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Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
He shall defend thee between His shoulders : but when?
when thou shalt trust beneath His wings: His truth shall encompass thee with a shield.
Because, then, thou hast trusted in Him, and reposed all thy hopes in Him, what follows?
Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day ; for the matter that walketh in darkness, nor for the downfal and the devil thai is in the noon-day.
Who will not fear ?
He who trusts not in himself, but in Christ.
But those who trust in themselves,
although they even hope to judge at the side of Christ, although they hoped they should be at His right hand, as if He said to them, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; yet the devil that is at noon overtook them, the raging heat of persecution, terrifying with violence ; and many fell from the hope of the seat of judgment, of whom it is said, A thousand shall fall beside thee ; many too fell from the hope
1 ohse- of reward for their duties1, of whom it was said, And ten
q
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thousand at thy right hand. But this downfal and devil that
is at noon-day shall not come nigh thee, that the Head and Tim. the body for the Lord knows who are His.
y\, Ver. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. What this Why nevertheless? Because the wicked were allowed to tyrannize over Thy servants, and to persecute them. Will they then have been allowed to persecute Thy servants with impunity Not with impunity, for although Thou hast per mitted them, and Thine own have thence received brighter
crown, nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. For the evil which they willed, not the good they unconsciously were the agents of,
will be recompensed them. All that wanting the eye of faith, by which we may see that they are raised for time
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Faith needed to see the true state ofmen. 295
only, while they shall mourn for evermore; and to those into Ver. whose hands is given temporal power over the servants of ---' - Gad, it shall be said, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared Mat. 26p
for the devil and his angels. But if every man have but41' eyes in the sense in which it is said, With thine eyes shalt thou behold, it is no unimportant thing to look upon the wicked flourishing in this life, and to have an eye to him, to consider what will become of him in the end, if he fail to reform his ways: for those who now would thunder upon others, will afterwards feel the thunderbolt themselves. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly.
12. Ver. 9. For Thou, Lord, art my hope. He has now come to the power which rescues him from falling by the downfall and the devil of the noon-day. For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thy house of defence very high. What do the words very high mean ? For many make their house of defence in God a mere refuge from temporal per secution; but the defence of God is on high, and very secret, whither thou mayest fly from the wrath to come. Within Thou hast set thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil happen unto Thee : neither shall any plague come nigh Thy dwelling. For He shall give His Angels charge
over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands: that Thou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. These are the very words which Ihe devil said to our
Lord when he tempted Him ; but as they demand very careful consideration, let us defer them and the latter part of this Psalm until to-morrow, (as we owe you a discourse for to morrow also,) to begin again at the same place, in order to avoid fatiguing you; lest, when we are anxious to clear up
an obscure passage, any haste on our part may hinder your understanding it.
PSALM XCl. Lat. XC.
SECOND DISCOUBSE.
1. I doubt uot that you remember, beloved, such of you as were present yesterday at my sermon, that the shortness
296 Divers capacities ofhearers.
Psalm of time prevented my concluding the exposition of the ^Il1- Psalm, a part of which was thus deferred until this day. You who were here yesterday, remember this; you who were
not, may now know it. On this account I have caused to be read to you the chapter in the Gospel, wherein our Lord was
from the words of this Psalm. On this account Christ was tempted, that the Christian may not be overcome by the tempter : He, as the Master, willed to be tempted in all things, because we are tempted: just as He willed to die, because we die : as He willed to rise again, since we too shall rise again. For all those works which He shewed forth in humanity, Who was made Man for us, He shewed forth on our account, since He was God, through Whom we were made. And we have often impressed upon you, beloved, what we do not fear to reiterate frequently: in order that, since many of you possibly cannot read, either because they have no leisure, or know not letters, at least by constantly listening they may not forget their healthful faith. Certainly, by repeating them we may appear troublesome to some, while however we may be building up others. For we are well assured that there are many of retentive memory, and careful reading in Holy Writ, who know what we are about to say ; and perhaps they wish us to say what they do not know. But if they are quicker, let them see that they are travelling with others not so quick ; for when two persons of different speed are travelling in company, it is in the power of the quicker, and not of him who is more slow, to give or to deny his company; because if the swifter is pleased to do his utmost, the slower will not keep up with him, and so he must needs rein in his own speed, in order not to leave his fellow-traveller behind. What I have so often said, and now
Phil. 3, repeat, --as the Apostle says, To write the same things to you 1 is not grievous, hut for you it is safe, -- is this. Our Lord Jesus Christ is as one whole perfect Man, both Head and Body : we acknowledge the Head in that Man Who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontins Pilate, was
buried, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sitteth on the right hand of the Father, whence we await HU coming as Judge of the quick and the dead. This is the Head of the Church. The Body of this Head is the Church;
tempted
Ephes.
