The good suffer, because they are chastened as sons: the wicked exult, because they are
condemned
as strangers.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
The first thing is, that thou thyself, thou hast made any advancement, praise God for that wherein thou hast advanced, because His gift, and not thy deserving.
Hence begin the Sabbath, by not attributing these gifts to thyself, as thou hadst not received what thou hast re ceived: nor excusing thyself for the evil that thou doest,
12-
it is
:
if
a
it
is
;
a is
it a
is
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is
it if is ;
;
is
a it
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if is is a
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316 Godforces not to evil, nor does Satan.
>'salm because it is thy own. For perverse and agitated men, who . Xcl1' do not keep Sabbath, ascribe their evil deeds to God, their good one s to themselves. If he hath done ought of good,
he saith, I did it : if of evil, he seeketh whom he may accuse, that he may not confess to God. And what is this? He seeketh whom ho may accuse? If he is not very wicked, he hath Satan at hand to accuse : he saith, Satan did it, he persuaded me : as if Satan had the power of compelling him. He hath indeed cunning in persuading. But if Satan
were speaking, and God were silent, thou wouldest have an occasion for self-excuse : but thy ears are between God admonishing, and the serpent suggesting. Why are they turned in one direction, and turned away from the other? Satan ceaseth not to persuade evil : but neither doth God cease to admonish us to good d. But Satan doth not compel thee against thy will : it is in thy power to consent, or not to consent. If thou hast done any thing wrong by Satan's
persuasion, dismiss Satan, accuse thyself, that by thy self- accusation thou mayest deserve the mercy of God. Dost thou wish to accuse one who hath no pardon? Accuse thyself, and thou receivest indulgence. Besides, many do not accuse Satan, but their fate. My fate led me, saith one: when you ask him, why did you do it? why did you sin ? he replies, by my evil fate. Lest he should say, I did it ; he points to God as the source of his sin : with his tongue he blasphemes. He saith not this indeed openly as yet, but listen, and see that he saith this. You ask of him, what is fate : and he replies, evil stars. You ask, who made, who
the stars ; he can only answer, God. It follows, then, that whether he doth so directly or indirectly, still he accuseth God, and when God punisheth sins, he maketh God the author of his own sins. It cannot be that God punishes what He hath wrought : He punisheth what thou doest, that He may set free what He hath wrought. But sometimes, setting aside every thing else, they attack God directly: and when they sin, they say, God willed this; if God had not willed should not have sinned. Does He
One Ms. adds, " Thy Creator Sive per transennam sire per can not heard, what good things He grants, nam longam, sire per proximum.
and the rebel destroyer heard. "
appointed
is
is ?
d
it, I
God is to be acknowledged Author of our good works. 817
warn thee for this, that not only He may not be listened to, V<<r. to keep thee from sin, but even be accused because thou ---- (lost sin? What then doth this Psalm teach us? It is a good
tiling to con/ess1 unto the Lord. What is to confess unto the i confi- Lord ? In both cases: both in thy sins, because thou hastterl- done them; and in thy good works, confess unto the Lord, because He hath done them. Then shalt thou sing unto
the Name of God, the Mont Highest : seeking the glory of God, not thine own ; His Name, not thine. For if thou seekcst the Name of God, He also seekcth thy name; but if thou hast neglected the Name of God, He also doth blot out thine. But how did I say, He seeketh thy name ? As He said to His disciples when they came, after He sent them to preach the Gospel. After they had wrought many
miracles, and had cast out devils in the Name of Christ, they said on their return, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in Thy Name. They said, indeed, in Thy Name; but He saw in them that they were rejoicing in their glori fication, and were puffing up themselves with pride, because they had power given them to drive out devils. He saw that they were seeking their own glory, and said to them,
seeking and indeed keeping in store their names in Himself,
In this rejoice not; but rather rejoice, because your names LnkelO, are written in heaven. Behold, where thou hast a name, if 17-- 20- thou neglect not the Name of God. Sing, therefore, on the
psaltery, unto the Name of God, that thy name may be stablished before God. But what is a psaltery, my brethren? It is a kind of instrument, which has strings. Our work is our song : whoever does good works, playeth with a psaltery unto God : whoever confesses with the mouth, singeth unto God. Sing therefore with thy mouth : play unto him with thy works. For what purpose ?
4. Ver. 2. To tell of Thy mercy early in the morning, and of Thy truth in the night season. What is the meaning of this; that the mercy of God is to be told us in the morning, and in the night the truth of God? The morning is, when it is well with us ; the night, the sadness of tribu lation. What then did he say in brief? When thou art prosperous, rejoice in God, for it is His mercy. Now,
perhaps
thou wouldest say, If I rejoice in God, when I
318 Songs in the day ofjoy and the night ofsorrow.
Psalm am prosperous, because it is His mercy ; what am I to do XCI1- when I am in sorrow, in tribulation ? It is His mercy, when 1 am prosperous; is it then His cruelty, when I am in adversity ? If I praise His mercy when it is well with me,
am I then to exclaim against His cruelty when it is ill ? No. But when it is well, praise His mercy: when ill, praise His truth: because He scourgeth sins, He is not
Daniel was in the night-season, when he was pray ing: for he was in the captivity of Jerusalem, he was in the power of enemies. Then the Saints suffered many evils:
then he himself was cast into the den of lions ; then the Dan. 3, Three Children were thrown into the fire. The people
21'
of Israel suffered these evils in the captivity: it was the
unjust.
night-season. During the night Daniel confessed the truth Dan. 9, of God: he said in his prayer, We have sinned, and com-
8'
mitted iniquity, and have done wickedly. O Lord, righ- ttousness belongeth unto Thee: but unto us confusion of
He told of the truth of God during the night-season. What is it to tell of the truth of God in the night-season ? Not to accuse God, because thou sufferest aught of evil : but to attribute it to thy sins, His correction : to tell of
His lovingkindness early in the morning, and of His truth in the night-season. When thou dost tell of His loving- kindness early in the morning, and of His truth in the night- season, thou dost always praise God, always confess to God,
and sing unto His Name.
5. Ver. 3. Upon a psaltery of ten strings, with a song,
and upon the harp. Ye have not heard of the psaltery of ten strings for the first time : it signifies the ten command ments of the Law. But we must sing upon that psaltery, and not cany it only. For even the Jews have the Law : but they carry it : they sing not. Who are they who sing? Those who work. This is but little : those who work in a sullen spirit, do not yet sing. Who are they who
sing ? Those who do well with cheerfulness : for there is 2 Cor. 9, cheerfulness in singing. And what saith the Apostle ? For God loveth a cheerful giver. Whatever thou doest, do with
cheerfulness : then thou dost a good work and well. But if thou doest it in sullenness, it is done with thee, thou dost it not : and thou rather carriest the instru
face.
Goodness in man is God's work. Sin is falsehood. 319
ment, thou dost not sing. Upon a psaltery of ten strings, Vrr. with a song, and upon the harp. This means, in word 4- and deed ; ' with a song,' in word ; ' upon the harp,' in
work. If thou speakest words alone, thou hast, as it were,
the song only, and not the harp : if thou workest, and speakest not, thou hast the harp only. On this account both speak well and do well, if thou wouldest have the song together with the harp.
