At length,
miserable
runaway, thou hast learnt, that by no means canst thou
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away.
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Thou, he saith, hast known this; that is, Thou hast willed, Thou hast approved; ac cording to Thy will was it done.
But if thou choosest to take the words of the Head in the person of the Body, let us too say, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising.
For man sitteth when he humbleth himself in penitence, he riseth up when his sins are forgiven, and he is lifted up to the hope of everlasting life.
Wherefore it
Ps. 127, is said also in another Psalm, Rise up after ye hare sat
3-
down, ye that eat the bread of sorrow. Penitents eat the
bread of sorrow; as they sing in another Psalm, saying, Pa. 42, My tears have been my meat day and night. What then meaneth, Rise up after ye have sat down ? Lift not up yourselves, unless ye have first been humbled. For many wish to rise before they have sat down, they wish to appear righteous, before they have confessed that they are sinners.
ver. 1. 2.
If then thou take the verse in the person of our Head, under stand thus, Thou hast known My down-sitting, and Mine up-rising, that My Passion and My Resurrection in the person of the Body, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising, before Thine eyes have confessed my sins, and by Thy grace have been justified.
5. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. What is, from afar While
am yet in my pilgrimage, before reach that, my true
country, Thou hast known my thoughts. Consider the
Lukeis, younger son in the parable, for he too was made the Body
11.
o? Qhrist, the Church which came in from the Gentiles. This younger son then had gone into far country for a certain father had two sons; the elder had not gone far away, but wrought in his fields, and signifieth the saints under the Law, who did the works and precepts of the Law. But the rest of the human race, which had turned aside to worship idols, had wandered into far country. What maketh thee so far from Him Who made thee, as the false god which thou hast made for thyself? The younger son
aI a
;
I
I
? ;:
is, 1
if
The Prodigal Son explained. 195
then went into a far country, taking with him his substance, Ver. and, as we learn in the Gospel, wasted it, living prodigally "--:-- with harlots; and being in want, he joined himself to a certain great man of that country, who appointed him to
father.
feed his swine; and he would fain have filled himself with the husks they eat, and could not. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, / will arise, and go to my
I will arise, said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. I sat, in want; 1 arose, in longing for Thy Bread. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. For far indeed had 1 gone ; but where is not He whom I had left? Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. Truly; for he had understood his thoughts from afar. My path and my limit Thou hast tracked out. Mij path, he saith ; what, but a bad path, the path he had walked to leave his Father, as though he could be hid from His eyes when He would punish ? nay more, as though he would have been crushed in that want, or been set to feed swine, save that his Father willed to scourge him afar, that He might receive him again near. So then, like a runaway slave that is caught, when the lawful vengeance of God was following him, that
vengeance that punisheth our affections, whithersoever we go, and how far soever we have gone, like a runaway slave, I say, that is caught, he saith, Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. What my path that by which
have gone. What is, my limit? that wherennto have reached. Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. That limit of mine, far distant as was, was not far from Thine eyes. Far had gone, and yel Thou wast there.
Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit.
6. And all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. He said
not, hast seen, but, hast seen beforehand. Before went
by them, before walked in them, Thou didst see them beforehand and Thou didst permit me in toil to go my ownways, that, desired not to toil, might return into
Thy ways. For there no deceit in my tongue. Whatrer. 3.
o
is 2
is, it
if I
I
I
I
;
I1
I
?
19(i We must return from sin to God.
Psalm meant he by this? Lo, I confess to Thee, I have walked --:---in mine own way, I am become far from Thee, I have departed from Thee, with Whom it was well with me, and
vet. 4.
to my good it was ill with me without Thee. For, had it been well with me without Thee, perchance 1 had been unwilling to return to Thee. So he, confessing his sins, saying that the Body of Christ was justified, not in itself, but by His grace, said, There is no deceit in my tongue.
7. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my last doings, and the ancient ones. Thou hast known my latest doings, when I fed swine; Thou hast known my ancient doings, when I asked of Thee my portion of goods. Ancient doings were the beginnings to me of latest ills: ancient sin, when we fell; latest punishment, when we came into this toilsome and dangerous mortality. And would that this may be latest to us; it will be, if now we will to return. For there is another latest for certain wicked ones, to whom it shall be
Mat. 25, said, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
4 1'
ver. 5.
his angels. And we, brethren, have heretofore abandoned God, let it be toil enough to us to have come into this mortality. Remember we our Father's Bread ; recollect we the bliss of our Father's Home ; delight we not in the husks of swine, the doctrines of devils. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my latest doings, and the ancient ones ; the latest, wherennto I have come ; the ancient, wherein I offended Thee. Thou hast fashioned me, and hast laid Thine hand upon me. Fashioned me, where ? In this mortality ; now, to the toils wherennto we all are born. For none is born, but God has fashioned him in his mother's womb; nor is there any creature, whereof God is not the Fashioner. But
Thou hast fashioned me in this toil, and laid Thine hand upon me, Thine avenging hand, putting down the proud. For thus healthfully hath He cast down the proud, that He may lift him up humble. Thou hast fashioned me, and laid
Thine hand upon me.
ver. 6.
8. Thy skill haIth displayed itself u onderfully in me : it hath
no small pleasure in the understanding thereof. Moses, the holy servant of God, with whom God spake by a cloud,--
waxed mighty:
shall not be able to attain unto it. Listen now and hear somewhat, which is obscure indeed, yet bringeth
God speaks through human means.
197
for, speaking after human fashion, He must needs speak to Ver. His servant through some work of His hands which He assumed, that is, not by His own substance, but by some
bodily work of His hands which He assumed, that through it those words might be spoken, and sound in human and mortal ears; for thus did God speak then, not as He speaketh in His own substance. For how doth He speak in His own substance ? The Word of God is God's speech : and the Word of God is Christ: that Word soundeth not and then passeth away, but ever unchangeably remaineth the Word, by Whom all things were made. To which Word (for He is also the Wisdom of God) it is said, Thou shall change them, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same ; and in another place where Scripture is speaking of Wisdom
it saith, remaining in herself she maketh all things new; that abiding Wisdom then, if we may even say abiding; (but it is such because He changeth not, not because He moveth not ;) and that ever continueth in the same way, never varying in place or time, in no place otherwise than in any other place ; at no time otherwise than in all other time; He is the Speech of God. But the speech which was addressed to Moses, being addressed to man, was by syllables, by passing sounds; and they
would not be, had not God assumed one of the works of
His hand, such as might utter such discourse and words --
holy Moses, I say, knew that that speech of God was uttered by means of certain corporeal works of God's hand
which He assumed, and he longed and desired to see the
true appearance of God, and said to God, Who was convers
ing with him, If now I hare found grace in Thy sight, s/'<? m>Ex. 33, me Thyself. When this he desired vehemently, and would l3. extort from God in that sort of friendly familiarity, if we
may so speak, wherewith God deigned to treat him, that
he might see His Glory and His Face, in such wise as we
can speak of God's Face, He said unto him, Thou canst not ibid. 20. see My Face ; for no one hath seen My Face, and lived ; but
1 will place thee in a clift of the rock, and will pass by, and
will set My hand upon thee ; and when I have passed by,
thou shalt see My back parts. And from these words there
ariseth another enigma, that is, an obscure figure of the
198 Moses a type of the Jewish People.
Pralm truth. When I have passed by, saith God, thou shall see My hack parts; as though He hath on one side His face, on another His back. Far be it from us to have any such thoughts of that Majesty ! For whoso hath such thoughts of God, what advantageth it him that the temples are closed ?
