Let the persecutors rejoice over him he overpowered, he taken, he hemmed in, he conquered flight hath
perished
from him.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Behold, the martyrs closed the door against the devil, opened it to Christ.
Many things this world promised them : they laughed ; they closed the leaf of desire against the devil. The world threatened them with wild beasts, with fire, with the cross ;
they feared not; they closed the leaf of fear against the devil.
Let us see whether they opened them to Christ. He that Mat. 10,
con/esseth Me, saith He, before men, him will Iconfess
afso32 before My Father Which is in heaven. They loved then the kingdom of heaven, where Christ will confess them. How
shall He confess them? Come, ye blessed of My Father, Mat. 25, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of3*'
the world. He will confess them when they are set on the
right hand. Let us see whether they opened also to Christ
the leaf of fear, which they closed to the devil. In one and
the same place doth the Lord bid us both close it to the
devil and open it to Him. Fear not, saith He, them /Aa/Mat. 10,
kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. He bade the door of fear be closed in the face of the devil. Is there nothing to be feared ? Is not the approach of fear opened to Christ, which is shut to the devil ? He added at once, as though He would say, Thou hast shut out him, open to me; fear Him,
Who hath power to kill both soul and body in hell fire. Now
then, if thou hast believed and opened to Christ, and closed it against the devil, Christ is within ; there He dwelleth :
pour out before Him thy prayer ; seek not that He hear thee
from afar. For not far off is the wisdom of God, which reacheth from one end to the other, and mightily and sweetly 'Wisd. 8, ordereth all things. Within then, in thyself, before Him1.
pour out thy prayer : there are His ears. For neither fromVa. 15,6.
the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert mountains ; 7' for God is the Judge. But, if He be the Judge, take heed
5.
in the two preceding sentences, and in these which follow : the sentiments are two, but both twice expressed. One is, with my voice have Icried unto the Lord; with my voice have
what cause thou bearest in thine heart.
/ will pour out
I will proclaim in His sight. There is a repetition, both
before
Him my prayer ; my tribulation
'
Trusting, not in our own strength, but His.
Psalm I prayed unto the Lord ; the other is, / will pour out before CxlI1- Him my prayer ; my tribulation will I proclaim in His sight. For, in His sight, is the same as before Him; Iwill / will pour out my prayer. When doest thou this ? Being set in the midst >>er. 3. of persecution, he saith, while my spirit failed from me. Wherefore hath thy spirit failed, 0 martyr, set in tribulation? That I may not claim my strength as mine own, that I may know that Another worketh in me the goodness I have. Mat 10, But when they shall deliver you up to judges, (so warned the Lord those whom He wished to make martyrs,) take no thought what ye shall speak ; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. Let then thy spirit fail, let the Spirit of God speak. Rightly willed
Mutt. 5, He to make them poor in spirit: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed then are they that are poor in their own spirit, rich in the Spirit of God. For every man who followeth his own spirit is proud. Let him subdue his own spirit, that he may receive the Spirit of God. He clomb to the top, let him settle down in the valley. If he climb to the top, the water flows down from him : if he settle down in the valley, he shall be filled with it,
John 7, and become that belly whereof is said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. Therefore, while my spirit failed from me, in Thy sight did 1 proclaim my tribu lation, being humbled, confessing to Thee with mine own spirit failing, while I am full of Thy Spirit.
6. And men perhaps have heard that my spirit hath failed within me, and have despaired of me, and have said, ' we have taken him captive, we have overpowered him ;' and
Thou hast known my paths. They thought me cast down, Thou didst see me standing upright. They who persecuted
Ps. 20, me and had seized me, thought my feet entangled, but their feet were entangled, and they fell, but we are risen, and stand Ps. 25, upright. For mine eyes are ever unto the Lord,for He shall
pluck my feet out of the net. I have persevered in walking, Mat. 10, for he that shall persevere unto the end, the same shall be saved.
They thought me overpowered, but I continued walking. Where did I walk ? In paths which they saw not, who thought me prisoner, in the paths of Thy righteousness, in
proclaim my tribulation, is the same as,
The paths of God's Will manifold, yet one. 267
the paths of Thy commandments. For, Thou knewest my Vrr. paths; the persecutor knew them not; else would he not --
envy me in them, but would walk with me in them. What
are those paths, but the ways of which in auother place is
said, Ihsi Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the wayPs. l,e. of the ungodly shall perish? He said not, ' He knoweth
not the way of the ungodly,' but ' the way of the ungodly
shall perish. ' For what He knoweth not, perisheth. In
many passages of Scripture we find that God's knowing
is preservation, that God's knowing is protection, His not
knowing, damnation. For how will He, Who knoweth all things, say in the end, / know you not? Would they not Matt. 7, rejoice at that, and say, 'We shall not be punished, for the23' Judge knoweth us not? ' Therein are they punished, if the
Judge know them not. What then are called the ways which
the Lord knoweth, the same are here called paths, when He
saith, Thou knoweth my paths. For every path is a way,
but not every way is a path. Why then are those ways called
paths, save because they are narrow ? Broad is the way of
the wicked, narrow the way of the righteous.
7. That which is ' the way' is also ' the ways,' just as 'the
Church' is also ' the Churches,' the ' heaven' also the
' heavens:' they are spoken of in the plural, they are spoken
of also in the singular. On account of the unity of the Church it is one Church; My dove is one, she is the only Cant. 6, one of her mother. On account of the congregation of8' brethren in various places there are many Churches. The Churches of Judcea which are in Christ rejoiced, saith Paul, Gal. l, because he that persecuted us now preacheth the faith which 22' 23- once he destroyed; and they glorified God in me. Thus he
spake of Churches ; and of one Church he thus speaketh,
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the Church of God. Thus then are both ' ways' and
' way,' both ' paths' and ' path. ' Wherefore ' paths,' and wherefore ' path ? ' As we have given a reason why we have
both ' Church' and ' Churches,' we ought also to give a
reason for this. The phrase, ' paths of God,' is used, because
His commandments are many; and because those many commandments are reduced to one, for Love is the fulfilling Rom. :3,
of the law ; therefore those ways in many commandments 10,
268 God knows our motives, man cannot.
Psalm are gathered into one, and it is' called one, because our way CxlU" is Love. Let us see whether it be Love. Let us hear the
I
What more excellent way speakest thou of, O Apostle?
iCor. 12, Apostle ; and yet shew U
ing brass or a tinkling cymbal: and though
way.
unto you a more excellent
I
and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sound
iCor. lS, Hear what I say : Though '" <k? '
speak
with the men tongues of
I
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all know
ledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I
am nothing : and though
I
way. Great is that way, brethren, great is the marvel it containeth. This way certainly, because it is more excellent, is also more lofty ; for that surpasseth others which is lofty. Nought is more lofty than the way of love, and none walk in that save the lowly. By these paths then he meaneth the commandments of love. Thou, saith he, knewest my paths: Thou knowest that I suffer for Thee, suffer for Love.
