(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)

Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing initially
before a vowel; 3. = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi =
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute =
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe,
when necessary.


ST. AUGUSTIN

EXPOSITIONS ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS.

[Translated by the Rev. J. E. Tweed, M.A., chaplain of Christ Church,
Oxford; T. Scratton, Esq., M.A., of Christ Church; the Rev. H.M. Wilkins,
M.A., of Merton College, Oxford; ?the Rev. Charles Marriot, of Oriel
College; ?the Rev. H. Walford, Vice-Principal of St. Edmund's Hall; at
least one anonymous contributor. Abridged from the six volumes of the Oxford
Series by A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D.]

PSALMS 107-118: THE BEGINNING OF THE 5TH BOOK OF THE PSALMS


PSALM CVII. (10)

   1. This Psalm commendeth unto us the mercies of God, proved in
ourselves, and is therefore the sweeter to the experienced. And it is a
wonder if it can be pleasing to any one, except to him who has learned in
his own case, what he hears in this Psalm. Yet was it written not for any
one or two, but for the people of God, and set forth that it might know
itself therein as in a mirror. Its title needeth not now to be treated, for
it is Halleluia, and again Halleluia. Which we have a custom of singing at
a certain time in our solemnities, after an old tradition of the Church:
nor is it without a sacred meaning that we sing it on particular days.(11)
Halleluia we sing indeed on certain days,(12) but every day we think it.
For if in this word is signified the praise of God, though not in the mouth
of the flesh, yet surely in the mouth of the heart. "His praise shall ever
be in my mouth."(13) But that the title hath Halleluia not once only but
twice, is not peculiar to this Psalm, but the former also hath it so. And
as far as appears from its text, that was sung of the people of Israel, but
this is sung of the universal Church of God, spread through the whole
world. Perchance, it not unfitly hath Halleluia twice, because we cry,
Abba, Father. Since Abba is nothing else but Father, yet not without
meaning the Apostle said, "in whom we cry, Abba, Father;"(14) but because
one wall indeed coming to the Corner Stone crieth Abba, but the other, from
the other side crieth Father; viz., in that Corner Stone, "who is our
Peace, who hath made both one." ...

2. "Confess unto the Lord that He is sweet, because for aye in His mercy"
(ver. 1). This confess ye that He is sweet, if ye have  tasted, confess.
But he cannot confess, who hath not chosen to taste, for whence shall he
say that that is sweet, which he knoweth not. But ye if ye have tasted how
sweet the Lord is,(1) "Confess ye to the Lord that He is sweet." If ye have
tasted with eagerness, break forth(2) with confession. "For aye is His
mercy," that is, for ever. For here "for aye," is so put, since also in
some other places of Scripture, for aye, that is, what in Greek is called
eis aiw^na, is understood for ever. For His mercy is not for a time, so as
not to be for ever, since for this purpose His present mercy is over men,
that they may live with the Angels for ever.

   3. "Let them say who are redeemed of the Lord, whom He hath redeemed
from the hand of their enemies" (ver. 2). Redeemed indeed it seems was also
the people of Israel from the land of Egypt, from the hand of slavery, from
fruitless labours, from miry works; yet let us see whether those who say
these things, are they who were freed by the Lord from Egypt. It is not so.
But who are they? "Those whom He redeemed." Still one might take it also of
them, as redeemed from the hand of their enemies, that is, of the
Egyptians. Let them be expressed exactly who they are, for whom this Psalm
would be sung. "He gathered them from the lands;" these might still be the
lands of Egypt, for there are many lands even in one province. Let him
speak openly. "From the east and the west, from the north and the sea"
(ver. 3). Now then we understand these redeemed, in the whole circle of the
earth. This people of God, freed from a great and broad Egypt, is led, as
through the Red Sea,(3) that in Baptism it may make an end of its enemies.
For by the sacrament as it were of the Red Sea, that is by Baptism
consecrated with the Blood of Christ, the pursuing Egyptians, the  sins,
are washed away...."But all these things happened to them in a figure, and
were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have
come."(4) ...

   4. "They wandered in the wilderness, in a dry place, they found not the
way of a city to dwell in" (ver. 4). We have heard a wretched wandering;
what of want? "Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them" (ver. 5).
But wherefore did it faint? for what good? For God is not cruel, but He
maketh Himself known, in that it is expedient for us, that He be entreated
by us fainting, and that aiding us He be loved. And therefore after this
wandering, and hunger, and thirst, "And they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He delivered them out of their distress" (ver. 6). And what
did He for them, as they were wandering? "And He led them in the right way"
(ver. 7). They found not the way of a city to dwell in, with hunger and
thirst they were vexed and faint, "and He led them into the right way, that
they might go into a city to dwell in." How He helped their hunger and
thirst, He saith not, but even this expect ye: "Let them confess unto the
Lord His mercies, and His wonders towards the children of men" (ver. 8).
Tell them, ye that are experienced, to the inexperienced; ye that are
already in the way, already directed towards finding the city, already at
last free from hunger and thirst. "Because He hath satisfied the empty
soul, and filled the hungry soul with good things" (ver. 9).

   5. "Them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, fast bound
in beggary and iron" (ver. 10). Whence this, but that thou wast attributing
things to thyself? that thou wast not owning the grace of God? that thou
wast rejecting the counsel of God s concerning thee? For see what He
addeth: "Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord through pride"
(ver. 11), not knowing the righteousness of God, and wishing to establish
their own,(6) "and they were bitter against the counsel of the Most High."
"And their heart was brought low in labour" (ver. 12). And now fight
against lust; if God cease to aid thou mayest strive, thou canst not
conquer. And when thou shalt be pressed by thine evil, thy heart will be
brought low in labour, so that now with humbled heart thou mayest learn to
cry out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of
this death?"(7) ... Freed, thou wilt confess the mercies of the Lord. "And
they cried unto the Lord when they were troubled, and He delivered them out
of their distresses" (ver. 13). They were freed from the second temptation.
There remains that of weariness and loathing. But first see what He did for
them when freed. "And He led them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and brake their bonds asunder" (ver. 14). "Let them confess to the Lord His
mercies, and His wonders to the children of men" (ver. 15). Wherefore? what
difficulties hath He overcome? "Because He brake the gates of brass, and
snapped the bars of iron" (ver. 16). "He took them up from the way of their
iniquity, for because of their unrighteousnesses they were brought low"
(ver. 17). Because they gave honour to themselves, not to God, because they
were establishing their own righteousness, not knowing the righteousness of
God,(1) they were brought low. They found that they were helpless without
His aid, who were presuming on their own strength alone.

   6. "Their soul abhorred all manner of meat" (ver. 18). Now they suffer
satiety. They are sick of satiety. They are in danger from satiety. Unless
perchance thou thinkest they could be killed with famine, but cannot with
satiety. See what followeth. When he had said, "Their soul abhorred all
manner of meat," lest thou shouldest think them, as it were, safe of their
fulness, and not rather see that they would die of satiety: "And they came
near," he saith, "even unto the gates of death." What then remaineth? That
even when the word of God delighteth thee, thou account it not to thyself;
nor for this be puffed up with any sort of arrogance, and having an
appetite for food, proudly spurn at those who are in danger from satiety.
"And they cried out unto the Lord when they were in trouble, and He
delivered them out of their distresses" (ver. 19). And because it was a
sickness not to be pleased, "He sent His Word, and healed them" (ver. 20).
See what evil there is in satiety; see whence He delivers, to whom he
crieth that loathes his food. "He sent His Word, and healed them, and
snatched them," from whence? not from wandering, not from hunger, not from
the difficulty of overcoming sins, but "from their corruption." It is a
sort of corruption of the mind to loathe what is sweet. Therefore also of
this benefit, as of the others before, "Let them confess to the Lord His
mercies, and His wonders unto the sons of men" (ver. 21). "And sacrifice
the sacrifice of praise" (ver. 22). For now that He may be praised, the
Lord is sweet, "and let them tell out His works with gladness." Not with
weariness, not with sadness, not with anxiety, not with loathing, but "with
gladness."

   7. ... "They who go down on the sea in ships, doing their business on
the mighty waters" (ver. 23); that is, amongst many peoples. For that
waters are often put for peoples, the Apocalypse of John is witness, when
on John's asking what those waters were, it was answered him, they are
peoples. They then who do their business on mighty waters, "they have seen
the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep" (ver. 24). For what is
deeper than human hearts? hence often break forth winds; storms of
sedition, and dissensions, disturb the ship. And what is done in them? God,
willing that both they who steer, and they who are conveyed, should cry
unto Him, "He spake, and the breath of the storm stood" (ver. 25). What is,
stood? Abode, continued, still disturbeth long tosseth; rageth, and passeth
not away. "For He spake, and the breath of the storm stood." And what did
that breath of the storm? "They go up even to the heavens," in daring;
"They go down even into the deeps" (ver. 26), in fearing. "Their soul
wasted in miseries." "They were disturbed, and moved like a drunken man"
(ver. 27). They who sit at the helm, and they who faithfully love the ship,
feel what I say. Certainly, when they speak, when they read, when they
interpret, they appear wise. Woe for the storm! "and all their wisdom," he
saith, "was swallowed up." Sometimes all human counsels fail; whichever way
one turns himself, the waves roar, the storm rageth, the arms are
powerless: where the prow may strike, to what wave the side may be exposed,
whither the stricken ship may be allowed to drift, from what rocks she must
be kept back lest she be lost, is impossible for her pilots to see. And
what is left but that which follows? "And they cried out unto the Lord when
they were troubled, and He delivered them from their distresses" (ver. 28).
"And He commanded the storm, and it stood unto clear air" (ver. 29), "and
the waves of it were still." Hear on this point the voice of a steersman,
one that was in peril, was brought low, was freed. "I would not," he saith,
"have you ignorant, brethren, of our distress, which befell us in Asia,
that "we were pressed above strength, and above measure" (I see all his
"wisdom swallowed up"), "so that we were weary," he saith, "even of
life."(2) ...

   "And they were glad, because they were still, and He brought them into
the haven of their desire" (ver. 30). "Let His mercies confess unto the
Lord, and His wonders towards the sons of men" (ver. 31). Everywhere,
without exception, let not our merits, not our strength, not our wisdom,"
confess unto the Lord," but, "His mercies." Let Him be loved in every
deliverance of ours, who has been invoked in every distress.

   8. "And let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people, and praise
Him in the seat of the elders" (ver. 32). Let them exalt, let them praise,
peoples and elders, merchants and pilots. For what hath He done in this
assembly? What hath He established? Whence hath He rescued it? What hath He
granted it? Even as He resisted the proud, and gave grace to the humble:(3)
the proud, that is, the first people of the Jews, arrogant, and extolling
itself on its descent from Abraham, and because to that nation "were
entrusted the oracles of God."(4) These things did not avail them unto
soundness, but unto pride of heart, rather to swelling than to greatness.
What then did God, resisting the proud, but giving grace to the humble;
cutting off the natural branches for their pride; grafting in the wild
olive for its humility?

   "He made the rivers a wilderness" (ver. 33). Waters did run there,
prophecies were in course. Seek now a prophet among the Jews; thou findest
none. For "He made the outgoings of waters to be thirst." Let them say,
"Now there is no prophet more, and He will not know us any more."(1) "A
fruitful land to be saltpools" (ver. 34). Thou seekest there the faith of
Christ, thou findest not: thou seekest a prophet, thou findest not: thou
seekest a sacrifice, thou findest not: thou seekest a temple, thou findest
none. Wherefore this? "From the wickedness of them that dwell therein."
Behold how He resisteth the proud: hear how He giveth grace to the humble.
"He made the  wilderness to be a standing water, and the dry ground to be
outgoings of waters" (ver. 35). "And He caused the hungry to dwell there"
(ver. 36). Because to Him it was said, "Thou art a Priest for ever, after
the order of Melchizedec."(2) For thou seekest a sacrifice among the Jews;
thou hast none after the order of Aaron. Thou seekest it after the order of
Melchizedec; thou findest it not among them, but through the whole world it
is celebrated in the Church. "From the rising of the sun to the setting
thereof the name of the Lord is praised."(3) ... "And they sowed fields,
and planted vineyards, and gat fruit of corn" (ver. 37): at which that
workman rejoiceth, who saith, "Not because I desire a gift, but I seek
fruit."(4) "And He  blessed them, and they were multiplied exceedingly, and
their cattle were not diminished" (ver. 38). This standeth. For "the
foundation of God standeth sure; because the Lord knoweth them that are
His."(5) They are called "beasts of burden," and "cattle," that walk simply
in the Church, yet are useful; not much learned, but full of faith.
Therefore, whether  spiritual or carnal, "He blessed them."

   9. "And they became few, and were vexed" (ver. 39). Whence this? From
athwart? Nay, from within. For that they should "become few," "They went
out from us, but they were not of us."(6) But therefore he speaketh as of
these, of whom he spake before, that they may be discerned with
understanding; because he speaketh as if of the same, because of the
sacraments they have in common. For they belong to the people of God,
though not by the virtue, yet surely by the appearance of piety: for
concerning them we have heard the Apostle, "In the last times there shall
come grievous times, for there shall be men lovers of themselves."(7) The
first evil is, "lovers of themselves;" that is, as being pleased with
themselves. Would that they were not pleasing to themselves, and were
pleasing to God: would that they would cry out in their difficulties, and
be freed from their distresses. But while they presumed greatly on
themselves, "they were made few." It is manifest, brethren: all who
separate themselves from unity become few. For they are many; but in unity,
while they are not parted from unity. For when the multitude of unity hath
begun no more to belong to them, in heresy and schism, they are few. "And
they were vexed, from distress of miseries and grief." "Contempt was poured
on princes" (ver. 40). For they were rejected by the Church of God, and the
more because they wished to be princes, therefore they were despised, and
became salt that had lost its savour, cast out abroad, so that it is
trodden under foot of men.(8) "And He led them astray in the pathless
place, and not in a way." Those above in the way, those directed to a city,
and finally led thither, not led astray; but these, where there was no way,
led astray. What is, "Led them astray"? God "gave them up to their own
hearts' lusts."(9) For "led astray" means this, gave them up to themselves.
For if thou enquire closely, it is they that lead themselves astray. ...
"And He helped the poor out of beggary" (yet. 41). What meaneth this,
brethren? Princes are despised, and the poor helped. The proud are cast
aside, and the humble provided for. ... "And made him households like
sheep." Thou understandest one poor man and one beggar of him concerning
whom he said, "He hath helped the poor out of misery:" this  poor man is
now many households, this poor man is many nations; many Churches are one
Church, one nation, one household, one sheep. These are great mysteries,
great types, how profound, how full of hidden meanings; how sweetly
discovered, since long hidden. Therefore, "the righteous will consider
this, and rejoice: and the mouth of all wickedness shall be stopped" (ver.
42). That wickedness that doth prate against unity, and compelleth truth to
be made manifest, shall be convicted, and have its mouth stopped.

