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Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
When our way ended, we shall dwell in
that city which will never fall, because the Lord dwelleth
in her, and keepeth her, which the vision of peace, the
eternal Jerusalem; for the praise of which, my brethren, language sufficeth not; where we shall find no enemy, either
within the Church or without the Church, neither iu our
flesh, nor in our thoughts. For death shall be swallowed iCor. 15,
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150 God's mercy, how for ever.
Tsaim up in victory, and we shall be free to see God in >xxxvi. etenial peace, being made citizens of Jerusalem, the city
of God. exxxir.
PSALM CXXXVI. EXPOSITION.
ver. 1.
1. Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endure th for ever. This Psalm contains the praise of God, and all its verses finish in the same way. Wherefore although many things are related here in praise of God, yet His mercy is most commended; for without this plain commendation, he, whom the Holy Spirit used to utter this Psalm, would have no verse be ended. 1 remem-
Ps. 106, ber, in the hundred and fifth Psalm, which begins in the same way, because the manuscript which I read had not
l"E" for ever, but, for ages1 His mercy, that I enquired what we had better understand. For, in the Greek language, it is written, elg tov alwvx, which may be interpreted, for ages,
'inaeter- and, for ever1. But it would be tedious to renew the enquiries I made as best I could in that place. But in this Psalm, the same manuscript has not for ages, which most have, but, for ever His mercy. Although after the
judgment, by which at the end of the world the quick and
Mat. 25, the dead must be judged, the just being sent into life
1
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eternal, the unjust into everlasting fire, there will not afterwards be those, whom God will have mercy on, yet rightly may His future mercy be understood to be for ever, which He bestows on His saints and faithful ones, not because they will be miserable for ever, and therefore will need His mercy for ever, but because that very blessedness, which He mercifully bestows on the miserable, that they cease to be miserable, and begin to be happy, will have no end, and therefore His mercy is for ever. For that we shall be just from being unjust, whole from being unsound, alive from being dead, immortal from being mortal, happy from being wretched, is of His mercy. But this that we
Who are 'gods' in Scripture. 151
shall be, will be for ever, and therefore His mercy is for Vgu.
ever. Wherefore, give thanks to the Lord ; that praise the Lord by giving thanks, for He good: nor any tem poral good you will gain from this confession, for, His mercy
3' .
endureth for ever; that the benefit which He bestows mercifully upon you, for ever. The expression, for He is good, in the Greek ayaQo; not as in the hundred and fifth Psalm, for there He good,' in Greek
X? 1<rT0J- And so some have expounded the former, Since He
sweet. ' For ayoSo; not good any how, but good most excellently.
Then follows, Give thanks to the God gods, for Hisver. 2. mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ver. 3.
for His mercy endureth for ever. We may well enquire,
Who are these gods and lords, of whom He Who the true
God God and Lord And we find written in another
Psalm, that men even are called gods as is, God stood in Pk. 82,1. the congregation of the gods, He discerneth between the gods.
And little afterwards, children of the High One
have said, Ye are gods, and. all lb. 6. but ye shall die like men, and
The Lord even takes note of
fall as one of the princes.
this testimony in the Gospel, saying, Ls not written in Johnio,
your Law, have said, Ye are gods If He called them 34' gods, for whom the word of God was sent, and the Scrip tures cannot be broken, how say ye, Thou blasphemest,
because said, am the Son of God? not therefore because they are all good, but because the word of God came to them, that they were called gods. For were be cause they are all good, He would not thus distinguish between them. For when He said, God standeth in the congregation
gods, He does not say, He distinguishes between God and men, as He shewed what was the difference between gods and men; but He saith, He judgeth between the gods. Then follows, How long do ye judge iniquity and the rest,
Ps. 82,2.
not to all, but to some, because He saith in distinguishing, and yet He distinguisheth
between the gods.
3. But asked, If men are called gods to whom the
word of the Lord came, are the Angels to be called gods, when the greatest reward which promised to just and
which He says certainly
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152 Angels not called ' gods,' and why.
Psalm holy men is the being equal to Angels? In the Scriptures
'i*""'" 1 know not whether it can, at least easily, be found, that
the Angels are openly called gods ; but when it had been said
Ps. 96,4of the Lord God, He is terrible, above all gods, he adds, as
seq'
by way of exposition why he says this, for the gods of the heathen are devils. Over such gods as these, he says, that the Lord is terrible among His holy places, the heavens which He hath made, from which the devils are frightened. For so it follows. But the Lord made the heavens. It is not therefore the gods without addition ; but the gods of the Gentiles are devils; but above He says, He is terrible above all gods. He does not say, above all the gods of the Gentiles, although He would have this understood, by adding what follows, For the gods of the Gentiles are devils. It is said that this is not the reading in Hebrew, but the gods of the Gentiles are idols. If this be true, much the more must the Seventy be believed to have interpreted by the Divine Spirit, the same Spirit as He by whom these things were said in the Hebrew. For by the working of the same
Spirit this also should be said which was said, The gods of the Gentiles are devils, that we might understand what had been expressed in the Hebrew, the gods of the Gentiles are idols, meaning rather the devils which dwell in the idols'. For as regards images, which in Greek are called idols,
i Mmu-
irSalw a name we now use in Latin, they have eyes and see not,
and all the other things which are said of them, because they are utterly without sense ; wherefore they cannot be frightened, for nothing which has no sense can be frightened. How then can it be said of the Lord, He is terrible above all gods, because the gods of the Gentiles are idols, if the devils which may be frightened are not understood to be in these images. Whence also the Apostle says, We know that
l Cor.
B' *' an idol is nothing. This refers to its earthy senseless
material. But that no one may think, that there is no living
and sentient nature, which delights in the Gentile sacrifices, l Cor. he adds, But what the GIentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to 10, 20' devils, and not to God : would not have you partakers
with devils. If therefore we never find in the divine words that the holy Angels are called gods, I think the best reason is, that men may not be induced by the name to pay
Thanksgiving the note of the whole Psalm. 153
that ministry and service of religion (which in Greek is Ver. called AsiTOti^yi'a or Aargia) to the holy Angels, which neither -- would they have paid by man at all, save to that God,
Who is the God of themselves and men. Hence they are
much more correctly called Angels, which in Latin is
' Nuntii,' that by the name of their function, not their substance, we may plainly understand that they would have
us worship the God, Whom they announce. The whole
then of that question the Apostle has briefly expounded,
when he says, For though there be who are called gods, l Cot. 8, whether in heaven or in earth, as there are gods many and5- 6" lords many ; yet we have one God the Father, from Whom are
all, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.
4. Let us therefore give thanks to the God of gods, and
the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. Who ver. 4. alone did wonderful things. As at the last part of every
verse, it is written, For His mercy endureth for ever, so we
must understand at the beginning of each, though it be not written, Give thanks. Which indeed in the Greek is very
plain. It would be so in Latin, if our translators had been
able to make use of that expression. Which indeed they
could have done in this verse, if they had said, 'To Him
Who doeth 1 wonderful things. ' For where we have, Who rfirf'facienti wonderful things, the Greek has raj 7roiqo-avr/, where we must {^abl"
understand, give thanks. And I would they
had added the pronoun, and said to Him, Who did, or to
Him Who doeth, or to Him Who made sure ; because then
one might easily understand, let us give thanks. For now
it is so obscurely rendered, that He who either knows not or
cares not to examine a Greek manuscript may think, Who ver. 5. made the heavens, Who made sure the earth, Who made the luminaries, for His mercy endureth for ever, has been so
said, because He did these things for this reason, because
His mercy endureth for ever : whereas they, whom He has
freed from misery, belong to His Mercy: but not that we should believe that He makes sky, earth, and luminaries, of
His Mercy; since they are marks of His Goodness, Who Gen. l, created all things very good. For He created all things, that^d they might have their being ; but it is the work of His Mercy, 14.
necessarily
154 All God's works made by His Wisdom,
Psalm to cleanse us from our sins, and deliver us from everlasting - -- -misery. And so the Psalm thus addresses us, Give thanks unto the God of Gods, give thanks unto the Lord of Lords. Give thanks to Him, Who alone doeth great wonders ; give thanks to Him, Who by His wisdom made the heavens; give thanks to Him, Who stretched out the earth above the waters ;
give thanks to Him, Who alone made great lights. Hut why
we are to praise, he setteth down at the end of all theverses, for His mercy endureth for ever.