Thy works ; and
operations of Thy hands. Ye see what he saith. Thou
hast made me living well, Thou hast formed me: if by chance I do aught of good, I will rejoice in the work of Thy
hands : as the Apostle saith, For we are His workmanship, Eph. 2, created unto good works. For unless He formed thee to 10- good works, thou wouldest not know any works but evil.
He who speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : this the John 8, Gospel saith. Every sin is a lie; for every thing that is44, against the law, and against truth, is called a lie. What
then doth He say ? He that speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own; that is, he that sinneth, sinneth of his own. Observe the sentence in converse. For if he who speaketh
a lie, speaketh of his own : it follows that he who speaketh
the truth, speaketh from God. Therefore it is said in another
place, let God be true, but every man a liar. Thou art not Bom. 3, told in this passage, Go, lie without fear, as thou art a man : *'
nay, behold thyself a man, because thou liest ; and that thou mayest be true, drink in truth, that thou mayest break forth 1 1 metes of God, and that thou mayest be true. Because thou canst
not have truth from thy own self, it remains that thou drink it thence, whence it floweth : as if thou hast gone back from
the light, thou art in darkness : as a stone glows not with
its own heat, but either from the sun or fire, and if thou withdraw it from the heat, it cools : there it appears, that
the heat was not its own ; but it became heated either by
the sun or by fire : thus thou also, if thou withdraw from
God, wilt become cold ; if thou approach God, thou wilt warm: as the Apostle saith, fervent in spirit. Also what^? TM'|
6. (Ver. 4. ) For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through
I will rejoice in
giving praise for
the
If thou approach Him, thou wilt be Ps. 34,6. in light; therefore saith the Psalm, Look upon Him, and ^y^seion
saith he of the light ?
320 Sin of murmuring at bad men's prosperity.
Psalm lightened; and your faces shall not be ashamed. Because xcl1- therefore thou canst do no good, unless lightened by the light of God, and warmed by the Spirit of God ; when thou shalt see thyself working well, confess unto God, and say
what the Apostle saith ; say unto thyself, that thou be not
I Cor. 4, puffed up, For what hast thou that thou didst not receive?
7'
Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? Here therefore he praiseth God, and teacheth us a good confession : Thou, Lord, hast made me
glad through Thy works; and for the operations of Thy hands.
7. What are we to say of those who live bad but pros perous lives ? For hence he who loveth the Sabbath halh a disturbed mind ; he seeth himself daily engaged in good works, and toiling in narrow circumstances, perhaps in family poverty, perhaps in hunger, thirst, and nakedness, perhaps doing good works in prison, and the man who sent him into prison living a wicked life, and glorying in it ; a most wicked thought against God entereth his heart, and he saith, God, wherefore do I serve Thee ? why do I obey Thy words ? I have not seized another's goods, I have not com mitted theft, I have not slain a man, I have not coveted any man's possession, 1 have not borne false witness against any one, I have not done disrespect to ray father or mother, I have not bowed down before idols, I have not taken the Lord's Name in vain :
enumerates the ten strings, that is, the ten precepts of the Law, and questioneth himself in each, and seeth that he hath not sinned, not in one : and he is sorrowful that he suffereth such evils. And those who, I do not say, touch some of the strings, but touch not even the psaltery itself, and work no good, consult idols, and perhaps then appear Christians, when their family suffereth no evil, hut when there is any tribulation there, they run to some soothsayer, diviner, or astrologer? Christ's name is repeated before him : he sneers, and screws his mouth. It is said to him, Believer, dost thou consult an astrologer ? He replieth, Begone from me: he discovered to me my goods, which I had otherwise lost, and remained in wailing. Good man, dost thou not sign thyself with the cross of Christ ? Even
I will rejoice in giving praise
I have kept myself from sin. He
God in deep counsel permits the bad to prosper. 321
the law prohibits all these things. Rejoicest thou that thou Ver. hast found thy goods : art thou not sad that thou art thyself----- lost? How much better would it be that thy coat should
perish than thy soul ? He sneers at all this : he is insulting
to his parents, he hateth his enemy, he pursueth him even unto death : he stealeth when he hath found opportunity, or ceaseth not to bear false witness ; he layeth wait against his neighbour's wife, he coveteth his neighbour's goods : he doeth all these things, and flourisheth in riches, in honours, in the good things of this world. That wretched man who doeth good, and suffereth evils, seeth him, becometh dis turbed, and saith, O God, the wicked, I imagine,
please Thee, and Thou hatest the good, and lovest those who work
iniquity. If he is excited, and consenteth to this thought,
he will lose the Sabbath from his heart : he now beginneth
not to listen to this psaltery ; he hath departed thence, he singeth without reason, // is a good thing to give thanks ver. 1. unto the Lord; find to sing praises unto Thy Name, O
Most Highest. The Sabbath being now lost in the inner man, and the tranquillity of his heart being shut out, and good thoughts repelled, he now beginneth to imitate him whom he seeth flourishing amid his evil deeds ; and turneth himself also to evil works. But God is long-suffering, because He is eternal, and He knoweth the day of His own
judgment, where He wcigheth all things.
8. Teaching us this, what saith he ? (ver. 5. ) O Lord, how
glorious are Thy works : Thy thoughts are made very deep. Verily, my brethren, there is no sea so deep as these thoughts of God, Who maketh the wicked flourish, and the good suffer : nothing so profound, nothing so deep : therein every unbelieving soul is wrecked, in that depth, in that
profundity. Dost thou wish to cross this depth ? Remove
not from the wood of Christ's Cross: thou shalt not sink: hold thyself fast to Christ. What do I mean by this, hold fast to Christ? It was for this reason that He chose to suffer on
earth Himself. Ye have heard, while the prophet was being
read, how He did not turn away His back from the smiters,U. 50,6. and His face from the spittings of men, how He turned not
His cheek from their hands; wherefore chose He to suffer all these things, but that He might console the suffering?
VOL. IV. v
322 Thought of eternity solves mysteries of Providence.
Psalm pie could have raised His flesh at the last day: but then XCII'- thou wouldest not have had thy ground of hope, since thou hadst not seen Him. He deferred not His resurrection, that thou mightest not still be in doubt. Suffer then tribulation
in the world with the same end as that which thou hast observed in Christ: and let not those who do evil, and flourish in this life, move thee. Thy thoughts are very deep. Where is the thought of God? Rejoice not as the fish who is exulting in his bait : the fisherman hath not drawn his hook : the fish hath as yet the hook in his jaws. And what seemeth to thee long, is short; all these things pass over
quickly. What is the long life of man to the eternity of God? Dost thou wish to be of long-suffering? Consider the eternity of God. For thou regardest thy few days, and in thy few days thou dost wish all things to be fulfilled. What things? The condemnation of all the wicked: and the crowning of all the good : dost thou wish these things to be fulfilled in thy days ? God fulfilleth them in His own time. Why dost thou suffer weariness ? He is eternal : Ho waiteth: He is of long-suffering: but thou sayest, 1 am not of long-suffering, because I am mortal. But thou hast it in thy power- to become so: join thy heart to the eternity of God, and with Him thou shall be eternal. For what is said
Is. 40, of temporal things? All flesh is grass: and all the goodli- ? ~8' ness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass uitheieth, and the flower fadeth. All things, then, wither and fade: but not that Word: for the Word of our God shall standfor
ever. The grass passeth away, the glory of the grass passeth away, but thou hast where to hold thyself fast: " The Word of the Lord abideth for ever. " Say iheu unto Him, Thy thoughts are very deep. Thou hast laid hold of the wood, thou art crossing that depth. Seest thou any thing there ? understandest thou any thing there ? I understand, thou sayest. If thou art a Christian, and well instructed, thou sayest: God reserveth all things for His own judgment.
