If this verse had been in
have chosen to be cast aicay in the house the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents ofsinners, would they not cast away honours, and rnn to the valley of weeping, and hence find in their heart the way of ascent, and hence go from virtues to virtue, placing their hope in Christ, not in
their heart,
of
some man or another?
have chosen to be cast aicay in the house the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents ofsinners, would they not cast away honours, and rnn to the valley of weeping, and hence find in their heart the way of ascent, and hence go from virtues to virtue, placing their hope in Christ, not in
their heart,
of
some man or another?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
And as in the
1 nut- ceptio
words of the Apostle, that difficulty and that almost inex tricable struggle is alleviated by the addition, The grace of
God through Jesus ChHst our Lord; so here, when he sighed in the ardent longing for the house of God, and those praises of God, and when a kind of despair arose at the feeling of the burden of the body and the weight of the flesh, again he awoke to hope, and said, (vcr. 5. ) Blessed is the man whose
taking up ' is in Thee.
What then does God supply by His grace to him
whom He taketh hold of to lead him on? He goes on to say: * a>>cen-He hath placed steps* in his heart. He makes steps for him by which he may ascend. Where are these steps ? In his heart. Therefore the more thou lovest, the more shalt thou
rise. He hath placed steps in his heart. Who hath done this? He who hath taken hold of him: for, Blessed, says he, is he whose taking up is in Thee, O Lord. Because of him self he cannot rise, it is necessary that Thy grace should raise him. And what does Thy grace i It places steps in his heart. Where does it place steps ? In his heart, (ver. 6. ) in the valley of weeping. So here thou hast for a winepress the valley of weeping, the very pious tears in tribulation are the new wine of those that love. He hath placed steps in his heart. Where then hath He placed them ? In the valley ofweeping. For here He hath placed steps, in the valley of weeping. For here is weeping, where is sowing. They went
Ps. 126, forth weeping, he says, casting their seed. Therefore, by
6-6'
the grace of God may upward steps be placed in thy heart Rise by loving. Hence the Psalm " of degrees" is called. And where hath He placed these steps ? In thy heart, in the valley of weeping. He hath said where He hath placed them, whither hath He set them?
What hath He placed? Steps. Where? Within, In the heart. In what region, in
what place, as it were, of abode ? In the valley of weeping. To ascend whither ? To the place which He hath appointed. What is this, brethren, To the place which He hath ap
Our sinful state is ' the valley of weeping. ' 1 59
pointed. What place would he name, which He hath ap- Ver.
pointed, if it could be named ?
He hath placed steps in his heart, in the valley of weeping.
Dost thou ask, whither ? What will He say to thee ? What \ Cor. eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered"1'9' into the heart of man. It is a hill, it is a mountain, it is a land, it is a meadow : by nearly all these names that place
has been called.
who can explain ?
what that place is :
therefore whither he hath appointed us to go, or what place
it is. He knoweth whither, He Who hath appointed the place whither He is leading thee, the ascent to which He
hath placed in thy heart. What ? dost thou fear to ascend,
lest He who leads thee should go wrong? Lo, in the valley
of weeping, He hath placed steps of ascent to the place which He hath appointed. Now we lament; whence pro
ceed our lamentations, but from that place where the steps
of Our ascent are placed ? Whence comes our lamentation,
but from that cause wherefore the Apostle exclaimed that he
was a wretched man, because he saw another law in his Rom. 7, . 23
members, warring against the law in his mind? And whence
does this proceed ? From the penalty of sin. And we thought that we could easily be righteous as it were by our own strength, before we received thIe command ; but when ib. 9.
the command came, sin revived; but
died, saith the Apostle. For a law was given to men, not such as could save them at once, but it was to shew them in what severe sickness they
were lying. Hear the words of the Apostle; For if a law Gal. 3, had been given which coidd give life, verily righteousness*1' 22- should have been by the law; but the Scripture hath shut up
all under sin, that the promise which is offaith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe; so that grace
came after the law, and found man not only laid prostrate, but already confessing and saying, Miserable man that lam, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? And the physician came in due time to the valley of weeping, saying, Surely thou knowest that thou hast fallen ; listen unto Me that thou mayest arise, thou who didst despise Me, so that thou didst fall. Therefore the Law was given, that it might
It hath been said to thee, ------
But what is it in itself, without images
For, Now we see through a glass darkly 1 Cor. then we shall see face to face. Ask not 13' 12'
160 Typical Meaning of the Miracle of Btthesda.
Psii. M convince the sick man of his disease, whereas he seemed to Ix xIV' himself to be whole; that sins might be made manifest, not that they might be taken away. But when sin was made
manifest by the law given, sin was but increased, for it is Rom. 7, both sin, and against the Law; Sin, saith he, taking occasion
s'
by the command, wrought in me all manner ofconcupiscence. What does he mean by taking occasion by the law? Having received the command, men tried as by their own strength to obey it ; conquered by lust, they became guilty of trans gression of this very command also. But what saith the
Rom. 6, Apostle ? Where sin abounded, grace hath much more
20'
abounded ; that is, the disease increased, the medicine be came of more avail. Accordingly, my brethren, did those five porches of Solomon, in the middle of which the pool
John 6, lay, heal the sick at all ? The sick, says the Evangelist, lay in the five porches. In the Gospel we have and read it. Those five porches are the law in the five books of Moses. For this cause the sick were brought forth from their houses that they might lie in the porches. So the law brought the sick men forth, but did not heal them : but by the blessing
of God the water was disturbed, as by an Angel descending into it. At the sight of the water troubled, the one person who was able, descended and was healed. That water surrounded by the five porches, was the people of the Jews shut up in their law. The Lord came and disturbed this people, so that He Himself was slain. For if the Lord had not troubled the Jews by coming down to them, would He have been crucified? So that the troubled water signified the Passion of the Lord, which arose from His troubling the Jewish people. The sick man who believeth in this Passion, like him who descended into the troubled water, is healed thereby. He whom the Law could not heal, that is, while he
lay in the porches, is healed by grace, by faith in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. One is healed, for those healed are one. What then does He say here ? He hath placed steps of ascent in his heart, in the valley of weeping, to the place which He hath appointed. Now we will rejoice in that place.