5. But what meaneth, Who alone doeth great wonders ? Is it because many wonderful things He hath done by means of angels and men ? Some wonderful things there are which God doeth alone, and these he enumerates, saying,
v. 5--7. Who by His wisdom made the heavens, Who stretched out the earth above the waters, Who alone made great lights. For this reason did he add alone in this verse also, because the other wonders which he is about to tell of, God did by means of man. For having said, Who alone made great
v. 8. 9. lights, he goes on to explain what these are, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night; then he begins to tell the wonders which He did by means of angels
v. io. and men ; Who smote Egypt with their first-born, and the rest. The whole creation then God manifestly made, not by means of any creature, but alone ; and of this creation he hath mentioned certain more eminent parts, that they might
1 intelii- make us think on the whole; the heavens we can understand1,
effilos. <<
anfl tne earth we see. And as there are visible heavens too, by mentioning the lights in them, he has bid us look on the whole body of the heavens as made by Him.
6. However, whether by what he saith, Who made the heavens in understanding, or, as others have rendered in intelligence, he meant to signify, the heavens we can under stand, or that He in His understanding or intelligence, that is, in His wisdom made the heavens, (as elsewhere
Ps. 104, written, in wisdom hast Thou made them all,) implying
24'
thereby the only-begotten Word, may be question. But be so, that we are to understand that God His wisdom made the heavens, why saith He this only of the
heavens, whereas God made all things by the same wisdom? Is that needed only to be expressed there, so that in
it it
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the rest it might be understood without being written ; so Ver.
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that he means to say, Who by His wisdom made the heavens: Who laid out the earth above the waters, here under standing, by His wisdom: Who alone made great lights;
the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night, that is, by His wisdom. How then could it be alone, if in understanding or in intelligence means by His wisdom, that by the only-begotten Word Is that, inasmuch as the Trinity not three Gods, but one God, he states that God made these things alone, because He made not creation by means of any creature
But what is, Who laid out the earth above the waters
For a difficult question, because the earth seemeth to
be the heavier, so that should be believed not so much to
be borne on the waters, as to bear the waters. And that
we may not seem contentiously to maintain our Scriptures against those who think that they have discovered these matters on sure principles, we have second interpretation
to give, that the earth which inhabited by men, and contains the living creatures of the earth, (which in another
way called the dry land, as written, Let the dry land Gen.
appear; and God called the dry land earth,) laid out9'10' above the waters because stands out above the waters which surround it. For when we speak of city on the sea being built above the waters, not meant that the sea
under in the same way as the waters are under the chambers of caverns, or under ships sailing over them
but said to be above the sea, because stands up above
the sea below it. Thus Pharaoh said to have gone outExod. 7, over the water, (for so in the Greek, where some Latin versions have, to the water,) and the Lord sat on the weU,Mrb because both were higher than the river and the well, the ,
But these words further signify something else which more closely concerns us, God His wisdom made the heavens, that is, His saints, spiritual men, to whom He has given not only to believe, but also to under stand things divine; those who cannot yet attain to this, and only hold their faith firmly, as being beneath the
John one beside the river, the other beside the well. 6.
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156 The mystical meaning of the
Psalm heavens, are figured by the name of earth. And because C"xVI- lhey abide with unshaken belief upon the baptism they have received, therefore it is said, He laid out the earth above the waters. Further, since it is written of our Lord
Col. 2, 3. Jesus Christ, that in Him are hid all the treasures wisdom and knowledge, and that these two, wisdom and knowledge, differ somewhat from one another is testified by other utterances of Scripture, especially in the words of
holy Job, where both are in a manner defined ; (for he saith, But unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding ;) not unsuitably then do we understand wisdom to consist in the knowledge and love of That Which ever is and abideth
1 pieta>>, unchangeable, Which is God. For where he saith, 1piety
is wisdom, in Greek is fleotre/3sia, and to express the whole of this in Latin, we may call it ' Dei cultns,' (worship of God. ) But to depart from evil, which he calls knowledge, what else
Phil. 2, is it but to walk cautiously and heedfully in the midst of a '''' crooked and perverse generation, in the night, as it were, of
this world, that each one by keeping himself from iniquity may avoid being confounded with the darkness, distinguished by the light of his proper gift. And so, when in a certain
the Apostle would shew the harmonious variety of
graces in men ofGod, he placed these two in the front rank,
iCor. 12, saying, To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
8--10.
John
shining either by day or by night; and regard of spiritual gifts, this means that He gave them power to become the
tnis l Supp0Se i)ie tun t0 rule the day: to another the word of knowledge the same Spirit this, the moon. And then imagine the stars to be in certain sense mentioned in what follows, To another faith, the same Spirit to another the gift healing, the same Spirit to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the
interpretation of tongues for there none not necessary in the night of this world
of these which
but when
therefore
and the night, he says, that there might be the power of
passed, they will not be necessary, and said, to govern the night. To govern the day
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Works of God's Creation. 157
sons of God. Who smote Egypt with their first-born. He Ver. smote too the world, with the things which are held chief in 11--27- the world.
9. Who brought out Israel from the midst of them. He v. n. brought out also His saints and faithful ones from the midst
of the wicked. With a mighty Hand and st retch ed-out v. 12. Arm. What more powerful, what more out-stretched, than
that of which is said, To whom is the Arm of the Lordn>>. hZ,\. revealed? It 'ho divided the Red Sea in two parts. He v. 13. divided also in such wise, that the same baptism should be
to some unto life, to others unto death. And brought outv. u. Israel through the midst of it. So too He brings out His renewed people through the laver of regeneration. And\. 15. overthrew Pharaoh and his power in the Red Sea. He quickly destroyeth both the sin of His people and the guilt thereof by baptism. Who led His people through thei. \<,. wilderness. Us too He leadeth through the drought and barrenness of this world, that we perish not therein. Whov. 17. 18. smote great kings, and slew famous kings. From us too
He smites and slays the deadly powers of the devil. Sehonv. 19. king of the Amoriles, an ' useless shoot,' or ' fiery temptation,'
for so is Sehon interpreted: the king of 'them who cause bitterness,' for such is the meaning of Amorites. And Og, v. 20. the king of Basan. The ' heaper-together,' such is the meaning of Og, and, king of 'confusion,' which Basan signifies.
For what else doth the devil heap together but confusion ?
And gave away their land for an heritage, even an heritage v. 21. 22. unto Israel His servant. For He giveth them, whom once
the devil owned, for an heritage to the seed of Abraham,
that is, Christ.
Who remembered us in our low estate, a>>d? . 23. 2i. redeemed us from our enemies by the Blood of His only- begotten Son. Who giveth food to all flesh, that to the v. 25. whole race of mankind, not Israelites only, but Gentiles
too; and of this Food said, My Flesh meat indeed. Givev. 26 27. thanks unto the God of Heaven, for His mercy endureth
for ever. Give thanks unto the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. For what he here says, the God
Heaven, suppose that he meant to express in other words what He had before said, the God of gods. For what there he subjoined, he has here also repeated. Give thanks
of
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158 Babylon, and Jerusalem .
Psalm unto the Lord of lords. But though there be that are i? Cor" coated gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be 8, 5. 6. gods many and lords many,) but to us there is but one God,
the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him ; to Whom we confess that His mercy endureth for
Lat. CxxxVJ.
psalm cxxxvll.
A Sermon to the People.
ever.