He is building an idol in his own heart. In these words then are mighty mysteries. The Lord spake, as I said, by one of the works of His hand, what He would say to His servant. Thereby was meant the Person of our Lord and
Phil. 2. Saviour Jesus Christ Himself; Who according to the form of God indeed, wherein He is equal to the Father, is equally
with the Father invisible to eye of man. For if human wisdom cannot be seen with the eye, can the Virtue and Wisdom of God be seen by eye of flesh ? But forasmuch as the Lord was about to take flesh in due time, so as to appear even to fleshly eyes, that healthfully He might cure the soul within, since thus it was needful that He should appear, foretelling this, He saith to Moses in a figure, Thou canst not see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts,
have passed by thee. But that thou mayest not see My Face, My Hand shall be upon thee. What was 'to pass by' to the Lord, save what the Evangelist saith, But
when the hour was come, that Jesus should pass from this world to the Father? For ' Pascha' signifieth passing over; for what in Hebrew is expressed by the word ' Pascha,' in
? cross- Latin is interpreted ' transitus1. ' What is, Thou shall not
see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts ? Whom did Moses personify when it was said to him, TJiou shalt not see My Face, but thou shalt see My back parts, and that when I have passed by: but that thou mayest not see My Face,
,n*r
when
I
I trill lay My Hand
meant His former estate, and in a manner by His back parts, His passing from this world by His Passion. He
the flesh ? Because the Hand was heavy on them. For of Is. 6, 10. them had Esaias said, Make the heart of this people fat, and their eyes heavy. And they say in another Psalm, l's. 32,4. Thy Hand is heavy upon me. So that they might not then
upon
thee.
His Face
By He
to the Jews, they knew Him not. Them Moses when it was said to him, Thou canst not see My Face. But whence was it that they saw not the Lord in
appeared personified
They knew not our Lord till after His death.
perceive the divinity of Christ, {for had they known it, they Vtu. would not have crucified the Lord of glory, and if the Lord --~-- had not been crucified, His Blood would not have redeemed 2, 8. the world,) what did the Lord, but what the Apostle called
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge
of God; where he crieth out, O the depth of the riches of the Rom. ll, wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His 33' &e'
judgments, and His ways pastfinding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His coun
sellor ? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For of Him, and through Him,
and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. This the Apostle saith, because above he had said, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, that the fulness lb. 28, of the Gentiles might come in, and so all Israel might be26' saved. The Jews then were blinded in part, as their pride deserved, because they called themselves righteous;
and, being blinded, they crucified the Lord. He laid His Hand upon them that they might not see Him, while He passed by, that is, from this world to the Father. Let us see whether after He had passed by, they saw His back parts. The Lord rose again, appeared to His disciples, and to all
who had up to this time believed on Him ; not to those by whom He was crucified, because upon them He had laid His Hand while He passed by. Then He ascended into heaven, after He had tarried forty days with His disciples. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, He sent unto them His Holy Spirit. They, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in all men's tongues, who had been born in one, and had learnt one alone. Thousands of those who*had crucified the Lord were amazed and astonished at so great a miracle ; pricked to the heart at so great a miracle, they sought counsel of the Apostles, what they should do, when Christ was preached to them, wondering whence it came that unlearned men spake in every tongue. When then the Apostle Peter preached to them Christ, Whom they had despised on the Cross, Whom as a mortal man they had mocked, Whom they insulted because He came not down from the Cross, whereas surely it was a much greater thing to rise from the dead, as He did, than to come down
200 Sin keeps from knowing God.
Psalm from the Cross; -- when then he preached to them Christ, cixxrx. they said, What shall we do ? They who had raged against 37. 38. ' the Lord, Whom they saw, now seek counsel how they may
be saved ; and it is said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be forgiven you. Behold, they saw the back parts of Him, Whose face they could not see. For His Hand was upon their eyes, not for ever, but while He passed by. After lle had passed, He took away His Hand from their eyes. When the Hand was taken from their eyes, they say to the disciples, What shall we do ? At first they are fierce, afterwards loving; at first angry, afterwards fearful; at first hard, then pleasant; at first blind, then enlightened.
9. 1 think that we may also recognise in this Psalm the same kind of words of the Gentiles, remembering their Rom. u, unbelief. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all. Thou hast fashioned me, and
laid Thine Hand upon me. Thy knowledge is made won
derful from me; it hath waxed mighty,
I
attain unto it. Thou hast, as it were, laid Thine Hand upon
me : Thou hast been made wonderful unlo me, I comprehend
Thee not, with Whom I was. How easy to me was the Luteis, countenance of my Father, when I said, Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Behold now that I have gone
into a far country, and am crushed with hunger, difficult is it to me, and toil is before my eyes; I cannot perceive what I have abandoned. For Thy knowledge, saith he, is made wonderful from me. From my sin came it to pass, that it was made wonderful to me, and was incomprehensible to me. For easy was it to me to contemplate Thee, when I had not through pride left Thee. Thy knowledge is made
wonderful from me ; it hath waxed mighty ; I
shall not be able to attain unto it, that is, from myself. I shall not be able to attain to it from myself. When then 1 shall be able,
not, save of Thee, shall I be able.
10. Behold thou findest that the runaway in a far country
cannot escape His eyes, from Whom he fleeth. And whither >><<r. 7. can he go now, whose limiIt is tracked out ? Behold, what
Wi>><J. ] , saith he? Whither shall from
go Thy Spirit? the
for Spirit of the Lord filleth the earth. Who can in the world
shall not
be able to
We cannot flee from God, 201
flee from that Spirit, with Whom the world is filled? v<<.
I 8"
I
Whither shall
flee from Thy Face? He seeketh a place whither to flee
go Thy Spirit, and whither shall from
from the wrath of God. What place will shelter God's run away ? Men who shelter runaways, ask them from whom they have fled ; and when they find any one a slave of some master less powerful than themselves, him they shelter as it were without any fear, saying in their hearts, 4 he hath not a master by whom he can be tracked out. ' But when they are told of a powerful master, they either shelter not, or they shelter with great fear, because even a powerful man can be deceived. Where is God not ? Who can deceive God? Whom doth not God see? From whom doth not God demand His runaway ? Whither then shall that run away go from the Face of God ? He turneth him hither and thither, asIthough seeking a spot to flee to.
