“A tempest will come forth from the inner parts, and cold from Arcturus.” When holy Scripture mentions the inner parts, in opposition to Arcturus, it designates the quarter of the south, opposite to the parts of the north. Hence it is written in this same book, “Who makes Arcturus and the Orions and the inner parts of the south?” Because then the sun pervades with greater warmth the inner parts of the south, but it does not pursue its course at all in the north, by the word “inner parts” in this place is expressed the Jewish people, and by the term “Arcturus” the Gentile people. For they who had known the one and invisible God and obeyed his law, at least carnally, were kept, as it were, in the warmth of faith, under the glow of the midday sun. But because the Gentiles had not attained to any knowledge of heavenly wisdom, they were remaining, as it were, in the cold without the sun under the north. Moreover, a tempest impels, but cold oppresses with torpor. It is now rightly said, “A t...
52. Because, as the Holy Spirit breathed on the hearts of the faithful, and conferred greater miracles of power, benumbing envy grew up the more in the sluggish hearts of the faithless; and the unbelieving multitude became hardened against God, from the same causes, as the humble people softened the obduracy, with which it had bound itself. For when God blew on them, they were turned into ice, who said, through envy of the miracles they had witnessed; Behold, the whole world hath gone after Him. [John 12, 19] They were beholding the signs, perceiving the miracles performed by His ministers, and foreseeing, that the whole world was now about to follow the preaching of the faith; and yet, the more the Holy Spirit had filled the world, the more firmly was the malice of envy binding their minds. The water therefore had been turned into ice, when sluggish Judaea was still remaining in envy, as the whole world was going after God. But because Divine Power was sufficient to soften the hardnes...