I think ye have not forgotten, that I brought to your notice, or rather to your recollection, that every one who is trained in the holy Church ought to know of what place we are citizens, and where we are wandering, and that the cause of our wandering is sin, the gift of our return, the remission of our sins, and our justification by the grace of God. Ye have heard and know that there are two cities, for the present outwardly mingled together, yet separated in heart, running together through the course of time until the end ; one whose end is everlasting peace, and it is called Jerusalem ; the other whose joy is peace in this world, and it is called Babylon. The meanings of these names too ye remember, that Jerusalem means ' vision of peace ;' Babylon, ' confusion. ' Jerusalem was held captive in Babylon, but not all, for the Angels too are its citizens. But as regards men predestined to the glory of God, to become by adoption
joint-heirs with Christ, whom He has redeemed from this very captivity by His own Blood, that this part, I say, of the citizens of Jerusalem are held captive in Babylon on account of sin, but first begin to go forth from thence in spirit by confession of sin and love of righteousness, and then afterwards at the end of the world are to be separated in body also ; this we set before you in that Psalm, which we first handled here with you, beloved, which begins thus :
Ps. 65, For Thee, O God, a hymn is meet in Sion, and to Thee shall 1. See
vol. iii. the vow be performed in Jerusalem. But to-day we have
P"
sung, By the waters Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion. Observe, that in the former
it
25^.
of
Worldly men citizens of Babylon. 159
is said, For Thee, O God, a hymn is meet in Sion; but here, Ver.
----
2. What then are the waters of Babylon ? and what is
our sitting and weeping in remembrance of Sion ? For if
we be citizens of Sion, we not only chant this, but do it.
If we are citizens of Jerusalem, that is Sion, and in this life,
in the confusion of this world, in this Babylon, do not
dwell as citizens, but are detained as captives, it befits us
not only to chant these things, but also to do them, with affectionate regard, with religious longing for our ever
lasting city. This city too which is called Babylon hath
its lovers, who look for peace in this world, and hope for nothing beyond, but fix their whole joy in this, end it in
this, and we see them toil exceedingly for their earthly country: but whosoever live faithfully even therein, if they
seek not therein pride, and perishable elation, and hateful boasting, but exhibit true faith, such as they can, as long
they can, to whom they can, so far as they see earthly
things, and understand the nature of their citizenship, God suffereth them not to perish in Babylon ; He hath pre destinated them to be citizens of Jerusalem. He under- standeth their captivity, and sheweth to them another city,
for which they ought truly to sigh, for which they ought to
use every endeavour, to win which they ought to the utmost
of their power to urge their fellow-citizens, now their fellow- wanderers. Therefore saith the Lord Jesus Christ, He that Lukei6,
is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much ; I0' and again He saith, If ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans, who will give you that which is your own ?
3. However, brethren, observe the waters of Babylon. The waters of Babylon are all things which here are loved, and pass away. One man, for example, loveth to practise husbandry, to grow rich thereby, to employ his mind therein,
thence to gain pleasure : let him observe the issue, and see that what he hath loved is not a foundation of Jerusalem, but a stream of Babylon. Another saith, It is a grand thing to be a soldier : all husbandmen fear those who are soldiers,
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion, that Sion where a hymn is meet for God.
ICO Worldly cares, streams of Babylon.
Psalm obey them, tremble at them : if I be a husbandman, I shall -- --' fear soldiers ; if a soldier, farmers will fear me. Madman ! Thou hast cast thyself headlong into another stream of
Babylon, and that still more boisterous and sweeping. Thou wishest to be feared by thine inferior ; fear Him that is greater than thou. He who fears thee may on a sudden become greater than thou, but never will He Whom thou oughtest to fear become less. To be a pleader, saith another, is a grand thing, ever to have clients hanging on the tongue of their eloquent advocate, and from his words looking for loss or gain, death or life, ruin or safety. Thou knowest not whither thou hast cast thyself; this too is another stream of Babylon, and its loud sound is the
din of the waters dashing against the rocks. Mark that it flows, it glides on ; and if thou markest that it flows and glides on, mark also that it carries things along with it. To traverse the seas, saith another, and to trade, is a grand thing, to know many lands, to make gains from every
never to be obnoxious in thy country to any powerful man, and to feed thy mind with the various habits of the nations thou visitest, and to return enriched with the increase of thy gains. This too is a stream of Babylon ; when will thy gains stop ? When wilt thou rely upon and be secure in the gains thou makest? The richer thou art, the more fearful wilt thou be. Once shipwrecked, thou wilt come forth stripped of all, and deservedly wilt thou bewail thyself in the rivers of Babylon, because thou wouldest not sit down and weep by the waters of Babylon.
4. But then other citizens of the holy Jerusalem, under standing their captivity, mark how the natural wishes and the various lusts of men hurry and drag them hither and thither, and drive them into the sea ; they see this, and they throw not themselves into the waters of Babylon, but sit down by the waters of Babylon, and by the waters of Babylon weep, either for those who are being carried away by them, or themselves whose deserts have placed them in Babylon, but sitting, that is, humbling themselves. By the waters of Babylon then we sat down and wept, when we re membered Sion. O holy Sion, where all stands firm and nothing flows ! Who hath thrown us headlong into this ?
quarter,
True Christians weep by the waters. 16" 1
Why have we left thy Founder and thy society ? Behold, Vsr. placed where all things are flowing and gliding away, scarce ----- one, if he can grasp the tree, shall be snatched from the stream and escape. Humbling ourselves then in our captivity,
let us sit by the waters of Babylon, let us not dare to plunge ourselves in those streams, nor to be proud and lifted
up in the evil and sadness of our captivity, but let us sit,
and so weep. Let us sit by the waters, not beneath the
waters, of Babylon; such be our humility, that it overwhelm
us not. Sit by the waters, not in the waters, not under the waters ; but yet sit, in humble fashion, talk not as thou wouldest in Jerusalem. There thou wilt stand ; for of
this very hope another Psalm speakcih, singing thus, Our Pa. 133,
feet shall stand in the courts of Jerusalem. There shalt2- thou be lifted up, if here by penitence and confession thou humble thyself. In the courts then of Jerusalem our feet shall stand, but by the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion. For this reason is it meet that thou weep, for the remembrance of Sion.
5. For many weep with the weeping of Babylon, because they rejoice also with the joy of Babylon. When men rejoice at gains and weep at losses, both are of Babylon. Thou oughtest to weep, but in the remembrance of Sion. If thou weepest in the remembrance of Sion, thou oughtest to weep even when it is well with thee in Babylon. There
fore is it said
ps. 3" 4
116,
I in a certain Psalm, / trouble and sorrow ; found
upon the name the Lord. What meaneth of
then called
be by saying, /
tribulation, as though it were to be sought; he found
as though he had sought it. And when he had found
what gained he by finding it? He called upon the name
of the Lord. Much doth matter, whether thou findest tribulation, or art found tribulation. For he saith in another place, The sorrows of hell found me. What p? . 18,5. The sorrows of hell found me What is, found trouble
and sorrow When sadness suddenly overtaketh thee, through trouble in thy worldly affairs, wherein thou didst
delight, when suddenly sadness of her own accord findeth thee, befalleth thee from some point, whence thou didst not think thou couldest be saddened, aud thou art made sad,
VOL. VI. M
have
found
? He of some kind of speaketh
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Ki-2 The blessing of tribulation.
