
Thereby we may perceive Christ's humility,
in that the high God so humbled Himself,
that He stooped to that death, and overcame the devil
by that incarnation, and so redeemed mankind;
He is over all things. Almighty Creator,
and He would nevertheless suffer punishment for us.
Now is His humility incomparable with ours,
because we are sinful, and ought to be humble,
will we, nill we; and He would of His own will
give us the example, even as He Himself said,
'Discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde, et invenietis requiem animahus vestris;' [that is in English:]
' Learn of Me, for I am meek
and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest
unto your souls; ' thus said the Lord.
He did not bid us learn to make the heavens [do great things],
but He bade us be humble, that we might get to heaven,
