He hath looked round about himself, he hath looked round upon his own life; he hath seen it every where covered with excesses and crimes:
wherever
he looketh round, he findeth nothing good in himself, none of the calmness of righteousness can meet his gaze.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
They endeavour to pre vail with us, first to consent unto them to do evil deeds : if we consent not, sutler us, they say.
Since therefore thou
hast not prevailed against me, mount upon my back : I can carry thee until the end come: for thus it is commanded me, to bring forth fruit with patience. I chasten thee not, I suffer thee: or perchance, when 1 suffer thee, thou chast- enest thyself. If thou chastenest not thyself unto the end,
8
f:ulie
56 The doings of sinners arc far from the Church.
Psalm I suffer thee unto the end ; and unto the end thou shalt be CXX1X. Upon my hack, evcn to the time. Wilt thou ever be upon my back? No: one will come who will shake thee off: harvest season will come, the end of the world will come ; God will send in the reapers. The reapers are the angels: they separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, as the tares from the wheat ; they will store the corn in the barn,
but the chaff they will burn with unquenchable fire. I have carried as far as I could, now with joy do I pass into the Lord's barn, and securely sing, Many a time have they
fought against me from my youth up.
8. What could they do unto me, in that they have fought
against me from my youth up ? They have exercised me, they have not crushed me. They have been to me what fire is to gold, not what fire is to hay. For fire when it approacheth gold, removeth dross: when it approacheth
turneth it into ashes. For they could not prevail against me; for I consented not, for they have not made me what they are themselves. The sinners have built upon my back; they hare made their iniquity afar off. They have given me what to endure, and have not prevailed upon me to consent to them. Their injustice therefore is afar from me. The evil are mingled with the good, not only in
the world, but within the Church herself the evil are mingled with the good. Ye know, and ye have proved this : and ye will still further prove it, if ye are good. For
Mat. 13, when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit,
~h'
then appeared the tares also. There seem to be none evil in the Church, save unto the good man. Ye know therefore that they are mingled, and always and every where Scripture saith they shall not be separated, except in the end. Thus, as they are mingled, they are afar from one another. Lest then any man should suppose, that because evil are mingled among good men, therefore wickedness is near unto righ teousness, he saith, They could not prevail against me ;
hay,
Is. 22, that is, they said, and wickedly said, Let us eat and drink,
for to-mmrow we shall die. Evil communications corrupted 15, 32. not good manners : in that which 1 heard from God, I have not yielded to the discourses of men. Sinners have given me what to carry, not what I must mingle with, and their
\3Cor
Likeness of character is the real neighbourhood. 57
iniquity Lath been made afar from me. For what is so Ver. near, as two men in one Church ? what is so distant, as ------ iniquity from righteousness ? For where there is consent
there is neighbourhood. Two men are handcuffed together,
and brought before a judge ; one is a robber, one is merely in bonds: the one wicked, the other innocent, bound with one chain, and far from one another. How far are they from one another? As far as wickedness is from innocence. Behold these are far from one another. One robber per petrates his crimes in Spain, his next neighbour is the robber who doth the same in Africa. How near ? As near as crime and crime are joined, as near as robbery is to robbery. Let no man fear therefore evil men mingled with him in the body. Let him be afar from them in heart, and he beareth safely what he feareth not : They have made
their iniquity afar off.
9. What is the result? They who reign unjustly flourish,
and, to use the vulgar phrase, the unrighteous thunder,
and are puffed up unto vain airs and calumnies. What
then ? Will this be alway ? No. Hear what follow-
eth : (ver. 4. ) Tlie righteous Lord shall hew the necks of
the sinners. Listen, my beloved. The righteous Lord, he
saith, shall hew the necks of the sinners. Who would not tremble? For who hath not sinned? The righteous Lord
will hew the necks of the sinners. In all that hear, there entereth a trembling of heart, if they believe God's Scripture.
For if men beat their breasts without cause, they lie in that
they beat their breasts ; if they be righteous, even in that
they lie unto God, they become sinners. Iftherefore they
truly beat their breasts, they are sinners. And which of us
doth not beat his breast? And which of us doth not fix
his eyes upon the earth, like the Publican, and say, Lord, Lukels, be merciful unto me a sinner? If therefore all are sinners,13'
aud none is found without sin ; all must fear the sword that hangs above their neck, because the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners. I do not imagine, my brethren, of all sinners; but in the member which He striketh, He marks what sinners He striketh. For it is not said, The righteous Lord will hew the hands of the sinners ; or their feet; but because proud sinners were meant to be
58 God's hewing the necks, means, destroying the proud.
Psalm understood, and all proud men carry lofty necks, and not
rxxix
---
-- do evil deeds, but even refuse to them to
'only acknowledge
be such, and when they arej rebuked, justify themselves1': (Behold thou hast done this ; at least acknowledge thine act: God hateth a sinner, do thou also hate one; join thyself unto God: persecute with Him thy sin. No, he replieth: I have done well, God hath done ill. What is this ? I, he saith, have done no evil ; for Saturn did this, Mars did Venus did have done nothing, the stars have done it. Thou justifiest thyself, thou accusest God Who made the stars, Who adorned the heaven therefore since thou justifiest thy sin, and art proud against God, because thou placest thyself out of fault, and God in fault, and hast only raised thy neck, and hast run against God, as
written in Job, (he was speaking of an ungodly sinner,) Job is, he runneth against God, even upon his neck, upon the thick
lb'
merciful to me a sinner, but boastest thyself in thy deserts, Jerem. and wishest, saith God, to plead with Me, to enter into
2,i9"
bosses of his bucklers and he here nameth the neck, because thus thou exaltest thyself, and dost not fix thine eyes upon the ground, and beat thy breast, and say, Lord, be
judgment with Me; while thou shouldest in thy guilty state atone unto God, and cry unto Him, as cried in another
Ps. 130, Psalm, If Thou, Lord, art extreme to mark what amiss, who may abide it? shouldest cry unto Him, as cried in
Ps. 4 1,4. another Psalm, said, Lord, be merciful unto me, for have sin ned against Thee since thou dost not choose to say this, but justifiest thy deeds against the Word of God; what followeth in Scripture cometh upon thee the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of sinners.
10. Ver. 5. Let them be confounded and turned back ward, as many as have evil will at Sion. They who hate Sion, hate the Church Sion the Church. And they who hypocritically enter into the Church, hate the Church. They who refuse to keep the Word of God, hate the Church:
Upon my back have they built: what will the Church do, save endure the burden even unto the end
11. Ver. 6. 7. But what saith he of them? The next words are, Let them be even as the grass the house tops;
Oxf. Mas. add, did not this, but the stars. '
k
it,
:
/
' : it I;
of
?
it is
is
I
:
I
it
is is
:)
it is
it is
;
The work of the wicked is withered mid unblest. 59
that withereth before it be plucked up. The grass of the Ver. house tops is that which groweth on house tops, on a tiled 8-- roof: it is seen on high, and hath not a root. How much
better would it be if it grew lower, and how much more
joyfully would it bloom ? As it riseth higher to quicker withering. It hath not yet been plucked up, yet hath withered not yet have they received sentence from the judgment of God, and already they have not the sap of bloom. Observe their works, and see
that they have withered. But they live, and are here: not as yet therefore
have thry been plucked up. They have withered, but have not as yet been plucked up they hare become as the grass of the house tops: which witlwreth afore be plucked up.