The Head and the Body, one Christ. The Holy City. 297
not the Church of this country only, but of the whole world Ver. as well : not that of this age only, but from Abel himself ----- down to those who shall to the end be born and believe in Christ, the whole assembly of the Saints, belonging to one
city ; which city is Christ's body, of which Christ is the Head. There, too, dwell the Angels, who are our fellow- citizens: we toil, because we are as yet pilgrims: while they within that city are awaiting our arrival. Letters have reached us too from that city, apart from which we are wandering : those letters are the Scriptures, which exhort
us to live well. Why do I speak of letters only ? The King himself descended, and became a path to us in our wander
ings: that walking in Him, we may neither stray, nor faint
nor fall among robbers, nor be caught in the snares which
are set near our path. This character, then, we recognise in
the whole Person of Christ, together with the Church : Him
self alone born of the Virgin, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, Mediator between God and man : Mediator for this I Tim.
purpose, that He may reconcile by Himself those who had2'6- fallen back: for a mediator is only between two persons.
We had fallen away from the Majesty of God, and by our sins offended Him ; His Son was sent as our Mediator, who
by His blood might atone for our sins, by which we were separated from God : and placing Himself between us and
the Almighty, might restore and reconcile us to Him, having turned away from Whom, we were held bound in our sins.
He Himself is our Head, He is God, co-equal with the Father, the Word of God, by Whom all things were made : John 1, but God to create, Man to renew; God to make, Man to3, restore. Looking upon Him, then, let us hear the Psalm. Listen, beloved. This is the teaching and doctrine of this school, which may enable you to understand, not this Psalm
only, but many, if ye keep in mind this rule. Sometimes a Psalm, and all prophecy as well, in speaking of Christ, praises the Head alone, and sometimes from the Head goes to
the Body, that the Church, and without apparently chang
ing the Person spoken of: because the Head not separate
from the Body, and both are spoken of as one. For observe, beloved, what say. Clear, assuredly, to all the Psalm
in which said of our Lord, They pierced My hands and Ps. 22,
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Psalm Afy feet: they numbered all My bones: they parted My
garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture. Even the Jews when they hear this are confounded: so evidently is it a prophecy of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. But our Lord Jesus Christ had no sins : yet in the
Ps. 22,1. commencement of that Psalm it is said, My God, my Ood, why hast Thou forsaken me; and art so far from my health, and the words of my complaint ? Ye see then what is said in the character of the Head, what in that of the Body. The sins belong to us: the suffering for us belongeth to the Head: but on account of His suffering for us, the sins which belong to us are remitted. Thus also it is in this Psalm.
2. 1 have treated of the first verses yesterday : but let us briefly run over them. (Ver. 1 . ) Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I took occasion, beloved brethren, to exhort you from these verses to put no trust in yourselves, but all in Him in Whom is our strength, for it is by means of His aid
11
that we conquer, not by presuming in ourselves. The God of Heaven therefore defends us, if we say to the Lord what follows. (Ver. 2. ) He shall say unto the Lord, Thou art my
hope and my strong hold: my God, in Him will I
trust. (Ver. 3. ) For he shall deliver thee from the snares of the hunter: and from a harsh word. I said, that many fearing a harsh word have fallen into the hunter's snares; a man is
insulted because he is a Christian, he becomes ashamed of his profession, and by means of a harsh word he falls into the snares of the devil. Again, a man is insulted, because among many Christians he lives a better life than they: and fearing the hard words of his insulting foe, he becomes a prey to the devil's snares, so that he is not wheat on the floor, but rather follows the chaff. But he who trusts in God, is rescued from the snare of the hunters, aud from the harsh word. But in what manner does God defend thee? He shall defend thee between His shoulders; that is, He will place thee before His breast, that He may defend thee under His wings : if thou acknowledge thy weakness, in order that as a weak chicken thou mayest fly beneath the wings of thy mother, lest thou be seized by the kite ; for the powers of the air, the devil and his angels, are kites, and their wish is to
Various cases and decrees of temptation. 299
seize upon our weakness. Let us then fly beneath the Ver. wings of our Mother the Divine Wisdom, since that Wisdom -- -- -- voluntarily weakened Herself on our behalf, when the Word*0*TM >, was made flesh. Just as the hen weakeneth herself together
with her chickens, that she may defend them beneath herMat. 23, wings: so our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, being in the form ofphilip.
