Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the
Weakness
of God is stronger than men.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
Whom did He send away ?
Even the people of the Jews He sent away, and He departed.
Thou seekest now Christ among the Jews, and findest Him not.
Wherefore did He send away, and depart?
Because He changed His coun tenance.
For they cleaving to the sacrifice after the order
of Aaron, held not the Sacrifice after the order of Melchizedek ; Heb. 7, and so lost Christ, and the Gentiles began to have Him, to11, whom He had not before sent Preachers. For to them, He
had sent Preachers: David himself, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the other Prophets had He sent,
348 Christ quitted those who questioned, How is it?
Psalm and a few thereby learned knowledge, but they a very few in
Sufim. comparison of them that perished, for they were many. For h we read that there were thousands. For it is written, A
? n , ' remnant shall be saved. But now thou lookest for circum- is. 11, c;secl Christians, and findost not. But there were of the
. . '
11; 24,
13. Circumcision, in the primitive times of the faith, many
thousands of Christians. Thou lookest for them now, and
findest not. Rightly thou findest not, for He changed His 'dimisit Countenance before Abimelech, and He quitted1 him, and
He departed. And before Achis He changed His coun tenance, and He quitted him, and He departed. For therefore were the names changed, that the change of names might excite our attention to the signification of the mystery: lest we should think that nothing is told or related in the Scriptures of the Psalms, save what is found in the Books
of Kings to have been done : and should not seek there figures of things to come, but take them as histories of things past. Therefore when the names are changed, what is said to thee? Here is something shut up; knock; abide not in the letter, for the letter killeth : but desire the Spirit, for
2Cor. 3, the Spirit giveth life: the understanding of the Spirit saveth him that believeth.
8. How then He quitted king Achis, hear now, my Brethren.
I said that Achis is interpreted, How is it?
Recollect the Gospel; when our Lord Jesus Christ spoke concern- John 6, ing His Body, He said, Except a man eat My Flesh, and
'drink My Blood, he shall have no life in him. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And His Disciples who followed Him feared, and were shocked at His discourse; and understanding it not, they thought that our Lord Jesus Christ said some hard thing, as if they were to eat His Flesh, and to drink His Blood which they saw; and could not endure saying as were, How For error and ignorance and folly are in the person of king Achis. For when said, How
where something not understood, there
ignorance. There was then, in them, the kingdom of igno rance, as were king Achis that is, the kingdom of error prevailed over them. But He said, Except a man eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood
something not understood
the darkness of
because He had changed His
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He seemed to the unbelieving as one mad. 349
Countenance, it seemed like raving and madness, that He Introp. should give to men His Flesh to be eaten, and His Blood to
be drunk. Therefore David was thought, as it were, mad,
when Achis himself said, Wherefore have ye brought this
mad fellow unto me ? Doth not this seem madness, Eat My
Flesh and drink My Blood? And He saying, Whoso eateth not John 6,
My Flesh and drinketh not My Blood, shall have no life in
him, seemeth to be mad. But to king Achis He seemeth
to be mad, that is, to the foolish and ignorant. Therefore
He quitted them, and departed: understanding fled from
their heart, lest they should be able to comprehend Him.
And what said they ? As it were, How is it ? which is inter preted, Achis. For they said, How can this Man give us His John 6, Flesh to eat? They thought the Lord a mad fellow, and that
He knew not what He spoke, and that He was insane. But He Who knew what He said, in that change of His Countenance, and in that seeming raving and madness, de clared mysteries, and ' affected, and drummed upon the doors ofthe city. '
9. Now must we enquire what that also may be, He affected, and drummed upon the doors. Not without reason is it said, He fell down at the doors of the gate : not without reason is it said, His spittle ran down upon His beard; these things are not said in vain. With the wages of under standing, a long discourse ought not to be burdensome. Ye know, my Brethren, that those same Jews, before whom He changed His Countenance, and sent them away, and departed, this day rest. If they who lost Christ, whom He sent away,
and departed, have a vain rest ; we have a fruitful rest, that we may understand Christ, Who sent them away, and came unto us. All things are not done in vain ; neither were they in that madness of David, of which it is said, He affected, and drummed upon the gates of the city, and was carried in
His own hands, and fell down at the doors of the gate, and His spittle ran down over His beard. He affected: what is, He affected ? He had an affection. What is it to have an affection? He had compassion on our infirmities, and there fore would He to take upon Himself the same flesh, that therein He might destroy death. Having then compassion on us, He was said to affect. Therefore doth the Apostle
'
31.
350 Christ l drumming on the doors,' ' borne in His Own Hands
. merciful; where is affection, there is mercy. Where is 'mercy? He had mercy on us from above: for if He had refused to empty himself, remaining in that Form in which
He was equal with the Father from everlasting, we had always remained in death: but that He might deliver us from everlasting death, to which the sin of pride had brought us, He humbled Himself, being made obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Therefore He affected, because He came even to the death of the Cross. And because whoever is crucified is extended on wood; and that to make a drum, flesh, that skin, extended on wood, therefore
said, He drummed, that is, He was crucified, He was extended on wood. He affected, that He had affection for
Psalm reprove those who are hard and without affection. For re- XXXIV
Serm. proving some he saith, Without natural affection, un-
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Johnio. us, that He might lay down His life for His sheep. He drummed: How? upon the doors of the city. The door that which opened to us, that we may believe in God. We had closed the door against Christ, and had opened
to the devil. Against Life Eternal had we our hearts closed. But He, the Lord our God, because we men had our hearts closed against life eternal, and would not see the Word, Which Angels see, with His Cross opened the hearts of mortal men, that is, He drummed against the doors the city.
10. And was carried in His Own Hands: how indeed this could be done in case of man, who, Brethren, can understand For who carried in his own hands? ' In the hands of others can man be carried, in his own hands
no man carried. How this may be understood of David according to the letter, we find not but in Christ we find. For Christ was carried in His Own Hands, when commending
Mat. 26, His Own Body, He said, This is My Body. For That Body He carried" in His Own Hands. This the Humility of our Lord Jesus Christ, this much commended unto men. According to this He exhorteth us, Brethren, to live that
is, that we should imitate His Humility that we should slay Goliath, and holding Christ, should conquer pride. For, He
? So Oxf. Mss. but Ed. Ben. notes That in His own hands. ' Ferebat that aU his Mss. read, He carried illud in manibus suis. '
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falling dotcn alihe gate' H isstrength
fell down at the doors of the gate.
Cast Himself down unto humility.
the gate ? At the beginning of faith, whereby we are saved.
For none beginneth but from the beginning of faith, as it is
said in the Song of Songs, Thou shall come, and shall pass So! . through from the beginning of faith. We shall come face^0"^^' to face ; as it is written, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, \ John and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know3' 2. that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we
shall see Him as He is. We shall see Him. When ? When these things have passed away. Hear also the Apostle Paul, Now we see through a glass darkly ; but then 1 Cor.