Thou knowest that Love in me beareth all things; Thou knowest that if / give my body to be burned, I have that without which it profiteth man nought.
8. But who knoweth those ways of a man, brethren, save truly He to Whom. it is said, Thou knowest my paths? For in the eyes of men all acts of men are uncertain, in what spirit they are done. And how many wicked men, measur ing themselves by themselves, say of us in the Church, that we seek three things, honours, praise, temporal advantages?
How many say that I address you in order that ye may applaud and praise me, and that this is my end and aim when 1 address you ? And how do I shew to them that I speak not with such aim ? It remains for me to say, Thou knowest my paths. How do they know, what ye yourselves even know not? How do they know, what I myself scarce know? For
l Cor. 4,/ judge not mine own self, but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Peter in ignorance presumed I know not what of him
self: different was what the Physician saw in his strength. Therefore in reverence and purity let us cry unto the Lord, for truly do we cry Tliou knowest my paths. But wishest
I
my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Therefore called he charity, a more excellent
bestow all my goods to
feed
the poor, and though
give
have the gift
it,
' Traps in the way,' objections to Christ. 269
thou that He lead thee by these paths ? Be meek, be ver.
3'
geutle ; be not fierce ; be not proud ; be not of an up-tossed
and uplifted neck, like unto horse and mule, which have no Ps. 32, understanding. For when thou art gentle, the Lord will sit 10" upon thee, and guide thee in His ways. For them that are Ps 25,s. . meek, shall He guide in judgment ; and such as are gentle,
them shall He teach His ways.
9. In this way, wherein Iwas walking, they hid a trap
for me. This way wherein
have they laid a trap for me, who persecute me in Christ, for
Christ's Name's sake. There then have they hid for me a trap. What in me do they hate, what in me do they persecute? That I am a Christian. If this they persecute that I am a Christian, in the way wherein I
was walking have they hid a trap for me. So far as in them lay, in the way wherein I was walking they have hid a trap for me :
was walking, is Christ ; there
as regards their desire, as regards their endeavour, as regards
their wish, in that way they desired that I should find a trap wherein I might be taken. But, the Lord knoweth the way Ps. 1,6. of the righteous; and, Thou hast known my paths. This indeed they desired, but Thou allowest them not to make a stumbling-block in Thee, for Thou art my way. For the heretics too wish to hide a stumbling-block for us in the
Name of Christ, and are themselves deceived. What they
think that they put in the way, they put outside the way, for
they themselves are outside the way. They cannot set a
trap where themselves are not. But this is said in regard of
their desire, in regard of their wish and their thought ; for it
is expressly said elsewhere, Near the paths they laid stumbling- p<<. ]4o, blocks for me. The expression here, in the way, is said in5. regard of their desire and wish : the expression there, near
the way, that is, near the paths, is said in regard of the truth.
For in truth they set them not in the path, they set them not
in the way ; for the way is Christ ; so in truth they set them
near the way. Christ suffereth them not to set them in the
way, lest we have not where to go ; He does suffer them to set
them near the way, that we may not turn aside from it.
The Pagan thinketh to put a stumbling-block in the way, when he saith to me, 'Thou worshippest a crucified God. ' He findeth fault with the Cross of Christ, which he under-
T. uke 21i'
Eeclus. J3'
Which is in heaven, set, so to speak, that very ignominy which the Pagans mock at, in the seat of our shame. Thou hearest a man assail shameless man, and say, He hath no forehead. ' What is, He hath no forehead He hath no shame. Let me not have bare forehead, let the Cross of my Lord cover it. So in the way wherein was walking have they hid a trap for me, so far as in them lay they laid near the way but shall be safe, depart not from the way. Remember that thou goest in the midst snares, saith Scripture. What is, in the midst of snares In the way of Christ, and snares on this side and on that: snares on the right hand, and snares on the left snares on the right hand, worldly prosperity snares on the left hand, worldly adversity snares on the right hand, promises snares on the left hand, alarms. Do thou walk in the midst of the snares depart not from the way let neither pro mise ensnare thee, nor alarm drive thee off it. In this way, wherein was walking, have they hidden a trap for me.
10. considered upon the right hand, and saw. He considered upon the right hand, and saw whoso considereth upon the left hand, blinded. What to consider on the right hand Where they will be to whom shall be said,
ver. 4.
270 Christians, bearing the Cross on theirforeheads, must
Psai m standeth not. He thinketh that he setteth in Christ, what he setteth near the way. 1 will not depart from Christ, so shall I not fall from the way into the trap. Let him mock at Christ crucified, let me see the Cross of Christ on the fore heads of kings. What he laugheth at, therein am I saved. Nought is prouder than a sick man, who laugheth at his own medicine. If he laughed not at he would take it, and be healed. The Cross the sign of humility, but he through excess of pride acknowledgeth not that whereby may be healed the swelling of his soul. But acknow ledge, am walking in the way. So far am from blushing at the Cross, that in no secret place do keep the Cross of Christ, but bear on my forehead. Many sacraments we receive, one in one way another in another some as ye know we receive with the mouth, some we receive over the whole body. But because the forehead the seat of the blush of shame, He Who said, Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me before men, of him will be ashamed before My Father
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openly confess Christ : looking to His Reward. 27 1
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom. For Ver.
there will be certain on the left to whom shall be said,' Go u ' _- Mat. 25,
ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his3i. 4i. angels. While then the whole world raged, and threatened
in persecutions, when on all sides the attacks and terrors
of men increased, he, despising the present, looked to the future, gave heed to the right hand, where he is to be :
there he meditated to be, to that he gave heed, and saw, and therefore bore all ; but they who persecuted him, saw not. Therefore when he said, / considered upon the right hand, and saw, he goeth on to say, and there was none that knew me. For when thou fearest all things, who knoweth what thou regardest, whether thou directest thine eyes to the right hand or to the left? If, in bearing, thou seekest the praise of men, thou hast regarded the left: in bearing, thou seekest the promises of God, thou hast regarded the right hand. Hast thou regarded the right hand, thou shalt see: hast thou regarded the left hand, thou shalt be blinded. But even when thou seest on the right hand, there will be none to know thee. For who comforteth thee save the Lord, to Whom thou sayest, And Thou hast known my
paths And there was no man that knew me.