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, in order2, l7- that He might undergo weakness with us, and protect us under His wings ; made Himself of 110 reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the like
ness of men, and found in fashion as a man.
And thou shall be safe under His wings: His truth shall
encompass thee with a shield and buckler. (Ver. 5. ) Thou shall not be afraid for any terror by night. The temptations of ignorance are the terror by night : the sins of knowledge are the arrow that flieth by day: for ignorance is understood by night, and the making manifest by day. Some sin through ignorance, others with full knowledge : they that sin igno- rantly are overthrown by the terror by night : they that sin
with knowledge are stricken by the arrow that flieth by day. And as these things happen in the heavier persecutions, the further we advance, as if towards the noon, whoever falls under that heat will fall as it were by the devil that is at noon-day. And many have fallen by this heat, as I yester day explained to you, my beloved, because in the heat of the persecution it was proclaimed, Let the Christians be tortured, until they deny themselves Christians. Whereas before when they confessed they were beheaded, they were afterwards tortured to make them deny : and as every one
that was accused was tortured, until he denied, the confession of Christians was tortured, their denial acquitted. Great then was the fury of the persecutors. Whoever fell under that temptation, fell by the devil that was of the noon. And how many did fall ! Many who were hoping that they might share their Lord's judgment-seat, fell from beside Him.
Many too who hoped they should be on His right hand, as provincial paymasters among/ the holy soldiers of the Cross,
to whom it should be said,
Me meat, (for there will be many on His right hand,) have fallen from that hope, and more of these than of those who
was an hungred, and ye gave
300 Christ kept safe even in His People.
Psalm hoped for ihe judgment-seat. For they are the fewer that ^l1' shall judge with the Lord, and the more that shall stand before Him. But those who shall stand before Him, will be in different conditions. For some shall be on the left, others on the right: some that they may reign, others that they may be punished : some that they may hear the words, Come, ye blessed of My Father: others, that they may be
Mat. 26, addressed thus, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlastiny
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1 Tim. Apostle says, The Lord knoweth them that are His. For
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^'fife, prepared for the devil and his angels. Of those then who fall by the downfall and the demon of the noon-day, A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand by thy right hand. But it shall not come nigh thee. What is this ? The devil of the noonday overthrows not thee. What wonder if it overthrow not the Head ? But it overthrows not those either who hold so close to the Head, as the
there are some so predestined, that the Lord knoweth who belong to His own body. Since then that temptation shall not approach them in such force as to overwhelm them, it is said concerning them, but it shall not come nigh thee. But lest those sinners who were allowed to practise such cruelties against the Christians, may be attended to by some weak persons, and lest it be said, Lo, what is the will of God, that such power is given to ungodly and wicked men against His servants ? Consider a little with thy eyes, the eyes of faith, and thou shalt see the retribution upon sinners in the end, to whom at present only sufficient power is given to try thy faith. For these words follow : Yea, with thine eyes thou shalt behold, and see the reward ofthe ungodly.
3. Ver. 9-- 12. Because Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee. These words are addressed to our Lord ; Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set
Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy dwelling. Next follow the words which ye have heard spoken by the devil : For He hath given His Angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands, that Titou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. To whom does he say this ? To whom did he say
He who saves, is Himself saved in His Members. 301
For Tlwu, Lord, art my help ? 1 suppose it is no longer Ver. needful to explain to Christians who is the Lord in this-? ^2-' passage. If they understand by it God the Father, how
shall the Angels bear Him in their hands, lest He hurt His
foot against a stone ? You see this also, that our Lord Christ, when He was speaking of the body, suddenly begins to speak of the Head. Our Head is spoken of in one passage, in the words, For Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Thine house of defence eery high. For this cause, Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high, because Thou, Lord, art my hope. What means this ? Attend, my beloved : Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Tliine house of defence very high. We need no longer wonder what the meaning of this is : for in the following verse it is added, that, because Thou hast set Thine house of defence
very high, there shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy duelling. But we do not
read in the Gospel, that at any time the Angels bore our Lord, that He might not hurt His foot against a stone: and yet we understand this. For these tilings have already past : and were prophesied with reason, since they were to happen. And we cannot say, Christ will come later, so that He may not strike His foot against a stone: for He will come to judge. Wherein then is the prophecy fulfilled ? Attend, my beloved.
