39. But when he says, Of him, through him, in him, are all things--he
says in the simplest way that the beginning, middle and end is of
God; that all creatures have their origin in him, also their growth
and their limitations. To illustrate: Every little grain of corn has
its beginning. A root springs from the dead seed in the ground; then
a shoot comes forth and becomes a stalk, a leaflet, an ear of corn,
and here it pauses, having the three parts it is intended to have.
All creatures also have their beginning, their continuation and end,
filling up the period of their existence. When this order ceases,
every creature will cease to exist. That which has a beginning and
grows but does not attain its end, does not reach perfection, is
nothing. To sum it all up, everything must be of God. Nothing can
exist without origin in him. Nothing that has come into being can
continue to exist without him. He has not created the world as a
carpenter builds a house and, departing, leaves it to stand as it
may. God remains with and preserves all things which he has made;
otherwise they would not continue to exist.
40. Saint Paul does not simply say--as he does elsewhere--Of him are
all things. He adds two other assertions, making a triple expression,
and then unites the three thoughts into one whole when he says, "To
him be the glory for ever." No doubt it was his intention therewith
to convey the thought of this article of faith and to distinguish the
three persons of the Godhead, even though he does not mention them by
name, which is not necessary here. The ancient teachers also looked
upon this passage as a testimony to the Holy Trinity. Their analysis
was: All things are created by God the Father through the Son--even
as he does all things through the Son--and are preserved, in God's
good pleasure, through the Holy Spirit. So Paul is wont to say
elsewhere; for example (1 Cor 8, 6): "There is one God, the Father,
of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things." And concerning the Holy Spirit, Genesis
1, 31 says: "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it
was very good."
41. The Scriptures teach us that all creation is the work of one God,
or the whole Godhead; and yet, inasmuch as they make a distinction
between the three persons of the one Godhead, we may properly say
that everything had its origin, everything exists and continues, in
the Father as the first person; through the Son, who is of the
Father; and in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from both the Father and
the Son; which three, nevertheless, are comprehended in the one
undivided essence.
42. But how such a distinction of persons exists in the divine
essence from eternity is a mystery which we shall and must leave
unsolved. For we cannot, with our crude understanding, even fathom
God's creatures; no creature is wise enough to understand these three
parts of itself--the beginning, the middle and the end. Though they
are distinct from each other, nevertheless they are so closely
connected that we cannot with our physical senses separate one from
the other. Who has ever been able to discover or explain the process
by which a leaflet grows from a tree, or a tiny grain of corn becomes
a root, or a cherry grows from the blossom to wood and kernel? Again,
who can explain how the bodily members of a human being manifestly
grow; what the sight of the eye is; how the tongue can make such a
variety of sounds and words, which enter, with marvelous diversity,
into so many ears and hearts? Much less are we able to analyze the
inner workings of the mind--its thoughts, its meditations, its
memory. Why, then, should we presume, with our reason, to compass and
comprehend the eternal, invisible essence of God?
_Trinity Sunday_
Second Sermon. Text: Romans 11, 33-36.