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face to face. Before then we see face to face the Word, which Angels see, we have yet need of the doors of the gate, at which the Lord fell down, humbling Himself even unto death.
11. What is it that, His spittle ran down over His beard ? For in this, He changed His Countenance before Abimelech, or Achis, and He quitted him, and He departed; those that understood not, He quitted. To whom went He? To the Gentiles. Therefore let us understand, what they could not. The spittle of David ran down over his beard ; what is, The spittle ? As it were, infantile words ; for spittle runneth down with infants. Were not these like infantile words, Eat ye My Flesh, and drink My Blood ? But those infantile words covered His strength. For by the beard is understood strength. The spittle therefore running down over His beard, what is it but words of weakness covering His strength ? Your Holiness hath now, as I trust, understood the title of
this Psalm. If we should wish now to explain the Psalm also, there is fear lest those things which ye have heard should slip out of your hearts. The title of this Psalm have we explained in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ : since to-morrow is the Lord's Day, and we owe unto you a discourse, let us defer unto to-morrow the text of the Psalm, that ye may hear it also with pleasure.
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It idden by weakness. 851
What is, fell down ? Introd. What is, at the doors of
352 Explanation of David's feigned madness repeated.
PSALM XXXIV. DISCOURSE THE SECOND.
. . . l,, manded will also give us power to pay, being always debtors of
Psalm Those of you who were present yesterday, I doubt not, Serm. remember our promise ; and now it is time, in the Name of
" ,. 1al. com- ,
, , the Lord, to pa3' the debt. He inspired1 us to promise, He
For that it is which is always paid, and yet always Rom. due, as saith the Apostle, Owe no man any thing, but to love
''
charity.
one another. The title of this Psalm we explained yester day, and when the exposition detained us long, the text of the same Psalm we deferred to explain. Let us then hear
what the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of His holy Prophet, saith in the words of the Psalm, agreeable to the title which yesterday we handled. Those who were not then present perhaps demand of us also this as a debt; but lest haply through other such delays, we defraud those to whom we ought now to pay what we owe, from a brief recital thereof let them understand as much as they can, who to-day are here present, and yesterday were not. But if any thing moveth them, which they may wish to enquire of more diligently, they will find our ears open to them in Christ's Name, at any other time, lest this be hindered.
2. I said that it was written in the Book of Kings, that David, when he fled from Saul, would be hid with a certain king of Gath named Achis ; but when his glory had been made known there, lest, through envy, the same king, to whom he had fled, should contrive any thing against him, he feigned madness, and, as if possessed with frenzy, changed his countenance, and as we read, affected, and drummed upon the doors of the city, and was carried in his own hands, and fell down at the doors of the gate. And king Achis Isaid, Wherefore have ye brought this fellow tome: have
need
might be fulfilled which here is written, He changed His
of madmen ? And so sent him away, that it
Types of the Crucifixion, of the Jews' rejection, Sfc. 353
Countenance, and He sent him away, and He departed. But Intkod. he quitted king Achis ; but here it is written, lhat He changed
His Countenance before Abimelech, and He quitted him, and
He departed. But I said that the names were changed that
it might be shewn to be a mystery ; lest if the same name had been repeated in the title of the Psalm, he should seem not to have prophesied to us something mysterious, but to have related it as a fact. Both names then contain a great mystery. For Achis is interpreted, How is it? Abimelech
is interpreted, The kingdom of my father. In that word then which is called, How is signified ignorance, and by to be understood, the expression of one wondering and not perceiving but in that which called Abimelech,
signified the kingdom of the Jews. For that in the person of Christ may be called, The kingdom of My father, because His father, according to the flesh, was David, and the kingdom of David was in the nation of the Jews. Therefore, before the kingdom of His father, He changed His Counte nance, and He sent him away, and He departed; because there was there sacrifice after the order of Aaron, and
afterwards He of His Own Body and Blood appointed sacrifice after the order of Melchizedek. He changed then His Countenance in the Priesthood, and sent away the kingdom of the Jews, and came to the Gentiles. What then is, He affected? He was full of affection. For what so full of affection as the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who, seeing our infirmity, that He might deliver us from everlasting death, underwent temporal death with such great injury and contumely And He drummed because drum
not made, except when skin extended on wood and David drummed, to signify that Christ should be crucified. But, He drummed upon the doors of the city what are the doors of the city, but our hearts which we had closed against Christ, Who by the drum of His Cross hath opened the
hearts of mortal men And was carried in His Own Hands:
how carried in His Own Hands Because when He com mended His Own Body and Blood, He took into His Hands
that which the faithful know and in a manner carried Himself, when He said, This My Body. And HefeUf**. TM' down at the doors of the gate that He humbled Him-
a a
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354 Christ an example of patience and humility.
Psalm self. For this it to fall down even at the very beginning xxxiv. 0f our faith por the door of the gate the beginning of
II. faith whence beginneth the Church, and arriveth at last even unto sight that as believeth those things which seeth not, may deserve to enjoy them, when shall have begun to see face to face. So the title of the Psalm; briefly we have heard let us now hear the very words of Him that affectelh, and drummeth upon the doors of the city.
3. Ver. will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall be ever in my mouth. So speaketh Christ, so also let a Chris
for a Christian in the Body of Christ and therefore was Christ made Man, that that Christian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, will bless the Lord at all times. When shall bless the Lord When He blesseth thee? When the goods of this world abound? When thou hast great abundance of corn, oil, and wine, of gold and silver, of servants and cattle when this mortal health re- maineth unwounded and sound when all that are born to thee grow up, nothing withdrawn by immature death, hap piness wholly reigneth in thy house, and all things overflow around thee then shalt thou bless the Lord No; but at all times. Therefore both then, and when according to the time,
or according to the scourges of our Lord God, these things are troubled, are taken away, are seldom born to thee, and born
tian speak
For these things come to pass, and thence fol- loweth penury, need, labour, pain, and temptation. But thou, who hast sung, will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be ever in my mouth, both when He giveth them, bless; and when He taketh them away, bless. For He that
pass away.
He that taketh away: but Himself from him that blesseth Him He taketh not away.
4. But who that blesseth the Lord at all times, except the humble in heart. For very humility taught our Lord in His Own Body and Blood because when He commendeth
His Own Body and Blood, He commendeth His Humility, in that which written in this history, in that seeming madness
Sam. of David, which we have passed by, And his spittle ran down over his beard. When the Apostle was read, Ye heard
saith perhaps, What spittle have we heard
giveth,
the same spittle, but running down over the beard.
One Was not
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The humble bless God in all circumstances. 355
read but now, where the Apostle saith, The Jews require a Ver.
sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom ? But now it was
read, But we preach, saith he, Christ crucified, (for then He l Cor. l, drummed,) unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God.
Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men. For spittle signifieth foolishness; spittle signifieth weakness. But if the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men ; let not the spittle as it were offend thee, but observe that it runneth down over the beard: for as by the spittle, weakness; so by the beard, strength is signified. He covered then His Strength by the body of His Weakness, and that which without was weak, appeared as it were in spittle ; but within His Divine Strength was covered as a beard. Therefore humility is commended unto us. Be humble if thou wouldest bless the Lord at all times, and that His praise should be ever in thy mouth. Because Job not only blessed the Lord, when he had abundance of all things, wherewith we read that he was
made both rich and happy, rich in cattle and servants and houses, happy in children and in all good things. Taken
away were all these at one time, yet he fulfilled what in this Psalm is written, saying, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath Joh i , taken away: as it pleased the Lord, so it came to pass,V\ Blessed be the name of the Lord. See here thou hast an example of one blessing the Lord at all times.
5. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times ? Because he is humble. What is it to be humble ? To take not praise uuto himself. Who would himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou not then be proud ? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written ; (ver. 2. ) In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Those then who will not be praised in the Lord, are not humble, but fierce, rough, lifted up, proud. Gentle beasts would the Lord have; be thou the Lord's beast, that is, be thou humble. He sitteth upon thee, He ruleth thee : fear not lest thou stumble, and fall headlong: that indeed is thy infirmity;
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356 The ass more patient than the horse and mule.
Psalm but consider Who sitteth upon thee. Thou art an ass's colt,
xxxiv. but t|iou carriest Christ. For even He on an ass's colt came Serm.
II. into the city ; and that beast was gentle. Was that beast Mat. 21, praised? Was it said to that beast, Hosanna to the Son of
9"
David; blessed is He that cotneth in the Name of the Lord? The ass carried ; but it was He that was carried, that by those going before and following was praised. And haply said the beast, In the Lord shall my soul be praised ; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. That ass never said this, Brethren ; but this must the People say, which doth imitate that beast, if it would carry its Lord. Haply the People is wroth that it is compared to the ass, whereon the Lord sat ; and some uplifted and proud will say to me, See he hath made us asses. Let him be the Lord's ass, whoever saith this, lest he be horse or mule which have no under-
Ps. o2,9. standing; for ye know the Psalm where it is said, Be not ye as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding. For horse and mules sometimes lift up their neck, and by their own fierceness throw off their rider. They are tamed with the bit, with bridle, with stripes, until they learn to submit, and to carry their master. But thou, before thy jaws are bruised with the bridle, be humble, and carry thy Lord : wish not praise for thyself, but praised be He, Who sitteth upon thee, and say thou, In the Lord shall my soul be
praised; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. For when they hear that are not humble, they are not glad, but wroth : and the same are they which say that we have made them asses ; but let them which are humble deign to hear, and to be what they hear.
6. Now followeth, (ver. 3. ) O magnify the Lord with me. Who is this that exhorteth us, that we should magnify the Lord with him ? Whoever, Brethren, is in the body of Christ, ought for this to labour, that the Lord may be magnified with him. For he loveth the Lord, whoever he is. And how doth he love Him ? So as not to envy his fellow-lover. For whoever loveth carnally, must needs love with deadly jealousy. If haply for a great sum he hath been able to see naked her whom with deadly love he hath desired, doth he
wish that another also should see her ? Needs must he be wounded with jealousy and envy, if another also have seen
Lovers of Christ envy not, but bring all they can to Unity. 357
her. And so is chastity preserved, if he alone hath seen Ver.
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who may, and not another ; or not even he. Not so is the Wisdom of God. Her we shall see, face to face, and we shall all see, and no one there will be jealous. Unto all She sheweth Herself, and unto all is pure and chaste. They are changed into Her, and She is not changed into them. She is Truth indeed, She is God indeed. Have ye ever heard, Brethren, that our God can be changed ? The Truth Su preme above all is He, the Word of God is He, the Wisdom
of God is He, by Whom all things were made : He hath His lovers. But what saith His lover? O magnify the Lord with me: I would not alone magnify the Lord, I would not alone love, I would not alone embrace Him. For neither if I embrace Him, will there be no room where another may lay his hands. Such breadth is there in Wisdom Itself, that all souls may embrace and enjoy Her. And what shall I say, Brethren? Let them blush who so love God as to envy others. Abandoned men love a charioteer, and whoever
loveth a charioteer or hunter, wisheth the whole people to love with him, and exhorteth, saying, Love with me this pantomime, love with me this or that shame. He calleth among the people that shame may be loved with him ; and doth not a Christian call in the Church, that the Truth of God may be loved with him ? Stir up then love in your selves, Brethren ; and call to every one of yours, and say, O magnify the Lord with me. Let there be in you that fervour. Wherefore are these things recited and explained ?
If ye love God, bring quickly to the love of God all who are joined unto you, and all who are in your house ; if the Body
of Christ is loved by you, that is, if the unity of the Church, bring them quickly to enjoy, and say, O magnify the Lord with me.
7. And let us exalt His Name together1. What is, let us] 'in exalt His Name together? That is, in one. For many^! ' copies so have magnify the Lord with me and let us ,,n exalt His Name in one*. Whether be said, together, or in*
9 unum. ' one, the same thing. Therefore bring quickly whom ye
can, by exhorting, by transporting3, by beseeching, by dis-! puting, by rendering reason, with meekness, with gentle- ness. Bring them quickly unto love that they magnify
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358 Schismatics rend the Body, Persecutors brake not.
Psalm the Lord, they may magnify Him in one. The party of xxxiv. Donatus seem indeed unlo themselves to magnify the Lord :
II. why doth the whole world offend them ? Let us, Brethren, say unto them, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name in one. Wherefore would ye magnify the Lord in separation ? He is One; wherefore would ye make two peoples of God ? Wherefore would ye rend the Body of Christ ? For surely He hung upon the Cross, when He drummed; and when He hung upon the Cross, He gave up the ghost; and they came who had suspended Him, and found that He had given up the ghost, and they brake not His legs: but the legs of the thieves, yet living on the cross,
John 19, they brake, that by a speedy death through very pain they might be freed from their torment, which thing was wont to be done to persons crucified. So came the persecutor, and found that the Lord had quietly given up the ghost, as He
John 10, said Himself, / have power to lay down my life. (For whom laid he down His life ? For all His people, for His whole body. ) So the persecutor came, and brake not the legs of Christ ; Donatus came, and rent the Church of Christ. The Body of Christ upon the Cross is whole, even in the hands of His persecutors: and in the hands of Christians the Church of Christ is not whole. Let us then, Brethren, cry with groans as much as we can, saying, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name in one.