12. But the reapers will come, but they fill not their sheaves from these. For the reapers will come, and will gather the wheat into the barn, and will bind the tares together, and cast them into the fire. Thus also the grass of the house tops cleared off, and whatever plucked from thrown into the fire because had withered even before was plucked up. The reaper filleth not his hands thence. His next words are, (ver. 7. ) W hereof the reaper filleth not his hand; neither he that bindeth up the
sheaves his bosom. And, the reapers are the angels, the Mat. 13, Lord saith.
13. Ver. 8. So that they who go say not so much as, The blessing the Lord be upon you: we hare blessed you in the name of the Lord. For ye know, brethren, when men pass by others at work, customary to address them, The blessing of the Lord be upon you. And this was especially the custom in the Jewish nation. No one passed by and saw any one doing any work in the field, or in the vineyard, or in harvest, or any thing of the sort; was not
lawful to pass by without blessing. They who bind the sheaves, are different from the passers by on the way. They who gather the sheaves, do not fill their hands with them; because the grass of the house tops not gathered for the barn. Who are they who gather together the sheaves The reapers. Who are the reapers The Lord hath said, The reapers are the angels. Who are the passers by?
a
:
it ? is is
;
of
it
by
is, it
it ? a
it, is
it
it
is
is
it
:
60 The saints, who have passed by, have blessed the righteous.
Psai m They who have already passed hence to their country pYYTV--through this road, that is, through this life: the Apostles were passers by in this life, the Prophets were passers by. Whom did the Prophets and Apostles bless? Those in whom they saw the root of charity. But those whom they found lifted on high on their house tops, and proud in the bosses of their bucklers, they declared against these what
they were doomed to become, but they gave them no bless ing. Ye therefore who read in the Scriptures, fmd all those wicked men whom the Church beareth, who are declared cursed, pertain unto Antichrist, pertain unto the devil, per tain to the chaff, pertain to the tares. Innumerable things
Matt. 7, are said through figures of them: for not every one that
S1"
snith uulo Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Ye find no passage of Scripture which speaketh
well of them, because they who passed by on the way blessed them not. The Prophets who passed by said all evil things of them. Behold, he also whom we hold in our
1 'quemhand1, David, passed along the way; ye have heard what he masT sa^ of 'hem: The righteous Lord shall hew the necks of
the sinners. Lei them be confounded, and turned back ward, as many as have evil will at Sion. Let them be even as the grass of the house tops, which withereth afore it be plucked up; whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. Thus he hath spoken of them. David then, when he passed by, blessed not these, and even through him was fulfilled what he him self said, So that they who go by say not so much as, We have blessed you in the name of the Lord. These men, when they passed by, whether Prophets, or Patriarchs, or Apostles, whoever passed by, if we live well, brethren, have blessed us in the name of the Lord. When, thou askest, did Paul bless me ? When did Peter bless me ? Observe in the Scriptures, see if thou livest well, and see that thou hast therein been pronounced blessed. They have blessed all who live well. And how have they blessed? In the
Dona- name of the Lord ; not in their own names, as heretics. t,s,>>- For they who say, What we give, this is holy; wish to bless in their own name, not in the name of the Lord. But they
JfTiat is the ' deep' from which we cry unto God. 61
who say, None save God sanctifieth, nor is any mat1 good vEn. save by the gift of God ; they bless in the name of the
Lord, not in their own name: because they are the friends
of the bridegroom, they refuse to be adulterers of the bride. J? Im 3,
PSALM CXXX.
EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the People.
L>>t. Cxx1x.
voice of one ascending, belonging to the ' Song of Degrees. ' Each of us ought therefore to see in what deep he out of which he crieth unto the Lord. Jonas cried from the deep; Jonah from the whale's belly. He was not only beneath the waves, 2" but also in the entrails of the beast nevertheless, those waves and that body prevented not his prayer from reach
ing God, and the beast's belly could not contain the voice
1 -- 3.
1. Ver.
only with the eyes of the body, but also with the heIart, we
Since we presume that
ye are
watchful not
must sing with understanding: Out of the deep have
called unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. For this is the
of his prayer. It penetrated all things,
things, reached the ears of God:
say that, bursting through all things,
God, since the ears of God were in the heart of him who prayed. For where hath not he God present, whose voice is faithful? Nevertheless, we also ought to understand from what deep we cry unto the Lord. For this mortal life our deep. Whoever hath understood himself to be in the deep, crieth out, groaneth, sigheth, until he be delivered from the deep, and come unto Him Who sitteth above all the deeps and above Cherubim, above all things He hath created, not
only bodily, but also spiritual things until the soul come unto Him, until His own image be liberated by Him, that image which man, which in this deep tossed by constant billows, hath thereby been worn away and except be renewed and repaired by God, Who impressed when He formed man, (man could be equal to his own fall, he not
burst through all indeed we ought to
reached the ears of
it is
is,
;
it
it
is
is
;
it if
;
it
2,
62 They lie deepest who know not the deep they are in.
CXXX ecl,la^ to own r's'n8 aoa'n,) ')e 'g always in the deep; ------ unless, as I have said, he be freed, he is ever in the deep. But when he crieth from the deep, he riseth from the deep,
and his very cry snffereth him not to be long at the bottom.
For they are very deep in the deep, who do not even cry Prov. 18, from the deep. The Scripture saith, When the wicked
hath reached the depth of evils, he despiseth. Now con sider, brethren, what sort of deep that is, where God is despised. When each man seeth himself overwhelmed with daily sins, pressed down by heaps and weights, so to speak, of iniquities: if it be said unto him, Pray unto God, he laughs. In what manner? He first saith, If crimes were displeasing unto God, should I live ? If God regarded human affairs, considering the great crimes which I have committed, should I not only live, but be prosperous ? For this is wont
to happen to those, who are far in the deep, and are pros perous in their iniquities : and they are the more plunged in the deep, in proportion as they seem to be more happy ; for a deceitful happiness is itself a greater unhappiness. Then men are also wont to say this: Since I have now committed many crimes, and condemnation is hanging over me, I lose by foregoing the opportunity of doing what ever I can ; and, From henceforth I am lost, why do I
not do whatever I have the power to do ? What is the usual language of desperate robbers ? The judge will put me to the same death for ten murders as for five, as for one : why then do I not take advantage of every fresh opportunity? This The wicked, when he hath reached the depth evil deeds, despiseth. But our Lord Jesus Christ, Who despised not even our deeps, Who hath deigned to descend to this life, promising remission of all sins; He raised man even from the deep, that he might cry from the deep beneath the weight of his sins, and that the sinner's voice might reach unto God crying whence, save from the depth of evils
2. See also that the voice of the sinner crieth from the
Out the deep have called unto Thee, Lord: Lord, hear my voice. let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. Whence doth he cry? From the
Who then who crieth sinner. And with
deep:
deep.
of it
is
? A
; O
I
O
?
is,
of
Man's only hope is in the S acrifice of Christ. 63
what hope doth he cry? Because He who came to absolve Ver from sins, gave hope even to the sinner down in the deep. What therefore followeth after these words : // Tliou, Lord,
will be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? So, he hath disclosed from what deep he cried
out. For he crieth beneath the weights and billows of his iniquities.
