(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 69-72: END OF THE 2ND BOOK OF THE PSALMS.
PSALMS 73-75: BEGINNING OF THE 3RD BOOK OF THE PSALMS.
PSALM LXIX.[24]
1. We have been born into this world, and added to the people of God,
at that period wherein already the herb from a grain of mustard seed hath
spread out its branches; wherein already the leaven, which at first was
contemptible, hath leavened three measures,[25] that is, the whole round
world repeopled by the three sons of Noe:[26] for from East and West and
North and South shall come they that shall sit down with the
Patriarchs,[27] while those shall have been driven without, that have been
born of their flesh and have not imitated their faith. Unto his glory then
of Christ's Church our eyes we have opened; and that barren one, for whom
joy was proclaimed and foretold, because she was to have more sons than she
that had the husband?[28] her we have found to be such an one as hath
forgotten the reproaches and infamy of her widowhood: and so we may perhaps
wonder when we chance to read in any prophecy the words of Christ's
humiliation, or our own. And it may be, that we are less affected by them;
because we have not come at that time when these things were read with
zest, in that tribulation abounded. But again if we think of the abundance
of tribulations, and observe the way wherein we are walking (if indeed we
do walk in it), how narrow it is, and how through straits and tribulations
it leadeth unto rest everlasting,[29] and how that very thing which in
human affairs is called felicity, is more to be feared than misery; since
indeed misery ofttimes doth bring out of tribulation a good fruit, but
felicity doth corrupt the soul with a perverse security, and giveth place
for the Devil the Tempter--when, I say, we shall have judged prudently and
rightly, as the salted victim[30] did, that "human life upon earth is
trial,"[31] and that no one is at all secure, nor ought to be secure, until
he be come to that country, whence no one that is a friend goeth forth,
into which no one that is an enemy is admitted, even now in the very glory
of the Church we acknowledge the voices of our tribulation: and being
members of Christ, subject to our Head in the bond of love, and mutually
supporting one another, we will say from the Psalms, that which here we
have found the Martyrs said, who were before us; that tribulation is common
to all men from the beginning even unto the end. ...
2. The Title of the Psalm is: "Unto the end, in behalf of those that
shall be changed, to David himself." Now of the change for the better hear
thou; for change either is for the worse or for the better. ... That we
have been changed then for the worse, to ourselves let us ascribe: that for
the better we are changed, let us praise God. "For those," then," that
shall be changed," this Psalm is. But whence hath this change been made but
by the Passion of Christ? The very word Pascha in Latin is interpreted
passage. For Pascha[1] is not a Greek word but a Hebrew. It soundeth indeed
in the Greek language like Passion, because pa'schein signifieth to suffer:
but if the Hebrew expression be examined, it pointeth to something else.
Pascha doth intimate passage. Of which even John the Evangelist hath
admonished us, who (just before the Passion when the Lord was coming to the
supper wherein He set forth the Sacrament of His Body and Blood) thus
speaketh: "But when there had come the hour, wherein Jesus was to pass from
this world to the Father."[2] He hath expressed then the "passage" of the
Pascha. But unless He passed Himself hence to the Father, who came for our
sake, how should we have been able to pass hence, who have not come down
for the sake of taking up anything, but have fallen? But He Himself fell
not; He but came down, in order that He might raise up him that had fallen.
The passage therefore both of Him and of us is hence to the Father, from
this world to the kingdom of Heaven, from life mortal to life everlasting,
froth life earthly to life heavenly, from life corruptible to life
incorruptible, from intimacy with tribulations to perpetual security.
Accordingly, "In behalf of them that shall be changed," the Psalm's title
is. The cause therefore of our change, that is, the very Passion of the
Lord and our own voice in tribulations in the text of the Psalm let us
observe, let us join in knowing, join in groaning, and in hearing, in
joint-knowing, joint-groaning, let us be changed, in order that there may
be fulfilled in us the Title of the Psalm, "In behalf of them that shall be
changed."
3. "Save me, O God, for the waters have entered in even unto my soul"
(ver. 1). That grain is despised now, that seemeth to give forth humble
words. In the garden it is buried, though the world will admire the
greatness of the herb, of which herb the seed was despised by the Jews. For
in very deed observe ye the seed of the mustard, minute, dull coloured,
altogether despicable, in order that therein may be fulfilled that which
hath been said, We have seen Him, and He had neither form nor
comeliness.[3] But He saith, that waters have come in even unto His soul;
because those multitudes, which under the name of waters He hath pointed
out, were able so far to prevail as to kill Christ. ... Whence then doth He
so cry out, as though He were suffering something against His will, except
because the Head doth prefigure the Members? For He suffered because He
willed: but the Martyrs even though they willed not; for to Peter thus He
foretold his passion: "When thou shalt be old," He saith, "another shall
gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wilt not."[4] For though we desire to
cleave to Christ, yet we are unwilling to die: and therefore willingly or
rather patiently we suffer, because no other passage is given us, through
which we may cleave to Christ. For if we could in any other way arrive at
Christ, that is, at life everlasting, who would be willing to die? For
while explaining our nature, that is, a sort of association of soul and
body, and in these two parts a kind of intimacy of gluing and fastening
together, the Apostle saith, that "we have a House not made with hands,
everlasting in the Heavens:"[5] that is, immortality prepared for us,
wherewith we are to be clothed at the end, when we shall have risen from
the dead; and he saith, "Wherein we are not willing to be stripped, but to
be clothed upon, that the mortal may be swallowed up of life."[6] If it
might so be, we should so will, he saith, to become immortal, as that now
that same immortality might come, and now as we are it should change us, in
order that this our mortal body by life should be swallowed up, and the
body should not be laid aside through death, so as at the end again to have
to be recovered. Although then from evil to good things we pass,
nevertheless the very passage is somewhat bitter, and hath the gall which
the Jews gave to the Lord in the Passion, hath something sharp to be
endured, whereby they are shown that gave Him vinegar to drink.[7] ... For
here both sweet are temporal pleasures, and bitter are temporal
tribulations: but who would not drink the cup of tribulation temporal,
fearing the fire of hell; and who would not contemn the sweetness of the
world, longing for the sweetness of life eternal? From hence that we may be
delivered let us cry: lest perchance amidst oppressions we consent to
iniquity, and truly irreparably we be swallowed up.
4. Fixed I am in the clay of the deep, and there is no substance" (ver.
2). What called the clay? Is it those very persons that have persecuted?
For out of clay man hath been made.[1] But these men by falling from
righteousness have become the clay of the deep, and whosoever shall not
have consented to them persecuting and desiring to draw him to iniquity,
out of his clay doth make gold. For the clay of the same shall merit to be
converted into a heavenly form,[2] and to be made associate of those of
whom saith the Title of the Psalm, "in behalf of them that shall be
changed." But at the time when these were the clay of the deep. I stuck in
them: that is, they held Me, prevailed against Me, killed Me. "Fixed" then
"I am in the clay of the deep, and there is no substance." What is this,
"there is no substance "? Can it be that clay itself is not a substance?
What is then, "fixed I am"? Can it be that Christ hath thus stuck? Or hath
He stuck, and was not, as hath been said in the book of Job, "the earth
delivered into the hands of the ungodly man"?[3] Was He fixed in body,
because it could be held, and suffered even crucifixion? For unless with
nails He had been fixed, crucified He had not been. Whence then "there is
no substance"? Is that clay not a substance? But we shall understand, if it
be possible, what is, "and there is no substance," if first we shall have
understood what is a substance. For there is substance spoken of even of
riches, as we say, he hath substance, and he hath lost substance. ...
5. God is a sort of substance: for that which is no substance, is
nothing at all. To be a substance then is to be something. Whence also in
the Catholic Faith against the poisons of certain heretics thus we are
builded up, so that we say, Father and Son and Holy Spirit are of one
substance. What is, of one substance? For example, if gold is the Father,
gold is also the Son, gold also the Holy Spirit. Whatever the Father is
because He is God, the same is the Son, the same the Holy Spirit. But when
He is the Father, this is not what He is. For Father He is called not in
reference to Himself, but in reference to the Son: but in reference to
Himself God He is called. Therefore in that He is God, by the same He is a
substance. And because of the same substance the Son is, without doubt the
Son also is God. But yet in that He is Father, because it is not the name
of the substance, but is referred to the Son; we do not say that the Son is
Father in the same manner as we say the Son is God. Thou askest what the
Father is; we answer, God. Thou askest what is the Father and the Son: we
answer, God. If questioned of the Father alone, answer thou God: if
questioned of both, not Gods, but God, answer thou. We do not reply as in
the case of men, when thou inquirest what is father Abraham, we answer a
man; the substance of him serveth for answer: thou inquirest what is his
son Isaac, we answer, a man; of the same substance are Abraham and Isaac:
thou inquirest what is Abraham and Isaac, we answer not man, but men. Not
so in things divine. For so great in this case is the fellowship of
substance, that of equality it alloweth, plurality alloweth not. If then it
shall have been said to thee, when thou tellest me that the Son is the same
as the Father, in fact the Son also is the Father; answer thou, according
to the substance I have told thee that the Son is the same as the Father,
not according to that term which is used in reference to something else.
For in reference to Himself He is called God, in reference to the Father is
called Son. And again, the Father in reference to Himself is called God, in
reference to the Son He is called Father. The Father as He is called in
reference to the Son, is not the Son: the Son as He is called in reference
to the Father, is not the Father: what the Father is called in reference to
Himself and the Son in reference to Himself, the same is Father and Son,
that is, God. What is then, "there is no substance"? After this
interpretation of substance, how shall we be able to understand this
passage of the Psalm, "Fixed I am in the clay of the deep, and there is no
substance"? God made man,[4] He made substance; and O that he had continued
in that which God made Him! If man had continued in that which God made
him, in him would not have been fixed He whom God begot. But moreover
because through iniquity man fell from the substance wherein he was made[5]
(for iniquity itself is no substance; for iniquity is not a nature which
God formed, but a perverseness which man made); the Son of God came to the
clay of the deep, and was fixed; and that was no substance wherein He was
fixed, because in the iniquity of them He was fixed. "All things by Him
were made, and without Him there was made nothing."[6] All natures by Him
were made, iniquity by Him was not made, because iniquity was not made.[7]
Those substances by Him were made, which praise Him. The whole creation
praising God is commemorated by the, three children in the furnace,[8] and
from things earthly to things heavenly, or from things heavenly to things
earthly reacheth the hymn of them praising God. Not that all these things
have sense to praise; but because all things being well meditated upon, do
beget praise, and the heart by considering creation is fulfilled to
overflowing with a hymn to the Creator. All things do praise God, but only
the things which God hath made. Do ye observe in that hymn that
covetousness praiseth God? There even the serpent praiseth God,
covetousness praiseth not. For all creeping things are there named in the
praise of God: there are named all creeping things; but there are not there
named any vices. For vices out of ourselves and out of our own will we
have: and vices are not a substance. In these was fixed the Lord, when He
suffered persecution: in the vice of the Jews, not in the substance of men
which by Him was made.
6. "I have come into the depth of the sea, and the tempest hath made Me
to sink down." Thanks to the mercy of Him who came into the depth of the
sea, and vouchsafed to be swallowed by the sea whale, but was vomited forth
the third day.[1] He came into the depth of the sea, in which depth we were
thrust down, in which depth we had suffered shipwreck: He came thither
Himself, and the tempest made Him to sink down: for there He suffered
waves, those very men; tempests, the voices of men saying, "Crucify,
Crucify."[2] Though Pilate said, I find not any cause in this Man why He
should be killed: there prevailed the voices of them, saying, "Crucify,
Crucify." The tempest increased, until He was made to sink down that had
come into the depth of the sea. And the Lord suffered in the hands of the
Jews that which He suffered not when upon the waters He was walking:[3] the
which not only He had riot suffered Himself, but had not allowed even Peter
to suffer it.
7. "I have laboured, crying, hoarse have become my jaws" (ver. 3).
Where was this? When was this? Let us question the Gospel. For the Passion
of our Lord in this Psalm we perceive. And, indeed, that He suffered we
know; that there came in waters even unto His Soul, because peoples
prevailed even unto His death, we read, we believe; in the tempest that He
was sunk down, because tumult prevailed to His killing, we acknowledge: but
that He laboured in crying, and that His jaws were made hoarse, not only we
read not, but even on the contrary we read, that He answered not to them a
word, in order that there might be fulfilled that which in another Psalm
hath been said, "I have become as it were a man not hearing, and having not
in his mouth reproofs."[4] And that which in Isaiah hath been prophesied,"
like a sheep to be sacrificed He was led, and like a lamb before one
shearing Him, so He opened not His mouth."[5] If He became like a man not
hearing, and having not in His mouth reproofs, how did He labour crying,
and how were His jaws made hoarse? Is it that He was even then silent,
because He was hoarse with having cried so much in vain? And this indeed we
know to have been His voice on the Cross out of a certain Psalm:' "0 God,
My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"[6] But how great was that voice, or of
how long duration, that in it His jaws should have become hoarse? Long
while He cried, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees:"[7] long while He
cried, "Woe unto the world because of offences."[8] And truly hoarse in a
manner He cried, and therefore was not understood, when the Jews said, What
is this that He saith? "Hard is this saying, who is able to hear it?"[9] We
know not what He saith. He said all these words: but hoarse were His jaws
to them that understood not His words. "Mine eyes have failed from hoping
in My God." Far be it that this should be taken of the person of the Head:
far be it that His eyes should have failed from[10] hoping in His God: in
whom rather there was God reconciling the world to Himself,[11] and Who was
the Word made flesh and dwelled in us, so that not only God was in Him, but
also He was Himself God. Not so then: the eyes of Himself, our Head, failed
not from hoping in His God: but the eyes of Him have failed in His Body,
that is, in His members. This voice is of the members, this voice is of the
Body, not of the Head. How then do we find it in His Body and members? ...
8. Thus "there have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they
that hate Me gratis" (ver. 4). How multiplied? So as that they might add to
themselves even one out of the twelve[12] "There have been multiplied above
the hairs of My head they that hate Me for nought." With the hairs of His
head He hath compared His enemies. With reason they were shorn when in the
place of Calvary He was crucified.[13] Let the members accept this voice,
let them learn to be hated gratis. For now, O Christian, if it must needs
be that the world hate thee, why dost thou not make it hate thee gratis, in
order that in the Body of thy Lord and in this Psalm sent before concerning
Him, thou mayest acknowledge thy own voice? How shall it come to pass that
the world hate thee gratis? If thou no wise huttest any one, and art still
hated: for this is gratis, without cause. ...
9. "O God, Thou hast known mine improvidence" (ver. 5). Again out of
the mouth of the Body. For what improvidence is there in Christ? Is He not
Himself the Virtue of God, and the Wisdom of God? Doth He call this His
improvidence, whereof the Apostle speaketh, "the foolishness of God is
wiser than men"?[1] Mine improvidence, that very thing which in Me they
derided that seem to themselves to be wise, Thou hast known why it was
done. For what was so much like improvidence, as, when He had it in His
power with one word to lay low the persecutors, to suffer Himself to be
held, scourged, spit upon, buffeted, with thorns to be crowned, to the tree
to be nailed? It is like improvidence, it seemeth a foolish thing; but this
foolish thing excelleth all wise men. Foolish indeed it is: but even when
grain falleth into the earth, if no one knoweth the custom of husbandmen,
it seemeth foolish. ... Improvidence it appeareth; but hope maketh it not
to be improvidence. He then spared not Himself: because even the Father
spared Him not, but delivered Him up for us all.[2] And of the Same, "Who
loved me," saith the Apostle, "and delivered up Himself for me:"[3] for
except a grain shall have fallen into the land so that it die, fruit, He
saith, it will not yield.[4] This is the improvidence. "And my
transgressions from Thee are not concealed." It is plain, clear, open, that
this must be perceived to be out of the mouth of the Body. Transgressions
none had Christ: He was the bearer of transgressions, but not the
committer. "Are not concealed:" that is, I have confessed to Thee, all my
transgressions, and before my mouth Thou hast seen them in my thought, hast
seen the wounds which Thou wast to heal. But where? Even in the Body, in
the members: in those believers out of whom there was now cleaving to Him
that member, who was confessing his sins.
10. "Let them not blush in[5] Me, that wait for Thee, O Lord, Lord of
virtues" (ver. 6). Again, the voice of the Head, "Let them not blush in
Me:" let it not be said to them, Where is He on whom ye were relying? Let
it not be said to them, Where is He that was saying to you, Believe yet[6]
God, and in Me believe?[7] "Let them not blush in Me, that wait for Thee,"
O Lord, Lord of virtues. Let them not be confounded concerning Me, that
seek Thee, O God of Israel." This also may be understood of the Body, but
only if thou consider the Body of Him not one man: for in truth one man is
not the Body of Him, but a small member, but the Body is made up of
members. Therefore the full Body of Him is the whole Church. With reason
then saith the Church, "Let them not blush in Me, that wait for Thee, O
Lord, Lord of virtues." ...
11. "For because of Thee I have sustained upbraiding, shamelessness
hath covered my face" (ver. 7). No great thing is that which is spoken of
in "I have sustained:" but that which is spoken of in "for Thy sake I have
sustained," is. For if thou sustainest because thou hast sinned; for thine
own sake thou sustainest, not for the sake of God. For to you what glory is
there, saith Peter, if sinning ye are punished, and ye bear it? But if thou
sustainest because thou hast kept the commandment of God, truly for the
sake of God thou sustainest; and thy reward remaineth for everlasting,
because for the sake of God thou hast sustained revilings.[8] For to this
end He first sustained in order that we might learn to sustain.
.."Shamelessness hath covered my face." Shamelessness is what? Not to be
confused. Lastly, it seemeth to be as it were a fault, when we say, the man
is shameless. Great is the shamelessness of the man, that he doth not
blush. Therefore shamelessness is a kind of folly. A Christian ought to
have this shamelessness, when he cometh among men to whom Christ is an
offence. If he shall have blushed because of Christ, he will be blotted out
from the book of the living. Thou must needs therefore have shamelessness
when Thou art reviled because of Christ; when they say, Worshipper of the
Crucified, adorer of Him that died ill, venerator of Him that was slain!
here if thou shalt blush thou art a dead man. For see the sentence of Him
that deceiveth no one. "He that shall have been ashamed of Me before men, I
will also be ashamed of him before the Angels of God."[9] Watch therefore
thyself whether there be in thee shamelessness; be thou boldfaced,[10] when
thou hearest a reproach concerning Christ; yea be boldfaced. Why fearest
thou for thy forehead which thou hast armed with the sign of the Cross? ...
12. "An alien I have become to My brethren, and a stranger to the sons
of My mother" (ver. 8). To the sons of the Synagogue He became a stranger.
.. Why so? Why did they not acknowledge? Why did they call Him an alien?
Why did they dare to say, we know not whence He is? "Because the zeal of
Thine House hath eaten Me up:" that is, because I have persecuted in them
their own iniquities, because I have not patiently borne those whom I have
rebuked, because I have sought Thy glory in Thy House, because I have
scourged them that in the Temple dealt unseemly:[11] in which place also
there is quoted, "the zeal of Thine House hath eaten Me up." Hence an
alien, hence a Stranger; hence, we know not whence He is. They would have
acknowledged whence I am, if they had acknowledged that which Thou hast
commanded. For if I had found them keeping Thy commandments, the zeal of
Thine House would not have eaten Me up. "And the reproaches of men
reproaching Thee haven fallen upon Me." Of this testimony Paul the Apostle
hath also made use (there hath been read but now the very lesson), and
saith, "Whatsoever things aforetime have been written, have been written
that we might be instructed."[1] ... Why "Thee"? Is the Father reproached,
and not Christ Himself? Why have "the reproaches of men reproaching Thee
fallen upon Me"? Because, "he that hath known Me, hath known the Father
also:"[2] because no one hath reviled Christ without reviling God: because
no one honoureth the Father, except he that honoureth the Son also.[3]
13. "And I have covered in fasting My Soul, and it became to Me for a
reviling" (ver. 10). His fasting was, when there fell away all they that
had believed in Him; because also it was His hunger, that men should
believe in Him: because also it was His thirst, when He said to the woman,
I thirst, "give Me to drink:"[4] yea for her faith He was thirsting. And
from the Cross when He was saying, "I thirst,"[5] He was seeking the faith
of them for whom He had said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do."[6] But what did those men give to drink to Him thirsty? Vinegar.
Vinegar is also called old.[7] With reason of the old man they gave to
drink, because they willed not to be new. Why willed they not to become
new? Because to the title of this Psalm whereon is written, "For them that
shall be changed," they belonged not. Therefore, "I have covered in fasting
My Soul." Lastly, He put from Him even the gall which they offered: He
chose rather to fast than to accept bitterness. For they enter not into His
Body that are embittered,[8] whereof in another place a Psalm saith, "They
that are embittered shall not be exalted in themselves."[9] Therefore, "I
have covered in fasting My Soul: and it became to Me for a reviling." This
very thing became to Me for a reviling, that I consented not to them, that
is, from them I fasted. For he that consenteth not to men seducing to evil,
fasteth from them; and through this fasting earneth reviling, so that he is
upbraided because he consenteth not to the evil thing.
14. "And I have set sackcloth my garment" (ver. 11). Already before[10]
we have said something of the sackcloth, from whence there is this, "But I,
when they were troubling Me, was covering myself with sackcloth, and was
humbling My Soul in fasting. I have set sackcloth for My garment:" that is,
have set against them My flesh, on which to spend their rage, I have
concealed My divinity. "Sackcloth," because mortal the flesh was: in order
that by sin He might condemn sin in the flesh.[11] "And I have set
sackcloth my garment: and I have been made to them for a parable," that is,
for a derision. It is called a parable, whenever a comparison is made
concerning some one, when he is evil spoken of. "So may this man perish,"
for example, "as that man did," is a parable: that is, a comparison and
likeness in cursing. "I have been made to them," then, "for a parable."
15. "Against Me were reviling they that were sitting in the gate" (ver.
12). "In the gate" is nothing else but in public. "And against Me they were
chanting,[12] they that were drinking wine." Do ye think, brethren, that
this hath befallen Christ alone? Daily to Him in His members it happeneth:
whenever perchance it is necessary for the servant of God to forbid excess
of wine and luxuries in any village or town, where there hath not been
heard the Word of God, it is not enough that they sing, nay more even
against him they begin to sing, by whom they are forbidden to sing. Compare
ye now His fasting and their wine.
16. "But I with My prayer with Thee,[13] O Lord" (ver. 13). But I was
with Thee. But how? With Thee by praying. For when thou art evil spoken of,
and knowest not what thou mayest do; when at thee are hurled reproaches,
and thou findest not any way of rebuking him by whom they are hurled;
nothing remaineth for thee but to pray. But remember even for that very man
to pray. "But I with my prayer with Thee, O Lord. It is the time of Thy
good pleasure, O God." For behold the grain is being buried, there shall
spring up fruit. "It is the time of Thy good pleasure, O God." Of this time
even the Prophets have spoken, whereof the Apostle maketh mention: "Behold
now the time acceptable, behold now the day of salvation."[14] "It is the
time of Thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of Thy mercy." This is
the time of good pleasure, "in the multitude of Thy mercy." For if there
were not a multitude of Thy mercy, what should we do for the multitude of
our iniquity? "In the multitude of Thy mercy; Hearken to me in the truth of
Thy Salvation." Because He hath said, "of Thy mercy," he hath added truth
also: for "mercy and truth" are all the ways of the Lord.[15] Why mercy? In
forgiving sins. Why truth? In fulfilling the promises.
17. "Save Thou Me from the mire, that I may not stick" (ver. 14). From
that whereof above he had spoken, "Fixed I am in the clay of the deep, and
there is no substance."[1] Furthermore, since ye have duly received the
exposition of that expression, in this place there is nothing further for
you to hear particularly. From hence he saith that he must be delivered,
wherein before he said that he was fixed: "Save Thou Me from the mire, that
I may not stick." And he explaineth this himself: "Let Me be rescued from
them that hate Me." They were themselves therefore the clay wherein he had
stuck. But the following perchance suggesteth itself. A little before he
had said, Fixed I am; now he saith, Save Thou Me from the mire, that I may
not stick:" whereas after the meaning of what was said before he ought to
have said, Save Thou Me from the mire where I had stuck, by rescuing Me,
not by causing that I stick not. Therefore He had stuck in flesh, but had
not stuck in spirit. He saith this, because of the infirmity of His
members. Whenever perchance thou art seized by one that urgeth thee to
iniquity, thy body indeed is taken, in regard to the body thou art fixed in
the clay of the deep: but so long as thou consentest not, thou hast not
stuck; but if thou consentest, thou hast stuck. Let then thy prayer be in
that place, in order that as thy body is now held, so thy soul may not be
held, so thou mayest be free in bonds.
18. "Let not the tempest of waters drown Me" (ver. 15). But already he
had been drowned. "I have come into the depth of the sea," thou hast said,
and "the tempest hath drowned Me," thou hast said. It hath drowned after
the flesh, let it not drown after the Spirit. They to whom was said, If
they shall have persecuted you in one city, flee ye into another;[2] had
this said to them, that neither in flesh they should stick, nor in spirit.
For we must not desire to stick even in flesh; but as far as we are able we
ought to avoid it. But if we shall have stuck, and shall have fallen into
the hands of sinners: then in body we have stuck, we are fixed in the clay
of the deep, it remaineth to entreat for the soul that we stick not, that
is, that we consent not, that the tempest of water drown us not, so that we
go into the deep of the clay. "Neither let the deep swallow Me, nor the pit
close her mouth upon Me." What is this, brethren? What hath he prayed
against? Great is the pit of the depth of human iniquity: every one, if he
shall have fallen into it, will fall into the deep. But yet if a man being
there placed confesseth his sins to his God, the pit will not shut her
mouth upon him: as is written in another Psalm, "From the depths I have
cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hearken unto my voice."[3] But if there is
done in him that which another passage of Scripture saith, "When a sinner
shall have come into the depth of evil things, he will despise,"[4] upon
him the pit hath shut her mouth. Why hath she shut her mouth? Because she
hath shut his mouth. He hath lost confession, really dead he is, and there
is fulfilled in him that which elsewhere is spoken of," From a dead man, as
from one that is not, there perisheth confession."[5]...
19. "Hearken unto me, O Lord, for sweet is Thy mercy" (ver. 16). He
hath given this as a reason why He ought to be hearkened unto, because
sweet is the mercy of God. ... To a man set in trouble the mercy of God
must needs be sweet. Concerning this sweetness of the mercy of God see ye
what in another place the Scripture saith: "Like rain in drought, so
beautiful is the mercy of God in trouble."[6] That which there he saith to
be "beautiful," the same he saith here to be "sweet." Not even bread would
be sweet, unless hunger had preceded. Therefore even when the Lord
permitteth or causeth us to be in any trouble, even then He is merciful:
for He doth not withdraw nourishment, but stirreth up longing. Accordingly
what saith he now, "Hearken to me, O Lord, for sweet is Thy mercy"? Now do
not Thou defer hearkening, in so great trouble I am, that sweet to me is
Thy mercy. For to this end Thou didst defer to succour, in order that to me
that wherewith Thou didst succour might be sweet: but now no longer is
there cause why Thou must defer; my trouble hath arrived at the appointed
measure of distress, let Thy mercy come to do the work of goodness. "After
the multitude of Thy pities have regard unto me:" not after the multitude
of my sins.
20. "Turn not away Thy face from Thy child"[7] (ver. 17). And this is a
commending of humility; "from Thy child," that is, "from Thy little one:"
because now I have been rid of pride through the discipline of tribulation,
"turn not away Thy face from Thy child." This is that beautiful mercy of
God, whereof he spake above. For in the following verse he explaineth that
whereof he spake: "For I am troubled, speedily hearken Thou unto me." What
is "speedily"? Now there is no cause why Thou must defer it: I am troubled,
my affliction hath gone before; let Thy mercy follow.
21. "Give heed to my soul, and redeem her," doth need no exposition:
let us see therefore what followeth. "Because of mine enemies deliver me"
(ver. 18). This petition is evidently wonderful, neither briefly to be
touched upon, nor hastily to be skipped over; truly wonderful: "Because of
mine enemies deliver me." What is, "Because of mine enemies deliver me"?
.. I see no reason for this petition, "Because of mine enemies deliver
me:" unless we understand it of something else, which when I shall have
spoken by the help of the Lord, He shall judge in you, that dwelleth in
you.[1] There is a kind of secret deliverance of holy men: this for their
own sakes is made. There is one public and evident: this is made because of
their enemies, either for their punishment, or for their deliverance. For
truly God delivered not the brothers in the book of Maccabees from the
fires of the persecutor.[2] ... But again the Three Children openly were
delivered from the furnace of fire;[3] because their body also was rescued,
their safety was public. The former were in secret crowned, the latter
openly delivered: all however saved. ... There is then a secret
deliverance, there is an open deliverance. Secret deliverance doth belong
to the soul, open deliverance to the body as well. For in secret the soul
is delivered, openly the body. Again, if so it be, in this Psalm the voice
of the Lord let us acknowledge: to the secret deliverance doth belong that
whereof he spake above," Give heed to my soul, and redeem her." There
remaineth the body's deliverance: for on His arising and ascending into the
Heavens, and sending the Holy Ghost from above, there were converted to His
faith they that at His death did rage, and out of enemies they were made
friends through His grace, not through their righteousness.[4] Therefore he
hath continued, "Because of mine enemies deliver me. Give heed to my soul,"
but this in secret: but "because of mine enemies deliver" even my body. For
mine enemies it will profit nothing if soul alone Thou shalt have
delivered; that they have done something, that they have accomplished
something, they will believe. "What profit is there in my blood, while I go
down into corruption?"[5] Therefore "give heed to my soul, and redeem her,"
which Thou alone knowest: secondly also, "because of mine enemies deliver
me," that my flesh may not see corruption.
