But  this  is  not  the  case.  God  enjoins  nothing  for  His  own
advantage,  but  for  the  benefit  of  those  to  whom  the  injunction
is  given.  Wherefore  He  is  truly  Lord,  for  He  does  not  need
His  servants,  but  His  servants  stand  in  need  of  Him.  In
those  same  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  and  in  the  age  in  which
sacrifices  were  still  being  offered  that  are  now  abrogated,  it  is
said :  "  I  said  unto  the  Lord,  Thou  art  my  God,  for  Thou  dost
not  need  my  good  things." 1  Wherefore  God  did  not  stand  in
need  of  those  sacrifices,  nor  does  He  ever  need  anything  ;  but
there  are  certain  acts,  symbolical  of  these  divine  gifts,  whereby
the  soul  receives  either  present  grace  or  eternal  glory,  in  the
celebration  and  practice  of  which,  pious  exercises,  serviceable
not  to  God  but  to  ourselves,  are  performed.
*7.  It  would,  however,  take  too  long  to  discuss  with  ade
quate  fulness  the  differences  between  the  symbolical  actions
of  former  and  present  times,  which,  because  of  their  pertaining

1  Ps.  xvi.  2.     on  ruv  a.ya.6Z>v  pau  ov  %/>tiav  t%zis,  LXX.  ;  quomam  bonorum
meorum  non  eges,  AUG.