He hath looked round about himself, he hath looked round upon his own life; he hath seen it every where covered with excesses and crimes: wherever he looketh round, he findeth nothing good in himself, none of the calmness of righteousness can meet his gaze. And when he seeth so many and so great sins, and such troops of his own crimes,
he crieth out, as if terror-struck, If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? He said not, I may not abide it : but, who may abide it ? For he saw that nigh the whole of human life on every side was ever bayed at by its sins, that all consciences were accused by their thoughts, that a clean heart trusting in its own righteousness could not be found. If therefore a clean heart cannot be found, that can trust in its own righteous
ness; let the heart of all trust in the mercy of God, and say, IfThou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, who, O Lord, may abide it ?
3. Ver. 4 -- 6. But wherefore is there hope ? For there is propitiation with Thee. And what is this propitiation, except sacrifice ? And what is sacrifice, save that which
hath been offered for us ? The pouring forth of innocent blood blotted out all the sins of the guilty : so great a price paid down redeemed all captives from the hand of the enemy who captured them. With Thee, then, there is propitiation.
--
For if there were not mercy with Thee, if Thou chosest to be Judge only, and didst refuse to be merciful, Thou wouldest mark all our iniquities, and search after them. Who could abide this? Who could stand before Thee, and say, I am innocent? Who could stand in Thy judgment ? There is therefore one hope : For with Thee tIhere is propiti ation : for the sake of Thy law have
borne Thee, O Lord. What law ? That which made men guilty. For a
law, holy, just, and good, was given to the Jews ; but its Rom. 7, effect was to make them guilty. A law was not given that12'
64 God's law of mercy enables us to wait for Him.
Psalm could give life, but which might shew his sins to the sinner. CXXX. For the sinner had forgotten himself, and saw not himself;
'
1 Impe- rator"
the law was given him, that he might see himself. The law made him guilty, the Lawgiver freed him : for the Lawgiver is the Supreme Power1. A law was given that should terrify and bind unto guiltiness ; and the law doth not release from sins, but sheweth sins, and perchance placed beneath this law, he observeth in the deep how great transgressions he hath been guilty of against the law, and crieth out thus, If
Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? There is therefore a law of the mercy of God, a law of the propitiation of God. The one was a law of fear, the other is a law of love. The law of love giveth forgiveness to sins, blotteth out the past, warneth concerning the future ; forsakelh not its companion by the way, becometh a companion to him whom it leadeth on the way. But it is needful to agree with the adversary, whilst
21.
Matt. 5, thou art with him in the way. For the Word of God is
25
Id. 6, 12.
to forgive me all my sins, to give me for the future warnings that 1 may not offend : if I perchance have slipped after these warnings, Thou hast given me a remedy, whereby I may pray Thee, in these words, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Thou hast decreed this law for me, that, as I forgive, so I may be forgiven.
thine adversary, as long as thou dost not agree with it. But thou agreest, when it has begun to be thy delight to do what God's Word commandeth. Then he who was thine adver sary becometh thy friend : so, when the way is finished, there will be none to deliveIr thee to the Judge. Therefore, For the sake of Thy law for
have waited Tliee, O Lord, because thou hast condescended to bring in a law of mercy,
For the sake, therefore, of this law I
O Lord. I have waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not for saken the law of mercy.
4. Hear what law he speaketh of, if thou hast not yet understood that he is now speaking of the law of love ; hear the Apostle ; Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . Who bear one another's burdens, save they who have love ? They who have not love, are offensive to
have waited Thee, for
Duty of bearing one another's burdens. 65
one another; but they who have love, bear with one another. Ver. Some one hath injured thee, he asketh thy pardon: if thou *~6 forgive him not, thou bearest not thy brother's burden ; if
thou dost forgive, thou bearest the weak: and if perchance
thou hast fallen into any infirmity, as a man, he also should
bear with thee, as thou didst with him.
before : Brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, ye Gal. 6, that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meek- ' 2' ness. And lest perchance, since he had warned the spiritual,
they might seem to themselves secure, he at once added, Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. He then
subjoins what I have just quoted, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ: whence saith
David, For the sake of Thy law I
O Lord. Stags are said, when they cross straits to the
Hear what went
have waited Thee, for
nearest islands, for the sake of pasture, to lay their heads one upon the other; but one, who goes before, carries his head alone, and doth not lay it upon another: but when he himself also faints, he retreats from his position in front and retires behind, that he also may rest upon another : and thus all bear their own burdens, and reach what they desire; and suffer not shipwreck, because love is as a ship unto them. Love therefore beareth burdens: but let it not fear lest it be overwhelmed by such burdens : let it heed, lest each man be overpowered by his own sins. For when thou bearest thy
brother's infirmity, his sins do not burthen thee.
if thou consent, then thine own sins overwhelm thee, not another's. For every man who hath consented to a sinner, is oppressed by another's sins, not his own. For consent to another's sin becometh thine own sin ; and there is no room for thee to complain that another's sins weigh thee down. For it is said unto thee, Sins do weigh thee down, but thine
own. When thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him. Pt. fio, What is this ? With thy feet thou didst walk to a theft ; 18' yea, thou didst join thyself in mind to the thief: what was
his deed alone, has become thine too : because it pleased
thee. But if it displeased thee, and thou didst pray for him, and when entreated freely forgavest, so that thou mayest with a free countenance say in thy prayers, which the heavenly
VOL. VI. F
Certainly
Danger of Judgment for lesser sins.
Psalm Counsellor1 hath dictated to thee. Forqive us our trespasses, eXXX 'as we forgive them that trespass against us; thou hast learnt to bear thy brother's burdens: so that another also may bear
any there may be of thine, and the words of the Apostle may be realised in you, Bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Thus thou securely singest the words we
have just read, For the sake of Thy law I Thee, O Lord.
have waited
for
5. But he who keepeth not this law, neither doth he wait for the Lord; nor, if he should wish to wait for Him, is there a reason why he should wait; he waiteth fruitlessly. For the Lord will come, and will discover thy sins. But that thou hast lived in perfect righteousness"', --He will not perhaps discover murders, for these are heavy and extreme offences; He will not discover adultery, He will not discover thefts, He will not discover robbery, He will not discover enchant
ments, He will not discover idolatry; none of these will He
perchance
discover. Will He therefore discover nothing?
