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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
128 Pages
Page 103
4. That the perfection of his love and the sincerity of his deserved affection [2152] formed for it this inseparable union with God, so that the assumption of that soul was not accidental, or the result of a personal preference, but was conferred as the reward of its virtues, listen to the prophet addressing it thus: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." [2153] As a reward for its love, then, it is anointed with the oil of gladness; i.e., the soul of Christ along with the Word of God is made Christ. Because to be anointed with the oil of gladness means nothing else than to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And when it is said "above thy fellows," it is meant that the grace of the Spirit was not given to it as to the prophets, but that the essential fulness of the Word of God Himself was in it, according to the saying of the apostle, "In whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." [2154] Finally, on this account he has not only said, "Thou hast loved righteousness;" but he adds, "and Thou hast hated wickedness." For to have hated wickedness is what the Scripture says of Him, that "He did no sin, neither was any guile found in His mouth," [2155] and that "He was tempted in all things like as we are, without sin." [2156] Nay, the Lord Himself also said, "Which of you will convince Me of sin?" [2157] And again He says with reference to Himself, "Behold, the prince of this world cometh, and findeth nothing in Me." [2158] All which (passages) show that in Him there was no sense of sin; and that the prophet might show more clearly that no sense of sin had ever entered into Him, he says, "Before the boy could have knowledge to call upon father or mother, He turned away from wickedness." [2159]
[2152] Meriti affectus.
[2153] Ps. xlv. 7.
[2154] Col. ii. 9.
[2155] Isa. liii. 9.
[2156] Heb. iv. 15.
[2157] John viii. 46.
[2158] John xiv. 30.
[2159] This quotation is made up of two different parts of Isaiah: chap. viii. 4, "Before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father and my mother;" and chap. vii. 16, "Before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principia.asp?pg=103