   10. "Who is wise? and he will consider these things; and will
understand the mercies of the Lord" (ver. 43). ...Not his own deservings,
not his own strength, not his own power; but "the mercies of the Lord;"
who, when he was wandering and in want, led him back to the path, and fed
him; who, when he was struggling against the difficulties of his sins, and
bound down with the fetters of habit, released and freed him; who, when he
loathed the Word of God, and was almost dying with a kind of weariness,
restored him by sending him the medicine of His Word; who, when he was
endangered among the risks of shipwreck and storm, stilled the sea, and
brought him into port; who, finally, placed him in that people, where He
giveth grace to the humble; not in that where he resisteth the proud; and
hath made him His own, that remaining within he may be multiplied, not that
going out he may be minished. The righteous see this, and rejoice. "The
mouth," therefore, "of all wickedness shall be stopped."

PSALM CVII. (1)

   1. I have not thought that the CVIIIth Psalm required an exposition;
since I have already expounded it in the LVIIth Psalm,(2) and in the LXth,
of the last divisions of which this Psalm consisteth. For the last part of
the LVIIth is the first of this, as far as the verse, "Thy glory is above
all the earth." Henceforth to the end, is  the last part of the LXth: as
the last part of the  CXXXVth is the same as that of the CXVth,(3) from the
verse, "The images of the heathen are but gold and silver: " as the
XIVth(4) and LIIId,(5) with a few alterations in the middle, have
everything the same from the beginning to the end. Whatever slight
differences therefore occur in this CVIIIth Psalm, compared with those two,
of parts of which it is composed, are easy to understand; just as we find
in the LVIth,(6) "I will sing and give praise; awake, O my glory:" here," I
will sing and give praise, with my glory."(7) Awake, is said there, that he
may sing and give praise therewith. Also, there, "Thy mercy is great" (or,
as some translate, "is lifted up") "unto the heavens;"(8) but here, "Thy
mercy is great above the heavens."(9) For it is great unto the heavens,
that it may be great in the heavens; and this is what he wished to express
by "above the heavens." Also in the LXth, "I will rejoice, I will divide
Shechem:"(10) here "I will be exalted, and will divide Shechem." (11) Where
is shown what is signified in the division of Shechem, which it was
prophesied should happen after the Lord's exaltation, and that this joy
doth refer to that exaltation; so that He rejoiceth, because He is exalted.
Whence he elsewhere saith, "Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy; Thou
hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness."(12) Also there
"Ephraim, the strength of my head:"(13) but here, "Ephraim the taking up of
my head."(14) But strength cometh from taking up, that is, He maketh men
strong by taking up, causing fruit in us; for the interpretation of Ephraim
is, bearing fruit. But "taking up" may be understood of us, when we take up
Christ; or of Christ, when He, who is Head of the Church, taketh us up. And
the words, "them that trouble us," in the former Psalm,(15) are the same
with "our enemies," in this.(16)

   2. We are taught by this Psalm, that those titles which seem to refer
to history are most rightly understood prophetically, according to the
object of the composition of the Psalms. ... And yet this Psalm is composed
of the latter portions of two,(17) whose titles are different. Where it is
signified that each concur in a common object, not in the surface of the
history, but in the depth of prophecy, the objects of both being united in
this one, the title of which is, "A Song or Psalm of David :"(18)
resembling neither of the former titles, otherwise than in the word David.
Since, "in many places, and in diverse manners," as the Epistle to the
Hebrews saith, "God spoke in former times to the fathers through the
Prophets;"(19) yet He spoke of Him whom He sent afterwards, that the words
of the Prophets might be fulfilled: for "all the promises of God in Him are
yea."(20)

PSALM CIX. (21)

   1. Every one who faithfully readeth the Acts of the Apostles,
acknowledgeth that this Psalm containeth a prophecy of Christ; for it
evidently appeareth that what is here written, "let his days be few, and
let another take his office," is prophesied of Judas, the betrayer of
Christ. ... For as some things are said which seem peculiarly to apply to
the Apostle Peter, and yet are not clear in their meaning, unless when
referred to the Church, whom he is acknowledged to have figuratively
represented, on account of the primacy(22) which he bore among the
Disciples; as it is written, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven,"(23) and other passages of the like purport: so Judas doth
represent those Jews who were enemies of Christ, who both then hated
Christ, and now, in their line of succession, this species of wickedness
continuing, hate Him. Of these men, and of this people, not only may what
we read more openly discovered in this Psalm be conveniently understood,
but also those things which are more expressly stated concerning Judas
himself.

   2. The Psalm, then, beginneth thus: "O God, be not silent as to my
praise; for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is
opened upon me" (ver. 1). Whence it appeareth, both that the blame, which
the ungodly and the deceitful is not silent of, is false, and that the
praise, which God is not silent of, is true. "For God is true, but every
man a liar;"(1) for no man is true, except him in whom God speaketh. But
the highest praise is that of the only-begotten Son of God, in which He is
proclaimed even that which He is, the only-begotten Son of God. But this
did not appear, but, when His weakness appeared, lay hid, when the mouth of
the ungodly and deceitful was opened upon Him; and for this reason his
mouth was opened, because His virtue was concealed: and he saith, "the
mouth of the deceitful was opened," because the hatred which was covered by
deceit burst out into language.

   3. "They have spoken against me with false tongues" (ver. 2): then
chiefly when they praised him as a "good Master" with insidious adulation.
Whence it is elsewhere said: "and they that praised me, are sworn together
against me."(2) Next, because they burst into cries, "Crucify Him, crucify
Him;"(3) he hath added, "They compassed me about also with words of
hatred." They who with a treacherous tongue spoke words seemingly of love,
and not of hatred, "against me," since they did this insidiously;
afterwards "compassed me about with words" not of false and deceitful love,
but of open "hatred, and fought against me without a cause." For as the
pious love Christ for nought, so do the wicked hate Him for nought; for as
truth is earnestly sought by the best men on its own account, without any
advantage, external to itself, in view, so is wickedness sought by the
worst men. Whence among secular authors it is said of a very bad man, "he
was wicked and cruel for no object."(4)

   4. "In place," saith he, "of loving me, they detracted from me" (ver.
3). There are six different acts of this class, which may, when mentioned,
very easily be borne in mind;(1) to return good for evil,(2) not to return
evil for evil;(3) to return good for good,(4) to return evil for evil;(5)
not to return good for good,(6) to return evil for good. The two first of
these belong to the good, and the first of these two is the better; the two
last belong to the wicked, and the latter of the two is the worse; the two
middle to a sort of middle class of persons, but the first of these borders
upon the good, the latter on the bad. We should remark these things in the
holy Scriptures. Our Lord Himself returneth good for evil, who "justifieth
the ungodly;"(5) and who, when hanging upon the Cross, said, "Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do."(6) ...

   5. But after he had said, "in place of loving me, they detracted from
me; "what doth he add? "But I gave myself unto prayer." He said not indeed
what he prayed, but what can we better understand than for them themselves?
For they were detracting greatly from Him whom they crucified, when they
ridiculed Him as if He were a man, whom in their opinion they had
conquered; from which Cross He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do;" so that while they in the depth of their malignity were
rendering evil for good, He in the height of His goodness was rendering
good for evil. ... The divine words then teach us by our Lord's example,
that when we feel others ungrateful to us, not only in that they do not
repay us with good, but even return evil for good, we should pray; He
indeed for others who were raging against Him, or in sorrow, or endangered
in faith; but we for ourselves in the first place, that we may by the mercy
and aid of God conquer our own mind, by which we are borne on to the desire
of revenge, when any detraction is made from us, either in our presence or
our absence. ...

   6. He addeth, "Thus have they rewarded me evil for good" (ver. 4). And
as if we asked, what evil? for what good? "And hatred," he saith, "for my
good will." This is the sum total of their great guilt. For how could the
persecutors injure Him who died of His own free-will, and not by
compulsion? But this very hatred is the greatest crime of the persecutor,
although it be the willing atonement of the sufferer. And he hath
sufficiently explained the sense of the above words, "In place of loving
me," since they owed love not as a general duty only, but in return for His
love: in that he hath here added, "for my good will." This love He
mentioneth in the Gospel, when He saith, "How often would I have gathered
thy children together, and thou wouldest not!"(7)

   7. He then beginneth to prophesy what they should receive for this very
impiety; detailing their lot in such a manner, as if he wished its
realization from a desire of revenge. Some not understanding this mode of
predicting the future, under the appearance of wishing evil, suppose hatred
to be returned for hatred, and an evil will for an evil will, since in
truth it belongeth to few to distinguish, in what way the punishment of the
wicked pleaseth the accuser, who longeth to satiate his enmity; and in how
widely different a way it pleaseth the judge, who with a righteous mind
punisheth sins. For the former returneth evil for evil: but the judge when
he punisheth doth not return evil for evil, since he returneth justice to
the unjust; and what is just, is surely good. He therefore punisheth not
from delight in another's misery, which is evil for evil: but from love of
justice, which is good for evil. ...

   8. "Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him; and let Satan stand
at his right hand" (ver. 5). Though the complaint had been before
concerning many, the Psalm is now speaking of one. ... Since therefore he
is here speaking of the traitor Judas, who, according to the Scripture in
the Acts of the Apostles, was to be punished with the penalty due to
him,(1) what meaneth, "set thou an ungodly man over him," save him whom in
the next verse he mentioneth by name, when he saith, "and let Satan stand
at his right hand "? He therefore who refused to be subject unto Christ,
deserved this, that he should have the devil set over him, that is, that he
should be subject unto the devil. ... For this reason also it is said of
those who, preferring the pleasures of this world to God, styled the people
blessed who have such and such things, "their right hand is a right hand of
iniquity."(2) ...

   9. "When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned, and let his
prayer be turned into sin" (ver. 6). For prayer is not righteous except
through Christ, whom he sold in his atrocious sin: but the prayer which is
not made through Christ, not only cannot blot out sin, but is itself turned
into sin. But it may be inquired on what occasion Judas could have so
prayed, that his prayer was turned into sin. I suppose that before he
betrayed the Lord, while he was thinking of betraying Him; for he could no
longer pray through Christ. For after he betrayed Him, and repented of it,
if he prayed through Christ, he would ask for pardon; if he asked for
pardon, he would have hope; if he had hope, he would hope for mercy; if he
hoped for mercy, he would not have hanged himself in despair. ...

   10. "Let his days be few" (ver. 7). By "his days," he meant the days of
his apostleship, which were few; since before the Passion of our Lord, they
were ended by his crime and death. And as if it were asked, What then shall
become of that most sacred number twelve, within which our Lord willed, not
without a meaning, to limit His twelve first Apostles? he at once addeth,
"and let another take his office." As much as to say, let both himself be
punished according to his desert, and let his number be filled up.

   11. "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow" (ver. 8).
After his death, both his children were fatherless, and his wife a widow.
"Let his children be vagabonds, and be carried away, and beg their bread"
(ver. 9). By "vagabonds" he meaneth, uncertain whither to go, destitute of
all help. "Let them be driven from their habitations." He here explaineth
what he had said above, "Let them be carried away." How all this happened
to his wife and children, the following verses explain.

   12. "Let the extortioner search out all his substance, and let the
strangers spoil his labour" (ver. 10). "Let there be no man to help him"
(ver. 11): that is, to guard his posterity; wherefore followeth, "nor to
have compassion on his fatherless children"

   13. But as even orphans may, without one to help them, and without a
guardian, nevertheless increase amid trouble and want, and preserve their
race by descent; he next saith, "Let his posterity be destroyed; and in the
next generation let his name be clean put out" (ver. 12): that is, let what
hath been generated by him generate no more, and quickly pass away.

   14. But what is it that he next addeth? "Let the wickedness of his
fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord, and let not the sin
of his mother be done away" (ver. 13). Is it to be understood, that even
the sins of his fathers shall be visited upon him? For upon him they are
not visited, who hath been changed in Christ, and hath ceased to be the
child of the wicked, by not having imitated their conduct.(3) ... And to
these words, "I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children,"(4)
is added, "who hate Me;" that is, hate Me as their fathers hated Me: so
that as the effect of imitating the good is that even their own sins are
blotted out, so the imitation of the wicked causeth men to suffer not their
own deservings only, but those also of those whom they have imitated. ...

   15. "Let them alway be against(5) the Lord" (ver. 14). "Against the
Lord," meaneth in the Lord's sight: for other translators have rendered
this line, "let them be always in the sight of the Lord;" while others have
rendered it, "let them be before the Lord alway;" as it is elsewhere said,
"Thou hast set our misdeeds in Thy sight."(6) By "alway," he meaneth that
this great crime should be without pardon, both here, and in a future life.
"Let the memorial of them perish from off the earth:" that is, of his
father and of his mother. By memorial of them, he meaneth, that which is
preserved by successive generations: this he prophesied should perish from
the earth, because both Judas himself, and his sons, who were the memorial
of his father and mother, without any succeeding offspring, as it is said
above, were consumed in the short space of one generation.(7) ...

   16. "And that, because he remembered not to act mercifully" (ver. 15);
either Judas, or the people itself. But "remembered not" is better
understood of the people: for if they slew Christ, they might well remember
the deed in penitence, and act mercifully towards His members, whom they
most perseveringly persecuted. For this reason he saith, "but persecuted
the poor man and the beggar" (ver. 16). It may indeed be understood of
Judas; for the Lord did not disdain to become poor, when He was rich, that
we might be enriched by His poverty.(1) But how shall I understand the word
"beggar," save perhaps because He said to the Samaritan woman, "Give me to
drink,"(2) and on the Cross He said, "I thirst."(3) But as to what
followeth, I do not see how it can be understood of our Head Himself, that
is, the Saviour of His own body, whom Judas persecuted. For after saying,
"He persecuted the poor man and the beggar:" he addeth, "and to slay," that
is, "that he might slay Him," for some have so rendered it," Him that was
pricked at the heart." This expression is not commonly used except of the
stings of past sins in the sorrows of penitence; as it is said of those
who, when they had heard the Apostles after our Lord's ascension, were
"pricked in heart," even they who had slain the Lord. ...