Psalm then the sorrows of hell have found thee. For thou thoughtest CxxxVII . thyself aloft, whereas thou wast beneath; there hast thou
VC
found thyself beneath, where thou thoughtest thyself aloft. For thou hast found thyself grievously afflicted with sorrow, through sadness at some evil from a quarter where perchance thou hadst presumed thou wouldest not be made sad : the sorrows of hell have found thee. But when it is well with thee, when all earthly things smile on thee, none of thy loved ones hath died, no drought or hail or barrenness hath
assailed thy vineyard, thy cask hath not grown sour, thy cattle have not failed, thou hast not been dishonoured in any high position of this world wherein thou hast been placed, thy friends all around thee live and preserve their friendship for thee, dependents are not wanting, thy children
obey thee, thy slaves tremble before thee, thy wife liveth in harmony with thee, thy house is called happy,--then find tribulation, if in any way thou canst, that, having found tribulation thou mayest call on the name of the Lord. Perversely seemeth the word of God to teach that thou shouldest weep in joy, and rejoice in sorrow. Hear it
Rom. 5, rejoicing in sorrow, We glory, it saith, in tribulations. But see it weeping in joy, if it have found tribulation. Let each one mark his own happiness, wherein his soul hath exulted and puffed itself up in a manner with joy and elated itself, and said, ' I am happy. ' Let him mark whether that
ver. 2.
floweth not on, if he can be sure of it that it remaineth for ever. But if he be not certain, but seeth that that wherein he rejoices floweth, it is a stream of Babylon; let him sit down by it, and weep. He will sit down and weep, if he remember Sion. O for that peace which we shall see in the presence of God ! O for that holy equality with the Angels ! O for that vision, that fair sight ! Lo, in Babylon fair are the things which hold thee : let them not hold thee, let them not deceive thee. One thing is the solace of the captive, another the joy of the free. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion.
6. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments of music. The citizens of Jerusalem have their instruments of music, God's Scriptures, God's commands,
happiness
Reserve to be practised towards worldly men. 163
God's promises, meditation on the life to come; but while Ver. they are dwelling in the midst of Babylon, they hang up ----- their instruments of music on the willows thereof. Willows
are unfruitful trees, and here so placed, that no good what
ever can be understood of them : elsewhere perhaps there may. Here understand barren trees, growing by the waters of Babylon. These trees are watered by the waters of Babylon, and bring forth no fruit; just as there are men greedy, covetous, barren in good works, citizens of Babylon in such wise, that they are even trees of that region ; they are fed there by these pleasures oftransitory things, as though watered by the waters of Babylon. Thou seekest fruit of them, and no where findest it. When we suffer such men as these, we live among those who are in the midst of Babylon. For wide is the difference between the midst of Babylon and the outside of Babylon. There are some who are not in the
midst of that is, are not buried 'entirely in the lust of the1 totA, world and the delights thereof. But those who, to speak jiss', plainly and briefly, are thoroughly bad, are in the midst of Babylon, and are barren trees like the willows of Babylon. When we see them, and find them so barren, that with difficulty do we find in them ought whereby they may be
led on to true faith and good works, or to hope of future life, or to desire to be set free from captivity under mortality, then we know indeed the Scriptures which we should address to them but, because we find in them no fruit upon which to begin, we turn away our face from them, and say, As yet they have no taste nor capacity for them whatever we say to them, they will consider foolish and contrary. ' Therefore by deferring to apply the Scriptures to them, we hang up our instruments of music upon the willows. For we hold them not worthy to carry our instru ments. We do not therefore insert our instruments into them and bind them to them, but defer to use them, and so hang them up. For the willows are the unfruitful trees of Babylon, fed by temporal pleasures, as by the waters Babylon.
7. And see whether the Psalm do not agree with this. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments music. For there they that led us captive
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Psalm demanded of us words of songs, and they that led us an-ay, cxx\-rii. gw hymn. They demanded of us words of songs and an
who led us captive. Who have led us captive, brethren ? Whom have we at some time or other expe rienced as our capturers. Jerusalem of old experienced captivity at the hands of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Chaldeans, and the men of those nations and regions, and that afterwards, not when these Psalms were composed. But we have already told you, beloved, that all things, which according to the letter befel that city, were our examples, and it can easily be proved that we are captives. For we breathe not the air of that our true liberty : we
Wi>>d. 7,enjoy not the purity of truth, and that wisdom, that remain -
2'r'
ing in herself maketh all things new. We are tempted by the delights of earthly things, and we struggle daily with the suggestions of unlawful pleasures; scarce do we breathe freely even in prayer : we understand that we are captives. But who led us captive? what men? what race? what king? If we are redeemed, we once were captives. Who hath re deemed us ? Christ. From whom hath He redeemed us ?
From the devil. The devil then and his angels led us captive: and they would not lead us, unless we consented. We were led captive. Who our capturers were, I have said. For they are the thieves who wounded the traveller who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and left him wounded
10'
(for Samaritan meaneth ' keeper,') whom the Jews found
hymn,
Luke) o, and half dead. Him He, our Keeper, that is, Samaiitan,
John 8, fault with, and said, Say we not well that Thou art a
4*'
Samaritan, and hast a devil? of which two objections, the one He rejected, the other He accepted : /, He an
swered, have not a devil: yet He said not,
Samaritan :' for had He not been our Samaritan, our Keeper, verily we had perished : -- this Samaritan then, I say, passing by, saw the man left by the thieves hurt and wounded, and, as ye know, took care of him. Just as sometimes under the name of thieves are described those who have inflicted on us the wounds of sins, so, through our consenting to being made captives, are they also called our capturers.
8. Those then who have led us captive, the devil and his angels, when have they spoken unto us, and when have they
'I
am not a
They are freed by Redemption. 165
asked of us the words of songs? what then do we under- Vfr. stand ? That, when those in whom the devil worketh ask ----- such things of us, he is to be understood to ask, who worketh in them. The Apostle saith, And you hath //eEph. 2,
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now- worketh in the children of disobedience : among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past. He sheweth that, having been redeemed, he has already begun
to come forth from Babylon. But still what saith he yet ?
That we contend with our enemies. And that we may not
wax wroth with men, who attack us with persecutions, the Apostle has diverted our efforts from hatred of men, and guided them to struggle with certain spirits, whom we see
not, and yet we contend with them. For he saith, 'FeEpb. 6,
wrestle not against flesh and blood, that is, against men, 12
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. What means he by
' this world V The lovers of this world. These he also calleth darkness, that is, unjust, wicked, unbelievers, sinners; whom, when they have come to believe, he congratulateth
after this fashion, saying, Ye were sometime darkness, but Eph. 5, now are ye light in the Lord. So then he has laid down 8"
that we wrestle with those principalities: they it is who have led us captive.
9. But, just as the devil entered into the heart of Judas, to make him betray his Lord, yet would not have entered, unless he had made room for him ; so many evil men from the midst of Babylon, by making room in their hearts for the devil and his angels, so that he may work in them and through them, sometimes ask us, and say to us, 'Explain to us the reason. ' So too the heathen generally ask us, ' Explain the reason why Christ came, and what benefit Christ hath been to the human race. Have not matters been worse upon earth since Christ came, and was it not better then with men than it is now? Let the Christians tell us, what good Christ hath brought, wherein they think human affairs more happy, for that Christ hath come. For thou seest that if the theatres and amphitheatres and
Kit) Worldly men cannot understand
Psalm circuses were safe and standing, if no part of Babylon were cx>:xV11, falling, if men were surrounded by abundance of pleasures,
Ps. 8.
and could sing and dance to lascivious strains, if the impure and whoremongers could indulge their rest in quiet and safety, if a man did not fear famine in his own house who cried out that the dancers should be clothed, if all this went on without discredit, without disturbance, and all these follies could be enjoyed without anxiety, these would be happy times, and Christ would have brought great happiness to human affairs. ' But, forasmuch as wickednesses are now being destroyed, in order that that earthly desire being up rooted, the love of Jerusalem may be planted in ; forasmuch as bitternesses are being mixed with this passing life, that men may long for the everlasting life; forasmuch as men are being disciplined with scourges, receiving a father's correction, that they may not hereafter receive a judge's sentence; Christ, they say, hath brought nothing good, Christ hath brought troubles. And thou beginnest to tell to one, how much good Christ hath done, and he receives it not. For thou settest before him the example of those who do as ye have just heard in the Gospel, who sell all that they have,
and give to the poor, that they may have treasure in heaven, and follow their Lord. Thou sayest to him, 'See what Christ hath brought !
that city which will never fall, because the Lord dwelleth
in her, and keepeth her, which the vision of peace, the
eternal Jerusalem; for the praise of which, my brethren, language sufficeth not; where we shall find no enemy, either
within the Church or without the Church, neither iu our
flesh, nor in our thoughts. For death shall be swallowed iCor. 15,
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150 God's mercy, how for ever.
