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22. To this man promised He understanding, and His
now turneth He to the proud, who defend their sins, and sheweth unto us, what is true understanding.
(Ver. 9. ) Be not ye as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding. The horse and mule are of uplifted neck. Is. l,3. The horse and mule are not like that ox, which knoweth
his owner, and the ass his master's crib: be not ye as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding. For what do such suffer? Hold in their jaws with bit and bridle, who come not near unto Thee. Wouldest thou be as the horse or as the mule ? wouldest thou not have a rider? Thy mouth and thy jaws shall be held in with bit and bridle; thy mouth shall be held in, even that wherewith thou boastest thy merits, and keepest silent thy sins. Hold in their jaws, who come not near unto Thee, by humbling themselves.
23. Ver. 10. Many are the scourges of the sinner. It is no wonder if after the applying of the bit and bridle, there follow scourges; for the beast desired to be untamed: he is tamed with bridle and scourge; and I wish he may be throughly tamed ! for there is fear lest by too much resisting he deserve to be left untamed, and to go on in his own un restrained liberty, so that it be said of him, Their iniquity
Ps. 73,7. standeth forth as from their fatness ; as of them whose sins are as yet unpunished. Therefore when he is scourged, let him be amended, let him be tamed ; for even so this man also declared himself to be tamed. A horse and a mule had he called himself, when he kept silence, but whereby was he tamed? By scourges. / was turned, saith he, in misery,
until a thorn was fixed through. Whether scourges thou sayest, or goads thou sayest, God tameth the beast whereon He rideth ; for it is expedient for the beast that it be ridden
For not because He is weary by going afoot, doth God ride the beast. And truly is it not full of mystery, that an ass was brought unto the Lord ? A people, meek, and gentle, bearing well the Lord, is that ass; and tendeth
protection:
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upon.
' towards Jerusalem. For the meek will He guide in judg- Ps. 25,9.
Rejoice in God. Never question His Government. 301
tnent, as saith another Psalm, and the gentle will He teach Vee. His way. What meek ? Those that lift not up their neck -- , against their tamer ; suffering patiently the scourges and the bridle; afterwards so tamed, that without a scourge they
amble, and without bit or bridle keep the way. If thou be without That rider, thou wilt fall, not He. Many are the scourges of the sinners ; but he that trusteth in the Lord, Mercy shall compass him about. How is there refuge from pressure ? Him whom first pressure compasseth, afterwards compasseth Mercy : because He will give Mercy, Who gave Ps. 84,
'
also Law: Law in scourges; Mercy in consolation. But he that trusteth in the Lord, Mercy shall compass him about.
24. What then is the conclusion?
the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous. O ye who rejoice in
yourselves! O ye ungodly, O ye proud, who rejoice in yourselves! now believe ye on Him that justifieth the un godly, and let your faith be counted for righteousness. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous. And rejoice; understand again, in the Lord. Wherefore? Because ye
are now righteous. Whereby righteous? Not by your merits, but by His Grace. Wherefore righteous? Because
justified.
25. And glory all ye that are right in heart. What is,
Right in heart ? Not resisting God. Attend, my Beloved, and understand the right heart. I speak briefly, but yet a thing of all the most to be commended. And God be thanked, that it cometh at the end, that so it may remain fixed in your thoughts. Between a right heart, and an heart not right, is this difference. Whatever man, whatsoever he suffereth against his will, afflictions, sorrows, labours, humiliations, attributeth them not but to the Righteous Will of God, not
charging Him with foolishness, as though He knoweth not what He doth, because He scourgeth such an one, and spareth such another ; he indeed is right in heart. But perverse in heart, and froward, and distorted are they, who whatever evils they suffer, say that they suffer them unjustly, charging Him with injustice, through Whose Will they suffer; or, because they dare not charge Him with injustice, take from Him His government. Because God,
saith one, can not do injustice, but it is unjust that I suffer,
(ver. 11. ) Be glad in
300
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Ourselves to be offered to God, of Whom is all good. 305
Ver. 2. Praise the Lord with harp praise the Lord, V>>.
resenting unto Him your bodies living sacrifice. Sing *^~
uto Him with lfie psaltery often strings let vour members l*, servants to the love of God, and of your 'neighbour, in
<Inch are kept both the three and the seven command- nents'.
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Ver. 4. For the Word the Lord right: for the
Word of the Lord right, to make you that which of your
selves ye cannot be. And all His works are done in faith "
lest any think that the merit of works he hath arrived at
taith when in faith are done all the works which God Him- sell loveth.
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Sing unto Him a new song: sing unto Him ong of the grace of faith. Sing skilfully unto Him with ubtlation: sing skilfully unto Him with rejoicing.
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802 Divers errors of those who will not submit.