   17. The Psalm then continueth: "His delight was in cursing, and it
shall happen to him" (ver. 17). Although Judas loved cursing, both in
stealing from the money bag, and selling and betraying the Lord:
nevertheless, that people more openly loved cursing, when they said, "His
blood be on us, and on our children."(4) "He loved not blessing, therefore
it shall be far from him." Such was Judas indeed, since he loved not
Christ, in whom is everlasting blessing; but the Jewish people still more
decidedly refused blessing, unto whom he who had been enlightened by the
Lord said, "Will ye also be His disciples?"(5) "He clothed himself with
cursing, like as with a raiment:" either Judas, or that people. "And it
came into his bowels like water."(6) Both without, then, and within;
without, like a garment; within, like water: since he hath come before the
judgment-seat of Him "who hath power to destroy both body and soul in
hell;"(7) the body without, the soul within. "And like oil into his bones."
He showeth that he worketh evil with delight, and storeth up cursing for
himself, that is, everlasting punishment; for blessing is eternal life. For
at present evil deeds are his delight, flowing like water into his bowels,
like oil into his bones; but it is styled cursing, because God hath
appointed torments for such men.

   18. "Let it be unto him as the cloak which covereth him" (ver. 18).
Since he hath before spoken of the cloak, why doth he repeat it? When he
said, "He clothed himself with cursing as with a raiment;" doth the raiment
with which he is "covered" differ from that with which he is "clothed"? For
every man is clothed with his tunic, covered with his cloak; and what is
this, save boasting in iniquity, even in the sight of men? "and as the
girdle," he saith, "that he is alway girded withal." Men are girded chiefly
that they may be better fit for toil, that they may not be hindered by the
folds of their dress. He therefore girdeth himself with curses, who
designeth an evil which he hath carefully contrived, not on a sudden
impulse, and who learneth in such a manner to do evil, that he is always
ready to commit it.

   19. "This is the work of them that slander me before the Lord" (ver.
19). He said not, "their reward," but, "their work:" for it is clear that
by the clothing, covering, water, oil, and girdle, he was describing the
very works by which eternal curses are procured. It is not then one Judas,
but many, of whom it is said, "This is the work of them that slander me
before the Lord." Although indeed the plural number might have been put for
the singular; even as, when Herod died, it was said by the Angel, "They are
dead which sought the young Child's life."(8) But who slander Christ more
before the Lord, than they who slander the very words of the Lord, by
declaring that it is not He whom the Law of the Lord and His Prophets
announced beforehand? "And of those that speak evil against my soul:" by
denying that He, when He had willed, could have arisen: though He saith, "I
have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again."(9)

   20. "But work Thou with me, O Lord God" (ver. 20). Some have thought
"mercifully" should be understood, some have actually added it; but the
best copies have the words thus: "But work Thou with me, O Lord God, for
Thy Name's sake." Whence a higher sense should not be passed over,
supposing the Son to have thus addressed the Father, "Deal Thou with Me,"
since the works of the Father and of the Son are the same. Where although
we understand mercy,--for these words follow, "for sweet is Thy mercy,"--
because he said not," In me," or, "over me;" or anything of this sort: but,
"work Thou with Me;" we rightly understand that the Father and Son together
work mercifully towards the vessels of mercy.(10) "Work with me,"(11) may
also be understood to mean, help me. We use this expression in our daily
language, when we are speaking of anything which is in our favour; "It
works with us." For the Father aideth the Son, as far as the Deity aideth
Man, on account of His having assumed the "form of a servant," to which
Man, God, and to which "Form of a servant," the Lord too is Father. For in
the "form of God," the Son needeth not aid, for He is equally all-powerful
with the Father, on which account He also is the helper of men. ... And
because when he had said, "Work Thou with me," he added, "for Thy Name's
sake," he hath commended grace. For without previous deserving works, human
nature was raised to such a height, that the whole in one, the Word and
Flesh, that is, God and Man, was styled the Only-begotten Son of God. And
this was done that that which had been lost might be sought by Him who had
created it, through that which had not been lost; whence the following
words, "For Thy mercy is sweet."

   21. "O deliver me, for I am needy and poor" (ver. 21). Need and poverty
is that weakness, through which He was crucified.(1) "And my heart is
disturbed within me." This alludeth to those words which He spoke when His
Passion was drawing near, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto
death."(2)

   22. "I go hence like a shadow that declineth" (ver. 22). By this he
signified death itself. For as night comes of the shadow's declining, so
death comes of mortal flesh. "And am driven away as the locusts." This I
think would be more suitably understood of His members, that is, of His
faithful disciples. That he might make it much plainer, he preferred
writing "locusts" in the plural number: although many may be understood
where the singular number is used, as in that passage, "He spake, and the
locust came;"(3) but it would have been more obscure. His disciples, then,
were driven away, that is, were put to flight by persecutors, either the
multitude of whom He wished to be signified by the word locusts, or their
passing from one place to another.

   23. "My knees are weak through fasting" (ver. 23). We read, that our
Lord Christ underwent a fast of forty days:(4) but had fasting so great
power over Him, that His knees were weakened? Or is this more suitably
understood of His members, that is, of His saints? "And my flesh is changed
because of the oil;"(5) because of spiritual grace, Whence Christ was so
called from the Greek word, chrisma, which signifies unction. But the flesh
was changed through the oil, not for the worse, but for the  better, that
is, rising from the dishonour of death to the glory of immortality. ...His
flesh was not yet changed. But whether the Holy Spirit be represented by
water through the notion of ablution or irrigation, or by oil through that
of exultation and the inflaming of charity; It doth not differ from Itself,
because Its types are different. For there is a great difference between
the lion and the lamb, and yet Christ is represented by both. ...

   24. "I became also a reproach unto them" (ver. 24): through the death
of the Cross. "For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us."(6) "They looked upon Me, and shaked their heads."
Because they beheld His crucifixion, without beholding His resurrection:
they saw when His knees were weakened, they saw not when His flesh was
changed.

   25. "Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to Thy mercy" (ver.
25). This may be referred to the whole, both to the Head and to the body:
to the Head, owing to His having taken the form of a servant; to the body,
on account of the servants themselves. For He might even in them have said
unto God, "Help Me:" and, "O save Me:" as in them He said unto Paul, "Why
persecutest thou Me"?(7) The following words, "according to Thy mercy,"
describe grace given gratuitously, not according to the merit of works.

   26. "And let them know how that this is Thy Hand, and that Thou, Lord,
hast made it" (ver. 26). He said, "Let them know," of those for whom He
even prayed while they were raging; for even those who afterwards believed
in Him were among the crowd who shook their heads in mockery of Him. But
let those who ascribe unto God the shape of the human body, learn in what
sense God hath a hand. Let us therefore understand, that the Hand of God
meaneth Christ: whence it is elsewhere said, "Unto whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed?"(8)

   27. "Though they curse, yet bless Thou" (ver. 27). Vain therefore and
false is the cursing of the sons of men, that have pleasure in vanity, and
seek a lie;(9) but when God blesseth, He doth what He saith. "Let them be
confounded that rise up against me." For their imagining that they have
some power against Me, is the reason that they rise up against Me; but when
I shall have been exalted above the heavens, and My glory shall have
commenced spreading over the whole earth, they shall be confounded. "But
Thy servant shall rejoice:" either on the right hand of the Father, or in
His members when they rejoice, both in hope among temptations, and after
temptations for evermore.

   28. "Let my slanderers be clothed with shame" (ver. 28): that is, let
it shame them to have slandered me. But this may also be understood as a
blessing, in that they are amended. "And let them cover themselves with
their own confusion, as with a double cloak;" for diplois is a double
cloak; that is, let them be confounded both within and without: both before
God and before men.

   29. "As for me, I will confess greatly(1) unto the Lord with my mouth"
(ver. 29). ... Is He said to "praise among the multitude" because He is
with His Church here even unto the end of the world;(2) so that we may
understand by "among the multitude," that He is honoured by this very
multitude? For he is said to be in the midst, unto whom the chief honour is
paid. But if the heart is, as it were, that which is mid-most of a man, no
better construction can be put on this passage than this, I will praise Him
in the hearts of many. For Christ dwelleth through faith in our hearts;(3)
and therefore he saith, "with my mouth," that is, with the mouth of my
body, which is the Church.

   30. "For He stood at the right hand of the poor" (ver. 30). It was said
of Judas, "Let Satan stand at his right hand;" since he chose to increase
his riches by selling Christ; but here the Lord stood at the right hand of
the poor, that the Lord Himself might be the poor man's riches. "He stood
at the right hand of the poor," not to multiply the years of a life that
one day must end, nor to increase his stores, nor to render him strong in
the strength of the body, or secure for a time; "but," he saith, "to save
my soul from the persecutors." Now the soul is rendered safe from the
persecutors, if we do not consent to them unto evil; but there is no such
consent to them when the Lord standeth at the right hand of the poor, that
he may not give way through his very poverty, that is, weakness. This aid
was given to the Body of Christ in the case of all the holy Martyrs.

PSALM CX. (4)

   1. ... This Psalm is one of those promises, surely and openly
prophesying our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; so that we are utterly
unable to doubt that Christ is announced in this Psalm, since we are now
Christians, and believe the Gospel. For when our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ asked of the Jews, whose Son they alleged Christ to be, and they had
replied, "the Son of David;" He at once replied to their answer, "How then
doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto My Lord?"
etc. "If then," He asked, "David in the spirit call Him Lord, how is He his
son?"(5) With this verse this Psalm beginneth.

   2. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make
Thine enemies Thy footstool" (ver. 1). We ought, therefore, thoroughly to
consider this question proposed to the Jews by the Lord, in the very
commencement of the Psalm. For if what the .Jews answered be asked of us,
whether we confess or deny it; God forbid that we should deny it. it be
said to us, Is Christ the Son of David, or not? if we reply, No, we
contradict the Gospel for the Gospel of St. Matthew thus beginneth, "The
book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David."(6) The
Evangelist declareth, that he is writing the book of the generation of
Jesus Christ, the Son of David. The Jews, then, when questioned by Christ,
whose Son they believed Christ to be, rightly answered, the Son of David.
The Gospel agreeth with their answer. Not only the suspicion of the Jews,
but the faith of Christians, doth declare this. ... "If then David in the
spirit called Him Lord, how is He his son?" The Jews were silent at this
question: they found no further reply: yet they did not seek Him as the
Lord, for they did not acknowledge Him to be Himself that Son of David. But
let us, brethren, both believe and declare: for, "with the heart we believe
unto righteousness: but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation;
"(7) let us believe, I say, and let us declare both the Son of David, and
the Lord of David. Let us not be ashamed of the Son of David, lest we find
the Lord of David angry with us.

   3. ... We know that Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father,
since His resurrection from the dead, and ascent into heaven. It is already
done: we saw not it, but we have believed it: we have read it in the
Scripture, have heard it preached, and hold it by faith. So that by the
very circumstance that Christ was David's Son, He became His Lord also. For
That which was born of the seed of David was so honoured, that It was also
the Lord of David. Thou wonderest at this, as if the same did not happen in
human affairs. For if it should happen, that the son of any private person
be made a king, will he not be his father's lord? What is yet more
wonderful may happen, not only that the son of a private person, by being
made a king, may become his father's lord; but that the son of a layman, by
being made a Bishop, may become his father's father. So that in this very
circumstance, that Christ took upon Him the flesh, that He died in the
flesh, that He rose again in the same flesh, that in the same He ascended
into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of His Father, in this same
flesh so honoured, so brightened, so changed into a heavenly garb, He is
both David's Son, and David's Lord. ...

   4. Christ, therefore, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Son is on
the right hand of the Father, hidden from us. Let us believe. Two things
are here said: that God said, "Sit Thou on My right hand;" and added,
"until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool;" that is, beneath Thy feet. Thou
dost not see Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father: yet thou canst
see this, how His enemies are made His footstool. While the latter is
fulfilled openly, believe the former to be fulfilled secretly. What enemies
are made His footstool? Those to whom imagining vain things it is said,
"Why do the heathen so furiously rage together: and why do the people
imagine a vain thing?" etc.(1) ... He therefore sitteth at the right hand
of God, till His enemies be placed beneath His feet. This is going on, this
is taking place: although it is accomplished by degrees, it is going on
without end. For though the heathen rage, will they, taking counsel
together against Christ, prevent the fulfilment of these words: "I will
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the
earth for thy possession"? ... "Their memorial is perished with a cry;"
but, "The Lord shall endure for ever:"(2) as another Psalm, but not another
Spirit, saith.

   5. And what followeth? "The Lord shall send the rod of Thy power out of
Sion" (ver. 2). It appeareth, brethren, it most clearly appeareth, that the
Prophet is not speaking of that kingdom of Christ, in which He reigneth for
ever with His Father, Ruler of the things which are made through Him: for
when doth not God the Word reign, who is in the beginning with God?(3) For
it is said," Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise
God, be honour and glory for ever and ever."(4) To what eternal King? To
one invisible, incorruptible. For in this, that Christ is with the Father,
invisible and incorruptible, because He is His Word, and His Power, and His
Wisdom, and God with God, through whom all things were made; He is "King
eternal;" but, nevertheless, that reign of temporal government, by which,
through the mediation of His flesh, He called us into eternity, beginneth
with Christians; but of His reign there shall be no end. His enemies
therefore are made His footstool, while He is sitting on the right hand of
His Father, as it is written; this is now going on, this will go on unto
the end. ...

   6. When therefore He hath sent the rod of His power out of Sion: what
shall happen? "Be Thou ruler, even in the midst among Thine enemies."
First, "Be Thou ruler in the midst of Thine enemies:" in the midst of the
raging heathen. For shall He rule "in the midst of His enemies" at a later
season, when the Saints have received their reward, and the ungodly their
condemnation? And what wonder if He shall then rule, when the righteous
reign with Him for ever, and the ungodly burn with eternal punishments?
What wonder, if He shall then? Now "in the midst of Thine enemies," now in
this transition of ages, in this propagation and succession of human
mortality, now while the torrent of time is gliding by, unto this is the
rod of Thy power sent out of Sion, "that Thou mayest be Ruler in the midst
of Thine enemies." Rule Thou, rule among Pagans, Jews, heretics, false
brethren. Rule Thou, rule, O Son of David, Lord of David, rule in the midst
of Pagans, Jews, heretics, false brethren. "Be Thou Ruler in the midst of
Thine enemies." We understand not this verse aright, if we do not see that
it is already going on. ...

   7. "With Thee the beginning on the day of Thy power" (ver. 3). What is
this day of His power, when is there beginning with Him, or what beginning,
or in what sense is there beginning with Him, since He is the Beginning?
..