22. "Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame" (yet.
19). What is reproach? What is confusion? What shame? Reproach is that
which the enemy casteth in the teeth. Confusion is that which gnaweth the
conscience. Shame is that which causeth even a noble brow to blush, because
of the upbraiding with a pretended crime. There is no crime; or even if
there is a crime, it doth not belong to him, against whom it is alleged:
but yet the infirmity of the human mind ofttimes is made ashamed even when
a pretended crime is alleged; not because it is alleged, but because it is
believed. All these things are in the Body of the Lord. For confusion in
Him could not be, in whom guilt was not found. There was alleged as a crime
against Christians, the very fact that they were Christians. That indeed
was glory: the brave gladly received it, and so received it as that they
blushed not at all for the Lord's name. For fearlessness had covered the
face of them, having the effrontery of Paul, saying, "for I blush not
because of the Gospel: for the virtue of God it is for salvation to every
one believing."[6] O Paul, art not thou a venerator of the Crucified?
Little it is, he saith, for me not to blush for it: nay, therein alone I
glory, wherefore the enemy thinketh me to blush. "But from me far be it to
glory, save in the Cross of Jesus Christ, through whom to me the world is
crucified, and I to the world."[7] At such a brow as this then reproach
alone could be hurled. For neither could there be confusion in a conscience
already made whole, nor shame in a brow so free. But when it was being
alleged against certain that they had slain Christ, deservedly they were
pricked through with evil conscience, and to their health confounded and
converted, so that they could say, "Thou hast known my confusion." Thou
therefore, O Lord, hast known not only my reproach but also my confusion,
in certain shame also: who, though in me they believe, publicly blush to
confess me before ungodly men, human tongue having more influence with them
than promise divine. Behold ye therefore them: even such are commended to
God, not that so He may leave them, but that by aiding them He may make
them perfect. For a certain man believing and wavering hath said, "I
believe, O Lord, help Thou mine unbelief."[8]
23. "In Thy sight are all they that trouble Me" (ver. 20). Why I have
reproach, Thou knowest; why confusion, "Thou knowest; why shame, Thou
knowest: therefore deliver Thou me because of mine enemies, because Thou
knowest these things of me, they know not; and thus, because they are
themselves in Thy sight, not knowing these things, they will not be able to
be either confounded or corrected, unless openly Thou shalt have delivered
me because of mine enemies. "Reproach my heart hath expected, and misery."
What is, "hath expected"? Hath foreseen these things as going to be, hath
foretold them as going to be. For He came not for any other purpose. If He
had been unwilling to die, neither would He have willed to be born: for the
sake of resurrection He did both. For there were two particular things
known to us among mankind, but one thing unknown. For we knew that men were
born and died: that they rose again and lived for everlasting we knew not.
That He might show to us that which we knew not, He took upon Him the two
things which we knew. To this end therefore He came. "Reproach my heart
hath expected and misery." But the misery of whom? For He expected misery,
but rather of the crucifiers, rather of the persecutors, that in them
should be misery, in Him mercy. For pitying the misery of them even while
hanging on the Cross, He saith, "Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do."[1] What then did it profit, that I expected? That is, what
did it profit that I foretold? What did it profit that I said to this end I
had come? I came to fulfil that which I said, "I waited for one that
together should be made sorrowful, and there was not; and men comforting,
and I found not:" that is, there was none. For that which in the former
verse He said, "I waited for one that together should be made sorrowful,"
the same is in the following verse, "and men comforting." But that which in
the former verse is, "and there was not;" the same in the following verse
is, "and I found not." Therefore another sentence is not added, but the
former is repeated. Which sentence if we reconsider, a question may arise.
For were His disciples nowise made sorrowful when He was led to the
Passion, when on the tree hanged, when dead? So much were they made
sorrowful, that Mary Magdalene, who first saw Him, rejoicing told them as
they were mourning what she had seen.[2] The Gospel speaketh of these
things: it is not our presumption, not our suspicion: it is evident that
the disciples grieved, it is evident that they mourned. Strange women were
weeping, when to the Passion He was being led, unto whom turning He saith,
"Weep ye, but for yourselves, do not for Me."[3] ... Peter certainly loved
very much, and without hesitation threw himself to walk on the waves,[4]
and at the voice of the Lord he was delivered: and though following Him
when led to the Passion, with the boldness of love, yet being troubled,
thrice he denied Him. Whence, except because an evil thing it seemed to him
to die? For he was shunning that which he thought an evil thing. This then
even in the Lord he was lamenting, which he was himself shunning. On this
account even before he had said, "Far be it from Thee, O Lord, merciful be
Thou to Thyself: there shall not come to pass this thing:"[5] at which time
he merited to hear, "Satan;" after that he had heard, "Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona." Therefore in that sorrowfulness which the Lord felt
because of those for whom He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do:"[1] no companion He found. "And I waited for one that
together should be made sorrowful, and there was not." There was not at
all. "And men comforting, and I found not." Who are men comforting? Men
profiting. For they comfort us, they are the comfort of all preachers of
the Truth.
24. "And they gave for My food gall, and in My thirst they gave Me
vinegar to drink" (ver. 22). This was done indeed to the letter. And the
Gospel declareth this to us. But we must understand, brethren, that the
very fact that I found not comforters, that the very fact that I found not
one that together should be made sorrowful, this was My gall, this to Me
was bitter, this was vinegar: bitter because of grief, vinegar because of
their old man. For we read, that to Him indeed gall was offered, as the
Gospel speaketh; but for drink, not for food.[6] Nevertheless, we must so
take and consider that when fulfilled, which here had been before
predicted, "They gave for My food gall:" and in that very action, not only
in this saying, we ought to seek for a mystery, at secret things to knock,
to enter the rent veil of the Temple, to see there a Sacrament, both in
what there hath been said and in what there hath been done. "They gave," He
saith, "for My food gall:" not the thing itself which they gave was food,
for it was drink: but "for food they gave it." Because already the Lord had
taken food, and into it there had been thrown gall. But He had taken
Himself pleasant food, when He ate the Passover with His disciples: therein
He showed the Sacrament of His Body.[7] Unto this food so pleasant, so
sweet, of the Unity of Christ, of which the Apostle maketh mention, saying,
"For one bread, One Body, being many we are;"[8] unto this pleasant food
who is there that addeth gall, except the gainsayers of the Gospel, like
those persecutors of Christ? For less the Jews sinned in crucifying Him
walking on earth, than they that despise Him sitting in Heaven. That which
then the Jews did, in giving above the food which He had already taken that
bitter draught to drink, the same they do that by evil living bring scandal
upon the Church: the same do embittered heretics, "But let them not be
exalted in their own selves."[9] They give gall after so delectable meat.
But what doth the Lord? He admitteth them not to His Body. In this mystery,
when they presented gall, the Lord Himself tasted, and would not drink.[6]
If we did not suffer them, neither at all should we taste: but because it
is necessary to suffer them, we must needs taste. But because in the
members of Christ such sort cannot be, they can be tasted, received into
the Body they cannot be. "And they gave for My food gall, and in My thirst
they gave Me vinegar to drink." I was thirsting, and vinegar I received:
that is, for the faith of them I longed, and I found oldness.
25. "Let the table of them be made in their own presence for a trap"
(ver. 23). Like the trap which for Me they set, in giving Me such a
draught, let such a trap be for them. Why then, "in their own presence"?
"Let the table of them be made for a trap," would have been sufficient.
They are such as know their iniquity, and in it most obstinately do
persevere: in their own presence there is made a trap for them. These are
they that, being too destructive, "go down into Hell alive."[1] Lastly, of
persecutors what hath been said? Except that the Lord were in us, perchance
alive they had swallowed us up.[2] What is alive? Consenting to them, and
knowing that we ought not to consent to them. Therefore in their own
presence there is made a trap, and they are not amended. Even though in
their own presence there is a trap, let them not fall into it. Behold they
know the trap, and thrust out foot, and bow their necks to be caught. How
much better were it to turn away from the trap, to acknowledge sin, to
condemn error, to be rid of bitterness, to pass over into the Body of
Christ, to seek the Lord's glory! But so much prevaileth presumption of
mind, that even in their own presence the trap is, and they fall into it.
"Let the eyes of them be darkened, that they see not,"[3] followeth here:
that whereas without benefit they have seen, it may chance to them even not
to see. "Let the table of them," therefore, "be made in their own presence
for a trap." It is not from one wishing, but from one prophesying: not in
order that it may come to pass, but because it will come to pass. This we
have often remarked, and ye ought to remember it: lest that which the
prescient mind saith in the Spirit of God, it should seem with ill will to
imprecate. ... Let it then be done to them, "both for a requital and for a
stumbling-block." And is this by any means unjust? It is just. Why? For it
is "for a requital." For not anything would happen to them, which was not
owed. "For a requital" it is done, "and for a stumbling-block:" for they
are themselves a stumbling-block to themselves. "Let the eyes of them be
darkened, that they see not, and the back of them alway bow Thou down"
(ver. 24). This is a consequence. For they, whose eyes have been darkened
that they see not, it followeth, must have their back bowed down. How so?
Because when they have ceased to take knowledge of things above, they must
needs think of things below. He that well heareth, "lift up the heart," a
bowed back hath not. For with stature erect he looketh for the hope laid up
for him in Heaven; most especially if he send before him his treasure,
whither his heart followeth.[4] But, on the other hand, they perceive not
the hope of future life; already being blinded, they think of things below:
and this is to have a bowed back: from which disorder the Lord delivered
that woman. For Satan hath bound her eighteen years, and her that was bowed
down[5] He raised up:[6] and because on the Sabbath He did it, the Jews
were scandalized; suitably were they scandalized at her being raised up,
themselves being bowed. "Pour forth upon them Thine anger, and let; the
indignation of Thine anger overtake them" (ver. 25), are plain words: but
nevertheless, in "overtake them" we perceive them as it were fleeing. But
whither are they to flee? Into Heaven? Thou art there. Into Hell? Thou art
present. Their wings they will not take to fly straight:[7] "Let the
indignation of Thine anger overtake them," let it not permit them to
escape.
26. "Let the habitation of them become forsaken"[8] (ver. 26). This is
now evident. For in the same manner as He hath mentioned not only a secret
deliverance of His, saying, "Give heed to My soul, and redeem her;"[9] but
also one open after the body, adding, "because of mine enemies deliver me:"
so also to these men He foretelleth how there are to be certain secret
misfortunes, whereof a little before He was speaking. ... For the blindness
of the Jews was secret vengeance: but the open was what? "Let their
habitation become forsaken, and in their tabernacles let there not be any
one to inhabit." There hath come to pass this thing in the very city
Jerusalem, wherein they thought themselves mighty in crying against the Son
of God, "Crucify, Crucify;"[10] and in prevailing because they were able to
kill Him that raised dead men. How mighty to themselves, how great, they
seemed! There followed afterwards the vengeance of the Lord, stormed was
the city, utterly conquered the Jews, slain were I know not how many
thousands of men. No one of the Jews is permitted to come thither now:
where they were able to cry against the Lord, there by the Lord they are
not permitted to dwell. They have lost the place of their fury: and O that
even now they would know the place of their rest! What profit to them was
Caiaphas in saying," "If we shall have let go this man thus, there will
come the Romans, and take away from us both place and kingdom"?[1] Behold,
both they did not let Him go alive, and He liveth: and there have come the
Romans, and have taken from them both place and kingdom. But now we heard,
when the Gospel was being read, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I
have gathered together thy sons, as a hen her chickens under her wings, and
thou wouldest not? Behold there is left to you your house forsaken."[2]
27. Why so? "For Him whom Thou hast smitten they have themselves
persecuted, and upon the pain of my wounds they have added" (ver. 27). How
then have they sinned if they have persecuted one by God smitten? What sin
is ascribed to their mind? Malice. For the thing was done in Christ which
was to be. To suffer indeed He had come, and He punished him through whom
He suffered. For Judas the traitor was punished, and Christ was crucified:
but us He redeemed by His blood, and He punished him in the matter of his
price. For he threw down the price of silver, for which by him the Lord had
been sold;[3] and he knew not the price wherewith he had himself by the
Lord been redeemed.[4] This thing was done in the case of Judas. But when
we see that there is a sort of measure of requital in all men, and that not
any one can be suffered to rage more than he hath received power to do: how
have they "added," or what is that smiting of the Lord? Without doubt He is
speaking in the person of him from whom He had received a body, from whom
He had taken unto Him flesh, that is in the person of mankind, of Adam
himself who was smitten with the first death because of his sin.[5] Mortal
therefore here are men born, as born with their punishment: to this
punishment they add, whosoever do persecute men. For now here man would not
have had to die, unless God had smitten him. Why then dost thou, O man,
rage more than this? Is it little for a man that some time he is to die?
Each one of us therefore beareth his punishment: to this punishment they
would add that persecute us. This punishment is the smiting of the Lord.
For the Lord smote man with the sentence: "What day ye shall have touched
it," He saith, "with death ye shall die."[6] Out of this death He had taken
upon Him flesh, and our old man hath been crucified together with Him.[7]
By the voice of that man He hath said these words, "Him whom Thou hast
smitten they have themselves persecuted, and upon the pain of My wounds
they have added." Upon what pain of wounds? Upon the pain of sins they have
themselves added. For sins He hath called His wounds. But do not look to
the Head, consider the Body; according to the voice whereof hath been said
by the Same in that Psalm, wherein He showed there was His voice, because
in the first verse thereof He cried from the Cross, "God, My God, look upon
Me, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"[8] There in continuation He saith, "Afar
from My safety are the words of Mine offences." ...
28. "Lay Thou iniquity upon their iniquity" (ver. 28). What is this?
Who would not be afraid? To God is said, "Lay Thou iniquity upon their
iniquity." Whence shall God lay iniquity? For hath He iniquity to lay? For
we know that to be true which hath been spoken through Paul the Apostle,
"What then shall we say? Is there anywise iniquity with God? Far be it."[9]
Whence then, "Lay Thou iniquity upon iniquity"? How must we understand
this? May the Lord be with us, that we may speak, and because of your
weariness may be able to speak briefly. Their iniquity was that they killed
a just Man: there was added another, that they crucified the Son of God.
Their raging was as though against a man: but "if they had known, the Lord
of Glory they had never crucified."[10] They with their own iniquity willed
to kill as it were a man: there was laid iniquity upon their own iniquity,
so that the Son of God they should crucify. Who laid this iniquity upon
them? He that said, "Perchance they will reverence My Son,"[11] Him I will
send. For they were wont to kill servants sent to them, to demand rent and
profit. He sent the Son Himself, in order that Him also they might kill. He
laid iniquity upon their own iniquity. And these things did God do in
wrath, or rather in just requital? For, "May it be done to them," He saith,
"for a requital and for a stumbling-block."[12] They had deserved to be so
blinded as not to know the Son of God. And this God did, laying iniquity
upon their iniquity; not in wounding, but in not making whole. For in like
manner as thou increasest a fever, increasest a disorder, not by adding
disorder, but by not relieving: so because they were of such sort as that
they merited not to be healed, in their very naughtiness in a manner they
advanced; as it is said, "But evil men and wicked doers advance for the
worse:"[13] and iniquity is laid upon their own iniquity. "And let them not
enter in[14] Thy righteousness." This is a plain thing.
29. "Let them be blotted out from the book of the living" (ver. 29).
For had they been some time written therein? Brethren, we must not so take
it, as that God writeth any one in the book of life, and blotteth him out.
If a man said, "What I have written I have written,"[1] concerning the
title where it had been written, "King of the Jews:" doth God write any
one, and blot him out? He foreknoweth, He hath predestined all before the
foundation of the world that are to reign with His Son in life
everlasting.[2] These He hath written down, these same the Book of Life
doth contain. Lastly, in the Apocalypse, what saith the Spirit of God, when
the same Scripture was speaking of the oppressions that should be from
Antichrist? "There shall give consent[3] to him all they that have not been
written in the book of life."[4] So then without doubt they will not
consent that have been written. How then are these men blotted out from
that book wherein they were never written? This hath been said according to
their own hope, because they thought of themselves that they were written.
What is, "let them be blotted out from the book of life"? Even to
themselves let it be evident, that they were not there. By this method of
speaking hath been said in another Psalm, "There shall fall from Thy side a
thousand, and tens of thousands from on Thy right hand:"[5] that is, many
men shall be offended, even out of that number who thought that they would
sit with Thee, even out of that number who thought that they would stand at
Thy right hand, being severed from the left-hand goats:[6] not that when
any one hath there stood, he shall afterwards fall, or when any one with
Him hath sat, he shall be cast away; but that many men were to fall into
scandal, who already thought themselves to be there, that is, many that
thought that they would sit with Thee, many that hoped that they would
stand at the right hand, will themselves fall. So then here also they that
hoped as though by the merit of their own righteousness themselves to have
been written in the book of God, they to whom is said, "Search the
Scriptures, wherein ye think yourselves to have life eternal:"[7] when
their condemnation shall have been brought even to their own knowledge,
shall be effaced from the book of the living, they shall know themselves
not to be there. For the verse which followeth explaineth what hath been
said: "And with just men let them not be written." I have said then "Let
them be effaced," according to their hope but according to Thy justice I
say what?
30. "Poor and sorrowful I am" (ver. 30). Why this? Is it that we may
acknowledge that through bitterness of soul this poor One doth speak evil?
For He hath spoken of many things to happen to them. And as if we were
saying to Him, "Why such things?"--"Nay, not so much!" He answereth, "poor
and sorrowful I am." They have brought Me to want, unto this sorrow they
have set Me down, therefore I say these words. It is not, however, the
indignation of one cursing, but the prediction of one prophesying. For He
was intending to recommend to us certain things which hereafter He saith of
His poverty and His sorrow, in order that we may learn to be poor and
sorrowful. For, "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven."[8] And," Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted." This therefore He doth Himself before now show to us: and so,
"poor and sorrowful I am." The whole Body of Him saith this. The Body of
Christ in this earth is poor and sorrowful. But let Christians be rich.
Truly if Christians they are, they are poor; in comparison with the riches
celestial for which they hope, all their gold they count for sand. "And the
health of Thy countenance, O God, hath taken Me up." Is this poor One
anywise forsaken? When dost thou deign to bring near to thy table a poor
man in rags? But again, this poor One the health of the countenance of God
hath taken up: in His countenance He hath hidden His need. For of Him hath
been said, "Thou shalt hide them in the hiding place of Thy
countenance."[9] But in that countenance what riches there are would ye
know? Riches here give thee this advantage, that thou mayest dine on what
thou wilt, whenever thou wilt: but those riches, that thou mayest never
hunger. "The health of Thy countenance, O God, hath taken Me up." For what
purpose? In order that no longer I may be poor, no longer sorrowful? "I
will praise the name of the Lord with a song, I will magnify Him in praise"
(ver. 31). Now it hath been said, this poor One praiseth the name of the
Lord with a song, he magnifieth Him in praise. When would He have ventured
to sing, unless He had been refreshed from hunger? "I will magnify Him with
praise." O vast riches! What jewels of God's praise hath he brought out of
his inward treasures! These are my riches! "The Lord hath given, the Lord
hath taken away."[10] Then miserable he hath remained? Far be it. See the
riches: "As it hath pleased the Lord, so hath been done, be the name of the
Lord blessed."
31. "And it shall please God:" that I shall praise Him, shall please:
"above a new calf, bearing horns and hoofs." More grateful to Him shall be
the sacrifice of praise than the sacrifice of a calf. "The sacrifice of
praise shall glorify me."[11] "Immolate to God the sacrifice of
praise."[12] So then His praise going forth from my mouth shall please God
more than a great victim led up to His altar. ... Therefore above this calf
my praising shall please Thee, such as hereafter will be, after poverty and
sorrow, in the eternal society of Angels, where neither adversary there
shall be in battle to be tossed, nor sluggard from earth to be stirred up.
"Let the needy see and rejoice" (ver. 32). Let them believe, and in hope be
glad. Let them be more needy, in order that they may deserve to be filled:
lest while they belch out pride's satiety, there be denied them the bread
whereon they may healthily live. "Seek the Lord," ye needy, hunger ye and
thirst;[1] for He is Himself the living bread that came down from
Heaven.[2] "Seek ye the Lord, and your soul shall live." Ye seek bread,
that your flesh may live: the Lord seek ye, that your soul may live.[3]
32. "For the Lord hath hearkened to the poor" (ver. 33). He hath
hearkened to the poor, and He would not have hearkened to the poor, unless
they were poor. Wilt thou be hearkened to? Poor be thou: let sorrow cry out
from thee, and not fastidiousness. "And His fettered ones He hath not
despised." Being offended at His servants, He hath put them in fetters: but
them crying from the fetters He hath not despised. What are these fetters?
Mortality, the corruptibleness of the flesh are the fetters wherewith we
have been bound. And would ye know the weight of these fetters? Of them is
said, "The body which is corrupted weigheth down the soul."[4] Whenever men
in the world will to be rich, for these fetters they are seeking rags. But
let the rags of the fetters suffice: seek so much as is necessary for
keeping off want, but when thou seekest superfluities, thou longest to load
thy fetters. In such a prison then let the fetters abide even alone.
"Sufficient for the day be the evil thereof."[5] "Let there praise Him
heavens and earth, sea and all things creeping in them" (ver. 34). The true
riches of this poor man are these, to consider the creation, and to praise
the Creator. "Let there praise Him heavens and earth, sea and all things
creeping therein." And doth this creation alone praise God, when by
considering of it God is praised?
33. Hear thou another thing also: "for God shall save Sion" (ver. 35).
He restoreth His Church, the faithful Gentiles He doth incorporate with His
Only-Begotten; He beguileth not them that believe in Him of the reward of
His promise. "For God shall save Sion; and there shall be builded the
cities of Juda." These same are the Churches. Let no one say, when shall it
come to pass that there be builded the cities of Juda? O that thou wouldest
acknowledge the Edifice, and be a living stone, that thou mightest enter
into Her. Even now the cities of Juda are being built. For Juda is
interpreted confession. By confession of humility there are being builded
the cities of Juda: in order that there may remain without the proud, who
blush to confess. "For God shall save Sion." What Sion? Hear in the
following words: "and the seed of His servants shall possess Her, and they
that love His name shall dwell therein" (ver. 36). ...
PSALM LXX.[6]
1. Thanks to the "Corn of wheat,"[7] because He willed to die and to be
multiplied: thanks to the only Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, who disdained not to undergo our death, in order that He might make
us worthy of His life. Behold Him that was single until He went hence; as
He said in another Psalm, "Single I am until I go hence;" [8] for He was a
single corn of wheat in such sort as that He had in Himself a great
fruitfulness of increase; in how many corns imitating the Passion of Him we
exult, when we celebrate the nativities of the Martyrs! Many therefore
members of Him, under one Head our Saviour Himself, being bound together in
the bond of love and peace (as ye judge it fit that ye know, for ye have
often heard), are one man: and of the same, as of one man, the voice is
ofttimes heard, in the Psalms, and thus one crieth as though it were all,
because all in one are one. ...
2. There is then in this Psalm the voice of men troubled, and so indeed
of Martyrs amid sufferings in peril, but relying on their own Head. Let us
hear them, and speak with them out of sympathy of heart, though it be not
with similarity of suffering. For they are already crowned, we are still in
peril: not that such sort of persecutions do vex us as have vexed them, but
worse perchance in the midsts of all kinds of so great scandals. For our
own times do more abound in that woe, which the Lord cried: "Woe to the
world because of scandals."[9] And," Because iniquity hath abounded, the
love of man shall wax cold."[10] For not even that holy Lot at Sodom
suffered corporal persecution from any one, or had it been told him that he
should not dwell there:[11] the persecution of him were the evil doings of
the Sodomites. Now then that Christ sitteth in Heaven, now that He is
glorified, now that necks of kings are made subject to His yoke, and their
brows placed beneath His sign, now that not any one remaineth to dare
openly to trample upon Christians, still, however, we groan amid
instruments and singers, still those enemies of the Martyrs, because with
words and steel they have no power, with their own wantonness do persecute
them. And O that we were sorrowing for Heathens alone: it would be some
sort of comfort, to wait for those that not yet have been signed with the
Cross of Christ; when they should be signed, and when, by His authority
attached, they should cease to be mad. We see besides men wearing or their
brow the sign of Him, at the same time on that same brow wearing the
shamelessness of wantonness, and on the days and celebrations of the
Martyrs not exulting but insulting. And amid these things we groan, and
this is our persecution, if there is in us the love which saith, "Who is
weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I burn not?"[1] Not any
servant of God, then, is without persecution: and that is a true saying
which the Apostle saith, "But even all men that will to live godly in
Christ, shall suffer persecution."[2].
3. "O God, to my aid make speed" (ver. 1). For need we have for an
everlasting aid in this world. But when have we not? Now however being in
tribulation, let us especially say, "O God, to my aid make speed." "Let
them be confounded and fear that seek my soul." Christ is speaking: whether
Head speak or whether Body speak; He is speaking that hath said, "Why
persecutest thou Me?"[3] He is speaking that hath said, "Inasmuch as ye
have done it to one of the least of Mine, to Me ye have done it."[4] The
voice then of this Man is known to be of the whole man, of Head and of
Body: that need not often be mentioned, because it is known. "Be they
confounded," he saith, "and fear that seek my soul." In another Psalm He
saith, "I was looking unto the right and saw, and there was not one that
would know Me flight hath perished from Me, and there is not one to seek
out My soul."[5] There of persecutors He saith, that there was not one to
seek out His soul: but here, "Let them be confounded and fear that seek My
soul." ... And where is that which thou hast heard from thy Lord, "Love ye
your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that
persecute you "?[6] Behold thou sufferest persecution, and cursest them
from whom thou sufferest: how dost thou imitate the Passions of thy Lord
that have gone before, hanging on the cross and saying, "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do."[7] To persons saying such things the
Martyr replieth and saith, thou hast set before me the Lord, saying,
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do:" understand thou my
voice also, in order that it may be thine too: for what have I said
concerning mine enemies? "Let them be confounded and fear." Already such
vengeance hath been taken on the enemies of the Martyrs. That Saul that
persecuted Stephen, he was confounded and feared. He was breathing out
slaughters,[8] he was seeking some to drag and slay: a voice having been
heard from above, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me,"[3] he was
confounded and laid low, and he was raised up to obedience, that had been
inflamed unto persecuting. This then the Martyrs desire for their enemies,
"Let them be confounded and fear." For so long as they are not confounded
and fear, they must needs defend their actions: glorious they think
themselves, because they hold, because they bind, because they scourge,
because they kill, because they dance, because they insult, and because of
all these doings they be some time confounded and fear.[9] For if they be
confounded, they will also be converted: because converted they cannot be,
unless they shall have been confounded and shall have feared. Let us then
wish these things to our enemies, let us wish them without fear. Behold I
have said, and let me have said it with you, may all that still dance and
sing and insult the Martyrs "be confounded and fear :" at last within these
walls confounded may they beat their breasts!
4. "Let them be turned away backward and blush that think evil things
to me" (ver. 2). At first there was the assault of them persecuting, now
there hath remained the malice of them thinking. In fact, there are in the
Church distinct seasons of persecutions following one another.[10] There
was made an assault on the Church when kings were persecuting: and because
kings had been foretold as to persecute and as to believe, when one had
been fulfilled the other was to follow. There came to pass also that which
was consequent; kings believed, peace was given to the Church, the Church
began to be set in the highest place of dignity, even on this earth, even
in this life: but there is not wanting the roar of persecutors, they have
turned their assaults into thoughts. In these thoughts, as in a bottomless
pit, the devil hath been bound," he roareth and breaketh not forth. For it
hath been said concerning these times of the Church, "The sinner shall see,
and shall be angry."[12] And shall do what? That which he did at first?
Drag, bind, smite? He doeth not this. What then? "With his teeth he shall
gnash, and shall pine away." And with these men the Martyr is, as it were,
angry, and yet for these men the Martyr prayeth. For in like manner as he
hath wished well to those men concerning whom he hath said, "Let them be
confounded and fear that seek nay soul:"[1] so also now, "Let them be
turned backward, and blush, that think evil things to me." Wherefore? In
order that they may not go before, but follow. For he that censureth the
Christian religion, and on his own system willeth to live, willeth as it
were to go before Christ, as though He indeed had erred and had been weak
and infirm, because He either willed to suffer or could suffer in the hands
of the Jews; but that he is a clever man for guarding against all these
things; in shunning death, even in basely lying to escape death, and
slaying his soul that he may live in body, he thinketh himself a man of
singular and prudent measures. He goeth before in censuring Christ, in a
manner he outstrippeth Christ: let him believe in Christ, and follow
Christ. For that which had been desired but now for persecutors thinking
evil things, the same the Lord Himself said to Peter. Now in a certain
place Peter willed to go before the Lord. ... A little before, "Blessed art
thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but
My Father which is in Heaven:" now in a moment, "Go back behind Me,
Satan."[2] What is, "Go back behind Me"? Follow Me. Thou wiliest to go
before Me, thou wiliest to give Me counsel, it is better that thou follow
My counsel: this is, "go back," go back behind Me. He is silencing one
outstripping, in order that he may go backward; and He is calling him
Satan, because he willeth to go before the Lord. A little before,
"blessed;" now, "Satan." Whence a little before, "blessed"? Because, "to
thee," He saith, "flesh and blood hath not revealed it, but My Father which
is in Heaven." Whence now, "Satan"? Because "thou savourest not," He saith,
"the things which are of God, but the things which are of men." Let us then
that would duly celebrate the nativities of the Martyrs, long for the
imitation of the Martyrs; let us not wish to go before the Martyrs, and
think ourselves to be of better understanding than they, because we shun
sufferings in behalf of righteousness and faith which they shunned not.