Tsaim up in victory, and we shall be free to see God in >xxxvi. etenial peace, being made citizens of Jerusalem, the city
of God. exxxir.
PSALM CXXXVI. EXPOSITION.
ver. 1.
1. Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endure th for ever. This Psalm contains the praise of God, and all its verses finish in the same way. Wherefore although many things are related here in praise of God, yet His mercy is most commended; for without this plain commendation, he, whom the Holy Spirit used to utter this Psalm, would have no verse be ended. 1 remem-
Ps. 106, ber, in the hundred and fifth Psalm, which begins in the same way, because the manuscript which I read had not
l"E" for ever, but, for ages1 His mercy, that I enquired what we had better understand. For, in the Greek language, it is written, elg tov alwvx, which may be interpreted, for ages,
'inaeter- and, for ever1. But it would be tedious to renew the enquiries I made as best I could in that place. But in this Psalm, the same manuscript has not for ages, which most have, but, for ever His mercy. Although after the
judgment, by which at the end of the world the quick and
Mat. 25, the dead must be judged, the just being sent into life
1
''
eternal, the unjust into everlasting fire, there will not afterwards be those, whom God will have mercy on, yet rightly may His future mercy be understood to be for ever, which He bestows on His saints and faithful ones, not because they will be miserable for ever, and therefore will need His mercy for ever, but because that very blessedness, which He mercifully bestows on the miserable, that they cease to be miserable, and begin to be happy, will have no end, and therefore His mercy is for ever. For that we shall be just from being unjust, whole from being unsound, alive from being dead, immortal from being mortal, happy from being wretched, is of His mercy. But this that we
Who are 'gods' in Scripture. 151
shall be, will be for ever, and therefore His mercy is for Vgu.
ever. Wherefore, give thanks to the Lord ; that praise the Lord by giving thanks, for He good: nor any tem poral good you will gain from this confession, for, His mercy
3' .
endureth for ever; that the benefit which He bestows mercifully upon you, for ever. The expression, for He is good, in the Greek ayaQo; not as in the hundred and fifth Psalm, for there He good,' in Greek
X? 1<rT0J- And so some have expounded the former, Since He
sweet. ' For ayoSo; not good any how, but good most excellently.
Then follows, Give thanks to the God gods, for Hisver. 2. mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ver. 3.
for His mercy endureth for ever. We may well enquire,
Who are these gods and lords, of whom He Who the true
God God and Lord And we find written in another
Psalm, that men even are called gods as is, God stood in Pk. 82,1. the congregation of the gods, He discerneth between the gods.
And little afterwards, children of the High One
have said, Ye are gods, and. all lb. 6. but ye shall die like men, and
The Lord even takes note of
fall as one of the princes.
this testimony in the Gospel, saying, Ls not written in Johnio,
your Law, have said, Ye are gods If He called them 34' gods, for whom the word of God was sent, and the Scrip tures cannot be broken, how say ye, Thou blasphemest,
because said, am the Son of God? not therefore because they are all good, but because the word of God came to them, that they were called gods. For were be cause they are all good, He would not thus distinguish between them. For when He said, God standeth in the congregation
gods, He does not say, He distinguishes between God and men, as He shewed what was the difference between gods and men; but He saith, He judgeth between the gods. Then follows, How long do ye judge iniquity and the rest,
Ps. 82,2.
not to all, but to some, because He saith in distinguishing, and yet He distinguisheth
between the gods.
3. But asked, If men are called gods to whom the
word of the Lord came, are the Angels to be called gods, when the greatest reward which promised to just and
which He says certainly
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152 Angels not called ' gods,' and why.
Psalm holy men is the being equal to Angels? In the Scriptures
'i*""'" 1 know not whether it can, at least easily, be found, that
the Angels are openly called gods ; but when it had been said
Ps. 96,4of the Lord God, He is terrible, above all gods, he adds, as
seq'
by way of exposition why he says this, for the gods of the heathen are devils. Over such gods as these, he says, that the Lord is terrible among His holy places, the heavens which He hath made, from which the devils are frightened. For so it follows. But the Lord made the heavens. It is not therefore the gods without addition ; but the gods of the Gentiles are devils; but above He says, He is terrible above all gods. He does not say, above all the gods of the Gentiles, although He would have this understood, by adding what follows, For the gods of the Gentiles are devils. It is said that this is not the reading in Hebrew, but the gods of the Gentiles are idols. If this be true, much the more must the Seventy be believed to have interpreted by the Divine Spirit, the same Spirit as He by whom these things were said in the Hebrew. For by the working of the same
Spirit this also should be said which was said, The gods of the Gentiles are devils, that we might understand what had been expressed in the Hebrew, the gods of the Gentiles are idols, meaning rather the devils which dwell in the idols'. For as regards images, which in Greek are called idols,
i Mmu-
irSalw a name we now use in Latin, they have eyes and see not,
and all the other things which are said of them, because they are utterly without sense ; wherefore they cannot be frightened, for nothing which has no sense can be frightened. How then can it be said of the Lord, He is terrible above all gods, because the gods of the Gentiles are idols, if the devils which may be frightened are not understood to be in these images. Whence also the Apostle says, We know that
l Cor.
B' *' an idol is nothing. This refers to its earthy senseless
material. But that no one may think, that there is no living
and sentient nature, which delights in the Gentile sacrifices, l Cor. he adds, But what the GIentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to 10, 20' devils, and not to God : would not have you partakers
with devils. If therefore we never find in the divine words that the holy Angels are called gods, I think the best reason is, that men may not be induced by the name to pay
Thanksgiving the note of the whole Psalm. 153
that ministry and service of religion (which in Greek is Ver. called AsiTOti^yi'a or Aargia) to the holy Angels, which neither -- would they have paid by man at all, save to that God,
Who is the God of themselves and men. Hence they are
much more correctly called Angels, which in Latin is
' Nuntii,' that by the name of their function, not their substance, we may plainly understand that they would have
us worship the God, Whom they announce. The whole
then of that question the Apostle has briefly expounded,
when he says, For though there be who are called gods, l Cot. 8, whether in heaven or in earth, as there are gods many and5- 6" lords many ; yet we have one God the Father, from Whom are
all, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.
4. Let us therefore give thanks to the God of gods, and
the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. Who ver. 4. alone did wonderful things. As at the last part of every
verse, it is written, For His mercy endureth for ever, so we
must understand at the beginning of each, though it be not written, Give thanks. Which indeed in the Greek is very
plain. It would be so in Latin, if our translators had been
able to make use of that expression. Which indeed they
could have done in this verse, if they had said, 'To Him
Who doeth 1 wonderful things. ' For where we have, Who rfirf'facienti wonderful things, the Greek has raj 7roiqo-avr/, where we must {^abl"
understand, give thanks. And I would they
had added the pronoun, and said to Him, Who did, or to
Him Who doeth, or to Him Who made sure ; because then
one might easily understand, let us give thanks. For now
it is so obscurely rendered, that He who either knows not or
cares not to examine a Greek manuscript may think, Who ver. 5. made the heavens, Who made sure the earth, Who made the luminaries, for His mercy endureth for ever, has been so
said, because He did these things for this reason, because
His mercy endureth for ever : whereas they, whom He has
freed from misery, belong to His Mercy: but not that we should believe that He makes sky, earth, and luminaries, of
His Mercy; since they are marks of His Goodness, Who Gen. l, created all things very good. For He created all things, that^d they might have their being ; but it is the work of His Mercy, 14.
necessarily
154 All God's works made by His Wisdom,
Psalm to cleanse us from our sins, and deliver us from everlasting - -- -misery. And so the Psalm thus addresses us, Give thanks unto the God of Gods, give thanks unto the Lord of Lords. Give thanks to Him, Who alone doeth great wonders ; give thanks to Him, Who by His wisdom made the heavens; give thanks to Him, Who stretched out the earth above the waters ;
give thanks to Him, Who alone made great lights. Hut why
we are to praise, he setteth down at the end of all theverses, for His mercy endureth for ever.