11. Ver. 8. But why in the valley of weeping? What is this valley of weeping, from whence we shall come into that
The Church proceeds 'from virtue to virtue. ' 161
place ofjoy? He shall give blessing, saith he, Who gave the Ver. law. He afflicted us by the law, pressed us under the law, ------ shewed unto us the winepress, we saw the pressure, we were conscious of the tribulation of the flesh, we groaned with the rebellion of sin against our mind, we cried out, ' Miserable
man that I am:' we groaned under the law; what remains but that He who gave the law should give His blessing ? Grace shall come after the law, grace itself is the blessing. And what has that grace and blessing given unto us?
They shall go from virtue to virtue. For here by grace many
virtues are given. For to one is given by the Spirit the word l Cor. of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according I2' 8- to the same Spirit, to another faith, to another the gift of healing, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, to another prophecy. Many virtues,
but necessary for this life; and from these virtues we go on
to a virtue. To what virtue ? To Christ the Virtue of l Cor.
God and the Wisdom of God. He giveth different virtues in ' 24, this place, Who for all the virtues which are necessary and useful in this valley of weeping shall give one virtue, Himself.
For in Scripture and in many writers four virtues are described useful for life : prudence, by which we discern between good
and evil ; justice, by which we give each person his due, owing no man any thing, but loving all men: temperance, by which we restrain lusts ; fortitude, by which we bear all troubles. These virtues are now by the grace of God given unto us in the valley of weeping : from these virtues we mount unto that other virtue. And what will that be, but the virtue of the contemplation of God alone ? There this our prudence will be unnecessary where no evils will meet us which we shall have to avoid. But what think we, my brethren? There will be no justice, such as here: for there will be no need with any man to which we shall owe relief. There will be no such temperance, where will be no lust to be restrained. No such fortitude as here, where there will be no evils to be borne. Therefore from these virtues of action here we shall pass to that virtue of contemplation, by which we shall see
I will be near Thee in the morning, pa. I will behold Thee. And hear how from these virtues
God: as it is written,
and
of present action we shall pass to that contemplation. It
vol. iv. M
6,
3.
'
162 Manifestation of( The God of Gods' the Christian hope. Psalm follows in that place : Theij shall qo from virtue to virtue.
8'
see God. The God of Gods shall appear in Sion.
12. And again, from the thought of those joys he returns to his own sighs. He sees what has come before in hope, and
where he is in reality. Then shall the God of Gods appear in Sion: this is why we shall rejoice: Him we shall praise for ever and ever. But as yet it is but the time of prayer, the time of deprecation : and if of rejoicing a little, yet still
in hope : we are on our journey, we are in the valley of weeping. Therefore returning to the groans proper to this place, he saith, (ver. 8. ) 0 Lord God of virtues, hear my
.
What virtue? That of contemplation. What is contem
lxxxIV. _
plation ? The God of Gods shall appear in Sion. The God Ps. 82,6. of Gods, Christ of the Christians. How is this? / said, Ye
are Gods, and ye are all the children of the Most High. John 1, For He gave unto them power to become the sons of God, He in whom we believed, that fair Bridegroom, who on
account of our uncomeliness appeared here without come ls. 63,2. liness : for we saw Him, he saith, and He had no form nor
beauty. When all is fmished, that mortality makes necessary, He shall appear to the pure in heart, as He is, " God with God," The Word with the Father, " by Which all things
Matt. 6, were made :" for, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
prayer : hearken, O God of Jacob : for Jacob himself also ticn. 32,Thou hast made Israel out of Jacob. For God appeared
Ps. 36,7.
unto him, and he was called Israel, seeing God. Hear me therefore, O God of Jacob, and make me Israel. When shall I become Israel ? When the God of Gods shall appear in Sion.
13. Ver. 9. Behold,0 God our defender. ' Under theshadow of Thy wings they shall hope :' therefore, Behold, O God our defender. And look on the face of Thy Christ. For when doth God not look upon the face of His Christ ? What is this, Look on the face of Thy Christ? By the face we are known. What is it then, Look on the face of Thy Christ ? Cause Thy Christ to become known to all. Look on the face of Tby Christ: let Christ become known to all, that we may be able to go from strength to strength, that grace may abound, since sin hath abounded.
14. Ver. 10. For one day in Thy courts is better than a
Earthly honours to be given up for a place in God's House. 163
thousand. Those courts they were for which he sighed, for Ver. which he fainted. My soul longeth and faileth for
courts of the Lord : one day there is better than a thou
sand days. Men long for thousands of days, and wish to
live here long : let them despise these thousands of days,
let them long for one day, which has neither rising nor setting : one day, an everlasting day, to which no yesterday yields, which no to-morrow presses. Let this one day be longed for by us. What have we to do with a thousand days ?
We go from the thousand days to one day ; let us hasten to
that one day1, as we go from strength lo strength. 'Oxf.
1 5. Ver. 11. / have chosen to be cast away in the house of'the <kt'*^
/
Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners. For he hasten,' . . . &0.
found the valley of weeping, he found humility by which he might rise : he knoweth that if he would raise himself he shall fall, if he humble himself he shall be exalted : he hath chosen to be cast away, that he may be raised up. How many beside this tabernacle of the Lord's winepress, that is beside the Catholic Church, wishing to be lifted up, and loving their honours, refuse to see the truth.
If this verse had been in
have chosen to be cast aicay in the house the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents ofsinners, would they not cast away honours, and rnn to the valley of weeping, and hence find in their heart the way of ascent, and hence go from virtues to virtue, placing their hope in Christ, not in
their heart,
of
some man or another? A good word is this, a word to
/ have chosen to be cast away in the house of the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents of
rejoice in, a word to be chosen :
sinners. He himself chose to be cast away in the house
of the Lord ; but He who invited him to the feast, when he chose a lower place calleth him to a higher one, and saith unto him, Go up higher. Yet he chose not but to be in Lake
the house of the Lord, in any part of so that he were not outside the threshold.
16. Wherefore did he choose rather to be cast away
in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of
19,
the ungodly? (Ver. 12. ) Because God loveth mercy Rom. l1, and truth. The Lord loveth mercy, by which He first36' came to my help He loveth truth, so as to give to
him that believeth what He has promised. Hear in the
M
2
:
it,
'
J 64 God, having given Mercy, owes reward by Promise.