Therefore be they that think evil things, and in wantonness feed their
hearts, "turned backward and blush." Let them hear from the Apostle
afterwards saying, "But what fruit had ye some time in those things at
which ye now blush?"
5. What followeth? "Let them be turned away forthwith blushing, that
say to me, Well, well" (ver. 3). Two are the kinds of persecutors, revilers
and flatterers. The tongue of the flatterer doth more persecute than the
hand of the slayer: for this also the Scripture hath called a furnace.
Truly when the Scripture was speaking of persecution, it said, "Like gold
in a furnace it hath proved them" (speaking of Martyrs being slain), "and
as the holocaust's victim it hath received them."[3] Hear how even the
tongue of flatterers is of such sort: "The proving," he saith, "of silver
and of gold is fire; but a man is proved by the tongue of men praising
him."[4] That is fire, this also is fire: out of both thou oughtest to go
forth safe. The censurer hath broken thee, thou hast been broken in the
furnace like an earthen vessel. The Word hath moulded thee, and there hath
come the trial of tribulation: that which hath been formed, must needs be
seasoned; if it hath been well moulded, there hath come the fire to
strengthen. Whence He said in the Passion, "Dried up like a potsherd hath
been My virtue."[5] For Passion and the furnace of tribulation had made Him
stronger. ...
6. And what cometh to pass when they are all turned back and blush,
whether it be they that seek my soul, or they that think evil things to me,
or they that with perverse and feigned benevolence with tongue would soften
the stroke which they inflict, when they shall have been themselves turned
away and confounded; there shall come to pass what? "Let them exult and be
joyous in Thee:" not in me, not in this man or in that man; but in whom
they have been made light that were darkness. "Let them exult and be joyous
in Thee, all that seek Thee" (ver. 4). One thing it is to seek God, another
thing to seek man. "Let them be joyous that seek Thee." They shall not be
joyous then that seek themselves,[6] whom Thou hast first sought before
they sought Thee. Not yet did that sheep seek the Shepherd, it had strayed
from the flock, and He went down to it;[7] He sought it, and carried it
back upon His shoulders. Will He despise thee, O sheep, seeking Him, who
hath first sought thee despising Him and not seeking Him? Now then begin
thou to seek Him that first hath sought thee, and hath carried thee back on
His shoulders. Do thou that which He speaketh of, "They that are My sheep
hear My voice, and follow Me."[8] If then thou seekest Him that first hath
sought thee, and hast become a sheep of His, and thou hearest the voice of
thy Shepherd, and followest Him; see what He showeth to thee of Himself,
what of His Body, in order that as to Himself thou mayest not err, as to
the Church thou mayest not err, that no one may say to thee, that is Christ
which is not Christ, or that is the Church which is not the Church. For
many men have said that Christ had no flesh, and that Christ hath not risen
in His Body: do not thou follow the voices of them. Hear thou the voice of
Himself the Shepherd, that was clothed with flesh, in order that He might
seek lost flesh. He hath risen again, and He saith, "Handle ye and see; for
a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have."[1] He showeth Himself
to thee, the voice of Him follow thou. He showeth also the Church, that no
one may deceive thee by the name of Church. "It behoved," He saith, "Christ
to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and that there
should be preached repentance and remission of sins through all nations,
beginning with Jerusalem."[2] Thou hast the voice of Thy Shepherd, do not
thou follow the voice of strangers:[3] and a thief thou shalt not fear, if
thou shalt have followed the voice of the Shepherd. But how shalt thou
follow? If thou shalt neither have said to any man, as if it were by his
own merit, Well, well: nor shalt have heard the same with joy, so that thy
head be not made fat with the oil of a sinner.[4] "Let all them exult and
be joyous in Thee, that seek Thee; and let them say"--let them say what,
that exult? "Be the Lord alway magnified!" Let all them say this, that
exult and seek Thee. What? "Be the Lord alway magnified; yea, they that
love Thy salvation." Not only, "Be the Lord magnified;" but also, "alway."
.. A sinner thou art, be He magnified in order that He may call; thou
confessest, be He magnified in order that He may forgive: now thou livest
justly, be He magnified in order that He may direct: thou perseverest even
unto the end, be He magnified in order that He may glorify. "Be the Lord,"
then, "alway magnified; yea, they love His saving health." For from Him
they have salvation, not from themselves. The saving health of the Lord our
God, is the Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ: whosoever loveth the Saviour,
confesseth himself to have been made whole; whosoever confesseth himself to
have been made whole, confesseth himself to have been sick.[5] Not their
own saving health, as if they could save themselves of themselves: not as
it were the saving health of a man, as though by him they could be saved.
"Do not," he saith, "confide in princes, and in the sons of men, in whom
there is no safety."[6] Why so? "Of the Lord is safety, and upon Thy people
is Thy blessing."[7]
7. Behold, "Be the Lord magnified:" wilt thou never, wilt thou nowhere?
In Him was something, in me nothing: but if in Him is whatsoever I am, be
He, not I. But thou then what? "But I am needy and poor" (ver. 5). He is
rich, He abounding, He needing nothing. Behold my light, behold whence I am
illumined; for I cry, "Thou shalt illumine my candle, O Lord."[8] What then
of thee? "But I am needy and poor." I am like an orphan, my soul is like a
widow destitute and desolate: help I seek, alway mine infirmity I confess.
There have been forgiven me my sins, now I have begun to follow the
commandments of God: still, however, I am needy and poor. Why still needy
and poor? Because "I see another law in my members fighting against the law
of my mind."[9] Why needy and poor? Because, "blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness."[10] Still I hunger, still I thirst: my
fulness hath been put off, not taken away. "O God, aid Thou me." Most
suitably also Lazarus is said to be interpreted, "one aided:" that needy
and poor man, that was transported into the bosom of Abraham;[11] and
beareth the type of the Church, which ought alway to confess that she hath
need of aid. This is true, this is godly. "I have said to the Lord, My God
Thou art." Why? "For my goods Thou needest not."[12] He needeth not us, we
need Him: therefore He is truly Lord. For thou art not the very true Lord
of thy servant: both are men, both needing God. But if thou supposest thy
servant to need thee, in order that thou mayest give him bread; thou also
needest thy servant, in order that he may aid thy labours. Each one of you
doth need the other. Therefore neither of you is truly lord, and neither of
you truly servant. Hear thou the true Lord, of whom thou art the true
servant: "I have said to the Lord, My God Thou art." Why art Thou Lord?
"Because my goods Thou needest not"? But what of thee? "But I am needy and
poor." Behold the needy and poor: may God feed, may God alleviate, may God
aid: "O God," he saith, "aid Thou me."
8. "My helper and deliverer art Thou; O Lord, delay not." Thou art the
helper and deliverer: I need succour, help Thou; entangled I am, deliver
Thou. For no one will deliver from entanglings except Thee. There stand
round about us the nooses of divers cares, on this side and on that we are
torn as it were with thorns and brambles, we walk a narrow way, perchance
we have stuck fast in the brambles: let us say to God, "Thou art my
deliverer." He that showed us the narrow way? hath taught us to follow it.
..
9. What is, "delay not"? Because many men say, it is a long time till
Christ comes. What then: because we say, "delay not," will He come before
He hath determined to come? What meaneth this prayer, "delay not"? May not
Thy coming seem to me to be too long delayed. For to thee it seemeth a long
time, to God it seemeth not long, to whom a thousand years are one day, or
the three hours of a watch.[1] But if thou shalt not have had endurance,
late for thee it will be: and when to thee it shall be late, thou wilt be
diverted from Him, and wilt be like unto those that were wearied in the
desert, and hastened to ask of God the pleasant things which He was
reserving for them in the Land; and when there were not given on their
journey the pleasant things, whereby perchance they would have been
corrupted, they murmured against God, and went back in heart unto Egypt:[2]
to that place whence in body they had been severed, in heart they went
back. Do not thou, then, so, do not so: fear the word of the Lord, saying,
"Remember Lot's wife."[3] She too being on the way, but now delivered from
the Sodomites, looked back; in the place where she looked back, there she
remained: she became a statue of salt, in order to season thee. For to thee
she hath been given for an example, in order that thou mayest have sense,
mayest not stop infatuated on the way. Observe her stopping and pass on:
observe her looking back, and do thou be reaching forth unto the things
before, as Paul was.[4] What is it, not to look back. "Of the things behind
forgetful," he saith. Therefore thou followest, being called to the
heavenly reward, whereof hereafter thou wilt glory. For the same Apostle
saith, "There remaineth for me a crown of righteousness, which in that day
the Lord, the just Judge, shall render to me."[5]
PSALM LXXI.[6]
1. In all the holy Scriptures the grace of God that delivereth us
commendeth itself to us, in order that it may have us commended. This is
sung of in this Psalm, whereof we have undertaken to speak. ... This grace
the Apostle commendeth: by this he got to have the Jews for enemies,
boasting of the letter of the law and of their own justice. This then
commending in the lesson which hath been read, he saith thus: "For I am the
least of the Apostles, that am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because
I persecuted the Church of God."[7] "But therefore mercy," he saith, "I
obtained, because ignorant I did it in unbelief."[8] Then a little
afterwards, "Faithful the saying is, and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first."[9]
Were there before him not any sinners? What then, was he the first then?
Yea, going before all men not in time, but in evil disposition. "But
therefore," he saith, "mercy I obtained," in order that in me Christ Jesus
might show all long-suffering, for the imitation of those that shall
believe in Him unto life eternal: that is, every sinner and unjust man,
already despairing of himself, already having the mind of a gladiator,[10]
so as to do whatsoever he willeth, because he must needs be condemned, may
yet observe the Apostle Paul, to whom so great cruelty and so very evil a
disposition was forgiven by God; and by not despairing of himself may he be
turned unto God. This grace God doth commend to us in this Psalm also. ...
2. The title then of this Psalm is, as usual, a title intimating on the
threshold what is being done in the house: "To David himself for the sons
of Jonadab, and for those that were first led captive." Jonadab (he is
commended to us in the prophecy of Jeremiah) was a certain man, who had
enjoined his sons not to drink wine, and not to dwell in houses, but in
tents. But the commandment of the father the sons kept and observed, and by
this earned a blessing from the Lord.[11] Now the Lord had not commanded
this, but their own father. But they so received it as though it were a
commandment from the Lord their God; for even though the Lord bad not
commanded that they should drink no wine and should dwell in tents; yet the
Lord had commanded that sons should obey their father. In this case alone a
son ought not to obey his father, if his father should have commanded
anything contrary to the Lord his God. For indeed the father ought not to
be angry, when God is preferred before him. But when a father doth command
that which is not contrary to God; he must be heard as God is: because to
obey one's father God hath enjoined. God then blessed the sons of Jonadab
because of their obedience, and thrust them in the teeth of His disobedient
people, reproaching them, because while the sons of Jonadab were obedient
to their father, they obeyed not their God. But while Jeremiah was treating
of these topics, he had this object in regard to the people of Israel, that
they should prepare themselves to be led for captivity into Babylon, and
should not hope for any other thing, but that they were to be captives. The
title then of this Psalm seemeth from thence to have taken its hue, so that
when he had said, "Of the sons of Jonadab;" he added, "and of them that
were first led captive:" not that the sons of Jonadab were led captive, but
because to them that were to be led captive there were opposed the sons of
Jonadab, because they were obedient to their father: in order that they
might understand that they had been made captive, because they were not
obedient to God. It is added also that Jonadab is interpreted, "the Lord's
spontaneous one." What is this, the Lord's spontaneous one? Serving God
freely with the will. What is, the Lord's spontaneous one? "In me are, O
God, Thy vows, which I will render of praise to Thee." What is, the Lord's
spontaneous one? "Voluntarily I will sacrifice to Thee."[2] For if the
Apostolic teaching admonisheth a slave to serve a human master, not as
though of necessity, but of good will, and by freely serving make himself
in heart free; how much more must God be served with whole and full and
free will, who seeth thy very will? ... The first man made us captive, the
second man hath delivered us from captivity. "For as in Adam all die, so
also in Christ all shall be made alive." But in Adam they die through the
flesh's nativity, in Christ they are delivered through the heart's faith.
It was not in thy power not to be born of Adam: it is in thy power to
believe in Christ. Howsoever much then thou shall have willed to belong to
the first man, unto captivity thou wilt belong. And what is, shall have
willed to belong? or what is, shalt belong? Already thou belongest: cry
out, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"[3] Let us hear
then this man crying out this.
3. "O God, in Thee I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for
everlasting" (ver. 1). Already I have been confounded, but not for
everlasting. For how is he not confounded, to whom is said, "What fruit had
ye in these things wherein ye now blush?"[4] What then shall be done, that
we may not be confounded for everlasting? "Draw near unto Him, and be ye
enlightened, and your faces shall not blush."[5] Confounded ye are in Adam,
withdraw from Adam, draw near unto Christ, and then ye shall not be
confounded. "In Thee I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for
everlasting." If in myself I am now[6] confounded, in Thee I shall not be
confounded for everlasting.
4. "In Thine own righteousness deliver me, and save me" (ver. 2). Not
in mine own, but in Thine own: for if in mine own, I shall be one of those
whereof he saith, "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and their own
righteousness willing to establish, to the righteousness of God they were
not made subject."[7] Therefore, "in Thine own righteousness," not in mine.
For mine is what? Iniquity hath gone before. And when I shall be righteous,
Thine own righteousness it will be: for by righteousness given to me by
Thee I shall be righteous; and it shall be so mine, as that it be Thine,
that is, given to me by Thee. For I believe on Him that justifieth an
ungodly man, so that my faith is counted for righteousness.[8]Even so then
the righteousness shall be mine, not however as though mine own, not as
though by mine own self given to myself: as they thought who through the
letter made their boast, and rejected grace. ... It is a small thing then
that thou acknowledge the good thing which is in thee to be from God,
unless also on that account thou exalt not thyself above him that hath not
yet, who perchance when he shall have received, will outstrip thee. For
when Saul was a stoner of Stephen,[9] how many were the Christians of whom
he was persecutor! Nevertheless, when he was converted, all that had gone
before he surpassed. Therefore say thou to God that which thou hearest in
the Psalm, "In Thee I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for
everlasting: in Thine own righteousness," not in mine, "deliver me, and
save me." "Incline unto me Thine ear." This also is a confession of
humility. He that saith, "Incline unto me," is confessing that he is lying
like a sick man laid at the feet of the Physician standing. Lastly, observe
that it is a sick man that is speaking: "Incline unto me Thine ear, and
save me."
5. "Be Thou unto me for a protecting God" (ver. 3). Let not the darts
of the enemy reach unto me: for I am not able to protect myself. And a
small thing is "protecting:" he hath added, "and for a walled place, that
Thou mayest save me." "For a walled place" be Thou to me, be Thou my walled
place. ... Behold, God Himself hath become the place of thy fleeing unto,
who at first was the fearful object of thy fleeing from. "For a walled
place," he saith, be Thou to me, "that Thou mayest save me." I shall not be
safe except in Thee: except Thou shalt have been my rest, my sickness shall
not be able to be made whole. Lift me from the earth; upon Thee I will lie,
in order that I may rise unto a walled place. What can be better walled?
When unto that place thou shalt have fled for refuge, tell me what
adversaries thou wilt dread? Who will lie in wait, and come at thee? A
certain man is Said from the summit of a mountain to have cried out, when
an Emperor was passing by, "I speak not[10] of thee:" the other is said to
have looked back and to have said, "Nor I of thee." He had despised an
Emperor with glittering arms, with mighty army. From whence? From a strong
place. If he was secure on a high spot of earth, how secure art thou on Him
by whom heaven and earth were made? I, if for myself I shall have chosen
another place, shall not be able to be safe. Choose thou indeed, O man, if
thou shalt have found one, a place better walled. There is not then a place
whither to flee from Him, except we flee to Him. If thou wilt escape Him
angry, flee to Him appeased. "For my firmament and my refuge Thou art." "My
firmament" is what? Through Thee I am firm, and by Thee I am firm. "For my
firmament and my refuge Thou art:" in order that I may be made firm by
Thee, in whatever respects I shall have been made infirm in myself, I will
flee for refuge unto Thee. For firm the grace of Christ maketh thee, and
immovable against all temptations of the enemy. But there is there too
human frailness, there is there still the first captivity, there is there
too the law in the members fighting against the law of the mind, and
willing to lead captive in the law of sin:[1] still the body which is
corrupt presseth down the soul.[2] Howsoever firm thou be by the grace of
God, so long as thou still bearest an earthly vessel, wherein the treasure
of God is, something must be dreaded even from that same vessel of clay.[3]
Therefore" my firmament Thou art," in order that I may be firm in this
world against all temptations. But if many they are, and they trouble me:
"my refuge Thou art." For I will confess mine infirmity, to the end that I
may be timid like a "hare," because I am full of thorns like a "hedgehog."
And as in another Psalm is said, "The rock is a refuge for the hedgehogs
and the hares:"[4] but the Rock was Christ.[5]
6. "O God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner" (ver. 4). Generally,
sinners, among whom is toiling he that is now to be delivered from
captivity: he that now crieth, "Unhappy man I, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."[6]
Within is a foe, that law in the members; there are without also enemies:
unto what cryest thou? Unto Him, to whom hath been cried, "From my secret
sins cleanse me, O Lord, anti from strange sins spare Thy servant."[7] ...
But these sinners are of two kinds: there are some that have received Law,
there are others that have not received: all the heathen have not received
Law, all Jews and Christians have received Law. Therefore the general term
is sinner; either a transgressor of the Law, if he hath received Law; or
only unjust without Law, if he hath not received the Law. Of both kinds
speaketh the Apostle, and saith, "They that without Law have sinned,
without Law shall perish, and they that in the Law have sinned, by the Law
shall be judged."[8] But thou that amid both kinds dost groan, say to God
that which thou hearest in the Psalm, "My God, deliver me from the hand of
the sinner." Of what sinner? "From the hand of him that transgresseth the
Law, and of the unjust man." He that transgresseth the Law is indeed also
unjust; for not unjust he is not, that transgresseth the Law: but every one
that transgresseth the Law is unjust, not every unjust man doth transgress
the Law. For, "Where there is not a Law," saith the Apostle, "neither is
there transgression."[9] They then that have not received Law, may be
called unjust, transgressors they cannot be called. Both are judged after
their deservings. But I that from captivity will to be delivered through
Thy grace, cry to Thee, "Deliver me from the hand of the sinner." What is,
from the hand of him? From the power of him, that while he is raging, he
lead me not unto consenting with him; that while he lieth in wait, he
persuade not to iniquity. "From the hand of the sinner and of the unjust
man." ...
7. Lastly, there followeth the reason why I say this: "for Thou art my
patience" (ver. 5). Now if He is patience rightly, He is that also which
followeth, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." My patience, because my hope:
or rather my hope, because my patience. "Tribulation," saith the Apostle,
"worketh patience, patience probation, but probation hope, but hope
confoundeth not."[10] With reason in Thee I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not
be confounded for everlasting. "O Lord, my hope from my youth." From thy
youth is God thy hope? Is He not also from thy boyhood, and from thine
infancy? Certainly, saith he. For see what followeth, that thou mayest not
think that I have said this, "my hope from my youth," as if God noways
profiled mine infancy or my boyhood; hear what followeth: "In Thee I have
been strengthened from the womb." Hear yet: "From the belly of my mother
Thou art my Protector" (ver. 6). Why then, "from my youth," except it was
the period from which I began to hope in Thee? For before in Thee I was not
hoping, though Thou wast my Protector, that didst lead me safe unto the
time, when I learned to hope in Thee. But from my youth I began in Thee to
hope, from the time when Thou didst arm me against the Devil, so that in
the girding of Thy host being armed with Thy faith, love, hope, and the
rest of Thy gifts, I waged conflict against Thine invisible enemies, and
heard from the Apostle, "There is not for us a wrestling against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, and powers," etc.[11] There a young man
it is that doth fight against these things: but though he be a young man,
he falleth, unless He be the hope of Him to whom he crieth, "O Lord, my
hope from my youth." "In Thee is my singing alway." Is it only from the
time when I began to hope in Thee until now? Nay, but "alway." What is,
"alway"? Not only in the time of faith, but also in the time of sight. For
now, "So long as we are in the body we are absent from the Lord: for by
faith we walk, not by sight: "[1] there will be a time when we shall see
that which being not seen we believe: but when that hath been seen which we
believe, we shall rejoice: but when that hath been seen which they believed
not, ungodly men shall be confounded. Then will come the substance whereof
there is now the hope. But, "Hope which is seen is not hope. But if that
which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it."[2] Now then
thou groanest, now unto a place of refuge thou runnest, in order that thou
mayest be saved; now being in infirmity thou entreatest the Physician:
what, when thou shall have received perfect soundness also, what when thou
shall have been made "equal to the Angels of God,"[3] wilt thou then
perchance forget that grace, whereby thou hast been delivered? Far be it.
8. "As it were a monster I have become unto many" (ver. 7). Here in
time of hope, in time of groaning, in time of humiliation, in time of
sorrow, in time of infirmity, in time of the voice from the fetters--here
then what? "As it were a monster I have become unto many." Why, "As it were
a monster"? Why do they insult me that think me a monster? Because I
believe that which I see not. For they being happy in those things which
they see, exult in drink, in wantonness, in chamberings, in covetousness,
in riches, in robberies, in secular dignities, in the whitening of a mud
wall, in these things they exult: but I walk in a different way, contemning
those things which are present, and fearing even the prosperous things of
the world, and secure in no other thing but the promises of God. And they,
"Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."[4] What sayest thou? Repeat
it: "let us eat," he saith, "and drink." Come now, what hast thou said
afterwards? "for to-morrow we die." Thou hast terrified, not led me astray.
Certainly by the very thing which thou hast said afterwards, thou hast
stricken me with fear to consent with thee. "For to-morrow we die," thou
hast said: and there hath preceded, "Let us eat and drink." For when thou
hadst said, "Let us eat and drink;" thou didst add, "for to-morrow we die."
Hear the other side from me, "Yea let us fast and pray, 'for to-morrow we
die.' " I keeping this way, strait and narrow, "as it were a monster have
become unto many: but Thou art a strong helper." Be Thou with me, O Lord
Jesus, to say to me, faint not in the narrow way, I first have gone along
it, I am the way itself,[5] I lead, in Myself I lead, unto Myself I lead
home. Therefore though "a monster I have become unto many;" nevertheless I
will not fear, for "Thou art a strong Helper."
9. "Let my mouth be fulfilled with praise, that with hymn I may tell of
Thy glory, all the day long Thy magnificence" (ver. 8). What is "all the
day long"? Without intermission. In prosperity, because Thou dost comfort:
in adversity, because Thou dost correct: before I was in being, because
Thou didst make; when I was in being, because Thou didst give health: when
I had sinned, because Thou didst forgive; when I was converted, because
Thou didst help; when I had persevered, because Thou didst crown.
10. My hope from my youth, "cast me not away in time of old age" (ver.
9). What is this time of old age? "When my strength shall fail, forsake
Thou not me." Here God maketh this answer to thee, yea indeed let thy
strength fail, in order that in thee mine may abide: in order that thou
mayest say with the Apostle, "When I am made weak, then I am mighty."[6]
Fear not, that thou be cast away in that weakness, in that old age. But
why? Was not thy Lord made weak on the Cross? Did not most mighty men and
fat bulls before Him, as though a man of no strength, made captive and
oppressed, shake the head and say, "If Son of God He is, let Him come down
from the Cross"?[7] Has he deserted because He was made weak, who preferred
not to come down from the Cross, lest He should seem not to have displayed
power, but to have yielded to them reviling? What did He hanging teach
thee, that would not come down, but patience amid men reviling, but that
thou shouldest be strong in thy God? Perchance too in His person was said,
"As it were a monster I have become unto many, and Thou art a strong
Helper."[8] In His person according to His weakness, not according to His
power; according to that whereby He had transformed us into Himself, not
according to that wherein He had Himself come down. For He became a monster
unto many. And perchance the same was the old age of Him; because on
account of its oldness it is not improperly called old age, and the Apostle
saith, "Our old man hath been crucified together with Him."[9] If there was
there our old man, old age was there; because old, old age.[10]
Nevertheless, because a true saying is, "Renewed as an eagle's shall be Thy
youth;"[1] He rose Himself the third day, promised a resurrection at the
end of the world. Already there hath gone before the Head, the members are
to follow. Why dost thou fear lest He should forsake thee, lest He cast
thee away for the time of old age, when thy strength shall have failed? Yea
at that time in thee will be the strength of Him, when thy strength shall
have failed.
11. Why do I say this? "For mine enemies have spoken against me, and
they that were keeping watch for My soul, have taken counsel together (ver.
10): saying, God hath forsaken Him, persecute Him, and seize Him, for there
is no one to deliver Him" (ver. 11). This hath been said concerning Christ.
For He that with the great power of Divinity, wherein He is equal to the
Father, had raised to life dead persons, on a sudden in the hands of
enemies became weak, and as if having no power, was seized. When would He
have been seized, except they had first said in their heart, "God hath
forsaken Him?" Whence there was that voice on the Cross, "My God, My God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me?[2] So then did God forsake Christ, though "God
was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,"[3] though Christ was also
God. out of the Jews indeed according to the flesh, "Who is over all
things, God blessed for ever,"[4]--did God forsake Him? Far be it. But in
our old man our voice it was, because our old man was crucified together
with Him:[5] and of that same our old man He had taken a Body, because Mary
was of Adam. Therefore the very thing which they thought, from the Cross He
said, "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?"[6] Why do these men think Me left alone
to their evil? What is, think Me forsaken in their evil? "For if they had
known, the Lord of glory they had never crucified.[7] Persecute and seize
Him." More familiarly however, brethren, let us take this of the members of
Christ, and acknowledge our own voice in these words: because even He used
such words in our person, not in His own power and majesty; but in that
which He became for our sakes, not according to that which He was, who hath
made us.
12. "O Lord, my God, be not far from me" (ver. 12). So it is, and the
Lord is not far off at all. For, "The Lord is nigh unto them that have
bruised the heart."[8] "My God, unto my help look Thou." "Be they
confounded and fail that engage[9] my soul" (ver. 13). What hath he
desired? "Be they confounded and fail." Why hath he desired it? "That
engage my soul"? What is, "That engage my soul "? Engaging as it were unto
some quarrel. For they are said to be engaged that are challenged to
quarrel. If then so it is, let us beware of men that engage our soul. What
is, "That engage our soul"? First provoking us to withstand God, in order
that in our evil things God may displease us. For when art thou right, so
that to thee the God of Israel may be good, good to men fight in heart?[10]
When art thou right? Wilt thou hear? When in that good which thou doest,
God is pleasing to thee; but in that evil which thou sufferest, God is not
displeasing to thee. See ye what I have said, brethren, and be ye on your
guard against men that engage your souls. For all men that deal with you in
order to make you be wearied in sorrows and tribulations, have this aim,
namely, that God may be displeasing to you in that which ye suffer, and
there may go forth from your mouth, "What is this? For what have I done?"
Now then hast thou done nothing of evil, and art thou just, He unjust? A
sinner I am, thou sayest, I confess, just I call not myself. But what,
sinner, hast thou by any means done so much evil as he with whom it is
well? As much as Gaiuseius?" I know the evil doings of him, I know the
iniquities of him, from which I, though a sinner, am very far; and yet I
see him abounding in all good things, and I am suffering so great evil
things. I do not then say, O God, "what have I done" to Thee, because I
have done nothing at all of evil; but because I have not done so much as to
deserve to suffer these things. Again, art thou just, He unjust? Wake up,
wretched man, thy soul hath been engaged! I have not, he saith, called
myself just. What then sayest thou? A sinner I am, but I did not commit so
great sins, as to deserve to suffer these things. Thou sayest not then to
God, just I am, and Thou art unjust: but thou sayest, unjust I am, but Thou
art more unjust. Behold thy soul hath been engaged, behold now thy soul
wageth war. What? Against whom? Thy soul, against God; that which hath been
made against Him by whom it was made. Even because thou art in being to cry
out against Him, thou art ungrateful. Return, then, to the confession of
thy sickness, and beg the healing hand of the Physician. Think thou not
they are happy who flourish for a time. Thou art being chastised, they are
being spared: perchance for thee chastised and amended an inheritance is
being kept in reserve. ... Lastly, see what followeth, "Let them put on
confusion and shame, that think evil things to me." "Confusion and shame,"
confusion because of a bad conscience, shame because of modesty. Let this
befall them, and they will be good. ...
13. "But I alway in Thee will hope, and will add to all Thy praise"
(ver. 14). What is this? "I will add to all Thy praise," ought to move us.
More perfect wilt thou make the praise of God? Is there anything to be
superadded? If already that is all praise, wilt thou add anything? God was
praised in all His good deeds, in every creature of His, in the whole
establishment of all things, in the government and regulation of ages, in
the order of seasous, in the height of Heaven, in the fruitfulness of the
regions of earth, in the encircling of the sea, in every excellency of the
creature everywhere brought forth, in the sons of men themselves, in the
giving of the Law, in delivering His people from the captivity of the
Egyptians, and all the rest of His wonderful works: not yet He had been
praised for having raised up flesh unto life eternal. Be there then this
praise added by the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: in order that
here we may perceive His voice above all past praise: thus it is that we
rightly understand this also. ...
14. "My mouth shall tell out Thy righteousness" (ver. 15): not mine.