The good suffer, because they are chastened as sons: the wicked exult, because they are condemned as strangers. A man hath iwo sons: the one he chasteneth, the other he dismisseth : the one doeth ill, and he is not punished by his father: the other, as soon as he moves, is beaten with the
The hopeful son chastened. The wicked are as grass. 323
hand, and scourged. Why is the one dismissed, the other Ver. scourged, except because for the one who is beaten, the 6 8- heritage is preserved, while he who is dismissed is dis inherited ? He seeth that he hath no hope, and therefore letteth him go that he may do as he pieaseth, but the boy
who is punished, if he hath no heart, and is imprudent and foolish, congratulateth his brother who is not beaten : and groaneth for himself, saying in his heart, " My brother doeth so many wicked acts, whatever he pieaseth he doeth against the command of my father, and no one giveth him a hard word: I, as soon as I move, am beaten! " He is foolish, unwise; he attendeth to what he suffereth, but not to what is reserved for the other.
9. For this reason, after saying, (ver. 6, 7. ) Thy thoughts are very deep, he at once subjoins : An unwise man doth not well consider this, and a fool doth not understand it. What are the things which an unwise man doth not well consider, and which a fool doth not understand ? When the ungodly are green as the grass. What as the grass? They flourish when winter, but they will wither in the summer. Thou observes! the flower of the grass? What more quickly passeth by? What brighter? What
Let not its verdure delight thee, but fear its wither ing. Thou hast heard of the ungodly being green as the
hear also of the righteous: For lo. In the mean while, consider the ungodly; they flourish as the grass; but who are they who understand not The foolish and unwise. When the ungodly are green as the grass, and all men look upon the workers of iniquity. All who in their heart think not aright of God, look upon the ungodly when they are as green as grass, that when they flourish for time. Why do they look upon them? That they may be destroyed for ever. For they regard their momentary bloom, they imitate them, and wishing to flourish with them for time, perish for evermore: this That they may be destroyed
for ever.
10. Ver. 8. But Thou, Lord, art the Most Highest for
evermore. Waiting above in Thy eternity until the season of the wicked be past, and that of the just come. For lo. Listen, brethren. Already he who speaketh (for he speaketh
greener
grass:
Y 2
is,
is,
aa is
it ?
is
is,
?
it is
324 Enemies of God to be viewed with God.
rsAl. win our person, in the person of Christ's body, for Christ
alloweth all those evil deeds which He seeth to be done by wicked men. Wherefore ? because He is eternal, and seeth what He keepeth for them. Dost thou also wish to be long- suffering and patient? Join thyself to the eternity of God: together with Him wait for those things which are beneath thee: for when thy heart shall have cleaved unto the Most Highest, all mortal things will be beueath thee: say then what follows, For lo, thine enemies shall perish. Those who now flourish, shall afterwards perish. Who are the enemies of God? Brethren, perhaps ye think those only enemies of God who blaspheme ? They indeed are so, and those wicked men who neither in tongue nor in thought cease to injure God. And what do they do to the eternal,
XCI-! speaketh
in His own body, that is, in His Church,) hath joined himself unto the eternity of Uod : as I a little before was saying unto you, God is longsuffering and patient, and
If thou strike with thy fist upon a pillar, thou art hurt : and thinkest thou that where thou strikest God with thy blasphemy, thou art not thyself broken ? for thou doest nothing to God. But the enemies of God are
openly blasphemers, and daily they are found hidden. Beware of such enmities of God. For the Scripture revealeth some such secret enemies of God : that because thou knowest them not in thy heart, thou mayest know in God's Scriptures, and beware of being found with them. James
James saith openly in his Epistle, Know ye not that the friendship
' *'
of the world is enmity with God? Thou hast heard. Dost thou wish not to be an enemy ofGod? Benota friend of this world : for if thou art a friend of this world, thou wilt be an enemy of God. For as a wife cannot be an adulteress, unless she be an enemy to her own husband : so a soul which is an adulteress through its love of worldly things, cannot but be an enemy to God. It feareth, but loveth not : it feareth punishment, but is not delighted with righteousness. All lovers of the world, therefore, are enemies of God, all the curious after trifles, all consulters of diviners, astrologers, and evil spirits. Let them enter, or not enter, Churches : they are enemies of God. They may flourish for a season
like grass, but they will perish, when He beginneth to visit
most high God ?
Glory of the Church in Her old aye. 325 them, and pronounce His sentence upon all flesh. Join Ver.
' ? -
11. But thou, who now art in toil, what will be thy
hope, when God's enemies shall perish, and all the workers
of iniquity shall be destroyed ? Thou who among these stumbling-blocks, among men's wickednesses dost groan,
who art troubled in the flesh, but rejoicest in heart : what
will then be thy hope, O Thou Body of Christ ? O Christ,
Thou Who in heaven sittest on the Father's right hand, but
with Thy feet and Thy hands dost toil on earth, and sayest,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? What hope wilt Thou Acts 9, have, when God's enemies shall perish, and all who work4, iniquity shall be destroyed ? What lot will be Thine ?
(Ver. 10. ) But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn. Why did he say, like the horn of un unicorn? Sometimes an unicorn signifies pride, sometimes it means
the lifting up of unity ; because unity is lifted up, all heresies
shall perish with the enemies of God. And mine horn
shall be exalted like an unicorn. When will it be so ? and So LXX
mine old age shall be in the fatness of mercy. Why did he say, my old age? He means, my last days ; as our old age is the last season in our lives, so the whole of what the body of Christ at present suffereth in labours, in cares, in watchings, in hunger, in thirst, in stumbling-blocks, in wickednesses, in tribulations, is its youth : its old age, that is, its last days, will be in joy. And beware, beloved, that ye think not death meant also, in that he hath spoken of old age: for man groweth old in the flesh for this reason, that he may die. The old age of the Church will be white with good works, but it shall not decay through death. What the head of the old man is, that our works will be. Ye see how the head groweth old, and whiteneth, as fast as old age approacheth. Thou sometimes dost seek in the head of one who groweth old duly in his own course a black hair, yet thou findest it not: thus when our life shall have been such, that the blackness of sins may be sought, and none found, that old age is youthful, is green, and ever will be green. Ye have
thyself to the Scripture of God, and say with this Psalm, (ver. 9. ) For lo, thine enemies shall perish. Be not found there, where they shall perish. And all the workers of iniquity shall be destroyed.