4. First listen to these verses : For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house ofdefence very high. The human race knew that man died, but did not know that he arose again : it had therefore reason for fear, but not for hope. In order that He, then, Who for discipline awed them with the fear of death, might give them the hope of resurrection for the reward of eternal life, our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to rise from the dead. He died after many: He arose before all: He suffered that in dying, which many suffered before Him: He did that in His resurrection, which no one did before Him: for when will the Church receive this, except in the end ? What the members are to hope, has gone before in the Head: you know well, my beloved, their way
of speaking with one another. Let then the Church say unto her Lord Jesus Christ, let the body say to its Head,
302 No evil can approach manhood indwelt by God.
Psalm For Thou, Lord, art my hi. pe: Thou hast set Thine house l ~~ ol defence very high that is, Thou hast riseu from the dead, and ascended into heaven, that by ascending Thou mightest set Thine house of defence very high, and become my hope,
when despaired on earth, and believed not that should rise again now believe, because my Head has ascended into heaven: where the Head has gone before, the limbs will in course follow. imagine these words are now clear they may be more clearly paraphrased thus. Thou hast arisen from the dead before me, that might have hope of resur rection which had nol before, so that might hope should follow Thee, whither Thou hast gone before me. These are the words of the Church to her Lord, of the body to its Head.
5. Do not then wonder no evil shall happen unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The flesh the Lord's tabernacle. The Word dwelt in the flesh, and the flesh became a tabernacle for God in that very tent our
Chief carried on war on our behalf in that very tent He was tempted by the enemy, lest His soldiers should faint. And because He shewed that very flesh to our eyes, because our eyes rejoice in that light, and are delighted with that visible illumination, because He made His flesh manifest to
Ph. 19,4. the eyes of all men, Psalm says, He hath set His tabernacle in the sun. What is, in the sun Openly, clearly, in the light of this world that is, in the light which overspread the earth from heaven, there He hath placed His dwelling. But how could He set His tent there, He were not as
bridegroom coming forth from his chamber? for this further description follows, He cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. The tabernacle the very same as the spouse the Word the Bridegroom, and the bridal chamber the
Eph. o, Virgin's womb. And what saith the Apostle? And they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery but speak concerning Christ and the Church. And what are our
M>>t. 19, Lord's own words in the Gospel? Wherefore they are no more twain, but oneflesh. One instead of two, of the Word and the flesh, one Alan one God. But this tabernacle of our Lord's felt the scourge in this world, as
well known,
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the Lord was scourged. Does It feel the lash in heaven ? Ver.
And wherefore not? Because He hath set His house of "' Mat. 27,
defence very high, that He might be our hope; and no evil 68. shall come near unto him ; neither shall any plague come
nigh His dwelling. He is far above all the heavens : but
His feet rest upon the earth: His head is in heaven: His
body on earth. But when His feet were being scourged,
and trampled down by Saul, the Head cried out, Saul, Saul, Acts 9, why persecutest thou Me? Lo, no"man persecutes the Head:4,
lo, the Head is in heaven : since Christ being raised from Bom. 2, the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over9'
Him no evil shall come near unto Tfiee neither shall any
plague come nigh Thy dwelling. But that we may not imagine that the Head cut off from the body: for separated in point of place, but joined in feeling; that very communion of feeling cried from Heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Mei He prostrated Saul with voice of reproach, while He raised him by the hand of pity. He who persecuted the body of Christ, became member of Christ: that thus he might feel therein what he had inflicted before. ?
6. What then, my brethreu, what said of our Head For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Tltou hast set Thine house of
defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee: neither shall any plague come nigh Thy dwelling. Of this
we have spoken, for He hath given His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. You heard these words
but now, when the Gospel was being read attend therefore.