Psat. m case of the Apostle Paul, His mercy and truth, Paul who -----was first Saul the persecutor. He needed mercy, and he
/
16 'a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but
l Tim. has said that it was shewn towards him :
who was before I
1' 13
obtained mercy, that in me Christ Jesus might shew forth all longsuffering towards those who shall believe in Him unto life eternal. So that, when Paul received pardon of such great crimes, no one should despair of any sins whatever being forgiven him. Lo ! Thou hast Mercy. God was then unwilling to put His Truth in action, so as to punish the sinner. For if the sinner were punished, would it not be truth ? or would he dare to say, I ought not to be puuished, when he could not say, I have not sinned ? And if he did say, I have not sinned : to whom would he say it ? Whom would he deceive ? Therefore the Lord first exerted mercy towards him: after mercy, truth. Hear him how he de- mands truth afterwards. First he said,
1 Cor. '
'I
mercy,
/ obtained
who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and inju
rious : but by the grace ofGod Iam what /
am. Afterwards
2 Tim. He saith, when he was drawing near his passiI on,
have have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
4, 8- fought a good fight, I
have my course, finished
righteousness. He who giveth mercy, keepeth truth. How doth He keep truth ? Which the Lord, Who is a righteous Judge, shall repay me at that day. He freely gave him pardon, He shall render him a crown : He is a free giver of pardon, a debtor of a crown. How a debtor ? hath He received any thing ? To whom doth God owe any thing ? Lo, we see that Paul holdeth Him a debtor, having received mercy, demanding truth. The Lord, he says, shall give me back in that day. What shall He give thee back, but that which He oweth thee? How
Rom. oweth He unto thee? What hast thou given Him ? Who hath i1, 36. j^rst g{ven uni0 Him, and it shall be restored to him again.
The Lord Himself hath made Himself a debtor, not by receiv ing, but by promising: it is not said unto Him, Restore what Thou hast received : but, Restore what Thou hast promised. He hath shewn mercy unto me, he saith, that He might make me innocent : for before I was a blasphemer and injurious : but by His grace I have been made innocent. But He who first
shewed mercy, can He deny His debt? He loveth mercy and
The real good is what God gives the innocent. 165 truth. He will give grace and glory. What grace, but that Veil
12'
s'TM-
I
up for me a crown of glory?
17- Ver. 12. Therefore the Lordwill not withhold goodfrom
those who walk in innocence. Why then, men, are ye unwilling to keep innocence, except in order that ye may have good things Such an one will not keep innocence, in order not to restore that which committed to his trust: he would have gold, and loseth innocence. What doth he gain? what doth he lose? He hath the gain of gold, he hath suffered the loss of innocence. 'But shall keep innocence,' hesaith,
shall be poor. ' Is not innocence itself no slight wealth If thou hast chest full of gold, shalt thou be rich thou hast heart full of innocence, shalt thou be poor? But behold thou longest for good things, though thou be at present in poverty, in tribulation, in the valley of weeping, in pressure, in temptations, keep innocence. For there shall be hereafter that good for thee for which thou longest rest, eternity, immortality, freedom from suffering shall be here after: these are the good things which God keepeth for His righteous ones. For the good things which thou now longest
for, as of great worth, for which thou art willing to be guilty and not guiltless, listen while tell thee who have them, who abound in them. Thou seest wealth in the hands of robbers, of the impious, the wicked, the base in the hands of scandalous and criminal men thou seest wealth God
of which the same oue said ; By the grace of God
/ am? What glory, but that of which he said, There is laid\f,,
am what
them these things on account of their fellowship in
the human race, for the abundant overflowing of His goodness:
Who also maketh His sun to rise upon the good and the Matt. evil, and causeth to rain upon the righteous and upon 4o- sinners. Giveth He so much to the wicked, and keepeth nothing for thee? He keepeth something: be at ease, He Who
had mercy on thee, when thou wast impious, doth He desert
thee when thou hast become pious He Who gave to the sinner the free gift of His Son's death, what keepeth He for
the saved through that death Therefore be at ease. Hold
Him a debtor, for thou hast believed in Him promising.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who walk in
innocence. What then remains for us here, in the winepress,
giveth
?
if
?
it
6,
4
i(j.
:
:
if
?
;
O
I
a :
if
a
;
I'
is I
?
166 Christ our Healer and our Light. ' Sons of Core. '
Psalm Jn affliction, in hardship, in our present dangerous life ? What "kxxlv- remains for us, that we may arrive thither ? 0 Lord God of
virtues, blessed is the man that putteth his hope in Thee.
psalm lxxxv.
A Sermon to the People.
W E have prayed to the Lord our God to shew us His mercy, and to grant us His salvation. This was spoken in prophecy, when first these Psalms were uttered and written : but as regards the present time, the Lord now sheweth His
to the nations, and hath granted unto them His salvation. He indeed hath shewn it : but many refuse to be made whole, and to see what He sheweth. But because He Himself healeth the eyes of the heart so that they see Him ; therefore having said, Shew us Thy mercy, as if many blind
persons would answer, How shall wc see when He sheweth ? ? salif he added, And grant us Thy salvation '. For by granting
Lat. fcxxxIV.
mercy
tore
His salvation, He healeth in us that by which we may be able to see what He sheweth : not as a physician takes care to shew this light to those whose eyes he has cured, when the light which he is to shew is one thing, the physician who
heals the eyes to which he shews it another, and not the light itself. Not thus is it with the Lord our God: for He Himself is the Physician, Who cures us that we may see, and He Himself the Light which we become able to see. Let us however run through the whole Psalm, as far as we can, and as the Lord permits, as well as the shortness of time will allow.
2. Its title is, A Psalm for the end, to the sons ofCore. Let us understand no other end than that of which the Apostle speaks: for, Christ is the end of the Law, for justification to
Rom.
I0' ' every one that believeth. Therefore when at the head of the
John . '
title of the Psalm he placed the words, for the end, he directed our heart to Christ. If we fix our gaze on Him, we shall not stray : for He is Himself the Truth unto which we are eager to arrive, and He Himself the Way by which we run. What is, To the sous of Core ? Core is explained as a
Hebrew word meaning in our language bald. To the sons of Core then means, To the sons of the Bald. Who is he who is bald ? Not that wc should mock him, but that we
The predestined future spoken of as past. 167
should mourn before him. For some mocked, and wereTiTlt. destroyed by daemons : as in the Book of Kings the children mocked at bald Elisha, and said after him, Thou bald- 2 Kings head, Thou bald-head, and bears came out of the 2 23
wood,24. and destroyed the children who were wicked enough to mock, for whom their parents had now to mourn. This
event as by a prophecy signified our Lord Jesus Christ here
after to come. For He was mocked as if bald by the Jews deriding Him, when He was crucified on the spot of Calvary. Mat. 27, If we have believed in Him, we are His sons. To us therefore
is that Psalm chanted, which is entitled, To the sons of Core ;
for we are children of the Bridegroom. He, the Bridegroom, Matt. 9, giveth unto his Bride a pledge, His own Blood, and the Holy l6' Spirit, by which He hath enriched us meanwhile in our wanderings : but He yet keepeth for us His hidden riches.