From thence I will add to all Thy praise: because even that I am righteous,
if righteous I am, is Thy righteousness in me, not mine own: for Thou dost
justify the ungodly.[1] "All the day long Thy salvation." What is, "Thy
salvation "? Let no one assume to himself, that he saveth himself, "Of the
Lord is Salvation."[2] Not any one by himself saveth himself, "Vain is
man's salvation."[3] "All the day long Thy Salvation:" at all times.
Something of adversity cometh, preach the Salvation of the Lord: something
of prosperity cometh, preach the Salvation of the Lord. Do not preach in
prosperity, and hold thy peace in adversity: otherwise there will not be
that which hath been said, "all the day long." For all the day long is day
together with its own night. Do we when we say, for example, thirty days
have gone by, mention the nights also; do we not under the very term days
include the nights also? In Genesis what was said? "The evening was made,
and the morning was made, one day."[4] Therefore a whole day is the day
together with its own night: for the night doth serve the day, not the day
the night. Whatever thou doest in mortal flesh, ought to serve
righteousness: whatever thou doest by the commandment of God, be it not
done for the sake of the advantage of the flesh, lest day serve night.
Therefore all the day long speak of the praise of God, to wit, in
prosperity and in adversity; in prosperity, as though in the day time; in
adversity, as though in the night time: all the day long nevertheless speak
of the praise of God, so that thou mayest not have sung to no purpose, "I
will bless God at every time, alway the praise of Him is in my mouth."[5]
..
15. Therefore, he saith, "For I have not known tradings."[6] What are
these tradings? Let traders hear and change their life; and if they have
been such, be not such; let them not know what they have been, let them
forget; lastly, let them not approve, not praise; let them disapprove,
condemn, be changed, if trading is a sin. For on this account, O thou
trader, because of a certain eagerness for getting, whenever thou shalt
have suffered loss, thou wilt blaspheme; and there will not be in thee that
which hath been spoken of, "all the day long Thy praise." But whenever for
the price of the goods which thou art selling, thou not only liest, but
even falsely swearest; how in thy mouth all the day long is there the
praise of God? While, if thou art a Christian, even out of thy mouth the
name of God is being blasphemed, so that men say, see what sort of men are
Christians! Therefore if this man for this reason speaketh the praise of
God all the day long, because he hath not known tradings; let Christians
amend themselves, let them not trade. But a trader saith to me, behold I
bring indeed from a distant quarter merchandise unto these places, wherein
there are not those things which I have brought, by which means I may gain
a living: I ask but as reward for my labour, that I may sell dearer than I
have bought: for whence can I live, when it hath been written, "the worker
is worthy of his reward"?[7] But he is treating of lying, of false
swearing. This is the fault of me, not of trading: for I should not, if I
would, be unable to do without this fault. I then, the merchant, do not
shift mine own fault to trading: but if I lie, it is I that lie, not the
trade. For I might say, for so much I bought, but for so much I will sell;
if thou pleasest, buy. For the buyer hearing this truth would not be
offended, and not a whit less all men would resort to me: because they
would love truth more than gain. Of this then, he saith, admonish me, that
I lie not, that I forswear not; not to relinquish business whereby I
maintain myself. For to what dost thou put me when thou puttest me away
from this? Perchance to some craft? I will be a shoemaker, I will make
shoes for men. Are not they too liars? are not they too false-swearers? Do
they not, when they have contracted to make shoes for one man, when they
have received money from another man, give up that which they were making,
and undertake to make for another, and deceive him for whom they have
promised to make speedily? Do they not often say, to-day I am about it, to-
day I'll get them done? Secondly, in the very sewing do they not commit as
many frauds? These are their doings and these are their sayings: but they
are themselves evil, not the calling which they profess. All evil
artificers, then, not fearing God, either for gain, or for fear of loss or
want, do lie, do forswear themselves; there is no continual praise of God
in them. How then dost thou withdraw me from trading? Wouldest thou that I
be a farmer, and murmur against God thundering, so that, fearing hail, I
consult a wizard, in order to learn what to do to protect me against the
weather; so that I desire famine for the poor, in order that I may be able
to sell what I have kept in store? Unto this dost thou bring me? But good
farmers, thou sayest, do not such things. Nor do good traders do those
things. But why, even to have sons is an evil thing, for when their head is
in pain, evil and unbelieving mothers seek for impious charms and
incantations? These are the sins of men, not of things. A trader might thus
speak to me--Look then, O Bishop, how thou understand the tradings which
thou hast read in the Psalm: lest perchance thou understand not, and yet
forbid me trading. Admonish me then how I should live; if well, it shall be
well with me: one thing however I know, that if I shall have been evil, it
is not trading that maketh me so, but my iniquity. Whenever truth is
spoken, there is nothing to be said against it.
16. Let us inquire then what he hath called tradings, which indeed he
that hath not known, all the day long doth praise God. Trading[1] even in
the Greek language is derived from action, and in the Latin from want of
inaction: but whether it be from action or want of inaction, let us examine
what it is. For they that are active traders, rely as it were upon their
own action, they praise their works, they attain not to the grace of God.
Therefore traders are opposed to that grace which this Psalm doth commend.
For it doth commend that grace, in order that no one may boast of his own
works. Because in a certain place is said, "Physicians shall not raise to
life,"[2] ought men to abandon medicine? But what is this? Under this name
are understood proud men, promising salvation to men, whereas "of the Lord
is Salvation."[3] ... With reason the Lord drave from the Temple them to
whom He said, "It is written, My House shall be called the House of prayer,
but ye have made it a house of trading; "[4] that is, boasting of your
works, seeking no inaction, nor hearing the Scripture speaking against your
unrest and trading, "be ye still, and see that I am the Lord."[5] ...
17. But there is in some copies, "For I have not known literature."
Where some books have "trading," there others "literature:" how they may
accord is a hard matter to find out; and yet the discrepancy of
interpreters perchance showeth the meaning, introduceth no error. Let us
inquire then how to understand literature also, lest we offend grammarians
in the same way as we did traders a little before: because a grammarian too
may live honourably in his calling, and neither forswear nor lie. Let us
examine then the literature which he hath not known, in whose mouth all the
day long is the praise of God. There is a sort of literature of the Jews:
for to them let us refer this; there we shall find what hath been said:
just as when we were inquiring about traders, on the score of actions and
works, we found that to be called detestable trading, which the Apostle
hath branded, saying, "For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
willing to establish their own, to the righteousness of God they were not
made subject."[6] ... Just as then we found out the former charge against
traders, that is men boasting of action, exalting themselves because of
business which admitteth no inaction, unquiet men rather than good workmen;
because good workmen are those in whom God worketh; so also we find a sort
of literature among the Jews. ... Moses wrote five books: but in the five
porches encircling the pool,[7] sick men were lying, but they could not be
healed. See how the letter remained, convicting the guilty, not saving the
unrighteous. For in those five porches, a figure of the five books, sick
men were given over rather than made whole. What then in that place did
make whole a sick man? The moving of the water. When that pool was moved
there went down a sick man, and there was made whole one, one[8] because of
unity: whatsoever other man went down unto that same moving was not made
whole. How then was there commended the unity of the Body crying from the
ends of the earth? Another man was not healed, except again the pool were
moved. The moving of the pool then did signify the perturbation of the
people of the Jews when the Lord Jesus Christ came. For at the coming of an
Angel the water in the pool was perceived to be moved. The water then
encircled with five porches was the Jewish nation encircled by the Law. And
in the porches the sick lay, and in the water alone when troubled and moved
they were healed. The Lord came, troubled was the water; He was crucified,
may He come down in order that the sick man may be made whole. What is, may
He come down? May He humble Himself. Therefore whosoever ye be that love
the letter without grace, in the porches ye will remain, sick ye will be,
lying ill, not growing well. ... For the same figure also it is that
Eliseus at first sent a staff by his servant to raise up the dead child.
There had died the son of a widow his hostess; it was reported to him, to
his servant he gave his staff: go thou, he saith, lay it on the dead child.
Did the prophet not know what he was doing? The servant went before, he
laid the staff upon the dead, the dead arose not. "For if there had been
given a law which could have made alive, surely out of the law there had
been righteousness."[1] The law sent by the servant made not alive: and yet
he sent his staff by the servant, who himself afterwards followed, and made
alive.[2] For when that infant arose not, Eliseus came himself, now bearing
the type of the Lord, who had sent before his servant with the staff, as
though with the Law: he came to the child that was lying dead, he laid his
limbs upon it. The one was an infant, the other a grown man: he contracted
and shortened in a manner the size of his full growth, in order that he
might fit the dead child. The dead then arose, when he being alive adapted
himself to the dead: and the Master did that which the staff did not; and
grace did that which the letter did not. They then that have remained in
the staff, glory in the letter; and therefore are not made alive. But I
will to glory concerning Thy grace. ... In that same grace I glorying
"literature have not known:" that is, men on the letter relying, and from
grace recoiling, with whole heart I have rejected.
18. With reason there followeth, "I will enter into the power of the
Lord:" not mine own, but the Lord's. For they gloried in their own power of
the letter, therefore grace joined to the letter they knew not. ... But
because "the letter killeth, but the Spirit maketh alive:"[3] "I have not
known literature, and I will enter into the power of the Lord." Therefore
this verse following doth strengthen and perfect the sense, so as to fix it
in the hearts of men, and not suffer any other interpretation to steal in
from any quarter. "O Lord, I will be mindful of Thy righteousness alone"
(ver. 16). Ah! "alone." Why hath he added "alone," I ask you? It would
suffice to say, "I will be mindful of Thy righteousness." "alone," he
saith, entirely: there of mine own I think not. "For what hast thou which
thou hast not received? But if also thou hast received, why dost thou glory
as if thou hast not received."[4] Thy righteousness alone doth deliver me,
what is mine own alone is nought but sins. May I not glory then of my own
strength, may I not remain in the letter; may I reject "literature," that
is, men glorying of the letter, and on their own strength perversely, like
men frantic, relying: may I reject such men, may I enter into the power of
the Lord, so that when I am weak, then I may be mighty; in order that Thou
in me mayest be mighty, for, "I will be mindful of Thy righteousness
alone."
19. "O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth" (ver. 17). What hast
thou taught me? That of Thy righteousness alone I ought to be mindful. For
reviewing my past life, I see what was owing to me, and what I have
received instead of that which was owing to me. There was owing punishment,
there hath been paid grace: there was owing hell, there hath been given
life eternal. "O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth." From the very
beginning of my faith, wherewith Thou hast renewed me, Thou didst teach me
that nothing had preceded in me, whence I might say that there was owing to
me what Thou hast given. For who is turned to God save from iniquity? Who
is redeemed save from captivity? But who can say that unjust was his
captivity, when he forsook his Captain and fell off to the deserter? God is
for our Captain,[5] the devil a deserter: the Captain gave a commandment,
the deserter suggested guile:[6] where were thine ears between precept and
deceit? was the devil better than God? Better he that revolted[7] than He
that made thee? Thou didst believe what the devil promised, and didst find
what God threatened. Now then out of captivity being delivered, still
however in hope, not yet in substance, walking by faith, not yet by sight,
"O God," he saith, "Thou hast taught me from my youth." From the time that
I have been turned to Thee,[8] renewed by Thee who had been made by Thee,
re-created who had been created, re-formed who had been formed: from the
time that I have been converted, I have learned that no merits of mine have
preceded, but that Thy grace hath come to me gratis, in order that I might
be mindful of Thy righteousness alone.
20. What next after youth? For, "Thou hast taught me," he saith, "from
my youth:" what after youth? For in that same first conversion of thine
thou didst learn, how before conversion thou wast not just, but iniquity
preceded, in order that iniquity being banished, there might succeed love:
and having been renewed into a new man, only in hope, not yet in substance,
thou didst learn how nothing of thy good had preceded, and by the grace of
God thou wast converted to God: now perchance since the time that thou hast
been converted wilt thou have anything of thine own, and on thy own
strength oughtest thou to rely? Just as men are wont to say, now leave me,
it was necessary for thee to show me the way; it is sufficient, i will walk
in the way. And he that hath shown thee the way, "wilt thou not that I
conduct thee to the place?" But thou, if thou art conceited, "let me alone,
it is enough, I will walk in the way." Thou art left, and through thy
weakness again thou wilt lose the way. Good were it for thee that He should
have conducted thee, who first put thee in the way. But unless He too lead
thee, again also thou wilt stray: say to Him then, "Conduct me, O Lord, in
Thy way, and I will walk in Thy truth."[1] But thy having entered on the
way, is youth, the very renewal and beginning of the faith. For before thou
wast walking through thy own ways a vagabond; straying through woody
places, through rough places, torn in all thy limbs, thou wast seeking a
home, that is, a sort of settlement of thy spirit, where thou mightest say,
it is well; and being in security mightest say it, at rest from every
uneasiness, from every trial, in a word from every captivity; and thou
didst not find. What shall I say? Came there to thee one to show thee the
way? There came to thee the Way itself, and thou wast set therein by no
merits of thine preceding, for evidently thou wast straying. What, since
the time that thou hast set foot therein dost thou now direct thyself? Doth
He that hath taught thee the way now leave thee? No, he saith: "Thou hast
taught me from my youth; and even until now I will tell forth Thy wonderful
works." For a wonderful thing is that which still Thou doest; namely, that
Thou dost direct me, who in the way hast put me: and these are Thy
wonderful works. What dost thou think to be the wonderful works of God?
What is more wonderful among God's wonderful works, than the raising the
dead? But am I by any means dead, thou sayest? Unless dead thou hadst been,
there would not have been said to thee, "Rise, thou that sleepest, and
arise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten thee."[2] Dead are all
unbelievers, all unrighteous men; in body they live, but in heart they are
extinct. But he that raiseth a man dead according to the body, doth bring
him back to see this light and to breathe this air: but he that raiseth is
not himself light and air to him; he beginneth to see, as he saw before. A
soul is not so resuscitated. For a soul is resuscitated by God; though even
a body is resuscitated by God: but God, when He doth resuscitate a body, to
the world doth bring it back: when He doth resuscitate a soul, to Himself
He bringeth it back. If the air of this world be withdrawn, there dieth
body: if God be withdrawn, there dieth soul. When then God doth resuscitate
a soul, unless there be with her He that hath resuscitated, she being
resuscitated liveth not. For He doth not resuscitate, and then leave her to
live to herself: in the same manner as Lazarus, when he was resuscitated
after being four days dead, was resuscitated by the Lord's corporal
presence. ... The Lord withdrew from that same city or from that spot, did
Lazarus cease to live? Not so is the soul resuscitated: God doth
resuscitate her, she dieth if God shall have withdrawn. For I will speak
boldly, brethren, but yet the truth. Two lives there are, one of the body,
another of the soul: as the life of the body is the soul, so the life of
the soul is God: in like manner as, if the soul forsake, the body dieth: so
the soul dieth, if God forsake. This then is His grace, namely, that He
resuscitate and be with us. Because then He doth resuscitate us from our
past death, and doth renew in a manner our life, we say to Him, "O God,
Thou hast taught me from my youth." But because He doth not withdraw from
those whom He resuscitateth, lest when He shall have withdrawn from them
they die, we say to Him, "and even until now I will tell forth Thy
wonderful works:" because while Thou art with me I live, and of my soul
Thou art the life, which will die if she be left to herself. Therefore
while my life is present, that is, my God, "even until now," what next?
21. "And even unto oldness[3] and old age"[4] (ver. 18). These are two
terms for old age, and are distinguished by the Greeks. For the gravity
succeeding youth hath another name among the Greeks, and after that same
gravity the last age coming on hath another name; for presbu'ths signifieth
grave, and ge'rwn old. But because in the Latin language the distinction of
these two terms holdeth not, both words implying old age are inserted,
oldness and old age: but ye know them to be two ages. "Thou hast taught me
Thy grace from my youth; and even until now;" after my youth, "I will tell
forth Thy wonderful works," because Thou art with me in order that I may
not die, who hast come in order that I may rise: "and even unto oldness and
old age," that is, even unto my last breath, unless with me Thou shalt have
been, there will not be any merit of mine; may Thy grace alway remain with
me. Even one man would say this, thou, he, I; but because this voice is
that of a certain great Man, that is, of the Unity itself, for it is the
voice of the Church; let us investigate the youth of the Church. When
Christ came, He was crucified, dead, rose again, called the Gentiles, they
began to be converted, became Martyrs strong in Christ, there was shed
faithful blood, there arose a harvest for the Church: this is Her youth.
But seasons advancing let the Church confess, let Her say, "Even until now
I will tell forth Thy wonderful works." Not only in youth, when Paul when
Peter, when the first Apostles told: even in advancing age I myself, that
is, Thy Unity, Thy members, Thy Body, "will tell forth Thy marvellous
works." What then? "And even unto oldness and old age," I will tell forth
Thy wonderful works: even until the end of the world here shall be the
Church. For if She were not to be here even unto the end of the world; to
whom did the Lord say, "Behold, I am with you always, even unto the
consummation of the world "? Why was it necessary that these things should
be spoken in the Scriptures? Because there were to be enemies of the
Christian Faith who would say, "for a short time are the Christians,
hereafter they shall perish, and there shall come back idols, there shall
come back that which was before. How long shall be the Christians?"[1] "
Even unto oldness and old age:" that is, even unto the end of the world
When thou, miserable unbeliever, dost expect Christians to pass away, thou
art passing away thyself without Christians: and Christians even unto the
end of the world shall endure; and as for thee with thine unbelief when
thou shalt have ended thy short life, with what face wilt thou come forth
to the Judge, whom while thou wast living thou didst blaspheme? Therefore
"from my youth, and even until now, and even unto oldness and old age, O
Lord, forsake not me." It will not be, as mine enemies say, even for a
time. "Forsake not me, until I tell forth Thine arm to every generation
that is yet to come." And the Arm of the Lord hath been revealed to
whom?[2] The Arm of the Lord is Christ. Do not Thou then forsake me: let
not them rejoice that say, "only for a set time the Christians are." May
there be persons to tell forth Thine arm. To whom? "To every generation
that is yet to come." If then it be to every generation that is yet to
come, it will be even unto the end of the world: for when the world is
ended, no longer any generation will come on.
22. "Thy power and Thy righteousness" (ver. 19). That is, that I may
tell forth to every generation that is yet to come, Thine arm. And what
hath Thine arm effected? This then let me tell forth, that same grace to
every generation succeeding: let me say to every man that is to be born,
nothing thou art by thyself, on God call thou, thine own are sins, merits
are God's:[3] punishment to thee is owing, and when reward shall have come,
His own gifts He will crown, not thy merits. Let me say to every generation
that is to come, out of captivity thou hast come, unto Adam thou didst
belong. Let me say this to every generation that is to come, that there is
no strength of mine, no righteousness of mine; but "Thy strength and Thy
righteousness, O God, even unto the most high mighty works which Thou hast
made." "Thy power and Thy righteousness," as far as what? even unto flesh
and blood? Nay, "even unto the most high mighty works which Thou hast
made." For the high places are the heavens, in the high places are the
Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers: to Thee they owe it
that they are; to Thee they owe it that they live, to Thee they owe it that
righteously they live, to Thee they owe it that blessedly they live. "Thy
power and Thy righteousness," as far as what? "Even unto the most high
mighty works which Thou hast made." Think not that man alone belongeth to
the grace of God. What was Angel before he was made? What is Angel, if He
forsake him who hath created? Therefore "Thy power and Thy justice even
unto the most high mighty works which Thou hast made."
23. And man exalteth himself: and in order that he may belong to the
first captivity, he heareth the serpent suggesting, "Taste, and ye shall be
as Gods."[4] Men as Gods? "O God, who is like unto Thee?" Not any in the
pit, not in Hell, not in earth, not in Heaven, for all things Thou hast
made. Why doth the work strive with the Maker? "O God, who is like unto
Thee?" But as for me, saith miserable Adam, and Adam is[5] every man, while
I perversely will to be like unto Thee, behold what I have become, so that
from captivity to Thee I cry out: I with whom it was well under a good
king, have been made captive under my seducer; and cry out to Thee, because
I have fallen from Thee. And whence have I fallen from Thee? While I
perversely seek to be like unto Thee. ...
24. Ill straying, ill presuming, doomed to die by withdrawing from the
path[6] of righteousness: behold he breaketh the commandment, he hath
shaken off from his neck the yoke of discipline, uplifted with high spirit
he hath broken in sunder the reins of guidance: where is he now? Truly
captive he crieth, "O Lord, who is like unto Thee?" I perversely willed to
be like unto Thee, and I have been made like unto a beast! Under Thy
dominion, under Thy commandment, I was indeed like: "But a man in honour
set hath not perceived, he hath been compared to beasts without sense, and
hath been made like unto them."(1) Now out of the likeness of beasts cry
though late and say, "O God, who is like unto Thee?"
25. "How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and evil!" (ver.
20). Deservedly, proud servant. For thou hast willed perversely to be like
thy God, who hadst been made after the image of thy Lord.(2) Wouldest thou
have it to be well with thee, when withdrawing from that good? Truly God
saith to thee, if thou withdrawest from Me, and it is well with thee, I am
not thy good. Again, if He is good, and in the highest degree good, and of
Himself to Himself good, and by no foreign good thing good, and is Himself
our chief good; by withdrawing from Him, what wilt thou be but evil? Also
if He is Himself our blessedness, what will there be to one withdrawing
from Him, except misery? Return thou then after misery, and say, "O Lord,
who is like unto Thee? How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and
evil!"
26. But this was discipline; admonition, not desertion. Lastly, giving
thanks, he saith what? "And being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from
the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." But
when before? What is this "again"? Thou hast fallen from a high place, O
man, disobedient slave, O thou proud against thy Lord, thou hast fallen.
There hast come to pass in thee," every one that exalteth himself shall be
humbled:" may there come to pass in thee, "every one that humbleth himself
shall be exalted."(3) Return thou from the deep. I return, he saith, I
return, I acknowledge; "0 God, who is like unto Thee? How great troubles
hast Thou shown to me, many and evil! and being turned Thou hast made me
alive, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought
me back." "We perceive," I hear. Thou hast brought us back from the
bottomless places of the earth, hast brought us back from the depth and
drowning of sin. But why "again"? When had it already been done? Let us go
on, if perchance the latter parts of the Psalm itself do not explain to us
the thing which here we do not yet perceive, namely, why he hath said
"again." Therefore let us hear: "How great troubles Thou hast shown to me,
many and evil! And being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the
bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." What then?
"Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness, and being turned Thou hast
comforted me, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast
brought roe back" (ver. 21). Behold a second "again"! If we labour to
unravel this "again" when written once, who will be able to unravel it when
doubled? Now "again" itself is a redoubling, and once more there is written
"again." May He be with us from whom is grace, may there be with us the arm
also which we are telling forth to every generation that is to come: may He
be with us Himself, and as with the key of His Cross open to us the mystery
that is locked up. For it was not to no purpose that when He was crucified
the veil of the temple was rent in the midst, but to show that through His
Passion the secret things of all mysteries were opened.(4) May He then
Himself be with men passing over unto Him, be the veil taken away:(5) may
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ tell us why such a voice of the Prophet
hath been sent before, "Thou hast shown to me troubles many and evil: and
being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the bottomless places of the
earth again Thou hast brought me back." Behold this is the first "again"
which hath been written. Let us see what this is, and we shall see why
there is a second "again."
27. ... Therein Christ died, wherein thou art to die: and therein
Christ rose again, wherein thou art to rise again. By His example He taught
thee what thou shouldest not fear, for what thou shouldest hope. Thou didst
fear death, He died: thou didst despair of rising again, He rose again. But
thou sayest to me, He rose again, do I by any means rise again? But He rose
again in that which for thee He received of thee. Therefore thy nature in
Him hath preceded thee; and that which was taken of thee, hath gone up
before thee: therein therefore thou also hast ascended. Therefore He
ascended first, and we in Him: because that flesh is of the human race. ...
Behold one "again." Hear of its being fulfilled from the Apostle: "If then
ye have risen with Christ, the things which are above seek ye, where Christ
is sitting on the right hand of God; the things which are above mind ye,
not the things which are upon the earth."(6) He then hath gone before:
already we also have risen again, but still in hope. Hear the Apostle Paul
saying this same thing: "Even we ourselves groan in ourselves, looking for
the adoption, the redemption of our body." What is it then that Christ hath
granted to thee? Hear that which followeth: "For by hope we are saved: but
hope which is seen is not hope. For that which a man seeth, why doth he
hope for? But if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we
wait for it." We have been brought back therefore again from the bottomless
places in hope. Why again? Because already Christ had gone before. But
because we shall rise again in substance, for now in hope we are living,
now after faith we are walking; we have been brought back from the
bottomless places of the earth, by believing in Him who before us hath
risen again from the bottomless place of the earth ....Thou hast: heard one
"again," thou hast heard the other: "again;" one "again" because of Christ
going before; and the other, yet however in hope, and a thing which
remaineth to be in substance. "Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness,"(1)
already in me believing, already in those that, first have risen again in
hope. ... "Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness, and being turned Thou
hast comforted me:" and because of the body to rise again at the end, "even
from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back.
28. "For I will confess to Thee in the vessels of a Psalm Thy truth"
(ver. 22). The vessels of a Psalm are a Psaltery. But what is a Psaltery?
An instrument of wood and strings.(2) What doth it signify? There is some
difference between it and a harp: ... there seemeth to be signified by the
Psaltery the Spirit, by the harp the flesh. And because he had spoken of
two bringings back of ours from the bottomless places of the earth, one
after the Spirit in hope, the other after the body in substance; hear thou
of these two: "For I will confess to Thee in the vessels of a Psalm Thy
truth." This after the Spirit: concerning the body what? "I will psalm to
Thee on a harp, Holy One of Israel."
29. Again hear this because of that same "again" and "again." "My lips
shall exult when I shall psalm to Thee" (ver. 23). Because lips are wont to
be spoken of both belonging to the inner and to the outward man, it is
uncertain in what sense lips have been used: there followeth therefore,
"And my soul which Thou hast redeemed." Therefore regarding the inward ups
having been saved in hope, brought back from the bottomless places of the
earth in faith and love, still however waiting for the redemption of our
body? we say what? Already he hath said, "And my soul which Thou hast
redeemed." But lest thou shouldest think the soul alone redeemed, wherein
now thou hast heard one "again," "but still," he saith; why still? "but
still my tongue also:" therefore now the tongue of the body: "all day long
shall meditate of Thy righteousness" (ver. 24): that is, in eternity
without end. But when shall this be? Hereafter at the end of the world, at
the resurrection of the body and the changing into the Angelic state.
Whence is it proved that this is spoken of the end, "but still my tongue
also all day long shall meditate of Thy righteousness"? "When they shall
have been confounded and shall have blushed, that seek evil things for me."
When shall they be confounded, when shall they blush, save at the end of
the world? For in two ways they shall be confounded, either when they shall
believe in Christ, or when Christ shall have come. For so long as the
Church is here, so long as grain groaneth amid chaff, so long as wheat
groaneth amid tares,(4) so long as vessels of mercy groan amid vessels of
wrath made for dishonour,(5) so long as lily groaneth amid thorns, there
will not be wanting enemies to say," When shall he die, and his name
perish?"(6) "Behold there shall come the time when Christians shall be
ended and shall be no more: as they began at a set time, so even unto a
particular time they shall be." But while they are saying these things and
without end(7) are dying, and while the Church is continuing preaching the
Arm of the Lord s to every generation that is to come; there shall come
Himself also at last in His glory,(9) there shall rise again all the dead,
each with his cause: there shall be severed good men to the right hand, but
evil men to the left, and they shall be confounded that did insult, they
shall blush that did mock: and so my tongue after resurrection shall
meditate of Thy righteousness, all day long of Thy praise, "when they shall
have been confounded and shall have blushed, that seek evil things for me."
PSALM LXXII.(10)
1. "For Salomon" indeed this Psalm's title is fore-noted: but things
are spoken of therein which could not apply to that Salomon king of Israel
after the flesh, according to those things which holy Scripture speaketh
concerning him: but they can most pertinently apply to the Lord Christ.
Whence it is perceived, that the very word Salomon is used in a figurative
sense, so that in him Christ is to be taken. For Salomon is interpreted
peace-maker: and on this account such a word to Him most truly and
excellently cloth apply, through Whom, the Mediator, having received
remission of sins, we that were enemies are reconciled to God. For "when we
were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son."(11)
The Same is Himself that Peace-maker .... Since then we have found out the
true Salomon, that is, the true Peacemaker: next let us observe what the
Psalm cloth teach concerning Him.
2. "O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the
King's Son" (ver. I). The Lord Himself in the Gospel saith, "The Father
judgeth not any one, but all judgment He hath given to the Son:"(12) this
is then, "O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou." He that is King is
also the Son of the King: because God the Father also is certainly King.
Thus it hath been written, that the King made a marriage for His Son.(1)
But after the manner of Scripture the same thing is repeated. For that
which he hath said in, "Thy judgment;" the same he hath otherwise expressed
in, "Thy justice:" and that which he hath said in, "the King," the same he
hath otherwise expressed in, "to the King's Son." ... But these repetitions
do much commend the divine sayings, whether the same words, or whether in
other words the same sense be repeated: and they are mostly found in the
Psalms, and in the kind of discourse whereby the mind's affection is to be
awakened.
