God's house is the Church: as yet it
contains
evil men, but the beauty of God's house is in the good, is in the holy : this beauty of Thine house have I loved.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
What granted them for time, soon taken away.
For hath flourished as the flower of the
is. 40, grass. For all flesh grass: the grass wither eth, and tfie flower falleth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Turn therefore the back upon that which falleth, and the face to that which abideth. Now that Christ awake, the storm
shall no more shake thy heart, the waves shall not fill thy bark for thy faith commands the winds and the waves, and the danger shall pass away. For to this, Brethren, all that belongs, which the Apostle saith of putting off the old man.
^Ph. 4' Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon 28. your wrath neither give place to the devil. The old man then did give place, let not the new. He that stole, let him steal no more. The old man then did steal, let not the new.
It the same man, one man was Adam, let Christ: was the old man, let be the new; and so on with what follows there.
5. But let us examine the Psalm somewhat more carefully, because when anyone hath made progress in the Church, he must needs endure evil men in the Church. But the man
ib. 24.
be
it
is
:
it
;
is, it
it is
it
: it
is
is,
it
is is
is
is
is
a
The corn hard to see, while mixed with the chaff. 179
who is such does not recognise them, although many evil men Intro. murmur against the evil, just as one man in health bears more
easily with two sick men, than two sick men with one another. Therefore, Brethren, we give this charge,The Church of the time present is a threshing-floor: we have often said we often re
peat it. It contains both chaff and corn. Let no man look for all the chaff to go out thence, save in the time of winnowing. Let no man leave the floor before the time of winnowing, as if in his unwillingness to endure sinners; lest being found without the floor, he be picked up by the birds, before he enter into the barn. Now, Brethren, mark how we would enforce this. When the corn has begun to be threshed, the grains, amidst the chaff, do not touch each other as though they did not know each other, because of the intervention of the chaff. And any one who looks at floor at some little distance, thinks there nothing but chaff; except he look more narrowly, except he put forth his hand, except he make separation by the breath of his mouth, that
by a purifying wind, he hardly attains to distinguish the grains. Therefore sometimes even the very grains are so separated as were from each other, and not touching one another, that any one, when he has made progress, may think
that he alone. This thought, Brethren, tempted Elias, so great man and he said to God, as the Apostle also records, They have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; Rom. and am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith
Kings the answer God to him hate reserved to Myself seven 19, 10.
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. He said not to him, Thou hast two or three others like thyself. Do not deem thyself alone. There are, saith He, seven thousand others and dost thou deem thyself alone Accordingly this briefly we enjoin, as had begun to say. Do ye, holy Brethren, give heed with me, and may God's mercy be with us in our hearts, that may be so understood by you, as to bear fruit, and work in you. Hear briefly: Whosoever still evil, let him not deem that no one good whosoever good, let him not deem that he only good. Do ye apprehend this Lo, repeat mark ye how say: Whosoever evil, let him not in questioning his own con science, and receiving bad report of himself, imagine that
B
is is is of
a? ; is
I 2
? I it
it,
I
a
:
I is is it
: ? i is,
I
is
a
a it
;
it is
it,
180 Desire of the righteous to be separated by judgment.
Psalm no one is good : whosoever is good, let him not imagine that ? XpUhe only is good; and let not the good man fear in the mixture with the evil, for the time will come that he shall be separated from them. For to this end we have sung to-day,
ver. 9, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood. For what is, Destroy not with the ungodly ? Destroy not together. Why doth he fear, lest God should destroy him together? For I see that it is said to God, Because Thou sufferest us now together, destroy not together those whom Thou sufferest together. And this pervades the whole psalm, which I would briefly consider with you, holy Brethren, for it is brief,
'molesta
6. Ver. 1 . Judge me, O Lord. It is a serious 1 and seem ingly perilous wish, which he expresses for himself, that he may be judged. What is to be judged, which he wishes? He wishes to be separated from the evil. In another place
Ps. 43,l. he clearly speaks of this judgment of separation: Judge me, O Lord, and separate my cause from the unholy nation. He shews what he meant by, Judge: lest, as if without
have walked in
judgment, both the good and bad (for both good and bad enter at present into the Church) should go into eternal
fire. Judge me, O Lord. Why? For I
mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord L shall not be moved. What trusting in the Lord? For he stumbles among the evil, who does not trust in the Lord. Hence has come that schisms arose. They trembled among the evil, when they were worse themselves, and were unwilling, as were, to be good among the evil. they were corn, they would endure the chaff in the floor till the time of winnowing. But because they are chaff, the wind hath blown before this winnowing, and hath caught up the chaff from the threshing floor, and cast forth among thorns.
And the chaff' indeed hath been cast forth thence: but is that which remains corn only? It only the chaff that flies away before the winnowing; but there remains both corn and chaff: but the chaff will be winnowed, when the time of winnowing shall come. This the Psalmist meant
have walked in mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord shall not be moved. For shall trust in man, shall see perhaps this man sometime living ill, and not keeping to
I/
if I
isit O! if
I
: it
it
is,
Thoughts and delights of the soul purged withjire. 181
those good ways, which he hath either learnt or teaches in Ver.
the Church, but those which he hath followed under the teaching of the devil; and because my trust shall be in man, when man stumbles my trust stumbles, and when man falls my trust will fall : but, because I trust in the Lord, I shall not be moved.