Psalm and such an one suffer not ; for I grant that I am a sinner, Expujyet surely there are some worse, who rejoice, while I suffer "tribulation : because then this is unjust, that even some
worse than I should rejoice, while I suffer tribulation, who am either righteous, or less a sinner than they, and it is certain unto me that this is unjust, and it is certain unto me that God doth not injustice ; therefore God governeth not the things of men, nor is there any care for us with Him. They then who are not right in heart, that is, who are distorted in heart, have three conclusions; either
Ps. 14,1. There is no God; for, Thefool hath said in his heart, There 1 supra, is no God. And it hath been ' said, in speaking of those p. ' floods, there wanted not such a doctrine among philosophers;
there wanted not men who said that there was no God, who governeth all things, and who created all things, but that there were many Gods, living at ease, beyond this world, caring not for it. Either, therefore, There is no God, which saith the ungodly, who is displeased with whatever happens to him against his will, and happens not to another, to whom he preferreth himself: or, God is unjust, Who is pleased at these things, and Who doeth these things; or, God governeth not human things, and there is no care for all men with Him. In these three conclusions, great ungodliness is it, either to deny a God, or to call Him unrighteous, or to take from Him the government of the world. Wherefore this ? Because he is distorted in heart. God is right, and therefore a dis torted heart acquiesceth not in Him. As it is in another
Ps. 73,i. Psalm, How good is God to Israel, even unto such as are of an upright heart. And because even he had once such a thought as this, How doth God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High? therefore he added in that place, But as for me, my feet were almost gone. As a warped beam, though you lay it on an even pavement, taketh not its place, nor is it joined and fastened to the rest, but always moves about and totters, not because that is uneven where thou placedst but because that which thou placedst warped so thy heart, as long as crooked and warped, cannot coincide with the lightness of God, and can not be so placed
Cor. therein, as to cleave unto the same, and for that to be, He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit. Therefore said
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All suffering by God's permission, for His children's good. 303
he, Glory, all ye that are right in heart. How glory the Veh. right in heart? Hear their glorying; And not only so, but -- we glory in tribulations also, saith the Apostle. For it is no 3 great thing to glory in gladness, to glory in rejoicing; the
right in heart glorieth in tribulations also. And hear how he glorieth in tribulation for not in vain, nor without reason, that such an one glorieth see Knowing, saith the right heart, that tribulation worketh patience and patience, experience and experience, hope and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God shed abroad in our hearts the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.
26. So then the right heart, Brethren.
Let every man to whomsoever any thing happens say, The Lord gave, and the Joh Lord hath taken away. Lo, this right heart. As tte^K Lord pleased, so done. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Who hath taken away What hath He taken away? From whom hath He taken away When hath He taken
Blessed be the Name of the Lord. He said not,
The Lord gave, and the devil hath taken away. Attend therefore, Beloved, lest haply you should say, the devil did
this for me. Unto thy God alone refer thy scourge for not
even the devil doth any thing against thee unless He permit Who hath power above, either for punishment, or
for discipline: for the punishment of the ungodly, for the discipline of His son. For He scourgeth every son whom Heb. 12, He receiveth. Neither must thou hope to be without a " scourge, unless haply thou wish to be disinherited. For He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. What, every son? Where then wouldest thou hide thyself? Everyone; and
none will be excepted, none without scourge. What?
Even to all Would you hear how truly he saith all
Even the Only-Begotten, without sin, was yet not without a scourge. Wherefore even the Only-Begotten, bearing thy
infirmity, and foreshewing in Himself thy person, as the head beareth the person of its own body when now He was approaching His Passion, out of His Manhood which He bore, became sorrowful, that He might make thee glad became sorrowful, that He might console thee. For truly the Lord was able to be without sorrow, going to His Passion. If the soldier was able, was not the Captain able?
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304 Christ's Human Will. His bearing all infirmities.
Hear Paul exulting, as he ap-
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am now ready to be
which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day : and not to me only, but unto all them that love His appearing. See how he exulteth, coming to his passion. He then rejoiceth, who should be crowned ; He, who should crown, sorroweth. What therefore did He bear ? The infirmity of some, who, when tribulation or death cometh, are sorrowful. But see how He leadeth us to rightness of heart. Behold, thou wouldest live, thou wouldest not that any thing should happen to thee ; but God hath willed otherwise : here are two wills, but thy will must be made straight to the will of God, not God's will bent to thine. For thy will is crooked ; His is even the rule. The rule must be fixed, that what is crooked may be made straight to the rule. See now the Lord Jesus Christ
Psalm How was the soldier able ?
XXXII ExP_n_'proached
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his passion. /
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have
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fought a good fight, I
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Mat. 26,teacheth this, My Soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: and, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. See, He sheweth the human will. But see the right
I will, but as Thou wilt. Do thou then the same ; rejoice in those things which happen unto thee ; and even if the last day come upon thee, rejoice.
heart ; Nevertheless, not as
Or if the frailty of any human will creep over thee, let it speedily be made straight unto God, that thou mayest be among those of whom it is said, Glory, all ye that are right in heart.
PSALM XXXIII. FIRST EXPOSITION.