For so the Church crieth unto them ; it is the voice of the Church crying unto them who have cut themselves off from her. For
whereby were they rent from her? Through pride. But Christ teacheth humility, when He commendeth His Body and Blood : this as I said to your Holiness, is treated and celebrated in the text of this Psalm; wherein is commended the Body and Blood of Christ, when the Humility of Christ is commended, which for our sakes He deigned to take upon
8. Ver. 4.
Himself. /sought the Lord, and He heard me. Where
heard the Lord ? Within. Where giveth He ? Within. There thou prayest, there thou art heard, there thou art blessed. Thou hast prayed, thou art heard, thou art blessed ; and he knoweth not who standeth by thee: it is all carried on in
Mait. 6, secret, as the Lord saith in the Gospel, Enter into thy closet, 6.
A good conscience the place wherein to worship God. 359
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father Veh.
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Which is in secret ; and thy Father Which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. When therefore thou enterest
into thy chamber, thou enterest into thy heart. Blessed are they who rejoice when they enter into their heart, and find therein nought of evil. Let your Holiness attend ; as men
are unwilling to enter their houses who have bad wives, as they go out to their business, and rejoice; when the hour
has come to return to their own house they are sorrowful ;
for they are about to enter to weariness, to murmurings, to bitterness, to confusions; for a house is not quiet, where between a man and his wife there is no peace ; and to him
it is better to wander about abroad. If then they are mise rable, who when they return to their own walls fear lest they
be troubled by some disturbance of their own family, how much more miserable are they, who are unwilling to return
to their own conscience, lest they be overturned by the strife
of their sins. Therefore that thou mayest be able to return willingly to thy heart, cleanse for Blessed are the pure in Matt. heart; for they shall see God. Take away thence filthy desires, take away the spot of avarice, take away the plague
of superstition, take away sacrilege, and evil thoughts; hatreds also, say not against friend, but even against an enemy take away all these so enter into thy heart, and thou shall rejoice therein. When then thou hast begun to rejoice, the very cleanness of thy heart will delight thee, and will make thee to pray as when thou comest to any place, where silence, where quiet, the place clean thou sayest, Let us pray here; and the quietness of the place delighteth thee, and thou believest that God will there hear thee. If then the visible cleanness of place delighteth thee, wherefore doth not the uncleanness of thy heart offend thee Enter in, cleanse all, lift up thine eyes unto God, and immediately he will hear thee. Cry and say, sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me out of all my troubles. Wherefore Because even when thou art enlightened, when thou hast begun here to have good conscience, there remain troubles because there remaineth some infirmity, until death be swallowed up in victory, and
this mortal have put on immortality needs must thou in Cor. 15, 54.
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360 Invitation to seek God for Himself alone.
Psalm this world be scourged ; needs must thou suffer some tempta- xxxiv. uons, some suggestions : God will cleanse all, He will deliver
II. thee frIom all thy troubles; seek thou Him.
*? ? 22.
. rejoice, and thy joy none shall take from thee ; because thou ' soughtest the Lord, and He heard thee, and out of all thy
troubles delivered thee.
10. 1 have said who was the exhorter, namely, that lover,
who would not alone embrace what he loveth, and saith,(ver. 5. ) Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. For he saith what he himself proved. For some spiritual person in the Body of Christ, or even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself according to the flesh, the Head exhorting His Own Mem bers, saith; what? Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. Or rather some spiritual Christian inviteth us to approach to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But let us approach to Him and be lightened ; not as the Jews approached to Him,
the Lord Himself. /
sought
(saith he)
the Lord, and He heard me. Who then are
9.
not heard, seek not the Lord. Attend, Holy Brethren ; he said not, I sought gold from the Lord, and He heard me ; I sought from the Lord long life, and He heard me ; I sought from the Lord this or that, and He heard me. It is one thing to seek any thing from the Lord, another to seek
the Lord, and He heard me. But thou, when thou prayest, saying, Kill that my enemy, seekest not the Lord, but, as it were, makest thyself a judge over thy enemy, and makest thy God an
executioner1. How knowest thou that he is not better than thou, whose death thou seekest? In that very thing haply he is, that he seeketh not thine. Therefore seek not from the Lord any thing without, but seek the Lord Himself, and He will hIear thee, and while thou yet speakest, He will say, Lo, here am. What is, Lo, here Iam? Lo, I am present: what wouldest thou ? what seekest thou of Me ? Whatever I should give thee, is more vile than I; Myself have thou, Me enjoy, Me embrace : not yet art thou able wholly ; by faith touch Me, and thou shalt cleave unto Me, (this God saith to thee,) and thy other burdens will I remove from off thee, that thou mayest wholly cleave unto Me, when I have changed this thy mortal to immortality, that thou mayest be
sought
? quEKsti-
Is. 65, 24'
l Cor.
Mat. 22, equal to My Angels, and ever see My Face, and mayest
None shall be put to shame who come to Christ's light. 361
that they might be darkened; for they approached to Him Vrr. that they might crucify Him: let us approach to Him that --"-- we may receive His Body and Blood. They by Him cruci
fied were darkened; we by eating and drinking The Crucified
are lightened. Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. Lo, this is said to the Gentiles. Christ was crucified amid the Jews raging and seeing ; the Gentiles were absent ; lo, they have approached who were in darkness, and they who saw not are lightened. Whereby approach the Gentiles ? By following with faith, by longing with the heart, by run ning with charity. Thy feet are thy charity. Have two feet, be not lame. What are thy two feet ? The two com mandments of love, of thy God, and of thy Neighbour. With these feet run thou unto God, approach unto Him, for
He hath both exhorted thee to run, and hath Himself shed His Own Light, as he hath magnificently and divinely con tinued'. And your faces shall not be ashamed. Approach (saith he) unto Him, and be ye lightened; and your faces shall not be ashamed. No face shall be ashamed but of the proud. Wherefore? Because he would be lifted up, and when he hath suffered insult, or ignominy, or mischance in this world, or any affliction, he is ashamed. But fear not thou, approach unto Him, and thou shalt not be ashamed. Whatever thy enemy doth to thee, he seemeth to be superior to thee before men, but before God thou art superior. I have taken, I have bound, I have killed : how superior seem they to themselves who say these things ! How superior seemed the Jews unto themselves, when they buffeted the Lord, when they spat in His face, and smote Him on the head with a reed, when they crowned Him with thorns, when they covered Him with a robe of ignominy ! How superior were they ! And He seemed inferior, because He fell down
at the doors of the gate : but He was not ashamed. For
He was the True Light, which lighteth every man that John l, cometh into the world. As then the Light cannot be con-9, founded, so He suffereth not him that is lightened to be
>> So our Mss. and others, as Ed. Him. ' ' Sic, ut magnifice et divine se Ben. says, ' magno consensu. ' ' Sicut sequi possitis. ' See on Ps.