7. There follows, (ver. 2. ) Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins, and my heart. What is, Burn my reins, and my heart ? Burn my delights, burn my thoughts, (He hath used heart for thoughts, and reins for delights,) lest I should think any evil, lest any evil should delight me. But wherewith wilt Thou burn my reins? With the fire of Thy word. Wherewith wilt Thou burn my heart? With the heat of Thy Spirit. Of which heat it is said elsewhere, And there is none who can hide I the heat Ps.
thereof. And of which fire the Lord saith, Jire on the earth.
*'
8. Therefore there foIllows, (ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is
have been pleasing in Thy truth. That is, I have not been pleasing in man's sight, but I have been pleasing unto Thee within, where Thou seest: and I care not, if 1 be displeasing where men see, as the Apostle
before mine eyes, and
saith, Let every one prove his own work, and then shall he G>>l. 6,
have glory in I alone, and not in another. himself
have not sat, saith he, with the council
9. Ver. 4.
vanity. Give heed, holy Brethren, to what this, / have not
sat, is. According as God seeth, he saith, /
For instance, thou dost not sit in the theatre, but thou 1 S0Ine.
art not there in body. But it may happen, that thou art J^",TM1 held there by some one, and fast bound, or some pious duty t>>st not may make thee sit there. How can this happen? It chances
from some duty of piety, that a necessity may lie on a servant of God to be in the amphitheatre; he wished to deliver some gladiator or other, it might happen that
he was sitting, and waiting, until he whom he was desirous of delivering came out. See ! he hath not sat in the council of vanity, though he was seen sitting there in
have not sat. Sometimesthouartnotinthecoun,cil,. y,etthoustitte,st,there. Oxf.
thinkest on the shows of the the
himself from
19,6. Lukei2,
it ist,mes
. , thou art
,
said, Burn my reins : thou sittest there in heart, though thou in the
atre
against w hic
came to send 49
h
of
182 Innocency for approaching God's altar. Inward hearing.
Psalm body. What is it to sit? To consent unto them who sit XXVI.
Exp. Il! there : which if thou have not done, though present, thou
Heb. 24
hast not sat there : if thou have done though absent, thou hast sat there. And will not enter in with them that work wickedness. (Ver. 5. ) have hated the congregation of evil doers. You see that within, that, And will not sit with the ungodly.
10. Ver. 6. will wash mine hands in innocency not with this visible water. Thou dost wash the hands, when thou dost think piously of thy works, and innocently in God's sight; for there an altar too in God's sight, where- unto the Priest hath entered, Who first offered Himself up
for us. There an heavenly altar, and no man embraceth that altar, but he who washeth his hands in innocency. For many unworthy men touch this altar here, and God endures that his Sacraments should suffer injury for lime. But what my Brethren, will the heavenly Jerusalem be as these walls? You will not be so received with the evil into Abraham's bosom, as you are now received with the evil
within the walls of the Church. Fear not then wash thine hands. And it ill compass the altar of the Lord: where thou offerest vows unto the Lord, where thou pourest forth prayers, where thy conscience pure, where thou dost tell God what thou art; and there be haply aught in thee that displeaseth God, He, to Whom thou dost make confession, taketh care for it. Wash then thine hands in innocency, and compass the altar of the Lord, that thou mayest hear the voice of praise.
11. For this follows, (ver. 7. ) Thai may hear the voice of praise, and declare all Thy wondrous works. What is, 'Iliat may hear the voice of praise? He means, That may understand. For this to hear before God, not as these sounds, which many hear, and many do not. How
many are there hearing now as regards us, who yet are deaf
toward God! How many who have ears, and have not those Mat. i3, ears of which Jesus saith, Who hath ears to hear, let him
then to hear the voice of praise? will can, with the help of the Lord's mercy, and
hear! What
tell you,
your prayers.
inwardly, that whatever of evil from sin in thee, thine
To hear the voice of praise, to understand,
is is is
:
I
I
a
;
I
is
it is
I
if l I
!
is it
is
/
is I
it,
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9,
is
Illumination of the soul is allfrom God. 183
own ; whatever of good in works of righteousness 1, is God's. Ver.
of light, having been
whereunto? unto thyself ?
by conversion to thyself, thou couldest never be in darkness, because thou wouldest ever be with
wert thou illuminated? Because thou turnedst thyself to something else, which thou wert not. What is the something
else which thou wert not ? God is light. For thou wast not 1 John light, becanse thou wast a sinner. For the Apostle saith to ' them, whom he would have hear the voice of praise, For yeEph. b, were sometime darkness, but now are ye light. What is,
Ye were sometime darkness, but the old man ? But now light :
not without a cause are ye light, who were sometime darkness,
but because ye have been illumined. Think not that thou
art thyself light: that is the light, which lighteth every man Johnl, that cometh into this world: but thou by thyself, by evil9.
will, by thy turning away from God, wast in darkness: now
thou art in light. But he immediately subjoined, lest they should be proud to whom it was said, But now light, and added, In the Lord. For thus he saith, Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord. Therefore if without
the Lord, then not light, but if therefore light because
in the Lord, what hast thou that thou hast not received ?
But if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if tho>>i Cor. hadst not received it Y For thus the Apostle himself spake in ' another place to men who bore themselves proudly, and would attribute to themselves what is God's, and glory in good as
So hear the voice of praise, as not to praise thyself even. r. r-- -- , J. . . justm-
when thou art good. For m praismg thyself as good, thoucationi- dost become evil. For humility had made thee good, pride bus" maketh thee evil. Thou wast converted that thou mightest
be illuminated, and by Thy conversion thou wert made full
enlightened by conversion. But If thou couldesj be illuminated
ing, Brethren, (if so be I have explained it, as I wished: I have indeed explained it as far as I could, although not as far as I would,) this is the bearing of the words, / will wash
thyself. Wherefore
if it were their own : he saith to them, For what hast thouiUti. that thou didst not receive? nmo if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? He Who hath given to the humble, taketh away from the proud, because he who gave can take away. This is the bear
184 Judgment to be awaited. Beauty of God's House.
I will compass Thine altar, O
Thy praise: that is, that I may not for this good thing in me rely on myself, but on Thee Who gavest it me, that I should not wish to be praised
I
declare all Thy wondrous works : not mine, but Thine.