Matt. 5, Hear the words of the Gospel : He who saith to his brother.
22
Thou fool. Who abstaineth from these most minute sins of the tongue ? But perhaps thou sayest, They are slight. He shall be in danger, saith our Lord, of hell fire. If it seemed but a slight or no very great thing to thee to say unto thy brother, Thou fool, at least let the fire of hell seem great to thee; if thou didst little regard the sin, at least be deterred by the magnitude of the punishment. But thou sayest, These things are slight, they are trivial : this life cannot be without them. Heap together slight things, and they constitute a great heap. For grains are minute, and yet they make a lump: and drops are minute, yet they fill rivers, and drag masses with them. He therefore considering how many minute sins man daily committeth, if nothing else, at least by his thoughts and his tongue, heeds how many they be; and if he heed how minute they be, he seeth that by many minute sins a great heap is produced; and, not thinking of
1 ' Jurisperitus. ' He speaks of it lived in perfect righteousness, He will here and elsewhere as a form of plead- not find. Perchance He will not find ing. See on Ps. civ. Ser. i. ? . 19. murders," &c.
m Oxf. Mss. '. But that thou hast
Trust in God for mercy, and blessedness to come. 67
his own former sins, but of human weakness itself, now rising Ver. saith, Out of the deep hare I called unto Thee, O Lord: T^r~^3 Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the
voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to
mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? I
can avoid murders, adulteries, robberies, perjuries, enchant
ments, idolatry ; can I avoid sins of the tongue also ? Can
I avoid sins of the heart also ? It is written, Sin is the l John transgression of the law. Who then may abide, if Thou3'4' wilt be extreme to mark transgressions ? If Thou wilt deal
with us as a severe judge, not as a merciful father, who shall stand before Thine eyes ? But with Thee there is pro pitiation : for the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee,
O Lord. What is the nature of this law ? Bear each other's Gal. 6, burdens, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ. Who2" bear each other's burdens? They who say faithfully, Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us.
6". Ver. 6. My soul hath waited for Thy word. No man
waiteth, save he who hath not as yet received what hath been promised; for what doth he, who hath already received, wait for ? We have received remission of sins ; but the kingdom of heaven is promised us ; our debts have been blotted out ; but our reward is still to come; we have received pardon, but we hold not as yet everlasting life. But He Who gave pardon, Himself promised also everlasting life. If it were our own word, we ought to fear : because it is the word of God, it deceiveth not. We therefore trust (ver. 5. ) without fear on the word of Him Who cannot deceive. My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night. What is that he saith ? hath he hoped in the Lord for one day, and hath all his hope terminated ? From the morning watch even unto night hath my soul trusted in the Lord. This morning watch is the end of night ; hence my soul hath trusted in the Lord even unto night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not sup pose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren ? The words, My soul hath trusted in the Lord from the morning watch unto night, mean this: that the Lord, through
F2
68 The ' Morning Watch,' Christ's Resurrection, and ours.
Psalm Whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead c'x\'X''atthemorningwatch,sothatwemayhopethatwhatwent before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have
been already forgiven : but we have not yet risen again : if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken place in us whih went before in our Head. What went before in our Head ? Because the flesh of that Head rose again ; did the Spirit of that Head die ? What had died in Him, rose again. Now He arose on the third day ; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves ; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.
7. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again ; but must 1 hope on that account that I also may rise again ? Certainly, on that account : for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died ; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? The flesh. What was He that came Him self? The Word of God, Who was before all things, through Whom all things were made. But that He might receive
John I, something from thee, The Word became flesh, and dwelt J? 3. 14' among us. He received from thee, what He might offer for thee; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer
for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He re ceived flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first- fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated : since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee ; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.
8. Since He then rose with the morning watch, our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? Even unto night ; until we die; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep. Thou hast begun to hope since the Lord rose again, fail not to hope until thou goest forth from this life. For if thou
Mistaken hopes from God. The trus hope is for eternity. 69
hope not even unto night, all that thou hadst hoped is Ver.
',--
destroyed. For there are men who begin to hope, hut persevere not unto night. They begin to suffer some tribulations, they begin to suffer temptations, they see Pa- <3, wicked and unrighteous men flourish in temporal prosperity:
and since they hoped for such things from the Lord, that they might here be happy, they observe that those who have committed crimes, possess what the}- desired to possess themselves ; and their feet fail, and they cease to hope. Why? Because they began not to hope from the morning watch. They did not begin to hope this thing of the Lord, which went before in the Lord from that morning watch: but
they hoped from the Lord, that if they were Christians, they might have a house full of corn, wine, oil, gold, silver: none of them would die prematurely ; if any had not children, he would obtain them ; if he had not married a wife, he would marry one : not only no woman in his house, but not even his cattle would miscarry ; his vats would not turn
sour, his vineyard would not suffer from hail storms. He who thus trusted in the Lord, observed that they who worship not the Lord abound with these things, and his feet slipped, and he hoped not until night ; because he
commenced not to hope from the morning watch.
9. Who then beginueth thus to hope from the morning watch ? He who hopeth that from the Lord, which He began to shew from the morning watch in which He rose
again. For before no man had arisen to live for ever. Listen, my beloved. The dead were raised again before our Lord's advent: for Elias also raised a dead man, and
' 1? Kin<? >> 17, 22.
Elisaeus, but they rose again doomed to die again. They 2 Kings whom the Lord Himself raised, rose to die again ; whether4'
that youth the widow's son, or the girl of twelve years ofT^u,'e7, age, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, or Lazarus: Luke 8, they were raised by different ways, but all doomed to die:'j^hn|) once they were born, but twice they died. No man had"14. risen again never to die, except the Lord. But when did
the Lord rise again never to die? From the morning watch. Do thou also hope this from the Lord, that thou wilt rise again, not as Lazarus rose, not as the widow's son and the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue rose, not as they
70 We must live in hope till we have the reality.
Psalm rose whom the Prophets of old raised ; but hope that thou 1 wilt rise again as the Lord rose, so that after thy resurrection
thou mayest no more fear that thou wilt die : and thou hast begun to hope from the morning watch.