   8. What meaneth, "With Thee is the beginning"? Suppose anything you
please as the beginning. Of Christ Himself, it would rather have been said,
Thou art the Beginning, than, With Thee is the beginning. For He answered
to those who asked Him, "Who art Thou?" and said, "Even the same that I
said unto you, the Beginning;"(5) since His Father also is the Beginning,
of whom is the only-begotten Son, in which Beginning was the Word, for the
Word was with God. What then, if both the Father and the Son are the
beginning, are there two beginnings? God forbid! For as the Father is God,
and the Son is God, but the Father and the Son are not two Gods, but one
God: so is the Father Beginning and the Son Beginning, but the Father and
the Son are not two, but one Beginning. "With Thee is the beginning." Then
it shall appear in what sense the beginning is with Thee. Not that the
beginning is not with Thee here also. For hast Thou not also said, "Behold,
ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone; but
I am not alone, because the Father is with Me"?(1) Here therefore also, the
beginning is with Thee. For Thou hast said elsewhere also, "But the Father
that dwelleth in Me, He doeth His works."(2) "With Thee is the beginning:"
nor was the Father ever separated from Thee. But when the Beginning shall
appear to be with Thee, then shall it be manifest unto all who are made
like Thee; since they shall see Thee as Thou art;(3) for Philip saw Thee
here, and sought the Father.(4) Then therefore shall be seen what now is
believed: then shall "the beginning be with Thee" in the sight of the
righteous, in the sight of saints; the ungodly being removed, that they may
not see the brightness of the Lord. ...

   9. Explain of what power thou speakest. Because here also, as is said,
His power is mentioned, when the rod of His power is sent forth out of
Sion, that He may be Ruler in the midst of His enemies. Of what power
speakest thou, "In the splendour of the saints"? "In the splendour," he
saith, "of the saints." He speaketh of that power when the saints shall be
in splendour; not when still carrying about their earthly flesh, and
groaning in a mortal and corruptible body. ...

   10. But this is put off, this will be granted afterwards: what is there
now? "From the womb I have begotten Thee, before the morning star." What is
here? If God hath a Son, hath He also a womb? Like fleshly bodies, He hath
not; for He hath not a bosom either; yet it is said, "He who is in the
bosom of the Father, hath declared Him."(5) But that which is the womb, is
the bosom also: both bosom and womb are put for a secret place. What
meaneth, "from the womb"? From what is secret, from what is hidden; from
Myself, from My substance; this is the meaning of "from the womb;" for,
"Who shall declare His generation?" (6) Let us then understand the Father
saying unto the Son, "From My womb before the morning star have I brought
Thee forth." What then meaneth, "before the morning star"? The morning star
is put for the stars, as if the Scripture signified the whole from a part,
and from one conspicuous star all the stars. But how were those stars
created? "That they may be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
years."(7) ... This expression also, "before the morning star," is used
both figuratively and literally, and was thus fulfilled. For the Lord was
born at night from the womb of the Virgin Mary; the testimony of the
shepherds doth assert this, who were "keeping watch over their flock."(8)
So David: O Thou, my Lord, who sittest at the right hand of my Lord, whence
art Thou my Son, except because, "From the womb before the morning star I
have begotten Thee"?

   11. And unto what art Thou born? "The Lord hath sworn, and will not
repent: Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec" (ver.
4). For unto this wast Thou born from the womb before the morning star,
that Thou mightest be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec. For
in that character in which He was born of the Father, God with God,
coeternal with Him who begot Him, He is not a Priest; but He is a Priest on
account of the flesh which He assumed, on account of the victim which He
was to offer for us received from us. "The Lord," then, "hath sworn." What
then meaneth, the Lord hath sworn? Doth the Lord, who forbiddeth men to
swear? Himself swear? Or doth He possibly forbid man to swear chiefly on
this account, that he may not fall into perjury, and for this reason the
Lord may swear, since He cannot be forsworn. For man, who, through a habit
of swearing, may slip into perjury, is rightly forbidden to swear: for he
will be farther from perjury in proportion as he is far from swearing. For
the man who sweareth, may swear truly or falsely: but he who sweareth not,
cannot swear falsely; for he sweareth not at all. Why then should not the
Lord swear, since the Lord's oath is the seal of the promise? Let Him swear
by all means. What then dost thou, when thou swearest? Thou callest God to
witness: this is to swear, to call God to witness; and for this reason
there must be anxiety, that thou mayest not call God to witness anything
false. If therefore thou by an oath dost call God to witness, why then
should not God also call Himself to witness with an oath? "I live, saith
the Lord," this is the Lord's oath. ... "The Lord sware," then, that is,
confirmed: "He will not repent," He will not change. What? "Thou art a
Priest for ever. "For ever," for He will not repent. But Priest, in what
sense? Will there be those victims, victims offered by the Patriarchs,
altars of blood, and tabernacle, and those sacred emblems of the Old
Covenant? God forbid! These things are already abolished; the temple being
destroyed, that priesthood taken away, their victim and their sacrifice
having alike disappeared, not even the Jews have these things. They see
that the priesthood after the order of Aaron hath already perished, and
they do not recognise the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedec. I
speak unto believers. If catechumens understand not something, let them lay
aside sloth, and hasten unto knowledge. It is not therefore needful for me
to disclose mysteries  here:(1) let the Scriptures intimate to you what is
the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedec.

   12. "The Lord on Thy right hand" (ver. 5). The Lord had said, "Sit Thou
on My right hand;" now the Lord is on His right hand, as if they changed
seats. ... That very Christ, the "Lord on Thy right hand," unto whom Thou
hast sworn, and it will not repent Thee: what doth He, Priest for evermore?
What doth He, who is at the right hand of God, and intercedeth for us,(2)
like a priest entering into the inner places, and into the holy of holies,
into the mysteries of heaven, He alone being without sin, and therefore
easily purifying from sins.(3) He therefore "on Thy right hand shall wound
even kings in the day of His wrath." What kings, dost thou ask? Hast thou
forgotten? "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers took counsel
together against the Lord, and against His Anointed."(4) These kings He
wounded by His glory, and by the weight of His Name made kings weak, so
that they had not power to effect what they wished. For they strove amain
to blot out the Christian name from the earth, and could not; for
"Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken."(5) Kings therefore
fall on this "stone of offence," and are therefore wounded, when they say,
Who is Christ? I know not what Jew or what Galilean He may have been, who
died, who was slain in such a manner! The stone is before thy feet, lying,
so to speak, mean and humble: therefore by scorning thou dost stumble, by
stumbling thou fallest, by falling thou art wounded. ... "But on whomsoever
it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."(6) When therefore any one
falleth upon it, it lieth as it were low; it then woundeth: but when it
shall grind him to powder, then it will come from above. See how in these
two words, it shall wound him and grind him to powder: he striketh upon it,
and it shall come down upon him: are distinguished the two seasons, of the
humiliation and the majesty of Christ, of hidden punishment and future
judgment. He will not crush, when He cometh, that man whom He doth not
wound when He lieth in a contemptible appearance. ...

   13. "He shall judge among the heathen: He shall fill up what hath
fallen" (ver. 6). Whoever thou art who art obstinate against Christ, thou
hast raised on high a tower that must fall. It is good that thou shouldest
cast thyself down, become humble, throw thyself at the feet of Him who
sitteth on the right hand of the Father, that in thee a ruin may be made to
be built up. For if thou abidest in thy evil height, thou shalt be cast
down when thou canst not be built up. For of such the Scripture saith in
another passage: "Therefore shall He break down, and not build them up."(7)
Beyond doubt he would not say this of some, unless there were some whom He
broke down so as to build them up again. And this is going on at this time,
while Christ is judging among the heathen in such a manner as to fill up
what hath fallen. "He shall smite many heads over the earth." Here upon the
earth in this life He shall smite many heads. He maketh them humble instead
of proud; and I dare to say, my brethren, that it is more profitable to
walk here humbly with the head wounded, than with the head erect to fall
into the judgment of eternal death. He will smite many heads when he
causeth them to fall, but He will fill them up and build them up again.

   14. "He shall drink of the brook(8) in the way, therefore shall he lift
up his head" (ver. 7). Let us consider Him drinking of the brook in the
way: first of all, what is the brook? the onward flow of human mortality:
for as a brook is gathered together by the rain, overflows, roars, runs,
and by running runs down, that is, finishes its course; so is all this
course of mortality. Men are born, they live, they die, and when some die
others are born, and when they die others are born, they succeed, they
flock together, they depart and will not remain. What is held fast here?
what doth not run? what is not on its way to the abyss as if it was
gathered together from rain? For as a river suddenly drawn together from
rain from the drops of showers runneth into the sea, and is seen no more,
nor was it seen before it was collected from the rain; so this hidden rain
is collected together from hidden sources, and floweth on; at death again
it travelleth where it is hidden: this intermediate state soundeth and
passeth away. Of this brook He drinketh, He hath not disdained to drink of
this brook; for to drink of this brook was to Him to be born and to die.
What this brook hath, is birth and death; Christ assumed this, He was born,
He died. "Therefore hath He lifted up His head;" that is, because He was
humble, and "became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross:
therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is
above every name; that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things
in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every
tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ the Lord is in the glory of God the
Father."(9)

PSALM CXI. (1)

   1. The days have come for us to sing Allelujah.(2) ... Now these days
come only to pass away, and pass away to come, again, and typify the  clay
which does not come and pass away, because it is neither preceded by
yesterday to cause it to come, nor pressed upon by the morrow to cause it
to pass. ... For as these days succeed in regular season, with a joyful
cheerfulness, the past days of Lent, whereby the misery of this life before
the Resurrection of the Lord's body is signified; so that day which after
the Resurrection shall be given to the full body of the Lord, that is, to
the holy Church, when all the troubles and sorrows of this life have been
shut out, shall succeed with perpetual bliss. But this life demandeth from
us self-restraint, that although groaning and weighed down with our toil
and struggles, and desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven,(3) we may refrain from secular pleasures: and this is signified by
the number of forty, which was the period of the fasts of Moses, and
Elias,(4) and our Lord Himself. ... But by the number fifty after our
Lord's resurrection, during which season we sing Allelujah, not the term
and passing away of a certain season is signified, but that blessed
eternity; because the denary(5) added to forty signifieth the reward paid
to the faithful who toil in this life, which our Father hath prepared an
equal share of for the first and for the last. Let us therefore hear the
heart of the people of God full of divine praises. He representeth in this
Psalm some one exulting in happy joyfulness, he prefigureth the people
whose hearts are overflowing with the love of God, that is, the body of
Christ, freed from all evil.

   2. "I will make confession unto Thee, O Lord," he saith, "with my whole
heart" (ver. 1). Confession is not always confession of sins, but the
praise of God is poured forth in the devotion of confession. The former
mourneth, the latter rejoiceth: the former showeth the wound to the
physician, the latter giveth thanks for health. The latter confession
signifieth some one, not merely freed from every evil, but even separate
from all the ill-disposed. And for this reason let us consider the place
where he confesseth unto the Lord with all his heart. "In the counsel," he
saith, "of the upright, and in the congregation:" I suppose, of those who
shall "sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel."(6) For there will be no longer an unjust man among them, the
thefts of no Judas are allowed, no Simon Magus is baptized, wishing to buy
the Spirit, whilst he  designeth to sell it;(7) no coppersmith like
Alexander doth many evil deeds? no man covered with sheep's clothing
creepeth in with feigned fraternity; such as those among whom the Church
must now groan, and such as she must then shut out, when all the righteous
shall be gathered together.

   "These are the great works of the Lord, sought out unto all His wills"
(ver. 2): through which mercy forsaketh none who confesseth, no man's
wickedness is unpunished.(9) ... Let man choose for himself what he
listeth: the works of the Lord are not so constituted, that the creature,
having free discretion allowed him, should transcend the will of the
Creator, even though he act contrary to His will. God willeth not that thou
shouldest sin; for He forbiddeth it: yet if thou hast sinned, imagine not
that the man hath done what he willed, and that hath happened to God which
He willed not. For as He would that man would not sin, so would He spare
the sinner, that he may return and live; He so willeth finally to punish
him who persisteth in his sin, that the rebellious cannot escape the power
of justice. Thus whatever choice thou hast made, the Almighty will not be
at a loss to fulfil His will concerning thee.

   3. "Confession and glorious deeds are His work" (ver. 3). What is a
more glorious deed than to justify the ungodly? But perhaps the work of man
preventeth that glorious work of God, so that when he hath confessed his
sins, he deserveth to be justified. ... This is the glorious work of the
Lord: for he loveth most, to whom most is forgiven.(10) This is the
glorious work of the Lord: for "where sin abounded, there did grace much
more abound."(11) But perhaps a man would deserve justification from works.
"Not," saith he, "of works, lest any man boast. For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works"(12) For a man worketh not
righteousness save he be justified: but by "believing on Him that
justifieth the ungodly,"(13) he beginneth with faith; that good may not by
preceding show what he hath deserved, but by following what he hath
received. ...

   4. "He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered" (ver. 4): by
abasing this man, exalting that. Reserving unusual miracles for a fit
season, that thus human weakness, intent upon novelty, may remember them,
although His daily miracles be greater. He created so many trees throughout
the whole earth, and no one wondereth: He dried up one with a word, and the
hearts of mortals were thunderstruck.(14) For that miracle, which hath not
through its frequency become common, will cling most firmly to the heart.
But of what use were the miracles, save  that He might be feared? What too
would fear  profit, unless "the gracious and merciful Lord" gave" meat unto
them that fear Him"? (ver. 5). meat that doth not spoil, "bread that cometh
down from heaven,"(1) which He gave to no deservings of ours. For "Christ
died for the ungodly."(2) No one then would give such food, save a gracious
and merciful Lord. But if He gave so much to this life, if the sinner who
was to be justified received the Word made flesh; what shall he receive
when glorified in a future world? For, "He shall ever be mindful of His
covenant." Nor hath He who hath given a pledge, given the whole.

   5. "He shall show His people the power of His works" (ver. 6). Let not
the holy Israelites, who have left all their possessions and have followed
Him, be saddened; let them not be sorrowful and say, "Who then can be
saved?" For "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." For "with men these
things are impossible, but with God all  things are possible."(3) "That He
may give them the heritage of the heathen." For they went to the heathen,
and enjoined the rich of this world "not to be highminded, nor to trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God,"(4) to whom that is easy which is
difficult for men. For thus many were called, thus the heritage of the
heathen has been occupied, thus it hath happened, that even many who have
not abandoned all their possessions in this life in order to follow Him,
have despised even life itself for the sake of confessing His Name; and
like camels humbling themselves to bear the burden of troubles, have
entered as it were through a needle's eye, through the piercing straits of
suffering. He hath wrought these effects, unto whom all things are
possible.