Our Lord, after He was baptized, fasted. Why was He baptized That we might not scorn to be baptized. For when John said to our Lord, Comest Tliou to me lo be bap- Mutt.
Lord14,16, replied, Suffer to be so now, for thus becometh us to fulfil all righteousness; He wished to fulfil all humility, so
that He should be washed, Who had no defilement. Why this? On account of the pride of those who were to come after Himself. Suppose any catechumen, who perchance in his learning and piety excels many of the faithful he fmds many baptized who are ignorant, many who live not as he
does himself, in such continence and chastity perhaps he
tized? ought to be baptized Tliee and our
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304 Our Lord's example in His Baptism, in His Temptation.
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Psalm does not think of marriage, while he sees another of the XCI. ' .
faithful, if not in fornication, at least using his marriage license too freely; he may perhaps lift up the neck of pride, and say, what need have I of baptism, to receive what this man has, whom I already surpass, both in my life ' and know ledge ? To such a one our Lord would say, How and how far hast thou surpassed him ? as much as I surpass
Mat. 10, th 'e ? The aisciple is not above his master, nor the servant 2*' 26' above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. Do not be so puffed up, as to dispense with baptism. Thou shalt seek the
baptism of the Lord, I sought that of a servant. ' Our Lord, then, was baptized, and after baptism He was tempted; He fasted forty days, a number which has, as I have often mentioned, a deep meaning. All things cannot be explained at once, lest needful time be too much taken up. After forty days He was an hungred. He could have fasted without ever feeling hunger; but then how could He be tempted? or had He not overcome the tempter, how couldest thou learn to struggle with him ? He was hungry ; and then the
If
bread out of nothing. For whence came that quantity of food, which could satisfy so many thousands ? The sources of that bread are in the Lord's hands. This is nothing
Mat. 14, wonderful ; for He Himself made out of five loaves bread
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for the Lord to create bread out of stones? He made men even out of stones, in the words of John the ib. 3, 9. Baptist himself, God is able of these s/ones to raise up children unto Abraham. Why then did He not so? That he might teach thee how to answer the tempter, so that
if thou wast reduced to anj straits and the tempter sug gested, if thou wast a Christian and belongedst to Christ, would He desert thee now ? would He not have sent thee
Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Was it a great thing for our Lord Jesus Christ to make bread out of stones, when He satisfied so many thousands with five loaves ? He made
tempter said,
enough for so many thousands, Who also every day out of a few seeds raises up on earth immense harvests. These are the miracles of our Lord: but from their constant operation they are disregarded. What then, my brethren, was it im
possible
We may not expect God to grant our will. 305
help ? Possibly the Physician has still the knife in His Ver.
--
when he complained of the messenger of Satan, who was a thora in hisI flesh, by whom he says he was buffetted. For 2 Cor.
this thing besought the Lord thrice, that it might departTM' ' from me. And He said unto me, Big grace is sufficient for
thee : for My strength is made perfect in weakness. As if a man said to his physician, who had given him a blister, This plaister is troublesome to me : I pray you take it away. And the physician replies, No; you must let it remain for some time; you cannot otherwise recover. The physician did not listen to his patient with a view to consult his pleasure, but his health. Be therefore strong, my brethren: and when ye are tempted by some want, beneath the scourge and the instruction of God, while He is both preparing and keeping for you an eternal inheritance, let not the devil sug gest to you, If thou wert righteous, would He not send thee bread by means of the rIaven, as He did to Elias ? Where is that thou hast read,
hand, and therefore leaves thee: yet He does not forsake thee: just as He listened not to the prayers of Paul, because He did listen to him. For Paul says, that he was not heard
never saw the righteous forsaken, p? . nor his seed begging their bread/? Do thou answer the2? -
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devil, The Scripture speaks truth,
never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread ; for I have a bread of mine own that thou knowest not of. What bread ?
Listen to our Lord ; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Dost thou think the word of God bread? If the Word of God, through whichI all things were made, was not bread,
when pressed with hunger.
