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The word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision also. For when
God promised him protection and exceeding great reward, he, being
solicitous about posterity, said that a certain Eliezer of Damascus,
born in his house, would be his heir. Immediately he was promised an
heir, not that house-born servant, but one who was to come forth of
Abraham himself; and again a seed innumerable, not as the dust of the
earth, but as the stars of heaven, which rather seems to me a promise
of a posterity exalted in celestial felicity. For, so far as
multitude is concerned, what are the stars of heaven to the dust of the
earth, unless one should say the comparison is like inasmuch as the
stars also cannot be numbered? For it is not to be believed that all
of them can be seen. For the more keenly one observes them, the more
does he see. So that it is to be supposed some remain concealed from
the keenest observers, to say nothing of those stars which are said to
rise and set in another part of the world most remote from us.
Finally, the authority of this book condemns those like Aratus or
Eudoxus, or any others who boast that they have found out and written
down the complete number of the stars. Here, indeed, is set down
that sentence which the apostle quotes in order to commend the grace of
God, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for
righteousness;" lest the circumcision should glory, and be unwilling
to receive the uncircumcised nations to the faith of Christ. For at
the time when he believed, and his faith was counted to him for
righteousness, Abraham had not yet been circumcised.
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