of Aaron, held not the Sacrifice after the order of Melchizedek ; Heb. 7, and so lost Christ, and the Gentiles began to have Him, to11, whom He had not before sent Preachers. For to them, He
had sent Preachers: David himself, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the other Prophets had He sent,
348 Christ quitted those who questioned, How is it?
Psalm and a few thereby learned knowledge, but they a very few in
Sufim. comparison of them that perished, for they were many. For h we read that there were thousands. For it is written, A
? n , ' remnant shall be saved. But now thou lookest for circum- is. 11, c;secl Christians, and findost not. But there were of the
. . '
11; 24,
13. Circumcision, in the primitive times of the faith, many
thousands of Christians. Thou lookest for them now, and
findest not. Rightly thou findest not, for He changed His 'dimisit Countenance before Abimelech, and He quitted1 him, and
He departed. And before Achis He changed His coun tenance, and He quitted him, and He departed. For therefore were the names changed, that the change of names might excite our attention to the signification of the mystery: lest we should think that nothing is told or related in the Scriptures of the Psalms, save what is found in the Books
of Kings to have been done : and should not seek there figures of things to come, but take them as histories of things past. Therefore when the names are changed, what is said to thee? Here is something shut up; knock; abide not in the letter, for the letter killeth : but desire the Spirit, for
2Cor. 3, the Spirit giveth life: the understanding of the Spirit saveth him that believeth.
8. How then He quitted king Achis, hear now, my Brethren.
I said that Achis is interpreted, How is it?
Recollect the Gospel; when our Lord Jesus Christ spoke concern- John 6, ing His Body, He said, Except a man eat My Flesh, and
'drink My Blood, he shall have no life in him. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And His Disciples who followed Him feared, and were shocked at His discourse; and understanding it not, they thought that our Lord Jesus Christ said some hard thing, as if they were to eat His Flesh, and to drink His Blood which they saw; and could not endure saying as were, How For error and ignorance and folly are in the person of king Achis. For when said, How
where something not understood, there
ignorance. There was then, in them, the kingdom of igno rance, as were king Achis that is, the kingdom of error prevailed over them. But He said, Except a man eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood
something not understood
the darkness of
because He had changed His
:
it, is
it
is
:
it,
it
is
is is
;
it
is
it ?
He seemed to the unbelieving as one mad. 349
Countenance, it seemed like raving and madness, that He Introp. should give to men His Flesh to be eaten, and His Blood to
be drunk. Therefore David was thought, as it were, mad,
when Achis himself said, Wherefore have ye brought this
mad fellow unto me ? Doth not this seem madness, Eat My
Flesh and drink My Blood? And He saying, Whoso eateth not John 6,
My Flesh and drinketh not My Blood, shall have no life in
him, seemeth to be mad. But to king Achis He seemeth
to be mad, that is, to the foolish and ignorant. Therefore
He quitted them, and departed: understanding fled from
their heart, lest they should be able to comprehend Him.
And what said they ? As it were, How is it ? which is inter preted, Achis. For they said, How can this Man give us His John 6, Flesh to eat? They thought the Lord a mad fellow, and that
He knew not what He spoke, and that He was insane. But He Who knew what He said, in that change of His Countenance, and in that seeming raving and madness, de clared mysteries, and ' affected, and drummed upon the doors ofthe city. '
9. Now must we enquire what that also may be, He affected, and drummed upon the doors. Not without reason is it said, He fell down at the doors of the gate : not without reason is it said, His spittle ran down upon His beard; these things are not said in vain. With the wages of under standing, a long discourse ought not to be burdensome. Ye know, my Brethren, that those same Jews, before whom He changed His Countenance, and sent them away, and departed, this day rest. If they who lost Christ, whom He sent away,
and departed, have a vain rest ; we have a fruitful rest, that we may understand Christ, Who sent them away, and came unto us. All things are not done in vain ; neither were they in that madness of David, of which it is said, He affected, and drummed upon the gates of the city, and was carried in
His own hands, and fell down at the doors of the gate, and His spittle ran down over His beard. He affected: what is, He affected ? He had an affection. What is it to have an affection? He had compassion on our infirmities, and there fore would He to take upon Himself the same flesh, that therein He might destroy death. Having then compassion on us, He was said to affect. Therefore doth the Apostle
'
31.
350 Christ l drumming on the doors,' ' borne in His Own Hands
. merciful; where is affection, there is mercy. Where is 'mercy? He had mercy on us from above: for if He had refused to empty himself, remaining in that Form in which
He was equal with the Father from everlasting, we had always remained in death: but that He might deliver us from everlasting death, to which the sin of pride had brought us, He humbled Himself, being made obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Therefore He affected, because He came even to the death of the Cross. And because whoever is crucified is extended on wood; and that to make a drum, flesh, that skin, extended on wood, therefore
said, He drummed, that is, He was crucified, He was extended on wood. He affected, that He had affection for
Psalm reprove those who are hard and without affection. For re- XXXIV
Serm. proving some he saith, Without natural affection, un-
'
Johnio. us, that He might lay down His life for His sheep. He drummed: How? upon the doors of the city. The door that which opened to us, that we may believe in God. We had closed the door against Christ, and had opened
to the devil. Against Life Eternal had we our hearts closed. But He, the Lord our God, because we men had our hearts closed against life eternal, and would not see the Word, Which Angels see, with His Cross opened the hearts of mortal men, that is, He drummed against the doors the city.
10. And was carried in His Own Hands: how indeed this could be done in case of man, who, Brethren, can understand For who carried in his own hands? ' In the hands of others can man be carried, in his own hands
no man carried. How this may be understood of David according to the letter, we find not but in Christ we find. For Christ was carried in His Own Hands, when commending
Mat. 26, His Own Body, He said, This is My Body. For That Body He carried" in His Own Hands. This the Humility of our Lord Jesus Christ, this much commended unto men. According to this He exhorteth us, Brethren, to live that
is, that we should imitate His Humility that we should slay Goliath, and holding Christ, should conquer pride. For, He
? So Oxf. Mss. but Ed. Ben. notes That in His own hands. ' Ferebat that aU his Mss. read, He carried illud in manibus suis. '
'
'
;
;
is,
is
is
a
is
is, is
a ;'
is
it is
?
is
of
it is
falling dotcn alihe gate' H isstrength
fell down at the doors of the gate.
Cast Himself down unto humility.
the gate ? At the beginning of faith, whereby we are saved.
For none beginneth but from the beginning of faith, as it is
said in the Song of Songs, Thou shall come, and shall pass So! . through from the beginning of faith. We shall come face^0"^^' to face ; as it is written, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, \ John and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know3' 2. that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we
shall see Him as He is. We shall see Him. When ? When these things have passed away. Hear also the Apostle Paul, Now we see through a glass darkly ; but then 1 Cor.
'
face to face. Before then we see face to face the Word, which Angels see, we have yet need of the doors of the gate, at which the Lord fell down, humbling Himself even unto death.
