PHIL. IUD. DE ABRAHAMO. §. 11. 12.

to recognize the eternal with the immortal rather than with the mortal, since eternity is akin to incorruptibility, while death is hostile to it.

§. 12. One must, however, not be ignorant of this: that God introduced the first man, the earth-born, as the father of those who lived up until the flood; and he introduced the only one who was left from such great destruction, along with his whole household referring to Noah, as the father of the new race of men that flourished again, for the sake of his righteousness and other noble qualities. The sacred oracles call the truly venerable and much-contended-for triad referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a single species:

“A royal priesthood and a holy nation.” Exod. 19:6

The name indicates its power. For the nation is designated in the Hebrew tongue as Israel, which is interpreted as "Seeing God." Now, the vision that occurs through the eyes is the most beautiful among all the senses, since through it alone the most beautiful of existing things are grasped—the sun, the moon, and the whole heaven and world. But the vision that occurs through the governing part of the soul surpasses the others, as much as the powers that surround it. 358 This is phronesis practical wisdom, being the sight of the intellect. And whoever has attained not only to grasp all other things that are in nature through knowledge, but also to see the Father and Maker of all, let him know that he has reached the peak of happiness. For there is nothing higher than God; toward Him, if anyone has stretched the eye of the soul and arrived, let him pray for a firm dwelling and station. For the upward paths are laborious and slow, but the flow downward, which consists more of dragging than descending, is swift and easy. Many things below are forced, which are of no benefit when God, having unhooked the soul from its own powers, draws it to Himself with a more powerful pull.