11. If go up, saith he, to heaven, Thou art there: if /ver. 8. go down to hell, Thou art present.
At length, miserable runaway, thou hast learnt, that by no means canst thou
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away. Behold, He is every where ; thou, whither wilt thou go ? He hath found counsel, and Ithat
If
ousness. If by sinning I go down to the depths of wicked
nesses, and spurn to confess, saying, ' Who seeth me,' for in Ps. 6, 5. hell who shall confess to Thee? there also Thou art present,
to punish. Whither then shall I go that I may flee from
Thy presence, that is, not find Thee angry ?
12. This plan he found : So will I flee, saith he, from Thy
Face, so will I flee from Thy Spirit ; from Thy avenging
Spirit, Thy avenging Face thus will 1 flee. How? If I*TM- 9" lake again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea. So can I flee from Thy Face. If
he will flee to the utmost part of the sea from the Face of
God, will not He from Whom he fleeth be there, He of
inspired by Him, Who now deigneth to recall him.
up to heaven, Tliou art there : if 1 go down to hell, Thou art present. If I lift myself up, I find Thee pressing me down ; if 1 hide myself, I find Thee seeking me, and not only seeking me, but also tracking me out. For if I pride myself on my righteousness, Thou art there, Whose is true righte
go
202 save to God.
Psalm Whom he said, If I go down to hell, Thou art present ? cxxxix, glrange, if He be not in the utmost parts of the sea, Who not even in hell is absent. But I know, saith he, how 1
may flee from Thy wrath. I must take again my wings, not an erring course but right forward, that I neither be lifted up to proud presumption, nor be sunk down to aban doned despair. What wings will he take again, save the
Mat. 22,two pinions, the two precepts of love, on which two com-
40-
mandmeuts hang all the Law and the Prophets? These wings, saith he, these pinions, if I thus take again to me, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea, I can flee from Thy Face to Thy Face ; from Thy Face in anger, to Thy Face appeased. For what are the utmost parts of the sea, but the end of the world ? Thither let us now flee in hope and longing, with the wings of twofold love ; let us have no rest, save in the utmost parts of the sea. For if elsewhere we wish for rest, we shall be hurled headlong into the sea. Let us fly even to the ends of the sea, let us bear ourselves aloft on the wings of twofold love; meanwhile let us flee to God in hope, and in faithful hope let us meditate on that end of the sea.
1 3. Now listen who may bring us thither. The very same One whose face in wrath we wish to flee from. For whaIt
I
If if
go down into hell, Thou art present :
followeth ?
take again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost
parts of the sea, even thither shall Thy hand conduct me, and Thy right hand lead me. This let us meditate on, beloved brethren, let this be our hope, this our consolation. Let us take again through love the wings we lost through lust. For lust was the lime of our wings, it dashed us down from the freedom of our sky, that is, the free breezes of the
Spirit of God. Thence dashed down we lost our wings, and were, so to speak, imprisoned in the power of the fowler; thence He redeemed us with His Blood, Whom we fled from to be caught. He maketh us wings of His command ments; we raise them aloft now free from lime. Let us not
love the sea, but fly to the utmost parts of the sea. Let none be afraid, yet let none presume on his wings; for, winged though we be, unless He conduct us, we are thrown headlong into the depths of the sea, worn out and tired,
Christ makes our darkness light. 203
presuming as it were on our own strength. Needs then must Ver. we have wings, and needs must He conduct us, for He is our Helper. We have free-will; but even with that free-will what
can we do, unless He help us Whocommandeth us. For thither
shall Thy Hand conduct me, and Thy right Hand guide me. 14. And considering the length of the way, what said he
to himself? And I
said, Peradventure the darkness shall overwhelm me. Lo, now 1 have believed in Christ, now am
I wafted aloft on the wings of twofold love, and the ini
quity of this world aboundeth, and because iniquity abound- Mat-24, eth, the love of many waxeth cold. In this life amid so
many offences, so many sins, so many troubles of daily temptations, daily evil suggestions, what do I? saith he.
How shall I come to the utmost parts of the sea? He addeth,
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved, ib. 13. Regarding the length of the way, I said to myself, Per adventure the darkness shall overwhelm me. And the night
was light in my delight. The night was made to me light, because in the night I despaired of being able to cross so
great a sea, to surmount so long a journey, to reach the utmost parts by persevering to the end. Thanks to Him
Who sought me when a runaway, who smote my back with strokes of the scourge, who by calling me re-called me from destruction, who made my night light. For it is night so
long as we are passing through this life. How was the
night made light? Because Christ came down into the
night. Christ took flesh in this world, and enlightened for
us the night. For the woman in the parable when she had Lukeis,
lost a drachma, lighted a candle. The wisdom of God had 8" lost a drachma. What is a drachma ? A piece of money whereon was the image of our king. For man was made in the image of God, and had perished. And what did the wise woman ? She lighted a lamp. A lamp is made of clay, yet has light, whereby the drachma may be found. The
lamp of wisdom then, the Flesh of Christ, is made of clay, yet shines with His Word, finds the lost. And night was made light in my delight. Night was made delight to me. Our delight is Christ. See how now we delight in Him. Those shouts of yours, that joy of yours, whence are they from our delight? and whence is that delight, save that our
204 We must confess our sins, not defend them.
Psalm night is enlightened, save that unto us Christ the Lord is : preached? For He sought you before ye sought Him, and found you before ye found Him. And night was made light
ver. 12.
in my delight.
15. For darkness shall not be darkened by Thee. Do
not thou then darken thy darkness ; God darkeneth it not,
but enlighteneth it yet more; for to Hitn is said in another Ps. 18, Psalm, Thou, Lord, shall light my candle: my God shall enlighten my darkness. But who are they who darken their
darkness, which God darkeneth not ? Evil men, perverse men; when they sin, verily they are darkness; when they confess not their sins which they have committed, but go on to defend them, they darken their darkness. Wherefore now if thou hast sinned, thou art in darkness, but by con fessing thy darkness thou shalt obtain to have thy darkness lightened ; by defending thy darkness, thou shalt darken
thy darkness. And where wilt thou escape from double darkness, who wast in difficulty in single darkness? In what sense then doth the Lord not darken our darkness? Be cause he suffereth us not to have our sins unpunished, he scourgeth us in these toils, and disciplineth us. Know, my brethren, that all this misery of mankind in which the world groaneth, is medicinal pain, not penal sentence. Ye see that every where is pain, every where fear, every where need, every where toils. Avarice increaseth, but amid evils. If for this purpose God here disciplineth us with such scourges, that our darkness may not be darkened, let us acknowledge that we are under the punishment of the scourge, and let us bless God, Who mingleth bitternesses with the sweetness of this earthly life, lest, blinded by the enjoyment of temporal delights, we long not for everlasting delights, nor be willing that the sea come to end, or our selves to dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea. Let then the waves of the sea rage : the more the waves of the sea rage, the more does the dove soar with her wings. God then darkeneth not our darkness, because He mingleth
with our sins, and bitternesses with our evil delights. Let us not darken our darkness by defending our sins, and the night shall be light in our delight. For darkness shall not be darkened by Thee.