3. Next there followeth, "To judge Thy people in justice, and Thy poor
in judgment" (ver. 2). For what purpose the royal Father gave to the royal
Son His judgment and His justice is sufficiently shown when he saith," To
judge Thy people in justice;" that is, for the purpose of judging Thy
people. Such an idiom is found in Salomon: "The Proverbs of Salomon, son of
David, to know wisdom and discipline:"(2) that is, the Proverbs of Salomon,
for the purpose of knowing wisdom and discipline. So, "Thy judgment give
Thou, to judge Thy people:" that is, "Thy judgment" give Thou for the
purpose of judging Thy people. But that which he saith before in, "Thy
people," the same he saith afterwards in, "Thy poor:" and that which he
saith before in, "in justice;" the same afterward in, "in judgment:"
according to that manner of repetition. Whereby indeed he showeth, that the
people of God ought to be poor, that is, not proud, but humble. For,
"blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."(3)
In which poverty even blessed Job was poor even before he had lost those
great earthly riches. Which thing for this reason I thought should be
mentioned, because there are certain persons who are more ready to
distribute all their goods to the poor,(4) than themselves to become the
poor of God. For they are puffed up with boasting wherein they think their
living well should be ascribed to themselves, not to the grace of God: and
therefore now they do not even live well, however great the good works
which they seem to do. ...
4. But seeing that he hath changed the order of the words (though he
had first said, "O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice
to the King's 'Son," putting judgment first, then justice), and hath put
justice first, then judgment, saying, "To judge Thy people in justice, and
Thy poor in judgment:" he doth more clearly show that he hath called
judgment justice, proving that there is no difference made by the order in
which the word is placed, because it signifieth the same thing. For it is
usual to say "wrong judgment" of that which is unjust: but justice
iniquitous or unjust we are not wont to speak of. For if wrong and unjust
it be; no longer must it be called justice. Again, by putting clown
judgment and repeating it under the name of justice, or by putting down
justice and repeating it under the name of judgment, he clearly showeth
that he specially nameth that judgment which is wont to be put instead of
justice, that is, that which cannot be understood of giving an evil
judgment. For in the place where He saith, "Judge not according to persons,
but right judgment judge ye;"(5) He showeth that there may be a wrong
judgment, when He saith, "right judgment judge ye:" lastly, the one He doth
forbid, the other He doth enjoin. But when without any addition He speaketh
of judgment, He would at once have just judgment to be understood: as is
that which He saith, "Ye forsake the weightier matters of the Law, mercy
and judgment."(6) That also which Jeremiah saith is, "making his riches not
with judgment."(7) He saith not, making his riches by wrong or unjust
judgment, or not with judgment right or just, but not with judgment:
calling not anything judgment but what is right and just.
5. "Let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice"
(ver. 3). The mountains are the greater, the hills the less. These are
without doubt those which another Psalm hath, "little with great."(8) For
those mountains did exult like rams, and those hills like lambs of the
sheep, at the departure of Israel out of Egypt, that is, at the deliverance
of the people of God from this world's servitude. Those then that are
eminent in the Church for passing sanctity, are the mountains, who are meet
to teach other men also,(9) by so speaking as that they may be faithfully
taught, by so living as that they may imitate them to their profit: but the
hills are they that follow the excellence of the former by their own
obedience. Why then "the mountains peace: and the hills justice"?(10) Would
there perchance have been no difference, even if it had been said thus, Let
the mountains bear justice to the people and the hills peace? For to both
justice, and to both peace is necessary: and it may be that under another
name justice herself may have been called peace. For this is true peace,
not such as unjust men make among them. Or rather with a distinction not to
be overlooked must that be understood which he saith, "the mountains peace,
and the hills justice"? For men excelling in the Church ought to counsel
for peace with watchful care; lest for the sake of their own distinctions
by acting proudly they make schisms and dissever the bond of union. But let
the hills so follow them by imitation and obedience, that they prefer
Christ to them: lest being led astray by the empty authority of evil
mountains (for they seem to excel), they tear themselves away from the
Unity of Christ. ...
6. Thus also most pertinently may be understood, "let the mountains
bear peace to the people," namely, that we understand the peace to consist
in the reconciliation whereby we are reconciled to God: for the mountains
receive this for His people. ... "Let the mountains, therefore, receive
peace for the people, and the hills justice:" so that in this manner, both
being at one, there may come to pass that which hath been written, "justice
and peace have kissed one another."(1) But that which other copies have,
"let the mountains receive peace for the people, and let the hills:" I
think must be understood of all sorts of preaching of Gospel peace, whether
those that go before, or those that follow after. But in these copies this
followeth, "in justice He shall judge the poor of the people." But those
copies are more approved of which have that which we have expounded above,
"let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice." But
some have, "to Thy people;" some have not to "Thy," but only "to the
people."
7. "He shall judge the poor of the people, and shall save the sons of
the poor" (ver. 4). The poor and the sons of the poor seem to me to be the
very same, as the same city is Sion and the daughter of Sion. But if it is
to be understood with a distinction, the poor we take to be the mountains,
but the sons of the poor the hills: for instance, Prophets and Apostles,
the poor, but the sons of them, that is, those that profit under their
authority, the sons of the poor. But that which hath been said above,
"shall judge;" and afterwards, "shall save;" is as it were a sort of
exposition in what manner He shall judge. For to this end He shall judge,
that He may save, that is, may sever from those that are to be destroyed
and condemned, those to whom He giveth "salvation ready to be revealed at
the" last time.(2) For by such men to Him is said, "Destroy not with
ungodly men my soul:"(3) and, "Judge Thou me, O God, and sever my cause
from the nation unholy."(4) We must observe also that he saith not, He
shall judge the poor people, but, "the poor of the people." For above when
he had said, "to judge Thy people in justice and Thy poor in judgment,"(5)
the same he called the people of God as His poor, that is, only the good
and those that belong to the right hand side. But because in this world
those for the right and those for the left feed together, who, like lambs
and goats at the last are to be put asunder;(6) the whole, as it is mingled
together, he hath called by the name of the People. And because even here
he putteth judgment in a good sense, that is, for the purpose of saving:
therefore he saith, "He shall judge the poor of the people," that is, shall
sever for salvation those that are poor among the people. "And He shall
humble the false-accuser." No false-accuser can be more suitably recognised
here than the devil. False accusation in his business. "Doth Job worship
God gratis?"(7) But the Lord Jesus doth humble him, by His grace aiding His
own, in order that they may worship God gratis, that is, may take delight
in the Lord.(8) He humbled him also thus; because when in Him the devil,
that is, the prince of this world, had found nothing? he slew Him by the
false accusations of the Jews, whom the false-accuser made use of as his
vessels, working in the sons of unbelief.(10) ...
8. "And He shall endure to the sun," or, "shall endure with the sun"
(ver. 5). For thus some of our writers have thought would be more exactly
translated that which in the Greek is sumparamenei^. But if in Latin it
could have been expressed in one word, it must have been expressed by
compermanebit: however, because in Latin the word cannot be expressed, in
order that the sense at least might be translated, it hath been expressed
by, "He shall endure with the sun." For He shall co-endure to the sun is
nothing else but, "He shall endure with the sun." But what great matter is
it for Him to endure with the sun, through whom all things were made, and
without whom nothing was made,(11) save that this prophecy hath been sent
before for the sake of those who think that the religion of the Christian
name up to a particular time in this world will live, and afterwards will
be no more?(12) "He shall endure" therefore "with the sun," so long as the
sun riseth and setteth, that is, so long as these times revolve, there
shall not be wanting the Church of God, that is, Christ's body on earth.
But that which he addeth, "and before the moon, generations of
generations:" he might have expressed by, and before the sun, that is, both
with the sun and before the sun: which would have been understood by both
with times and before times. That then which goeth before time is eternal:
and that is truly to be held eternal which by no time is changed, as, "in
the beginning was the Word."(1) But by the moon he hath chosen rather to
intimate the waxings and wanings of things mortal. Lastly, when he had
said, "before the moon," wishing in a manner to explain for what purpose he
inserted the moon, "generations," he saith, "of generations." As though he
were saying, before the moon, that is, before the generations of
generations which pass away in the departure and succession of things
mortal, like the lunar wanings and waxings. And thus what is better to be
understood by His enduring before the moon, than that He taketh precedence
of all mortal things by immortality? Which also as followeth may not
impertinently be taken, that whereas now, having humbled the false-accuser,
He sitteth at the right hand of the Father, this is to endure with the sun.
For the brightness of the eternal glory is understood to be the Son:(2) as
though the Sun were the Father, and the Brightness of Him His Son. But as
these things may be spoken of the invisible Substance of the Creator, not
as of that visible creation wherein are bodies celestial, of which bright
bodies the sun hath the pre-eminence, from which this similitude hath been
drawn: just as they are drawn even from things earthly, to wit, stone,
lion, lamb, man having two sons, and the like: therefore having humbled the
false-accuser, He endureth with the sun: because having vanquished the
devil by the Resurrection, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father,(3)
where He dieth no more, and death no longer over Him shall have
dominion.(4) This too is before the moon, as though the First-born from the
dead were going before the Church, which is passing on in the departure and
succession of mortals. These are "the generations of generations." Or
perchance it is because generations are those whereby we are begotten
mortally; but generations of generations those whereby we are begotten
again immortally. And such is the Church which He went before, in order
that He might endure before the moon, being the First-born of the dead. To
be sure, that which is in the Greek geneas genew^n, some have interpreted,
not "generations," but, "of a generation of generations:" because geneas is
of ambiguous case in Greek, and whether it be the genitive singular ths
genea^s, that is, of the generation, or the accusative plural ta`s genea`s
that is, the generations, doth not clearly appear, except that deservedly
that sense hath been preferred wherein, as though explaining What he had
called "the moon," he added in continuation, "generations of generations,"
9. "And He shall come down like rain into a fleece, and like drops
distilling upon the earth" (ver. 6). He hath called to our minds and
admonished us, that what was done by Gedeon the Judge, in Christ hath its
end. For he asked a sign of the Lord, that a fleece laid on the floor
should alone be rained upon, and the floor should be dry; and again, the
fleece alone should be dry, and the floor should be rained upon; and so it
came to pass.(5) Which thing signified, that, being as it were on a floor
in the midst of the whole round world, the dry fleece was the former people
Israel. The same Christ therefore Himself came down like rain upon a
fleece, when yet the floor was dry: whence also He said, "I am not sent but
to the sheep which were lost of the house of Israel."(6) There He chose out
a Mother by whom to receive the form of a servant, wherein He was to appear
to men: there the disciples, to whom He gave this same injunction, saying,
"Into the way of the nations go ye not away, and into the cities of the
Samaritans enter ye not: go ye first to the sheep which are lost of the
house of Israel."(7) When He saith, go ye first to them, He showeth also
that hereafter, when at length the floor was to be rained upon, they would
go to other sheep also, which were not of the old people Israel, concerning
whom He saith, "I have other sheep which are not of this fold, it behoveth
Me to bring in them also, that there may be one flock and one Shepherd."(8)
Hence also the Apostle: "for I say," he saith, "that Christ was a minister
of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the
fathers."(9) Thus rain came down upon the fleece, the floor being yet dry.
But inasmuch as he continueth, "but that the nations should glorify God for
His mercy:"(10) that when the time came on, that should be fulfilled which
by the Prophet He saith, "a people whom I have not known hath served Me, in
the hearkening of the ear it hath obeyed Me:"(11) we now see, that of the
grace of Christ the nation of the Jews hath remained dry, and the whole
round world through all nations is being rained upon by clouds full of
Christian grace. For by another word he hath indicated the same rain,
saying, "drops distilling:" no longer upon the fleece, but "upon the
earth." For what else is rain but drops distilling? But that the above
nation under the name of a fleece is signified, I think is either because
they were to be stripped of the authority of teaching, just as a sheep is
stripped of its skin; or because in a secret place He was hiding that same
rain, which He willed not should be preached to uncircumcision, that is, be
revealed to uncircumcised nations.
10. "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace,
until the moon be taken away" (ver. 7). The expression tollatur some have
interpreted by "be taken away," but others by "be exalted," translating one
Greek word, which is there used, antanairethh(i)^, just as each of them
thought good. But they who have said, "be removed," and they who have said,
"be taken away," do not so very much differ. For by the expression, "be
removed," custom doth teach us that there should be rather implied, that a
thing is taken away and is no more, than that it is raised to a higher
place: but "be taken away" can be understood in no other way at all, than
that a thing is destroyed: that is, it is no more: but by "be exalted,"
only that it is raised to a higher place. Which indeed when it is put in a
bad sense is wont to signify pride: as is the passage, "In thy wisdom be
not exalted."(1) But in a good sense it belongeth to a more exceeding
honour, as, for instance, when anything is being raised; as is, "In the
nights exalt ye your hands unto holy places, and bless ye the Lord."(2)
Here then if we have understood the expression, "be removed," what will be,
"until the moon be removed," but that it be so dealt with that it be no
more? For perchance he willed this also to be perceived, that mortality is
to be no longer, "when the last enemy shall be destroyed, death:"(3) so
that abundance of peace may be brought down so far as that nothing may
withstand the felicity of the blessed from the infirmity of mortality:
which will come to pass in that age, of which we have the faithful promise
of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, concerning which it is said, "There
shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace:" until, death being
utterly overcome and destroyed, all mortality be consumed. But if under the
term moon, not the mortality of the flesh through which the Church is now
passing, but the Church Herself in general hath been signified, which is to
endure for everlasting, being delivered from this mortality, thus must be
taken the expression, "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance
of peace, until the moon be exalted;" as though it were said, There shall
arise in His days justice, to conquer the contradiction and rebellion of
the flesh, and whereby there may be made a peace so increasing and
abundant, until the moon be exalted, that is, until the Church be lifted
up, through the glory of the Resurrection to reign with Him, who went
before Her in this glory, the first-born of the dead, that He might sit at
the right hand of the Father;(4) thus with the sun s enduring before the
moon, in the place whereunto hereafter was to be exalted the moon also.
11. "And He shall be Lord from sea even unto sea, and from the river
even unto the ends of the round world" (ver. 8): He to wit concerning whom
he had said, "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace,
until the moon be exalted."(6) If the Church here is properly signified
under the term moon, in continuation he showed how widely that same Church
He was going to spread abroad, when He added, "and He shall be Lord from
sea even unto sea." For the land is encircled by a great sea which is
called the Ocean: from which there floweth in some small part in the midst
of the lands, and maketh those seas known to us, which are frequented by
ships. Again, in "from sea even unto sea" He hath said, that from any one
end of the earth even unto any other end, He would be Lord, whose name and
power in the whole world were to be preached and to prevail exceedingly. To
which, that there might not be understood in any other manner, "from sea
even unto sea:" He immediately added, "and from the river even unto the
ends of the round world." Therefore that which He saith in "even unto the
ends of the round world," the same He had said before in "from sea even
unto sea." But in that which now He saith, "from the river," He hath
evidently expressed that He willed Christ to publish at length His power
from that place from whence also He began to choose His disciples, to wit
from the river Jordan, where upon the Lord, on His baptism, when the Holy
Ghost descended, there sounded a voice from Heaven, "This is My beloved
Son."(7) From this place then His doctrine and the authority of the
heavenly ministry setting out, is enlarged even unto the ends of the round
world, when there is preached the Gospel of the kingdom in the whole world,
for a testimony unto all nations: and then shall come the end.(8)
12. "In His presence shall fall down the Ethiopians, and His enemies
shall lick the earth" (ver. 9). By the Ethiopians, as by a part the whole,
He hath signified all nations, selecting that nation to mention especially
by name, which is at the ends of the earth. By "in His presence shall fall
down" hath been signified, shall adore Him. And because there were to be
schisms in divers quarters of the world, which would be jealous of the
Church Catholic spread abroad in the whole round world, and again those
same schisms dividing themselves into the names of men, and by loving the
men under whose authority they had been rent, opposing themselves to the
glory of Christ which is throughout all lands; so when He had said, "in His
presence shall fall down the Ethiopians," He added, "and His enemies shall
lick the earth:" that is, shall love men, so that they shall be jealous of
the glory of Christ, to whom hath been said, "Be Thou exalted above the
Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory."(1) For man earned to
hear, "Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shall go."(2) By licking this
earth, that is, being delighted with the vainly talking authority of such
men, by loving them, and by counting them for the most pleasing of men,
they gainsay the divine sayings, whereby the Catholic Church hath been
foretold, not as to be in any particular quarter of the world, as certain
schisms are, but in the whole universe by bearing fruit and growing so as
to attain even unto the very Ethiopians, to wit, the remotest and foulest
of mankind.(3)
13.(4) "The kings of Tharsis and the isles shall offer gifts, the kings
of the Arabians and of Saba shall lead(5) presents" (ver. 10). This no
longer requireth an expounder but a thinker; yea it doth thrust itself upon
the sight not only of rejoicing believers, but also of groaning
unbelievers--except perchance we must inquire why there hath been said,
"shall lead presents." For there are wont to be led those things which can
walk. For could it by any means have been spoken with reference to the
sacrifice of victims? Far be it that such "righteousness" should arise in
His days. But those gifts which have been foretold as to be led, seem to me
to signify men, whom into the fellowship of the Church of Christ the
authority of kings doth lead: although even persecuting kings have led
gifts, knowing not what they did, in sacrificing the holy Martyrs. "And
there shall adore Him all kings of the earth, all nations shall serve Him"
(ver. 11).
14. But while he is explaining the reasons why so great honour is paid
Him by kings, and He is served of all nations: "because He hath delivered,"
he saith, "the needy man from the mighty, and the poor man, to whom was no
helper"(ver. 12). This needy and poor man is the people of men believing in
Him. In this people are also kings adoring Him. For they do not disdain to
be needy and poor, that is, humbly confessing sins, and needing the glory
of God(6) and the grace of God, in order that this King, Son of the King,
may deliver them from the mighty one. For this same mighty one is he who
above was called the Slanderer: whom mighty to subdue men to himself, and
to hold them bound in captivity, not his virtue did make, but men's sins.
The same is himself also called strong; therefore here mighty also. But He
that hath humbled the slanderer and hath entered into the house of the
strong man to bind him and to spoil his vessels,(7) He "hath delivered the
needy and the poor man." For this neither the virtue of any one could
accomplish, nor any just man, nor any Angel. When then there was no helper,
by His coming He saved them Himself.
15. But it might occur to one; if because of sins man was held by the
devil, have sins pleased Christ, who saved the needy man from the mighty?
Far be it. But "He it is that shall spare the helpless and poor man" (ver.
13): that is, shall remit sins to the man, humble and not trusting in his
own merits, or hoping for salvation because of his own virtue, but needing
the grace of his Saviour. But when he hath added, "and the souls of the
poor He shall save:" he hath recommended to our notice both the aids of
grace; both that which is for the remission of sins, when he saith, "He
shall spare the poor and needy man;" and that which doth consist in the
imparting of righteousness, when he hath added, "and the souls of the poor
He shall save." For no one is meet of himself for salvation (which
salvation is perfect righteousness), unless God's grace aid: because the
fulness of the law is nought but love, which doth not exist in us of
ourselves, but is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which
hath been given unto us.(8)
16. "From usuries and iniquity He shall redeem the souls of them" (ver.
14). What are these usuries but sins, which are also called debts?(9) But I
think they have been called usuries, because more of ill is found in the
punishments than hath been committed in the sins. For, for example's sake,
while a man-slayer killeth only the body of a man, but can no wise hurt the
soul; of himself both soul and body is destroyed in hell. Because of such
despisers of present commandment and deriders of future punishment hath
been said, "I coming would have exacted with usuries,"(10) from these
usuries are redeemed the souls of the poor by that blood which hath been
shed for the remission of sins. He shall redeem, I say, from usuries, by
remitting sins which owed larger punishments: but He shall redeem from
iniquity, by helping them by grace even to do righteousness. Therefore the
same two things have been repeated which were said above. For in that which
is above, "He shall spare the helpless and poor man,"(11) there is
understood "from usuries:" but in that which there he saith, "and the souls
of the poor He shall save;" there seemeth to have been implied, "from
iniquity:" so that the words "He shall redeem," are understood with both.
So when He shall spare the poor and helpless man, and shall save the souls
of the poor: thus "from usuries and iniquity He shall redeem the souls of
them. And honourable shall be the name of Him in the presence of them." For
they give honour to His name for so great benefits, and they respond that
"meet and right it is"(1) to render thanks to the Lord their God. Or, as
some copies have it, "and honourable is the name of them in the presence of
Him:" for even if Christians seem despicable to this world, the name of
them in the presence of Him is honourable, who to them hath given it, no
longer remembering those names in His lips, whereby before they used to be
called, when they were bound fast by the superstitions of the Gentiles, or
signed with names derived from their own evil deserts, before they were
Christians, which name is honourable in the presence of Him, even if it
seemeth despicable to enemies.
17. "And He shall live, and there shall be given to Him of the gold of
Arabia" (ver. 15). There would not have been said, "and He shall live "(for
of whom could not this be said, though living for ever so brief a space of
time on this earth?) unless that life were being recommended to our notice,
wherein He "dieth no more, and death over Him shall have no more
dominion."(2) And thus, "and He shall live,': that was despised in death:
for, as another Prophet saith, "there shall be taken away from the earth
the life of Him."(3) But what is, "and there shall be given to Him of the
gold of Arabia"? For the fact that from thence even the former Salomon
received gold, in this Psalm hath been in a figure transferred unto another
true Salomon, that is the true Peace-maker. For the former did not have
dominion "from the river even unto the ends of the round world."(4) Thus
then hath been prophesied, that even the wise men of this world in Christ
would believe. But by Arabia we understand the Gentiles; by gold wisdom
which doth as much excel among all doctrines as gold among metals. Whence
hath been written, "Receive ye prudence as silver,(5) and wisdom as proved
gold."(6) " And they shall pray concerning Himself alway." That which the
Greek hath, peri` autou^, some have interpreted by "concerning Himself,"
some "for Himself," or "for Him." But what is, "concerning Himself," except
perchance that for which we pray, saying, "Thy kingdom come"?(7) For
Christ's coming shall make present to believers the kingdom of God. But how
to understand "for Him" is difficult; except that when prayer is made for
the Church, for Himself prayer is made, because she is His Body. For
concerning Christ and the Church hath been sent before a great
Sacrament,(8) "there shall be two in one flesh." But now that which
followeth, "all the day long," that is, in all time, "they shall bless
Him," is sufficiently evident.
18. "And there shall be a firmament on the earth, on the tops of the
mountains" (ver. 16). For, "all the promises of God in Him are Yea,"(9)
that is, in Him are confirmed: because in Him hath been fulfilled whatever
hath been prophesied for our salvation. For the tops ;of the mountains it
is meet to understand as the authors of the divine Scriptures, that is,
those persons through whom they were supplied: wherein He is indeed Himself
the Firmament: for unto Him all things that have been divinely written are
ascribed. But this He willed should be on earth; because for the sake of
those that are upon earth, they were written. Whence He came also Himself
upon earth, in order that He might confirm all these things, that is, in
Himself might show them to have been fulfilled. "For it was necessary," He
saith, "for all things to be fulfilled which were written in the Law, and
the Prophets, and Psalms, concerning Me:"(10) that is, "in the tops of the
mountain."(11) For so there cometh in the last time the evident Mount of
the Lord, prepared on the summit of the mountains: of which here he
speaketh, "in the tops of the mountains." "Highly superexalted above
Libanus shall be His fruit." Libanus we are wont to take as this world's
dignity: for Libanus is a mountain bearing tall trees, and the name itself
is interpreted whiteness.(12) For what marvel, if above every brilliant
state of this world there is superexalted the fruit of Christ, of which
fruit the lovers have contemned all secular dignities? But if in a good
sense we take Libanus, because of the "cedars of Libanus which He hath
planted:"(13) what other fruit must be understood, that is being exalted
above this Libanus, except that whereof the Apostle speaketh when he is
going to speak concerning that love of his, "yet a pre-eminent way to you I
show"?(14) For this is put forward even in the first rank of divine gifts,
in the place where he saith, "but the fruit of the Spirit of love:"(15) and
with this are conjoined the remaining words as consequent. "And they shall
flourish from the city like hay of the earth." Because city is used
ambigously, and there is not annexed of Him, or of God, for there hath not
been said, "from the city" of Him, or "from the city" of God, but only
"from the city:" in a good sense it is understood, in order that from the
city of God, that is, from the Church, they may flourish like grass; but
grass bearing fruit, as is that of wheat: for even this is called grass(1)
in Holy Scripture; as in Genesis(2) there is a command for the earth to
bring forth every tree and every grass, and there is not added every wheat:
which without doubt would not have been passed over unless under the name
of grass this also were understood; and in many other passages of the
Scriptures this is found. But if we must take, "and they shall flourish
like the grass of the earth," in the same manner as is said, "all flesh is
grass, and the glory of a man like the flower of grass :"(3) certainly then
that city must be understood which doth intimate this world's society: for
it was not to no purpose that Cain was the first to build a city.(4) Thus
the fruit of Christ being exalted above Libanus, that is, above enduring
trees and undecaying timbers, because He is the everlasting fruit, all the
glory of a man according to the temporal exaltation of the world is
compared to grass; for by believers and by men already hoping for life
eternal temporal felicity is despised, in order that there may be fulfilled
that which hath been written, "all flesh is grass, and all the glory of
flesh as the flower of grass the grass hath dried, the flower hath fallen
off, but the word of the Lord doth endure for ever." There is the fruit of
Him exalted above Libanus. For always flesh hath been grass, and the glory
of flesh as the flower of grass: but because it was not clearly proved what
felicity ought to have been chosen and preferred, the flower of grass was
esteemed for a great matter: not only it was by no means despised, but it
was even chiefly sought after. As if therefore at that time He shall have
begun to be thus, when there is reproved and despised whatever used to
flourish in the world, thus hath been said, "superexalted above Libanus
shall be the fruit of Him, and they shall flourish from the city like grass
of the earth:" that is, glorified above all things shall be that which is
promised for everlasting, and compared to the grass of the earth shall be
whatever is counted a great matter in the world.
19. "Be," therefore, "the name of Him blessed for ever: before the sun
endureth the name of Him" (ver. 17). By the sun times are signified.
Therefore for everlasting endureth the name of Him. For eternity doth
precede times, and is not bounded by time. "And there shall be blessed in
Him all the tribes of the earth." For in Him is fulfilled that which hath
been promised to Abraham. "For He saith not, In seeds, as though in many;
but as though in one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ."(5) But to Abraham
is said, "In thy Seed shall be blessed all the tribes of the earth."(6) And
not the sons of the flesh but the sons of promise are counted in the
Seed.(7) "All nations shall magnify Him." As if in explanation there is
repeated that which above hath been said. For because they shall be blessed
in Him, they shall magnify Him; not of themselves making Him to be great,
that of Himself is great, but by praising and confessing Him to be great.
For thus we magnify God: thus also we say, "Hallowed be Thy name,"(8) which
is indeed always holy.
20. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath done wonderful things
alone" (ver. 18). Contemplating all things above spoken of, a hymn
bursteth(9) forth; and the Lord God of Israel is blessed. For that is being
fulfilled which hath been spoken to that barren woman, "and He that hath
delivered Thee, the God of Israel, shall Himself be called of the whole
earth."(10) "He doeth" Himself "marvellous things alone:" for whosoever do
them, He doth Himself work in them, "who doeth wonderful things alone."
"And blessed be the name of His glory(11) for everlasting, and for age of
age" (ver. 19). For what else should the Latin interpreters have said, who
could not have said for everlasting, and for everlasting of everlasting?
For it soundeth as if one thing were meant in the expression "for
everlasting," and another thing in the expression "for age:" but the Greek
hath eis to`n aiw^na, kai` eis to`n aiw^na tou^ aiw^nos, which perchance
more meetly might have been rendered by, "for age, and for age of age:" so
that by "for age," might have been understood as long as this age(12)
endureth; but "for age of age," that which after the end of this is
promised to be. "And there shall be fufilled with the glory of Him every
land: so be it, so be it." Thou hast commanded, O Lord, so it is coming to
pass: so it is coming to pass, until that which began with the river, may
attain fully even unto the ends of the round world.
PSALM LXXIII.(13)
1. This Psalm hath an inscription, that is, a title, "There have failed
the hymns of David, the son of Jesse.(14) A Psalm(15) of Asaph himself." So
many Psalms we have on the titles whereof is written the name David,
nowhere there is added, "son of Jesse," except in this alone. Which we must
believe hath not been done to no purpose, nor capriciously. For everywhere
God doth make intimations to us, and to the understanding thereof doth
invite the godly study of love. What is, "there have failed the hymns of
David, the son of Jesse"? Hymns are praises of God accompanied with
singing: hymns are songs containing the praise of God. If there be praise,
and it be not of God, it is no hymn: if there be praise, and God's praise,
and it be not sung, it is no hymn. It must needs then, if it be a hymn,
have these three things, both praise, and that of God, and singing. What is
then, "there have failed the hymns"? There have failed the praises which
are sung unto God. He seemeth to tell of a thing painful, and so to speak
deplorable. For he that singeth praise, not only praiseth, but only
praiseth with gladness: he that singeth praise, not only singeth, but also
loveth him of whom he singeth. In praise, there is the speaking forth of
one confessing; in singing, the affection of one loving. "There have
failed" then "the hymns of David," he saith: and he hath added, "the son of
Jesse." For David was king of Israel, son of Jesse,(1) at a certain time of
the Old Testament, at which time the New Testament was therein hidden, like
fruit in a root. For if thou seek fruit in a root, thou wilt not find, and
yet dost thou not find any fruit in the branches, except that which hath
gone forth from the root. ... And in like manner as Christ Himself to be
born after the flesh was hidden in the root, that is in the seed of the
Patriarchs, and at a certain time must be revealed, as at the fruit
appearing, according as it is written, "there hath flourished a shoot from
the root of Jesse:"(2) so also the New Testament itself which is in Christ,
in those former times was hidden, being known to the Prophets alone, and to
the very few godly men, not by the manifestation of things present, but by
the revelation of things future. For what meaneth it, brethren (to mention
but one thing), that Abraham sending his faithful servant to espouse a wife
for his only son, maketh him swear to him, and in the oath saith to him,
"Put thy hand under my thigh, and swear"?(3) What was there in the thigh of
Abraham, where he put his hand in swearing? What was there there, except
that which even then was promised to him, "In thy seed shall be blessed all
nations"?(4) Under the name of thigh, flesh is signified. From the flesh
of Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob, and not to mention many names, through
Mary was our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. But that the root was in the Patriarchs, how shall we show? Let us
question Paul. The Gentiles now believing in Christ, and desiring as it
were to boast over the Jews who crucified Christ; although also from that
same people there came another wall, meeting in the corner, that is, in
Christ Himself, the wall of uncircumcision, that is, of the Gentiles,
coming from a different quarter: when, I say, the nations were lifting up
themselves, he doth thus depress them. "For if thou," he saith, "being cut
out of the natural wild olive, hast been grafted in among them, do not
boast against the branches: for if thou boastest, thou dost not bear the
root, but the root thee."(5) Therefore he speaketh of certain branches
broken off from the root of the Patriarchs because of unbelief, and the
wild olive therein grafted in, that it might be partaker of the fatness of
the olive, that is, the Church coming out of the Gentiles. And who doth
graft the wild olive on the olive? The olive is wont to be grafted on the
wild olive; the wild olive on the olive we never saw. For whosoever may
have done so will find no berries but those of the wild olive. For that
which is grafted in, the same groweth, and of that kind the fruit is found.