What must that be which He keepeth for us, out of which
He hath given us such an earnest ?
3. Therefore the Prophet singeth to Him of the future, and
useth words as it were of past time : he speaks of things future
as if already done, because with God that which is future has already taken place. Here then the Prophet saw things future
with respect to us, but already past in His providence and most
sure predestination ; as in that Psalm also, where all acknow
ledge Christ to be spoken of, for its recitation sounds even as
if the Gospel were in reading ; They pierced My hands andPs. 22, My feet, they numbered all My bones: they gazed and1 stared upon Me, they divided My garments among them, and
cast lots upon My vesture. Who, when the reader reads this Psalm, would not recognise the Gospel ? And yet the saying in the Psalm is not, they will pierce My hands and My feet ; but they pierced; and not, they will number My bones ; but they numbered; and not, they will divide My garments, but they did divide My garments among them. All these things which the Prophet saw in the future, he mentioned as if past; so here also, (ver. 1. ) Lord, Tliou hast been
favourable unto Thy land; as if He had already done so.
4. Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. His
ancient people of Jacob, the people of Israel, born of Abraham's seed, in the promise to become one day the heir of God. That was indeed a real people, to whom the
168 The carnal Israel afigure of the true.
Psalm Old Testament was given ; but in the Old Testament the lxxxY- New was figured: that was the figure, this the truth ex
In that figure, by a kind of foretelling of the future, there was given to that people a certain land of
in a region where the people of the Jews abode ; where also is the city of Jerusalem, whose name we have all heard of. When this people had received possession of this land, they suffered many troubles from their neighbouring enemies who surrounded them : and when they sinned against their God, they were given into captivity, not for destruction, but for discipline; their Father not condemning, but scourging them. And after being seized on, they were set free, and many times were both made captives, and set
free; and they are now in captivity, and that for a great sin, even because they crucified their Lord. What then are we to understand them to mean by the words, Thou hast turned away the captivity ofJacob? Are we to understand here that other captivity, from which we all desire to be set free? For we all belong to Jacob, if we belong to Abraham's
Bom. 9, seed. For thus speaketh the Apostle; In Isaac shall thy /-8' seed be called: that is, not those who are children of the
flesh, these are the children of God, but the children of promise, these are counted as a seed. If the children of
promise are counted for the seed, the Jews became degene rate by offending God : we, by deserving well of God, are become the children of Abraham, not according to the flesh, but according to faith. For by imitating his faith, we are become his children, whilst they, by degenerating from his faith, deserved to be disinherited. For, that you may know- that they lost their birth from Abraham, when they arrogantly boasted in the hearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorying in
John 8, their blood, not in their life, and saying to the Lord, We have Abraham for our father; the Lord saith unto them, as degenerate, If ye are the children of Abraham, do ye the works of Abraham. If they then were on that account not children, because they did not Abraham's works ; we are therefore children, because we do the works of Abraham.
Gen. 16, But what are the works of Abraham which we do? Abraham 3 believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
6.
Therefore we all belong to Jacob, imitating Abraham's faith,
pressed.
promise,
God's people freedfrom spiritual captivity. 169
who believed God, and it was counted to him for righteous- Ver.
l' 2'
Rom. 7, according to the inner man : the law of God delights me 22 23
within : but I
against the law of my mind. Now thou hast heard of the
law, thou hast heard of the battle, but thou hast not yet heard
of the captivity ; hear what follows : warring against the
law of my mind, he says, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin, which is in my members. We acknow
ledge this captivity, who is there of us who would not
be set free from it ? And how shall he be set free ? This Psalm hath prophesied in song. Thcu hast turned away the captivity ofJacob. To whom did it speak ? To Christ ; for
it said, for the end, for the sons of Core: for He hath turned
away the captivity of Jacob. Hear Paul himself confessing.
When he said that he was dragged captive by the law in his members warring against the law of his mind, he criedI out under that captivity, and said, O wretched man that
who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? He asked 24' 26, who it should be, and straightway it occurred to him, The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Of this grace of
God the Prophet speaketh to our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Attend to the captivity
of Jacob, attend, and see that it is this: Tbou hast turned
away our captivity, not by setting us free from the barbarians,
with whom we had not met, but by setting us free from bad works, from our sins, by which Satan held sway over us.
For if any one has been set free from his sins, the prince of sinners hath not whence he may hold sway over him.
5. For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See, how that that setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. (Ver. 2. ) Thou hast forgiven, he saith, the iniquity
ness. What then is that captivity from which we desire to be set free ? For none of us, I suppose, is now among the barbarians, nor has any armed nation rushed upon us and led us captive. But I am now pointing out another captivity, in which we groan, and from which we desire to be set free. Let the Apostle Paul proceed, let him tell of it : let him be our mirror, let him speak, and let us see ourselves there : for there is no one but may recogInise himself there. That
blessed Apostle then saith : For
delight in the law God of
see another law in my members warring
am, Eom.
7,
170 Covering of sin and turning away of God's wrath.
Psalm of Thy people : Tltou hast covered all their sins. Behold - xv' how He halh turned away their captivity, in that He hath
remitted iniquity : iniquity held them captive; thy iniquity forgiven, thou art freed. Confess therefore that thou art in captivity, that thou mayest be worthy to be freed : for he that knoweth not of his enemy, how can he invoke the liberator ? Thou hast covered all their sins. What is, Thou hast covered ? So as not to see them. How didst Thou not
see them? So as not to take vengeance on them. Thou wast unwilling to see our sins : and therefore sawest Thou them not, because Thou wouldest not see them : Thou hast covered all their sins. (Ver. 3. ) Tliou hast appeased all Thy anger: Thou hast turned Thyselffrom Thy wrathful in dignation.
6. And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the words is past, it follows: (ver. 4. ) Turn us, 0 God of our salvation. That which he had just related as if it were done, how prayeth he that it may be done, except because he wished to shew that he had spoken as if of the past in prophecy? But that it was not yet done which he had said was done he sheweth by this, that he prayeth that it may be done : Turn us, O God of our salvation, and turn away Thine anger from us. Didst thou not say before,
Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob, Thou hast covered all their sins : Thou hast appeased all Thy anger, Thou hast turned Thyselffrom Thy wrathful indignation ? How then now sayest thou, And turn away Thine anger
from us ? The Prophet answereth : These things I speak of as done, because I see them about to be done : but because they are not yet done, I pray that they may come, which 1 have already seen. Turn away Thine angerfrom us.