   6. "The works of His hands are verity and judgment" (ver. 7). Let
verity be held by those who are judged here. Martyrs are here  sentenced,
and brought to the judgment-seat,  that they may judge not only those by
whom they have been judged, but even give judgment on angels,(5) against
whom was their struggle here, even when they seemed to be judged by men.
Let not tribulation, distress, famine, nakedness, the sword, separate from
Christ. For "all His commandments are true;"(6) He deceiveth not, He giveth
us what He promised. Yet we should not expect here what He promised; we
should not hope for it: but "they stand fast for ever and ever, and are
done in truth and equity" (ver. 8). It is equitable and just that we should
labour here and repose there; since "He sent redemption unto His people"
(ver. 9). But from what are they redeemed, save from the captivity of this
pilgrimage? Let not therefore rest be sought, save in the heavenly country.
God indeed gave the carnal Israelites an earthly Jerusalem, "which is in
bondage with her children:" but this is the Old Covenant, pertaining unto
the old man. But they who there understood the figure, even then were heirs
of the New Covenant; for "Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our
everlasting mother in heaven."(7) But that transitory promises were given
in that Old Testament is proved by the fact itself: however, "He hath
commended His covenant for ever." But what, but the New? Whosoever dost
wish to be heir of this, deceive not thyself, and think not of a land
flowing with milk and honey, nor of pleasant farms, nor of gardens
abounding in fruits and shade: desire not how to gain anything of this
sort, such as the eye of covetousness is wont to lust for. For since
"covetousness is the root of all evils,"(8) it must be cut off, that it may
be consumed here; not be put off, that it may be satisfied there. First
escape punishments, avoid hell; before thou longest for a God who
promiseth, beware of one who threateneth. For "holy and reverend is His
Name."

   7. ... "The fear of the Lord," therefore, "is the beginning of wisdom."
"Understanding is good" (ver. 10). Who gainsayeth? But to understand, and
not to do, is dangerous. It is "good," therefore, "to those that do there
after." Nor let it lift up the mind unto pride; for, "the praise of Him,"
the fear of whom is the beginning of wisdom, "endureth for ever:" and this
will be the reward, this the end, this the everlasting station and abode.
There are found the true commandments, made fast for ever and ever; here is
the very heritage of the New Covenant commanded for ever. "One thing," he
saith, "I have desired of the Lord, which I will require: even that I may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."(9) For, "blessed
are they that dwell in the house" of the Lord: "they will be alway
praising"(10) Him; for "His praise endureth for ever."

PSALM CXII. (11)

   1. I believe, brethren, that ye remarked and committed to memory the
title of this Psalm. "The conversion," he saith, "of Haggai and Zechariah."
These prophets were not as yet in existence, when these verses were
sung.(12) ... But both, the one within a year after the other, began to
prophesy that which seemeth to pertain to the restoration of the temple, as
was foretold so long before.(1) ... "For the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are."(2) Whoever therefore converteth himself to the work of this
building together, and to the hope of a firm and holy edifice, like a
living stone from the miserable ruin of this world, understandeth the title
of the Psalm, understandeth "the conversion of Haggai and Zechariah." Let
him therefore chant the following verses, not so much with the voice of his
tongue as of his life. For the completion of the building will be that
ineffable peace of wisdom, the "beginning" of which is the "fear of the
Lord:" let him therefore, whom this conversion buildeth together, begin
thence.

   2. "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he will have great
delight in His commandments" (ver. 1). God, who alone judgeth both
truthfully and mercifully, will see how far he obeyeth His commandments:
since "the life of man on earth is a temptation,"(3) as holy Job saith. But
"He who judgeth us is the Lord."(4) ... He therefore will see how far each
man profiteth in His commandments; yet he who loveth the peace of this
building together, shall have great delight in them; nor ought he to
despair, since there is "peace on earth for men of good will."(5)

   3. Next follows, "His seed shall be mighty upon earth" (ver. 2). The
Apostle witnesseth, that the works of mercy are the seed of the future
harvest, when he saith, "Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due
season we shall reap;"(6) and again, "But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly, shall reap also sparingly."(7) But what, brethren, is more
mighty than that not only Zacchaeus should buy the kingdom of Heaven by the
half of his goods,(8) but even the widow for two mites,(9) and that each
should possess an equal share there? What is more mighty, than that the
same kingdom should be worth treasures to the rich man, and a cup of cold
water to the poor? ... "Glory and riches shall be in his house" (ver. 3).
For his house is his heart; where, with the praise of God, he liveth in
greater riches with the hope of eternal life, than with men flattering, in
palaces of marble, with splendidly adorned ceilings, with the fear of
everlasting death. "For his righteousness endureth for ever:" this is his
glory, there are his riches. While the other's purple, and fine linen, and
grand banquets, even when present, are passing away; and when they have
come to an end, the burning tongue shall cry out, longing for a drop of
water from the finger's end.(10)

   4. "Unto the right-hearted there ariseth up light in the darkness"
(ver. 4). Justly do the godly direct their heart unto their God, justly do
they walk with their God, preferring His will to themselves; and having no
proud presumption in their own. For they remember that they were some time
in darkness, but are now light in the Lord.(11) "Merciful, pitying, and
just is the Lord God." It delighteth us that He is "merciful and pitying,"
but it perhaps terrifieth us that the Lord God is "just." Fear not, despair
not at all, happy man, who fearest the Lord, and hast great delight in His
commandments; be thou sweet, be merciful and lend. For the Lord is just in
this manner, that He judgeth without mercy him who hath not shown
mercy;(12) but, "Sweet is the man who is merciful and lendeth" (ver. 5):
God will not spew him out of His mouth as if he were not sweet. "Forgive,"
He  saith, "and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto
you."(13) Whilst thou forgivest that thou mayest be forgiven, thou art
merciful; whilst thou givest that it may be given unto thee, thou lendest.
For though all be called generally mercy where another is assisted in his
distress, yet there is a difference where thou spendest neither money, nor
the toil of bodily labour, but by forgiving what each man hath sinned
against thee, thou gainest free pardon for thine own sins also. ... He who
is unwilling to give to the poor, seeketh riches; listen to what is
written, "Thou shalt have treasure in heaven."(14) Thou wilt not then lose
honour by forgiving: for it is a very laudable triumph to conquer anger:
wilt not grow poor by giving; for a heavenly treasure is a more safe
possession. The former verse, "Riches and plenteousness shall be in his
house," was pregnant with this verse.

   5. He therefore who doth these things, "shall guide his words with
discretion." His deeds themselves are the words whereby he shall be
defended at the Judgment; which shall not be without mercy unto him, since
he hath himself shown mercy. "For he shall never be moved" (ver. 6): he
who, called to the right hand, shall hear these words, "Come, ye blessed of
My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world." For no works of theirs, save works of mercy, are there mentioned.
He therefore shall hear, "Come, ye blessed of My Father;" for, "the
generation of the right ones shall be blessed." Thus, "the righteous shall
be had in everlasting remembrance." "He will not be afraid of any evil
hearing; for his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord" (ver. 7).
Such as the words which he will hear addressed to those on the left hand,
"Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."(1)
He therefore who seeketh here not his own things, but those of Jesus
Christ,(2) most patiently endureth sufferings, waiteth for the promises
with faith. Nor is he broken down by any temptations: "His heart is
established, and will not shrink, until he see beyond his enemies" (ver.
8). His enemies wished to see good things here, and when invisible
blessings were promised them, used to say, "Who will show us any good?"(3)
Let our heart therefore be established, and shrink not, until we see beyond
our enemies. For they wish to see good things of men in the land of the
dying; we trust to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the
living.(4)

    6. But it is a great thing to have the heart established, and not to
be moved, while they rejoice who love what they see, and mock at him who
hopeth for what he seeth not; "what the Lord hath prepared for them that
love Him." great is the value of this which is not seen, and it is bought
for so much as each man is able to give for it. On this account he also
"dispersed abroad, and gave to the poor" (ver. 9): he saw not, yet he kept
buying; but He was storing up the treasure in heaven, who deigned to hunger
and thirst in the poor on earth. It is no wonder then if "his righteousness
remaineth for ever:" He who created the ages being his guardian. "His
horn," whose humility was scorned by the proud, "shall be exalted with
honour."

   7. "The ungodly shall see it, and he shall be angered" (ver. 10): this
is that late and fruitless repentance. For with whom rather than himself is
he "angered," when he shall say, "Our pride, what hath it profiled us? the
boast-fulnes of our riches, what hath it given us?"(6) seeing the horn of
him exalted with honour, who "dispersed abroad, and gave to the poor." "He
shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away:" for "there shall be weeping
an d gnashing of teeth." For he will no more bring forth leaves and bloom,
as would happen if he had repented in season but he will then repent, when
"the desire of the ungodly shall perish," no consolation succeeding. "The
desire of the ungodly shall perish," when "all things shall pass away like
a shadow,"(7) when the flower shall fall down on the withering of the
grass. "But the word of the Lord that endureth for ever,"(8) as it is
mocked by the vanity of the falsely happy, so will laugh at the perdition
of the same when truly miserable.

PSALM CXIII. (9)

   1. ... When ye hear sung in the Psalms, Praise the Lord, ye children"
(ver. 1); imagine not that that exhortation pertaineth not unto you,
because having already passed the youth of the  body, ye are either
blooming in (he prime of manhood, or growing gray with the honours of old
age: for unto all of you the Apostle saith, "Brethren, be not children in
understanding; howbeit, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be
men."(10) What malice in particular, save pride? For it is pride that,
presuming in false greatness, suffereth not man to walk along the narrow
path, and to enter by the narrow gate; but the child easily entereth
through the narrow entrance; and thus no man, save as a child, entereth
into the kingdom of heaven. "Praise the Name of the Lord." ... Let Him
therefore be alway proclaimed: "Blessed be the Name of the Lord, from this
time forth for evermore" (ver. 2). Let Him be proclaimed everywhere:  "From
the rising up of the sun unto the going down. of the same, praise ye the
Name of the Lord" (ver. 3).

   2. If any of the holy children who praise the Name of the Lord were to
ask of me and say to me, "for evermore" I understand to mean unto all
eternity: but why" from this," and why is not the Name of the Lord blessed
before this, and before all ages? I will answer the infant, who asketh not
in contumacy. Unto you it is said, masters and children, unto you it is
said, "Praise the Name of the Lord; blessed be the Name of the Lord:" let
the Name of the Lord be blessed," from this," that is, from the moment ye
speak these words. For ye begin to praise, but praise ye without end. ...
Or, since in this passage he seemeth to signify rather humility than
childhood, the contrary of which is the vain and false greatness of pride;
and for this reason none but children praise the Lord, since the proud know
not how to praise Him; let old age be childlike, and your childhood like
old age; that is, that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your
humility without wisdom, that ye may "praise the Lord from this for
evermore." Wherever the Church of Christ is diffused in her childlike
saints, "Praise ye the Name of the Lord;" that is, "from the rising up of
the sun unto the going down of the same."

   3. "The Lord is high above all heathen" (ver. 4). The heathen are men:
what wonder if the Lord be above all men? They see with their eyes those
whom they worship high above themselves to shine in heaven, the sun and
moon and stars, creatures which they serve while they neglect the Creator.
But not only "is the Lord high above all heathen;" but "His glory" also "is
above the heavens." The heavens look up unto Him above themselves; and the
humble  have Him together with them, who do not worship the heavens instead
of Him, though placed in the flesh beneath the heavens.

   4. "Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath His dwelling so high;
and yet beholdeth the humble?" (ver. 5). Any one would think that He
dwelleth in the lofty heavens, whence He may behold the humble things on
earth; but "He beholdeth the humble things that are in heaven and earth"
(ver. 6): what then is His high dwelling, whence He beholdeth the humble
things that are in heaven and earth? Are the humble things He beholdeth His
own high dwelling itself? For He thus exalteth the humble, so as not to
make them proud. He therefore both dwelleth in those whom He raiseth high,
and maketh them heaven for Himself, that is, His own abode; and by seeing
them not proud, but constantly subject to Himself, He beholdeth even in
heaven itself these very humble things, in whom raised on high He dwelleth.
For the Spirit thus speaketh through Isaiah "thus saith the Highest that
dwelleth on high, that inhabiteth eternity; the Lord Most High, dwelling in
the holy." He hath expounded what He meant by dwelling on high, by the more
full expression, "dwelling in the holy." ...

   5. And he hath moved us also to enquire whether the Lord our God
beholdeth the same humble things in heaven and in earth: or different
humble things in heaven to what He beholdeth on earth. ... But if the Lord
our God beholdeth other humble things in heaven to what He doth on earth; I
suppose that He already beholdeth in heaven those whom He hath called, and
in whom He dwelleth; while on earth He beholdeth those whom He is now
calling, that He may dwell in them. For He hath the one with Him musing on
heavenly things, the others He is waking, while they yet dream things
earthly. But since it is difficult to call even those humble, who have not
as yet submitted their necks in piety to the gracious yoke of Christ, since
the divine writings throughout the whole Psalm warn us to understand holy
by the word humble; there is also another interpretation, which, Beloved,
ye may consider with me. I believe that those are now meant by heavens who
shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge with the Lord;(1) and under
the name of the earth, the rest of the multitude of the blessed, who shall
be set on the right hand, that through works of mercy they may be praised
and received into everlasting habitations by those whom they have made
friends to themselves from the mammon of unrighteousness in this mortal
life.(2) ...

   6. "He taketh up the destitute out of the dust, and lifteth the poor
out of the mire" (ver. 7); "that He may set Him with the princes, even with
the princes of His people" (ver. 8). Let not then the heads of the exalted
disdain to be humble, beneath the Lord's right hand. For though the
faithful steward of the Lord's money be placed together with the princes of
the people of God, although he be destined to sit on the twelve seats, and
even to judge angels;(1) yet he is taken up destitute from the dust, and
lifted from out of the mire. Was not he possibly lifted up from the mire,
who "served divers lusts and pleasures "? ...