12. And now see, Brethren, see that lover of God, who relieth on God, placed among the evil, entreating God that he be not destroyed with the evil, for that God erreth not in
Psalm my hands in innocency, and
Exjai'. Lord, that
I
may hear the voice
for myself in myself, but for Thee in Thee. Therefore there
follows, That
may hear the voice
of
Thy praise, and
For, when thou seest men have entered into one place, thou thinkest their merits equal: but God is not deceived, fear not. By the judgment of the wind thou dost discriminate between the chaff and the wheat: thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee, and thou art not the wind, but thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee : and, when with the winnowing fan thou hast shaken out both chaff and wheat, the wind takes away the light, the heavy remains. Thou dost look then for the wind to judge the floor. What? doth God look for another to judge with Him, lest He destroy the good with the evil ? Fear not then : be thou secure in thy goodness, even in the midsIt of the evil ;
and say what thou hearest, (ver. 8. ) O Lord,
the beauty of Thine home.
God's house is the Church: as yet it contains evil men, but the beauty of God's house is in the good, is in the holy : this beauty of Thine house have I loved. And the place of the habitation of Thy glory. What is this ? This too will I explain, it has a somewhat obscure reference to that meaning: may the Lord help me, and your heart's earnest attention inspired by the same Lord. Why doth he say, the place of the habitation
judgment.
of
of Thy glory? He said before, the beauty of Thine house:
and he explains what is the beauty of God's house, The place, saith he, of the habitation of Thy glory. It is not enough to say, the place of God's habitation; but, the place
of the habitation of God's
glory. What is God's glory ? Whereof I spoke a little before, that he even who is made 1 Cor. i good should not glory in himself, but in the Lord. For all 31. have sinned, and are in need of the gl-ory of God. In whom 23. ' then the Lord so dwells, that He receiveth glory for His
have loved
GodPsglorylo be acknowledged. Who wrongly receive gifts. 185
own good things, that they are unwilling to attribute to Ve^ themselves, and claim as it were for their own, what they ------ have received from Him: these belong to the beauty of God's house. Nor would Scripture have them distinguished,
unless there were some, who have indeed the gift of God, and will not glory in God, but in themselves : they have indeed the gift of God, but they do not belong to the beauty of God's house. For they who belong to the beauty of God's house, in whom God's glory dwelleth, are them selves the place of the habitation of God's glory. And in whom doth God's glory dwell, but in such as so glory, that they glory not in themselves, but in the Lord? Since then I have loved the beauty of Thine house, that all who are there and seek Thy glory and, moreover, have not put my trust in man, and have not consented to the ungodly, and will not enter into nor sit in their assembly; since have been such in the Church of God, what reward wilt Thou give me What should be our answer follows, (ver. 9. ) Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, nor my life with the men of blood.
13. Ver. 10. In whose hands are wickednesses, their right
hand full of gifts. Gifts are not only money, not only
gold and silver, not only presents' nor do all who receive1 exenia these, receive gifts. For sometimes they are received by
the Church. Yea, moreover, Peter received such; the
Lord received such; He had bag, Judas stole what was John is, put therein. But what to receive gifts To praise man 6.
for gifts, to flatter a man, to fawn and wheedle, to judge contrary to truth for gifts. For what gifts? Not for gold and silver and any thing of this kind only but he too who
judges amiss for praise, receives gift, and gift than which nothing more empty. For his hand was open to receive the judgment of another's tongue, and he hath lost the judgment of his own conscience. Hence in whose hands there are wickednesses, their right hand full gifts. You see, brethren, that they are before God also, in whose hands are no wickednesses, neither their right hand filled with gifts, of course, in God's sight; and they can say to none but God, Thou knowest: to none but Him can they say, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood; Who Alone can see that they receive no
is
is
a
?
I
is,
of
is
a
a
;
;
is
;
a
I
? is
188 Favour or popularity a real bribe to a Judge.
Psalm gifts. For instance, it happens that two men have a cause Exr. il. before a servant of God: no one calls any but his own ~ cause just. For if he thought his own cause unjust, he would not seek the judge. This one thinks that he has a just cause, and so does the other. They come before the judge : before sentence is pronounced, they both say, We accept your judgment; whatever you shall judge, far be it
from us to reject. -- What say you too ? -- Judge what you will ; only judge : if I should resist at all on any point, may I be anathema. Both love the judge, before he passes
judgment. But when sentence shall have been pronounced, it will be against one ; and neither of them knows against whom it will be. The judge then, if he shall wish to please both parties, receives for a gift the praise of men. But having received that gift, see what gift he loses. He receives what sounds, and passeth away : he loses what is uttered, and never passeth away. The word of God is being ever uttered ; It never passeth away : the word of man as soon as it has been uttered presently passeth away. He holds the
' inanis. shadow1, he lets go the substance2. Now if he have regard asolida,to Q0l\f ne wiH pronounce sentence against one of the parties, having his thoughts on God, under Whom as Judge
he pronounces it. But he, against whom it has been pro nounced, and if it cannot now be disannulled, because it is maintained, it may not be by the law of the Church, but of this world's princes, who have granted so much authority to the Church, that whatever has been judged therein cannot be set aside, say, cannot be disannulled, he has no wish any longer to look into himself, but turns his blinded eyes against the judge, and maligns him as much as he can. He wished, saith he, to please the other party, he favoured the rich man, either he received something from him, or he was afraid to offend him. He makes an accusation, as
gifts had been received. But if the poor man shall have had
cause against rich man, and judgment shall have been for the poor man, the rich one again says, He has received gifts. What gifts from a poor man He saw, saith he,
poor man, and that he might not be blamed as having acted against the poor, he has overborne justice, and pro nounced sentence against the truth. Since then must
it
if
aa
?