scourges
And be indifferent to things of this world. 205
16. And night shall be lightened as the day. Night, as Ver.
'---
the day. Day to us is worldly prosperity, night adversity in this world : but, if we learn that it is by the desert of our sins that we suffer adversities, and our Father's scourges are sweet to us, that the Judge's sentence may not be bitter to us, so shall we find the darkness of this night to be, as it were, the light of this night. If it is night, how is there light there? It is night, because here mankind wander; it is night because not yet have we reached the true day, the day not straitened by yesterday and to-morrow, the day everlasting, without rising, without setting. Here then it is night, but this night has a sort of light and darkness of its own. Why it is altogether night, we have said ; but what is the light of this night ? Prosperity and happiness of this world, temporal joy, temporal honour, are, as it were, the light of this night. But adversity, and the bitterness of tribulations and lowness of station, these are, as it were, the darkness of this night. In this night, in this mortal
condition of human life, men have darkness; their light prosperity, adversity their darkness. But when Christ our Lord has come, and has dwelt in the soul by faith, and promised other light, and inspired and given patience, and warned a man not to delight in prosperity or to be crushed by adversity, the man, being' faithful, begins to treat this world with indifference; not to be lifted up when
prosperity befalls him, nor crushed when adversity, but in all things to praise God, not only when he aboundeth, but also when he loseth ; not only when he is in health, but also when he is sick ; so that in his mouth that strain is true, / will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be ever in my mouth. If then ever, both when this night
is bright, and when it is dark; when prosperity smiles upon thee, and when adversity is sad ; if ever His praise be in thy mouth, then shall it also be to thee according to what is next said, As is His darkness, so is also His light. His darkness overwhelms me not, because His light lifts me not up.
17. Behold, thou hast its light in Job : he had abundance of every thing. First is described the light of his night, in his riches. In proportion to the greatness of the goods, and
Ps. 34,1.
2t)ti The example of Job.
Psalm the store he possessed in abundance, was the light of his HiEHL night. The enemy thought that such an one as he worshipped
God only because He had given him all these things, and asked that they might be taken from him. Then his night became darkness, which before had light. Still he knew that, whether it were darkness or light, it was night, wherein he was wandering in a far country, away from his God, and he had his God Himself as an inward Light, and that inner Light made him indifferent, whether it were darkness in this night, or light. And as in the light of this night, that is, in the midst of abundance, he worshipped God, when all was taken from him, when his night was made darkness,
J obi, 21. what said he? The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so hath it happened; blessed be the Name of the Lord. I am, so to speak, in the night of this life : my Lord dwelleth in my heart, He enlightened that night for me with certain comforts, when He gave me abundance of temporal goods ; now He hath withdrawn that temporal light, and the night is, as it were, darkened. But since, as is His darkness, so is His light also; the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away ; as it pleased the Lord, so hath it happened ; blessed be the Name of the
Lord. I am not sad in this night, for as is His darkness, so l Cor. 7, is also His light ; both pass away ; so that they which rejoice
3<1'
ver. 12.
are as though they rejoiced not, and they that weep as though they wept not ; for, as is His darkness, so is also His light.
18. For Thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins. Not without reason, as is His darkness, so is also His light. The Possessor is within ; He occupieth not only the heart, but also the reins ; not only the thoughts, but also the delights : He then possesseth that whence I should feel delight at any light in this world : He occupieth my reins : I know not delight, save from the inward light of His Wisdom. What then ? Dost thou not delight that thy affairs are very prosperous, times fortunate to thee ? dost thou not delight in honour, in riches, in thy family ? ' I
do not,' saith he. Wherefore ? Because as is His darkness, so is also His light. Whence hast thou this indifference, that as is His darkness to thee, so is also His light ? Whence ?
W e are renewed by God's indwelling. 207
Because Thou hast possessed my reins, O Lord; Thou hast Vm. taken me up from my mother's womb. While 1 was in my -- mother's womb, I did not regard with indifference the dark
ness of that night and the light of that night. For my mother's womb is the custom of my city. What city is that?
That which first gave us birth in captivity. We know that Babylon, whereof we spoke yesterday, from whence all go forth who believe in and sigh for the true light, the heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore have 1 said, From my mother's womb was I taken up by the Lord, thence are the darkness and light of this night become indifferent to me. But he that is in the womb of that mother, Babylon, joys in the prosperity of this world, is crushed by the adversity of this world, knows not to rejoice, unless some
temporal prosperity befall him ; knows not to be saddened, unless some temporal
adversity befall him. Now come forth from the womb of Babylon, begin to sing a song to the Lord ; come forth and be born : God shall take thee up from thy mother's womb. What God? That God of the Apostle Paul, who said, Bui when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, to reveal His Son in me. For who was his mother? The Synagogue. And what had he learnt there, save what the Jews themselves, the people itself, had and had learnt? The name of God's praise had remained in them, but there were not found in them deeds : there were in them
the words of God, as leaves on a tree: the fruit was no where. Such a fig-tree, as ye know, the Lord when HeMat. Sl, found, withered away with a curse, for He found thereon
leaves, but fruit He did not find. Some tree He was speak
ing of in a figure to us. For the time offigs was not yet: Mark
'
what all men knew, did the Maker of earth and sky not know ? He therefore, Who separated Paul from his mother's womb, hath also separated us from our mother's womb. And who is our mother? Babylon. Being then taken up from that womb, let us now begin to entertain other hopes. He hath promised, brethren, that wherein ye may rejoice: now bring forth fruit, being set in other hopes. Now know no ill, save to offend God, and so not to be brought to those things which He promiseth. What of the goods of this world, and the ills of this world ? Let us regard them with
208 And therefore should despise the world, yet be humble.
Psai. m indifference; for now, having been taken up from the womb -' of that our mother, we look on them with indifference, and say, As is His darkness, so is also His light. Neither doth
earthly prosperity make us happy, nor earthly adversity wretched. We must maintain righteousness, love faith, hope in God, love God, love our neighbours also. After these toils we shall have unfailing light, day without setting. Fleeting is all the light and darkness of this night. For Thou, Lord, hast possessed my reins: Thou hast taken me up from my mother's womb.
19. / trill confess to Thee, O Lord, for terribly hast Thou been made wonderful. Terribly hast Thou been made won
in the very fact that we wonder at Thee, Thou art terrible, we rejoice with trembling. For we fear lest, being puffed up with pride at Thy gifts, we be punished by the loss of what we have gained by humility. /will confess to
Thee, O Lord, for terribly hast Thou been made wonderful : wondrous are Thy works, and my soul knoueth it right well. Now my soul knoweth it right well, because Thou hast taken me up from my mother's womb; but aforetime Thy know ledge was Imade wonderful from me, it had waxed great,
20. My bone is not hid from Thee, which Thou hast made in secret. His bone, he saith. What the people call 'ossmn,' is in Latin called 'os. ' This is the word in the Greek". For we might think the word 'os' is here the one which makes in the plural ' ora,' not ' os' short, which makes ' ossa. ' He saith then, my bone is not hid from Tlwe, which Thou hast made in secret. I have a certain bone in secret (ossum). For this word let us prefer to use ; better is it that scholars find fault with us, than that the people understand us not. ' There is then,' saith he, 'a certain bone of mine, within, hidden ; Thou hast made within a bone for me in secret, yet is it not hidden from Thee. In secret hast Thou made it,
derful:
ver. 15.