11. Flight hath perished from me. He speaketh as though he were hemmed in. Flight hath perished from me.
Let the persecutors rejoice over him he overpowered, he taken, he hemmed in, he conquered flight hath perished from him. Flight hath perished from him who fleeth not. But he who fleeth not, sufferelh whatever he can for Christ: that is, he fleeth not in soul. For in body
lawful to flee allowed, permitted for the
Lord saith, When they persecute you in one city, flee to Mat 10, another. He then who fleeth not in soul, from him flight23' hath perished. But maketh a difference why he fleeth
not; whether because he hemmed in, because he
caught, or because he brave. For both from him that
caught flight hath perished, and from him that brave flight hath perished. What flight then to be avoided what flight shall we allow to perish from us That whereof
the Lord speaketh in the Gospel, The good shepherd layeth johnio,
&? ,
down his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling,
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it is
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272 God, our Hope here, our Portion hereafter.
Psalm and not the shepherd, when he seeth the wolf coming, flceth. cxti^ Wl^n he seeth the ravager, why fleeth he ? Because he careth not for the sheep. Such flight had perished from him, whether we understand this saying in the name of the Head Himself, Christ our Lord, Who suffered for us; or whether of Mis members, our martyrs, who themselves too have suffered for their brethren. Hear what John saith, 1John3, For as He laid down His life for us, we ought also to lay "' down our lives for the brethren. But when they lay them
down, Christ layeth down : for, when they suffer persecution,
He crieth out, Why persecutest thou Me? Flight hath perished from me ; and there is none to seek my life. Is there then none to seek his life? He sees men desirous to rage against him even to death, desirous to shed his blood ; how is there none to seek his life ? This also may be taken in two ways. Just as flight perishing may be taken in two ways, because both from him that is caught, and from him that is brave, flight perisheth; so in two ways a man's life is sought, either by his persecutors or by his lovers. So then there is none to seek my life, he said of them; verily they persecute my life, and they seek not my life. But if they seek my life, they will find it clinging to Thee: and if they know to seek they know also to imitate it. For that ye may know that man's life sought by
Pa. 40, his persecutors too, therefore said elsewhere, Let them
14' ver. 5.
ver. 6.
be confounded and ashamed that seek my life.
12. Unto thee have cried, Lord: have said, Thou
art my hope. When endured, when was in tribulation, said, Thou art my hope. My hope here, therefore endure. But my portion, not here, but in the land of the
living. God giveth a portion in the land of the living but not something from Himself without Himself. What will
He give to one that loveth Him, save Himself?
18. Give heed unto my prayer, for much have been
humbled. Humbled by persecutors, humbled in confession. He humhleth himself out of the sight of man he humbled by enemies in their sight. Therefore he lifted up by Him both visibly and invisibly. Invisibly are the martyrs already lifted up visibly shall they be lifted up, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption in the resurrection
;
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:
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Our warfare not against man, but evil spirits. 273
of the dead; when this very part of him, against which Veh.
h~
unto
14. Deliver me from them that persecute me. From whom thinkest thou that he prayeth to be delivered ? From
men who persecuted him ? Is it so ? are merely men our enemies? We have other enemies, invisible, who persecute
us in another way. Man persecuteth, that he may slay the
body ; another persecuteth, that he ensnare the soul. And therefore by means of his vessels, (for of him is said, He Eph. 2, worketh in the children of disobedience,) by his vessels, that
alone her persecutors could rage, shall be renewed. Fear not them that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. And 28. what perisheth? what kill they? Is even this permitted them, that what they kill should perish? It shall not perish. Hear the promise of the Lord Himself: Verily I say
you, there shall not an hair of your head perish. Why then art thou anxious about the rest of thy members, when thou shalt not lose even a hair ?
is, men in whom
body, that inwardly he may effect the ruin of the soul. For
he worketh, he dealeth persecution of the
though the body fall, the soul stand upright, the snare
is broken, and we are delivered. There are then other enemies of ours too, from whom we ought to pray God to deliver us, lest they lead us astray, either by crushing us with troubles of this world, or alluring us by its entice ments. Who are these enemies Let us see whether they
are plainly described by any servant of the Lord, by any soldier, now perfected, who hath engaged with them. Hear
the Apostle saying, We wrestle not against flesh and blood ;Eph. as though he would say, Turn not your hatred against meu 12' think not them your enemies think not that by their hostility you are being bruised; these men whom ye fear are flesh and blood we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Thus he chose to speak, despising mortal men. Against whom then Against principalities, saith he, and powers,
and the rulers of this world, of this darkness. Thou wast alarmed when thou heardest, the rulers of this world. If they be rtders of this world, art thou to go beyond the world,
to escape suffering them art thou to go beyond the world, to be delivered from them? Thus then understand; the rulers of the world and of this darkness, not the rulers of
VOL. VI.
? T;
?
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it is
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6,
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if,
274 ' The world' used in two senses,
Psalm heaven and earth, for they are the workmanship of God. CIlI1- Heaven and earth are called the world, and wicked men are called the world. Wherefore are they too called the world?
Because they love the world: and therefore darkness, because
they are wicked. And therefore when now many out of that Eph. 5, very number believed, what saith the Apostle ? Ye were
8"
sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Before then ye were light, while ye were darkness, observe what ruler ye had. What ruler have the wicked save the devil,
just as the good and faithful have Christ for their ruler. Therefore did he call the devil and his angels the rulers of the world, that is, rulers of the lovers of the world, rulers of sinners, that of this darkness them have we for our enemies, and from them we ought to pray to God to be delivered.
15. Hear both worlds clearly mentioned in one passage in holy Scripture, in the Gospel, the world which God made, and the world which the devil ruleth, that is, the lovers of the world. For God made men, but He made them not lovers of the world. For to love the world sin, and God made not sin. Hear then, as began to say, both worlds.