5. But what meaneth, Who alone doeth great wonders ? Is it because many wonderful things He hath done by means of angels and men ? Some wonderful things there are which God doeth alone, and these he enumerates, saying,
v. 5--7. Who by His wisdom made the heavens, Who stretched out the earth above the waters, Who alone made great lights. For this reason did he add alone in this verse also, because the other wonders which he is about to tell of, God did by means of man. For having said, Who alone made great
v. 8. 9. lights, he goes on to explain what these are, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night; then he begins to tell the wonders which He did by means of angels
v. io. and men ; Who smote Egypt with their first-born, and the rest. The whole creation then God manifestly made, not by means of any creature, but alone ; and of this creation he hath mentioned certain more eminent parts, that they might
1 intelii- make us think on the whole; the heavens we can understand1,
effilos. <<
anfl tne earth we see. And as there are visible heavens too, by mentioning the lights in them, he has bid us look on the whole body of the heavens as made by Him.
6. However, whether by what he saith, Who made the heavens in understanding, or, as others have rendered in intelligence, he meant to signify, the heavens we can under stand, or that He in His understanding or intelligence, that is, in His wisdom made the heavens, (as elsewhere
Ps. 104, written, in wisdom hast Thou made them all,) implying
24'
thereby the only-begotten Word, may be question. But be so, that we are to understand that God His wisdom made the heavens, why saith He this only of the
heavens, whereas God made all things by the same wisdom? Is that needed only to be expressed there, so that in
it it
if it
by
it,
a
it is
that is, His Word.
the rest it might be understood without being written ; so Ver.
^~10'
that he means to say, Who by His wisdom made the heavens: Who laid out the earth above the waters, here under standing, by His wisdom: Who alone made great lights;
the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night, that is, by His wisdom. How then could it be alone, if in understanding or in intelligence means by His wisdom, that by the only-begotten Word Is that, inasmuch as the Trinity not three Gods, but one God, he states that God made these things alone, because He made not creation by means of any creature
But what is, Who laid out the earth above the waters
For a difficult question, because the earth seemeth to
be the heavier, so that should be believed not so much to
be borne on the waters, as to bear the waters. And that
we may not seem contentiously to maintain our Scriptures against those who think that they have discovered these matters on sure principles, we have second interpretation
to give, that the earth which inhabited by men, and contains the living creatures of the earth, (which in another
way called the dry land, as written, Let the dry land Gen.
appear; and God called the dry land earth,) laid out9'10' above the waters because stands out above the waters which surround it. For when we speak of city on the sea being built above the waters, not meant that the sea
under in the same way as the waters are under the chambers of caverns, or under ships sailing over them
but said to be above the sea, because stands up above
the sea below it. Thus Pharaoh said to have gone outExod. 7, over the water, (for so in the Greek, where some Latin versions have, to the water,) and the Lord sat on the weU,Mrb because both were higher than the river and the well, the ,
But these words further signify something else which more closely concerns us, God His wisdom made the heavens, that is, His saints, spiritual men, to whom He has given not only to believe, but also to under stand things divine; those who cannot yet attain to this, and only hold their faith firmly, as being beneath the
John one beside the river, the other beside the well. 6.
by
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156 The mystical meaning of the
Psalm heavens, are figured by the name of earth. And because C"xVI- lhey abide with unshaken belief upon the baptism they have received, therefore it is said, He laid out the earth above the waters. Further, since it is written of our Lord
Col. 2, 3. Jesus Christ, that in Him are hid all the treasures wisdom and knowledge, and that these two, wisdom and knowledge, differ somewhat from one another is testified by other utterances of Scripture, especially in the words of
holy Job, where both are in a manner defined ; (for he saith, But unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding ;) not unsuitably then do we understand wisdom to consist in the knowledge and love of That Which ever is and abideth
1 pieta>>, unchangeable, Which is God. For where he saith, 1piety
is wisdom, in Greek is fleotre/3sia, and to express the whole of this in Latin, we may call it ' Dei cultns,' (worship of God. ) But to depart from evil, which he calls knowledge, what else
Phil. 2, is it but to walk cautiously and heedfully in the midst of a '''' crooked and perverse generation, in the night, as it were, of
this world, that each one by keeping himself from iniquity may avoid being confounded with the darkness, distinguished by the light of his proper gift. And so, when in a certain
the Apostle would shew the harmonious variety of
graces in men ofGod, he placed these two in the front rank,
iCor. 12, saying, To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
8--10.
John
shining either by day or by night; and regard of spiritual gifts, this means that He gave them power to become the
tnis l Supp0Se i)ie tun t0 rule the day: to another the word of knowledge the same Spirit this, the moon. And then imagine the stars to be in certain sense mentioned in what follows, To another faith, the same Spirit to another the gift healing, the same Spirit to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the
interpretation of tongues for there none not necessary in the night of this world
of these which
but when
therefore
and the night, he says, that there might be the power of
passed, they will not be necessary, and said, to govern the night. To govern the day
of
Vul8-
place
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in ;
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Works of God's Creation. 157
sons of God. Who smote Egypt with their first-born. He Ver. smote too the world, with the things which are held chief in 11--27- the world.
9. Who brought out Israel from the midst of them. He v. n. brought out also His saints and faithful ones from the midst
of the wicked. With a mighty Hand and st retch ed-out v. 12. Arm. What more powerful, what more out-stretched, than
that of which is said, To whom is the Arm of the Lordn>>. hZ,\. revealed? It 'ho divided the Red Sea in two parts. He v. 13. divided also in such wise, that the same baptism should be
to some unto life, to others unto death. And brought outv. u. Israel through the midst of it. So too He brings out His renewed people through the laver of regeneration. And\. 15. overthrew Pharaoh and his power in the Red Sea. He quickly destroyeth both the sin of His people and the guilt thereof by baptism. Who led His people through thei. \<,. wilderness. Us too He leadeth through the drought and barrenness of this world, that we perish not therein. Whov. 17. 18. smote great kings, and slew famous kings. From us too
He smites and slays the deadly powers of the devil. Sehonv. 19. king of the Amoriles, an ' useless shoot,' or ' fiery temptation,'
for so is Sehon interpreted: the king of 'them who cause bitterness,' for such is the meaning of Amorites. And Og, v. 20. the king of Basan. The ' heaper-together,' such is the meaning of Og, and, king of 'confusion,' which Basan signifies.
For what else doth the devil heap together but confusion ?
And gave away their land for an heritage, even an heritage v. 21. 22. unto Israel His servant. For He giveth them, whom once
the devil owned, for an heritage to the seed of Abraham,
that is, Christ.
Who remembered us in our low estate, a>>d? . 23. 2i. redeemed us from our enemies by the Blood of His only- begotten Son. Who giveth food to all flesh, that to the v. 25. whole race of mankind, not Israelites only, but Gentiles
too; and of this Food said, My Flesh meat indeed. Givev. 26 27. thanks unto the God of Heaven, for His mercy endureth
for ever. Give thanks unto the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. For what he here says, the God
Heaven, suppose that he meant to express in other words what He had before said, the God of gods. For what there he subjoined, he has here also repeated. Give thanks
of
I
is
is
is,
158 Babylon, and Jerusalem .
Psalm unto the Lord of lords. But though there be that are i? Cor" coated gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be 8, 5. 6. gods many and lords many,) but to us there is but one God,
the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him ; to Whom we confess that His mercy endureth for
Lat. CxxxVJ.
psalm cxxxvll.
A Sermon to the People.
ever.