7. Ver.
1 nut- ceptio
words of the Apostle, that difficulty and that almost inex tricable struggle is alleviated by the addition, The grace of
God through Jesus ChHst our Lord; so here, when he sighed in the ardent longing for the house of God, and those praises of God, and when a kind of despair arose at the feeling of the burden of the body and the weight of the flesh, again he awoke to hope, and said, (vcr. 5. ) Blessed is the man whose
taking up ' is in Thee.
What then does God supply by His grace to him
whom He taketh hold of to lead him on? He goes on to say: * a>>cen-He hath placed steps* in his heart. He makes steps for him by which he may ascend. Where are these steps ? In his heart. Therefore the more thou lovest, the more shalt thou
rise. He hath placed steps in his heart. Who hath done this? He who hath taken hold of him: for, Blessed, says he, is he whose taking up is in Thee, O Lord. Because of him self he cannot rise, it is necessary that Thy grace should raise him. And what does Thy grace i It places steps in his heart. Where does it place steps ? In his heart, (ver. 6. ) in the valley of weeping. So here thou hast for a winepress the valley of weeping, the very pious tears in tribulation are the new wine of those that love. He hath placed steps in his heart. Where then hath He placed them ? In the valley ofweeping. For here He hath placed steps, in the valley of weeping. For here is weeping, where is sowing. They went
Ps. 126, forth weeping, he says, casting their seed. Therefore, by
6-6'
the grace of God may upward steps be placed in thy heart Rise by loving. Hence the Psalm " of degrees" is called. And where hath He placed these steps ? In thy heart, in the valley of weeping. He hath said where He hath placed them, whither hath He set them?
What hath He placed? Steps. Where? Within, In the heart. In what region, in
what place, as it were, of abode ? In the valley of weeping. To ascend whither ? To the place which He hath appointed. What is this, brethren, To the place which He hath ap
Our sinful state is ' the valley of weeping. ' 1 59
pointed. What place would he name, which He hath ap- Ver.
pointed, if it could be named ?
He hath placed steps in his heart, in the valley of weeping.
Dost thou ask, whither ? What will He say to thee ? What \ Cor. eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered"1'9' into the heart of man. It is a hill, it is a mountain, it is a land, it is a meadow : by nearly all these names that place
has been called.
who can explain ?
what that place is :
therefore whither he hath appointed us to go, or what place
it is. He knoweth whither, He Who hath appointed the place whither He is leading thee, the ascent to which He
hath placed in thy heart. What ? dost thou fear to ascend,
lest He who leads thee should go wrong? Lo, in the valley
of weeping, He hath placed steps of ascent to the place which He hath appointed. Now we lament; whence pro
ceed our lamentations, but from that place where the steps
of Our ascent are placed ? Whence comes our lamentation,
but from that cause wherefore the Apostle exclaimed that he
was a wretched man, because he saw another law in his Rom. 7, . 23
members, warring against the law in his mind? And whence
does this proceed ? From the penalty of sin. And we thought that we could easily be righteous as it were by our own strength, before we received thIe command ; but when ib. 9.
the command came, sin revived; but
died, saith the Apostle. For a law was given to men, not such as could save them at once, but it was to shew them in what severe sickness they
were lying. Hear the words of the Apostle; For if a law Gal. 3, had been given which coidd give life, verily righteousness*1' 22- should have been by the law; but the Scripture hath shut up
all under sin, that the promise which is offaith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe; so that grace
came after the law, and found man not only laid prostrate, but already confessing and saying, Miserable man that lam, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? And the physician came in due time to the valley of weeping, saying, Surely thou knowest that thou hast fallen ; listen unto Me that thou mayest arise, thou who didst despise Me, so that thou didst fall. Therefore the Law was given, that it might
It hath been said to thee, ------
But what is it in itself, without images
For, Now we see through a glass darkly 1 Cor. then we shall see face to face. Ask not 13' 12'
160 Typical Meaning of the Miracle of Btthesda.
Psii. M convince the sick man of his disease, whereas he seemed to Ix xIV' himself to be whole; that sins might be made manifest, not that they might be taken away. But when sin was made
manifest by the law given, sin was but increased, for it is Rom. 7, both sin, and against the Law; Sin, saith he, taking occasion
s'
by the command, wrought in me all manner ofconcupiscence. What does he mean by taking occasion by the law? Having received the command, men tried as by their own strength to obey it ; conquered by lust, they became guilty of trans gression of this very command also. But what saith the
Rom. 6, Apostle ? Where sin abounded, grace hath much more
20'
abounded ; that is, the disease increased, the medicine be came of more avail. Accordingly, my brethren, did those five porches of Solomon, in the middle of which the pool
John 6, lay, heal the sick at all ? The sick, says the Evangelist, lay in the five porches. In the Gospel we have and read it. Those five porches are the law in the five books of Moses. For this cause the sick were brought forth from their houses that they might lie in the porches. So the law brought the sick men forth, but did not heal them : but by the blessing
of God the water was disturbed, as by an Angel descending into it. At the sight of the water troubled, the one person who was able, descended and was healed. That water surrounded by the five porches, was the people of the Jews shut up in their law. The Lord came and disturbed this people, so that He Himself was slain. For if the Lord had not troubled the Jews by coming down to them, would He have been crucified? So that the troubled water signified the Passion of the Lord, which arose from His troubling the Jewish people. The sick man who believeth in this Passion, like him who descended into the troubled water, is healed thereby. He whom the Law could not heal, that is, while he
lay in the porches, is healed by grace, by faith in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. One is healed, for those healed are one. What then does He say here ? He hath placed steps of ascent in his heart, in the valley of weeping, to the place which He hath appointed. Now we will rejoice in that place.
11. Ver. 8. But why in the valley of weeping? What is this valley of weeping, from whence we shall come into that
The Church proceeds 'from virtue to virtue. ' 161
place ofjoy? He shall give blessing, saith he, Who gave the Ver. law. He afflicted us by the law, pressed us under the law, ------ shewed unto us the winepress, we saw the pressure, we were conscious of the tribulation of the flesh, we groaned with the rebellion of sin against our mind, we cried out, ' Miserable
man that I am:' we groaned under the law; what remains but that He who gave the law should give His blessing ? Grace shall come after the law, grace itself is the blessing. And what has that grace and blessing given unto us?