1 Gr.
Ps. 127, is said also in another Psalm, Rise up after ye hare sat
3-
down, ye that eat the bread of sorrow. Penitents eat the
bread of sorrow; as they sing in another Psalm, saying, Pa. 42, My tears have been my meat day and night. What then meaneth, Rise up after ye have sat down ? Lift not up yourselves, unless ye have first been humbled. For many wish to rise before they have sat down, they wish to appear righteous, before they have confessed that they are sinners.
ver. 1. 2.
If then thou take the verse in the person of our Head, under stand thus, Thou hast known My down-sitting, and Mine up-rising, that My Passion and My Resurrection in the person of the Body, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising, before Thine eyes have confessed my sins, and by Thy grace have been justified.
5. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. What is, from afar While
am yet in my pilgrimage, before reach that, my true
country, Thou hast known my thoughts. Consider the
Lukeis, younger son in the parable, for he too was made the Body
11.
o? Qhrist, the Church which came in from the Gentiles. This younger son then had gone into far country for a certain father had two sons; the elder had not gone far away, but wrought in his fields, and signifieth the saints under the Law, who did the works and precepts of the Law. But the rest of the human race, which had turned aside to worship idols, had wandered into far country. What maketh thee so far from Him Who made thee, as the false god which thou hast made for thyself? The younger son
aI a
;
I
I
? ;:
is, 1
if
The Prodigal Son explained. 195
then went into a far country, taking with him his substance, Ver. and, as we learn in the Gospel, wasted it, living prodigally "--:-- with harlots; and being in want, he joined himself to a certain great man of that country, who appointed him to
father.
feed his swine; and he would fain have filled himself with the husks they eat, and could not. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, / will arise, and go to my
I will arise, said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. I sat, in want; 1 arose, in longing for Thy Bread. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. For far indeed had 1 gone ; but where is not He whom I had left? Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. Truly; for he had understood his thoughts from afar. My path and my limit Thou hast tracked out. Mij path, he saith ; what, but a bad path, the path he had walked to leave his Father, as though he could be hid from His eyes when He would punish ? nay more, as though he would have been crushed in that want, or been set to feed swine, save that his Father willed to scourge him afar, that He might receive him again near. So then, like a runaway slave that is caught, when the lawful vengeance of God was following him, that
vengeance that punisheth our affections, whithersoever we go, and how far soever we have gone, like a runaway slave, I say, that is caught, he saith, Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. What my path that by which
have gone. What is, my limit? that wherennto have reached. Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. That limit of mine, far distant as was, was not far from Thine eyes. Far had gone, and yel Thou wast there.
Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit.
6. And all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. He said
not, hast seen, but, hast seen beforehand. Before went
by them, before walked in them, Thou didst see them beforehand and Thou didst permit me in toil to go my ownways, that, desired not to toil, might return into
Thy ways. For there no deceit in my tongue. Whatrer. 3.
o
is 2
is, it
if I
I
I
I
;
I1
I
?
19(i We must return from sin to God.
Psalm meant he by this? Lo, I confess to Thee, I have walked --:---in mine own way, I am become far from Thee, I have departed from Thee, with Whom it was well with me, and
vet. 4.
to my good it was ill with me without Thee. For, had it been well with me without Thee, perchance 1 had been unwilling to return to Thee. So he, confessing his sins, saying that the Body of Christ was justified, not in itself, but by His grace, said, There is no deceit in my tongue.
7. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my last doings, and the ancient ones. Thou hast known my latest doings, when I fed swine; Thou hast known my ancient doings, when I asked of Thee my portion of goods. Ancient doings were the beginnings to me of latest ills: ancient sin, when we fell; latest punishment, when we came into this toilsome and dangerous mortality. And would that this may be latest to us; it will be, if now we will to return. For there is another latest for certain wicked ones, to whom it shall be
Mat. 25, said, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
4 1'
ver. 5.
his angels. And we, brethren, have heretofore abandoned God, let it be toil enough to us to have come into this mortality. Remember we our Father's Bread ; recollect we the bliss of our Father's Home ; delight we not in the husks of swine, the doctrines of devils. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my latest doings, and the ancient ones ; the latest, wherennto I have come ; the ancient, wherein I offended Thee. Thou hast fashioned me, and hast laid Thine hand upon me. Fashioned me, where ? In this mortality ; now, to the toils wherennto we all are born. For none is born, but God has fashioned him in his mother's womb; nor is there any creature, whereof God is not the Fashioner. But
Thou hast fashioned me in this toil, and laid Thine hand upon me, Thine avenging hand, putting down the proud. For thus healthfully hath He cast down the proud, that He may lift him up humble. Thou hast fashioned me, and laid
Thine hand upon me.
ver. 6.
8. Thy skill haIth displayed itself u onderfully in me : it hath
no small pleasure in the understanding thereof. Moses, the holy servant of God, with whom God spake by a cloud,--
waxed mighty:
shall not be able to attain unto it. Listen now and hear somewhat, which is obscure indeed, yet bringeth
God speaks through human means.
197
for, speaking after human fashion, He must needs speak to Ver. His servant through some work of His hands which He assumed, that is, not by His own substance, but by some
bodily work of His hands which He assumed, that through it those words might be spoken, and sound in human and mortal ears; for thus did God speak then, not as He speaketh in His own substance. For how doth He speak in His own substance ? The Word of God is God's speech : and the Word of God is Christ: that Word soundeth not and then passeth away, but ever unchangeably remaineth the Word, by Whom all things were made. To which Word (for He is also the Wisdom of God) it is said, Thou shall change them, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same ; and in another place where Scripture is speaking of Wisdom
it saith, remaining in herself she maketh all things new; that abiding Wisdom then, if we may even say abiding; (but it is such because He changeth not, not because He moveth not ;) and that ever continueth in the same way, never varying in place or time, in no place otherwise than in any other place ; at no time otherwise than in all other time; He is the Speech of God. But the speech which was addressed to Moses, being addressed to man, was by syllables, by passing sounds; and they
would not be, had not God assumed one of the works of
His hand, such as might utter such discourse and words --
holy Moses, I say, knew that that speech of God was uttered by means of certain corporeal works of God's hand
which He assumed, and he longed and desired to see the
true appearance of God, and said to God, Who was convers
ing with him, If now I hare found grace in Thy sight, s/'<? m>Ex. 33, me Thyself. When this he desired vehemently, and would l3. extort from God in that sort of friendly familiarity, if we
may so speak, wherewith God deigned to treat him, that
he might see His Glory and His Face, in such wise as we
can speak of God's Face, He said unto him, Thou canst not ibid. 20. see My Face ; for no one hath seen My Face, and lived ; but
1 will place thee in a clift of the rock, and will pass by, and
will set My hand upon thee ; and when I have passed by,
thou shalt see My back parts. And from these words there
ariseth another enigma, that is, an obscure figure of the
198 Moses a type of the Jewish People.
Pralm truth. When I have passed by, saith God, thou shall see My hack parts; as though He hath on one side His face, on another His back. Far be it from us to have any such thoughts of that Majesty ! For whoso hath such thoughts of God, what advantageth it him that the temples are closed ?