a
if, I
it
TlieyblessGodinothers,whoseworkscait*eHim to beblessed. 187
needs be that this be said, see how it cannot be said by them Ver-
----- who do not receive gifts, save in God's sight, Who alone 11 12
sIeeth who receiveth and who doth not receive. (Ver. 11. ) But have walked in mine innocence: O deliver me, and be mer ciful unto me: (ver. 12. ) my foot hath stood in uprightness.
I have been shaken indeed on every side by scandals andscaD,la- . lis et
temptations from those who blame my judgment with thetenta- rashness of men ; but my foot hath stood in uprightness. tlon,bus. But why in uprightness ? Because he had said above, And
trusting in the Lord, I
14. How then does he conclude? In the Churches I will
shall not be moved.
bless Tltee, O Lord. That is, in the Churches 1 will not bless myself, as if certain of men, but I will bless Thee in my works. For this it is to bless God in the Churches, Brethren, so to live that God may be blessed by each man's conversation. For he who blesseth the Lord with his tongue, and curseth Him in his deeds, doth not bless God in the Churches. Almost all bless with the tongue, but not all in deed. Some bless with the voice, some with their conversation. Now those in whose conversation there is not found what they say, cause God to be blasphemed, so
that they who do not as yet enter the Church, although they love their sins, and therefore are unwilling to be Christians, yet excuse themselves by the evil, so as to flatter themselves, deceiving their own selves, and saying, Why dost thou
persuade me to be a Christian ?
at a Christian's hands, and never did any : a Christian has
sworn falsely to me, and I have never done so. And when
they speak thus, they are kept back from salvation: that
it profiteth them nothing, not indeed that they are already
good, but that they are but moderately ' bad. For as it is no i medio- profit to open the eyes, if a man be in darkness; so is it noonter" profit to be in the light, if the eyes are closed. And so the
pagan indeed, (to speak of them the rather as though their lives were good,) is, with open eyes, in darkness; because he acknowledgeth not the Lord his Light: but the Christian, whose life is evil, is in none other light than God's, but with closed eyes ; for, by his evil life, he will not see Him, in
Whose Name he is, as it were, blind, in the midst of light, quickened by no vision of the True Light.
I have suffered fraud
X^L
xxvh*
188 The beginner's trust in God, when men draw him back.
PSALM XXVII.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself, before he was anointed
' ' Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the
Exp, i. faith. Ver. 1 The Lord is my light, and my salvation : ( . )
I
The Lord will give me both knowledge
whom shall
of Himself, and salvation : who shall take me from Him ?
fear?
I The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of
The Lord is the Protector of my life : of whom shall
be
afraid?
mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up myflesh. Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. Mine enemies who trouble me. Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recal me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. They became weak, and fell. Whilst then they do this with the desire of
defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. Ver. 3. Ifcamps stand together against me, my heart will not fear. But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to goI over to their side. Ifwar rise up against me, in this will trust. If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope. I
4. Ver. 4. One have
For one pet
asked the Lord, this will of
I
Iition have I asked of the Lord, this
require.
will I require. That of
all the days of my life. That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them, who hold the unity andIthe truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. That
may dwell in the house the lord
may contemplate the delight the Lord. of
Sacrifice of rejoicing for confirmation in the faith. 189
With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the Ver. delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may con- 5~9i
I
temple. And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall
template face to face. And
shall be His protected,
be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.
5. Ver. 5. For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in
the day of my evils. For He hath hidden me in the dis pensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle. He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. On a rock hath He exalted me. And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. (Ver. 6. ) And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies. What doth He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive
under the rebellious law of sin ?
sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing. I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. /will sing and give praises to the Lord. In heart and in deed 1 will be glad in the Lord.
7. Ver. 7. Hear my voice, 0 Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee. Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. Have mercy upon me, and hear me. Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein. I
8. Ver. 8. My heart hath said to Thee,
countenance. For I have not exhibited myself to men ; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee ; I have not sought from Thee ought without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. Tliy countenance, O Lord,
will I
seek. In this search will I perseveringly persist
: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more
precious do I find.
9. Ver. 9. Turn not away Thyface from me: that I may
/
have gone about, and have
have sought Thy
190 The soul, partedfrom the world, longs for God.
Psalm find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: Exp. 'i. le8t) while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance ? Be Thou
my Helper. How shall I find Thou help me not? Leave me not, neither despise me, God my Saviour. Scorn not that mortal dares to seek the Eternal for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which was born in time and mortality, have left me seek ing Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what seek. But the Lord took me up. But the Lord, Who can give me Himself, took me up.
11. Ver. 11. Appoint me a law, Lord, in Thy way. For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and com mencing so great profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wander ing Thy rule abandon me. And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies. And direct me in the right way of its straits. For not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end attained.
12. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee,
as seek glory of men. Andiniquity hath liedunto itself. Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me hath not moved, to whom because of this there hath been promised greater reward in heaven.
3.
is. 40, grass. For all flesh grass: the grass wither eth, and tfie flower falleth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Turn therefore the back upon that which falleth, and the face to that which abideth. Now that Christ awake, the storm
shall no more shake thy heart, the waves shall not fill thy bark for thy faith commands the winds and the waves, and the danger shall pass away. For to this, Brethren, all that belongs, which the Apostle saith of putting off the old man.
^Ph. 4' Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon 28. your wrath neither give place to the devil. The old man then did give place, let not the new. He that stole, let him steal no more. The old man then did steal, let not the new.
It the same man, one man was Adam, let Christ: was the old man, let be the new; and so on with what follows there.
5. But let us examine the Psalm somewhat more carefully, because when anyone hath made progress in the Church, he must needs endure evil men in the Church. But the man
ib. 24.
be
it
is
:
it
;
is, it
it is
it
: it
is
is,
it
is is
is
is
is
a
The corn hard to see, while mixed with the chaff. 179
who is such does not recognise them, although many evil men Intro. murmur against the evil, just as one man in health bears more
easily with two sick men, than two sick men with one another. Therefore, Brethren, we give this charge,The Church of the time present is a threshing-floor: we have often said we often re
peat it. It contains both chaff and corn. Let no man look for all the chaff to go out thence, save in the time of winnowing. Let no man leave the floor before the time of winnowing, as if in his unwillingness to endure sinners; lest being found without the floor, he be picked up by the birds, before he enter into the barn. Now, Brethren, mark how we would enforce this. When the corn has begun to be threshed, the grains, amidst the chaff, do not touch each other as though they did not know each other, because of the intervention of the chaff. And any one who looks at floor at some little distance, thinks there nothing but chaff; except he look more narrowly, except he put forth his hand, except he make separation by the breath of his mouth, that
by a purifying wind, he hardly attains to distinguish the grains. Therefore sometimes even the very grains are so separated as were from each other, and not touching one another, that any one, when he has made progress, may think
that he alone. This thought, Brethren, tempted Elias, so great man and he said to God, as the Apostle also records, They have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; Rom. and am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith
Kings the answer God to him hate reserved to Myself seven 19, 10.
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. He said not to him, Thou hast two or three others like thyself. Do not deem thyself alone. There are, saith He, seven thousand others and dost thou deem thyself alone Accordingly this briefly we enjoin, as had begun to say. Do ye, holy Brethren, give heed with me, and may God's mercy be with us in our hearts, that may be so understood by you, as to bear fruit, and work in you. Hear briefly: Whosoever still evil, let him not deem that no one good whosoever good, let him not deem that he only good. Do ye apprehend this Lo, repeat mark ye how say: Whosoever evil, let him not in questioning his own con science, and receiving bad report of himself, imagine that
B
is is is of
a? ; is
I 2
? I it
it,
I
a
:
I is is it
: ? i is,
I
is
a
a it
;
it is
it,
180 Desire of the righteous to be separated by judgment.
Psalm no one is good : whosoever is good, let him not imagine that ? XpUhe only is good; and let not the good man fear in the mixture with the evil, for the time will come that he shall be separated from them. For to this end we have sung to-day,
ver. 9, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood. For what is, Destroy not with the ungodly ? Destroy not together. Why doth he fear, lest God should destroy him together? For I see that it is said to God, Because Thou sufferest us now together, destroy not together those whom Thou sufferest together. And this pervades the whole psalm, which I would briefly consider with you, holy Brethren, for it is brief,
'molesta
6. Ver. 1 . Judge me, O Lord. It is a serious 1 and seem ingly perilous wish, which he expresses for himself, that he may be judged. What is to be judged, which he wishes? He wishes to be separated from the evil. In another place
Ps. 43,l. he clearly speaks of this judgment of separation: Judge me, O Lord, and separate my cause from the unholy nation. He shews what he meant by, Judge: lest, as if without
have walked in
judgment, both the good and bad (for both good and bad enter at present into the Church) should go into eternal
fire. Judge me, O Lord. Why? For I
mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord L shall not be moved. What trusting in the Lord? For he stumbles among the evil, who does not trust in the Lord. Hence has come that schisms arose. They trembled among the evil, when they were worse themselves, and were unwilling, as were, to be good among the evil. they were corn, they would endure the chaff in the floor till the time of winnowing. But because they are chaff, the wind hath blown before this winnowing, and hath caught up the chaff from the threshing floor, and cast forth among thorns.
And the chaff' indeed hath been cast forth thence: but is that which remains corn only? It only the chaff that flies away before the winnowing; but there remains both corn and chaff: but the chaff will be winnowed, when the time of winnowing shall come. This the Psalmist meant
have walked in mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord shall not be moved. For shall trust in man, shall see perhaps this man sometime living ill, and not keeping to
I/
if I
isit O! if
I
: it
it
is,
Thoughts and delights of the soul purged withjire. 181
those good ways, which he hath either learnt or teaches in Ver.
the Church, but those which he hath followed under the teaching of the devil; and because my trust shall be in man, when man stumbles my trust stumbles, and when man falls my trust will fall : but, because I trust in the Lord, I shall not be moved.
7. There follows, (ver. 2. ) Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins, and my heart. What is, Burn my reins, and my heart ? Burn my delights, burn my thoughts, (He hath used heart for thoughts, and reins for delights,) lest I should think any evil, lest any evil should delight me. But wherewith wilt Thou burn my reins? With the fire of Thy word. Wherewith wilt Thou burn my heart? With the heat of Thy Spirit. Of which heat it is said elsewhere, And there is none who can hide I the heat Ps.
thereof. And of which fire the Lord saith, Jire on the earth.