10. But hope even until night, until this life be finished, until the night of the whole human race come on at the sun set of the world. Why is this, until? Because after this
Rom. 8, night, there will no longer be hope, but reality. For the
24' 2? '
hope that is seen is not hope, saith the Apostle : for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. If therefore we ought patiently to wait for that we see not, let us hope even unto night, that is, even to the end of this life or of the world. But when this night shall have passed over, that will come at last which we hoped for; and we shall no longer hope, nor shall we be in despair. For we blame men who despair, and sometimes we detest a man, and say, He hath no hope. It is not always an evil not to have hope. When we are in this life, it is an evil not to have hope: for he who hath not hope now, will not have the reality afterwards. We ought therefore to have hope now.
hast not prevailed against me, mount upon my back : I can carry thee until the end come: for thus it is commanded me, to bring forth fruit with patience. I chasten thee not, I suffer thee: or perchance, when 1 suffer thee, thou chast- enest thyself. If thou chastenest not thyself unto the end,
8
f:ulie
56 The doings of sinners arc far from the Church.
Psalm I suffer thee unto the end ; and unto the end thou shalt be CXX1X. Upon my hack, evcn to the time. Wilt thou ever be upon my back? No: one will come who will shake thee off: harvest season will come, the end of the world will come ; God will send in the reapers. The reapers are the angels: they separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, as the tares from the wheat ; they will store the corn in the barn,
but the chaff they will burn with unquenchable fire. I have carried as far as I could, now with joy do I pass into the Lord's barn, and securely sing, Many a time have they
fought against me from my youth up.
8. What could they do unto me, in that they have fought
against me from my youth up ? They have exercised me, they have not crushed me. They have been to me what fire is to gold, not what fire is to hay. For fire when it approacheth gold, removeth dross: when it approacheth
turneth it into ashes. For they could not prevail against me; for I consented not, for they have not made me what they are themselves. The sinners have built upon my back; they hare made their iniquity afar off. They have given me what to endure, and have not prevailed upon me to consent to them. Their injustice therefore is afar from me. The evil are mingled with the good, not only in
the world, but within the Church herself the evil are mingled with the good. Ye know, and ye have proved this : and ye will still further prove it, if ye are good. For
Mat. 13, when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit,
~h'
then appeared the tares also. There seem to be none evil in the Church, save unto the good man. Ye know therefore that they are mingled, and always and every where Scripture saith they shall not be separated, except in the end. Thus, as they are mingled, they are afar from one another. Lest then any man should suppose, that because evil are mingled among good men, therefore wickedness is near unto righ teousness, he saith, They could not prevail against me ;
hay,
Is. 22, that is, they said, and wickedly said, Let us eat and drink,
for to-mmrow we shall die. Evil communications corrupted 15, 32. not good manners : in that which 1 heard from God, I have not yielded to the discourses of men. Sinners have given me what to carry, not what I must mingle with, and their
\3Cor
Likeness of character is the real neighbourhood. 57
iniquity Lath been made afar from me. For what is so Ver. near, as two men in one Church ? what is so distant, as ------ iniquity from righteousness ? For where there is consent
there is neighbourhood. Two men are handcuffed together,
and brought before a judge ; one is a robber, one is merely in bonds: the one wicked, the other innocent, bound with one chain, and far from one another. How far are they from one another? As far as wickedness is from innocence. Behold these are far from one another. One robber per petrates his crimes in Spain, his next neighbour is the robber who doth the same in Africa. How near ? As near as crime and crime are joined, as near as robbery is to robbery. Let no man fear therefore evil men mingled with him in the body. Let him be afar from them in heart, and he beareth safely what he feareth not : They have made
their iniquity afar off.
9. What is the result? They who reign unjustly flourish,
and, to use the vulgar phrase, the unrighteous thunder,
and are puffed up unto vain airs and calumnies. What
then ? Will this be alway ? No. Hear what follow-
eth : (ver. 4. ) Tlie righteous Lord shall hew the necks of
the sinners. Listen, my beloved. The righteous Lord, he
saith, shall hew the necks of the sinners. Who would not tremble? For who hath not sinned? The righteous Lord
will hew the necks of the sinners. In all that hear, there entereth a trembling of heart, if they believe God's Scripture.
For if men beat their breasts without cause, they lie in that
they beat their breasts ; if they be righteous, even in that
they lie unto God, they become sinners. Iftherefore they
truly beat their breasts, they are sinners. And which of us
doth not beat his breast? And which of us doth not fix
his eyes upon the earth, like the Publican, and say, Lord, Lukels, be merciful unto me a sinner? If therefore all are sinners,13'
aud none is found without sin ; all must fear the sword that hangs above their neck, because the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners. I do not imagine, my brethren, of all sinners; but in the member which He striketh, He marks what sinners He striketh. For it is not said, The righteous Lord will hew the hands of the sinners ; or their feet; but because proud sinners were meant to be
58 God's hewing the necks, means, destroying the proud.
Psalm understood, and all proud men carry lofty necks, and not
rxxix
---
-- do evil deeds, but even refuse to them to
'only acknowledge
be such, and when they arej rebuked, justify themselves1': (Behold thou hast done this ; at least acknowledge thine act: God hateth a sinner, do thou also hate one; join thyself unto God: persecute with Him thy sin. No, he replieth: I have done well, God hath done ill. What is this ? I, he saith, have done no evil ; for Saturn did this, Mars did Venus did have done nothing, the stars have done it. Thou justifiest thyself, thou accusest God Who made the stars, Who adorned the heaven therefore since thou justifiest thy sin, and art proud against God, because thou placest thyself out of fault, and God in fault, and hast only raised thy neck, and hast run against God, as
written in Job, (he was speaking of an ungodly sinner,) Job is, he runneth against God, even upon his neck, upon the thick
lb'
merciful to me a sinner, but boastest thyself in thy deserts, Jerem. and wishest, saith God, to plead with Me, to enter into
2,i9"
bosses of his bucklers and he here nameth the neck, because thus thou exaltest thyself, and dost not fix thine eyes upon the ground, and beat thy breast, and say, Lord, be
judgment with Me; while thou shouldest in thy guilty state atone unto God, and cry unto Him, as cried in another
Ps. 130, Psalm, If Thou, Lord, art extreme to mark what amiss, who may abide it? shouldest cry unto Him, as cried in
Ps. 4 1,4. another Psalm, said, Lord, be merciful unto me, for have sin ned against Thee since thou dost not choose to say this, but justifiest thy deeds against the Word of God; what followeth in Scripture cometh upon thee the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of sinners.
10. Ver. 5. Let them be confounded and turned back ward, as many as have evil will at Sion. They who hate Sion, hate the Church Sion the Church. And they who hypocritically enter into the Church, hate the Church. They who refuse to keep the Word of God, hate the Church:
Upon my back have they built: what will the Church do, save endure the burden even unto the end
11. Ver. 6. 7. But what saith he of them? The next words are, Let them be even as the grass the house tops;
Oxf. Mas. add, did not this, but the stars. '
k
it,
:
/
' : it I;
of
?
it is
is
I
:
I
it
is is
:)
it is
it is
;
The work of the wicked is withered mid unblest. 59
that withereth before it be plucked up. The grass of the Ver. house tops is that which groweth on house tops, on a tiled 8-- roof: it is seen on high, and hath not a root. How much
better would it be if it grew lower, and how much more
joyfully would it bloom ? As it riseth higher to quicker withering. It hath not yet been plucked up, yet hath withered not yet have they received sentence from the judgment of God, and already they have not the sap of bloom. Observe their works, and see
that they have withered. But they live, and are here: not as yet therefore
have thry been plucked up. They have withered, but have not as yet been plucked up they hare become as the grass of the house tops: which witlwreth afore be plucked up.