I think ye have not forgotten, that I brought to your notice, or rather to your recollection, that every one who is trained in the holy Church ought to know of what place we are citizens, and where we are wandering, and that the cause of our wandering is sin, the gift of our return, the remission of our sins, and our justification by the grace of God. Ye have heard and know that there are two cities, for the present outwardly mingled together, yet separated in heart, running together through the course of time until the end ; one whose end is everlasting peace, and it is called Jerusalem ; the other whose joy is peace in this world, and it is called Babylon. The meanings of these names too ye remember, that Jerusalem means ' vision of peace ;' Babylon, ' confusion. ' Jerusalem was held captive in Babylon, but not all, for the Angels too are its citizens. But as regards men predestined to the glory of God, to become by adoption
joint-heirs with Christ, whom He has redeemed from this very captivity by His own Blood, that this part, I say, of the citizens of Jerusalem are held captive in Babylon on account of sin, but first begin to go forth from thence in spirit by confession of sin and love of righteousness, and then afterwards at the end of the world are to be separated in body also ; this we set before you in that Psalm, which we first handled here with you, beloved, which begins thus :
Ps. 65, For Thee, O God, a hymn is meet in Sion, and to Thee shall 1. See
vol. iii. the vow be performed in Jerusalem. But to-day we have
P"
sung, By the waters Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion. Observe, that in the former
it
25^.
of
Worldly men citizens of Babylon. 159
is said, For Thee, O God, a hymn is meet in Sion; but here, Ver.
----
2. What then are the waters of Babylon ? and what is
our sitting and weeping in remembrance of Sion ? For if
we be citizens of Sion, we not only chant this, but do it.
If we are citizens of Jerusalem, that is Sion, and in this life,
in the confusion of this world, in this Babylon, do not
dwell as citizens, but are detained as captives, it befits us
not only to chant these things, but also to do them, with affectionate regard, with religious longing for our ever
lasting city. This city too which is called Babylon hath
its lovers, who look for peace in this world, and hope for nothing beyond, but fix their whole joy in this, end it in
this, and we see them toil exceedingly for their earthly country: but whosoever live faithfully even therein, if they
seek not therein pride, and perishable elation, and hateful boasting, but exhibit true faith, such as they can, as long
they can, to whom they can, so far as they see earthly
things, and understand the nature of their citizenship, God suffereth them not to perish in Babylon ; He hath pre destinated them to be citizens of Jerusalem. He under- standeth their captivity, and sheweth to them another city,
for which they ought truly to sigh, for which they ought to
use every endeavour, to win which they ought to the utmost
of their power to urge their fellow-citizens, now their fellow- wanderers. Therefore saith the Lord Jesus Christ, He that Lukei6,
is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much ; I0' and again He saith, If ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans, who will give you that which is your own ?
3. However, brethren, observe the waters of Babylon. The waters of Babylon are all things which here are loved, and pass away. One man, for example, loveth to practise husbandry, to grow rich thereby, to employ his mind therein,
thence to gain pleasure : let him observe the issue, and see that what he hath loved is not a foundation of Jerusalem, but a stream of Babylon. Another saith, It is a grand thing to be a soldier : all husbandmen fear those who are soldiers,
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion, that Sion where a hymn is meet for God.
ICO Worldly cares, streams of Babylon.
Psalm obey them, tremble at them : if I be a husbandman, I shall -- --' fear soldiers ; if a soldier, farmers will fear me. Madman ! Thou hast cast thyself headlong into another stream of
Babylon, and that still more boisterous and sweeping. Thou wishest to be feared by thine inferior ; fear Him that is greater than thou. He who fears thee may on a sudden become greater than thou, but never will He Whom thou oughtest to fear become less. To be a pleader, saith another, is a grand thing, ever to have clients hanging on the tongue of their eloquent advocate, and from his words looking for loss or gain, death or life, ruin or safety. Thou knowest not whither thou hast cast thyself; this too is another stream of Babylon, and its loud sound is the
din of the waters dashing against the rocks. Mark that it flows, it glides on ; and if thou markest that it flows and glides on, mark also that it carries things along with it. To traverse the seas, saith another, and to trade, is a grand thing, to know many lands, to make gains from every
never to be obnoxious in thy country to any powerful man, and to feed thy mind with the various habits of the nations thou visitest, and to return enriched with the increase of thy gains. This too is a stream of Babylon ; when will thy gains stop ? When wilt thou rely upon and be secure in the gains thou makest? The richer thou art, the more fearful wilt thou be. Once shipwrecked, thou wilt come forth stripped of all, and deservedly wilt thou bewail thyself in the rivers of Babylon, because thou wouldest not sit down and weep by the waters of Babylon.
4. But then other citizens of the holy Jerusalem, under standing their captivity, mark how the natural wishes and the various lusts of men hurry and drag them hither and thither, and drive them into the sea ; they see this, and they throw not themselves into the waters of Babylon, but sit down by the waters of Babylon, and by the waters of Babylon weep, either for those who are being carried away by them, or themselves whose deserts have placed them in Babylon, but sitting, that is, humbling themselves. By the waters of Babylon then we sat down and wept, when we re membered Sion. O holy Sion, where all stands firm and nothing flows ! Who hath thrown us headlong into this ?
quarter,
True Christians weep by the waters. 16" 1
Why have we left thy Founder and thy society ? Behold, Vsr. placed where all things are flowing and gliding away, scarce ----- one, if he can grasp the tree, shall be snatched from the stream and escape. Humbling ourselves then in our captivity,
let us sit by the waters of Babylon, let us not dare to plunge ourselves in those streams, nor to be proud and lifted
up in the evil and sadness of our captivity, but let us sit,
and so weep. Let us sit by the waters, not beneath the
waters, of Babylon; such be our humility, that it overwhelm
us not. Sit by the waters, not in the waters, not under the waters ; but yet sit, in humble fashion, talk not as thou wouldest in Jerusalem. There thou wilt stand ; for of
this very hope another Psalm speakcih, singing thus, Our Pa. 133,
feet shall stand in the courts of Jerusalem. There shalt2- thou be lifted up, if here by penitence and confession thou humble thyself. In the courts then of Jerusalem our feet shall stand, but by the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion. For this reason is it meet that thou weep, for the remembrance of Sion.
5. For many weep with the weeping of Babylon, because they rejoice also with the joy of Babylon. When men rejoice at gains and weep at losses, both are of Babylon. Thou oughtest to weep, but in the remembrance of Sion. If thou weepest in the remembrance of Sion, thou oughtest to weep even when it is well with thee in Babylon. There
fore is it said
ps. 3" 4
116,
I in a certain Psalm, / trouble and sorrow ; found
upon the name the Lord. What meaneth of
then called
be by saying, /
tribulation, as though it were to be sought; he found
as though he had sought it. And when he had found
what gained he by finding it? He called upon the name
of the Lord. Much doth matter, whether thou findest tribulation, or art found tribulation. For he saith in another place, The sorrows of hell found me. What p? . 18,5. The sorrows of hell found me What is, found trouble
and sorrow When sadness suddenly overtaketh thee, through trouble in thy worldly affairs, wherein thou didst
delight, when suddenly sadness of her own accord findeth thee, befalleth thee from some point, whence thou didst not think thou couldest be saddened, aud thou art made sad,
VOL. VI. M
have
found
? He of some kind of speaketh
?
by it ?
/
is,
it, it,
Ki-2 The blessing of tribulation.