*'
8. Therefore there foIllows, (ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is
have been pleasing in Thy truth. That is, I have not been pleasing in man's sight, but I have been pleasing unto Thee within, where Thou seest: and I care not, if 1 be displeasing where men see, as the Apostle
before mine eyes, and
saith, Let every one prove his own work, and then shall he G>>l. 6,
have glory in I alone, and not in another. himself
have not sat, saith he, with the council
9. Ver. 4.
vanity. Give heed, holy Brethren, to what this, / have not
sat, is. According as God seeth, he saith, /
For instance, thou dost not sit in the theatre, but thou 1 S0Ine.
art not there in body. But it may happen, that thou art J^",TM1 held there by some one, and fast bound, or some pious duty t>>st not may make thee sit there. How can this happen? It chances
from some duty of piety, that a necessity may lie on a servant of God to be in the amphitheatre; he wished to deliver some gladiator or other, it might happen that
he was sitting, and waiting, until he whom he was desirous of delivering came out. See ! he hath not sat in the council of vanity, though he was seen sitting there in
have not sat. Sometimesthouartnotinthecoun,cil,. y,etthoustitte,st,there. Oxf.
thinkest on the shows of the the
himself from
19,6. Lukei2,
it ist,mes
. , thou art
,
said, Burn my reins : thou sittest there in heart, though thou in the
atre
against w hic
came to send 49
h
of
182 Innocency for approaching God's altar. Inward hearing.
Psalm body. What is it to sit? To consent unto them who sit XXVI.
Exp. Il! there : which if thou have not done, though present, thou
Heb. 24
hast not sat there : if thou have done though absent, thou hast sat there. And will not enter in with them that work wickedness. (Ver. 5. ) have hated the congregation of evil doers. You see that within, that, And will not sit with the ungodly.
10. Ver. 6. will wash mine hands in innocency not with this visible water. Thou dost wash the hands, when thou dost think piously of thy works, and innocently in God's sight; for there an altar too in God's sight, where- unto the Priest hath entered, Who first offered Himself up
for us. There an heavenly altar, and no man embraceth that altar, but he who washeth his hands in innocency. For many unworthy men touch this altar here, and God endures that his Sacraments should suffer injury for lime. But what my Brethren, will the heavenly Jerusalem be as these walls? You will not be so received with the evil into Abraham's bosom, as you are now received with the evil
within the walls of the Church. Fear not then wash thine hands. And it ill compass the altar of the Lord: where thou offerest vows unto the Lord, where thou pourest forth prayers, where thy conscience pure, where thou dost tell God what thou art; and there be haply aught in thee that displeaseth God, He, to Whom thou dost make confession, taketh care for it. Wash then thine hands in innocency, and compass the altar of the Lord, that thou mayest hear the voice of praise.
11. For this follows, (ver. 7. ) Thai may hear the voice of praise, and declare all Thy wondrous works. What is, 'Iliat may hear the voice of praise? He means, That may understand. For this to hear before God, not as these sounds, which many hear, and many do not. How
many are there hearing now as regards us, who yet are deaf
toward God! How many who have ears, and have not those Mat. i3, ears of which Jesus saith, Who hath ears to hear, let him
then to hear the voice of praise? will can, with the help of the Lord's mercy, and
hear! What
tell you,
your prayers.
inwardly, that whatever of evil from sin in thee, thine
To hear the voice of praise, to understand,
is is is
:
I
I
a
;
I
is
it is
I
if l I
!
is it
is
/
is I
it,
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9,
is
Illumination of the soul is allfrom God. 183
own ; whatever of good in works of righteousness 1, is God's. Ver.
of light, having been
whereunto? unto thyself ?
by conversion to thyself, thou couldest never be in darkness, because thou wouldest ever be with
wert thou illuminated? Because thou turnedst thyself to something else, which thou wert not. What is the something
else which thou wert not ? God is light. For thou wast not 1 John light, becanse thou wast a sinner. For the Apostle saith to ' them, whom he would have hear the voice of praise, For yeEph. b, were sometime darkness, but now are ye light. What is,
Ye were sometime darkness, but the old man ? But now light :
not without a cause are ye light, who were sometime darkness,
but because ye have been illumined. Think not that thou
art thyself light: that is the light, which lighteth every man Johnl, that cometh into this world: but thou by thyself, by evil9.
will, by thy turning away from God, wast in darkness: now
thou art in light. But he immediately subjoined, lest they should be proud to whom it was said, But now light, and added, In the Lord. For thus he saith, Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord. Therefore if without
the Lord, then not light, but if therefore light because
in the Lord, what hast thou that thou hast not received ?
But if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if tho>>i Cor. hadst not received it Y For thus the Apostle himself spake in ' another place to men who bore themselves proudly, and would attribute to themselves what is God's, and glory in good as
So hear the voice of praise, as not to praise thyself even. r. r-- -- , J. . . justm-
when thou art good. For m praismg thyself as good, thoucationi- dost become evil. For humility had made thee good, pride bus" maketh thee evil. Thou wast converted that thou mightest
be illuminated, and by Thy conversion thou wert made full
enlightened by conversion. But If thou couldesj be illuminated
ing, Brethren, (if so be I have explained it, as I wished: I have indeed explained it as far as I could, although not as far as I would,) this is the bearing of the words, / will wash
thyself. Wherefore
if it were their own : he saith to them, For what hast thouiUti. that thou didst not receive? nmo if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? He Who hath given to the humble, taketh away from the proud, because he who gave can take away. This is the bear
184 Judgment to be awaited. Beauty of God's House.
I will compass Thine altar, O
Thy praise: that is, that I may not for this good thing in me rely on myself, but on Thee Who gavest it me, that I should not wish to be praised
I
declare all Thy wondrous works : not mine, but Thine.