There is not found the fruit of the root but of the graft. The Apostle
showing that God. did this thing by His Omnipotence, namely, that the wild
olive should be grafted into the root of the olive, and should not bear
wild berries, but olive--ascribing it to the Omnipotence of God, the
Apostle saith this, "If thou hast been cut out of the natural wild olive
and against nature hast been grafted into a good(6) olive, do not boast,"
he saith, "against the branches."(7) ...
3. In the time then of the Old. Testament, brethren, the promises from
our God to that carnal people were earthly and temporal. There was promised
an earthly kingdom, there was promised that land into which they were also
led, after being delivered from Egypt: by Jesus(8) son of Nave they were
led into the land of promise, where also earthly Jerusalem was builded,
where David reigned: they received the land, after being delivered from
Egypt, by passing through the Red Sea. ... Such were also those promises,
which were not to endure, through which however were figured future
promises which were to endure, so that all that course of temporal promises
was a figure and a sort of prophecy of things future. Accordingly when that
kingdom was failing, where reigned David, the son of Jesse, that is, one
that was a man, though a Prophet, though holy, because he saw and foresaw
Christ to come, of whose seed also after the flesh He was to be born:
nevertheless a man, nevertheless not yet Christ, nevertheless not yet our
King Son of God, but king David son of Jesse: because then that kingdom was
to fail, through the receiving of which kingdom at that time God was
praised by carnal men; for this thing alone they esteemed a great matter,
namely, that they were delivered temporally from those by whom they were
being oppressed, and that they had escaped from persecuting enemies through
the Red Sea, and had been led through the desert, and had found country and
kingdom: for this alone they praised God, not yet perceiving the thing
which God was designing beforehand and promising in these figures. In the
failing therefore of those things for which the carnal people, over whom
reigned that David, was praising God, "there failed the hymns of David,"
not the Son of God, but the "son of Jesse." ...
4. Whose voice is the Psalm? "Of Asaph."(1) What is Asaph? As we find
in interpretations from the Hebrew language into the Greek, and those again
translated to us from the Greek into the Latin, Asaph is interpreted
Synagogue. It is the voice therefore of the Synagogue. But when thou hast
heard Synagogue, do not forthwith abhor it, as if it were the murderer of
the Lord. That Synagogue was indeed the murderer of the Lord, no man
doubteth it: but remember, that from the Synagogue were the rams whereof we
are the sons. Whence it is said in a Psalm, "Bring ye to the Lord the sons
of rams."(2) What rams are thence? Peter, John, James, Andrew, Bartholomew,
and the rest of the Apostles. Hence also he too at first Saul, afterwards
Paul: that is, at first proud, afterwards humble. ...Therefore even Paul
came to us from the Synagogue, and Peter and the other Apostles from the
Synagogue. Therefore when thou hast heard the voice of the Synagogue, do
not look to the deserving thereof, but observe the offspring. There is
speaking therefore in this Psalm, the Synagogue, after the failing of the
hymns of David, the son of Jesse that is, after the failing of things
temporal, through which God was wont to be praised by the carnal people.
But why did these fail, except in order that others might be sought for?
That there might be sought for what? Was it things which were not there?
No, but things which were there being hidden in figures: not which were not
yet there,(3) but which there as it were in a sort were concealed in
certain secret things of mysteries. What things? "These," saith the Apostle
himself, "were our figures."(4) ...
5. It was the Synagogue therefore, that is, they that there worshipped
God after a godly sort, but yet for the sake of earthly things, for the
sake of these present things (for there are ungodly men who seek the
blessings of present things from demons: but this people was on this
account better than the Gentiles, because although it were blessings
present and temporal, yet they sought them from the One God, who is the
Creator of all things both spiritual and corporal). When therefore those
godly men after the flesh were observing--that is that Synagogue which was
made up of good men, men for the time good, not spiritual men, such as were
the Prophets therein, such as were the few that understood the kingdom
heavenly, eternal--that Synagogue, I say, observed what things it received
from God, and what things God promised to that people, abundance of things
earthly, land, peace, earthly felicity: but in all these things were
figures, and they not perceiving what was there concealed in things
figured, thought that God gave this for a great matter, and had nothing
better to give to men loving Him and serving Him: they remarked and saw
certain sinners, ungodly, blasphemers, servants of demons, sons of the
Devil, living in great naughtiness and pride, yet abounding in such things
earthly, temporal, for which sort of things they were serving God
themselves: and there sprang up a most evil thought in the heart, which
made the feet to totter, and almost slip out of God's way. And behold this
thought was in the people of the Old Testament: I would it be not in our
carnal brethren, when now openly there is being proclaimed the felicity of
the New Testament. ...
6. "How good is the God of Israel!" But to whom? "To men right in
heart" (ver. 1). To men perverse what? Perverse He seemeth. So also in
another Psalm He saith: "With a holy man holy Thou shall be, and with the
innocent man innocent Thou shall be, and with the perverse man perverse
Thou shalt be."(5) What is, perverse Thou shall be with the perverse man?
Perverse the perverse man shall think Thee. Not that by any means God is
made perverse. Far be it: what He is, He is. But in like manner as the sun
appeareth mild to one having clear, sound, healthy, strong eyes, but
against weak eyes doth dart hard spears, so to say; the former looking at
it it doth invigorate, the latter it doth torture, though not being itself
Changed, but the man being changed: so when thou shalt have begun to be
perverse, and to thee God shall seem to be perverse, thou art changed, not
He. That therefore to thee will be punishment which to good men is joy. He
calling to mind this thing, saith, "How good is the God of Israel to men
right in heart!"
7. But what to thee? "But my feet were almost moved" (ver. 2). When
were the feet moved, except when the heart was not right? Whence was the
heart not right? Hear: "My steps were well nigh overthrown." What he hath
meant by "almost," the same he hath meant by "well nigh:" and what he hath
meant by "my feet were almost moved," the same he hath meant by "my steps
were overthrown." Almost my feet were moved, almost my steps were
overthrown. Moved were the feet: but whence were the feet moved and the
steps overthrown? Moved were the feet to going astray, overthrown were the
steps to falling: not entirely, but "almost." But what is this? Already I
was going to stray, I had not gone: already I was failing, I had not
fallen.
8. But why even this? "For I was jealous," he saith, "in the case of
sinners, looking on the peace of sinners" (ver. 3). I observed sinners, I
saw them to have peace. What peace? Temporal, transient, falling, and
earthly: but yet such as I also was desiring of God. I saw them that served
not God to have that which I desired in; order that I might serve God: and
my feet were moved and my steps were almost overthrown. But why sinners
have this, he saith briefly: "Because there is no avoidance of their death,
and there is a firmament in their scourge" (ver. 4). Now I have perceived,
he saith, why they have peace, and flourish on the earth; because of their
death there is no avoidance, because death sure and eternal doth await
them, which neither doth avoid them, nor can they avoid it, "because there
is no avoidance of their death, and there is a firmament in their scourge."
And there is a firmament in their scourge. For their scourge is not
temporal, but firm for everlasting. Because of these evil things then which
are to be to them eternal, now what? "In the labours of men they are not,
and with men they shall not be scourged" (ver. 5). Doth not even the devil
himself escape scourging with men, for whom nevertheless an eternal
punishment is being prepared?
9. Wherefore on this account what do these men, while they are not
scourged, while they labour not with men? "Therefore," he saith "there hath
holden them pride" (ver. 6). Observe these men, proud, undisciplined;
observe the bull, devoted for a victim, suffered to stray at liberty; and
to damage whatever he may, even up to the day of his slaughter. Now it is a
good thing, brethren, that we should hear in the very words of a prophet of
this bull as it were, whereof I have spoken. For thus of him the Scripture
doth make mention in another place: he saith that they are, as it were,
made ready as for a victim, and that they are spared for an evil
liberty.(1) "Therefore," he saith, "there hath holden them pride." What is,
"there hath holden them pride"? "They have been clothed about with their
iniquity and ungodliness." He hath not said, covered; but, "clothed about,"
on all sides covered up with their ungodliness. Deservedly miserable, they
neither see nor are seen, because they are clothed about; and the inward
parts of them are not seen. For whosoever could behold the inward parts of
evil men, that are as it were happy for a time, whosoever could see their
torturing consciences, whosoever could examine their souls racked with such
mighty perturbations of desires and fears, would see them to be miserable
even when they are called happy. But because "they are clothed about with
their iniquity and ungodliness," they see not; but neither are they seen.
The Spirit knew them, that saith these words concerning them: and we ought
to examine such men with the same eye as that wherewith we know that we
see, if there is taken from our eyes the covering of ungodliness. ...
10. At first these men are being described. "There shall go forth as if
out of fat their iniquity" (ver. 7). ... A poor beggar committeth a theft;
out of leanness hath gone forth the iniquity: but when a rich man aboundeth
in so many things, why doth he plunder the things of others? Of the former
the iniquity out of leanless, of the other out of fatness, hath gone forth.
Therefore to the lean man when thou sayest, Why hast thou done this? Humbly
afflicted and abject he replieth, Need hath compelled me. Why hast thou not
feared God? Want was urgent. Say to a rich man, Why doest thou these
things, and fearest not God?--supposing thee to be great enough to be able
to say it--see if he even deigneth to hear; see if even against thyself(2)
there will not go forth iniquity out of his fatness. For now they declare
war with their teachers and reprovers, and become enemies of them that
speak the truth, having been long accustomed to be coaxed with the words of
flatterers, being of tender ear, of unsound heart. Who would say to a rich
man, Thou hast ill done in robbing other men's goods? Or perchance if any
man shall have dared to speak, and he is such a man as he could not
withstand, what doth he reply? All that he saith is in contempt of God.
Why? Because he is proud. Why? Because he is fat. Why? Because he is
devoted for a victim. "They have passed over unto purpose of heart." Here
within they have passed over. What is, "they have passed over"? They have
crossed over the way. What is, "they have passed over"? They have exceeded
the bounds of mankind, men like the rest they think not themselves. They
have passed over, I say, the bounds of mankind. When thou sayest to such a
man, Thy brother this beggar is; when thou sayest to such a man, Thy
brother(1) this poor man is; the same parents ye have had, Adam and Eve: do
not heed thy haughtiness, do not heed the vapour unto which thou hast been
elevated; although an establishment waiteth about thee, although countless
gold and silver, although a marbled house doth contain thee, although
fretted ceilings cover thee, thou and the poor man together have for
covering that roof of the universe, the sky; but thou art different from
the poor man in things not thine own, added to thee from without: thyself
see in them, not them in thee. Observe thyself, how thou art in relation to
the poor man; thyself, not that which thou hast. For why dost thou despise
thy brother? In the bowels of your mothers ye were both naked. Forsooth,
even when ye shall have departed this life, and these bodies shall have
rotted, when the soul hath been breathed forth, let the bones of the rich
and poor man be distinguished! I am speaking of the equality of condition,
of that very lot of mankind, wherein all men are born:(2) for both here
doth a man become rich, and a poor man will not alway be here: and as a
rich man doth not come rich, so neither doth he depart rich; the very same
is the entrance of both, and like is the departure. I add, that perchance
ye will change conditions. Now everywhere the Gospel is being preached:
observe a certain poor man full of sores, who was lying before the gate of
a rich man? and was desiring to be filled with crumbs, which used to fall
from the table of the rich man; observe also that likeness(4) of thine who
was clothed with purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. It
chanced, I say, for that poor man to die, and to be borne by the Angels
into the bosom of Abraham: but the other died and was buried; for the
other's burial perchance no one cared. ... Brethren, how great was the toil
of the poor man! Of how long duration were the luxuries of the rich man!
But the condition which they have received in exchange is everlasting. ...
Deservedly too late he will say, "Send Lazarus,"(5) "let him tell even my
brethren;" since to himself there is not granted the fruit of repentance.
For it is not that repentance(6) is not given, but everlasting will be the
repentance, and no salvation after repentance. Therefore these men "have
passed over unto purpose of heart."
11. "They have thought and have spoken spitefulness" (ver. 8). But men
do speak spitefulness even with fear: but these men how? "Iniquity on high
they have spoken." Not only they have spoken iniquity; but even openly, in
the hearing of all, proudly; "I will do it;" "I will show you;" "thou shall
know with whom thou hast to do;" "I will not let thee live." Thou(7)
mightest have but thought such things, not have given utterance to them!
Within the chambers of thought at least the evil desire might have been
confined, he might have at least restrained it within his thought. Why? Is
he perchance lean? "There shall go forth as if out of fatness the iniquity
of them." "Iniquity on high they have spoken."
12. "They have set against Heaven their mouth, and their tongue hath
passed over above the earth "(ver. 9). For this, "hath passed over above
the earth" is, they pass over all earthly things? What is it to pass over
all earthly things? He doth not think of himself as a man that can die
suddenly, when he is speaking; he doth menace as if he were alway to live:
his thought doth transcend earthly frailty, he knoweth not with what sort
of vessel he is enwrapped; he knoweth not what hath been written in another
place concerning such men: "His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return
unto his earth, in that day shall perish all his thoughts."(8) But these
men not thinking of their last clay, speak pride,(9) and unto Heaven they
set their mouth, they transcend the earth. If a robber were not to think of
his last day, that is, the last day of his trial, when sent to prison,
nothing would be more monstrous than he: and yet he might escape. Whither
dost thou flee to escape death? Certain will that day be. What is the long
time which thou hast to live? How much is the long time which hath an end,
even if it were a long time? To this there is added that it is nought: and
the very thing which is called long time is not a long time, and is
uncertain. Why doth he not think of this? Because he hath set against
Heaven his mouth, and his tongue hath passed over above the earth. "And
full days shall be found in them."
13. "Therefore there shall return hither My people" (ver. 10). Now
Asaph himself is returning hither. For he saw these things abound to
unrighteous men, he saw them abound to proud men: he is returning to God,
and is beginning to inquire and discuss. But when? "When full days shall be
found in them." What is "full days"? "But when there came the fulness of
time, God sent His Son."(10) This is the very fulness of time, when He came
to teach men that things temporal should be despised, that they should not
esteem as a great matter whatever object evil men covet, that they should
suffer whatever evil men fear. He became the way, He recalled us to inward
thought, admonished us of what should be sought of God. And see from what
thought reacting upon itself, and in a manner recalling the waves of its
impulse, he doth pass over unto choosing true things.
14. "And they said, How hath God known, and is there knowledge in the
Most High?" (ver. 11). See through what thought they pass. Behold unjust
men are happy, God doth not care for things human. Doth He indeed know what
we do? See what things are being said. We are inquiring, brethren, "How
hath God known," etc. (no longer let Christians say it). For how doth it
appear to thee that God knoweth not, and that there is no knowledge in the
Most High? He replieth, "Lo! themselves they are sinners, and in the world
they have gotten abundant riches, (ver. 12). Both sinners they are, and in
the world they have gotten abundant riches. He confessed that he willed not
to be a sinner in order that he might have riches. A carnal soul for things
visible and earthly would have sold its justice. What sort of justice is
that which is retained for the sake of gold, as if gold were a more
precious thing than justice herself, or as if when a man denieth the
deposit of another man's goods, he to whom he denied them should suffer a
greater loss, than he that denieth them to him. The former doth lose a
garment, the latter fidelity. "Lo! they are themselves sinners, and in the
world they have gotten abundant riches." On this account therefore God
knoweth not, and on this account there is no knowledge in the Most High.
15. "And I said, therefore(1) without cause I have justified my heart"
(ver. 13). In that I serve God, and have not these things; they serve him
not, and they abound in these things: "therefore without cause I have
justified my heart, and have washed among the innocent my hands." This
without cause I have done. Where is the reward of my good life? Where is
the wage of my service? I live well and am in need; and the unjust man doth
abound. "And I have washed among the innocent my hands. And I have been
scourged all the day long" (ver. 14). From me the scourges of God do not
impart. I serve well, and I am scourged; he serveth not, and is honoured.
He hath proposed to himself a great question. The soul is disturbed, the
soul doth pass over things which are to pass away unto despising things
earthly and to desiring things eternal. There is a passage of the soul
herself in this thought; where she doth toss in a sort of tempest she will
reach the harbour. And it is with her as it is with sick persons, who are
less violently sick, when recovery is far off: when recovery is at hand
they are in higher fever; physicians call it the "critical(2) accession"
through which they pass to health: greater fever is there, but leading to
health: greater heat, but recovery is at hand. So also is this man
enfevered. For these are dangerous words, brethren, offensive, and almost
blasphemous, "How hath God known?" This is why I say, "and almost;" He hath
not said, God hath not known: he hath not said, there is no knowledge in
the Most High: but as if inquiring, hesitating, doubting. This is the same
as he said a little before, "My steps were almost overthrown."(3) He doth
not affirm it, but the very doubt is dangerous. Through danger he is
passing to health. Hear now the health: "Therefore in vain I have justified
my heart, and have washed among the innocent my hands: and I have been
scourged all the day long, and my chastening was in the morning."
Chastening is correction. He that is being chastened is being corrected.
What is, "in the morning"? It is not deferred. That of the ungodly is being
deferred, mine is not deferred: the former is too late or is not at all;
mine is in the morning.
16. "If I said, I shall declare thus; behold, the generation of Thy
sons I have reprobated" (ver. 15): that is, I will teach thus. How wilt
thou teach? that there is no knowledge in the Most High, that God doth not
know? Wilt thou propound this opinion, that without cause men live justly
who do live justly; that a just man hath lost his service, because God
doth. more show favour to evil men, or else He doth care for no one? Wilt
thou tell this, declare this? He doth restrain himself by an authority
repressing him. What authority? A man wisheth some time to break out in
this sentiment: but he is recalled by the Scriptures directing us alway to
live well, saying, that God doth care for things human, that He maketh a
distinction between a godly man and an ungodly man. Therefore this man also
wishing to put forth this sentiment, doth recollect himself. And what saith
he? "I have reprobated the generation of Thy sons." If I shall declare
thus, the generation of just men I shall reprobate. As also some copies
have it, "Behold, the generation of thy sons with which I have been in
concert:" that is, with which consisting of Thy sons I have been in
concert; that is, with which I have agreed, to which I have been conformed:
I have been out of time with all, if so I teach. For he doth sing in
concert who giveth the tune together; but he that giveth not the tune
together doth not sing in concert. Am I to say something different from
that which Abraham said, from that which Isaac said, from that which Jacob
said, from that which the Prophets said? For all they said that God doth
care for things human, am I to say that He careth not? Is there greater
wisdom in me than in them? Greater understanding in me than in them? A most
wholesome authority hath called back his thought from ungodliness. And what
followeth? That he might not reprobate, he did what? "And I undertook to
know" (ver. 16). May God be with him in order that he may know. Meanwhile,
brethren, from a great fall he is being withheld, when he doth not presume
that he already knoweth, but hath undertaken to know that which he knew
not. For but now he was willing to appear as if knowing, and to declare
that God hath no care of things human. For this hath come to be a most
naughty and ungodly doctrine of unrighteous men. Know, brethren, that many
men dispute and say that God careth not for things human, that by chances
all things are ruled, or that our wills have been made subject to the
stars, that each one is not dealt with according to his deserts, but by the
necessity of his stars,--an evil doctrine, an impious doctrine. Unto these
thoughts was going that man whose feet were almost moved, and whose steps
were all but overthrown, into this error he was going; but because he was
not in tune with the generation of the sons of God, he undertook to know,
and condemned the knowledge wherein with God's just men he agreed not. And
what he saith let us hear; how that he undertook to know, and was helped,
and learned something, and declared it to us. "And I undertook," he saith,
"to know." "In this labour is before me." Truly a great labour; to know in
what manner both God doth care for things human, and it is well with evil
men, and good men labour. Great is the importance of the question;
therefore, "and this labour is before me." As it were there is standing in
my face a sort of wall, but thou hast the voice of a Psalm, "In my God I
shall pass over the wall."(1)
17. ... And he hath done this; for he saith how long labour is before
him; "until I enter into the sanctuary of God, and understand upon the last
things" (ver. 17). A great thing it is, brethren: now for a long time I
labour, he saith, and before my face I see a sort of insuperable labour, to
know in what manner both God is just, and doth care for things human, and
is not unjust because men sinning and doing wicked actions have happiness
on this earth; but the godly and men serving God are wasted ofttimes in
trials and in labours; a great difficulty it is to know this, but only
"until I enter into the Sanctuary of God." For in the Sanctuary what is
presented to thee, in order that thou mayest solve this question? "And I
understand," he saith, "upon the last things:" not present things. I, he
saith, from the Sanctuary of God stretch out mine eye unto the end, I pass
over present things. All that which is called the human race, all that mass
of mortality is to come to the balance, is to come to the scale, thereon
will be weighed the works of men. All things now a cloud doth enfold: but
to God are known the merits of each severally. "And I understand," he
saith, "upon the last things:" but not of myself; for before me there is
labour. Whence "may I understand upon the last things"? Let me enter into
the Sanctuary of God. In that place then he understood also the reason why
these men now are happy.
18. To wit, "because of deceitfulness Thou hast set upon them" (ver.
18). Because deceitful they are, that is fraudulent; because deceitful they
are, they suffer deceits. What is this, because fraudulent they are they
suffer a fraud? They desire to play a fraud upon mankind in all their
naughtinesses, they themselves also suffer a fraud, in choosing earthly
good things, and in forsaking the eternal. Therefore, brethren, in their
very playing off a fraud they suffer a fraud. In that which but now I said,
brethren, "What manner of wit(2) hath he who to gain a garment doth lose
his fidelity?" hath he whose garment he hath taken suffered a fraud, or he
that is smitten with so great a loss? If a garment is more precious than
fidelity, the former doth suffer the greater loss: but if incomparably good
faith doth surpass the whole world, the latter shall seem to have sustained
the loss of a garment; but to the former is said, "What doth it profit a
man if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?"(3)
Therefore what hath befallen them? "Because of deceitfulness Thou hast set
for them: Thou didst throw them down while they were being exalted." He
hath not said, Thou didst throw them down because they were lifted up: not
as it were after that they were lifted up Thou didst throw them down; but
in their very lifting up they were thrown down.For thus to be lifted up is
already to fall.
19. "How have they become a desolation suddenly?" (ver. 19). He is
wondering at them, understanding unto the last things. "They have
vanished." Truly like smoke, which while it mounteth upward, doth vanish,
so they have vanished. How doth he say, "They have vanished"? In the manner
of one who understandeth the last things: "they have perished because of
their iniquity." "Like as the dream of one rising up" (ver. 20). How have
they vanished? As vanisheth the dream of one rising up. Fancy a man in
sleep to have seen himself find treasures; he is a rich man, but only until
he awaketh. "Like as the dream of one rising up:" so they have vanished,
like the dream of one awaking. It is sought then and it is not: there is
nothing in the hands, nothing in the bed. A poor man he went to sleep, a
rich man in sleep he became: had he not awoke, he were a rich man: he woke
up, he found the care which he had lost while sleeping. And these men shall
find the misery which they had prepared for themselves. When they shall
have awoke from this life, that thing doth pass away which was grasped as
if in sleep. "Like as the dream of one rising up." And that there might not
be said, "What then? a small thing doth their glory seem to thee, a small
thing doth their state seem to thee, small things seem to thee
inscriptions, images, statues, distinctions, troops of clients?" "O Lord,"
he saith, "in Thy city their image(1) Thou shall bring to nothing." ... He
hath taken away the pride of rich men, he giveth counsel.(2) As if they(3)
were saying, We are rich men, thou dost forbid us to be proud, dost
prohibit us from boasting of the parade of our riches what then are we to
do with these riches? Is it come to this, that there is nothing which they
may do therewith? "Be they rich," he saith, "in good works; let them
readily distribute communicate."(4) And what doth this profit? "Let them
treasure unto themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may
lay hold of true life."(5) Where ought they to lay up treasure for
themselves? In that place whereunto he set his eye, when entering into the
Sanctuary of God. Let there shudder all our rich brethren, abounding in
money, gold, silver, household, honours, let them shudder at that which but
now hath been said, "Thou shall bring to nothing their image." Are they not
worthy to suffer these things, to wit that God bring to nothing their image
in His city, because also they have themselves brought to nothing the image
of God in their earthly city?
20. "Because my heart was delighted" (ver. 21). He is saying with what
things he is tempted: "because my heart was delighted," he saith, "my
reins also were changed." When those temporal things delighted me, my reins
were changed. It may also be understood thus: "because my heart was
delighted" in God, "my reins also were changed, that is, my lusts were
changed, and I became wholly chaste. "My reins were changed." And hear how.
"And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not" (ver. 22). I, the very
man, who now say these things of rich men, once longed for such things:
therefore "even I was brought to nothing" when my steps were almost
overthrown. "And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not." We must not
therefore despair even of them, against whom I was saying such things.
21. What is, "I knew not"? "As it were a beast I became to Thee, and I
am alway with Thee "(ver. 23). There is a great difference between this man
and others. He became as it were a beast in longing for earthly things,
when being brought to nothing he knew not things eternal: but he departed
not from his God, because he did not desire these things of demons, of the
devil. For this I have already brought to your notice. The voice is from
the Synagogue, that is, from that people which served not idols. A beast
indeed I became, when desiring from my God things earthly: but I never
departed from That my God.
22. Because then, though having become a beast, I departed not from my
God, there followeth, "Thou hast held the hand of my right hand." He hath
not said my right hand, but "the hand of my right hand." If the hand of the
right hand it is, a hand hath a hand. "The hand Thou hast held of my right
hand," in order that Thou mightest conduct me. For what hath he put hand?
For power. For we say that a man hath that in his hand which he hath in his
power: just as the devil said to God concerning Job, "Lay to Thine hand,
and take away the things which he hath."(6) What is, lay to Thine hand?
Put(7) forth power. The hand of God he hath called the power of God: as
hath been written in another place, "death and life are in the hands of the
tongue."(8) Hath the tongue hands? But what is, in the hands of the tongue?
In the power of the tongue. What is, in the power of the tongue? "Out of
thy mouth thou shalt be justified, and out of thy mouth thou shall be
condemned."(9) "Thou hast held," therefore, "the hand of my right hand,"
the power of my right hand. What was my right hand? That I was alway with
Thee. Unto the left I was holding, because I became a beast, that is,
because there was an earthly concupiscence in me: but the right was mine,
because I was alway with thee. Of this my fight hand Thou hast held the
hand, that is, hast directed the power. What power? "He gave them power to
become sons of God."(10) He is beginning now to be among the sons of God,
belonging to the New Testament. See in what manner the hand of his right
hand was held. "In Thy will Thou hast conducted me." What is, "in thy
will"? Not in my merits. What is, "in Thy will"? Hear the apostle, who was
at first a beast longing for things earthly, and living after the Old
Testament. He saith what? "I that at first was a blasphemer, and
persecutor, and injurious: but mercy I obtained."(1) What is, "in Thy
will"? "By the grace of God I am what I am."(2) "And in(3) glory Thou hast
taken me up." Now to what glory he was taken up, and in what glory, who can
explain, who can say? Let us await it, because in the Resurrection it will
be, in the last things it will be.
23. And he is beginning to think of that same Heavenly felicity, and to
reprove himself, because he hath been a beast, and hath longed for things
earthly. "For what have I in Heaven, and from Thee what have I willed upon
earth?" (ver. 35). By your voice I see that ye have understood.(4) He
compared with his earthly will the heavenly reward which he is to receive;
he saw what was there being reserved for him; and while thinking and
burning at the thought of some ineffable thing, which neither eye hath
seen, nor ear heard, nor into the heart of man hath ascended? he hath not
said, this or that I have in Heaven, but," what have I in Heaven?" What is
that thing which I have in Heaven? What is it? How great is it? Of what
sort is it? "And," since that which I have in heaven doth not pass away,
"from Thee what have I willed upon earth?"(6)... Thou reservest, he saith,
for me in Heaven riches immortal, even Thyself, and I have willed from Thee
on earth that which even ungodly men have, which even evil men have, which
even abandoned men have, money, gold, silver, jewels, households, which
even many. wicked men have: which even many profligate women have, many
profligate men: these things as a great matter I have desired of my God
upon earth: though my God reserveth Himself for me in Heaven!