He was in the world, said. Of whom said, He was in the world, save of the Wisdom of God, which Jesus Christ, of which Wisdom said, as mentioned just above,
John
Wisd. 8, Wisdom reacheth from one end to another, mightily and
sweetly doth she order all things For, She passeth and 24. 25. goeth through all things by reason of Her pureness, and nothing defiled can fall unto Her. So then He was in this
world, and the world was made Him, and the world knew Him not. Here thou hast heard of two worlds; The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. It not the world which was made by Jesus that ruled over by those princes and powers of darkness, but the world which knew not Jesus, that is, the lovers of the world, the sinners,
the wicked, the proud, the unbelieving. Whence are sinners called the world Because they love the world, and by loving dwell in the world just as both the building and its indwellers are called the house. ' good house,' generally means 'a good building;' but we also say 'a good house,' because they are good who dwell therein. Again, beware of that house, bad one this said in two ways
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for the visible Creation, and for wicked men. 275
' This is a bad house, beware ;' perhaps because it is ruinous, yER-
lest ought fall and crush thee : it is said also in another way, --'~^-L- . ' Beware of that bad house, lest thou fall into the snare of
the hunters ; lest if poor thou be oppressed by a rich man,
lest thou be in some way cheated. ' Just as then we say 'house' in two senses, so do we say 'world' in two senses.
But why are not the righteous too, since they too are in the
world, called the world? Because the Apostle saith, Bui2Cor. lo, though ire walk in the flesh, yet we do not war after the
flesh: for our conversation is in heaven. The righteous Phil. 3, dwelleth here in the flesh, but in heart he is with God. And he is called the world, if there is no ground for saying
to him, ' Lift up your heart ;' but if there be ground for
then let him dwell aloft: for ye are dead, saith the Col. 3,3. Apostle, and your life hid with Christ in God. But they
whose life here, that is, whose longing and love cling to
this, here have their use, here are entangled, well are called indwellers of the world. Well too are they who dwell in the
world, called the world; just as well are they called the house, who dwell in the house. Two worlds then are there The world was made Him, and the world knew Him not. Behold the world made by the Lord, behold the world which knew not the Lord. Praise thou the building, and love the Builder and love not to dwell in the building, but dwell in the Builder.
16. Deliver me from them that persecute me for they
are strengthened over me. Who said, they are strengthened
over me The Body of Christ crieth out the voice of
the Church; the members of Christ cry out, 'Much hath
the number of sinners increased. ' Because iniquity hath Mat. 24, abounded, the love many waxeth cold. Deliver me from
them that persecute me for they are strengthened over me.
7. Bring forth my soul out of prison, that may confess ver. to Thy Name. This prison has been variously understood
by former writers. And perhaps the prison which
called in the title, the cave. For the title of this Psalm runneth thus: Of understanding to David himself, a prayer when he was in the cave. That which the cave, the same
also the prison. Two things have we set before us to understand, but when we have understood one, both will be
t
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276 The 'prison' either the world,
Psai. m understood. A man's deserts make a prison. For in one dwell- ----- ing place one man finds a house, another a prison. When men keep others imprisoned, even though they keep them in their own houses, yet are they who are closely guarded in prison ; must we say that the others are in prison also ? There is but one dwelling place to the one and the other :
to the one, liberty makes it a home ; to the other, slavery makes it a prison. To some then it has seemed that the c<<wand prison are this world ; and this the Church prayeth, that it may be brought out of prison, that from this world, from under the sun, where all vanity. For said,
Eceles^ All vanity, and there vexation of spirit in every work of a man, which he toileth under the sun. Beyond this world then God promiseth that we shall be in some sort of rest; therefore perhaps do we cry concerning this place, Bring my soul out prison. Our soul by faith and hope in Christ; as little before said, Your life hid with Christ in God. But our body in this prison, in this world. If he had said, Bring my body out of prison,' we should be safe in understanding the prison to be the world. But perhaps on account of certain earthly desires, which keep hold on us, against which we struggle and fight, because
Rom. Ji'
see another law in my members, uarring against the law my mind rightly do we say, Bring my soul out of this world, that is, out of the toils and troubles of this life. For
not the flesh which Thou hast made, but the corruption of the flesh, and its troubles and temptations, are a prison to me.
18. But some have said, that this prison and cave this body, so that this the meaning of, Bring my soul out of
prison. But this interpretation too somewhat at fault. For what great thing to say, Bring my soul out of
prison, bring my soul out of the body Do not the souls of robbers and wicked men go forth from the body, and go into worse punishment than here they have endured What great request then this, Bring my soul out of prison, when, sooner or later, must needs come forth
Perhaps the righteous saith, Let me die now bring forth my soul from this prison of the body. ' If he be too hasty, he hath not love. He ought indeed to long for and desire, as the
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or the corruption of the body. 277
Apostle saith, having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Ver. Christ, which is far better. But where is love? Therefore -- -- it followeth, but to abide in the flesh is needful for you.
Let God then lead us forth from the body, when He will.
Our body too might be said to be a prison, not because
that is a prison which God hath made, but because it is under punishment and liable to death. For there are two things to be considered in our body, God's workmanship,
and the punishment it has deserved. All this form, stature,
gait, well-ordered members, all the arrangement of the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, all this framework, and intricacy of workmanship, could not have been made, save
by God, Who made all things in heaven and earth, above
and below, visible and invisible. What is there in it that
is a punishment to us ? That the flesh is subject to cor ruption, that it is frail, that it is mortal, that it is needy ;
this will not be so in our reward. For the body will not cease to be a body when it rises. But what will not be
then ? Corruption. For this corruptible shall put on in- 1 Cor.
corruption. If then the flesh be a prison to thee, it is not 15' 53" the body that is thy prison, but the corruption of thy body.
For God made thy body good, for He is good : corruption
he introduced in His justice, because He is Judge: the one thou hast in the way of goodness, the other in the way of punishment. Perhaps then he meant by, Bring my soul
out ofprison, bring my soul out of corruption. If thus we understand no blasphemy, the meaning consistent.
19. Lastly, brethren, as soul out of prison, bring who rejoiceth, even a prison
think, he meant this; Bring my out of straitness. For to one wide; to one in sorrow, a field
strait. Therefore prayeth he to be brought out of strait ness. For though in hope he have enlargement, yet in reality at present he straitened. Listen to the straits of the Apostle had no rest in my spirit, saith he, because
found not Titus my brother. In another place Who is weak, and am not weak? u;ho offended, and burn not But he who was both weak and burning, was not he under punishment and in prison. But these punishments through love produce crown. Wherefore he saith again,
There remaineth for me a crown of righteousness, which the
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278 Confession, in future bliss, of praise, not sin.
Psalm Lord, the righteous Judge, shall pay me at thatIday.
c <1'11' Hereto pertaineth, Bring my soul out of prison, that
may confess Thy Name. When now it has been brought forth from corruption, what hath it to confess? There are no
sins there, but there are praises. But confession is under stood in two senses, of our sins, and of God's praise. Con fession of our sins is well known ; so well known to all the people, that whenever they hear the name of confession in the Lessons, whether it is said in praise or of sin, their fists fly to their breasts. The name of confession then is well known in regard of sins, let us seek for confession of praise. Where do we find it? Thou hast in Scripture,
Eeelus.