1. Ver. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: rejoice, O ye righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe ; but in the Lord. For praise is comely to the upright : these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord;
they are distorted and perverse.
for else
Ourselves to be offered to God, of Whom is all good. 305
2. Ver. 2. Praise the Lord with harp : praise the Lord, Jjer. " presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice. ^ing^^ unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings : let your members 12, i. be servants to the love of God, and of your neighbour, in
which are kept both the three and the seven command ments*.
3. Ver. 3. Sing unto Him a new song : sing unto Him a song of the grace of faith. Sing skilfully unto Him with
jubilation : sing skilfully unto Him with rejoicing.
4. Ver. 4. For the Word of the Lord is right : for the
Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of your selves ye cannot be. And all His works are done in faith : lest any think that by the merit of works he hath arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which God Him self loveth.
4 5. Ver. 5. He loveth Mercy and Judgment : for He loveth
Mercy, which now He sheweth first ; and Judgment, where with He exacteth that which He hath first shewn. The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord: throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.
6. Ver. b". By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens
made firm : for not by themselves, but by the Word of the
Lord were the righteous made strong. And all the strength 1 l virtus of them by the Breath of His Mouth. And all their faith
by His Holy Spirit.
7. Ver. 7. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle : He gathereth the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. He layeth up the deep in storehouses: and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.
8. Ver. 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him : not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him let them stand in awe.
9. Ver. 9. For He spake, and they were made: for no other one made those things which are to fear; but He spake, and they were made. He commanded, and they were created: He commanded by His Word1, and they were created.
' ad Lit. * See S. Aug. on Faith and Works, our 1st and 2d as one, dividing theb. i. ? .
? . 17. Tr. p. 52. note h. He takes 10th. 5,6.
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SeeDe
306 None blessed save in God, Who cares for all His.
Psalm
io. Ver. 10. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the Heathen Exp. I. to nought; of them that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. He maketh the devices of the people of none
1 Cor. 1'
14. Ver. 14. From His prepared habitation: from His habitation of assumed Humanity, which He prepared for Himself. He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth: He looketh mercifully upon all who live in the flesh, that He may be over them in ruling them.
15. Ver. 15. He fashioneth their hearts singly : He giveth spiritually to their hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor the whole hearing ; but that one in this manner, another in that manner, may be incor porated with Christ. He understandeth all their works. Before Him are all their works understood.
16. Ver. 16. A king shall not be saved by much strength : he shall not be saved who ruleth his own flesh, if he pre sume much upon his own strength. Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength : nor shall he be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.
#
effect : of them that covet earthly happiness. And reproveth the counsels of princes : of them that seek to rule over such
peoples.
11. Ver. 11. But the counsel of the Lord standeth for
ever ; but the counsel of the Lord, whereby He maketh none blessed but him that submitteth unto Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts of His Heart to all generations: the
thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but endure to all
generations.
12. Ver. 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord:
one nation is blessed, belonging to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen save the Lord for their God : And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance : and which not of itself, but by the gift of God, hath been chosen, that He by possessing it may not suffer it to be uncared for and miserable.
13. Ver. 13. The Lord looketh from Heaven ; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the souls of the righteous, the Lord looketh mercifully upon all who would rise to newness of life.
Hope in creatures vain. Trust and joy in God. 307
17. Ver. 17. A horse is a deceitful thing for safety: he is Ver. deceived, who thinketh either that through men he gaineth ------? salvation received among men, or that by the impetuosity of
his own courage he is defended from destruction. In the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved.
18. Ver. 18. Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him : because if thou seek salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon them that fear Him. Upon them that hope in His mercy : that hope not in their own strength, but in His mercy.
19. Ver. 19. To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine. To give them the nourishment of the Word, and of Everlasting Truth, which they lost while presuming on their own strength, and therefore have not even their own strength, from lack of righteousness.
20. Ver. 20. My soul shall be patient for the Lord: that hereafter it may be filled with dainties incorruptible, mean while, whilst here it remaineth, my soul shall be patient for the Lord. For He is our Helper and Defender : our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him ; and our Defender, while we resist the adversary.
21. Ver. 21. For our heart shall rejoice in Him: for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there is great need ; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. And we have trusted in His holy Name : and therefore have we trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent hath He sent, through faith, His own Name.
22. Ver. 22. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, accord ing as we have hoped in Thee: let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us ; for hope confoundeth not, because we have hoped in Thee.
SECOND EXPOSITION.
Discourse the Firtt. On the first part of the Psalm.
1. This Psalm admonishes us to rejoice in the Lord. It is entitled, Of David himself. Whoever then belong to the most holy seed of David, let them hearken to their own
308 Man ought to take God's Will as best, against his own.
Psalm words, and speak their own words, and let them rejoice in Exp. IIithe Lord. But thus it begins, (ver. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous: let the unrighteous rejoice in the world;
with the world ended ended the rejoicing of the un righteous.