They shall go from virtue to virtue. For here by grace many
virtues are given. For to one is given by the Spirit the word l Cor. of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according I2' 8- to the same Spirit, to another faith, to another the gift of healing, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, to another prophecy. Many virtues,
but necessary for this life; and from these virtues we go on
to a virtue. To what virtue ? To Christ the Virtue of l Cor.
God and the Wisdom of God. He giveth different virtues in ' 24, this place, Who for all the virtues which are necessary and useful in this valley of weeping shall give one virtue, Himself.
For in Scripture and in many writers four virtues are described useful for life : prudence, by which we discern between good
and evil ; justice, by which we give each person his due, owing no man any thing, but loving all men: temperance, by which we restrain lusts ; fortitude, by which we bear all troubles. These virtues are now by the grace of God given unto us in the valley of weeping : from these virtues we mount unto that other virtue. And what will that be, but the virtue of the contemplation of God alone ? There this our prudence will be unnecessary where no evils will meet us which we shall have to avoid. But what think we, my brethren? There will be no justice, such as here: for there will be no need with any man to which we shall owe relief. There will be no such temperance, where will be no lust to be restrained. No such fortitude as here, where there will be no evils to be borne. Therefore from these virtues of action here we shall pass to that virtue of contemplation, by which we shall see
I will be near Thee in the morning, pa. I will behold Thee. And hear how from these virtues
God: as it is written,
and
of present action we shall pass to that contemplation. It
vol. iv. M
6,
3.
'
162 Manifestation of( The God of Gods' the Christian hope. Psalm follows in that place : Theij shall qo from virtue to virtue.
8'
see God. The God of Gods shall appear in Sion.
12. And again, from the thought of those joys he returns to his own sighs. He sees what has come before in hope, and
where he is in reality. Then shall the God of Gods appear in Sion: this is why we shall rejoice: Him we shall praise for ever and ever. But as yet it is but the time of prayer, the time of deprecation : and if of rejoicing a little, yet still
in hope : we are on our journey, we are in the valley of weeping. Therefore returning to the groans proper to this place, he saith, (ver. 8. ) 0 Lord God of virtues, hear my
.
What virtue? That of contemplation. What is contem
lxxxIV. _
plation ? The God of Gods shall appear in Sion. The God Ps. 82,6. of Gods, Christ of the Christians. How is this? / said, Ye
are Gods, and ye are all the children of the Most High. John 1, For He gave unto them power to become the sons of God, He in whom we believed, that fair Bridegroom, who on
account of our uncomeliness appeared here without come ls. 63,2. liness : for we saw Him, he saith, and He had no form nor
beauty. When all is fmished, that mortality makes necessary, He shall appear to the pure in heart, as He is, " God with God," The Word with the Father, " by Which all things
Matt. 6, were made :" for, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
prayer : hearken, O God of Jacob : for Jacob himself also ticn. 32,Thou hast made Israel out of Jacob. For God appeared
Ps. 36,7.
unto him, and he was called Israel, seeing God. Hear me therefore, O God of Jacob, and make me Israel. When shall I become Israel ? When the God of Gods shall appear in Sion.
13. Ver. 9. Behold,0 God our defender. ' Under theshadow of Thy wings they shall hope :' therefore, Behold, O God our defender. And look on the face of Thy Christ. For when doth God not look upon the face of His Christ ? What is this, Look on the face of Thy Christ? By the face we are known. What is it then, Look on the face of Thy Christ ? Cause Thy Christ to become known to all. Look on the face of Tby Christ: let Christ become known to all, that we may be able to go from strength to strength, that grace may abound, since sin hath abounded.
14. Ver. 10. For one day in Thy courts is better than a
Earthly honours to be given up for a place in God's House. 163
thousand. Those courts they were for which he sighed, for Ver. which he fainted. My soul longeth and faileth for
courts of the Lord : one day there is better than a thou
sand days. Men long for thousands of days, and wish to
live here long : let them despise these thousands of days,
let them long for one day, which has neither rising nor setting : one day, an everlasting day, to which no yesterday yields, which no to-morrow presses. Let this one day be longed for by us. What have we to do with a thousand days ?
We go from the thousand days to one day ; let us hasten to
that one day1, as we go from strength lo strength. 'Oxf.
1 5. Ver. 11. / have chosen to be cast away in the house of'the <kt'*^
/
Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners. For he hasten,' . . . &0.
found the valley of weeping, he found humility by which he might rise : he knoweth that if he would raise himself he shall fall, if he humble himself he shall be exalted : he hath chosen to be cast away, that he may be raised up. How many beside this tabernacle of the Lord's winepress, that is beside the Catholic Church, wishing to be lifted up, and loving their honours, refuse to see the truth.
If this verse had been in
have chosen to be cast aicay in the house the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents ofsinners, would they not cast away honours, and rnn to the valley of weeping, and hence find in their heart the way of ascent, and hence go from virtues to virtue, placing their hope in Christ, not in
their heart,
of
some man or another? A good word is this, a word to
/ have chosen to be cast away in the house of the Lord, rather than to dwell in the tents of
rejoice in, a word to be chosen :
sinners. He himself chose to be cast away in the house
of the Lord ; but He who invited him to the feast, when he chose a lower place calleth him to a higher one, and saith unto him, Go up higher. Yet he chose not but to be in Lake
the house of the Lord, in any part of so that he were not outside the threshold.
16. Wherefore did he choose rather to be cast away
in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of
19,
the ungodly? (Ver. 12. ) Because God loveth mercy Rom. l1, and truth. The Lord loveth mercy, by which He first36' came to my help He loveth truth, so as to give to
him that believeth what He has promised. Hear in the
M
2
:
it,
'
J 64 God, having given Mercy, owes reward by Promise.