Many things this world promised them : they laughed ; they closed the leaf of desire against the devil. The world threatened them with wild beasts, with fire, with the cross ;
they feared not; they closed the leaf of fear against the devil.
Let us see whether they opened them to Christ. He that Mat. 10,
con/esseth Me, saith He, before men, him will Iconfess
afso32 before My Father Which is in heaven. They loved then the kingdom of heaven, where Christ will confess them. How
shall He confess them? Come, ye blessed of My Father, Mat. 25, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of3*'
the world. He will confess them when they are set on the
right hand. Let us see whether they opened also to Christ
the leaf of fear, which they closed to the devil. In one and
the same place doth the Lord bid us both close it to the
devil and open it to Him. Fear not, saith He, them /Aa/Mat. 10,
kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. He bade the door of fear be closed in the face of the devil. Is there nothing to be feared ? Is not the approach of fear opened to Christ, which is shut to the devil ? He added at once, as though He would say, Thou hast shut out him, open to me; fear Him,
Who hath power to kill both soul and body in hell fire. Now
then, if thou hast believed and opened to Christ, and closed it against the devil, Christ is within ; there He dwelleth :
pour out before Him thy prayer ; seek not that He hear thee
from afar. For not far off is the wisdom of God, which reacheth from one end to the other, and mightily and sweetly 'Wisd. 8, ordereth all things. Within then, in thyself, before Him1.
pour out thy prayer : there are His ears. For neither fromVa. 15,6.
the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert mountains ; 7' for God is the Judge. But, if He be the Judge, take heed
5.
in the two preceding sentences, and in these which follow : the sentiments are two, but both twice expressed. One is, with my voice have Icried unto the Lord; with my voice have
what cause thou bearest in thine heart.
/ will pour out
I will proclaim in His sight. There is a repetition, both
before
Him my prayer ; my tribulation
'
Trusting, not in our own strength, but His.
Psalm I prayed unto the Lord ; the other is, / will pour out before CxlI1- Him my prayer ; my tribulation will I proclaim in His sight. For, in His sight, is the same as before Him; Iwill / will pour out my prayer. When doest thou this ? Being set in the midst >>er. 3. of persecution, he saith, while my spirit failed from me. Wherefore hath thy spirit failed, 0 martyr, set in tribulation? That I may not claim my strength as mine own, that I may know that Another worketh in me the goodness I have. Mat 10, But when they shall deliver you up to judges, (so warned the Lord those whom He wished to make martyrs,) take no thought what ye shall speak ; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. Let then thy spirit fail, let the Spirit of God speak. Rightly willed
Mutt. 5, He to make them poor in spirit: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed then are they that are poor in their own spirit, rich in the Spirit of God. For every man who followeth his own spirit is proud. Let him subdue his own spirit, that he may receive the Spirit of God. He clomb to the top, let him settle down in the valley. If he climb to the top, the water flows down from him : if he settle down in the valley, he shall be filled with it,
John 7, and become that belly whereof is said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. Therefore, while my spirit failed from me, in Thy sight did 1 proclaim my tribu lation, being humbled, confessing to Thee with mine own spirit failing, while I am full of Thy Spirit.
6. And men perhaps have heard that my spirit hath failed within me, and have despaired of me, and have said, ' we have taken him captive, we have overpowered him ;' and
Thou hast known my paths. They thought me cast down, Thou didst see me standing upright. They who persecuted
Ps. 20, me and had seized me, thought my feet entangled, but their feet were entangled, and they fell, but we are risen, and stand Ps. 25, upright. For mine eyes are ever unto the Lord,for He shall
pluck my feet out of the net. I have persevered in walking, Mat. 10, for he that shall persevere unto the end, the same shall be saved.
They thought me overpowered, but I continued walking. Where did I walk ? In paths which they saw not, who thought me prisoner, in the paths of Thy righteousness, in
proclaim my tribulation, is the same as,
The paths of God's Will manifold, yet one. 267
the paths of Thy commandments. For, Thou knewest my Vrr. paths; the persecutor knew them not; else would he not --
envy me in them, but would walk with me in them. What
are those paths, but the ways of which in auother place is
said, Ihsi Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the wayPs. l,e. of the ungodly shall perish? He said not, ' He knoweth
not the way of the ungodly,' but ' the way of the ungodly
shall perish. ' For what He knoweth not, perisheth. In
many passages of Scripture we find that God's knowing
is preservation, that God's knowing is protection, His not
knowing, damnation. For how will He, Who knoweth all things, say in the end, / know you not? Would they not Matt. 7, rejoice at that, and say, 'We shall not be punished, for the23' Judge knoweth us not? ' Therein are they punished, if the
Judge know them not. What then are called the ways which
the Lord knoweth, the same are here called paths, when He
saith, Thou knoweth my paths. For every path is a way,
but not every way is a path. Why then are those ways called
paths, save because they are narrow ? Broad is the way of
the wicked, narrow the way of the righteous.
7. That which is ' the way' is also ' the ways,' just as 'the
Church' is also ' the Churches,' the ' heaven' also the
' heavens:' they are spoken of in the plural, they are spoken
of also in the singular. On account of the unity of the Church it is one Church; My dove is one, she is the only Cant. 6, one of her mother. On account of the congregation of8' brethren in various places there are many Churches. The Churches of Judcea which are in Christ rejoiced, saith Paul, Gal. l, because he that persecuted us now preacheth the faith which 22' 23- once he destroyed; and they glorified God in me. Thus he
spake of Churches ; and of one Church he thus speaketh,
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the Church of God. Thus then are both ' ways' and
' way,' both ' paths' and ' path. ' Wherefore ' paths,' and wherefore ' path ? ' As we have given a reason why we have
both ' Church' and ' Churches,' we ought also to give a
reason for this. The phrase, ' paths of God,' is used, because
His commandments are many; and because those many commandments are reduced to one, for Love is the fulfilling Rom. :3,
of the law ; therefore those ways in many commandments 10,
268 God knows our motives, man cannot.
Psalm are gathered into one, and it is' called one, because our way CxlU" is Love. Let us see whether it be Love. Let us hear the
I
What more excellent way speakest thou of, O Apostle?
iCor. 12, Apostle ; and yet shew U
ing brass or a tinkling cymbal: and though
way.
unto you a more excellent
I
and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sound
iCor. lS, Hear what I say : Though '" <k? '
speak
with the men tongues of
I
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all know
ledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I
am nothing : and though
I
way. Great is that way, brethren, great is the marvel it containeth. This way certainly, because it is more excellent, is also more lofty ; for that surpasseth others which is lofty. Nought is more lofty than the way of love, and none walk in that save the lowly. By these paths then he meaneth the commandments of love. Thou, saith he, knewest my paths: Thou knowest that I suffer for Thee, suffer for Love.