12. But the reapers will come, but they fill not their sheaves from these. For the reapers will come, and will gather the wheat into the barn, and will bind the tares together, and cast them into the fire. Thus also the grass of the house tops cleared off, and whatever plucked from thrown into the fire because had withered even before was plucked up. The reaper filleth not his hands thence. His next words are, (ver. 7. ) W hereof the reaper filleth not his hand; neither he that bindeth up the
sheaves his bosom. And, the reapers are the angels, the Mat. 13, Lord saith.
13. Ver. 8. So that they who go say not so much as, The blessing the Lord be upon you: we hare blessed you in the name of the Lord. For ye know, brethren, when men pass by others at work, customary to address them, The blessing of the Lord be upon you. And this was especially the custom in the Jewish nation. No one passed by and saw any one doing any work in the field, or in the vineyard, or in harvest, or any thing of the sort; was not
lawful to pass by without blessing. They who bind the sheaves, are different from the passers by on the way. They who gather the sheaves, do not fill their hands with them; because the grass of the house tops not gathered for the barn. Who are they who gather together the sheaves The reapers. Who are the reapers The Lord hath said, The reapers are the angels. Who are the passers by?
a
:
it ? is is
;
of
it
by
is, it
it ? a
it, is
it
it
is
is
it
:
60 The saints, who have passed by, have blessed the righteous.
Psai m They who have already passed hence to their country pYYTV--through this road, that is, through this life: the Apostles were passers by in this life, the Prophets were passers by. Whom did the Prophets and Apostles bless? Those in whom they saw the root of charity. But those whom they found lifted on high on their house tops, and proud in the bosses of their bucklers, they declared against these what
they were doomed to become, but they gave them no bless ing. Ye therefore who read in the Scriptures, fmd all those wicked men whom the Church beareth, who are declared cursed, pertain unto Antichrist, pertain unto the devil, per tain to the chaff, pertain to the tares. Innumerable things
Matt. 7, are said through figures of them: for not every one that
S1"
snith uulo Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Ye find no passage of Scripture which speaketh
well of them, because they who passed by on the way blessed them not. The Prophets who passed by said all evil things of them. Behold, he also whom we hold in our
1 'quemhand1, David, passed along the way; ye have heard what he masT sa^ of 'hem: The righteous Lord shall hew the necks of
the sinners. Lei them be confounded, and turned back ward, as many as have evil will at Sion. Let them be even as the grass of the house tops, which withereth afore it be plucked up; whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. Thus he hath spoken of them. David then, when he passed by, blessed not these, and even through him was fulfilled what he him self said, So that they who go by say not so much as, We have blessed you in the name of the Lord. These men, when they passed by, whether Prophets, or Patriarchs, or Apostles, whoever passed by, if we live well, brethren, have blessed us in the name of the Lord. When, thou askest, did Paul bless me ? When did Peter bless me ? Observe in the Scriptures, see if thou livest well, and see that thou hast therein been pronounced blessed. They have blessed all who live well. And how have they blessed? In the
Dona- name of the Lord ; not in their own names, as heretics. t,s,>>- For they who say, What we give, this is holy; wish to bless in their own name, not in the name of the Lord. But they
JfTiat is the ' deep' from which we cry unto God. 61
who say, None save God sanctifieth, nor is any mat1 good vEn. save by the gift of God ; they bless in the name of the
Lord, not in their own name: because they are the friends
of the bridegroom, they refuse to be adulterers of the bride. J? Im 3,
PSALM CXXX.
EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the People.
L>>t. Cxx1x.
voice of one ascending, belonging to the ' Song of Degrees. ' Each of us ought therefore to see in what deep he out of which he crieth unto the Lord. Jonas cried from the deep; Jonah from the whale's belly. He was not only beneath the waves, 2" but also in the entrails of the beast nevertheless, those waves and that body prevented not his prayer from reach
ing God, and the beast's belly could not contain the voice
1 -- 3.
1. Ver.
only with the eyes of the body, but also with the heIart, we
Since we presume that
ye are
watchful not
must sing with understanding: Out of the deep have
called unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. For this is the
of his prayer. It penetrated all things,
things, reached the ears of God:
say that, bursting through all things,
God, since the ears of God were in the heart of him who prayed. For where hath not he God present, whose voice is faithful? Nevertheless, we also ought to understand from what deep we cry unto the Lord. For this mortal life our deep. Whoever hath understood himself to be in the deep, crieth out, groaneth, sigheth, until he be delivered from the deep, and come unto Him Who sitteth above all the deeps and above Cherubim, above all things He hath created, not
only bodily, but also spiritual things until the soul come unto Him, until His own image be liberated by Him, that image which man, which in this deep tossed by constant billows, hath thereby been worn away and except be renewed and repaired by God, Who impressed when He formed man, (man could be equal to his own fall, he not
burst through all indeed we ought to
reached the ears of
it is
is,
;
it
it
is
is
;
it if
;
it
2,
62 They lie deepest who know not the deep they are in.
CXXX ecl,la^ to own r's'n8 aoa'n,) ')e 'g always in the deep; ------ unless, as I have said, he be freed, he is ever in the deep. But when he crieth from the deep, he riseth from the deep,
and his very cry snffereth him not to be long at the bottom.
For they are very deep in the deep, who do not even cry Prov. 18, from the deep. The Scripture saith, When the wicked
hath reached the depth of evils, he despiseth. Now con sider, brethren, what sort of deep that is, where God is despised. When each man seeth himself overwhelmed with daily sins, pressed down by heaps and weights, so to speak, of iniquities: if it be said unto him, Pray unto God, he laughs. In what manner? He first saith, If crimes were displeasing unto God, should I live ? If God regarded human affairs, considering the great crimes which I have committed, should I not only live, but be prosperous ? For this is wont
to happen to those, who are far in the deep, and are pros perous in their iniquities : and they are the more plunged in the deep, in proportion as they seem to be more happy ; for a deceitful happiness is itself a greater unhappiness. Then men are also wont to say this: Since I have now committed many crimes, and condemnation is hanging over me, I lose by foregoing the opportunity of doing what ever I can ; and, From henceforth I am lost, why do I
not do whatever I have the power to do ? What is the usual language of desperate robbers ? The judge will put me to the same death for ten murders as for five, as for one : why then do I not take advantage of every fresh opportunity? This The wicked, when he hath reached the depth evil deeds, despiseth. But our Lord Jesus Christ, Who despised not even our deeps, Who hath deigned to descend to this life, promising remission of all sins; He raised man even from the deep, that he might cry from the deep beneath the weight of his sins, and that the sinner's voice might reach unto God crying whence, save from the depth of evils
2. See also that the voice of the sinner crieth from the
Out the deep have called unto Thee, Lord: Lord, hear my voice. let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. Whence doth he cry? From the
Who then who crieth sinner. And with
deep:
deep.
of it
is
? A
; O
I
O
?
is,
of
Man's only hope is in the S acrifice of Christ. 63
what hope doth he cry? Because He who came to absolve Ver from sins, gave hope even to the sinner down in the deep. What therefore followeth after these words : // Tliou, Lord,
will be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? So, he hath disclosed from what deep he cried
out. For he crieth beneath the weights and billows of his iniquities.