24. "My heart and my flesh hath failed, O God of my heart" (ver. 26).
This then for me in Heaven hath been reserved, "God of my heart, and my
portion is my God." What is it, brethren? Let us find out our riches, let
mankind choose their parts. Let us see men torn with diversity of desires:
let some choose warservice, some advocacy, some divers and sundry offices
of teaching, some merchandise, some farming, let them take their portions
in human affairs: let the people of God cry, "my portion is my God." Not
for a time "my portion;" but "my portion is my God for everlasting." Even
if I alway have gold, what have I? Even if I did not alway have God, how
great a good should I have? To this is added, that He promiseth Himself to
me, and He promiseth that I shall have this for everlasting. So great a
thing I have, and never have it not. Great felicity: "my portion is God!"
How long? "For everlasting." For behold and see after what sort He hath
loved him; He hath made his heart chaste: "God of my heart, and my portion
is God for everlasting." become chaste for His heart hath become chaste,
for nought now God is loved, from Him is not sought any other reward. He
that doth seek any other reward from God, and therefore is willing to serve
God, more precious doth make that which he willeth to receive, than Him
from whom he willeth to receive. What then, is there no reward belonging to
God? None except Himself. The reward belonging to God, is God Himself. This
he loveth, this he esteemeth; if any other thing he shall have loved, the
love will not be chaste. Thou art receding from the Fire immortal, thou
wilt grow cold, wilt be corrupted. Do not recede. Recede not, it will be
thy corruption, it will be thy fornication. Now he is returning, now he is
repenting, now he is choosing repentance, now he is saying, "my portion is
God." And after what sort is he delighted with that Same, whom he hath
chosen for his portion.
25. "Behold, they that put themselves afar from Thee shall perish"
(ver. 27). He therefore departed from God, but not far: for "I have become
as it were a beast," he saith, and "I am alway with Thee."(7) But they have
departed afar, because not only things earthly they have desired, but have
sought them from demons and the Devil. "They that put themselves afar from
Thee shall perish." And what is it, to become afar from God? "Thou hast
destroyed every man that committeth fornication away from Thee." To this
fornication is opposed chaste love. What is chaste love? Now the soul doth
love her Bridegroom: what doth she require of Him, from Her Bridegroom whom
she loveth? Perchance in like manner as women choose for themselves men
either as sons-in-law or as bridegrooms: she perchance chooseth riches, and
loveth his gold, and estates, and silver and cattle and horses, and
household, and the like. Far be it. He doth love Him alone, for nought he
doth love Him: because in Him he hath all things, for "by Him were made all
things."(8)
26. But thou doest what? "But for me to cleave to God is a good thing"
(ver. 28). This is whole good. Will ye have more? I grieve at your willing.
Brethren, what will ye have more? Than to cleave to God nothing is better,
when we shall see Him face to face.(9) But now what? For yet as a stranger
I am speaking: "to cleave," he saith, "to God is a good thing:" but now in
my sojourning (for not yet hath come the substance), I have "to put in God
my hope." So long therefore as thou hast not yet cloven, therein put thy
hope. Thou art wavering, cast forward an anchor to the land.(1) Not yet
dost thou cleave by presence, cleave fast by hope. "To put in God my hope."
And by doing what here wilt thou put in God thy hope? What will be thy
business, but to praise Him whom thou lovest, and to make others to be
fellow-lovers of Him with thee? Lo, if thou shouldest love a charioteer,
wouldest thou not carry along other men to love him with thee? A lover of a
charioteer whithersoever he goeth doth speak of him in order that as well
as he others also may love him. For nought are loved abandoned men, and
from God is reward required in order that He may be loved? Love thou. God
for nought, grudge God to no one. ... For what followeth? "In order that I
may tell forth all Thy praises in the courts of the daughter of Sion." "In
the courts:" for the preaching of God beside the Church is vain. A small
thing it is to praise God and to tell forth all His praise. In the courts
of the daughter of Sion tell thou forth. Make for unity, do not divide the
people; but draw them unto one, and make them one. I have forgotten how
long I have been speaking. Now the Psalm being ended, even judging by this
closeness,(2) I suppose I have held a long discourse: but it doth not
suffice for your zeal; ye are too impetuous.(3) O that with this
impetuosity ye would seize upon the kingdom of Heaven.
PSALM LXXIV.(4)
1. This Psalm's Title is, "Of the Understanding of Asaph." Asaph in
Latin is translated congregation, in Greek Synagogue. Let us see what this
Synagogue hath understood. But let us understand firstly Synagogue: from
thence we shall understand what the Synagogue hath understood. Every
congregation is spoken of under the general name of Synagogue: one both of
beasts and of men may be called a congregation; but here there is no
congregation of beasts when we heard "understanding." ... For this the
Psalm's Title doth prescribe, saying, "Of the understanding of Asaph." It
is therefore a certain understanding congregation whereof we are about to
hear the voice. But since properly Synagogue is said of the congregation of
the people of Israel, so that wheresoever we may have heard Synagogue, we
are no longer wont to understand any but the people of the Jews; let us see
whether perchance the voice in this Psalm be not of that same people. But
of what sort of Jews and of what sort of people of Israel? For they are not
of the chaff, but perchance of the grain;(5) not of the broken branches,
but perchance of those that are strengthened. "For not all that are of
Israel are Israelites."(6) ... There are therefore certain Israelites, of
whom was he concerning whom was said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom
guile is not."(7) I do not say in the same manner as we are Israelites, for
we also are the seed of Abraham. For to the Gentiles the Apostle was
speaking, when he said, "Therefore the seed of Abraham ye are, heirs
according to promise."(8) According to this therefore all we are
Israelites, that follow the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham.
But let us understand here the voice of the Israelites in the same manner
as the Apostle saith, "For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin."(9) Here therefore let us understand that whereof
the Prophets have spoken, "a remnant shall be saved."(10) Of the remnant
therefore saved let us hear in this place the voice; in order that there
may speak that Synagogue which had received the Old Testament, and was
intent upon carnal promises; and by this means it came to pass that their
feet were shaken. For in another Psalm, where too the title hath Asaph,
there is said what? "How good is the God of Israel to men right in heart.
But my feet were almost moved."(11) And as if we were saying, whence were
thy feet moved? "Well nigh," he saith, "my steps were overthrown, because I
was jealous in the case of sinners, looking on the peace of sinners."(12)
For while according to the promises of God belonging to the Old Testament
he was looking for earthly felicity, he observed it to abound with ungodly
men; that they who worshipped not God were enriched with those things which
he was looking for from God: and as though without cause he had served God,
his feet tottered. ... But opportunely it hath chanced not by our own but
by God's dispensation, that just now we heard out of the Gospel, that "the
Law was given by Moses, Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ"(13) For if we
distinguish between the two Testaments, Old and New, there are not the same
Sacraments(14) nor the same promises;(15) nevertheless, the same
commandments(16) for the most part. ... When examined they are either all
found to be the same, or there are scarce any in the Gospel which have not
been spoken by the Prophets. The Commandments are the same, the Sacraments
are not the same, the Promises are not the same. Let us see wherefore the
commandments are the same; because according to these we ought to serve
God. The Sacraments are not the same, for some Sacraments there are giving
Salvation, others promising a Saviour. The Sacraments of the New Testament
give Salvation, the Sacraments of the Old Testament did promise a
Saviour.(1) When therefore thou hast now the things promised, why dost thou
seek the things promising, having now the Saviour? ... God through the New
Testament hath taken out of the hands of His sons those things which are
like the playthings of boys, in order that He might give something more
useful to them growing up, on that account must He be supposed not to have
given those former things Himself. He gave both Himself. But the Law itself
through Moses was given, Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ:(2)
Grace because there is fulfilled through love that which by the letter was
being enjoined, Truth because there is being rendered that which was
promised. This thing therefore this Asaph hath understood. In a word, all
things which to the Jews had been promised have been taken away. Where is
their kingdom? Where the Temple? Where the Anointing? Where is Priest?
Where are now the Prophets among them? From what time there came He that by
the Prophets was foretold, in that nation there is now nothing of these
things; now she hath lost things earthly, and not yet doth seek things
Heavenly.
2. Thou shouldest not therefore hold fast things earthly, although God
doth bestow them. ... See ye how that in fearing to lose things earthly,
the Jews slew the King of Heaven. And what was done to them? They lost even
those very things earthly: and in the place where they slew Christ, there
they were slain: and when, being unwilling to lose the land, they slew the
Giver of life, that same land being slain they lost; and at that very time
when they slew Him, in order that by that very time they might be
admonished of the reason wherefore they suffered these things. For when the
city of the Jews was overthrown, they were celebrating the Passover, and
with many thousands of men the whole nation itself had met together for the
celebration of that festival.(3) In that place God (through evil men
indeed, but yet Himself good; through unjust men, but Himself just and
justly) did so take vengeance upon them, that there were slain many
thousands of men, and the city itself was overthrown. Of this thing in this
Psalm "the understanding of Asaph" doth complain, and in the very plaint
the understanding as it were doth distinguish things earthly from things
heavenly, doth distinguish the Old Testament from the New Testament: in
order that thou mayest see through what things thou art passing, what thou
shouldest look for, what to forsake, to what to cleave. Thus then he
beginneth.
3. "Wherefore hast Thou repelled us, O God, unto the end? "(ver. 1).
"Hast repelled unto the end," in the person of the congregation which is
properly called Synagogue. "Wherefore hast Thou repelled us, O God, unto
the end?" He censureth not, but inquireth "wherefore," for what purpose,
because of what hast Thou done this? What hast Thou done? "Thou hast
repelled us unto the end." What is, "unto the end"? Perchance even unto the
end of the world. Hast Thou repelled us unto Christ, who is the End to
every one believing?(4) For, "Wherefore hast Thou repelled us, O God, unto
the end?" "Thy spirits hath been wroth at the sheep of Thy flock."
Wherefore wast Thou wroth at the sheep of Thy flock, but because to things
earthly we were cleaving, and the Shepherd we knew not?
4. "Remember Thou Thy congregation, which Thou hast possessed from the
beginning" (ver. 2). Can this by any means be the voice of the Gentiles?
Hath He possessed the Gentiles from the beginning? Nay, but He hath
possessed the seed of Abraham, the people of Israel even according to the
flesh, born of the Patriarchs our fathers: of whom we have become the sons,
not by coming out of their flesh, but by imitating their faith. But those,
possessed by God from the beginning, what befell them? "Remember Thy
congregation which Thou hast possessed from the beginning. Thou hast
redeemed the rod of Thine inheritance." That same congregation of Thine,
being the rod of Thine inheritance, Thou hast redeemed. This same
congregation he hath called "the rod of the inheritance." Let us look back
to the first thing that was done, when He willed to possess that same
congregation, delivering it from Egypt, what sign He gave to Moses, when
Moses said to Him, "What sign shall I give that they may believe me, that
Thou hast sent me? And God saith to him, What dost thou bear in thine hand?
A rod. Cast it on to the ground," etc.(6) What doth it intimate? For this
was not done to no purpose. Let us inquire of the writings of God. To what
did the serpent persuade man? To death.(7) Therefore death is from the
serpent. If death is from the serpent, the rod in the serpent is Christ in
death.(1) Therefore also when by serpents in the desert they were being
bitten and being slain, the Lord commanded Moses to exalt a brazen serpent
in the desert, and admonish the people that whosoever by a serpent had been
bitten, should look thereupon and be made whole.(2) Thus also it was done:
thus also men, bitten by serpents, were made whole of the venom by looking
upon a serpent.(3) To be made whole of a serpent is a great Sacrament. What
is it to be made whole of a serpent by looking upon a serpent? It is to be
made whole of death by believing in one dead. And nevertheless Moses feared
and red.(4) What is it that Moses fled from that serpent? What, brethren,
save that which we know to have been done in the Gospel? Christ died and
the disciples feared, and withdrew from that hope wherein they had been.(5)
.. But, at that time some thousands of the Jews themselves, the crucifiers
of Christ, believed: and because they had been found at hand, they so
believed as that they sold all that they had, and the price of their goods
before the feet of the Apostles they laid.(6) Because then this thing was
hidden, and the redemption of the rod of God was to be more conspicuous in
the Gentiles: he explaineth of what he saith that which he hath said, "Thou
hast redeemed the rod of Thine inheritance." This he hath said not of the
Gentiles in whom it was evident. But of what? "Mount Sion." Yet even Mount
Sion can be otherwise understood. "That one which(7) Thou hast dwelled in
the same." In the place where the People was aforetime, where the Temple
was set up, where the Sacrifices were celebrated, where at that time were
all those necessary things giving promise of Christ. A promise, when the
thing promised is bestowed is now become superfluous. ...
5. "Lift up Thine hand upon their pride at the end" (ver. 3). As Thou
didst repel us at the end, so "lift up Thine hand upon the pride of them at
the end." The pride of whom? Of those by whom Jerusalem was overthrown. But
by whom was it, but by the kings of the Gentiles? Well was the hand of Him
lifted up upon the pride of them at the end: for they too have now known
Christ. "For the end of the Law is Christ for righteousness to every one
believing."(8) How well doth he wish for them As if angry he is speaking,
and he is seeming to speak evil:(9) and O that there would come to pass the
evil which he speaketh: nay now in the name of Christ that it is coming to
pass let us rejoice. Now they holding the sceptre are being made subject to
the Word of the Cross: now is coming to pass that which was foretold,
"there shall adore Him all the kings of the earth, all nations shall serve
Him."(10) Now on the brows of kings more precious is the sign of the Cross,
than the jewel of a crown. "Lift up Thine hand upon the pride of them at
the end. How great things hath the enemy of malice wrought in Thy holy
places!" In those which were Thy holy places, that is, in the temple, in
the priesthood, in all those sacraments which were at that time. In good
sooth the enemy at that time wrought. For the Gentiles at that time who did
this, were worshipping false Gods, were adoring idols, were serving demons:
nevertheless they wrought many evil things on the Saints of God. When could
they if they had not been permitted? But when would they have been
permitted, unless those holy things, at first promised, were no longer
necessary, when He that had promised was Himself holden? Therefore, "how
great things hath the enemy of malice wrought in Thy holy places!"
6. "And all they have boasted, that hate Thee" (ver. 4). Observe the
servants of demons, the servants of idols: such as at that time the
Gentiles were, when they overthrew the temple and city of God, "and they
boasted." "In the midst of Thy festival." Remember what I said, that
Jerusalem was overthrown at the time when the very festival was being
celebrated: at which festival they crucified the Lord. Gathered together
they raged, gathered together they perished. "They have set signs, their
own signs, and they have not known" (ver. 5). They had signs to place
there, their standards, their eagles, their own dragons, the Roman signs;
or even their statues which at first in the temple they placed; or
perchance "their signs" are the things which they heard from the prophets
of their demons. "And they have not known." Have not known what? How "thou
shouldest have had no power against Me, except it had been given thee from
above."(11) They knew not how that not on themselves honour was conferred,
to afflict, to take, or overthrow the city, but their ungodliness was made
as it were the axe of God. They were made the instrument of Him enraged,
not so as to be the kingdom of Him pacified. For God doth that which a man
also ofttime doth. Sometimes a man in a rage catcheth up a rod lying in the
way, perchance any sort of stick, he smiteth therewith his son, and then
throweth the stick into the fire and reserveth the inheritance for his son:
so sometime God through evil men doth instruct good men, and through the
temporal power of them that are to be condemned He worketh the discipline
of them that are to be saved. For why do you suppose, brethren, that
discipline was even thus inflicted upon that nation, in order that it might
perish utterly? How many out of this nation did afterwards believe, how
many are yet to believe? Some are chaff, others grain; over both however
there cometh in the threshing-drag; but under one threshing-drag the one is
broken up, the other is purged. How great a good hath God bestowed upon us
by the evil of Judas the traitor! By the very ferocity of the Jews how
great a good was bestowed upon believing Gentiles! Christ was slain in
order that there might be on the Cross One for him to look to who had been
stung by the serpent.(1) ...
7. Now let us hasten over the verses following after the destruction of
Jerusalem, for the reason that they are both evident, and it doth not
please me to tarry over the punishment even of enemies. "As if in a forest
of trees with axes, they have cut down the doors thereof at once; with
mattock and hammer they have thrown Her down" (ver. 6). That is, conspiring
together, with firm determination, "with mattock and hammer" they have
thrown Her down. "They have burned with fire Thy Sanctuary, they have
defiled on the ground the Tabernacle of Thy name" (ver. 7).
8. "They have said in their heart (the kindred of them is in one)"--
Have said what? "Come ye, let us suppress the solemnities of the Lord from
the land" (ver. 8). "Of the Lord," hath been inserted in the person of this
man, that is, in the person of Asaph. For they raging would not have called
Him the Lord whose temple they were overthrowing. "Come ye, let us suppress
all the solemnities of the Lord from the land." What of Asaph? What
understanding hath Asaph in these words? What? Doth he not profit even by
the discipline accorded? Is not the mind's crookedness made straight?
Overthrown were all things that were at first: nowhere is there priest,
nowhere Altar of the Jews, nowhere victim, nowhere Temple. Is there then no
other thing to be acknowledged which succeeded this departing? Or indeed
would this promissory sign have been taken away, unless there had come that
which was being promised? Let us see therefore in this place now the
understanding of Asaph, let us see if he profiteth by tribulation. Observe
what he saith: "Our signs we have not seen, no longer is there prophet, and
us He will not know as yet" (ver. 9). Behold those Jews who say that they
are not known as yet, that is, that they are yet in captivity, that not yet
they are delivered, do yet expect Christ. Christ will(2) come, but He will
come as Judge; the first time to call, afterwards to sever. He will come,
because He hath come,(3) and that He will come is evident; but hereafter
from above He will come. Before thee He was, O Israel. Thou wast bruised
because thou didst stumble against Him lying down: that thou mayest not be
ground to powder, observe Him coming from above. For thus it was foretold
by the prophet: "Whoever shall stumble upon that stone shall be bruised,
and upon whomsoever it shall have come, it shall grind him to powder."(4)
He doth bruise when little, He shall grind to powder when great. Now thy
signs thou seest not, now there is no prophet: and thou sayest, "and us He
will not know as yet:" because yourselves know not Him as yet. "No longer
is there a prophet; and us He will not know as yet."
9. "How long, O God, shall the enemy revile?" (ver. 10). Cry out as if
forsaken, as if deserted: cry out like a sick man, who hast chosen rather
to smite the physician than to be made whole: not as yet doth He know thee.
See what He hath done, who doth not know thee as yet. For they to whom
there hath been no preaching of Him, shall see; and they that have not
heard shall understand: and thou yet criest out, "No longer is there a
prophet, and us He will not know as yet."(5) Where is thine understanding?
"The adversary doth provoke Thy name at the end."(6) For this purpose the
adversary doth provoke Thy name at the end, that being provoked Thou mayest
reprove, reproving Thou mayest know them at the end: or certainly, "at the
end," in the sense of even unto the end.
10. "Wherefore dost Thou turn away Thine hand, and Thy right hand from
the midst of Thy bosom unto the end?" (ver. 11). Again, another sign which
was given to Moses. For in like manner as above from the rod was a sign, so
also from the right hand now. For when that thing had been done concerning
the rod, God gave a second sign: "thrust," He saith, "thine hand into thy
bosom, and he thrust it: draw it forth, and he drew it forth: and it was
found white,"(7) that is, unclean. For whiteness on the skin is leprosy,(8)
not fairness of complexion. For the heritage of God itself, that is, His
people, being cast out became unclean. But what saith He to him? Draw it
back into thy bosom. He drew it back, and it was restored to its own
colour. When doest Thou this, saith this Asaph? How long dost Thou alienate
Thy fight hand from Thy bosom, so that being without unclean it remaineth?
Draw it back, let it return to its colour, let it acknowledge the Saviour.
"Wherefore dost thou turn away Thine hand, and Thy right hand from the
midst of Thy bosom unto the end?" These words he crieth, being blind, not
understanding, and God doeth what He doeth. For wherefore came Christ?
"Blindness in part happened unto Israel, in order that the fulness of the
Gentiles might enter in, and so all Israel might be saved."(1) Therefore
now, O Asaph, acknowledge that which hath gone before, in order that thou
mayest at least follow, if thou wast not(2) able to go before. For not in
vain came Christ, or in vain was Christ slain, or in vain did the corn fall
into the ground; but it fell that it might rise manifold.(3) A serpent was
lifted up in the desert, in order that it might cure of the poison him that
was smitten.(4) Observe what was done. Do not think it to be a vain thing
that He came: lest He find thee evil, when He shall have come a second
time.
11. Asaph hath understood, because on the Title of the Psalm there is,
"understanding of Asaph." And what saith he? "But God, our King before the
worlds, hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth" (ver. 12). On the
one hand we cry, "No longer is there prophet, and us He will not know as
yet:"(5) but on the other hand, "our God, our King, who is before the
worlds" (for He is Himself in the beginning of the Word(6) by whom were
made the worlds), "hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth." "God
therefore, our King before the worlds," hath done what? "hath wrought
Salvation in the midst of the earth:" and I am yet crying as if forsaken!
.. Now the Gentiles are awake, and we are snoring, and as though God hath.
forsaken us, in dreams we are delirious. "He hath wrought Salvation in the
midst of the earth."
12. Now therefore, O Asaph, amend thyself according to thy
understanding, tell us what sort of Salvation God hath wrought in the midst
of the earth. When that earthly Salvation of yours was overthrown, what did
He do, what did He promise? "Thou didst confirm in Thy virtue the sea"
(ver. 13). As though the nation of the Jews were as it were dry land
severed from the waves, the Gentiles in their bitterness were the sea, and
on all sides they washed about that land: behold," Thou hast confirmed in
Thy virtue the sea," and the land remained thirsting for Thy rain. "Thou
hast confirmed in Thy virtue the sea, Thou hast broken in pieces the heads
of dragons in the water." Dragons' heads, that is, demons' pride, wherewith
the Gentiles were possessed, Thou hast broken in pieces upon the water: for
those persons whom they were possessing, Thou by Baptism hast delivered.
13. What more after the heads of dragons? For those dragons have their
chief, and he is himself the first great dragon. And concerning him what
hath He done that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth? Hear:
"Thou hast broken the head of the dragon" (ver. 14). Of what dragon? We
understand by dragons all the demons that war under the devil: what single
dragon then, whose head was broken, but the devil himself ought we to
understand? What with him hath He done? "Thou hast broken the head of the
dragon." That is, the beginning of sin. That head is the part which
received the curse, to wit that the seed of Eve should mark the head of the
serpent? For the Church was admonished to shun the beginning of sin. Which
is that beginning of sin, like the head of a serpent? The beginning of all
sin is pride.(8) There hath been broken therefore the head of the dragon,
hath been broken pride diabolical. And what with him hath He done, that
hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth? "Thou hast given him for
a morsel to the Ethiopian peoples." What is this? How do I understand the
Ethiopian peoples? How but by these all nations? And properly by black men:
for Ethiopians are black. They are themselves called to the faith who were
black; the very same indeed, so that there is said to them, "for ye were
sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord."(9) ... Thence was also that
calf which the people worshipped, unbelieving, apostate, seeking the gods
of the Egyptians, forsaking Him who had delivered them from the slavery of
the Egyptians: whence there was enacted that great Sacrament. For when
Moses was thus wroth with them worshipping and adoring the idol,(10) and,
inflamed with zeal for God, was punishing temporally, in order that he
might terrify them to shun death everlasting; yet the head itself of the
calf he cast into the fire, and ground to powder, destroyed, strawed on the
water, and gave to the people to drink: so there was enacted a great
Sacrament. O anger prophetic, and mind not perturbed but enlightened! He
did what? Cast it into the fire, in order that first the form itself may be
obliterated; piece by piece grind it down, in order that little by little
it may be consumed: cast it into the water, give to the people to drink!
What is this but that the worshippers of the devil were become the body of
the same? In the same manner as men confessing Christ become the Body of
Christ; so that to them is said, "but ye are the Body of Christ and the
members."(1) The body of the devil was to be consumed, and that too by
Israelites was to be consumed. For out of that people were the Apostles,
out of that people the first Church. ... Thus the devil is being consumed
with the loss of his members. This was figured also in the serpent of
Moses. For the magicians did likewise, and casting down their rods they
exhibited serpents: but the serpent of Moses swallowed up the rods of all
those magicians.(2) Let there be perceived therefore even now the body of
the devil: this is what is coming to pass, he is being devoured by the
Gentiles who have believed, he hath become meat for the Ethiopian peoples.
This again, may be perceived in, "Thou hast given him for meat to the
Ethiopian peoples," how that now all men bite him. What is, bite him? By
reproving, blaming, accusing. Just as hath been said, by way of prohibition
indeed, but yet the idea expressed: "but if ye bite and eat up one another,
take heed that ye be not consumed of one another."(3) What is, bite and eat
up one another? Ye go to law with one another, ye detract from one another,
ye heap revilings upon one another. Observe therefore now how that with
these bitings the devil is being consumed. What man, when angry with his
servant, even a heathen, would not say to him, Satan?(4) Behold the devil
given for meat. This saith Christian, this saith Jew, this saith
heathen:(4) him he worshippeth, and with him he curseth! ...
14. "Thou hast cleft the fountains and torrents" (ver. 15): in order
that they might flow with the stream of wisdom, might flow with the riches
of the faith, might water the saltness of the Gentiles, in order that they
might convert all unbelievers into the sweetness of the faith by their
watering. ... In some men the Word of God becometh a well of water
springing up unto life eternal;(5) but others hearing the Word, and not so
keeping it as that they live well, yet not keeping silence with tongue,
they become torrents. For they are properly called torrents which are not
perennial: for sometimes also in a secondary sense torrent is used for
river: as hath been said, "with the torrent of Thy pleasures Thou shalt
give them to drink."(6) For that torrent shall not ever be dried up. But
torrents properly are those rivers named, which in summer fail, but with
winter rains are flooded and run. Thou seest therefore a man sound in
faith, that will persevere even unto the end, that will not forsake God in
any trial; for the sake of the truth, not for the sake of falsehood and
error, enduring all difficulties. Whence is this man so vigorous, but
because the Word hath become in him a well of water springing up unto life
eternal?(5) But the other receiveth the Word, he preacheth, he is not
silent, he runneth: but summer proveth whether he be fountain or torrent.
Nevertheless through both be the earth watered, by Him who hath wrought
Salvation in the midst of the earth: let the fountains overflow, let the
torrents run.
15. "Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham" (ver. 15). ... What is
Etham? For the word is Hebrew. What is Etham interpreted? Strong, stout.
Who is this strong and stout one, whose rivers God drieth up? Who but that
very dragon? For "no one entereth into the house of a strong man that he
may spoil his vessels, unless first he shall have bound fast the strong
man."(7) This is that strong man on his own virtue relying, and forsaking
God: this is that strong man, who saith, "I will set my seat by the north,
and I will be like the Most High."(8) Out of that very cup of perverse
strength he hath given man to drink. Strong they willed to be, who thought
that they would be Gods by means of the forbidden food. Adam became strong,
over whom was reproachfully said, "Behold, Adam hath become like one of
us."(9) ... As though they were strong, "to the righteousness of God they
have not been made subject."(10) Observe ye that a man hath put out of the
way his own strength, and remained weak, needy, standing afar off, not
daring even to raise his eyes to Heaven; but smiting his breast, and
saying, "O Lord, merciful be Thou to me a sinner."(11) Now he is weak, now
he confesseth his weakness, he is not strong: dry land he is, be he watered
with fountains and torrents. They are as yet strong who rely on their own
virtue. Be their rivers dried up, let there be no advancement in the
doctrines of the Gentiles, of wizards, of astrologers, of magic arts: for
dried up are the rivers of the strong man: "Thou hast dried up the rivers
of Etham." Let there dry up that doctrine; let minds be flooded with the
Gospel of truth.
16. "Thine own is the day and Thine own is the night" (ver. 16). Who is
ignorant of this, seeing that He hath Himself made all these things; for by
the Word were made all things?(12) To that very One Himself who hath
wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth, to Him is said, "Thine own is
the night." Something here we ought to perceive which belongeth to that
very Salvation which He hath wrought in the midst of the earth. "Thine own
is the day." Who are these? The spiritual. "And Thine own is the night."
Who are these? The carnal. ... "Thou hast made perfect sun and moon:" the
sun, spiritual men, the moon, carnal men. As yet carnal he is, may he not
be forsaken, and may he too be made perfect. The sun, as it were a wise
man: the moon, as it were an unwise man: Thou hast not however forsaken.
For thus it is written, "A wise man endureth as the sun, but a foolish man
as the moon is changed."(1) What then? Because the sun endureth, that is,
because the wise man endureth as the sun, a foolish man is changed like the
moon, is one as yet carnal, as yet unwise, to be forsaken? And where is
that which hath been said by the Apostle, "To the wise and unwise a debtor
I am"?(2)
17. "Thou hast made all the ends of the earth" (ver. 17). ... Behold in
what manner He hath made the ends of the earth, that hath wrought Salvation
in the midst of the earth. "Thou hast made all the ends of the earth.
Summer and spring Thou hast made them." Men fervent in the Spirit are the
summer. Thou, I say, hast made men fervent in the Spirit: Thou hast made
also the novices in the Faith, they are the "spring." "Summer and Spring
Thou hast made them." They shall not glory as if they have not received:
"Thou hast made them."