   7. What then, brethren, if we have already heard of those humble things
which are in heaven, lifted up from the mire, that they might be set with
the princes of the people; have we by consequence heard nothing of the
humble things which the Lord beholdeth on the earth? For those friends who
will judge with their Lord are fewer, while those whom they receive into
everlasting habitations are more in number. For although the whole of a
heap of corn compared with the separate chaff may seem to contain few in
number; yet considered by itself, it is abundant. ... The Church then
speaketh thus in that sense, wherein she seemeth to bear no offspring among
those crowds who have not given up all things, that they might follow the
Lord, and might sit upon the twelve thrones.(1) But how many in the same
crowd, who make unto themselves friends of the mammon of
unrighteousness,(2) shall stand on the right hand through works of mercy?
He not only then lifteth up from the mire him whom He is to place with the
princes of His people; but also, "Maketh the barren woman to keep house,
and to be a joyful mother of children" (ver. 9): He who dwelleth on high,
and beholdeth the humble things that are in heaven and earth, the seed of
Abraham like the stars of heaven, holiness set on high in heavenly
habitations; and like the sand on the sea shore, a merciful and countless
multitude gathered together  from the harmful waves, and the bitterness of
impiety.

PSALM CXIV. (3)

   1. The river Jordan, when they were entering across it into the land of
promise, when touched by the feet of the priests who bore the Ark, stood
still from above with bridled stream, while it flowed down from below,
where it ran on into the sea, until the whole people passed over, the
priests standing on the dry ground.(1) We know these things, but yet we
should not imagine in this Psalm, to which we have now answered by chanting
Allelujah, that it is the purpose of the Holy Spirit, that while we call to
mind those deeds of the past, we should not consider things like unto them
yet to take place. For "these things," as the Apostle saith, "happened unto
them for ensamples."(2)

   2. "When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among
the strange people" (ver. 1), "Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His
dominion" (ver. 2); "the sea saw that and fled, Jordan was driven back"
(ver. 3). Think not that past deeds are related unto us, but rather that
the future is predicted; since, while those miracles also were going on in
that people, things present indeed were happening, but not without an
intimation of things future. ... Some things he has related differently to
what we have learnt and read there: that he might not truly be thought to
be repeating past acts rather than to be prophesying future things. For in
the first place, we read not that the Jordan was driven back, but that it
stood still on the side nearest the source of its streams, while the people
were passing through; next, we read not of the mountains and hills
skipping: all which he hath added, and repeated. For after saying, "The sea
saw that, and fled; Jordan was driven back:" he added," The mountains
skipped like rams, and the little hills like young sheep" (ver. 4): and
then asketh, "What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou reddest: and thou,
Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" (ver. 5 ). "Ye mountains, that ye
skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like young sheep?" (ver. 6).

   3. Let us therefore consider what we are taught here; since both those
deeds were typical of us, and these words exhort us to recognise ourselves.
For if we hold with a firm heart the grace of God which hath been given us,
we are Israel, the seed of Abraham: unto us the Apostle saith, "Therefore
are ye the seed of Abraham."(3) ... Let therefore no Christian consider
himself alien to the name of Israel. For we are joined in the corner stone
with those among the Jews who believed, among whom we find the Apostles
chief. Hence our Lord in another passage saith, "And  other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, that there may be one
fold and one Shepherd."(4) The Christian people then is rather Israel, and
the same is preferably the house of Jacob; for Israel and Jacob are the
same. But that multitude of Jews, which was deservedly reprobated for its
perfidy, for the pleasures of the flesh sold their birthright, so that they
belonged not to Jacob, but rather to Esau. For ye know that it was said
with this hidden meaning, "That the eider shah serve the younger." (5)

   4. But Egypt, since it is said to mean affliction, or one who
afflicteth, or one who oppresseth, is often used for an emblem of this
world; from which we must spiritually withdraw, that we may not be bearing
the yoke with unbelievers.(6) For thus each one becometh a fit citizen of
the heavenly Jerusalem, when he hath first renounced this world; just as
that people could not be led into the land of promise, save first they had
departed from Egypt. But as they did not depart thence, until freed by
Divine help; so no man is turned away in heart from this world, unless
aided by the gift of the Divine mercy. For what was there once prefigured,
the same is fulfilled in every faithful one in the daily travailings of the
Church, in this end of the world, in this, as the blessed John writeth,
last time.(7) Hear the Apostle the teacher of the Gentiles, thus
instructing us: "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant, how
that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all
eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink;
for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was
Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were
overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples."(8) What
more do ye wish, most beloved brethren? For it is surely clear, not from
human conjecture, but from the declaration of an Apostle, that is, of God
and our Lord: for God spoke in them, and though from clouds of flesh, yet
it was God who thundered: surely then it is clear by so great testimony
that all these things which were done in figure, are now fulfilled in our
salvation; because then the future was predicted, now the past is read, and
the present observed.

   5. Hear what is even more wonderful, that the hidden and veiled
mysteries of the ancient books are in some degree revealed by the ancient
books. For Micah the prophet speaketh thus. "According to the days of thy
coming out of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things, etc.(9) ... In
this Psalm, therefore, although the wonderful spirit of prophecy doth look
into the future, yet it seemeth, as it were, to be merely detailing to the
past. "Judah," he saith, "was His sanctuary: the sea saw that and fled:"
"was," "saw," and" fled," are words of the past tense; and "Jordan was
driven back, and the mountains skipped, and the earth trembled," in like
manner have a past expression, without, however, any difficulty in
understanding by them the future. ... For though it was so long after the
departure of that people from Egypt, and so long before these seasons of
the Church, that he sang what I have quoted; nevertheless, he withesseth
that he is foretelling the future without any question. "According to the
days," he saith, "of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto
him marvellous things." "The nations shall see and be confounded." This is
what is here said, "The sea saw that, and fled:" for if in this passage,
through words of the past tense the future is secretly revealed, as is the
case; who would venture to explain the words, "shall see and be
confounded," of past events? And a little lower down he(1) alludeth more
clearly than light itself to those very enemies of ours, who followed us
flying, that they might slay us, that is, our sins, which are overwhelmed
and extinguished in Baptism, just as the Egyptians were drowned in the sea,
saying, since "He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He is of good
will and merciful, He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us, He
will drown our iniquities: and Thou wilt east all their sins into the
depths of the sea."

   6. What is it, most beloved? ye who know yourselves to be Israelites
according to Abraham's seed, ye who are of the house of Jacob, heirs
according to promise, know that even ye have gone forth from Egypt, since
ye have renounced this world; that ye have gone forth from a foreign
people, since by the confession of piety, ye have separated yourselves from
the blasphemies of the Gentiles. For it is not your tongue, but a foreign
one, which knoweth not how to praise God, to whom ye sing Allelujah. For
"Judah" hath become "His sanctuary" in you; for "he is not a Jew which is
one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh;
but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and by circumcision of the
heart."(2) Examine then your hearts, if faith hath circumcised them, if
confession hath cleansed them; in you "Judah" hath become "His sanctuary,"
in you "Israel" hath become "His dominion." For" He gave" unto you" the
power to become the sons of God."(3) ...

   7. But I would not that ye should seek without yourselves, how the
Jordan was turned back, I would not ye should augur anything evil. For the
Lord chideth those who have "turned" their "back" unto Him, "and not their
face."(4) And whoever forsaketh the source of his being, and turneth away
from his Creator; as a river into the sea, he glides into the bitter
wickedness of this world. It is therefore good for him that he turn back,
and that God whom he had set behind his back, may be before his face as he
returneth; and that the sea of this world, which he had set before his
face, when he was gliding on towards it, may become behind him; and that he
may so forget what is behind him, that he may "reach forward to what is
before him;"(5) which is profitable for him when once converted. ...

   8. "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence
of the God of Jacob" (ver. 7). What meaneth, "at the presence of the Lord,"
save at the presence of Him who said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world."(6) For the earth trembled; but because it had
remained slothful, it was made to tremble, so that it might be more firmly
fixed at the presence of the Lord.

   9. "Who turned the hard rock into standing waters, and the flint stone
into springing wells" (ver. 8). For He melted Himself, and what may be
called His hardness to water those who believe on Him, that He might in
them become "a fountain of water gushing forth unto everlasting life;"(7)
because formerly, when He was not known, He seemed hard. Hence they who
said, "This is an hard saying, who can bear it?(8) were confounded, and
waited not until He should flow and stream upon them when the Scriptures
were revealed. The rock, that hardness, was turned into pools of water,
that stone into fountains of waters, when on His resurrection, "He
expounded unto them, commencing with Moses and all the prophets, how Christ
ought to suffer thus;"(9) and sent the Holy Ghost, of whom He said, "If any
man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink."(10)

PSALM CXV.(11)

   1. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the
praise" (ver. 1). For that grace of the water that gushed from the rock
("now that rock was Christ "12), was not given on the score of works that
had gone before, but of His mercy "that justifieth the ungodly."(13) For
"Christ died for sinners,"(14) that men might not seek any glory of their
own, but in the Lord's Name.

   2. "For Thy loving mercy, and for Thy truth's sake" (ver. 2). Observe
how often these two qualities, loving mercy and truth, are joined together
in the holy Scriptures. For in His loving mercy He called sinners, and in
His truth He judgeth those who when called refused to come. "That the
heathen may not say, Where is now their God?" For at the last, His loving
mercy and truth will shine forth, when "the sign of the Son of man shall
appear in heaven, and then shall all tribes of the earth cry woe;"(1) nor
shall they then say, "Where is their God?" when He is no longer preached
unto them to be believed in, but displayed before them to be trembled at.

   3. "As for our God, He is in heaven above" (ver. 3). Not in heaven,
where they see the sun and moon, works of God which they adore, but "in
heaven above," which overpasseth all heavenly and earthly bodies. Nor is
our God in heaven in such a sense, as to dread a fall that should deprive
Him of His throne, if heaven were withdrawn from under Him. "In heaven and
earth He hath made whatsoever pleased Him." Nor doth He stand in need of
His own works, as if He had place in them where He might abide; but
endureth in His own eternity, wherein He abideth and hath done whatsoever
pleased Him, both in heaven and earth; for they did not support Him, as a
condition of their being created by Him: since, unless they had been
created, they could not have supported Him. Therefore, in whatsoever He
Himself dwelleth, He, so to speak, containeth this as in need of Himself,
He is not contained by this as if He needed it. Or it may be thus
understood: "In heaven and in earth He hath done whatsoever pleased Him,"
whether among the higher or the lower orders of His people, He hath made
His grace His free gift, that no man may boast in the merits of his own
works. ...

   4. "Their idols," he saith, "are silver and gold, even the work of
men's hands" (ver. 4). That is, although we cannot display our God to your
carnal eyes, whom ye ought to recognise through his works; yet be not
seduced by your vain pretences, because ye can point with the finger to,
the objects of your worship. For it were much worthlet for you not to have
what to point to, than that your hearts' blindness should be displayed in
what is exhibited to these eyes by you: for what do ye exhibit, save gold
and silver? They have indeed both bronze, and wood, and earthenware idols,
and of different materials of this description; but the Holy Spirit
preferred mentioning the more precious material, because when every man
hath blushed for that which he sets more by, he is much more easily turned
away from the worship of meaner objects. For it is said in another passage
of Scripture concerning the worshippers of images, "Saying to a stock, Thou
art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth."(2) But lest
that man who speaketh thus not to a stone or stock, but to gold and silver,
seem wiser to himself; let him look this way, let him turn hitherwards the
ear of his heart: "The idols of the Gentiles are gold and silver." Nothing
mean and contemptible is here mentioned: and indeed to that mind which is
not earth, both gold and silver is earth, but more beautiful and brilliant,
more solid and firm. Employ not then the hands of men, to create a false
Deity out of that metal which a true God hath created; nay, a false man,
whom thou mayest worship for a true God. ...

   5. "For they have mouths, and speak not: eyes have they, and see not"
(ver. 5). "They have ears, and hear not: noses have they, and smell not"
(ver. 6). "They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not;
neither cry they through their throat" (vet. 7). Even their artist
therefore surpasseth them, since he had the faculty of moulding them by the
motion and functions of his limbs: though thou wouldest be ashamed to
worship that artist. Even thou surpassest them, though thou hast not made
these things, since thou doest what they cannot do. Even a beast doth excel
them; for unto this it is added, "neither cry they through their throat."
For after he had said above, "they have mouths, and speak not;" what need
was there, after he had enumerated the limbs from head to feet, to repeat
what he had said of their crying through their throat; unless, I suppose,
because we perceive that what he mentioned of the other members, was common
to men and beasts? For they see, and hear, and smell, and walk, and some,
apes for instance, handle with hands. But what he had said of the mouth, is
peculiar to men: since beasts do not speak. But that no one might refer
what hath been said to the works of human members alone, and prefer men
only to the gods of the heathen; after all this he added these words,
"neither cry they through their throat:" which again is common to men and
cattle. ... How 'much better then do mice and serpents, and other animals
of like sort, judge of the idols of the heathen, so to speak, for they
regard not the human figure in them when they see not the human life. For
this reason they usually build nests in them, and unless they are deterred
by human movements, they seek for themselves no safer habitations. A man
then moveth himself, that he may frighten away a living beast from his own
god; and yet worshippeth that god who cannot move himself, as if he were
powerful, from whom he drove away one better than the object of his
worship. ... Even the dead surpasseth a deity who neither liveth nor hath
lived. ...

   6. But they seem to themselves to have a purer religion, who say, I
neither worship an idol, nor a devil; but in the bodily image I behold an
emblem(3) of that which I am bound to worship. ... They presume to reply,
that they worship not the bodies themselves, but the deities which preside
over the government of them. One sentence of the Apostle, therefore,
testifieth to their punishment and condemnation; "Who," he saith, "have
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever."(1) For in the former part
of this sentence he condemned idols; in the latter, the account they give
of their idols: for by designating images wrought by an artificer by the
names of the works of God's creation, they change the truth of God into a
lie; while, by considering these works themselves as deities, and
worshipping them as such, they serve the creature more than the Creator,
who is blessed for ever. ...

