74. You will perceive therefore, the greatness of the complete state of man's superiority, from his changes and increments here, if you will consider, that the infant just born is in no respect superior to the worm ; that it cannot, after the manner of the irrational animal, even make use of the bodily senses. Nevertheless this defective, lame, infirm, and thoughtless being, will, when grown in his stature, arrive at all this change and variation in the course of time, — will receive all this superiority, power, and beauty both of body and soul,—so, that should those who begat him see him, they could not distinguish whether this

were he, who was sown (by them) in the womb, and conceived in darkness:—whether this were he, who came forth out of (this) darkness, to be brought up with milk and the swaddling bands; this,—who is now the man, who in wisdom and knowledge contemplates the whole world;—this, who subjugates every thing that is on the earth. And should any one by comparison, as it were, of the Divine faculty and of the Angels, and of the child just now born, place the complete man in the midst; he would not find a perfect equality as to the child, with respect to the perfect man; and of the perfect man, with respect to the superior power; but, the inferiority of the person of the child to the man, to be much greater, than is the inferiority of the man to the faculty of the Angels. For, the human infant lately born, cannot be compared in its being even with those irrational animals, which may just now be brought forth. But he, who has come out the perfect man, and is contemplated as the friend of God, will henceforward become a partaker in the divine Spirit, and will hold converse with the Angels: will arrive at a love and attachment to the conversation which is in heaven, and will previously prepare himself by purity of life, and the fear of God,—not (placed) at any great distance of limit,—for an equality with the Angels, and will be made a partaker both of (their) life, and superiority : which the Divine Word also shewed, when it said, "What⁶⁵ is man that thou art mindful of him ? and the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels: with honour and glory hast thou crowned him." is man that thou art mindful of him ? and the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels: with honour and glory hast thou crowned him."