326 Glory of the Righteous at the end, and on high.
Psalm heard of the grass of sinners, hear ye of the old age of the xcu- righteous : My old age shall be in the fatness of mercy.
12. Ver. 1 1. And Mine eye hath beheld on mine enemies. Whom doth he call his enemies? All the workers of iniquity. Do not observe whether thy friend be wicked: let an occasion come, and then thou provest him. Thou beginnest to go contrary to his iniquity, and then thou shalt see that when he was flattering thee, he was thy enemy; but thou hadst not yet knocked, not to raise in his heart what was not there, but that what was there might break out. Mine eye also hath
looked upon mine enemies: and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me. When ? In my old age. What is, in old age ? In the last times. Aud what shall our ear hear? Standing on the right hand, we shall hear what shall be said to them that are on the left :
Mat. 26, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
* angels. The righteous shall not fear for the dreadful hear-
Ps. 112, ing. Ye know that it is said in a Psalm, The righteous
6-
shall be had in everlasting remembrance ; He will not be afraid of any evil hearing. What evil hearing ? Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
And mine ear shall hear upon the wicked that rise up against me.
13. The grass withereth, the flower of sinners dieth away: what of the righteous ? (Ver. 12. ) The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. The ungodly are green as grass ; The righteous shallflourish like a palm tree. By the palm tree he signifieth height. Possibly he had also this meaning in the palm, that in its extremities it is beautiful : so that thou mayest trace its beginning from the earth, its end in its top
most branches, wherein its whole beauty dwelleth. The rough root appeareth in the earth, the beautiful foliage toward the sky. Thy beauty too, then, shall be in the end. Thy root is fixed fast: but our root is upward. For our root is Christ, Who hath ascended into heaven. Humbled, he shall be exalted ; he shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. See what trees he spoke of: the righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree : and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. When the sun hath gone forth, doth the palm-tree wither ? Doth the cedar die ? But when the sun
Quietness and patience witness God's Righteousness. 327
hath been glowing for some hours, the grass drieth up. The Ver. judgment, therefore, shall come, that sinners may wither, and-2' l3, the faithful flourish. He shall spread abroad like a cedar
in Libanus.
14. Ver. 12, 13. Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
They shall be yet more increased in fruitful old age, and shall be quiet, that they may shew it forth. Such is the sabbath, which but a little while ago I commended unto you, whence the Psalm hath its title. They shall be quiet, that they may shew it forth. Wherefore are they quiet that shew it forth ? The grass of sinners moveth them not : the cedar and palm-tree not even in tempests are bent. They are therefore quiet, that they may shew it forth : and with reason, since at present they must shew it forth even unto men who mock at it. O wretched men, who are lovers of the world ! Those who are planted in the house of the Lord, shew it to you : those who praise the Lord with song and lute, in word and deed, shew it forth to you, and tell you. Be not seduced by the prosperity of the wicked, admire not the flower of grass : admire not those who are happy only for a season, but miserable unto eternity. That happiness which now appeareth outwardly is not true ; they are not happy in heart, because
are tortured by a bad conscience. But be thou trusting in the promises of the Lord thy God. For what wilt thou shew forth in thy quietness? How true the Lord my strength is ; and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. Listen, my brethren, if ye are planted in the house of the Lord ; if yo wish to flourish like a palm-tree, and to spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus, and not to wither like grass when the sun is hot ; as those who appear to flourish when the sun is absent. If then ye wish not to be as grass, but as the palm-tree and the cedar, what will ye shew forth ? How true the Lord my strength is : and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. How is it there is no unrighteousness? A man committeth so great crimes; he is well, he hath sons, a plentiful house, he is full of pride, is exalted by his honours, is revenged on his enemies, and docth every evil deed ; another man, inno
they quiet,
328 Wuit for God's judgment, and it shall appear.
Psalm cent, attending to his own affairs, not robbing another's XCII ? .
Lat. XCII.
goods, doing nothing against any one, suffereth in chams, in prison, tosseth and sigheth in poverty. How is it that there is no unrighteousness in Him ? Be quiet, and thou shalt know : for thou art disturbed, and in thy chamber thou dost darken thy light. The eternal God doth wish to shine upon thee : do not then make thee cloudy weather from thy own disturbed mind. Be quiet within thyself, and see what I say unto thee. Because God is eternal, because for the present He spareth the bad, bringing them to repentance : He scourgeth the good, instructing them in the way unto the kingdom of heaven : There is no unrighteousness in Him: fear not. Behold, I have been
so much scourged, it is clear, 1 confess, 1 have sinned : for I do not call myself righteous. For this is what most say ; when any one is by chance in any misery, in pain, thou goest in to console him : and he replieth, 1 have sinned, I confess, there are sins which I confess to be mine ; but have 1 sinned as deeply as this man hath ? I know how great sins he committed : I have sinned, I confess unto God, but less than he hath ; and, behold, he suffereth no evil. Be not disturbed, be quiet, that thou mayest know how true the Lord is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. What if He now scourgeth thee, because He is not keeping for thee the flame everlasting ? What, if He leaveth this man unpunished now, because he is doomed to hear, Depart into everlastingfire. But when? when thou shalt be placed at the right hand, then shall it be said to those placed on the left, Depart into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Let not therefore those things move thee : Be quiet, keep sabbath, and shew how true the
Lord my strength is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him.
PSALM XCIII. A Sermon to the people.
We heard the title of this Psalm, while it was reading : and it is not difficult to understand its meaning from the
Rest of God signifies rest after good works. 329
Scripture of God, that from the book of Genesis: for in Title. the title we are, as were, warned upon the threshold what
we are to look for within. It entitled, The Song ofpraise
of David himself, on the dag before the sabbath, when the
earth was founded. Remembering then what God did through all those days, when He made and ordained all things, from the first up to the sixth day, (for the seventh He sanctified, because He rested on that day after all the works, which He made very good,) we find that He created on the sixth day (which day here mentioned, in that he saith, before the Sabbath) all animals on the earth lastly, He on that very day created man in His own likeness and image. For these days were not without reason ordained in such order, but for that ages also were to run in like course, before we rest in God. But then we rest we do good works. As
type
of this, written of God, God rested on the seventh dag, Gen.
when He had made all His works very good. For He was^32' not wearied, so as to need rest, nor hath He now left off- to work, for our Lord Christ saith openly, My Father worketh John hitherto. For He saith this unto the Jews, who thought1''' carnally of God, and understood not that God worketh in quiet, and always worketh, and always in quiet. We
also, then, whom God willed then to figure in Himself, shall
have rest after all good works. And indeed, our good works, brethren, which we do here in the world before our rest, arc
in a manner toilsome; and that rest in hope, not attained in its reality and unless was in hope, we should fail in our labour but our toilsome and good
works pass over. For what so good, as to give bread
unto the hungred and what we were listening to just
now, whilst the Gospel was reading, what so good, as
that which he advised generally, He that hath tuo coats, fe/i,uke3, him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat,11'
let him do likewise? To clothe the naked, good work will this good work be evermore hath little toil in but hath a solace in the hope of future rest. Cut how
much toil hast thou in clothing the naked good work doth not toil much bad work hath toil. For he who clotheth the naked, he hath whence to do so, toileth not:
he hath not whence to do so, Glory to God in the highest, Luke 14.
if
it ;
2,
6, 1.
if : a
?
it
is,
it
it is
?