7. What, if he tempt thee in these words: If thou wast a
Christian, thou wouldest do miracles, as many Christians have done ? Thou, deceived by a wicked suggestion, wouldest tempt the Lord thy God, so as to say to Him, IfI am a Christian, and am before Thine eyes, and Thou dost account me at all in the number of Thine own, let me also do some thing like the many works which Thy Saints have done ? Thou hast tempted God, as if thou wert not a Christian,
VOL. IV. x
He would not say,
am the bread which came down
heaven. Thou hast therefore learnt to answer the tempter,41,
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306 Worldly minds incline to ' tempt God?
Psalm unless thou didst this. Many who desired such things have
^len- For lnat Simon the sorcerer desired such gifts of Acts 8, the Apostles, when he wished to buy the Holy Spirit for
Xn! 18'
money. He loved the power of working miracles, but loved
not the imitation of humility. Thus, when some disciple,
or some one from the crowd, wished to follow the Lord, from witnessing the miracles which He did : the Lord saw that \ he was proud, and sought not the path of humility, but the
Matt. 8, puffing up of power, and said, The foxes have holes, the
^
birds of the air have nests; but the Sun of Man hath not where to lay His head. The foxes have holes in thee: the birds of the air have nests in thee. The foxes mean deceit: the birds of the air pride: for as the birds seek the regions above, so do the proud: and as foxes have treacherous holes, so have also all plotters against others. What then was our Lord's answer ? Piide and deceit may dwell in thee: Christ hath not where to dwell in thee: where to lay His head, because the laying of His head is the humility of Christ : unless He laid down His head, thou wouldest not be jus tified. Even His disciples, when they desired such things,
and were already wishing for a seat in His kingdom, before they gained the path of humility, when He was asked by the mother of His disciples, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, the other on Thy left, were seeking power : but through the suffering of humility we
'
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cf. Matt. come to the power of the kingdom. Our Lord saith, Are ye
20, 21.
ao[e f0 drink 0f the cup that I shall drink of? Why do ye think of the loftiness of the kingdom, and yet imitate not My humility ? What then, if he tempt thee thus, " work miracles ? " that thou mayest not tempt God, what shouldest thou answer ? What our Lord answered. The devil said to Him, Cast Thyself down ; for it is written, He shall give His Angels charge concerning Thee ; and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. If Thou shalt cast Thyself down, Angels shall receive Thee. And it might indeed, my brethren, happen, if our Lord had cast Himself down, the attending Angels would receive our Lord's flesh ; but what
Deut. 6, does He say to him ? TV is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Thou thinkest Me a man. For the
Ministry of Angels to our Lord as Man. 307
devil came to Him with this view, that he might try whether Ver. He were the Son of God. He saw His Flesh ; but His----- might appeared in His works: the Angels had borne witness.
He saw that He was mortal, so that he might tempt Him,
that by Christ's temptation the Christian might be taught. What then is written ? Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Let us not then tempt the Lord, so as to say, If we belong to Thee, let us work a miracle.
8. Let us return to the words of the Psalm. He hath given His Angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands, lest at any time Thou hurt Thy foot against a stone. Christ was raised up in the hands of Angels, when He was taken up into heaven : not that, if Angels had not sustained Him, He
would have fallen : but because they were attending on their
King. Say not, Those who sustained Him are better than
He Who was sustained. Are then cattle better than men, because they sustain the weakness of men ? And we ought
not to speak thus either ; for if the cattle withdraw their support, their riders fall. But how ought we to speak of it ?
For it is said even of God, Heaven is My throne. Because Is. 66,i. then heaven supports Him, and God sits thereon, is therefore fg^ ' heaven the better ? Thus also in this Psalm we may under
stand it of the service of the Angels: it does not pertain to any infirmity in our Lord, but to the honour they pay, and to their service. But our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the
dead. Wherefore ? Hear the Apostle : He was delivered Rom. 4, for our offences, and rose again for our justification. Also 26'
the Gospel saith of the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost was John 7,
What39,
cost. But in the Law, in Exodus the book of Moses, from
the day when the lamb was slain and eaten, fifty days are numbered ; and the Law was given, written by the finger ofEx. 31, God on tables of stone. What the finger of God the Gospel explaineth to us for the finger of God the Holy Ghost. How do we prove this Our Lord, when answering
those who accused Him of casting out devils in the name of x
not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
is the glorification of Jesus ? He arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Glorified by God by His ascent into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit on the day of Pente
2?