Psalm then the sorrows of hell have found thee. For thou thoughtest CxxxVII . thyself aloft, whereas thou wast beneath; there hast thou
VC
found thyself beneath, where thou thoughtest thyself aloft. For thou hast found thyself grievously afflicted with sorrow, through sadness at some evil from a quarter where perchance thou hadst presumed thou wouldest not be made sad : the sorrows of hell have found thee. But when it is well with thee, when all earthly things smile on thee, none of thy loved ones hath died, no drought or hail or barrenness hath
assailed thy vineyard, thy cask hath not grown sour, thy cattle have not failed, thou hast not been dishonoured in any high position of this world wherein thou hast been placed, thy friends all around thee live and preserve their friendship for thee, dependents are not wanting, thy children
obey thee, thy slaves tremble before thee, thy wife liveth in harmony with thee, thy house is called happy,--then find tribulation, if in any way thou canst, that, having found tribulation thou mayest call on the name of the Lord. Perversely seemeth the word of God to teach that thou shouldest weep in joy, and rejoice in sorrow. Hear it
Rom. 5, rejoicing in sorrow, We glory, it saith, in tribulations. But see it weeping in joy, if it have found tribulation. Let each one mark his own happiness, wherein his soul hath exulted and puffed itself up in a manner with joy and elated itself, and said, ' I am happy. ' Let him mark whether that
ver. 2.
floweth not on, if he can be sure of it that it remaineth for ever. But if he be not certain, but seeth that that wherein he rejoices floweth, it is a stream of Babylon; let him sit down by it, and weep. He will sit down and weep, if he remember Sion. O for that peace which we shall see in the presence of God ! O for that holy equality with the Angels ! O for that vision, that fair sight ! Lo, in Babylon fair are the things which hold thee : let them not hold thee, let them not deceive thee. One thing is the solace of the captive, another the joy of the free. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion.
6. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments of music. The citizens of Jerusalem have their instruments of music, God's Scriptures, God's commands,
happiness
Reserve to be practised towards worldly men. 163
God's promises, meditation on the life to come; but while Ver. they are dwelling in the midst of Babylon, they hang up ----- their instruments of music on the willows thereof. Willows
are unfruitful trees, and here so placed, that no good what
ever can be understood of them : elsewhere perhaps there may. Here understand barren trees, growing by the waters of Babylon. These trees are watered by the waters of Babylon, and bring forth no fruit; just as there are men greedy, covetous, barren in good works, citizens of Babylon in such wise, that they are even trees of that region ; they are fed there by these pleasures oftransitory things, as though watered by the waters of Babylon. Thou seekest fruit of them, and no where findest it. When we suffer such men as these, we live among those who are in the midst of Babylon. For wide is the difference between the midst of Babylon and the outside of Babylon. There are some who are not in the
midst of that is, are not buried 'entirely in the lust of the1 totA, world and the delights thereof. But those who, to speak jiss', plainly and briefly, are thoroughly bad, are in the midst of Babylon, and are barren trees like the willows of Babylon. When we see them, and find them so barren, that with difficulty do we find in them ought whereby they may be
led on to true faith and good works, or to hope of future life, or to desire to be set free from captivity under mortality, then we know indeed the Scriptures which we should address to them but, because we find in them no fruit upon which to begin, we turn away our face from them, and say, As yet they have no taste nor capacity for them whatever we say to them, they will consider foolish and contrary. ' Therefore by deferring to apply the Scriptures to them, we hang up our instruments of music upon the willows. For we hold them not worthy to carry our instru ments. We do not therefore insert our instruments into them and bind them to them, but defer to use them, and so hang them up. For the willows are the unfruitful trees of Babylon, fed by temporal pleasures, as by the waters Babylon.
7. And see whether the Psalm do not agree with this. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments music. For there they that led us captive
M
2
of
of
;
'
it,
;
a
1(,4 Mankind captives under sin.
Psalm demanded of us words of songs, and they that led us an-ay, cxx\-rii. gw hymn. They demanded of us words of songs and an
who led us captive. Who have led us captive, brethren ? Whom have we at some time or other expe rienced as our capturers. Jerusalem of old experienced captivity at the hands of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Chaldeans, and the men of those nations and regions, and that afterwards, not when these Psalms were composed. But we have already told you, beloved, that all things, which according to the letter befel that city, were our examples, and it can easily be proved that we are captives. For we breathe not the air of that our true liberty : we
Wi>>d. 7,enjoy not the purity of truth, and that wisdom, that remain -
2'r'
ing in herself maketh all things new. We are tempted by the delights of earthly things, and we struggle daily with the suggestions of unlawful pleasures; scarce do we breathe freely even in prayer : we understand that we are captives. But who led us captive? what men? what race? what king? If we are redeemed, we once were captives. Who hath re deemed us ? Christ. From whom hath He redeemed us ?
From the devil. The devil then and his angels led us captive: and they would not lead us, unless we consented. We were led captive. Who our capturers were, I have said. For they are the thieves who wounded the traveller who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and left him wounded
10'
(for Samaritan meaneth ' keeper,') whom the Jews found
hymn,
Luke) o, and half dead. Him He, our Keeper, that is, Samaiitan,
John 8, fault with, and said, Say we not well that Thou art a
4*'
Samaritan, and hast a devil? of which two objections, the one He rejected, the other He accepted : /, He an
swered, have not a devil: yet He said not,
Samaritan :' for had He not been our Samaritan, our Keeper, verily we had perished : -- this Samaritan then, I say, passing by, saw the man left by the thieves hurt and wounded, and, as ye know, took care of him. Just as sometimes under the name of thieves are described those who have inflicted on us the wounds of sins, so, through our consenting to being made captives, are they also called our capturers.
8. Those then who have led us captive, the devil and his angels, when have they spoken unto us, and when have they
'I
am not a
They are freed by Redemption. 165
asked of us the words of songs? what then do we under- Vfr. stand ? That, when those in whom the devil worketh ask ----- such things of us, he is to be understood to ask, who worketh in them. The Apostle saith, And you hath //eEph. 2,
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now- worketh in the children of disobedience : among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past. He sheweth that, having been redeemed, he has already begun
to come forth from Babylon. But still what saith he yet ?
That we contend with our enemies. And that we may not
wax wroth with men, who attack us with persecutions, the Apostle has diverted our efforts from hatred of men, and guided them to struggle with certain spirits, whom we see
not, and yet we contend with them. For he saith, 'FeEpb. 6,
wrestle not against flesh and blood, that is, against men, 12
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. What means he by
' this world V The lovers of this world. These he also calleth darkness, that is, unjust, wicked, unbelievers, sinners; whom, when they have come to believe, he congratulateth
after this fashion, saying, Ye were sometime darkness, but Eph. 5, now are ye light in the Lord. So then he has laid down 8"
that we wrestle with those principalities: they it is who have led us captive.
9. But, just as the devil entered into the heart of Judas, to make him betray his Lord, yet would not have entered, unless he had made room for him ; so many evil men from the midst of Babylon, by making room in their hearts for the devil and his angels, so that he may work in them and through them, sometimes ask us, and say to us, 'Explain to us the reason. ' So too the heathen generally ask us, ' Explain the reason why Christ came, and what benefit Christ hath been to the human race. Have not matters been worse upon earth since Christ came, and was it not better then with men than it is now? Let the Christians tell us, what good Christ hath brought, wherein they think human affairs more happy, for that Christ hath come. For thou seest that if the theatres and amphitheatres and
Kit) Worldly men cannot understand
Psalm circuses were safe and standing, if no part of Babylon were cx>:xV11, falling, if men were surrounded by abundance of pleasures,
Ps. 8.
and could sing and dance to lascivious strains, if the impure and whoremongers could indulge their rest in quiet and safety, if a man did not fear famine in his own house who cried out that the dancers should be clothed, if all this went on without discredit, without disturbance, and all these follies could be enjoyed without anxiety, these would be happy times, and Christ would have brought great happiness to human affairs. ' But, forasmuch as wickednesses are now being destroyed, in order that that earthly desire being up rooted, the love of Jerusalem may be planted in ; forasmuch as bitternesses are being mixed with this passing life, that men may long for the everlasting life; forasmuch as men are being disciplined with scourges, receiving a father's correction, that they may not hereafter receive a judge's sentence; Christ, they say, hath brought nothing good, Christ hath brought troubles. And thou beginnest to tell to one, how much good Christ hath done, and he receives it not. For thou settest before him the example of those who do as ye have just heard in the Gospel, who sell all that they have,
and give to the poor, that they may have treasure in heaven, and follow their Lord. Thou sayest to him, 'See what Christ hath brought !