12-
it is
:
if
a
it
is
;
a is
it a
is
is
is
it if is ;
;
is
a it
'
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if is is a
it
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1. ) is
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316 Godforces not to evil, nor does Satan.
>'salm because it is thy own. For perverse and agitated men, who . Xcl1' do not keep Sabbath, ascribe their evil deeds to God, their good one s to themselves. If he hath done ought of good,
he saith, I did it : if of evil, he seeketh whom he may accuse, that he may not confess to God. And what is this? He seeketh whom ho may accuse? If he is not very wicked, he hath Satan at hand to accuse : he saith, Satan did it, he persuaded me : as if Satan had the power of compelling him. He hath indeed cunning in persuading. But if Satan
were speaking, and God were silent, thou wouldest have an occasion for self-excuse : but thy ears are between God admonishing, and the serpent suggesting. Why are they turned in one direction, and turned away from the other? Satan ceaseth not to persuade evil : but neither doth God cease to admonish us to good d. But Satan doth not compel thee against thy will : it is in thy power to consent, or not to consent. If thou hast done any thing wrong by Satan's
persuasion, dismiss Satan, accuse thyself, that by thy self- accusation thou mayest deserve the mercy of God. Dost thou wish to accuse one who hath no pardon? Accuse thyself, and thou receivest indulgence. Besides, many do not accuse Satan, but their fate. My fate led me, saith one: when you ask him, why did you do it? why did you sin ? he replies, by my evil fate. Lest he should say, I did it ; he points to God as the source of his sin : with his tongue he blasphemes. He saith not this indeed openly as yet, but listen, and see that he saith this. You ask of him, what is fate : and he replies, evil stars. You ask, who made, who
the stars ; he can only answer, God. It follows, then, that whether he doth so directly or indirectly, still he accuseth God, and when God punisheth sins, he maketh God the author of his own sins. It cannot be that God punishes what He hath wrought : He punisheth what thou doest, that He may set free what He hath wrought. But sometimes, setting aside every thing else, they attack God directly: and when they sin, they say, God willed this; if God had not willed should not have sinned. Does He
One Ms. adds, " Thy Creator Sive per transennam sire per can not heard, what good things He grants, nam longam, sire per proximum.
and the rebel destroyer heard. "
appointed
is
is ?
d
it, I
God is to be acknowledged Author of our good works. 817
warn thee for this, that not only He may not be listened to, V<<r. to keep thee from sin, but even be accused because thou ---- (lost sin? What then doth this Psalm teach us? It is a good
tiling to con/ess1 unto the Lord. What is to confess unto the i confi- Lord ? In both cases: both in thy sins, because thou hastterl- done them; and in thy good works, confess unto the Lord, because He hath done them. Then shalt thou sing unto
the Name of God, the Mont Highest : seeking the glory of God, not thine own ; His Name, not thine. For if thou seekcst the Name of God, He also seekcth thy name; but if thou hast neglected the Name of God, He also doth blot out thine. But how did I say, He seeketh thy name ? As He said to His disciples when they came, after He sent them to preach the Gospel. After they had wrought many
miracles, and had cast out devils in the Name of Christ, they said on their return, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in Thy Name. They said, indeed, in Thy Name; but He saw in them that they were rejoicing in their glori fication, and were puffing up themselves with pride, because they had power given them to drive out devils. He saw that they were seeking their own glory, and said to them,
seeking and indeed keeping in store their names in Himself,
In this rejoice not; but rather rejoice, because your names LnkelO, are written in heaven. Behold, where thou hast a name, if 17-- 20- thou neglect not the Name of God. Sing, therefore, on the
psaltery, unto the Name of God, that thy name may be stablished before God. But what is a psaltery, my brethren? It is a kind of instrument, which has strings. Our work is our song : whoever does good works, playeth with a psaltery unto God : whoever confesses with the mouth, singeth unto God. Sing therefore with thy mouth : play unto him with thy works. For what purpose ?
4. Ver. 2. To tell of Thy mercy early in the morning, and of Thy truth in the night season. What is the meaning of this; that the mercy of God is to be told us in the morning, and in the night the truth of God? The morning is, when it is well with us ; the night, the sadness of tribu lation. What then did he say in brief? When thou art prosperous, rejoice in God, for it is His mercy. Now,
perhaps
thou wouldest say, If I rejoice in God, when I
318 Songs in the day ofjoy and the night ofsorrow.
Psalm am prosperous, because it is His mercy ; what am I to do XCI1- when I am in sorrow, in tribulation ? It is His mercy, when 1 am prosperous; is it then His cruelty, when I am in adversity ? If I praise His mercy when it is well with me,
am I then to exclaim against His cruelty when it is ill ? No. But when it is well, praise His mercy: when ill, praise His truth: because He scourgeth sins, He is not
Daniel was in the night-season, when he was pray ing: for he was in the captivity of Jerusalem, he was in the power of enemies. Then the Saints suffered many evils:
then he himself was cast into the den of lions ; then the Dan. 3, Three Children were thrown into the fire. The people
21'
of Israel suffered these evils in the captivity: it was the
unjust.
night-season. During the night Daniel confessed the truth Dan. 9, of God: he said in his prayer, We have sinned, and com-
8'
mitted iniquity, and have done wickedly. O Lord, righ- ttousness belongeth unto Thee: but unto us confusion of
He told of the truth of God during the night-season. What is it to tell of the truth of God in the night-season ? Not to accuse God, because thou sufferest aught of evil : but to attribute it to thy sins, His correction : to tell of
His lovingkindness early in the morning, and of His truth in the night-season. When thou dost tell of His loving- kindness early in the morning, and of His truth in the night- season, thou dost always praise God, always confess to God,
and sing unto His Name.
5. Ver. 3. Upon a psaltery of ten strings, with a song,
and upon the harp. Ye have not heard of the psaltery of ten strings for the first time : it signifies the ten command ments of the Law. But we must sing upon that psaltery, and not cany it only. For even the Jews have the Law : but they carry it : they sing not. Who are they who sing? Those who work. This is but little : those who work in a sullen spirit, do not yet sing. Who are they who
sing ? Those who do well with cheerfulness : for there is 2 Cor. 9, cheerfulness in singing. And what saith the Apostle ? For God loveth a cheerful giver. Whatever thou doest, do with
cheerfulness : then thou dost a good work and well. But if thou doest it in sullenness, it is done with thee, thou dost it not : and thou rather carriest the instru
face.
Goodness in man is God's work. Sin is falsehood. 319
ment, thou dost not sing. Upon a psaltery of ten strings, Vrr. with a song, and upon the harp. This means, in word 4- and deed ; ' with a song,' in word ; ' upon the harp,' in
work. If thou speakest words alone, thou hast, as it were,
the song only, and not the harp : if thou workest, and speakest not, thou hast the harp only. On this account both speak well and do well, if thou wouldest have the song together with the harp.