   7. But, it will be said, we also have very many instruments and vessels
made of materials or metal of this description for the purpose of
celebrating the Sacraments, which being consecrated by these ministrations
are called holy, in honour of Him who is thus worshipped for our salvation:
and what indeed are these very instruments or vessels, but the work of
men's hands? But have they mouth, and yet speak not? have they eyes, and
see not? do we pray unto them, because through them we pray to God? This is
the chief cause of this insane profanity, that the figure resembling the
living person, which induces men to worship it, hath more influence in the
minds of these miserable persons, than the evident fact that it is not
living, so that it ought to be despised by the living.(2)

   8. The result that ensueth is that described in the next verse: "They
that make them are like unto them, and so are all such as put their trust
in them" (ver. 8). Let them therefore see with open eyes, and worship with
shut and dead understandings, idols that neither see nor live. "But the
house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord" (ver. 9). "For hope that is seen is
not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope
for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."(3) But that
this patience may endure to the end, "He is their helper and defender." Do
perhaps spiritual persons (by whom carnal minds are built up in "the spirit
of meekness,"(4) because they pray as higher for lower minds) already see,
and is that already to them reality which to the lower is hope? It is not
so. For even "the house of Aaron hath hope in the Lord" (ver. 10).
Therefore, that they also may stretch forward perseveringly towards those
things which are before them, and may run perseveringly, until they may
apprehend that for which they are apprehended,(5) and may know even as they
are known,(6) "He is their helper and defender." For both "fear the Lord,
and have hoped in the Lord: He is their helper and defender" (ver. 11).

   9. For we do not by our deservings prevent the mercy of God; but, "The
Lord hath been mindful of us, and hath blessed us. He hath blessed the
house of Israel, He hath blessed the house of Aaron" (ver. 12). But in
blessing both of these, "He hath blessed all that fear the Lord" (ver. 13).
Dost thou ask, who are meant by both of these? He answereth, "both small
and great." That is, the house of Israel with the house of Aaron, those who
among that nation believed in Jesus the Saviour. ... For in the character
of those who out of that nation believed, it is said, "Except the Lord of
Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto
Gomorrha."(7) Seed, because when it has been scattered over the earth, it
multiplied.

   10. For the great ones, of the house of Aaron, have said, "May the Lord
increase you more and more, you and your children" (ver. 14). And thus it
hath happened. For children that have been raised even from the stones have
flocked unto Abraham:(8) sheep which were not of this fold, have flocked
unto him, that there might be one flock, and one shepherd;(9) the faith of
all nations was added, and the number grew, not only of wise priests, but
of obedient peoples; the Lord increasing not only their fathers more and
more, who in Christ might show the way to the rest who should imitate them,
but also their children, who should follow their fathers' pious footsteps.

   11. Therefore the Prophet saith unto these great and small, the
mountains and the little hills, the rams and the young sheep, what
followeth: "Ye are the blessed of the Lord, who made heaven and earth"
(ver. 15). As if he should say, Ye are the blessed of the Lord, who made
the heaven in the great, earth in the small: not this visible heaven,
studded with luminaries which are objects to these eyes. For "The heaven of
heavens is the Lord's" (ver. 16); who hath elevated the minds of some
saints to such a height, that they became teachable by no man, but by God
Himself; in comparison of which heaven, whatever is discerned with carnal
eyes is to be called earth; which "He hath given to the children of men;"
that when it is contemplated, whether in that region which illumineth
above, as that which is called heaven, or in that which is illumined
beneath, which is properly called earth (since in comparison with that
which is called heaven of heaven, the whole, as we have said, is earth;)
the whole therefore of this earth He hath given to the children of men,
that by the consideration of it, as far as they can, they may conceive of
the Creator, whom with their yet weak hearts they cannot see without that
aid to their conception.

   12. ... But nevertheless since they derive the truth and richness of
wisdom, not from man nor through man, but through God Himself, they have
received little ones who shall be heaven, that they may know that they are
heaven of heaven; as yet however earth, unto which they say, "I have
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase."(1)  For to those very
sons of men whom He made heaven, He who knoweth how to provide for the
earth through heaven, hath given earth upon which they work. May they
therefore abide, heaven and earth, in their God, who made them, and let
them live from Him, confessing unto Him, and praising Him; for if they
choose to live from themselves, they shall die, as it is written, "From the
dead, as though he were not, confession ceaseth."(2) But, "The dead praise
not Thee, O Lord, neither all they that go down into silence" (ver. 17).
For the Scripture in another passage proclaimeth, "The  sinner, when he
cometh into the abyss of wickednesses, scorneth."(3) "But we, who live,
will praise the Lord, from this time forth for evermore" (ver. 18).

PSALM CXVI.(4)

   1. "I have loved, since the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer"
(ver. 1). Let the soul that is sojourning in absence from the Lord sing
thus, let that sheep which had strayed sing thus, let that son who had
"died and returned to life," who had "been lost and was found;"(5) let our
soul sing thus, brethren, and most beloved sons. Let us be taught, and let
us abide, and let us sing thus with the Saints: "I have loved: since the
Lord will hear the voice of my prayer." Is this a reason for having loved,
that the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer? and do we not rather love,
because He hath heard, or that He may hear? What then meaneth, "I have
loved, since the Lord will hear"? Doth he, because hope is wont to inflame
love, say that he hath loved, since he hath hoped that God will listen to
the voice of his prayer?

   2. But whence hath he hoped for this? Since, he saith, "He hath
inclined His ear unto me: and in my days I have called upon Him" (ver. 2).
I loved, therefore, because He will hear; He will hear, "because He hath
inclined His ear unto me." But whence knowest thou, O human soul, that God
hath inclined His ear unto thee, except thou sayest, "I have believed"?
These three things, therefore, "abide, faith, hope, charity:"(6) because
thou hast believed, thou hast hoped; because thou hast hoped, thou hast
loved. ...

   3. And what are thy days, since thou hast said, "In my days I have
called upon Him "? Are they those perchance, in which "the fulness of time
came," and "God sent His Son,"(7) who had already said, "In an acceptable
time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee"?(8)
.. I may rather call my days the days of my misery, the days of my
mortality, the days according to Adam, full of toil and sweat, the days
according to the ancient corruption. "For I lying, stuck fast in the deep
mire,"(9) in another Psalm also have cried out, "Behold, Thou hast made my
days old;"(10) in these days of mine have I called upon Thee. For my days
are different from the days of my Lord. I call those my days, which by my
own daring I have made for myself, whereby I have forsaken Him: and, since
He reigneth everywhere, and is all-powerful, and holdeth all things, I have
deserved prison; that is, I have received the darkness of ignorance, and
the bonds of mortality. ... For in these days of mine, "The snares of death
compassed me round about, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me" (ver. 3):
pains that would not have overtaken me, had I not wandered from Thee. But
now they have overtaken me; but I found them not, while I was rejoicing in
the prosperity of the world, in which the snares of hell deceive the more.

   4. But after" I too found trouble and heaviness, I called upon the Name
of the Lord" (ver. 4). For trouble and profitable sorrow I did not feel;
trouble, wherein He giveth aid, unto whom it is said, "O be Thou our help
in trouble: and vain is the help of man."(11) For I thought I might rejoice
and exult in the vain help of man; but when I had heard from my Lord,
"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted:"(12) I did not
wait until I should lose those temporal blessings in which I rejoiced, and
should then mourn: but I gave heed to that very misery of mine which caused
me to rejoice in such things, which I both feared to lose, and yet could
not retain; I gave heed to it firmly and courageously, and I saw that I was
not only agonized by the adversities of this world, but even bound by its
good fortune; and thus "I found the trouble and heaviness" which had
escaped me, "and called upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech Thee,
deliver my soul." Let then the holy people of God say, "I called upon the
Name of the Lord:" and let the remainder of the heathen hear, who do not as
yet call upon the Name of the Lord; let them hear and seek, that they may
discover trouble and heaviness, and may call upon the Name of the Lord, and
be saved. ...

   5. "Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful"
(ver. 5 ). He is gracious, righteous, and merciful. Gracious in the first
place, because He hath inclined His ear unto me; and I knew not that the
ear of God had approached my lips, till I was aroused by those beautiful
feet, that I might call upon the Lord's Name: for who hath called upon Him,
save he whom He first called? Hence therefore He is in the first place
"gracious;" but "righteous," because He scourgeth; and again, "merciful,"
because He receiveth; for "He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;" nor
ought it to be so bitter to me that He scourgeth, as sweet that He
receiveth. For how should not "The Lord, who keepeth little ones" (ver. 6),
scourge those whom, when of mature age, He seeketh to be heirs; "for what
son is he whom the father chasteneth not?(1) "I was in misery, and He
helped me." He helped me, because I was in misery; for the pain which the
physician causeth by his knife is not penal, but salutary.

   6. "Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath done
good to thee" (ver. 7): not for thy deservings, or through thy strength;
but because the Lord hath done good to thee. "Since," he saith," He hath
delivered my soul from death" (ver. 8). It is wonderful, most beloved
brethren, that, after he had said that his soul should turn unto rest,
since the Lord had rewarded him; he added, since "He hath delivered my soul
from death." Did it turn unto rest, because it was delivered from death? Is
not rest more usually said of death? What is the action of him whose life
is rest, and death disquietude? Such then ought to be the action of the
soul, as may tend to a quiet security, not one that may increase restless
toil; since He hath delivered it from death, who, pitying it, said, "Come
unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,"
etc.(2) Meek therefore and humble, following, so to speak, Christ as its
path, should the action of the soul be that tendeth towards repose;
nevertheless, not slothful and supine; that it may finish its course, as it
is written, "In quietness make perfect thy works."(3) "Thou hast delivered
my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling."
Whoever feeleth the chain of this flesh, chanteth these things as fulfilled
in hope towards himself. For it is truly said, "I was in misery, and He
delivered me;" but the Apostle saith this also truly, that we are saved by
hope.(4) And that we are delivered from death, is well said to be already
fulfilled, so that we may understand the death of unbelievers, of whom he
saith, "Leave the dead to bury their dead."(5) ... He will then clear our
eyes of tears, when He shall save our feet from falling. For there will
then be no slipping of our feet as they walk, when there will be no sliding
of the weak flesh. But now, however firm our path, which is Christ, be: yet
since we place flesh, which we are enjoined to subdue, beneath us; in the
very work of chastening and subduing it, it is a great thing not to fall:
but not to slip in the flesh, who can attain? "I shall please in the sight
of the Lord, in the land of the living" (ver. 9). ... We "labour" indeed
now, because we are awaiting "the redemption of our body:(6) but, "when
death shall have been swallowed up in victory, and this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality;"(7) then there will
be no weeping, because there will be no falling; and no filling, because no
corruption. And therefore we shall then no longer labour to please, but we
shall be entirely pleasing in the sight of the Lord, in the land of the
living.

   7. ... "I believed," saith he, "and therefore did I speak. But I was
sorely brought down" (ver. 10). For he suffered many tribulations, for the
sake of the word which he faithfully held, faithfully preached; and he was
sorely brought down; as they feared who loved the praise of men better than
that of God. But what meaneth, "But I"? He should rather say, I believed,
and therefore I have spoken, and I was sorely brought down: why did he add,
"But I," save because a man may be sorely brought down by those who oppose
the truth, the truth itself cannot, which he believeth and speaketh? Whence
also the Apostle, when he was speaking of his chain, saith, "the word of
God is not bound."(8) So this man also, since there is one person of the
holy witnesses, that is, of the Martyrs of God, saith, "I believed, and
therefore will I speak." "But I;" not that which I believed, not the word
which I have delivered; "but I was sorely brought down."

   8. "I said in my trance, All men are liars" (ver. 11). By trance he
meaneth fear, which when persecutors threaten, and when the sufferings of
torture or death impend, human weakness suffereth. For this we understand,
because in this Psalm the voice of Martyrs is heard. For trance is used in
another sense also, when the mind is not beside itself by fear, but is
possessed by some inspiration of revelation. "But I said in my haste, All
men are liars." In consternation he hath had regard to his infirmity, and
hath seen that he ought not to presume on himself; for as far as pertaineth
to the man himself, he is a liar, but by the grace of God he is made true;
lest yielding to the pressure of his enemies he might not speak what he had
believed, but might deny it; even as it happened to Peter, since he had
trusted in himself, and was to be taught that we ought not to trust in man.
And if every one ought not to trust in man, surely not in himself; because
he is a man. Rightly therefore in his fear did he perceive that every man
was a liar; since they also whom no fear robs of their presence of mind, so
that they never lie by yielding to the persecutors, are such by the gifts
of God, not by their own strength. ...

   9. "What," he asketh, "what reward shall I give unto the Lord, for all
the benefits that He hath returned unto me?" (ver. 12). He saith not, for
all the benefits that He hath done unto me but "for all the benefits that
He hath returned unto me." What deeds then on the man's Dart had preceded,
that all the benefits of God were not said to be given, but returned? What
had preceded, on the man's part, save sins? God therefore repayeth good for
evil, whilst unto Him men repay evil for good; for such was the return of
those who said, "This is the heir: come, let us kill him."(1)

   10. But this man seeketh what he may return unto the Lord, and findeth
not, save out of those things which the Lord Himself returneth. "I will
receive," he saith, "the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the
Lord" (ver. 13). "My vows will I render to the Lord, before all His people"
(ver. 14). Who hath given thee the cup of salvation, which when thou
takest, and callest upon the Name of the Lord, thou shalt return unto Him a
reward for all that He hath returned unto thee? Who, save He who saith,
"Are ye able to drink the cup that I shall drink of?"(2) Who hath given
unto thee to imitate His sufferings, save He who hath suffered before for
thee? And therefore, "Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of
His Saints" (ver. 15). He purchased it by His Blood, which He first shed
for the salvation of slaves, that they might not hesitate to shed their
blood for the Lord's Name; which, nevertheless, would be profitable for
their own interests, not for those of the Lord.

   11. Let therefore the slave purchased at so great a price confess his
condition, and say, "Behold, O Lord, how that I am Thy servant: "I am Thy
servant, and the son of Thine hand-maid" (ver. 16). ... This, therefore, is
the son of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is above, the free mother of us
all.(3) And free indeed from sin she is, but the handmaid of righteousness;
to whose sons still pilgrims it is said, "Ye have been called unto
liberty;"(4) and again he maketh them servants, when he saith, "but by love
serve one another." ... Let therefore that servant say unto God, Many call
themselves martyrs, many Thy servants, because they hold Thy Name in
various heresies and errors; but since they are beside Thy Church, they are
not the children of Thy hand-maid. But "I am Thy servant, and the son of
Thine handmaid." "Thou hast broken my bonds asunder."

   12. "I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of praise" (ver. 17). For I
have not found any deserts of mine, since Thou hast broken my bonds
asunder; I therefore owe Thee the sacrifice of praise; because, although I
will boast that I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy hand-maid, I will
glory not in myself, but in Thee, my Lord, who hast broken asunder my
bonds, that when I return from my desertion, I may again be bound unto
Thee.