Thou knowest that Love in me beareth all things; Thou knowest that if / give my body to be burned, I have that without which it profiteth man nought.
8. But who knoweth those ways of a man, brethren, save truly He to Whom. it is said, Thou knowest my paths? For in the eyes of men all acts of men are uncertain, in what spirit they are done. And how many wicked men, measur ing themselves by themselves, say of us in the Church, that we seek three things, honours, praise, temporal advantages?
How many say that I address you in order that ye may applaud and praise me, and that this is my end and aim when 1 address you ? And how do I shew to them that I speak not with such aim ? It remains for me to say, Thou knowest my paths. How do they know, what ye yourselves even know not? How do they know, what I myself scarce know? For
l Cor. 4,/ judge not mine own self, but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Peter in ignorance presumed I know not what of him
self: different was what the Physician saw in his strength. Therefore in reverence and purity let us cry unto the Lord, for truly do we cry Tliou knowest my paths. But wishest
I
my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Therefore called he charity, a more excellent
bestow all my goods to
feed
the poor, and though
give
have the gift
it,
' Traps in the way,' objections to Christ. 269
thou that He lead thee by these paths ? Be meek, be ver.
3'
geutle ; be not fierce ; be not proud ; be not of an up-tossed
and uplifted neck, like unto horse and mule, which have no Ps. 32, understanding. For when thou art gentle, the Lord will sit 10" upon thee, and guide thee in His ways. For them that are Ps 25,s. . meek, shall He guide in judgment ; and such as are gentle,
them shall He teach His ways.
9. In this way, wherein Iwas walking, they hid a trap
for me. This way wherein
have they laid a trap for me, who persecute me in Christ, for
Christ's Name's sake. There then have they hid for me a trap. What in me do they hate, what in me do they persecute? That I am a Christian. If this they persecute that I am a Christian, in the way wherein I
was walking have they hid a trap for me. So far as in them lay, in the way wherein I was walking they have hid a trap for me :
was walking, is Christ ; there
as regards their desire, as regards their endeavour, as regards
their wish, in that way they desired that I should find a trap wherein I might be taken. But, the Lord knoweth the way Ps. 1,6. of the righteous; and, Thou hast known my paths. This indeed they desired, but Thou allowest them not to make a stumbling-block in Thee, for Thou art my way. For the heretics too wish to hide a stumbling-block for us in the
Name of Christ, and are themselves deceived. What they
think that they put in the way, they put outside the way, for
they themselves are outside the way. They cannot set a
trap where themselves are not. But this is said in regard of
their desire, in regard of their wish and their thought ; for it
is expressly said elsewhere, Near the paths they laid stumbling- p<<. ]4o, blocks for me. The expression here, in the way, is said in5. regard of their desire and wish : the expression there, near
the way, that is, near the paths, is said in regard of the truth.
For in truth they set them not in the path, they set them not
in the way ; for the way is Christ ; so in truth they set them
near the way. Christ suffereth them not to set them in the
way, lest we have not where to go ; He does suffer them to set
them near the way, that we may not turn aside from it.
The Pagan thinketh to put a stumbling-block in the way, when he saith to me, 'Thou worshippest a crucified God. ' He findeth fault with the Cross of Christ, which he under-
T. uke 21i'
Eeclus. J3'
Which is in heaven, set, so to speak, that very ignominy which the Pagans mock at, in the seat of our shame. Thou hearest a man assail shameless man, and say, He hath no forehead. ' What is, He hath no forehead He hath no shame. Let me not have bare forehead, let the Cross of my Lord cover it. So in the way wherein was walking have they hid a trap for me, so far as in them lay they laid near the way but shall be safe, depart not from the way. Remember that thou goest in the midst snares, saith Scripture. What is, in the midst of snares In the way of Christ, and snares on this side and on that: snares on the right hand, and snares on the left snares on the right hand, worldly prosperity snares on the left hand, worldly adversity snares on the right hand, promises snares on the left hand, alarms. Do thou walk in the midst of the snares depart not from the way let neither pro mise ensnare thee, nor alarm drive thee off it. In this way, wherein was walking, have they hidden a trap for me.
10. considered upon the right hand, and saw. He considered upon the right hand, and saw whoso considereth upon the left hand, blinded. What to consider on the right hand Where they will be to whom shall be said,
ver. 4.
270 Christians, bearing the Cross on theirforeheads, must
Psai m standeth not. He thinketh that he setteth in Christ, what he setteth near the way. 1 will not depart from Christ, so shall I not fall from the way into the trap. Let him mock at Christ crucified, let me see the Cross of Christ on the fore heads of kings. What he laugheth at, therein am I saved. Nought is prouder than a sick man, who laugheth at his own medicine. If he laughed not at he would take it, and be healed. The Cross the sign of humility, but he through excess of pride acknowledgeth not that whereby may be healed the swelling of his soul. But acknow ledge, am walking in the way. So far am from blushing at the Cross, that in no secret place do keep the Cross of Christ, but bear on my forehead. Many sacraments we receive, one in one way another in another some as ye know we receive with the mouth, some we receive over the whole body. But because the forehead the seat of the blush of shame, He Who said, Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me before men, of him will be ashamed before My Father
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openly confess Christ : looking to His Reward. 27 1
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom. For Ver.
there will be certain on the left to whom shall be said,' Go u ' _- Mat. 25,
ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his3i. 4i. angels. While then the whole world raged, and threatened
in persecutions, when on all sides the attacks and terrors
of men increased, he, despising the present, looked to the future, gave heed to the right hand, where he is to be :
there he meditated to be, to that he gave heed, and saw, and therefore bore all ; but they who persecuted him, saw not. Therefore when he said, / considered upon the right hand, and saw, he goeth on to say, and there was none that knew me. For when thou fearest all things, who knoweth what thou regardest, whether thou directest thine eyes to the right hand or to the left? If, in bearing, thou seekest the praise of men, thou hast regarded the left: in bearing, thou seekest the promises of God, thou hast regarded the right hand. Hast thou regarded the right hand, thou shalt see: hast thou regarded the left hand, thou shalt be blinded. But even when thou seest on the right hand, there will be none to know thee. For who comforteth thee save the Lord, to Whom thou sayest, And Thou hast known my
paths And there was no man that knew me.