Thy works ; and
operations of Thy hands. Ye see what he saith. Thou
hast made me living well, Thou hast formed me: if by chance I do aught of good, I will rejoice in the work of Thy
hands : as the Apostle saith, For we are His workmanship, Eph. 2, created unto good works. For unless He formed thee to 10- good works, thou wouldest not know any works but evil.
He who speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : this the John 8, Gospel saith. Every sin is a lie; for every thing that is44, against the law, and against truth, is called a lie. What
then doth He say ? He that speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own; that is, he that sinneth, sinneth of his own. Observe the sentence in converse. For if he who speaketh
a lie, speaketh of his own : it follows that he who speaketh
the truth, speaketh from God. Therefore it is said in another
place, let God be true, but every man a liar. Thou art not Bom. 3, told in this passage, Go, lie without fear, as thou art a man : *'
nay, behold thyself a man, because thou liest ; and that thou mayest be true, drink in truth, that thou mayest break forth 1 1 metes of God, and that thou mayest be true. Because thou canst
not have truth from thy own self, it remains that thou drink it thence, whence it floweth : as if thou hast gone back from
the light, thou art in darkness : as a stone glows not with
its own heat, but either from the sun or fire, and if thou withdraw it from the heat, it cools : there it appears, that
the heat was not its own ; but it became heated either by
the sun or by fire : thus thou also, if thou withdraw from
God, wilt become cold ; if thou approach God, thou wilt warm: as the Apostle saith, fervent in spirit. Also what^? TM'|
6. (Ver. 4. ) For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through
I will rejoice in
giving praise for
the
If thou approach Him, thou wilt be Ps. 34,6. in light; therefore saith the Psalm, Look upon Him, and ^y^seion
saith he of the light ?
320 Sin of murmuring at bad men's prosperity.
Psalm lightened; and your faces shall not be ashamed. Because xcl1- therefore thou canst do no good, unless lightened by the light of God, and warmed by the Spirit of God ; when thou shalt see thyself working well, confess unto God, and say
what the Apostle saith ; say unto thyself, that thou be not
I Cor. 4, puffed up, For what hast thou that thou didst not receive?
7'
Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? Here therefore he praiseth God, and teacheth us a good confession : Thou, Lord, hast made me
glad through Thy works; and for the operations of Thy hands.
7. What are we to say of those who live bad but pros perous lives ? For hence he who loveth the Sabbath halh a disturbed mind ; he seeth himself daily engaged in good works, and toiling in narrow circumstances, perhaps in family poverty, perhaps in hunger, thirst, and nakedness, perhaps doing good works in prison, and the man who sent him into prison living a wicked life, and glorying in it ; a most wicked thought against God entereth his heart, and he saith, God, wherefore do I serve Thee ? why do I obey Thy words ? I have not seized another's goods, I have not com mitted theft, I have not slain a man, I have not coveted any man's possession, 1 have not borne false witness against any one, I have not done disrespect to ray father or mother, I have not bowed down before idols, I have not taken the Lord's Name in vain :
enumerates the ten strings, that is, the ten precepts of the Law, and questioneth himself in each, and seeth that he hath not sinned, not in one : and he is sorrowful that he suffereth such evils. And those who, I do not say, touch some of the strings, but touch not even the psaltery itself, and work no good, consult idols, and perhaps then appear Christians, when their family suffereth no evil, hut when there is any tribulation there, they run to some soothsayer, diviner, or astrologer? Christ's name is repeated before him : he sneers, and screws his mouth. It is said to him, Believer, dost thou consult an astrologer ? He replieth, Begone from me: he discovered to me my goods, which I had otherwise lost, and remained in wailing. Good man, dost thou not sign thyself with the cross of Christ ? Even
I will rejoice in giving praise
I have kept myself from sin. He
God in deep counsel permits the bad to prosper. 321
the law prohibits all these things. Rejoicest thou that thou Ver. hast found thy goods : art thou not sad that thou art thyself----- lost? How much better would it be that thy coat should
perish than thy soul ? He sneers at all this : he is insulting
to his parents, he hateth his enemy, he pursueth him even unto death : he stealeth when he hath found opportunity, or ceaseth not to bear false witness ; he layeth wait against his neighbour's wife, he coveteth his neighbour's goods : he doeth all these things, and flourisheth in riches, in honours, in the good things of this world. That wretched man who doeth good, and suffereth evils, seeth him, becometh dis turbed, and saith, O God, the wicked, I imagine,
please Thee, and Thou hatest the good, and lovest those who work
iniquity. If he is excited, and consenteth to this thought,
he will lose the Sabbath from his heart : he now beginneth
not to listen to this psaltery ; he hath departed thence, he singeth without reason, // is a good thing to give thanks ver. 1. unto the Lord; find to sing praises unto Thy Name, O
Most Highest. The Sabbath being now lost in the inner man, and the tranquillity of his heart being shut out, and good thoughts repelled, he now beginneth to imitate him whom he seeth flourishing amid his evil deeds ; and turneth himself also to evil works. But God is long-suffering, because He is eternal, and He knoweth the day of His own
judgment, where He wcigheth all things.
8. Teaching us this, what saith he ? (ver. 5. ) O Lord, how
glorious are Thy works : Thy thoughts are made very deep. Verily, my brethren, there is no sea so deep as these thoughts of God, Who maketh the wicked flourish, and the good suffer : nothing so profound, nothing so deep : therein every unbelieving soul is wrecked, in that depth, in that
profundity. Dost thou wish to cross this depth ? Remove
not from the wood of Christ's Cross: thou shalt not sink: hold thyself fast to Christ. What do I mean by this, hold fast to Christ? It was for this reason that He chose to suffer on
earth Himself. Ye have heard, while the prophet was being
read, how He did not turn away His back from the smiters,U. 50,6. and His face from the spittings of men, how He turned not
His cheek from their hands; wherefore chose He to suffer all these things, but that He might console the suffering?
VOL. IV. v
322 Thought of eternity solves mysteries of Providence.
Psalm pie could have raised His flesh at the last day: but then XCII'- thou wouldest not have had thy ground of hope, since thou hadst not seen Him. He deferred not His resurrection, that thou mightest not still be in doubt. Suffer then tribulation
in the world with the same end as that which thou hast observed in Christ: and let not those who do evil, and flourish in this life, move thee. Thy thoughts are very deep. Where is the thought of God? Rejoice not as the fish who is exulting in his bait : the fisherman hath not drawn his hook : the fish hath as yet the hook in his jaws. And what seemeth to thee long, is short; all these things pass over
quickly. What is the long life of man to the eternity of God? Dost thou wish to be of long-suffering? Consider the eternity of God. For thou regardest thy few days, and in thy few days thou dost wish all things to be fulfilled. What things? The condemnation of all the wicked: and the crowning of all the good : dost thou wish these things to be fulfilled in thy days ? God fulfilleth them in His own time. Why dost thou suffer weariness ? He is eternal : Ho waiteth: He is of long-suffering: but thou sayest, 1 am not of long-suffering, because I am mortal. But thou hast it in thy power- to become so: join thy heart to the eternity of God, and with Him thou shall be eternal. For what is said
Is. 40, of temporal things? All flesh is grass: and all the goodli- ? ~8' ness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass uitheieth, and the flower fadeth. All things, then, wither and fade: but not that Word: for the Word of our God shall standfor
ever. The grass passeth away, the glory of the grass passeth away, but thou hast where to hold thyself fast: " The Word of the Lord abideth for ever. " Say iheu unto Him, Thy thoughts are very deep. Thou hast laid hold of the wood, thou art crossing that depth. Seest thou any thing there ? understandest thou any thing there ? I understand, thou sayest. If thou art a Christian, and well instructed, thou sayest: God reserveth all things for His own judgment.