   13. "I will pay my vows unto the Lord" (vet. 18). What vows wilt thou
pay? What victims hast thou vowed? what burnt-offerings, what holocausts?
Dost thou refer to what thou hast said a little before, "I will receive the
cup of salvation, and will call upon the Name of the Lord;" and, "I will
offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving"? and indeed whosoever well
considereth what he is vowing to the Lord, and what vows he is paying, let
him vow himself, let him pay himself as a vow: this is exacted, this is
due. On looking at the coin, the Lord saith, "Render unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's:"(5) his own
image is rendered unto Caesar: let His image be rendered unto God.

   14. "In the courts," he saith, "of the Lord's house" (ver. 19). What is
the Lord's house, the same is the Lord's handmaid: and what is God's house,
save all His people? It therefore followeth, "In the sight of all His
people." And now he more openly nameth his mother herself. For what else is
His people, but what followeth, "In the midst of thee, O Jerusalem"? For
than that which is returned grateful, if it be returned from peace, and in
peace. But they who are not sons of this hand-maid, have loved war rather
than peace. ...

PSALM CXVII.(6)

   1. "O praise the Lord, all ye heathen:  praise Him, all ye nations"
(ver. 1). These are the courts of the Lord's house, this all His people,
this the true Jerusalem. Let those rather listen who have refused to be the
children of this city, since they have cut themselves off from the
communion of all nations.(1) "For His merciful kindness is ever more and
more towards us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever" (ver. 2).
These are those two things, loving-kindness and truth, which in the CXVth
Psalm I admonished you should be committed to memory. But "the merciful
kindness of the Lord is ever more and mere towards us," since the furious
tongues of hostile nations have yielded to His Name, through which we have
been freed: "and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever," whether in those
things which He promised to the righteous, or in those which He hath
threatened to the ungodly.

PSALM CXVIII.(2)

   1. ... We are taught in this Psalm, when we chaunt Allelujah, which
meaneth, Praise the Lord, that we should, when we hear the words, "Confess
unto the Lord" (ver. 1), praise the Lord. The praise of God could not be
expressed in fewer words than these, ''For He is good." I see not what can
be more solemn than this brevity, since goodness is so peculiarly the
quality of God, that the Son of God Himself when addressed by some one as
"Good Master," by one, namely, who beholding His flesh, and comprehending
not the fulness of His divine nature, considered Him as man only, replied,
"Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God."(3)
And what is this but to say, If thou wishest to call Me good, recognise Me
as God? But since it is addressed, in revelation of things to come, to a
people freed from all toil and wandering in pilgrimage, and from all
admixture with the wicked, which freedom was given it through the grace of
God, who not only doth not evil for evil, but even returneth good for evil;
it is most appropriately added, "Because His mercy endureth for ever."

   2. "Let Israel now confess that He is good, and that His mercy endureth
for ever" (ver. 2). "Let the house of Aaron now confess that His mercy
endureth for ever" (ver. 3). "Yea, let all now that fear the Lord confess
that His mercy endureth for ever" (ver. 4). Ye remember, I suppose, most
beloved, what is the house of Israel, what is the house of Aaron, and that
both are those that fear the Lord. For they are "the little and the
great,"(4) who have already in another Psalm been happily introduced into
your hearts: in the number of whom all of us should rejoice that we are
joined together, in His grace who is good, and whose mercy endureth for
ever; since they were listened to who said, "May the Lord increase you more
and more, you and your children;"(5) that the host of the Gentiles might be
added to the Israelites who believed in Christ, of the number of whom are
the Apostles our fathers, for the exaltation of the perfect and the
obedience of the little children; that all of us when made one in Christ,
made one flock under one Shepherd, and the body of that Head, like one man,
may say, "I called upon the Lord in trouble, and the Lord heard me at
large" (ver. 5). The narrow straits of our tribulation are limited: but the
large way whereby we pass along hath no end. "Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect?"(6)

   3. "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man doeth unto me"
(ver. 6). But are men, then, the only enemies that the Church hath? What is
a man devoted to flesh and blood, save flesh and blood? But the Apostle
saith, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against," ... he saith,
"spiritual wickedness in high places;"(7) that is, the devil and his
angels; that devil whom elsewhere he calleth "the prince of the power of
the air."(8) Hear therefore what followeth: "The Lord is my helper:
therefore shall I despise mine enemies" (ver. 7). From what class soever my
enemies may arise, whether from the number of evil men, or from the number
of evil angels; in the Lord's help, unto whom we chant the confession of
praise, unto whom we sing Allelujah, they shall be despised.

   4. But, when my enemies have been brought to contempt, let not my
friend present himself unto me as a good man, so as to bid me repose my
hope in himself: for "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put any
confidence in man" (ver. 8). Nor let any one, who may in a certain sense be
styled a good angel, be regarded by myself as one in whom I ought to put my
trust: for "no one is good, save God alone;"(9) and when a man or an angel
appear to aid us, when they do this of sincere affection, He doth it
through them, who made them good after their measure. "It is" therefore
"better to trust in the Lord, than to put any confidence in princes" (ver.
9). For angels also are called princes, even as we read in Daniel,
"Michael, your prince."(10)

   5. "All nations compassed me round about, but in the Name of the Lord
have I taken vengeance on them" (ver. 10). "They kept me in on every site,
they kept me in, I say, on every side; but in the Name of the Lord have I
taken vengeance on them" (ver. 11). He signifieth the toils and the victory
of the Church; but, as if the question were asked how she could have
overcome so great evils, he looketh back to the example, and declareth what
she had first suffered in her Head, by adding what followeth, "They kept me
in on every side:" and the words, "All nations," are with reason not
repeated here, because this was the act of the Jews alone. There that very
religious nation (which is the body of Christ, and in behalf of which was
done all that was done in mortal form with immortal power, by that inward
divinity, through the outward flesh), suffered from persecutors, of whose
race that flesh was assumed and hung upon the cross.

   6 "They came about me as bees do. a hive and burned up even as the fire
among the thorns: and in the Name of the Lord have I taken vengeance on
them" (ver. 12). Here then the order of the words corresponds with the
order of events. For we rightly understand that our Lord Himself, the Head
of the Church, was surrounded by persecutors, even as bees surround a hive.
For the Holy Spirit is speaking with mystic subtlety of what was done by
those who knew not what they did. For bees make honey in the hives: while
our Lord's persecutors, unconscious as they were, rendered Him sweeter unto
us even by His very Passion; so that we may taste and see how sweet is the
Lord,' "Who died for our sins, and arose for our justification."(2) But
what followeth, "and burned up even as the fire among the thorns," is
better understood of His Body, that is, of a people spread abroad, whom all
nations compassed about, since it was gathered together from all nations.
They consumed this sinful flesh, and the grievous piercings of this mortal
life, in the flame of persecution. "Taken vengeance on them:" either
because they themselves, that wickedness, which in them persecuted the
righteous, having been extinguished, were joined with the people of Christ;
or because the rest of them, who have at this time scorned the mercy of Him
who calleth them, will at the end feel the truth of Him who judgeth them.

   7. "I have been driven on like a heap of sand, so that I was falling,
but the Lord upheld me" (ver. 13). For though there were a great multitude
of believers, that might be compared to the countless sand, and brought
into one communion as into one heap; yet "what is man, save Thou be mindful
of Him?"(3) He said not, the multitude of the Gentiles could not surpass
the abundance of my host, but, "the Lord," he  saith, "hath upheld me." The
persecution of the Gentiles succeeded not in pushing forward,  to its
overthrow, the host of the faithful dwelling  together in the unity of the
faith.

   8. "The Lord is my strength and my praise, and is become my salvation"
(ver. 14). Who then fall, when they are pushed, save they who choose to be
their own strength and their own praise? For no man falleth in the contest,
except he whose strength and praise faileth. He therefore whose strength
and praise is the Lord, falleth no more than the Lord falleth. And for this
reason He hath become their salvation; not that He hath become anything
which He was not before, but because they, when they believed on Him,
became what they were not before, and then He began to be salvation unto
them when turned towards Him, which He was not to them when turned away
from Himself.

   9. "The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous"
(ver. 15); where they who raged against their bodies thought there was the
voice of sorrow and destruction. For they did not know the inward joy of
the saints in their future hope. Whence the Apostle also saith, "As
sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing;"(4) and again, "And not only so, but we
glory in tribulations also."(5)

   10. "The right hand of the Lord hath brought mighty things to pass"
(ver. 16). What mighty things? saith he. "The right hand of the Lord," he
saith, "hath exalted me." It is a mighty thing to exalt the humble, to
deify the mortal, to bring perfection out of infirmity, glory from
subjection, victory from suffering, to give help, to raise from trouble;
that the true salvation of God might be laid open to the afflicted, and the
salvation of men might remain of no avail to the persecutors. These are
great things: but what art thou surprised at? hear what he repeateth: "The
right hand of the Lord hath brought mighty things to pass."

   11. "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord"
(ver. 17). But they, while they were dealing havoc and death on every side,
thought that the Church of Christ was dying. Behold, he now declareth the
works of the Lord. EVerywhere Christ is the glory of the blessed Martyrs.
By being beaten He conquered those who struck Him; by being patient of
torments, the tormentors;(6) by loving, those who raged against Him.

   12. Nevertheless, let him point out to us, why the body of Christ, the
holy Church, the people of adoption, suffered such indignities. "The Lord,"
he saith," hast chastened and corrected me, but He hath not given me over
unto death" (ver. 18). Let not then the boastful wicked imagine that aught
hath been permitted to their power: they would not have that power, were it
not given them from above. Oft doth the father of a family command his sons
to be corrected by the most worthless slaves; though he designeth the
heritage for the former, fetters for the latter. What is that heritage? Is
it of gold, or silver, or jewels, or farms, or pleasant estates? Consider
how we enter into it: and learn what it is.

   13. "Open me," he saith, "the gates of righteousness (ver 19). Behold,
we have heard of the gates. What is within? "That I may," he saith, "go
into them, and give thanks unto the Lord." This is the confession of praise
full of wonder, "even unto the house of God, in the voice of joy and
confession of praise, among such as keep holiday:"(1) this is the
everlasting bliss of the righteous, whereby they are blessed who dwell in
the Lord's house, praising Him for evermore.(2)

   14. But consider how the gates of righteousness are entered into.
"These are the gates of the Lord" he saith, "the righteous shall enter into
them" (ver. 20). At least let no wicked man enter there, that Jerusalem
which receiveth not one uncircumcised, where it is said, "Without are
dogs."(3) Be it enough, that in my long pilgrimage "I have had my
habitation among the tents of Kedar:"(4) I endured even unto the end the
intercourse of the wicked, but "these are the gates of the Lord: the
righteous shall enter into them."

   15. "I will confess unto Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast heard me, and art
become my salvation" (ver. 21). How often is that confession proved to be
one of praise, that doth not point out wounds to the physician, but giveth
thanks for the health it hath received. But the Physician Himself is the
Salvation.

   16. But who is this whom we speak of? "The Stone which the builders
rejected" (ver. 22); for "It hath become the head Stone of the corner" to
"make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might
reconcile both unto God in one body;"(5) circumcision, to wit, and
uncircumcision.

   17. "By the Lord was it made unto it" (ver. 53): that is, it is made
into the head stone of the corner by the Lord. For although He would not
have become this, had He not suffered: yet He became not this through those
from whom He suffered. For they who were building, refused Him: but in the
edifice which the Lord was secretly raising, that was made the head stone
of the corner which they rejected. "And it is marvellous in our eyes :" in
the eyes of the inner man, in the eyes of those that believe, those that
hope, those that love; not in the carnal eyes of those who, through
scorning Him as if He were a man, rejected Him.

   18. "This is the day which the Lord hath made" (ver. 24). This man
remembereth that he had said in former Psalms," Since He hath inclined His
ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live;"(6) making
mention of his old days; whence he now saith, "This is the day which the
Lord hath made;" that is, wherein He hath given me Salvation. This is the
day whereof He said, "In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day
of Salvation have I helped thee;"(7) that is, a day wherein He, the
Mediator, hath become the head Stone of the corner. "Let us rejoice,"
therefore, "and be glad in Him."

   19. "Save me now, O Lord: prosper Thou well my way, O Lord" (ver. 25).
Because it is the day of Salvation, "save me:" because we, returning from a
long pilgrimage, are separated from those who hated peace, with whom we
were peaceful, and who, when we spoke to them, made war upon us without a
cause; "prosper well our way" as we return, since Thou hast become our Way.

   20. "Blessed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord" (ver. 26).
Cursed, therefore, is he that cometh in his own name; as He saith in the
Gospel: "if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."(8)
"We have blessed you out of the house of God." I believe that these are the
words of the great to the little, of those great ones, to wit, who in
spirit commune with God the Word, who is with God, as they may in this
life; and yet temper their discourse for the sake of the little ones, so
that they may sincerely say what the Apostle saith: "For whether we be
beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your
cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us."(9) They bless the little
children from the inner house of the Lord, where that praise faileth not
age after age: consider therefore what they proclaim from thence.(10)

   21. "God is the Lord, who hath showed us light" (ver. 27). That Lord,
who came in the Lord's Name, whom the builders refused, and who became the
head Stone of the corner,(11) that "Mediator between God and man, Jesus
Christ,"(12) is God, He is equal with the Father, He hath showed us light,
that we might understand what  we believed, and declare it to you who
understand it not as yet, but already believe it. But that ye also may
understand, "Declare a holy day in full assemblies, even unto the horns of
the altar;" that is, even unto the inner house of God, from which we have
blessed you, where are the high places of the altar. "Declare a holy day,"
not in a slothful manner, but "in full assemblies" (ver. 28). For this is
the voice of joyfulness among those that keep holy day, who walk "in the
place of the wonderful tabernacle, even unto the house of God."(1)  For if
there be there the spiritual sacrifice, the everlasting sacrifice of
praise, both the Priest is everlasting, and the peaceful mind of the
righteous an everlasting altar. ...

   22. And what shall we sing there, save His praises? What else shall we
say there, save, "Thou art my God, and I will confess unto Thee; Thou art
my God, and I will praise Thee I wilt confess unto Thee, for Thou hast
heard me, and art become my Salvation." We will not say these things in
loud words; but the love that abideth in Him of itself crieth out in these
words, and these words are love itself. Thus as he began with praise, so he
endeth: "Confess unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth
for ever" (ver. 29). With this the Psalm commenceth, with this it endeth;
since, as from the commencement which we have left behind, so in the end,
whither we are returning, there is not anything that can more profitably
please us, than the praise of God, and Allelujah evermore.


Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (LNPF I/VIII, Schaff). The digital version is by The Electronic Bible
Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.

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