11. What is it that, His spittle ran down over His beard ? For in this, He changed His Countenance before Abimelech, or Achis, and He quitted him, and He departed; those that understood not, He quitted. To whom went He? To the Gentiles. Therefore let us understand, what they could not. The spittle of David ran down over his beard ; what is, The spittle ? As it were, infantile words ; for spittle runneth down with infants. Were not these like infantile words, Eat ye My Flesh, and drink My Blood ? But those infantile words covered His strength. For by the beard is understood strength. The spittle therefore running down over His beard, what is it but words of weakness covering His strength ? Your Holiness hath now, as I trust, understood the title of
this Psalm. If we should wish now to explain the Psalm also, there is fear lest those things which ye have heard should slip out of your hearts. The title of this Psalm have we explained in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ : since to-morrow is the Lord's Day, and we owe unto you a discourse, let us defer unto to-morrow the text of the Psalm, that ye may hear it also with pleasure.
'
It idden by weakness. 851
What is, fell down ? Introd. What is, at the doors of
352 Explanation of David's feigned madness repeated.
PSALM XXXIV. DISCOURSE THE SECOND.
. . . l,, manded will also give us power to pay, being always debtors of
Psalm Those of you who were present yesterday, I doubt not, Serm. remember our promise ; and now it is time, in the Name of
" ,. 1al. com- ,
, , the Lord, to pa3' the debt. He inspired1 us to promise, He
For that it is which is always paid, and yet always Rom. due, as saith the Apostle, Owe no man any thing, but to love
''
charity.
one another. The title of this Psalm we explained yester day, and when the exposition detained us long, the text of the same Psalm we deferred to explain. Let us then hear
what the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of His holy Prophet, saith in the words of the Psalm, agreeable to the title which yesterday we handled. Those who were not then present perhaps demand of us also this as a debt; but lest haply through other such delays, we defraud those to whom we ought now to pay what we owe, from a brief recital thereof let them understand as much as they can, who to-day are here present, and yesterday were not. But if any thing moveth them, which they may wish to enquire of more diligently, they will find our ears open to them in Christ's Name, at any other time, lest this be hindered.
2. I said that it was written in the Book of Kings, that David, when he fled from Saul, would be hid with a certain king of Gath named Achis ; but when his glory had been made known there, lest, through envy, the same king, to whom he had fled, should contrive any thing against him, he feigned madness, and, as if possessed with frenzy, changed his countenance, and as we read, affected, and drummed upon the doors of the city, and was carried in his own hands, and fell down at the doors of the gate. And king Achis Isaid, Wherefore have ye brought this fellow tome: have
need
might be fulfilled which here is written, He changed His
of madmen ? And so sent him away, that it
Types of the Crucifixion, of the Jews' rejection, Sfc. 353
Countenance, and He sent him away, and He departed. But Intkod. he quitted king Achis ; but here it is written, lhat He changed
His Countenance before Abimelech, and He quitted him, and
He departed. But I said that the names were changed that
it might be shewn to be a mystery ; lest if the same name had been repeated in the title of the Psalm, he should seem not to have prophesied to us something mysterious, but to have related it as a fact. Both names then contain a great mystery. For Achis is interpreted, How is it? Abimelech
is interpreted, The kingdom of my father. In that word then which is called, How is signified ignorance, and by to be understood, the expression of one wondering and not perceiving but in that which called Abimelech,
signified the kingdom of the Jews. For that in the person of Christ may be called, The kingdom of My father, because His father, according to the flesh, was David, and the kingdom of David was in the nation of the Jews. Therefore, before the kingdom of His father, He changed His Counte nance, and He sent him away, and He departed; because there was there sacrifice after the order of Aaron, and
afterwards He of His Own Body and Blood appointed sacrifice after the order of Melchizedek. He changed then His Countenance in the Priesthood, and sent away the kingdom of the Jews, and came to the Gentiles. What then is, He affected? He was full of affection. For what so full of affection as the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who, seeing our infirmity, that He might deliver us from everlasting death, underwent temporal death with such great injury and contumely And He drummed because drum
not made, except when skin extended on wood and David drummed, to signify that Christ should be crucified. But, He drummed upon the doors of the city what are the doors of the city, but our hearts which we had closed against Christ, Who by the drum of His Cross hath opened the
hearts of mortal men And was carried in His Own Hands:
how carried in His Own Hands Because when He com mended His Own Body and Blood, He took into His Hands
that which the faithful know and in a manner carried Himself, when He said, This My Body. And HefeUf**. TM' down at the doors of the gate that He humbled Him-
a a
; is; is,
?
? a
is
is
? is it, is
: :
is
;
a
is a
a
:
it is
354 Christ an example of patience and humility.
Psalm self. For this it to fall down even at the very beginning xxxiv. 0f our faith por the door of the gate the beginning of
II. faith whence beginneth the Church, and arriveth at last even unto sight that as believeth those things which seeth not, may deserve to enjoy them, when shall have begun to see face to face. So the title of the Psalm; briefly we have heard let us now hear the very words of Him that affectelh, and drummeth upon the doors of the city.
3. Ver. will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall be ever in my mouth. So speaketh Christ, so also let a Chris
for a Christian in the Body of Christ and therefore was Christ made Man, that that Christian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, will bless the Lord at all times. When shall bless the Lord When He blesseth thee? When the goods of this world abound? When thou hast great abundance of corn, oil, and wine, of gold and silver, of servants and cattle when this mortal health re- maineth unwounded and sound when all that are born to thee grow up, nothing withdrawn by immature death, hap piness wholly reigneth in thy house, and all things overflow around thee then shalt thou bless the Lord No; but at all times. Therefore both then, and when according to the time,
or according to the scourges of our Lord God, these things are troubled, are taken away, are seldom born to thee, and born
tian speak
For these things come to pass, and thence fol- loweth penury, need, labour, pain, and temptation. But thou, who hast sung, will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be ever in my mouth, both when He giveth them, bless; and when He taketh them away, bless. For He that
pass away.
He that taketh away: but Himself from him that blesseth Him He taketh not away.
4. But who that blesseth the Lord at all times, except the humble in heart. For very humility taught our Lord in His Own Body and Blood because when He commendeth
His Own Body and Blood, He commendeth His Humility, in that which written in this history, in that seeming madness
Sam. of David, which we have passed by, And his spittle ran down over his beard. When the Apostle was read, Ye heard
saith perhaps, What spittle have we heard
giveth,
the same spittle, but running down over the beard.
One Was not
?
it
;
it
1 '
'
is
it is
;
; . 1/it : ;
:
is it
/
it is
?
is I
is, it
; ;
is
/ ?
it
;
is
is
it
;
The humble bless God in all circumstances. 355
read but now, where the Apostle saith, The Jews require a Ver.
sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom ? But now it was
read, But we preach, saith he, Christ crucified, (for then He l Cor. l, drummed,) unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God.
Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men. For spittle signifieth foolishness; spittle signifieth weakness. But if the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men ; let not the spittle as it were offend thee, but observe that it runneth down over the beard: for as by the spittle, weakness; so by the beard, strength is signified. He covered then His Strength by the body of His Weakness, and that which without was weak, appeared as it were in spittle ; but within His Divine Strength was covered as a beard. Therefore humility is commended unto us. Be humble if thou wouldest bless the Lord at all times, and that His praise should be ever in thy mouth. Because Job not only blessed the Lord, when he had abundance of all things, wherewith we read that he was
made both rich and happy, rich in cattle and servants and houses, happy in children and in all good things. Taken
away were all these at one time, yet he fulfilled what in this Psalm is written, saying, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath Joh i , taken away: as it pleased the Lord, so it came to pass,V\ Blessed be the name of the Lord. See here thou hast an example of one blessing the Lord at all times.
5. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times ? Because he is humble. What is it to be humble ? To take not praise uuto himself. Who would himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou not then be proud ? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written ; (ver. 2. ) In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Those then who will not be praised in the Lord, are not humble, but fierce, rough, lifted up, proud. Gentle beasts would the Lord have; be thou the Lord's beast, that is, be thou humble. He sitteth upon thee, He ruleth thee : fear not lest thou stumble, and fall headlong: that indeed is thy infirmity;
'--
356 The ass more patient than the horse and mule.
Psalm but consider Who sitteth upon thee. Thou art an ass's colt,
xxxiv. but t|iou carriest Christ. For even He on an ass's colt came Serm.
II. into the city ; and that beast was gentle. Was that beast Mat. 21, praised? Was it said to that beast, Hosanna to the Son of
9"
David; blessed is He that cotneth in the Name of the Lord? The ass carried ; but it was He that was carried, that by those going before and following was praised. And haply said the beast, In the Lord shall my soul be praised ; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. That ass never said this, Brethren ; but this must the People say, which doth imitate that beast, if it would carry its Lord. Haply the People is wroth that it is compared to the ass, whereon the Lord sat ; and some uplifted and proud will say to me, See he hath made us asses. Let him be the Lord's ass, whoever saith this, lest he be horse or mule which have no under-
Ps. o2,9. standing; for ye know the Psalm where it is said, Be not ye as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding. For horse and mules sometimes lift up their neck, and by their own fierceness throw off their rider. They are tamed with the bit, with bridle, with stripes, until they learn to submit, and to carry their master. But thou, before thy jaws are bruised with the bridle, be humble, and carry thy Lord : wish not praise for thyself, but praised be He, Who sitteth upon thee, and say thou, In the Lord shall my soul be
praised; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. For when they hear that are not humble, they are not glad, but wroth : and the same are they which say that we have made them asses ; but let them which are humble deign to hear, and to be what they hear.
6. Now followeth, (ver. 3. ) O magnify the Lord with me. Who is this that exhorteth us, that we should magnify the Lord with him ? Whoever, Brethren, is in the body of Christ, ought for this to labour, that the Lord may be magnified with him. For he loveth the Lord, whoever he is. And how doth he love Him ? So as not to envy his fellow-lover. For whoever loveth carnally, must needs love with deadly jealousy. If haply for a great sum he hath been able to see naked her whom with deadly love he hath desired, doth he
wish that another also should see her ? Needs must he be wounded with jealousy and envy, if another also have seen
Lovers of Christ envy not, but bring all they can to Unity. 357
her. And so is chastity preserved, if he alone hath seen Ver.
--
who may, and not another ; or not even he. Not so is the Wisdom of God. Her we shall see, face to face, and we shall all see, and no one there will be jealous. Unto all She sheweth Herself, and unto all is pure and chaste. They are changed into Her, and She is not changed into them. She is Truth indeed, She is God indeed. Have ye ever heard, Brethren, that our God can be changed ? The Truth Su preme above all is He, the Word of God is He, the Wisdom
of God is He, by Whom all things were made : He hath His lovers. But what saith His lover? O magnify the Lord with me: I would not alone magnify the Lord, I would not alone love, I would not alone embrace Him. For neither if I embrace Him, will there be no room where another may lay his hands. Such breadth is there in Wisdom Itself, that all souls may embrace and enjoy Her. And what shall I say, Brethren? Let them blush who so love God as to envy others. Abandoned men love a charioteer, and whoever
loveth a charioteer or hunter, wisheth the whole people to love with him, and exhorteth, saying, Love with me this pantomime, love with me this or that shame. He calleth among the people that shame may be loved with him ; and doth not a Christian call in the Church, that the Truth of God may be loved with him ? Stir up then love in your selves, Brethren ; and call to every one of yours, and say, O magnify the Lord with me. Let there be in you that fervour. Wherefore are these things recited and explained ?
If ye love God, bring quickly to the love of God all who are joined unto you, and all who are in your house ; if the Body
of Christ is loved by you, that is, if the unity of the Church, bring them quickly to enjoy, and say, O magnify the Lord with me.
7. And let us exalt His Name together1. What is, let us] 'in exalt His Name together? That is, in one. For many^! ' copies so have magnify the Lord with me and let us ,,n exalt His Name in one*. Whether be said, together, or in*
9 unum. ' one, the same thing. Therefore bring quickly whom ye
can, by exhorting, by transporting3, by beseeching, by dis-! puting, by rendering reason, with meekness, with gentle- ness. Bring them quickly unto love that they magnify
;
j
it is
O a
it if
,
it,
;
358 Schismatics rend the Body, Persecutors brake not.
Psalm the Lord, they may magnify Him in one. The party of xxxiv. Donatus seem indeed unlo themselves to magnify the Lord :
II. why doth the whole world offend them ? Let us, Brethren, say unto them, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name in one. Wherefore would ye magnify the Lord in separation ? He is One; wherefore would ye make two peoples of God ? Wherefore would ye rend the Body of Christ ? For surely He hung upon the Cross, when He drummed; and when He hung upon the Cross, He gave up the ghost; and they came who had suspended Him, and found that He had given up the ghost, and they brake not His legs: but the legs of the thieves, yet living on the cross,
John 19, they brake, that by a speedy death through very pain they might be freed from their torment, which thing was wont to be done to persons crucified. So came the persecutor, and found that the Lord had quietly given up the ghost, as He
John 10, said Himself, / have power to lay down my life. (For whom laid he down His life ? For all His people, for His whole body. ) So the persecutor came, and brake not the legs of Christ ; Donatus came, and rent the Church of Christ. The Body of Christ upon the Cross is whole, even in the hands of His persecutors: and in the hands of Christians the Church of Christ is not whole. Let us then, Brethren, cry with groans as much as we can, saying, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name in one.