He hath looked round about himself, he hath looked round upon his own life; he hath seen it every where covered with excesses and crimes: wherever he looketh round, he findeth nothing good in himself, none of the calmness of righteousness can meet his gaze. And when he seeth so many and so great sins, and such troops of his own crimes,
he crieth out, as if terror-struck, If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? He said not, I may not abide it : but, who may abide it ? For he saw that nigh the whole of human life on every side was ever bayed at by its sins, that all consciences were accused by their thoughts, that a clean heart trusting in its own righteousness could not be found. If therefore a clean heart cannot be found, that can trust in its own righteous
ness; let the heart of all trust in the mercy of God, and say, IfThou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, who, O Lord, may abide it ?
3. Ver. 4 -- 6. But wherefore is there hope ? For there is propitiation with Thee. And what is this propitiation, except sacrifice ? And what is sacrifice, save that which
hath been offered for us ? The pouring forth of innocent blood blotted out all the sins of the guilty : so great a price paid down redeemed all captives from the hand of the enemy who captured them. With Thee, then, there is propitiation.
--
For if there were not mercy with Thee, if Thou chosest to be Judge only, and didst refuse to be merciful, Thou wouldest mark all our iniquities, and search after them. Who could abide this? Who could stand before Thee, and say, I am innocent? Who could stand in Thy judgment ? There is therefore one hope : For with Thee tIhere is propiti ation : for the sake of Thy law have
borne Thee, O Lord. What law ? That which made men guilty. For a
law, holy, just, and good, was given to the Jews ; but its Rom. 7, effect was to make them guilty. A law was not given that12'
64 God's law of mercy enables us to wait for Him.
Psalm could give life, but which might shew his sins to the sinner. CXXX. For the sinner had forgotten himself, and saw not himself;
'
1 Impe- rator"
the law was given him, that he might see himself. The law made him guilty, the Lawgiver freed him : for the Lawgiver is the Supreme Power1. A law was given that should terrify and bind unto guiltiness ; and the law doth not release from sins, but sheweth sins, and perchance placed beneath this law, he observeth in the deep how great transgressions he hath been guilty of against the law, and crieth out thus, If
Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? There is therefore a law of the mercy of God, a law of the propitiation of God. The one was a law of fear, the other is a law of love. The law of love giveth forgiveness to sins, blotteth out the past, warneth concerning the future ; forsakelh not its companion by the way, becometh a companion to him whom it leadeth on the way. But it is needful to agree with the adversary, whilst
21.
Matt. 5, thou art with him in the way. For the Word of God is
25
Id. 6, 12.
to forgive me all my sins, to give me for the future warnings that 1 may not offend : if I perchance have slipped after these warnings, Thou hast given me a remedy, whereby I may pray Thee, in these words, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Thou hast decreed this law for me, that, as I forgive, so I may be forgiven.
thine adversary, as long as thou dost not agree with it. But thou agreest, when it has begun to be thy delight to do what God's Word commandeth. Then he who was thine adver sary becometh thy friend : so, when the way is finished, there will be none to deliveIr thee to the Judge. Therefore, For the sake of Thy law for
have waited Tliee, O Lord, because thou hast condescended to bring in a law of mercy,
For the sake, therefore, of this law I
O Lord. I have waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not for saken the law of mercy.
4. Hear what law he speaketh of, if thou hast not yet understood that he is now speaking of the law of love ; hear the Apostle ; Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . Who bear one another's burdens, save they who have love ? They who have not love, are offensive to
have waited Thee, for
Duty of bearing one another's burdens. 65
one another; but they who have love, bear with one another. Ver. Some one hath injured thee, he asketh thy pardon: if thou *~6 forgive him not, thou bearest not thy brother's burden ; if
thou dost forgive, thou bearest the weak: and if perchance
thou hast fallen into any infirmity, as a man, he also should
bear with thee, as thou didst with him.
before : Brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, ye Gal. 6, that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meek- ' 2' ness. And lest perchance, since he had warned the spiritual,
they might seem to themselves secure, he at once added, Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. He then
subjoins what I have just quoted, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ: whence saith
David, For the sake of Thy law I
O Lord. Stags are said, when they cross straits to the
Hear what went
have waited Thee, for
nearest islands, for the sake of pasture, to lay their heads one upon the other; but one, who goes before, carries his head alone, and doth not lay it upon another: but when he himself also faints, he retreats from his position in front and retires behind, that he also may rest upon another : and thus all bear their own burdens, and reach what they desire; and suffer not shipwreck, because love is as a ship unto them. Love therefore beareth burdens: but let it not fear lest it be overwhelmed by such burdens : let it heed, lest each man be overpowered by his own sins. For when thou bearest thy
brother's infirmity, his sins do not burthen thee.
if thou consent, then thine own sins overwhelm thee, not another's. For every man who hath consented to a sinner, is oppressed by another's sins, not his own. For consent to another's sin becometh thine own sin ; and there is no room for thee to complain that another's sins weigh thee down. For it is said unto thee, Sins do weigh thee down, but thine
own. When thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him. Pt. fio, What is this ? With thy feet thou didst walk to a theft ; 18' yea, thou didst join thyself in mind to the thief: what was
his deed alone, has become thine too : because it pleased
thee. But if it displeased thee, and thou didst pray for him, and when entreated freely forgavest, so that thou mayest with a free countenance say in thy prayers, which the heavenly
VOL. VI. F
Certainly
Danger of Judgment for lesser sins.
Psalm Counsellor1 hath dictated to thee. Forqive us our trespasses, eXXX 'as we forgive them that trespass against us; thou hast learnt to bear thy brother's burdens: so that another also may bear
any there may be of thine, and the words of the Apostle may be realised in you, Bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Thus thou securely singest the words we
have just read, For the sake of Thy law I Thee, O Lord.
have waited
for
5. But he who keepeth not this law, neither doth he wait for the Lord; nor, if he should wish to wait for Him, is there a reason why he should wait; he waiteth fruitlessly. For the Lord will come, and will discover thy sins. But that thou hast lived in perfect righteousness"', --He will not perhaps discover murders, for these are heavy and extreme offences; He will not discover adultery, He will not discover thefts, He will not discover robbery, He will not discover enchant
ments, He will not discover idolatry; none of these will He
perchance
discover. Will He therefore discover nothing?