11. Flight hath perished from me. He speaketh as though he were hemmed in. Flight hath perished from me.
Let the persecutors rejoice over him he overpowered, he taken, he hemmed in, he conquered flight hath perished from him. Flight hath perished from him who fleeth not. But he who fleeth not, sufferelh whatever he can for Christ: that is, he fleeth not in soul. For in body
lawful to flee allowed, permitted for the
Lord saith, When they persecute you in one city, flee to Mat 10, another. He then who fleeth not in soul, from him flight23' hath perished. But maketh a difference why he fleeth
not; whether because he hemmed in, because he
caught, or because he brave. For both from him that
caught flight hath perished, and from him that brave flight hath perished. What flight then to be avoided what flight shall we allow to perish from us That whereof
the Lord speaketh in the Gospel, The good shepherd layeth johnio,
&? ,
down his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling,
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it is
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272 God, our Hope here, our Portion hereafter.
Psalm and not the shepherd, when he seeth the wolf coming, flceth. cxti^ Wl^n he seeth the ravager, why fleeth he ? Because he careth not for the sheep. Such flight had perished from him, whether we understand this saying in the name of the Head Himself, Christ our Lord, Who suffered for us; or whether of Mis members, our martyrs, who themselves too have suffered for their brethren. Hear what John saith, 1John3, For as He laid down His life for us, we ought also to lay "' down our lives for the brethren. But when they lay them
down, Christ layeth down : for, when they suffer persecution,
He crieth out, Why persecutest thou Me? Flight hath perished from me ; and there is none to seek my life. Is there then none to seek his life? He sees men desirous to rage against him even to death, desirous to shed his blood ; how is there none to seek his life ? This also may be taken in two ways. Just as flight perishing may be taken in two ways, because both from him that is caught, and from him that is brave, flight perisheth; so in two ways a man's life is sought, either by his persecutors or by his lovers. So then there is none to seek my life, he said of them; verily they persecute my life, and they seek not my life. But if they seek my life, they will find it clinging to Thee: and if they know to seek they know also to imitate it. For that ye may know that man's life sought by
Pa. 40, his persecutors too, therefore said elsewhere, Let them
14' ver. 5.
ver. 6.
be confounded and ashamed that seek my life.
12. Unto thee have cried, Lord: have said, Thou
art my hope. When endured, when was in tribulation, said, Thou art my hope. My hope here, therefore endure. But my portion, not here, but in the land of the
living. God giveth a portion in the land of the living but not something from Himself without Himself. What will
He give to one that loveth Him, save Himself?
18. Give heed unto my prayer, for much have been
humbled. Humbled by persecutors, humbled in confession. He humhleth himself out of the sight of man he humbled by enemies in their sight. Therefore he lifted up by Him both visibly and invisibly. Invisibly are the martyrs already lifted up visibly shall they be lifted up, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption in the resurrection
;
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:
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Our warfare not against man, but evil spirits. 273
of the dead; when this very part of him, against which Veh.
h~
unto
14. Deliver me from them that persecute me. From whom thinkest thou that he prayeth to be delivered ? From
men who persecuted him ? Is it so ? are merely men our enemies? We have other enemies, invisible, who persecute
us in another way. Man persecuteth, that he may slay the
body ; another persecuteth, that he ensnare the soul. And therefore by means of his vessels, (for of him is said, He Eph. 2, worketh in the children of disobedience,) by his vessels, that
alone her persecutors could rage, shall be renewed. Fear not them that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. And 28. what perisheth? what kill they? Is even this permitted them, that what they kill should perish? It shall not perish. Hear the promise of the Lord Himself: Verily I say
you, there shall not an hair of your head perish. Why then art thou anxious about the rest of thy members, when thou shalt not lose even a hair ?
is, men in whom
body, that inwardly he may effect the ruin of the soul. For
he worketh, he dealeth persecution of the
though the body fall, the soul stand upright, the snare
is broken, and we are delivered. There are then other enemies of ours too, from whom we ought to pray God to deliver us, lest they lead us astray, either by crushing us with troubles of this world, or alluring us by its entice ments. Who are these enemies Let us see whether they
are plainly described by any servant of the Lord, by any soldier, now perfected, who hath engaged with them. Hear
the Apostle saying, We wrestle not against flesh and blood ;Eph. as though he would say, Turn not your hatred against meu 12' think not them your enemies think not that by their hostility you are being bruised; these men whom ye fear are flesh and blood we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Thus he chose to speak, despising mortal men. Against whom then Against principalities, saith he, and powers,
and the rulers of this world, of this darkness. Thou wast alarmed when thou heardest, the rulers of this world. If they be rtders of this world, art thou to go beyond the world,
to escape suffering them art thou to go beyond the world, to be delivered from them? Thus then understand; the rulers of the world and of this darkness, not the rulers of
VOL. VI.
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it is
;
6,
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if,
274 ' The world' used in two senses,
Psalm heaven and earth, for they are the workmanship of God. CIlI1- Heaven and earth are called the world, and wicked men are called the world. Wherefore are they too called the world?
Because they love the world: and therefore darkness, because
they are wicked. And therefore when now many out of that Eph. 5, very number believed, what saith the Apostle ? Ye were
8"
sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Before then ye were light, while ye were darkness, observe what ruler ye had. What ruler have the wicked save the devil,
just as the good and faithful have Christ for their ruler. Therefore did he call the devil and his angels the rulers of the world, that is, rulers of the lovers of the world, rulers of sinners, that of this darkness them have we for our enemies, and from them we ought to pray to God to be delivered.
15. Hear both worlds clearly mentioned in one passage in holy Scripture, in the Gospel, the world which God made, and the world which the devil ruleth, that is, the lovers of the world. For God made men, but He made them not lovers of the world. For to love the world sin, and God made not sin. Hear then, as began to say, both worlds.
He was in the world, said. Of whom said, He was in the world, save of the Wisdom of God, which Jesus Christ, of which Wisdom said, as mentioned just above,
John
Wisd. 8, Wisdom reacheth from one end to another, mightily and
sweetly doth she order all things For, She passeth and 24. 25. goeth through all things by reason of Her pureness, and nothing defiled can fall unto Her. So then He was in this
world, and the world was made Him, and the world knew Him not. Here thou hast heard of two worlds; The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. It not the world which was made by Jesus that ruled over by those princes and powers of darkness, but the world which knew not Jesus, that is, the lovers of the world, the sinners,
the wicked, the proud, the unbelieving. Whence are sinners called the world Because they love the world, and by loving dwell in the world just as both the building and its indwellers are called the house. ' good house,' generally means 'a good building;' but we also say 'a good house,' because they are good who dwell therein. Again, beware of that house, bad one this said in two ways
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for the visible Creation, and for wicked men. 275
' This is a bad house, beware ;' perhaps because it is ruinous, yER-
lest ought fall and crush thee : it is said also in another way, --'~^-L- . ' Beware of that bad house, lest thou fall into the snare of
the hunters ; lest if poor thou be oppressed by a rich man,
lest thou be in some way cheated. ' Just as then we say 'house' in two senses, so do we say 'world' in two senses.