He is building an idol in his own heart. In these words then are mighty mysteries. The Lord spake, as I said, by one of the works of His hand, what He would say to His servant. Thereby was meant the Person of our Lord and
Phil. 2. Saviour Jesus Christ Himself; Who according to the form of God indeed, wherein He is equal to the Father, is equally
with the Father invisible to eye of man. For if human wisdom cannot be seen with the eye, can the Virtue and Wisdom of God be seen by eye of flesh ? But forasmuch as the Lord was about to take flesh in due time, so as to appear even to fleshly eyes, that healthfully He might cure the soul within, since thus it was needful that He should appear, foretelling this, He saith to Moses in a figure, Thou canst not see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts,
have passed by thee. But that thou mayest not see My Face, My Hand shall be upon thee. What was 'to pass by' to the Lord, save what the Evangelist saith, But
when the hour was come, that Jesus should pass from this world to the Father? For ' Pascha' signifieth passing over; for what in Hebrew is expressed by the word ' Pascha,' in
? cross- Latin is interpreted ' transitus1. ' What is, Thou shall not
see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts ? Whom did Moses personify when it was said to him, TJiou shalt not see My Face, but thou shalt see My back parts, and that when I have passed by: but that thou mayest not see My Face,
,n*r
when
I
I trill lay My Hand
meant His former estate, and in a manner by His back parts, His passing from this world by His Passion. He
the flesh ? Because the Hand was heavy on them. For of Is. 6, 10. them had Esaias said, Make the heart of this people fat, and their eyes heavy. And they say in another Psalm, l's. 32,4. Thy Hand is heavy upon me. So that they might not then
upon
thee.
His Face
By He
to the Jews, they knew Him not. Them Moses when it was said to him, Thou canst not see My Face. But whence was it that they saw not the Lord in
appeared personified
They knew not our Lord till after His death.
perceive the divinity of Christ, {for had they known it, they Vtu. would not have crucified the Lord of glory, and if the Lord --~-- had not been crucified, His Blood would not have redeemed 2, 8. the world,) what did the Lord, but what the Apostle called
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge
of God; where he crieth out, O the depth of the riches of the Rom. ll, wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His 33' &e'
judgments, and His ways pastfinding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His coun
sellor ? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For of Him, and through Him,
and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. This the Apostle saith, because above he had said, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, that the fulness lb. 28, of the Gentiles might come in, and so all Israel might be26' saved. The Jews then were blinded in part, as their pride deserved, because they called themselves righteous;
and, being blinded, they crucified the Lord. He laid His Hand upon them that they might not see Him, while He passed by, that is, from this world to the Father. Let us see whether after He had passed by, they saw His back parts. The Lord rose again, appeared to His disciples, and to all
who had up to this time believed on Him ; not to those by whom He was crucified, because upon them He had laid His Hand while He passed by. Then He ascended into heaven, after He had tarried forty days with His disciples. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, He sent unto them His Holy Spirit. They, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in all men's tongues, who had been born in one, and had learnt one alone. Thousands of those who*had crucified the Lord were amazed and astonished at so great a miracle ; pricked to the heart at so great a miracle, they sought counsel of the Apostles, what they should do, when Christ was preached to them, wondering whence it came that unlearned men spake in every tongue. When then the Apostle Peter preached to them Christ, Whom they had despised on the Cross, Whom as a mortal man they had mocked, Whom they insulted because He came not down from the Cross, whereas surely it was a much greater thing to rise from the dead, as He did, than to come down
200 Sin keeps from knowing God.
Psalm from the Cross; -- when then he preached to them Christ, cixxrx. they said, What shall we do ? They who had raged against 37. 38. ' the Lord, Whom they saw, now seek counsel how they may
be saved ; and it is said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be forgiven you. Behold, they saw the back parts of Him, Whose face they could not see. For His Hand was upon their eyes, not for ever, but while He passed by. After lle had passed, He took away His Hand from their eyes. When the Hand was taken from their eyes, they say to the disciples, What shall we do ? At first they are fierce, afterwards loving; at first angry, afterwards fearful; at first hard, then pleasant; at first blind, then enlightened.
9. 1 think that we may also recognise in this Psalm the same kind of words of the Gentiles, remembering their Rom. u, unbelief. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all. Thou hast fashioned me, and
laid Thine Hand upon me. Thy knowledge is made won
derful from me; it hath waxed mighty,
I
attain unto it. Thou hast, as it were, laid Thine Hand upon
me : Thou hast been made wonderful unlo me, I comprehend
Thee not, with Whom I was. How easy to me was the Luteis, countenance of my Father, when I said, Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Behold now that I have gone
into a far country, and am crushed with hunger, difficult is it to me, and toil is before my eyes; I cannot perceive what I have abandoned. For Thy knowledge, saith he, is made wonderful from me. From my sin came it to pass, that it was made wonderful to me, and was incomprehensible to me. For easy was it to me to contemplate Thee, when I had not through pride left Thee. Thy knowledge is made
wonderful from me ; it hath waxed mighty ; I
shall not be able to attain unto it, that is, from myself. I shall not be able to attain to it from myself. When then 1 shall be able,
not, save of Thee, shall I be able.
10. Behold thou findest that the runaway in a far country
cannot escape His eyes, from Whom he fleeth. And whither >><<r. 7. can he go now, whose limiIt is tracked out ? Behold, what
Wi>><J. ] , saith he? Whither shall from
go Thy Spirit? the
for Spirit of the Lord filleth the earth. Who can in the world
shall not
be able to
We cannot flee from God, 201
flee from that Spirit, with Whom the world is filled? v<<.
I 8"
I
Whither shall
flee from Thy Face? He seeketh a place whither to flee
go Thy Spirit, and whither shall from
from the wrath of God. What place will shelter God's run away ? Men who shelter runaways, ask them from whom they have fled ; and when they find any one a slave of some master less powerful than themselves, him they shelter as it were without any fear, saying in their hearts, 4 he hath not a master by whom he can be tracked out. ' But when they are told of a powerful master, they either shelter not, or they shelter with great fear, because even a powerful man can be deceived. Where is God not ? Who can deceive God? Whom doth not God see? From whom doth not God demand His runaway ? Whither then shall that run away go from the Face of God ? He turneth him hither and thither, asIthough seeking a spot to flee to.
11. If go up, saith he, to heaven, Thou art there: if /ver. 8. go down to hell, Thou art present.
At length, miserable runaway, thou hast learnt, that by no means canst thou
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away. Behold, He is every where ; thou, whither wilt thou go ? He hath found counsel, and Ithat
If
ousness. If by sinning I go down to the depths of wicked
nesses, and spurn to confess, saying, ' Who seeth me,' for in Ps. 6, 5. hell who shall confess to Thee? there also Thou art present,
to punish. Whither then shall I go that I may flee from
Thy presence, that is, not find Thee angry ?
