THE WORKS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

1 Kings 18

This refers to the narrative of David and Saul; in modern Bibles, the account of David playing the harp for Saul is found in 1 Samuel 16.
...contain the Lord. David surely, the king and harper of whom we spoke a little while ago, who urged men toward the truth and away from idols, was far from praising demons. Instead, they were driven away by his true music; for by merely singing, he cured Saul when he was vexed by a demon. The Lord made a beautiful breathing instrument, fashioned after His own image. Truly, He Himself is also an all-harmonious, melodious, and holy instrument of God—the super-mundane Wisdom, the heavenly Word. What then does this instrument, the Word of God, our Lord, and the new song desire? To throw open the eyes of the blind and open the ears of the deaf; to lead those who limp or wander by the foot toward righteousness; to reveal God to foolish men; to halt corruption; to conquer death; and to reconcile disobedient sons to their Father. The instrument of God is full of love for mankind. For the Lord has mercy, He disciplines, He exhorts, He admonishes, He preserves, He protects; and as a reward for our learning, from His overflowing abundance, He promises us the kingdom of heaven, seeking only this one fruit from us: that we be saved. For vice feeds upon the destruction of men, but Truth, like a bee, does no harm to anything that exists, but rejoices only in the salvation of humanity. You have the promise, you have His loving-kindness; become a partaker of His grace. And do not think of my song of salvation as being "new" in the same way one speaks of a new vessel or a new house; for it existed "before the morning star" original: "πρὸ ἑωσφόρου" / "ante Luciferum"; a reference to Psalm 110:3, often interpreted as the eternal generation of the Word., and "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" John 1:1.. Error is old, but the Truth appears as a new thing. Therefore, whether the legendary goats teach that the Phrygians are the most ancient, or the poets describe the Arcadians as those who existed before the moon Clement refers to the Proselenes, a title for Arcadians claiming to be older than the moon itself., or the Egyptians dream that their land first brought forth gods and men—none of these existed before this world. But we existed before the foundation of the world; we who, because we were destined to be, were first born in God Himself. We are the rational creations of the Word of God original: "τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τὰ λογικὰ πλάσματα"; literally "the logical/rational fashioned things of God's Logos.". Through Him we are ancient, because "in the beginning was the Word." But because the Word was from a beginning sought from above—a divine principle of all things that was and is—and because He has now received a name anciently consecrated and worthy of His power, the Christ, He is called by me a new song. This Word, then, the Christ, was the cause of our being long ago (for He was in God), and He is the cause of our well-being. Now this same Word has appeared to men, He who alone is both God and man, and is the cause of all good things for us. Instructed by Him to live rightly, we are sent onward to eternal life. For, as that divine Apostle of the Lord says: "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" Titus 2:11–13.. This is the new song, the...

...was made, who exhorted toward the truth and turned [men] away from idols; he was far from singing hymns to demons, who were driven away by them through true music, which, when he merely sang to that Saul who was possessed, healed him. The Lord fashioned man as a beautiful, breathing instrument, according to His own image; certainly He Himself is the all-harmonious instrument of God, melodious and holy, the wisdom from beyond the world, the heavenly Word. What then does the instrument, the Word of God, the Lord, and the new song, want? To open wide the eyes of the blind, and to open the ears of the deaf, and to lead the lame or the wandering by the hand toward righteousness; to show God to foolish men, to stop corruption, to conquer death; to reconcile disobedient sons to the Father. The instrument of God is a lover of mankind; the Lord pities, disciplines, exhorts, admonishes, saves, guards, and promises us the kingdom of heaven as the reward of our learning, out of His abundance; He enjoys only this from us: that we are saved. For wickedness preys upon the destruction of men. But Truth, like the bee, harming none of the things that exist, exults only in the salvation of men. You have the promise; you have His love for humanity; partake of the grace. and do not suppose my saving song to be "new" in the way of a vessel or a house; for He was before the morning star, and "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Error is old, but Truth appears as new. Whether, then, mythical goats teach that the Phrygians are ancient; or again the poets who record that the Arcadians were before the moon; or indeed the Egyptians who dream that this land first brought forth both gods and men; but none of these was before the world; but we were before the foundation of the world, we who, because we were to be, were previously generated in God Himself. We are the rational fashioned-beings of the Word of God; through whom we are made ancient, because "in the beginning was the Word." But because the Word was from above, He was and is the divine beginning of all things. But because He has now taken a name anciently hallowed, worthy of His dignity—Christ—He has been called by me a new song. This Word, then, the Christ, was the cause of our being of old (for He was in God) and of our well-being. Now this very Word has appeared to men, He who alone is both, God and man, the cause of all good things to us. By Him, being taught to live well, we are conducted to eternal life. For according to that divine apostle of the Lord, "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, disciplining us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live temperately, justly, and piously in the present age; expecting the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."