Matt. 5, Hear the words of the Gospel : He who saith to his brother.
22
Thou fool. Who abstaineth from these most minute sins of the tongue ? But perhaps thou sayest, They are slight. He shall be in danger, saith our Lord, of hell fire. If it seemed but a slight or no very great thing to thee to say unto thy brother, Thou fool, at least let the fire of hell seem great to thee; if thou didst little regard the sin, at least be deterred by the magnitude of the punishment. But thou sayest, These things are slight, they are trivial : this life cannot be without them. Heap together slight things, and they constitute a great heap. For grains are minute, and yet they make a lump: and drops are minute, yet they fill rivers, and drag masses with them. He therefore considering how many minute sins man daily committeth, if nothing else, at least by his thoughts and his tongue, heeds how many they be; and if he heed how minute they be, he seeth that by many minute sins a great heap is produced; and, not thinking of
1 ' Jurisperitus. ' He speaks of it lived in perfect righteousness, He will here and elsewhere as a form of plead- not find. Perchance He will not find ing. See on Ps. civ. Ser. i. ? . 19. murders," &c.
m Oxf. Mss. '. But that thou hast
Trust in God for mercy, and blessedness to come. 67
his own former sins, but of human weakness itself, now rising Ver. saith, Out of the deep hare I called unto Thee, O Lord: T^r~^3 Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the
voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to
mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? I
can avoid murders, adulteries, robberies, perjuries, enchant
ments, idolatry ; can I avoid sins of the tongue also ? Can
I avoid sins of the heart also ? It is written, Sin is the l John transgression of the law. Who then may abide, if Thou3'4' wilt be extreme to mark transgressions ? If Thou wilt deal
with us as a severe judge, not as a merciful father, who shall stand before Thine eyes ? But with Thee there is pro pitiation : for the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee,
O Lord. What is the nature of this law ? Bear each other's Gal. 6, burdens, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ. Who2" bear each other's burdens? They who say faithfully, Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us.
6". Ver. 6. My soul hath waited for Thy word. No man
waiteth, save he who hath not as yet received what hath been promised; for what doth he, who hath already received, wait for ? We have received remission of sins ; but the kingdom of heaven is promised us ; our debts have been blotted out ; but our reward is still to come; we have received pardon, but we hold not as yet everlasting life. But He Who gave pardon, Himself promised also everlasting life. If it were our own word, we ought to fear : because it is the word of God, it deceiveth not. We therefore trust (ver. 5. ) without fear on the word of Him Who cannot deceive. My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night. What is that he saith ? hath he hoped in the Lord for one day, and hath all his hope terminated ? From the morning watch even unto night hath my soul trusted in the Lord. This morning watch is the end of night ; hence my soul hath trusted in the Lord even unto night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not sup pose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren ? The words, My soul hath trusted in the Lord from the morning watch unto night, mean this: that the Lord, through
F2
68 The ' Morning Watch,' Christ's Resurrection, and ours.
Psalm Whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead c'x\'X''atthemorningwatch,sothatwemayhopethatwhatwent before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have
been already forgiven : but we have not yet risen again : if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken place in us whih went before in our Head. What went before in our Head ? Because the flesh of that Head rose again ; did the Spirit of that Head die ? What had died in Him, rose again. Now He arose on the third day ; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves ; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.
7. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again ; but must 1 hope on that account that I also may rise again ? Certainly, on that account : for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died ; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? The flesh. What was He that came Him self? The Word of God, Who was before all things, through Whom all things were made. But that He might receive
John I, something from thee, The Word became flesh, and dwelt J? 3. 14' among us. He received from thee, what He might offer for thee; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer
for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He re ceived flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first- fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated : since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee ; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.
8. Since He then rose with the morning watch, our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? Even unto night ; until we die; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep. Thou hast begun to hope since the Lord rose again, fail not to hope until thou goest forth from this life. For if thou
Mistaken hopes from God. The trus hope is for eternity. 69
hope not even unto night, all that thou hadst hoped is Ver.
',--
destroyed. For there are men who begin to hope, hut persevere not unto night. They begin to suffer some tribulations, they begin to suffer temptations, they see Pa- <3, wicked and unrighteous men flourish in temporal prosperity:
and since they hoped for such things from the Lord, that they might here be happy, they observe that those who have committed crimes, possess what the}- desired to possess themselves ; and their feet fail, and they cease to hope. Why? Because they began not to hope from the morning watch. They did not begin to hope this thing of the Lord, which went before in the Lord from that morning watch: but
they hoped from the Lord, that if they were Christians, they might have a house full of corn, wine, oil, gold, silver: none of them would die prematurely ; if any had not children, he would obtain them ; if he had not married a wife, he would marry one : not only no woman in his house, but not even his cattle would miscarry ; his vats would not turn
sour, his vineyard would not suffer from hail storms. He who thus trusted in the Lord, observed that they who worship not the Lord abound with these things, and his feet slipped, and he hoped not until night ; because he
commenced not to hope from the morning watch.
9. Who then beginueth thus to hope from the morning watch ? He who hopeth that from the Lord, which He began to shew from the morning watch in which He rose
again. For before no man had arisen to live for ever. Listen, my beloved. The dead were raised again before our Lord's advent: for Elias also raised a dead man, and
' 1? Kin<? >> 17, 22.
Elisaeus, but they rose again doomed to die again. They 2 Kings whom the Lord Himself raised, rose to die again ; whether4'
that youth the widow's son, or the girl of twelve years ofT^u,'e7, age, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, or Lazarus: Luke 8, they were raised by different ways, but all doomed to die:'j^hn|) once they were born, but twice they died. No man had"14. risen again never to die, except the Lord. But when did
the Lord rise again never to die? From the morning watch. Do thou also hope this from the Lord, that thou wilt rise again, not as Lazarus rose, not as the widow's son and the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue rose, not as they
70 We must live in hope till we have the reality.
Psalm rose whom the Prophets of old raised ; but hope that thou 1 wilt rise again as the Lord rose, so that after thy resurrection
thou mayest no more fear that thou wilt die : and thou hast begun to hope from the morning watch.
10. But hope even until night, until this life be finished, until the night of the whole human race come on at the sun set of the world. Why is this, until? Because after this
Rom. 8, night, there will no longer be hope, but reality. For the
24' 2? '
hope that is seen is not hope, saith the Apostle : for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. If therefore we ought patiently to wait for that we see not, let us hope even unto night, that is, even to the end of this life or of the world. But when this night shall have passed over, that will come at last which we hoped for; and we shall no longer hope, nor shall we be in despair. For we blame men who despair, and sometimes we detest a man, and say, He hath no hope. It is not always an evil not to have hope. When we are in this life, it is an evil not to have hope: for he who hath not hope now, will not have the reality afterwards. We ought therefore to have hope now.