12. This plan he found : So will I flee, saith he, from Thy
Face, so will I flee from Thy Spirit ; from Thy avenging
Spirit, Thy avenging Face thus will 1 flee. How? If I*TM- 9" lake again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea. So can I flee from Thy Face. If
he will flee to the utmost part of the sea from the Face of
God, will not He from Whom he fleeth be there, He of
inspired by Him, Who now deigneth to recall him.
up to heaven, Tliou art there : if 1 go down to hell, Thou art present. If I lift myself up, I find Thee pressing me down ; if 1 hide myself, I find Thee seeking me, and not only seeking me, but also tracking me out. For if I pride myself on my righteousness, Thou art there, Whose is true righte
go
202 save to God.
Psalm Whom he said, If I go down to hell, Thou art present ? cxxxix, glrange, if He be not in the utmost parts of the sea, Who not even in hell is absent. But I know, saith he, how 1
may flee from Thy wrath. I must take again my wings, not an erring course but right forward, that I neither be lifted up to proud presumption, nor be sunk down to aban doned despair. What wings will he take again, save the
Mat. 22,two pinions, the two precepts of love, on which two com-
40-
mandmeuts hang all the Law and the Prophets? These wings, saith he, these pinions, if I thus take again to me, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea, I can flee from Thy Face to Thy Face ; from Thy Face in anger, to Thy Face appeased. For what are the utmost parts of the sea, but the end of the world ? Thither let us now flee in hope and longing, with the wings of twofold love ; let us have no rest, save in the utmost parts of the sea. For if elsewhere we wish for rest, we shall be hurled headlong into the sea. Let us fly even to the ends of the sea, let us bear ourselves aloft on the wings of twofold love; meanwhile let us flee to God in hope, and in faithful hope let us meditate on that end of the sea.
1 3. Now listen who may bring us thither. The very same One whose face in wrath we wish to flee from. For whaIt
I
If if
go down into hell, Thou art present :
followeth ?
take again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost
parts of the sea, even thither shall Thy hand conduct me, and Thy right hand lead me. This let us meditate on, beloved brethren, let this be our hope, this our consolation. Let us take again through love the wings we lost through lust. For lust was the lime of our wings, it dashed us down from the freedom of our sky, that is, the free breezes of the
Spirit of God. Thence dashed down we lost our wings, and were, so to speak, imprisoned in the power of the fowler; thence He redeemed us with His Blood, Whom we fled from to be caught. He maketh us wings of His command ments; we raise them aloft now free from lime. Let us not
love the sea, but fly to the utmost parts of the sea. Let none be afraid, yet let none presume on his wings; for, winged though we be, unless He conduct us, we are thrown headlong into the depths of the sea, worn out and tired,
Christ makes our darkness light. 203
presuming as it were on our own strength. Needs then must Ver. we have wings, and needs must He conduct us, for He is our Helper. We have free-will; but even with that free-will what
can we do, unless He help us Whocommandeth us. For thither
shall Thy Hand conduct me, and Thy right Hand guide me. 14. And considering the length of the way, what said he
to himself? And I
said, Peradventure the darkness shall overwhelm me. Lo, now 1 have believed in Christ, now am
I wafted aloft on the wings of twofold love, and the ini
quity of this world aboundeth, and because iniquity abound- Mat-24, eth, the love of many waxeth cold. In this life amid so
many offences, so many sins, so many troubles of daily temptations, daily evil suggestions, what do I? saith he.
How shall I come to the utmost parts of the sea? He addeth,
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved, ib. 13. Regarding the length of the way, I said to myself, Per adventure the darkness shall overwhelm me. And the night
was light in my delight. The night was made to me light, because in the night I despaired of being able to cross so
great a sea, to surmount so long a journey, to reach the utmost parts by persevering to the end. Thanks to Him
Who sought me when a runaway, who smote my back with strokes of the scourge, who by calling me re-called me from destruction, who made my night light. For it is night so
long as we are passing through this life. How was the
night made light? Because Christ came down into the
night. Christ took flesh in this world, and enlightened for
us the night. For the woman in the parable when she had Lukeis,
lost a drachma, lighted a candle. The wisdom of God had 8" lost a drachma. What is a drachma ? A piece of money whereon was the image of our king. For man was made in the image of God, and had perished. And what did the wise woman ? She lighted a lamp. A lamp is made of clay, yet has light, whereby the drachma may be found. The
lamp of wisdom then, the Flesh of Christ, is made of clay, yet shines with His Word, finds the lost. And night was made light in my delight. Night was made delight to me. Our delight is Christ. See how now we delight in Him. Those shouts of yours, that joy of yours, whence are they from our delight? and whence is that delight, save that our
204 We must confess our sins, not defend them.
Psalm night is enlightened, save that unto us Christ the Lord is : preached? For He sought you before ye sought Him, and found you before ye found Him. And night was made light
ver. 12.
in my delight.
15. For darkness shall not be darkened by Thee. Do
not thou then darken thy darkness ; God darkeneth it not,
but enlighteneth it yet more; for to Hitn is said in another Ps. 18, Psalm, Thou, Lord, shall light my candle: my God shall enlighten my darkness. But who are they who darken their
darkness, which God darkeneth not ? Evil men, perverse men; when they sin, verily they are darkness; when they confess not their sins which they have committed, but go on to defend them, they darken their darkness. Wherefore now if thou hast sinned, thou art in darkness, but by con fessing thy darkness thou shalt obtain to have thy darkness lightened ; by defending thy darkness, thou shalt darken
thy darkness. And where wilt thou escape from double darkness, who wast in difficulty in single darkness? In what sense then doth the Lord not darken our darkness? Be cause he suffereth us not to have our sins unpunished, he scourgeth us in these toils, and disciplineth us. Know, my brethren, that all this misery of mankind in which the world groaneth, is medicinal pain, not penal sentence. Ye see that every where is pain, every where fear, every where need, every where toils. Avarice increaseth, but amid evils. If for this purpose God here disciplineth us with such scourges, that our darkness may not be darkened, let us acknowledge that we are under the punishment of the scourge, and let us bless God, Who mingleth bitternesses with the sweetness of this earthly life, lest, blinded by the enjoyment of temporal delights, we long not for everlasting delights, nor be willing that the sea come to end, or our selves to dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea. Let then the waves of the sea rage : the more the waves of the sea rage, the more does the dove soar with her wings. God then darkeneth not our darkness, because He mingleth
with our sins, and bitternesses with our evil delights. Let us not darken our darkness by defending our sins, and the night shall be light in our delight. For darkness shall not be darkened by Thee.