;
is
is,
'
308 Christ's mystical feet not hurt, on the stone of the Law.
Psu. m Beelzebub, saith, If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God;
andIanother Evangelist, in relating the same saying, saith,
with the finger God cast out devils. What therefore MatAi, If of
Luke 11 's 'n onc stated clearly, is darkly expressed in another. Thou 20- didst not know what was the fmger of God, but another
Evangelist explains it by terming it the Spirit of God. The Law then written by the fmger of God was given on the fiftieth day after the slaughter of the lamb, and the Holy Ghost descended on the fiftieth day after the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The lamb was slain, the Passover was celebrated, the fifty days were completed, and the Law was given. But that Law was to cause fear, not love : but that fear might be changed into love, He Who was truly righteous was slain : of Whom that lamb whom the Jews were slaving was the type. He arose from the dead : and from the day of our Lord's Passover, as from that of the slaying of the Paschal lamb, fifty days are counted ; and the
Acts 2, Holy Ghost descended, now in the fulness of love, not in the punishment of fear. Why have I said this ? For this then our Lord arose, and was glorified, that He might send His Holy Spirit. And I said long ago that this was so, because His head is in heaven, His feet on earth. If His head is in heaven, His feet on earth ; what means our Lord's feet on earth ? Our Lord's saints on earth. Who are our Lord's feet ? The Apostles sent throughout the whole world. Who are our Lord's feet ? All the Evan gelists, in whom our Lord travellelh over all nations. It was to be feared lest the Evangelists should he hurt against a stone: for when He was set in Heaven as the head, the feet which were toiling upon the ground might be hurt against a stone. What stone ? The Law given on the tables of stone. That they might not therefore be impeached before the Law, not having received grace, and be held accursed in the Law: for this liability to the Law is that very stumbling against the stone: those whom the Law held con demned, the Lord absolved, that they might no more hurt
their feet against the Law. That the feet of this Head might not incur guilt of the Law, the Holy Ghost was sent to inspire love, and to release from fear. Fear did not fulfil the Law, love fulfilled it. Men feared, but they fulfilled
The Law fulfilled through the gift of Love. 309
not: they loved, and they fulfilled. How did they fear, and Ver.
:--
Peter thrice denied Him, for he had not yet received the Mat. 26, Holy Ghost: afterwards, when he had received the Holy69 Spirit, he began to preach with confidence. He who at the
words of the maid-servant thrice denied, after he had re
yet not fulfil? how did they love, and fulfil? Men used to fear, and to plunder others' goods : they loved, and they gave away their own. We need not therefore wonder that our Lord was raised up to heaven by the hands ofAngels, that His foot might not dash against a stone : lest those who on earth toiled in his body, while they were travelling over the whole world might become guilty of the Law, He took from them fear, and filled them with love. Through fear
ceived the Holy Ghost, confessed, amid the stripes of the rulers, Him Whom he had denied. This is no wonder: for Acts 6, the Lord dissolved that threefold fear by threefold love. 29' 4 For when He arose from the dead He said to Peter, Peter,
lavest thou Me? He said not, Fearest thou Me? For if
he still feared, he would be hurting his feet against the
stone. Lovest I thou Me? He saith. Peter replies, Thou
I
9. The rest is clear, my brethren, for it has often been treated of. (Ver. 13. ) Thou 1 shall go upon the asp and the l on this basilisk ; the lion and the dragon shall thou tread under thy JgTM? n
love Thee. Once was enough. Perhaps it
knowest that
might satisfy me, who see not the heart ; how much more would it suffice / the Lord, Who saw how with his whole
love Thee. It is not enough for our Lord,
soul Peter said,
to answer once: He asketh a second time, and Peter answer-
eth : He asketh a third time ; and now Peter, wearied, as if
our Lord doubted of his love, Lord, he saith, Thou huowest John2l,
1'-
all things: Thou knowest that
so dealt with him, as if He said, thrice thou hast denied Me through fear: thrice confess Me through love. With that love and that charity He filled His disciples. Why ? Because He hath set His house of defence very high: because when glo rified He sent the Holy Ghost, He released the faithful from the guilt of the Law, that His feet might not dash against a stone.