The good suffer, because they are chastened as sons: the wicked exult, because they are condemned as strangers. A man hath iwo sons: the one he chasteneth, the other he dismisseth : the one doeth ill, and he is not punished by his father: the other, as soon as he moves, is beaten with the
The hopeful son chastened. The wicked are as grass. 323
hand, and scourged. Why is the one dismissed, the other Ver. scourged, except because for the one who is beaten, the 6 8- heritage is preserved, while he who is dismissed is dis inherited ? He seeth that he hath no hope, and therefore letteth him go that he may do as he pieaseth, but the boy
who is punished, if he hath no heart, and is imprudent and foolish, congratulateth his brother who is not beaten : and groaneth for himself, saying in his heart, " My brother doeth so many wicked acts, whatever he pieaseth he doeth against the command of my father, and no one giveth him a hard word: I, as soon as I move, am beaten! " He is foolish, unwise; he attendeth to what he suffereth, but not to what is reserved for the other.
9. For this reason, after saying, (ver. 6, 7. ) Thy thoughts are very deep, he at once subjoins : An unwise man doth not well consider this, and a fool doth not understand it. What are the things which an unwise man doth not well consider, and which a fool doth not understand ? When the ungodly are green as the grass. What as the grass? They flourish when winter, but they will wither in the summer. Thou observes! the flower of the grass? What more quickly passeth by? What brighter? What
Let not its verdure delight thee, but fear its wither ing. Thou hast heard of the ungodly being green as the
hear also of the righteous: For lo. In the mean while, consider the ungodly; they flourish as the grass; but who are they who understand not The foolish and unwise. When the ungodly are green as the grass, and all men look upon the workers of iniquity. All who in their heart think not aright of God, look upon the ungodly when they are as green as grass, that when they flourish for time. Why do they look upon them? That they may be destroyed for ever. For they regard their momentary bloom, they imitate them, and wishing to flourish with them for time, perish for evermore: this That they may be destroyed
for ever.
10. Ver. 8. But Thou, Lord, art the Most Highest for
evermore. Waiting above in Thy eternity until the season of the wicked be past, and that of the just come. For lo. Listen, brethren. Already he who speaketh (for he speaketh
greener
grass:
Y 2
is,
is,
aa is
it ?
is
is,
?
it is
324 Enemies of God to be viewed with God.
rsAl. win our person, in the person of Christ's body, for Christ
alloweth all those evil deeds which He seeth to be done by wicked men. Wherefore ? because He is eternal, and seeth what He keepeth for them. Dost thou also wish to be long- suffering and patient? Join thyself to the eternity of God: together with Him wait for those things which are beneath thee: for when thy heart shall have cleaved unto the Most Highest, all mortal things will be beueath thee: say then what follows, For lo, thine enemies shall perish. Those who now flourish, shall afterwards perish. Who are the enemies of God? Brethren, perhaps ye think those only enemies of God who blaspheme ? They indeed are so, and those wicked men who neither in tongue nor in thought cease to injure God. And what do they do to the eternal,
XCI-! speaketh
in His own body, that is, in His Church,) hath joined himself unto the eternity of Uod : as I a little before was saying unto you, God is longsuffering and patient, and
If thou strike with thy fist upon a pillar, thou art hurt : and thinkest thou that where thou strikest God with thy blasphemy, thou art not thyself broken ? for thou doest nothing to God. But the enemies of God are
openly blasphemers, and daily they are found hidden. Beware of such enmities of God. For the Scripture revealeth some such secret enemies of God : that because thou knowest them not in thy heart, thou mayest know in God's Scriptures, and beware of being found with them. James
James saith openly in his Epistle, Know ye not that the friendship
' *'
of the world is enmity with God? Thou hast heard. Dost thou wish not to be an enemy ofGod? Benota friend of this world : for if thou art a friend of this world, thou wilt be an enemy of God. For as a wife cannot be an adulteress, unless she be an enemy to her own husband : so a soul which is an adulteress through its love of worldly things, cannot but be an enemy to God. It feareth, but loveth not : it feareth punishment, but is not delighted with righteousness. All lovers of the world, therefore, are enemies of God, all the curious after trifles, all consulters of diviners, astrologers, and evil spirits. Let them enter, or not enter, Churches : they are enemies of God. They may flourish for a season
like grass, but they will perish, when He beginneth to visit
most high God ?
Glory of the Church in Her old aye. 325 them, and pronounce His sentence upon all flesh. Join Ver.
' ? -
11. But thou, who now art in toil, what will be thy
hope, when God's enemies shall perish, and all the workers
of iniquity shall be destroyed ? Thou who among these stumbling-blocks, among men's wickednesses dost groan,
who art troubled in the flesh, but rejoicest in heart : what
will then be thy hope, O Thou Body of Christ ? O Christ,
Thou Who in heaven sittest on the Father's right hand, but
with Thy feet and Thy hands dost toil on earth, and sayest,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? What hope wilt Thou Acts 9, have, when God's enemies shall perish, and all who work4, iniquity shall be destroyed ? What lot will be Thine ?
(Ver. 10. ) But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn. Why did he say, like the horn of un unicorn? Sometimes an unicorn signifies pride, sometimes it means
the lifting up of unity ; because unity is lifted up, all heresies
shall perish with the enemies of God. And mine horn
shall be exalted like an unicorn. When will it be so ? and So LXX
mine old age shall be in the fatness of mercy. Why did he say, my old age? He means, my last days ; as our old age is the last season in our lives, so the whole of what the body of Christ at present suffereth in labours, in cares, in watchings, in hunger, in thirst, in stumbling-blocks, in wickednesses, in tribulations, is its youth : its old age, that is, its last days, will be in joy. And beware, beloved, that ye think not death meant also, in that he hath spoken of old age: for man groweth old in the flesh for this reason, that he may die. The old age of the Church will be white with good works, but it shall not decay through death. What the head of the old man is, that our works will be. Ye see how the head groweth old, and whiteneth, as fast as old age approacheth. Thou sometimes dost seek in the head of one who groweth old duly in his own course a black hair, yet thou findest it not: thus when our life shall have been such, that the blackness of sins may be sought, and none found, that old age is youthful, is green, and ever will be green. Ye have
thyself to the Scripture of God, and say with this Psalm, (ver. 9. ) For lo, thine enemies shall perish. Be not found there, where they shall perish. And all the workers of iniquity shall be destroyed.
326 Glory of the Righteous at the end, and on high.
Psalm heard of the grass of sinners, hear ye of the old age of the xcu- righteous : My old age shall be in the fatness of mercy.