scourges
And be indifferent to things of this world. 205
16. And night shall be lightened as the day. Night, as Ver.
'---
the day. Day to us is worldly prosperity, night adversity in this world : but, if we learn that it is by the desert of our sins that we suffer adversities, and our Father's scourges are sweet to us, that the Judge's sentence may not be bitter to us, so shall we find the darkness of this night to be, as it were, the light of this night. If it is night, how is there light there? It is night, because here mankind wander; it is night because not yet have we reached the true day, the day not straitened by yesterday and to-morrow, the day everlasting, without rising, without setting. Here then it is night, but this night has a sort of light and darkness of its own. Why it is altogether night, we have said ; but what is the light of this night ? Prosperity and happiness of this world, temporal joy, temporal honour, are, as it were, the light of this night. But adversity, and the bitterness of tribulations and lowness of station, these are, as it were, the darkness of this night. In this night, in this mortal
condition of human life, men have darkness; their light prosperity, adversity their darkness. But when Christ our Lord has come, and has dwelt in the soul by faith, and promised other light, and inspired and given patience, and warned a man not to delight in prosperity or to be crushed by adversity, the man, being' faithful, begins to treat this world with indifference; not to be lifted up when
prosperity befalls him, nor crushed when adversity, but in all things to praise God, not only when he aboundeth, but also when he loseth ; not only when he is in health, but also when he is sick ; so that in his mouth that strain is true, / will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be ever in my mouth. If then ever, both when this night
is bright, and when it is dark; when prosperity smiles upon thee, and when adversity is sad ; if ever His praise be in thy mouth, then shall it also be to thee according to what is next said, As is His darkness, so is also His light. His darkness overwhelms me not, because His light lifts me not up.
17. Behold, thou hast its light in Job : he had abundance of every thing. First is described the light of his night, in his riches. In proportion to the greatness of the goods, and
Ps. 34,1.
2t)ti The example of Job.
Psalm the store he possessed in abundance, was the light of his HiEHL night. The enemy thought that such an one as he worshipped
God only because He had given him all these things, and asked that they might be taken from him. Then his night became darkness, which before had light. Still he knew that, whether it were darkness or light, it was night, wherein he was wandering in a far country, away from his God, and he had his God Himself as an inward Light, and that inner Light made him indifferent, whether it were darkness in this night, or light. And as in the light of this night, that is, in the midst of abundance, he worshipped God, when all was taken from him, when his night was made darkness,
J obi, 21. what said he? The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so hath it happened; blessed be the Name of the Lord. I am, so to speak, in the night of this life : my Lord dwelleth in my heart, He enlightened that night for me with certain comforts, when He gave me abundance of temporal goods ; now He hath withdrawn that temporal light, and the night is, as it were, darkened. But since, as is His darkness, so is His light also; the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away ; as it pleased the Lord, so hath it happened ; blessed be the Name of the
Lord. I am not sad in this night, for as is His darkness, so l Cor. 7, is also His light ; both pass away ; so that they which rejoice
3<1'
ver. 12.
are as though they rejoiced not, and they that weep as though they wept not ; for, as is His darkness, so is also His light.
18. For Thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins. Not without reason, as is His darkness, so is also His light. The Possessor is within ; He occupieth not only the heart, but also the reins ; not only the thoughts, but also the delights : He then possesseth that whence I should feel delight at any light in this world : He occupieth my reins : I know not delight, save from the inward light of His Wisdom. What then ? Dost thou not delight that thy affairs are very prosperous, times fortunate to thee ? dost thou not delight in honour, in riches, in thy family ? ' I
do not,' saith he. Wherefore ? Because as is His darkness, so is also His light. Whence hast thou this indifference, that as is His darkness to thee, so is also His light ? Whence ?
W e are renewed by God's indwelling. 207
Because Thou hast possessed my reins, O Lord; Thou hast Vm. taken me up from my mother's womb. While 1 was in my -- mother's womb, I did not regard with indifference the dark
ness of that night and the light of that night. For my mother's womb is the custom of my city. What city is that?
That which first gave us birth in captivity. We know that Babylon, whereof we spoke yesterday, from whence all go forth who believe in and sigh for the true light, the heavenly Jerusalem. Therefore have 1 said, From my mother's womb was I taken up by the Lord, thence are the darkness and light of this night become indifferent to me. But he that is in the womb of that mother, Babylon, joys in the prosperity of this world, is crushed by the adversity of this world, knows not to rejoice, unless some
temporal prosperity befall him ; knows not to be saddened, unless some temporal
adversity befall him. Now come forth from the womb of Babylon, begin to sing a song to the Lord ; come forth and be born : God shall take thee up from thy mother's womb. What God? That God of the Apostle Paul, who said, Bui when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, to reveal His Son in me. For who was his mother? The Synagogue. And what had he learnt there, save what the Jews themselves, the people itself, had and had learnt? The name of God's praise had remained in them, but there were not found in them deeds : there were in them
the words of God, as leaves on a tree: the fruit was no where. Such a fig-tree, as ye know, the Lord when HeMat. Sl, found, withered away with a curse, for He found thereon
leaves, but fruit He did not find. Some tree He was speak
ing of in a figure to us. For the time offigs was not yet: Mark
'
what all men knew, did the Maker of earth and sky not know ? He therefore, Who separated Paul from his mother's womb, hath also separated us from our mother's womb. And who is our mother? Babylon. Being then taken up from that womb, let us now begin to entertain other hopes. He hath promised, brethren, that wherein ye may rejoice: now bring forth fruit, being set in other hopes. Now know no ill, save to offend God, and so not to be brought to those things which He promiseth. What of the goods of this world, and the ills of this world ? Let us regard them with
208 And therefore should despise the world, yet be humble.
Psai. m indifference; for now, having been taken up from the womb -' of that our mother, we look on them with indifference, and say, As is His darkness, so is also His light. Neither doth
earthly prosperity make us happy, nor earthly adversity wretched. We must maintain righteousness, love faith, hope in God, love God, love our neighbours also. After these toils we shall have unfailing light, day without setting. Fleeting is all the light and darkness of this night. For Thou, Lord, hast possessed my reins: Thou hast taken me up from my mother's womb.
19. / trill confess to Thee, O Lord, for terribly hast Thou been made wonderful. Terribly hast Thou been made won
in the very fact that we wonder at Thee, Thou art terrible, we rejoice with trembling. For we fear lest, being puffed up with pride at Thy gifts, we be punished by the loss of what we have gained by humility. /will confess to
Thee, O Lord, for terribly hast Thou been made wonderful : wondrous are Thy works, and my soul knoueth it right well. Now my soul knoweth it right well, because Thou hast taken me up from my mother's womb; but aforetime Thy know ledge was Imade wonderful from me, it had waxed great,
20. My bone is not hid from Thee, which Thou hast made in secret. His bone, he saith. What the people call 'ossmn,' is in Latin called 'os. ' This is the word in the Greek". For we might think the word 'os' is here the one which makes in the plural ' ora,' not ' os' short, which makes ' ossa. ' He saith then, my bone is not hid from Tlwe, which Thou hast made in secret. I have a certain bone in secret (ossum). For this word let us prefer to use ; better is it that scholars find fault with us, than that the people understand us not. ' There is then,' saith he, 'a certain bone of mine, within, hidden ; Thou hast made within a bone for me in secret, yet is it not hidden from Thee. In secret hast Thou made it,
derful:
ver. 15.
1 Gr.