12. And now see, Brethren, see that lover of God, who relieth on God, placed among the evil, entreating God that he be not destroyed with the evil, for that God erreth not in
Psalm my hands in innocency, and
Exjai'. Lord, that
I
may hear the voice
for myself in myself, but for Thee in Thee. Therefore there
follows, That
may hear the voice
of
Thy praise, and
For, when thou seest men have entered into one place, thou thinkest their merits equal: but God is not deceived, fear not. By the judgment of the wind thou dost discriminate between the chaff and the wheat: thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee, and thou art not the wind, but thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee : and, when with the winnowing fan thou hast shaken out both chaff and wheat, the wind takes away the light, the heavy remains. Thou dost look then for the wind to judge the floor. What? doth God look for another to judge with Him, lest He destroy the good with the evil ? Fear not then : be thou secure in thy goodness, even in the midsIt of the evil ;
and say what thou hearest, (ver. 8. ) O Lord,
the beauty of Thine home.
God's house is the Church: as yet it contains evil men, but the beauty of God's house is in the good, is in the holy : this beauty of Thine house have I loved. And the place of the habitation of Thy glory. What is this ? This too will I explain, it has a somewhat obscure reference to that meaning: may the Lord help me, and your heart's earnest attention inspired by the same Lord. Why doth he say, the place of the habitation
judgment.
of
of Thy glory? He said before, the beauty of Thine house:
and he explains what is the beauty of God's house, The place, saith he, of the habitation of Thy glory. It is not enough to say, the place of God's habitation; but, the place
of the habitation of God's
glory. What is God's glory ? Whereof I spoke a little before, that he even who is made 1 Cor. i good should not glory in himself, but in the Lord. For all 31. have sinned, and are in need of the gl-ory of God. In whom 23. ' then the Lord so dwells, that He receiveth glory for His
have loved
GodPsglorylo be acknowledged. Who wrongly receive gifts. 185
own good things, that they are unwilling to attribute to Ve^ themselves, and claim as it were for their own, what they ------ have received from Him: these belong to the beauty of God's house. Nor would Scripture have them distinguished,
unless there were some, who have indeed the gift of God, and will not glory in God, but in themselves : they have indeed the gift of God, but they do not belong to the beauty of God's house. For they who belong to the beauty of God's house, in whom God's glory dwelleth, are them selves the place of the habitation of God's glory. And in whom doth God's glory dwell, but in such as so glory, that they glory not in themselves, but in the Lord? Since then I have loved the beauty of Thine house, that all who are there and seek Thy glory and, moreover, have not put my trust in man, and have not consented to the ungodly, and will not enter into nor sit in their assembly; since have been such in the Church of God, what reward wilt Thou give me What should be our answer follows, (ver. 9. ) Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, nor my life with the men of blood.
13. Ver. 10. In whose hands are wickednesses, their right
hand full of gifts. Gifts are not only money, not only
gold and silver, not only presents' nor do all who receive1 exenia these, receive gifts. For sometimes they are received by
the Church. Yea, moreover, Peter received such; the
Lord received such; He had bag, Judas stole what was John is, put therein. But what to receive gifts To praise man 6.
for gifts, to flatter a man, to fawn and wheedle, to judge contrary to truth for gifts. For what gifts? Not for gold and silver and any thing of this kind only but he too who
judges amiss for praise, receives gift, and gift than which nothing more empty. For his hand was open to receive the judgment of another's tongue, and he hath lost the judgment of his own conscience. Hence in whose hands there are wickednesses, their right hand full gifts. You see, brethren, that they are before God also, in whose hands are no wickednesses, neither their right hand filled with gifts, of course, in God's sight; and they can say to none but God, Thou knowest: to none but Him can they say, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood; Who Alone can see that they receive no
is
is
a
?
I
is,
of
is
a
a
;
;
is
;
a
I
? is
188 Favour or popularity a real bribe to a Judge.
Psalm gifts. For instance, it happens that two men have a cause Exr. il. before a servant of God: no one calls any but his own ~ cause just. For if he thought his own cause unjust, he would not seek the judge. This one thinks that he has a just cause, and so does the other. They come before the judge : before sentence is pronounced, they both say, We accept your judgment; whatever you shall judge, far be it
from us to reject. -- What say you too ? -- Judge what you will ; only judge : if I should resist at all on any point, may I be anathema. Both love the judge, before he passes
judgment. But when sentence shall have been pronounced, it will be against one ; and neither of them knows against whom it will be. The judge then, if he shall wish to please both parties, receives for a gift the praise of men. But having received that gift, see what gift he loses. He receives what sounds, and passeth away : he loses what is uttered, and never passeth away. The word of God is being ever uttered ; It never passeth away : the word of man as soon as it has been uttered presently passeth away. He holds the
' inanis. shadow1, he lets go the substance2. Now if he have regard asolida,to Q0l\f ne wiH pronounce sentence against one of the parties, having his thoughts on God, under Whom as Judge
he pronounces it. But he, against whom it has been pro nounced, and if it cannot now be disannulled, because it is maintained, it may not be by the law of the Church, but of this world's princes, who have granted so much authority to the Church, that whatever has been judged therein cannot be set aside, say, cannot be disannulled, he has no wish any longer to look into himself, but turns his blinded eyes against the judge, and maligns him as much as he can. He wished, saith he, to please the other party, he favoured the rich man, either he received something from him, or he was afraid to offend him. He makes an accusation, as
gifts had been received. But if the poor man shall have had
cause against rich man, and judgment shall have been for the poor man, the rich one again says, He has received gifts. What gifts from a poor man He saw, saith he,
poor man, and that he might not be blamed as having acted against the poor, he has overborne justice, and pro nounced sentence against the truth. Since then must
it
if
aa
?