Psat. m case of the Apostle Paul, His mercy and truth, Paul who -----was first Saul the persecutor. He needed mercy, and he
/
16 'a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but
l Tim. has said that it was shewn towards him :
who was before I
1' 13
obtained mercy, that in me Christ Jesus might shew forth all longsuffering towards those who shall believe in Him unto life eternal. So that, when Paul received pardon of such great crimes, no one should despair of any sins whatever being forgiven him. Lo ! Thou hast Mercy. God was then unwilling to put His Truth in action, so as to punish the sinner. For if the sinner were punished, would it not be truth ? or would he dare to say, I ought not to be puuished, when he could not say, I have not sinned ? And if he did say, I have not sinned : to whom would he say it ? Whom would he deceive ? Therefore the Lord first exerted mercy towards him: after mercy, truth. Hear him how he de- mands truth afterwards. First he said,
1 Cor. '
'I
mercy,
/ obtained
who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and inju
rious : but by the grace ofGod Iam what /
am. Afterwards
2 Tim. He saith, when he was drawing near his passiI on,
have have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
4, 8- fought a good fight, I
have my course, finished
righteousness. He who giveth mercy, keepeth truth. How doth He keep truth ? Which the Lord, Who is a righteous Judge, shall repay me at that day. He freely gave him pardon, He shall render him a crown : He is a free giver of pardon, a debtor of a crown. How a debtor ? hath He received any thing ? To whom doth God owe any thing ? Lo, we see that Paul holdeth Him a debtor, having received mercy, demanding truth. The Lord, he says, shall give me back in that day. What shall He give thee back, but that which He oweth thee? How
Rom. oweth He unto thee? What hast thou given Him ? Who hath i1, 36. j^rst g{ven uni0 Him, and it shall be restored to him again.
The Lord Himself hath made Himself a debtor, not by receiv ing, but by promising: it is not said unto Him, Restore what Thou hast received : but, Restore what Thou hast promised. He hath shewn mercy unto me, he saith, that He might make me innocent : for before I was a blasphemer and injurious : but by His grace I have been made innocent. But He who first
shewed mercy, can He deny His debt? He loveth mercy and
The real good is what God gives the innocent. 165 truth. He will give grace and glory. What grace, but that Veil
12'
s'TM-
I
up for me a crown of glory?
17- Ver. 12. Therefore the Lordwill not withhold goodfrom
those who walk in innocence. Why then, men, are ye unwilling to keep innocence, except in order that ye may have good things Such an one will not keep innocence, in order not to restore that which committed to his trust: he would have gold, and loseth innocence. What doth he gain? what doth he lose? He hath the gain of gold, he hath suffered the loss of innocence. 'But shall keep innocence,' hesaith,
shall be poor. ' Is not innocence itself no slight wealth If thou hast chest full of gold, shalt thou be rich thou hast heart full of innocence, shalt thou be poor? But behold thou longest for good things, though thou be at present in poverty, in tribulation, in the valley of weeping, in pressure, in temptations, keep innocence. For there shall be hereafter that good for thee for which thou longest rest, eternity, immortality, freedom from suffering shall be here after: these are the good things which God keepeth for His righteous ones. For the good things which thou now longest
for, as of great worth, for which thou art willing to be guilty and not guiltless, listen while tell thee who have them, who abound in them. Thou seest wealth in the hands of robbers, of the impious, the wicked, the base in the hands of scandalous and criminal men thou seest wealth God
of which the same oue said ; By the grace of God
/ am? What glory, but that of which he said, There is laid\f,,
am what
them these things on account of their fellowship in
the human race, for the abundant overflowing of His goodness:
Who also maketh His sun to rise upon the good and the Matt. evil, and causeth to rain upon the righteous and upon 4o- sinners. Giveth He so much to the wicked, and keepeth nothing for thee? He keepeth something: be at ease, He Who
had mercy on thee, when thou wast impious, doth He desert
thee when thou hast become pious He Who gave to the sinner the free gift of His Son's death, what keepeth He for
the saved through that death Therefore be at ease. Hold
Him a debtor, for thou hast believed in Him promising.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who walk in
innocence. What then remains for us here, in the winepress,
giveth
?
if
?
it
6,
4
i(j.
:
:
if
?
;
O
I
a :
if
a
;
I'
is I
?
166 Christ our Healer and our Light. ' Sons of Core. '
Psalm Jn affliction, in hardship, in our present dangerous life ? What "kxxlv- remains for us, that we may arrive thither ? 0 Lord God of
virtues, blessed is the man that putteth his hope in Thee.
psalm lxxxv.
A Sermon to the People.
W E have prayed to the Lord our God to shew us His mercy, and to grant us His salvation. This was spoken in prophecy, when first these Psalms were uttered and written : but as regards the present time, the Lord now sheweth His
to the nations, and hath granted unto them His salvation. He indeed hath shewn it : but many refuse to be made whole, and to see what He sheweth. But because He Himself healeth the eyes of the heart so that they see Him ; therefore having said, Shew us Thy mercy, as if many blind
persons would answer, How shall wc see when He sheweth ? ? salif he added, And grant us Thy salvation '. For by granting
Lat. fcxxxIV.
mercy
tore
His salvation, He healeth in us that by which we may be able to see what He sheweth : not as a physician takes care to shew this light to those whose eyes he has cured, when the light which he is to shew is one thing, the physician who
heals the eyes to which he shews it another, and not the light itself. Not thus is it with the Lord our God: for He Himself is the Physician, Who cures us that we may see, and He Himself the Light which we become able to see. Let us however run through the whole Psalm, as far as we can, and as the Lord permits, as well as the shortness of time will allow.
2. Its title is, A Psalm for the end, to the sons ofCore. Let us understand no other end than that of which the Apostle speaks: for, Christ is the end of the Law, for justification to
Rom.
I0' ' every one that believeth. Therefore when at the head of the
John . '
title of the Psalm he placed the words, for the end, he directed our heart to Christ. If we fix our gaze on Him, we shall not stray : for He is Himself the Truth unto which we are eager to arrive, and He Himself the Way by which we run. What is, To the sous of Core ? Core is explained as a
Hebrew word meaning in our language bald. To the sons of Core then means, To the sons of the Bald. Who is he who is bald ? Not that wc should mock him, but that we
The predestined future spoken of as past. 167
should mourn before him. For some mocked, and wereTiTlt. destroyed by daemons : as in the Book of Kings the children mocked at bald Elisha, and said after him, Thou bald- 2 Kings head, Thou bald-head, and bears came out of the 2 23
wood,24. and destroyed the children who were wicked enough to mock, for whom their parents had now to mourn. This
event as by a prophecy signified our Lord Jesus Christ here
after to come. For He was mocked as if bald by the Jews deriding Him, when He was crucified on the spot of Calvary. Mat. 27, If we have believed in Him, we are His sons. To us therefore
is that Psalm chanted, which is entitled, To the sons of Core ;
for we are children of the Bridegroom. He, the Bridegroom, Matt. 9, giveth unto his Bride a pledge, His own Blood, and the Holy l6' Spirit, by which He hath enriched us meanwhile in our wanderings : but He yet keepeth for us His hidden riches.