12. Ver. 1 1. And Mine eye hath beheld on mine enemies. Whom doth he call his enemies? All the workers of iniquity. Do not observe whether thy friend be wicked: let an occasion come, and then thou provest him. Thou beginnest to go contrary to his iniquity, and then thou shalt see that when he was flattering thee, he was thy enemy; but thou hadst not yet knocked, not to raise in his heart what was not there, but that what was there might break out. Mine eye also hath
looked upon mine enemies: and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me. When ? In my old age. What is, in old age ? In the last times. Aud what shall our ear hear? Standing on the right hand, we shall hear what shall be said to them that are on the left :
Mat. 26, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
* angels. The righteous shall not fear for the dreadful hear-
Ps. 112, ing. Ye know that it is said in a Psalm, The righteous
6-
shall be had in everlasting remembrance ; He will not be afraid of any evil hearing. What evil hearing ? Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
And mine ear shall hear upon the wicked that rise up against me.
13. The grass withereth, the flower of sinners dieth away: what of the righteous ? (Ver. 12. ) The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. The ungodly are green as grass ; The righteous shallflourish like a palm tree. By the palm tree he signifieth height. Possibly he had also this meaning in the palm, that in its extremities it is beautiful : so that thou mayest trace its beginning from the earth, its end in its top
most branches, wherein its whole beauty dwelleth. The rough root appeareth in the earth, the beautiful foliage toward the sky. Thy beauty too, then, shall be in the end. Thy root is fixed fast: but our root is upward. For our root is Christ, Who hath ascended into heaven. Humbled, he shall be exalted ; he shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. See what trees he spoke of: the righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree : and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. When the sun hath gone forth, doth the palm-tree wither ? Doth the cedar die ? But when the sun
Quietness and patience witness God's Righteousness. 327
hath been glowing for some hours, the grass drieth up. The Ver. judgment, therefore, shall come, that sinners may wither, and-2' l3, the faithful flourish. He shall spread abroad like a cedar
in Libanus.
14. Ver. 12, 13. Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
They shall be yet more increased in fruitful old age, and shall be quiet, that they may shew it forth. Such is the sabbath, which but a little while ago I commended unto you, whence the Psalm hath its title. They shall be quiet, that they may shew it forth. Wherefore are they quiet that shew it forth ? The grass of sinners moveth them not : the cedar and palm-tree not even in tempests are bent. They are therefore quiet, that they may shew it forth : and with reason, since at present they must shew it forth even unto men who mock at it. O wretched men, who are lovers of the world ! Those who are planted in the house of the Lord, shew it to you : those who praise the Lord with song and lute, in word and deed, shew it forth to you, and tell you. Be not seduced by the prosperity of the wicked, admire not the flower of grass : admire not those who are happy only for a season, but miserable unto eternity. That happiness which now appeareth outwardly is not true ; they are not happy in heart, because
are tortured by a bad conscience. But be thou trusting in the promises of the Lord thy God. For what wilt thou shew forth in thy quietness? How true the Lord my strength is ; and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. Listen, my brethren, if ye are planted in the house of the Lord ; if yo wish to flourish like a palm-tree, and to spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus, and not to wither like grass when the sun is hot ; as those who appear to flourish when the sun is absent. If then ye wish not to be as grass, but as the palm-tree and the cedar, what will ye shew forth ? How true the Lord my strength is : and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. How is it there is no unrighteousness? A man committeth so great crimes; he is well, he hath sons, a plentiful house, he is full of pride, is exalted by his honours, is revenged on his enemies, and docth every evil deed ; another man, inno
they quiet,
328 Wuit for God's judgment, and it shall appear.
Psalm cent, attending to his own affairs, not robbing another's XCII ? .
Lat. XCII.
goods, doing nothing against any one, suffereth in chams, in prison, tosseth and sigheth in poverty. How is it that there is no unrighteousness in Him ? Be quiet, and thou shalt know : for thou art disturbed, and in thy chamber thou dost darken thy light. The eternal God doth wish to shine upon thee : do not then make thee cloudy weather from thy own disturbed mind. Be quiet within thyself, and see what I say unto thee. Because God is eternal, because for the present He spareth the bad, bringing them to repentance : He scourgeth the good, instructing them in the way unto the kingdom of heaven : There is no unrighteousness in Him: fear not. Behold, I have been
so much scourged, it is clear, 1 confess, 1 have sinned : for I do not call myself righteous. For this is what most say ; when any one is by chance in any misery, in pain, thou goest in to console him : and he replieth, 1 have sinned, I confess, there are sins which I confess to be mine ; but have 1 sinned as deeply as this man hath ? I know how great sins he committed : I have sinned, I confess unto God, but less than he hath ; and, behold, he suffereth no evil. Be not disturbed, be quiet, that thou mayest know how true the Lord is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him. What if He now scourgeth thee, because He is not keeping for thee the flame everlasting ? What, if He leaveth this man unpunished now, because he is doomed to hear, Depart into everlastingfire. But when? when thou shalt be placed at the right hand, then shall it be said to those placed on the left, Depart into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Let not therefore those things move thee : Be quiet, keep sabbath, and shew how true the
Lord my strength is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him.
PSALM XCIII. A Sermon to the people.
We heard the title of this Psalm, while it was reading : and it is not difficult to understand its meaning from the
Rest of God signifies rest after good works. 329
Scripture of God, that from the book of Genesis: for in Title. the title we are, as were, warned upon the threshold what
we are to look for within. It entitled, The Song ofpraise
of David himself, on the dag before the sabbath, when the
earth was founded. Remembering then what God did through all those days, when He made and ordained all things, from the first up to the sixth day, (for the seventh He sanctified, because He rested on that day after all the works, which He made very good,) we find that He created on the sixth day (which day here mentioned, in that he saith, before the Sabbath) all animals on the earth lastly, He on that very day created man in His own likeness and image. For these days were not without reason ordained in such order, but for that ages also were to run in like course, before we rest in God. But then we rest we do good works. As
type
of this, written of God, God rested on the seventh dag, Gen.
when He had made all His works very good. For He was^32' not wearied, so as to need rest, nor hath He now left off- to work, for our Lord Christ saith openly, My Father worketh John hitherto. For He saith this unto the Jews, who thought1''' carnally of God, and understood not that God worketh in quiet, and always worketh, and always in quiet. We
also, then, whom God willed then to figure in Himself, shall
have rest after all good works. And indeed, our good works, brethren, which we do here in the world before our rest, arc
in a manner toilsome; and that rest in hope, not attained in its reality and unless was in hope, we should fail in our labour but our toilsome and good
works pass over. For what so good, as to give bread
unto the hungred and what we were listening to just
now, whilst the Gospel was reading, what so good, as
that which he advised generally, He that hath tuo coats, fe/i,uke3, him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat,11'
let him do likewise? To clothe the naked, good work will this good work be evermore hath little toil in but hath a solace in the hope of future rest. Cut how
much toil hast thou in clothing the naked good work doth not toil much bad work hath toil. For he who clotheth the naked, he hath whence to do so, toileth not:
he hath not whence to do so, Glory to God in the highest, Luke 14.
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