For so the Church crieth unto them ; it is the voice of the Church crying unto them who have cut themselves off from her. For
whereby were they rent from her? Through pride. But Christ teacheth humility, when He commendeth His Body and Blood : this as I said to your Holiness, is treated and celebrated in the text of this Psalm; wherein is commended the Body and Blood of Christ, when the Humility of Christ is commended, which for our sakes He deigned to take upon
8. Ver. 4.
Himself. /sought the Lord, and He heard me. Where
heard the Lord ? Within. Where giveth He ? Within. There thou prayest, there thou art heard, there thou art blessed. Thou hast prayed, thou art heard, thou art blessed ; and he knoweth not who standeth by thee: it is all carried on in
Mait. 6, secret, as the Lord saith in the Gospel, Enter into thy closet, 6.
A good conscience the place wherein to worship God. 359
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father Veh.
--
Which is in secret ; and thy Father Which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. When therefore thou enterest
into thy chamber, thou enterest into thy heart. Blessed are they who rejoice when they enter into their heart, and find therein nought of evil. Let your Holiness attend ; as men
are unwilling to enter their houses who have bad wives, as they go out to their business, and rejoice; when the hour
has come to return to their own house they are sorrowful ;
for they are about to enter to weariness, to murmurings, to bitterness, to confusions; for a house is not quiet, where between a man and his wife there is no peace ; and to him
it is better to wander about abroad. If then they are mise rable, who when they return to their own walls fear lest they
be troubled by some disturbance of their own family, how much more miserable are they, who are unwilling to return
to their own conscience, lest they be overturned by the strife
of their sins. Therefore that thou mayest be able to return willingly to thy heart, cleanse for Blessed are the pure in Matt. heart; for they shall see God. Take away thence filthy desires, take away the spot of avarice, take away the plague
of superstition, take away sacrilege, and evil thoughts; hatreds also, say not against friend, but even against an enemy take away all these so enter into thy heart, and thou shall rejoice therein. When then thou hast begun to rejoice, the very cleanness of thy heart will delight thee, and will make thee to pray as when thou comest to any place, where silence, where quiet, the place clean thou sayest, Let us pray here; and the quietness of the place delighteth thee, and thou believest that God will there hear thee. If then the visible cleanness of place delighteth thee, wherefore doth not the uncleanness of thy heart offend thee Enter in, cleanse all, lift up thine eyes unto God, and immediately he will hear thee. Cry and say, sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me out of all my troubles. Wherefore Because even when thou art enlightened, when thou hast begun here to have good conscience, there remain troubles because there remaineth some infirmity, until death be swallowed up in victory, and
this mortal have put on immortality needs must thou in Cor. 15, 54.
:
; ;
;
a
it,
a/; l
?
: ? is
a
is
is
I
;
5,
360 Invitation to seek God for Himself alone.
Psalm this world be scourged ; needs must thou suffer some tempta- xxxiv. uons, some suggestions : God will cleanse all, He will deliver
II. thee frIom all thy troubles; seek thou Him.
*? ? 22.
. rejoice, and thy joy none shall take from thee ; because thou ' soughtest the Lord, and He heard thee, and out of all thy
troubles delivered thee.
10. 1 have said who was the exhorter, namely, that lover,
who would not alone embrace what he loveth, and saith,(ver. 5. ) Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. For he saith what he himself proved. For some spiritual person in the Body of Christ, or even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself according to the flesh, the Head exhorting His Own Mem bers, saith; what? Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. Or rather some spiritual Christian inviteth us to approach to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But let us approach to Him and be lightened ; not as the Jews approached to Him,
the Lord Himself. /
sought
(saith he)
the Lord, and He heard me. Who then are
9.
not heard, seek not the Lord. Attend, Holy Brethren ; he said not, I sought gold from the Lord, and He heard me ; I sought from the Lord long life, and He heard me ; I sought from the Lord this or that, and He heard me. It is one thing to seek any thing from the Lord, another to seek
the Lord, and He heard me. But thou, when thou prayest, saying, Kill that my enemy, seekest not the Lord, but, as it were, makest thyself a judge over thy enemy, and makest thy God an
executioner1. How knowest thou that he is not better than thou, whose death thou seekest? In that very thing haply he is, that he seeketh not thine. Therefore seek not from the Lord any thing without, but seek the Lord Himself, and He will hIear thee, and while thou yet speakest, He will say, Lo, here am. What is, Lo, here Iam? Lo, I am present: what wouldest thou ? what seekest thou of Me ? Whatever I should give thee, is more vile than I; Myself have thou, Me enjoy, Me embrace : not yet art thou able wholly ; by faith touch Me, and thou shalt cleave unto Me, (this God saith to thee,) and thy other burdens will I remove from off thee, that thou mayest wholly cleave unto Me, when I have changed this thy mortal to immortality, that thou mayest be
sought
? quEKsti-
Is. 65, 24'
l Cor.
Mat. 22, equal to My Angels, and ever see My Face, and mayest
None shall be put to shame who come to Christ's light. 361
that they might be darkened; for they approached to Him Vrr. that they might crucify Him: let us approach to Him that --"-- we may receive His Body and Blood. They by Him cruci
fied were darkened; we by eating and drinking The Crucified
are lightened. Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened. Lo, this is said to the Gentiles. Christ was crucified amid the Jews raging and seeing ; the Gentiles were absent ; lo, they have approached who were in darkness, and they who saw not are lightened. Whereby approach the Gentiles ? By following with faith, by longing with the heart, by run ning with charity. Thy feet are thy charity. Have two feet, be not lame. What are thy two feet ? The two com mandments of love, of thy God, and of thy Neighbour. With these feet run thou unto God, approach unto Him, for
He hath both exhorted thee to run, and hath Himself shed His Own Light, as he hath magnificently and divinely con tinued'. And your faces shall not be ashamed. Approach (saith he) unto Him, and be ye lightened; and your faces shall not be ashamed. No face shall be ashamed but of the proud. Wherefore? Because he would be lifted up, and when he hath suffered insult, or ignominy, or mischance in this world, or any affliction, he is ashamed. But fear not thou, approach unto Him, and thou shalt not be ashamed. Whatever thy enemy doth to thee, he seemeth to be superior to thee before men, but before God thou art superior. I have taken, I have bound, I have killed : how superior seem they to themselves who say these things ! How superior seemed the Jews unto themselves, when they buffeted the Lord, when they spat in His face, and smote Him on the head with a reed, when they crowned Him with thorns, when they covered Him with a robe of ignominy ! How superior were they ! And He seemed inferior, because He fell down
at the doors of the gate : but He was not ashamed. For
He was the True Light, which lighteth every man that John l, cometh into the world. As then the Light cannot be con-9, founded, so He suffereth not him that is lightened to be
>> So our Mss. and others, as Ed. Him. ' ' Sic, ut magnifice et divine se Ben. says, ' magno consensu. ' ' Sicut sequi possitis. ' See on Ps.