But why are not the righteous too, since they too are in the
world, called the world? Because the Apostle saith, Bui2Cor. lo, though ire walk in the flesh, yet we do not war after the
flesh: for our conversation is in heaven. The righteous Phil. 3, dwelleth here in the flesh, but in heart he is with God. And he is called the world, if there is no ground for saying
to him, ' Lift up your heart ;' but if there be ground for
then let him dwell aloft: for ye are dead, saith the Col. 3,3. Apostle, and your life hid with Christ in God. But they
whose life here, that is, whose longing and love cling to
this, here have their use, here are entangled, well are called indwellers of the world. Well too are they who dwell in the
world, called the world; just as well are they called the house, who dwell in the house. Two worlds then are there The world was made Him, and the world knew Him not. Behold the world made by the Lord, behold the world which knew not the Lord. Praise thou the building, and love the Builder and love not to dwell in the building, but dwell in the Builder.
16. Deliver me from them that persecute me for they
are strengthened over me. Who said, they are strengthened
over me The Body of Christ crieth out the voice of
the Church; the members of Christ cry out, 'Much hath
the number of sinners increased. ' Because iniquity hath Mat. 24, abounded, the love many waxeth cold. Deliver me from
them that persecute me for they are strengthened over me.
7. Bring forth my soul out of prison, that may confess ver. to Thy Name. This prison has been variously understood
by former writers. And perhaps the prison which
called in the title, the cave. For the title of this Psalm runneth thus: Of understanding to David himself, a prayer when he was in the cave. That which the cave, the same
also the prison. Two things have we set before us to understand, but when we have understood one, both will be
t
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276 The 'prison' either the world,
Psai. m understood. A man's deserts make a prison. For in one dwell- ----- ing place one man finds a house, another a prison. When men keep others imprisoned, even though they keep them in their own houses, yet are they who are closely guarded in prison ; must we say that the others are in prison also ? There is but one dwelling place to the one and the other :
to the one, liberty makes it a home ; to the other, slavery makes it a prison. To some then it has seemed that the c<<wand prison are this world ; and this the Church prayeth, that it may be brought out of prison, that from this world, from under the sun, where all vanity. For said,
Eceles^ All vanity, and there vexation of spirit in every work of a man, which he toileth under the sun. Beyond this world then God promiseth that we shall be in some sort of rest; therefore perhaps do we cry concerning this place, Bring my soul out prison. Our soul by faith and hope in Christ; as little before said, Your life hid with Christ in God. But our body in this prison, in this world. If he had said, Bring my body out of prison,' we should be safe in understanding the prison to be the world. But perhaps on account of certain earthly desires, which keep hold on us, against which we struggle and fight, because
Rom. Ji'
see another law in my members, uarring against the law my mind rightly do we say, Bring my soul out of this world, that is, out of the toils and troubles of this life. For
not the flesh which Thou hast made, but the corruption of the flesh, and its troubles and temptations, are a prison to me.
18. But some have said, that this prison and cave this body, so that this the meaning of, Bring my soul out of
prison. But this interpretation too somewhat at fault. For what great thing to say, Bring my soul out of
prison, bring my soul out of the body Do not the souls of robbers and wicked men go forth from the body, and go into worse punishment than here they have endured What great request then this, Bring my soul out of prison, when, sooner or later, must needs come forth
Perhaps the righteous saith, Let me die now bring forth my soul from this prison of the body. ' If he be too hasty, he hath not love. He ought indeed to long for and desire, as the
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or the corruption of the body. 277
Apostle saith, having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Ver. Christ, which is far better. But where is love? Therefore -- -- it followeth, but to abide in the flesh is needful for you.
Let God then lead us forth from the body, when He will.
Our body too might be said to be a prison, not because
that is a prison which God hath made, but because it is under punishment and liable to death. For there are two things to be considered in our body, God's workmanship,
and the punishment it has deserved. All this form, stature,
gait, well-ordered members, all the arrangement of the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, all this framework, and intricacy of workmanship, could not have been made, save
by God, Who made all things in heaven and earth, above
and below, visible and invisible. What is there in it that
is a punishment to us ? That the flesh is subject to cor ruption, that it is frail, that it is mortal, that it is needy ;
this will not be so in our reward. For the body will not cease to be a body when it rises. But what will not be
then ? Corruption. For this corruptible shall put on in- 1 Cor.
corruption. If then the flesh be a prison to thee, it is not 15' 53" the body that is thy prison, but the corruption of thy body.
For God made thy body good, for He is good : corruption
he introduced in His justice, because He is Judge: the one thou hast in the way of goodness, the other in the way of punishment. Perhaps then he meant by, Bring my soul
out ofprison, bring my soul out of corruption. If thus we understand no blasphemy, the meaning consistent.
19. Lastly, brethren, as soul out of prison, bring who rejoiceth, even a prison
think, he meant this; Bring my out of straitness. For to one wide; to one in sorrow, a field
strait. Therefore prayeth he to be brought out of strait ness. For though in hope he have enlargement, yet in reality at present he straitened. Listen to the straits of the Apostle had no rest in my spirit, saith he, because
found not Titus my brother. In another place Who is weak, and am not weak? u;ho offended, and burn not But he who was both weak and burning, was not he under punishment and in prison. But these punishments through love produce crown. Wherefore he saith again,
There remaineth for me a crown of righteousness, which the
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278 Confession, in future bliss, of praise, not sin.
Psalm Lord, the righteous Judge, shall pay me at thatIday.
c <1'11' Hereto pertaineth, Bring my soul out of prison, that
may confess Thy Name. When now it has been brought forth from corruption, what hath it to confess? There are no
sins there, but there are praises. But confession is under stood in two senses, of our sins, and of God's praise. Con fession of our sins is well known ; so well known to all the people, that whenever they hear the name of confession in the Lessons, whether it is said in praise or of sin, their fists fly to their breasts. The name of confession then is well known in regard of sins, let us seek for confession of praise. Where do we find it? Thou hast in Scripture,
Eeelus.