18. "Mindful be Thou of this Thy creature" (ver. 18). Of what creature
of Thine? "The enemy hath reviled the Lord." O Asaph, grieve over thine old
blindness in understanding: "the enemy hath reviled the Lord." It was said
to Christ in His own nation, "a sinner is this Man: we know not whence He
is:" we know Moses, to him spake God; this Man is a Samaritan.(3) "And the
unwise people hath provoked Thy name." The unwise people Asaph was at that
time, but not the understanding of Asaph at that time. What is said in the
former Psalm? "As it were a beast I have become unto Thee, and I am alway
with Thee:"(4) because He went not to the gods and idols of the Gentiles.
Although he knew not, being like a beast, yet he knew again as a man. For
he said, "alway I am with Thee, like a beast:" and what afterwards in that
place in the same Psalm, where Asaph is? "Thou hast held the hand of my
right hand, in Thy will Thou hast conducted me, and with glory Thou hast
taken me up."(5) In Thy will, not in my righteousness: by Thy gift, not by
my work. Therefore here also, "the enemy hath reviled the Lord: and the
unwise people hath provoked Thy name." Have they all then perished? Far be
it. ... For even the Apostle Paul through unbelief had been broken, and
through faith unto the root he was restored. So evidently "the unwise
people provoked Thy name," when it was said, "If Son of God He is let Him
come down from the Cross."(6)
19. But what sayest thou, O Asaph, now in understanding? "Deliver not
to the beasts a soul confessing to Thee" (ver. 19). ... To what beasts,
save to those the heads whereof were broken in pieces upon the water? For
the same devil is called, beast, lion, and dragon. Do not, he saith, give
to the Devil and his Angels a soul confessing to Thee. Let the serpent
devour, if still I mind things earthly, if for things earthly I long, if
still in the promises of the Old Testament, after the revealing of the New,
I remain. But forasmuch as now I have laid down pride, and my own
righteousness I will not acknowledge, but Thy Grace; against me let proud
beasts have no power. "The souls of Thy poor forget Thou not unto the end."
Rich we were, strong we were: but Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham:
no longer we establish our own righteousness, but we acknowledge Thy Grace;
poor we are, bearken to Thy beggars. Now we do not dare to lift our eyes to
Heaven, but smiting our breasts we say, "O Lord, be Thou merciful to me a
sinner."(7)
20. "Have regard unto Thy Testament"(8) (ver. 20). Fulfil that which
Thou hast promised: the tables we have, for the inheritance we are looking.
"Have regard unto Thy Testament," not that old one: not for the sake of the
land of Canaan I ask, not for the sake of the temporal subduing of enemies,
not for the sake of carnal fruitfulness of sons, not for the sake of
earthly riches, not for the sake of temporal welfare: "Have regard unto Thy
Testament," wherein Thou hast promised the kingdom of Heaven. Now I
acknowledge Thy Testament: now understanding is Asaph, no beast is Asaph,
now he seeth that which was spoken of, "Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, and I will accomplish with the House of Israel and of Juda a new
Testament, not after the Testament which I ordered(9) with their
Fathers."(10) "Have regard unto Thy Testament: for they that have been
darkened have been filled of the earth of unrighteous houses:" because they
had unrighteous hearts. Our "houses" are our hearts: therein gladly dwell
they that are blessed with pure heart.(11) "Have regard," therefore, "unto
Thy Testament:" and let the remnant be saved:(12) for many men that give
heed to earth are darkened, and filled with earth. For there hath entered
into their eyes dust, and it hath blinded them, and they have become dust
which the wind sweepeth from the face of the earth.(13) "They that have
been darkened have been filled of the earth of unrighteous houses." For by
giving heed to earth they have been darkened, concerning whom there is said
in another Psalm, "Let their eyes be blinded, that they see not, and their
back ever bow Thou down."[1] With earth, then, "they that have been
darkened have been filled, with the earth of unrighteous houses:" because
they have unrighteous hearts. ...
21. "Let not the humble man be turned away confounded" (ver. 21). For
them pride hath confounded. "The needy and helpless man shall praise Thy
name." Ye see, brethren, how sweet ought to be poverty: ye see that poor
and helpless men belong to God, but "poor in spirit, for of them is the
Kingdom of Heaven."[2] Who are the poor in spirit? The humble, men
trembling at the words of God, confessing their sins, neither on their own
merits, nor on their own righteousness relying. Who are the poor in spirit?
They who when they do anything of good, praise God, when anything of evil,
accuse themselves. "Upon whom shall rest My Spirit," saith the Prophet,
"but upon the humble man, and peaceful, and trembling at My words?"[3] Now
therefore Asaph hath understood, now to the earth he adhereth not, now the
earthly promises out of the Old Testament he requireth not. ...
22. "Arise, O Lord, judge Thou my cause"[4] (ver. 22) .... Because I am
not able to show my God, as if I were following an empty thing, they revile
me. And not only Heathen, or Jew, or heretic; but sometimes even a Catholic
brother doth make a grimace when the promises of God are being preached,
when a future resurrection is being foretold.[5] And still even he, though
already washed with the water of eternal Salvation, bearing the Sacrament
of Christ, perchance saith, "and what man hath yet risen again?" And, "I
have not heard my father speaking out of the grave, since I buried him!"
"God hath given to His servants a law for time, to which[6] let them betake
themselves: for what man cometh back from beneath?" And what shall I do
with such men? Shall I show them what they see not? I am not able: for not
for the sake of them ought God to become visible .... I see not, he saith:
what am I to believe? Thy soul is seen then, I suppose? Fool, thy body is
seen: thy soul who doth see? Since therefore thy body alone is seen, why
art thou not buried? He marvelleth that I have said, If body alone is seen,
why art thou not buried? And he answereth (for he knoweth as much as this),
Because I am alive. How know I that thou art alive, of whom I see not the
soul? How know I? Thou wilt answer, Because I speak, because I walk,
because I work. Fool, by the operations of the body I know thee to be
living, by the works of creation canst thou not know the Creator? And
perchance he that saith, when I shall be dead, afterwards I shall be
nothing; hath both learned letters, and hath learned this doctrine from
Epicurus, who was a sort of doting philosopher, or rather lover of folly
not of wisdom, whom even the philosophers themselves have named the hog:
who said that the "chief good" was pleasure of body; this philosopher
they[7] have named the hog, wallowing in carnal mire. From him perchance
this lettered man hath learned to say, I shall not be, after I have died.
Dried be the rivers of Etham! Perish those doctrines of the Gentiles,
flourish the plantations of Jerusalem! Let them see what they can, in heart
believe what they cannot see! Certainly all those things which throughout
the world now are seen, when God was working Salvation in the midst of the
earth, when those things were being spoken of, they were not then as yet:
and behold at that time they were foretold, now they are shown as
fulfilled, and still the fool saith in his heart, "there is no God."[8] Woe
to the perverse hearts: for so will there come to pass the things which
remain, as there have come to pass the things which at that time were not,
and were being foretold as to come to pass. Hath God indeed performed[9] to
us all the things which He promised, and concerning the Day of Judgment
alone hath He deceived us? Christ was not on the earth; He promised, He
hath performed: no virgin had conceived; He promised, He hath performed:
the precious Blood had not been shed whereby there should be effaced the
handwriting of our death; He promised, He hath performed: not yet had flesh
risen again unto life eternal; He promised, He hath performed: not yet had
the Gentiles believed; He promised, He hath performed: not yet heretics
armed with the name of Christ, against Christ were warring; He foretold, He
hath performed: not yet the idols of the Gentiles from the earth had been
effaced; He foretold, He hath performed: when all these things He hath
foretold and performed, concerning the Day of Judgment alone hath He lied?
It will come by all means as these things came; for even these things
before they came to pass were future, and as future were first foretold,
and afterwards they came to pass. It will come, my brethren. Let no one
say, it will not come: or, it will come, but far off is that which will
come. But to thyself it is near at hand to go hence. ... If thou shall have
done that which the devil doth suggest, and shalt have despised that which
God hath commanded; there will come the Judgment Day, and thou wilt find
that true which God hath threatened, and that false which the devil hath
promised. ... "Remember Thy reproaches, those which are from the imprudent
man all the day long." For still Christ is reviled: nor will there be
wanting all the day long, that is, even unto the end of time, the vessels
of wrath. Still is it being said, "Vain things the Christians do preach:"
still is it being said, "A fond thing is the resurrection of the dead."
"Remember Thy reproaches." But what reproaches, save those "which are from
the imprudent man all the day long?" Doth a prudent man say this? Nay, for
a prudent man is said to be one far-seeing. If a prudent man is one far-
seeing, by faith he seeth afar: for with eyes scarce that before the feet
is seen.
23. "Forget not the voice of them that implore Thee" (ver. 23). While
they groan for and expect now that which Thou hast promised from the New
Testament, and walk by that same Faith, "do Thou not forget the voice of
them imploring Thee." But those still say, "Where is Thy God? Let the pride
of them that hate Thee come up always to Thee." Do not forget even their
pride. Nor doth He forget: no doubt He doth either punish or amend.
PSALM LXXV.[1]
1. .... The Title of this Psalm thus speaketh: "At the end,[2] corrupt
not." What is, "corrupt not?" That which Thou hast promised, perform. But
when? "At the end." To this then let the mind's eye be directed, "unto the
end." Let all the things which have occurred in the way be passed over, in
order that we may attain to the end. Let proud men exult because of present
felicity, let them swell with honours, glitter in gold, overflow with
domestics, be encircled with the services of clients: these things pass
away, they pass away like a shadow. When that end shall have come, when all
who now hope in the Lord are to rejoice, then to them shall come sorrow
without end. When the meek shall have received that which the proud deride,
then the vapouring of the proud shall be turned into mourning. Then shall
there be that voice which we know in the Book of Wisdom: for they shall say
at that time when they see the glory of the Saints, who, when they were in
humiliation, endured them; who, when they were exalted, consented not--at
that time then they shall say, "These are they whom sometime we have had
in derision."[3] Where they also say, "What hath pride profited us, and the
boasting of riches hath bestowed upon us what?" All things have passed away
like a shadow. Because on things corruptible they relied, their hope shall
be corrupted: but our own hope at that time shall be substance. For in
order that the promise of God may remain whole and sure and certain towards
us, we have said out of a heart[4] of faith, "at the end corrupt not." Fear
not, therefore, lest any mighty man should corrupt the promises of God. He
doth not corrupt, because He is truthful; He hath no one more mighty by
whom His promise may be corrupted: let us be then sure concerning the
promises of God; and let us sing now from the place where the Psalm
beginneth.
2. "We will confess to Thee, O Lord, we will confess to Thee, and will
invoke Thy name" (ver. 1 ). Do not invoke, before thou confess: confess,
and invoke. For Him whom thou art invoking, unto thyself thou callest. For
what is it to invoke, but unto thyself to call? If He is invoked by thee,
that is, if He is called to thee, unto whom doth He draw near? To a proud
man He draweth not near. High indeed He is, one lifted up attaineth not
unto Him. In order that we may reach all exalted objects, we raise
ourselves, and if we are not able to reach them, we look for some
appliances or ladders, in order that being exalted we may reach exalted
objects: contrariwise God is both high, and by the lowly He is reached. It
is written, "Nigh is the Lord to them that have bruised the heart."[5] The
bruising of the heart is Godliness, humility. He that bruiseth himself is
angry with himself. Let him make himself angry in order that he may make
Him merciful; let him make himself judge, in order that he may make Him
Advocate. Therefore God doth come when invoked. Unto whom doth He come? To
the proud man He cometh not.
... Take heed therefore what ye do: for if He knoweth, He is not
unobservant.[6] It is better therefore that He be unobservant than known.
For what is that same being unobservant, but not knowing? What is, not to
know? Not to animadvert. For even as the act of one avenging animadversion
is wont to be spoken of. Here one praying that He be unobservant: "Turn
away Thy face from my sins."[7] What then wilt thou do if He shall have
turned away His face from thee? A grievous thing it is, and to be feared,
lest He forsake thee. Again, if He turn not away His face, He
animadverteth. God knoweth this thing, God can do this thing, namely, both
turn away face from one sinning, and not turn away from one confessing. ...
Confess therefore and invoke. For by confessing thou purgest the Temple,
into which He may come, when invoked. Confess and invoke. May He turn away
face from thy sins, not turn away from thee: turn away face from that which
thou hast wrought,[1] not turn away from that which He hath Himself
wrought.[2] For thee, as man, He hath Himself wrought, thy sins thou hast
thyself wrought ....
3. But that there is a strengthening of the sense in repetition, by many
passages of the Scriptures we are taught. Thence is that which the Lord
saith, "Verily, Verily."[3] Thence in certain Psalms is, "So be it, So be
it."[4] To signify the thing, one "So be it" would have been sufficient: to
signify confirmation, there hath been added another" So be it." ... Count
less passages of such sort there are throughout all the Scriptures. With
these it is sufficient that we have commended to your notice a way of
speaking which ye may observe in all like cases: now to the substance
attend: "We will confess to Thee," he saith, "and we will invoke." I have
said why before invocation confession doth precede: because whom thou dost
invoke, him thou dost invite. But he willeth not to come when invoked, if
thou shall have been lifted up: lifted up if thou shall have been, thou
wilt not be able to confess. And thou deniest not any things to God that He
knoweth not. Therefore thy confession doth not teach Him, but it purgeth
thee.
4. ... Hear ye now the words of Christ. For these seemed not as it were to
be His words,[5] "We will confess to Thee, O God, we will confess to Thee,
and will invoke Thy name." Now beginneth the discourse in the person of the
Head. But whether Head speaketh or whether members speak, Christ speaketh:
He speaketh in the person of the Head, He speaketh in the person of the
Body. But what hath been said? There shall be two in one flesh.[6] "This is
a great Sacrament:" "I," he saith, "speak in Christ and in the Church."[7]
And He Himself in the Gospel, "Therefore no longer two, but one flesh." [8]
For in order that ye may know these in a manner to be two persons, and
again one by the bond of marriage, as one He speaketh in Isaiah, and saith,
"As upon a Bridegroom he hath bound upon me a mitre, and as a Bride he hath
clothed me with an ornament."[9] A Bridegroom He hath called Himself in the
Head, a Bride in the Body. He is speaking therefore as One, let us hear
Him, and in Him let us also speak. Let us be the members of Him, in order
that this voice may possibly be ours also. "I will tell forth," he saith,
"all Thy marvellous things." Christ is preaching Himself, He is preaching
Himself even in His members now existing, in order that He may guide unto
Him others, and they may draw near that were not, and may be united with
those members of Him, through which members of Him the Gospel hath been
preached; and there may be made one Body under one Head, in one Spirit, in
one Life.
5. And he saith what? "When I shall have received," he saith, "the
time, [10] I will judge justices" (ver. 2). When shall He judge justices?
When He shall have received the time. Not yet is the precise time. Thanks
to His mercy: He first preacheth justices, and then He judgeth justices.
For if He willed to judge before He willed to preach, who would be found
that should be delivered: who would meet Him that should be absolved? Now
therefore is the time of preaching: "I will tell," he saith," all Thy
marvellous works." Hear Him telling, hear Him preaching: for if thou shalt
have despised Him, "when I shall have received the time," He saith, "I will
judge justices." I forgive, He saith, now sins to one confessing, I will
not spare hereafter one despising. ... He hath received a time as Son of
Man; He doth govern times as Son of God. Hear how as Son of Man He hath
received the time of judging. He saith in the Gospel, "He hath given to Him
power to execute judgment, because Son of Man He is."[11] According to His
nature as Son of God, He hath never received power of judging, because He
never lacked the power of judging: according to His nature as Son of Man He
hath received a time, as of being born, and of suffering, as of dying, and
of rising again, and of ascending, so of coming and of judging. In Him His
Body also saith these words, for not without them He will judge. For He
saith in the Gospel, "Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel."[12] Therefore whole Christ saith, that is, Head and Body
in the Saints, "when I shall have received the time, I will judge
justices."
6. But now what? "The earth hath flowed down" (ver. 3). If the earth
hath flowed down, whence hath it flowed down except by sins? Therefore also
they are called delinquencies. To delinquish is as it were by a kind of
liquidity[13] to slip down from the stability of firmness in virtue and
righteousness. For it is through desire of lower things that every man
sinneth: as he is strengthened by the love of higher things, so he falleth
down and as it were melteth away by desire of lower things. This flux of
things by the sins of man the merciful forgiver observing, being a merciful
forgiver of sins, not yet an exactor of punishments, He observeth and
saith: The earth herself indeed hath flowed down by them that dwell in her.
That which followeth is an exposition, not an addition. As though thou wert
saying, in what manner hath the earth flowed down? Have the foundations
been withdrawn, and hath anything therein been swallowed up in a sort of
gulf? What I mean by earth is all they that dwell therein. I have found, he
saith, the earth sinful. And I have done what? "I have strengthened the
pillars thereof." What are the pillars which He hath strengthened? Pillars
He hath called the Apostles. So the Apostle Paul concerning his fellow-
Apostles saith, "who seemed to be pillars."[1] And what would those pillars
have been, except by Him they had been strengthened? For on occasion of a
sort of earthquake even these very pillars rocked: at the Passion of the
Lord all the Apostles despaired. Therefore those pillars which rocked at
the Passion of the Lord, by the Resurrection were strengthened. The
Beginning of the building hath cried out through the pillars thereof, and
in all those pillars the Architect Himself hath cried out. For the Apostle
Paul was one pillar of them when he said, "Would ye receive a proof of Him
that speaketh in me--Christ?"[2] Therefore, "I," he saith, "have
strengthened the pillars thereof:" I have risen again, I have shown that
death is not to be feared, I have shown to them that fear, that not even
the body itself doth perish in the dying. There terrified them wounds,
there strengthened them scars. The Lord Jesus could have risen again
without any scar: for what great matter were it for that power, to restore
the frame of the body to such perfect soundness, as that no trace at all of
past wound should appear? He had power whence He might make it whole even
without scar: but He willed to have that whereby He might strengthen the
rocking pillars.
7. We have heard now, brethren, that which day by day is not kept secret:
let us hear now what He hath cried through these pillars. ... He crieth
what? "I have said to unjust men, Do not unjustly" (ver. 4). ... But
already they have done, and they are guilty: already there hath flowed down
the earth, and all they that dwell therein. Pricked to the heart were they
that crucified Christ,[3] they acknowledged their sin, they learned
something of the Apostle, that they might not despair of the pardon of the
Preacher.[4] For as Physician He had come, and therefore had not come to
the whole. "For there is no need," He saith, "to the whole of a physician,
but to them that are sick. I have not come to call righteous men, but
sinners to repentance."[5] Therefore, "I have said to unjust men, Do not
unjustly." They heard not. For of old to us it was spoken: we heard not, we
fell, were made mortal, were begotten mortal: the earth flowed down. Let
them hear the Physician even now in order that they may rise, Him that came
to the sick man, Him whom they would not hear when whole in order that they
might not fall, let them hear when lying down in order that they may rise.
.. "I have said to unjust men, Do not unjustly; and to the delinquent, Do
not exalt your horn." There shall be exalted in you the horn of Christ, if
your horn be not exalted. Your horn is of iniquity, the horn of Christ is
of majesty.
8. "Be not therefore lifted up: speak not iniquity against God" (ver.
5). ... What saith He in another Psalm? "These things thou hast done,"
having enumerated certain sins. "These things thou hast done," He saith,
"and was silent."[6] What is, "I was silent"? He is never silent with
commandment, but meanwhile He is silent with punishment: He is keeping
still from vengeance, He doth not pronounce sentence against the condemned.
But this man saith thus, I have done such and such things, and God hath not
taken vengeance; behold I am whole, nought of ill hath befallen me. "These
things thou hast done, and I was silent: thou hast suspected iniquity, that
I shall be like unto thee." What is, "that I shall be like unto thee"?
Because thou art unjust, even Me thou hast deemed unjust; as though an
approver of thy misdeeds, and no adversary, no avenger thereof. And what
afterwards saith He to thee? "I will convict thee, and will set thee before
thine own face"?[6] What is this? Because now by sinning behind thy back
thou settest thyself, seest not thyself, examinest not thyself; I will set
thee before thyself, and will bring upon thee punishment from thyself. So
also here, "Speak not iniquity against God." Attend. Many men speak this
iniquity; but dare not openly, lest as blasphemers they be abhorred by
godly men: in their heart they gnaw upon these things, within they feed
upon such impious food; it delighteth them to speak against God, and if
they break not out with tongue, in heart they are not silent. Whence in
another Psalm is said, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
[7] The fool hath said, but he hath feared men: he would not say it where
men might hear; and he said it in that place where He might Himself hear
concerning whom he said it. Therefore here also in this Psalm (dearly
beloved attend), whereas that which He said, "Do not speak iniquity against
God," this He saw many men do in heart, He hath also added, "for neither
from East, nor from West, nor from the deserts of the mountains (ver. 6),
for God is Judge" (ver. 7). Of thine iniquities God is Judge. If God He is,
everywhere He is present. Whither wilt thou take thyself away from the eyes
of God, so that in some quarter thou mayest speak that which He may not
hear? If from the East God judgeth, withdraw into the West, and say what
thou wilt against God: if froth the West, go into the East, and there
speak: if from the deserts of the mountains He judgeth, go into the midst
of the peoples, where thou mayest murmur to thyself. From no place judgeth
He that everywhere is secret, everywhere open; whom it is allowed no one to
know as He is, and whom no one is permitted not to know. Take heed what
thou doest. Thou art speaking iniquity against God. "The Spirit of the Lord
hath filled the round world" (another Scripture saith this), "and that
which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice: wherefore he that
speaketh unjust things cannot be hid."[1] Do not therefore think God to be
in places: He is with thee such an one as thou shall have been. What if
such an one as thou shalt have been? Good, is, thou shall have been good;
and evil to thee He will seem, if evil thou shall have been; but a Helper,
if good thou shalt have been; an Avenger, if evil thou shall have been.
There thou hast a Judge in thy secret place. Willing to do something of
evil, from the public thou retirest into thy house, where no enemy may see;
from those places of thine house which, are open and before the eyes of
men, thou removest thyself into a chamber; thou fearest even in thy chamber
some witness from some other quarter, thou retirest into thy heart, there
thou meditatest: He is more inward than thy heart. Whithersoever therefore
thou shalt have fled, there He is. From thyself whither wilt thou flee?
Wilt thou not follow thyself whithersoever thou shalt flee? But since there
is One more inward even than thyself, there is no place whither thou mayest
flee from God angry, but to God reconciled. There is no place at all
whither thou mayest flee. Wilt thou flee from Him? Flee to Him. ... What
then shall we do now? "Let us come before His face," en exomologh'sei, come
before in confession: He shall come gentle whom thou hadst made angry.
"Neither from the deserts of the mountains, for God is Judge:" not from the
East, not from the West, not from the deserts of the mountains. Wherefore?
"For God is Judge." If in any place He were, He would not be God: but
because God is Judge, not man, do not expect Him out of places. His place
thou wilt be, if thou art good, if after having confessed[2] thou shalt
have invoked Him.
9. "One He humbleth, and another He exalteth" (ver. 7). Whom humbleth,
whom exalteth this Judge? Observe these two men in the temple, and ye see
whom He humbleth and whom He exalteth. "They went up into the Temple to
pray," He saith, "the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. ... "Verily
I say unto you, that Publican went down justified more than that Pharisee:
for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted."[3] Thus hath been explained a verse of this
Psalm. God the Judge doth what? "One He humbleth, and another He
exalteth:" He humbleth the proud, He exalteth the humble.
10. "For the cup in the hand of the Lord of pure wine is full of
mixed" (ver. 8). Justly so. "And He hath poured out of this Upon this man;
nevertheless, the dreg thereof hath not been emptied; there shall drink
all the sinners of earth." Let us be somewhat recruited; there is here some
obscurity. ... The first question that meeteth us is this, "of pure wine it
is full of mixed." How "of pure," if "of mixed"? But when he saith, "the
cup in the hand of the Lord" (to men instructed in the Church of Christ I
am speaking), ye ought not indeed to paint in your heart God as it were
circumscribed with a human form, lest, though the temples are shut up, ye
forge images in your hearts. This cup therefore doth signify something. We
will find out this. But "in the hand of the Lord," is, in the power of the
Lord. For the hand of God is spoken of for the power of God. For even in
reference to men ofttimes is said, in hand he hath it: that is, in his
power he hath it, when he chooseth he doth it. "Of pure wine it is full of
mixed." In continuation he hath himself explained: "He hath inclined," he
saith, "from this unto this man; nevertheless the dreg thereof hath not
been emptied." Behold how it was full of mixed wine. Let it not therefore
terrify you that it is both pure and mixed: pure because of the genuineness
thereof, mixed because of the dreg. What then in that place is the wine,
and what the dreg? And what is, "He hath inclined from this unto this man,"
in such sort that the dreg thereof was not emptied?
11. Call ye to mind from whence he came to this: "one He humbleth, and
another He exalteth."[4] That which was figured to us in the Gospel through
two men, a Pharisee and a Publican,[5] this let us, taking in a wider
sense, understand of two peoples, of Jews and of Gentiles: the people of
the Jews that Pharisee was, the people of the Gentiles that Publican. ...
As those by being proud have withdrawn, so these by confessing have drawn
near. The cup therefore full of pure wine in the hand of the Lord, as far
as the Lord giveth me to understand,[1] ... the cup of pure wine full of
the mixed, seemeth to me to be the Law, which was given to the Jews, and
all that Scripture of the Old Testament, as it is called; there are the
weights of all manner of sentences. For therein the New Testament lieth
concealed, as though in the dreg of corporal Sacraments. The circumcision
of the flesh is a thing of great mystery,[2] and there is understood from
thence the circumcision of the heart. The Temple of Jerusalem is a thing of
great mystery, and there is understood from it the Body of the Lord. The
land of promise[3] is understood to be the Kingdom of Heaven. The sacrifice
of victims and of beasts hath a great mystery: but in all those kinds of
sacrifices is understood that one Sacrifice and only victim of the Cross,
the Lord, instead of all which sacrifices we have one; because even those
figured these, that is, with those these were figured. That people received
the Law, they received commandments just and good.[4] What is so just as,
thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal,
thou shalt not speak false testimony, honour thy father and mother, thou
shalt not covet the property of thy neighbour, one God thou shalt adore,
and Him alone thou shalt serve,[5] all these things belong to the wine. But
those things carnal have as it were sunk down in order that they might
remain with them, and there might be poured forth from thence all the
spiritual understanding. But "the cup in the hand of the Lord," that is, in
the power of the Lord: "of pure wine," that is, of the mere Law: "is full
of mixed," that is, is together with the dreg of corporal Sacraments. And
because the one He humbleth, the proud Jew, and the other He exalteth, the
confessing Gentile; "He hath inclined from this unto this," that is, from
the Jewish people unto the Gentile people. Hath inclined what? The Law.
There hath distilled from thence a spiritual sense. "Nevertheless, the dreg
thereof hath not been emptied," for all the carnal Sacraments have remained
with the Jews. "There shall drink all the sinners of the earth." Who shall
drink? "All the sinners of the earth." Who are the sinners of the earth?
The Jews were indeed sinners, but proud: again, the Gentiles were sinners,
but humble. All sinners shall drink, but see, who the dreg, who the wine.
For those by drinking the dreg have come to nought: these by drinking the
wine have been justified. I would dare to speak of them even as inebriated,
and I shall not fear: and O that all ye were thus inebriated. Call to mind,
"Thy cup inebriating, how passing beautiful!"[6] But why? Do ye think, my
brethren, that all those who by confessing Christ even willed to die, were
sober? So drunk they were, that they knew not their friends. All their
kindred, who strove to divert them from the hope of Heavenly rewards by
earthly allurements, were not acknowledged, were not heard by them drunken.
Were they not drunken, whose heart had been changed? Were they not drunken,
whose mind had been alienated from this world? "There shall drink," he
saith, "all the sinners of the earth." But who shall drink the wine?
Sinners shall drink, but in order that they may not remain sinners; in
order that they may be justified, in order that they may not be punished.
12. "But I," for all drink, but separately I, that is, Christ with His
Body, "for ever will rejoice, I will Psalm to the God of Jacob" (ver. 9):
in that promise to be at the end, whereof is said, "corrupt not."[7] "And
all the horns of sinners I will break, and there shall be exalted the horns
of the Just" (ver. 10). This is, the one He humbleth, the other He
exalteth. Sinners would not have their horns to be broken, which without
doubt will be broken at the end. Thou wilt not have Him then break them, do
thou to-day break them. For thou hast heard above, do not despise it: "I
have said to unjust men, Do not unjustly, and to the delinquents, Do not
exalt the horn."[8] When thou hast heard, do not exalt the horn, thou hast
despised and hast exalted the horn: thou shalt come to the end, where there
shall come to pass, "All the horns of sinners I will break, and there shall
be exalted the horns of the Just." The horns of sinners are the dignities
of proud men: the horns of the Just are the gifts of Christ. For by horns
exultations are understood. Thou hatest on earth earthly exultation, in
order that thou mayest have the heavenly. Thou lovest the earthly, He doth
not admit thee to the Heavenly: and unto confusion will belong thy horn
which is broken, just as unto glory it will belong, if thy horn is exalted.
Now therefore there is time for making choice, then there will not be. Thou
wilt not say, I will be let go and will make choice. For there have
preceded the words, "I have said to the unjust." If I have not said, make
ready an excuse, make ready a defence: but if I have said, seize first upon
confession, lest thou come unto damnation; for then confession will be too
late, and there will be no defence.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The electronic form of this document is copyrighted.
Copyright (c) Eternal Word Television Network 1996.
Provided courtesy of:
EWTN On-Line Services
PO Box 3610
Manassas, VA 20108
Voice: 703-791-2576
Fax: 703-791-4250
Data: 703-791-4336
FTP: ftp.ewtn.com
Telnet: ewtn.com
WWW:
http://www.ewtn.com.
Email address:
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