What must that be which He keepeth for us, out of which
He hath given us such an earnest ?
3. Therefore the Prophet singeth to Him of the future, and
useth words as it were of past time : he speaks of things future
as if already done, because with God that which is future has already taken place. Here then the Prophet saw things future
with respect to us, but already past in His providence and most
sure predestination ; as in that Psalm also, where all acknow
ledge Christ to be spoken of, for its recitation sounds even as
if the Gospel were in reading ; They pierced My hands andPs. 22, My feet, they numbered all My bones: they gazed and1 stared upon Me, they divided My garments among them, and
cast lots upon My vesture. Who, when the reader reads this Psalm, would not recognise the Gospel ? And yet the saying in the Psalm is not, they will pierce My hands and My feet ; but they pierced; and not, they will number My bones ; but they numbered; and not, they will divide My garments, but they did divide My garments among them. All these things which the Prophet saw in the future, he mentioned as if past; so here also, (ver. 1. ) Lord, Tliou hast been
favourable unto Thy land; as if He had already done so.
4. Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. His
ancient people of Jacob, the people of Israel, born of Abraham's seed, in the promise to become one day the heir of God. That was indeed a real people, to whom the
168 The carnal Israel afigure of the true.
Psalm Old Testament was given ; but in the Old Testament the lxxxY- New was figured: that was the figure, this the truth ex
In that figure, by a kind of foretelling of the future, there was given to that people a certain land of
in a region where the people of the Jews abode ; where also is the city of Jerusalem, whose name we have all heard of. When this people had received possession of this land, they suffered many troubles from their neighbouring enemies who surrounded them : and when they sinned against their God, they were given into captivity, not for destruction, but for discipline; their Father not condemning, but scourging them. And after being seized on, they were set free, and many times were both made captives, and set
free; and they are now in captivity, and that for a great sin, even because they crucified their Lord. What then are we to understand them to mean by the words, Thou hast turned away the captivity ofJacob? Are we to understand here that other captivity, from which we all desire to be set free? For we all belong to Jacob, if we belong to Abraham's
Bom. 9, seed. For thus speaketh the Apostle; In Isaac shall thy /-8' seed be called: that is, not those who are children of the
flesh, these are the children of God, but the children of promise, these are counted as a seed. If the children of
promise are counted for the seed, the Jews became degene rate by offending God : we, by deserving well of God, are become the children of Abraham, not according to the flesh, but according to faith. For by imitating his faith, we are become his children, whilst they, by degenerating from his faith, deserved to be disinherited. For, that you may know- that they lost their birth from Abraham, when they arrogantly boasted in the hearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorying in
John 8, their blood, not in their life, and saying to the Lord, We have Abraham for our father; the Lord saith unto them, as degenerate, If ye are the children of Abraham, do ye the works of Abraham. If they then were on that account not children, because they did not Abraham's works ; we are therefore children, because we do the works of Abraham.
Gen. 16, But what are the works of Abraham which we do? Abraham 3 believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
6.
Therefore we all belong to Jacob, imitating Abraham's faith,
pressed.
promise,
God's people freedfrom spiritual captivity. 169
who believed God, and it was counted to him for righteous- Ver.
l' 2'
Rom. 7, according to the inner man : the law of God delights me 22 23
within : but I
against the law of my mind. Now thou hast heard of the
law, thou hast heard of the battle, but thou hast not yet heard
of the captivity ; hear what follows : warring against the
law of my mind, he says, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin, which is in my members. We acknow
ledge this captivity, who is there of us who would not
be set free from it ? And how shall he be set free ? This Psalm hath prophesied in song. Thcu hast turned away the captivity ofJacob. To whom did it speak ? To Christ ; for
it said, for the end, for the sons of Core: for He hath turned
away the captivity of Jacob. Hear Paul himself confessing.
When he said that he was dragged captive by the law in his members warring against the law of his mind, he criedI out under that captivity, and said, O wretched man that
who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? He asked 24' 26, who it should be, and straightway it occurred to him, The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Of this grace of
God the Prophet speaketh to our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Attend to the captivity
of Jacob, attend, and see that it is this: Tbou hast turned
away our captivity, not by setting us free from the barbarians,
with whom we had not met, but by setting us free from bad works, from our sins, by which Satan held sway over us.
For if any one has been set free from his sins, the prince of sinners hath not whence he may hold sway over him.
5. For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See, how that that setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. (Ver. 2. ) Thou hast forgiven, he saith, the iniquity
ness. What then is that captivity from which we desire to be set free ? For none of us, I suppose, is now among the barbarians, nor has any armed nation rushed upon us and led us captive. But I am now pointing out another captivity, in which we groan, and from which we desire to be set free. Let the Apostle Paul proceed, let him tell of it : let him be our mirror, let him speak, and let us see ourselves there : for there is no one but may recogInise himself there. That
blessed Apostle then saith : For
delight in the law God of
see another law in my members warring
am, Eom.
7,
170 Covering of sin and turning away of God's wrath.
Psalm of Thy people : Tltou hast covered all their sins. Behold - xv' how He halh turned away their captivity, in that He hath
remitted iniquity : iniquity held them captive; thy iniquity forgiven, thou art freed. Confess therefore that thou art in captivity, that thou mayest be worthy to be freed : for he that knoweth not of his enemy, how can he invoke the liberator ? Thou hast covered all their sins. What is, Thou hast covered ? So as not to see them. How didst Thou not
see them? So as not to take vengeance on them. Thou wast unwilling to see our sins : and therefore sawest Thou them not, because Thou wouldest not see them : Thou hast covered all their sins. (Ver. 3. ) Tliou hast appeased all Thy anger: Thou hast turned Thyselffrom Thy wrathful in dignation.
6. And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the words is past, it follows: (ver. 4. ) Turn us, 0 God of our salvation. That which he had just related as if it were done, how prayeth he that it may be done, except because he wished to shew that he had spoken as if of the past in prophecy? But that it was not yet done which he had said was done he sheweth by this, that he prayeth that it may be done : Turn us, O God of our salvation, and turn away Thine anger from us. Didst thou not say before,
Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob, Thou hast covered all their sins : Thou hast appeased all Thy anger, Thou hast turned Thyselffrom Thy wrathful indignation ? How then now sayest thou, And turn away Thine anger
from us ? The Prophet answereth : These things I speak of as done, because I see them about to be done : but because they are not yet done, I pray that they may come, which 1 have already seen. Turn away Thine angerfrom us.
7. Ver.