a
if, I
it
TlieyblessGodinothers,whoseworkscait*eHim to beblessed. 187
needs be that this be said, see how it cannot be said by them Ver-
----- who do not receive gifts, save in God's sight, Who alone 11 12
sIeeth who receiveth and who doth not receive. (Ver. 11. ) But have walked in mine innocence: O deliver me, and be mer ciful unto me: (ver. 12. ) my foot hath stood in uprightness.
I have been shaken indeed on every side by scandals andscaD,la- . lis et
temptations from those who blame my judgment with thetenta- rashness of men ; but my foot hath stood in uprightness. tlon,bus. But why in uprightness ? Because he had said above, And
trusting in the Lord, I
14. How then does he conclude? In the Churches I will
shall not be moved.
bless Tltee, O Lord. That is, in the Churches 1 will not bless myself, as if certain of men, but I will bless Thee in my works. For this it is to bless God in the Churches, Brethren, so to live that God may be blessed by each man's conversation. For he who blesseth the Lord with his tongue, and curseth Him in his deeds, doth not bless God in the Churches. Almost all bless with the tongue, but not all in deed. Some bless with the voice, some with their conversation. Now those in whose conversation there is not found what they say, cause God to be blasphemed, so
that they who do not as yet enter the Church, although they love their sins, and therefore are unwilling to be Christians, yet excuse themselves by the evil, so as to flatter themselves, deceiving their own selves, and saying, Why dost thou
persuade me to be a Christian ?
at a Christian's hands, and never did any : a Christian has
sworn falsely to me, and I have never done so. And when
they speak thus, they are kept back from salvation: that
it profiteth them nothing, not indeed that they are already
good, but that they are but moderately ' bad. For as it is no i medio- profit to open the eyes, if a man be in darkness; so is it noonter" profit to be in the light, if the eyes are closed. And so the
pagan indeed, (to speak of them the rather as though their lives were good,) is, with open eyes, in darkness; because he acknowledgeth not the Lord his Light: but the Christian, whose life is evil, is in none other light than God's, but with closed eyes ; for, by his evil life, he will not see Him, in
Whose Name he is, as it were, blind, in the midst of light, quickened by no vision of the True Light.
I have suffered fraud
X^L
xxvh*
188 The beginner's trust in God, when men draw him back.
PSALM XXVII.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself, before he was anointed
' ' Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the
Exp, i. faith. Ver. 1 The Lord is my light, and my salvation : ( . )
I
The Lord will give me both knowledge
whom shall
of Himself, and salvation : who shall take me from Him ?
fear?
I The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of
The Lord is the Protector of my life : of whom shall
be
afraid?
mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up myflesh. Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. Mine enemies who trouble me. Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recal me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. They became weak, and fell. Whilst then they do this with the desire of
defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. Ver. 3. Ifcamps stand together against me, my heart will not fear. But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to goI over to their side. Ifwar rise up against me, in this will trust. If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope. I
4. Ver. 4. One have
For one pet
asked the Lord, this will of
I
Iition have I asked of the Lord, this
require.
will I require. That of
all the days of my life. That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them, who hold the unity andIthe truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. That
may dwell in the house the lord
may contemplate the delight the Lord. of
Sacrifice of rejoicing for confirmation in the faith. 189
With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the Ver. delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may con- 5~9i
I
temple. And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall
template face to face. And
shall be His protected,
be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.
5. Ver. 5. For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in
the day of my evils. For He hath hidden me in the dis pensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle. He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. On a rock hath He exalted me. And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. (Ver. 6. ) And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies. What doth He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive
under the rebellious law of sin ?
sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing. I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. /will sing and give praises to the Lord. In heart and in deed 1 will be glad in the Lord.
7. Ver. 7. Hear my voice, 0 Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee. Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. Have mercy upon me, and hear me. Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein. I
8. Ver. 8. My heart hath said to Thee,
countenance. For I have not exhibited myself to men ; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee ; I have not sought from Thee ought without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. Tliy countenance, O Lord,
will I
seek. In this search will I perseveringly persist
: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more
precious do I find.
9. Ver. 9. Turn not away Thyface from me: that I may
/
have gone about, and have
have sought Thy
190 The soul, partedfrom the world, longs for God.
Psalm find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: Exp. 'i. le8t) while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance ? Be Thou
my Helper. How shall I find Thou help me not? Leave me not, neither despise me, God my Saviour. Scorn not that mortal dares to seek the Eternal for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which was born in time and mortality, have left me seek ing Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what seek. But the Lord took me up. But the Lord, Who can give me Himself, took me up.
11. Ver. 11. Appoint me a law, Lord, in Thy way. For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and com mencing so great profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wander ing Thy rule abandon me. And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies. And direct me in the right way of its straits. For not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end attained.
12. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee,
as seek glory of men. Andiniquity hath liedunto itself. Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me hath not moved, to whom because of this there hath been promised greater reward in heaven.
3.