Ye know who the serpent and how the Church PM0,1.
although they even hope to judge at the side of Christ, although they hoped they should be at His right hand, as if He said to them, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; yet the devil that is at noon overtook them, the raging heat of persecution, terrifying with violence ; and many fell from the hope of the seat of judgment, of whom it is said, A thousand shall fall beside thee ; many too fell from the hope
1 ohse- of reward for their duties1, of whom it was said, And ten
q
2,19.
thousand at thy right hand. But this downfal and devil that
is at noon-day shall not come nigh thee, that the Head and Tim. the body for the Lord knows who are His.
y\, Ver. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. What this Why nevertheless? Because the wicked were allowed to tyrannize over Thy servants, and to persecute them. Will they then have been allowed to persecute Thy servants with impunity Not with impunity, for although Thou hast per mitted them, and Thine own have thence received brighter
crown, nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. For the evil which they willed, not the good they unconsciously were the agents of,
will be recompensed them. All that wanting the eye of faith, by which we may see that they are raised for time
is
is a a
is ?
?
; 8.
2
is,
Faith needed to see the true state ofmen. 295
only, while they shall mourn for evermore; and to those into Ver. whose hands is given temporal power over the servants of ---' - Gad, it shall be said, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared Mat. 26p
for the devil and his angels. But if every man have but41' eyes in the sense in which it is said, With thine eyes shalt thou behold, it is no unimportant thing to look upon the wicked flourishing in this life, and to have an eye to him, to consider what will become of him in the end, if he fail to reform his ways: for those who now would thunder upon others, will afterwards feel the thunderbolt themselves. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly.
12. Ver. 9. For Thou, Lord, art my hope. He has now come to the power which rescues him from falling by the downfall and the devil of the noon-day. For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thy house of defence very high. What do the words very high mean ? For many make their house of defence in God a mere refuge from temporal per secution; but the defence of God is on high, and very secret, whither thou mayest fly from the wrath to come. Within Thou hast set thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil happen unto Thee : neither shall any plague come nigh Thy dwelling. For He shall give His Angels charge
over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands: that Thou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. These are the very words which Ihe devil said to our
Lord when he tempted Him ; but as they demand very careful consideration, let us defer them and the latter part of this Psalm until to-morrow, (as we owe you a discourse for to morrow also,) to begin again at the same place, in order to avoid fatiguing you; lest, when we are anxious to clear up
an obscure passage, any haste on our part may hinder your understanding it.
PSALM XCl. Lat. XC.
SECOND DISCOUBSE.
1. I doubt uot that you remember, beloved, such of you as were present yesterday at my sermon, that the shortness
296 Divers capacities ofhearers.
Psalm of time prevented my concluding the exposition of the ^Il1- Psalm, a part of which was thus deferred until this day. You who were here yesterday, remember this; you who were
not, may now know it. On this account I have caused to be read to you the chapter in the Gospel, wherein our Lord was
from the words of this Psalm. On this account Christ was tempted, that the Christian may not be overcome by the tempter : He, as the Master, willed to be tempted in all things, because we are tempted: just as He willed to die, because we die : as He willed to rise again, since we too shall rise again. For all those works which He shewed forth in humanity, Who was made Man for us, He shewed forth on our account, since He was God, through Whom we were made. And we have often impressed upon you, beloved, what we do not fear to reiterate frequently: in order that, since many of you possibly cannot read, either because they have no leisure, or know not letters, at least by constantly listening they may not forget their healthful faith. Certainly, by repeating them we may appear troublesome to some, while however we may be building up others. For we are well assured that there are many of retentive memory, and careful reading in Holy Writ, who know what we are about to say ; and perhaps they wish us to say what they do not know. But if they are quicker, let them see that they are travelling with others not so quick ; for when two persons of different speed are travelling in company, it is in the power of the quicker, and not of him who is more slow, to give or to deny his company; because if the swifter is pleased to do his utmost, the slower will not keep up with him, and so he must needs rein in his own speed, in order not to leave his fellow-traveller behind. What I have so often said, and now
Phil. 3, repeat, --as the Apostle says, To write the same things to you 1 is not grievous, hut for you it is safe, -- is this. Our Lord Jesus Christ is as one whole perfect Man, both Head and Body : we acknowledge the Head in that Man Who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontins Pilate, was
buried, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sitteth on the right hand of the Father, whence we await HU coming as Judge of the quick and the dead. This is the Head of the Church. The Body of this Head is the Church;
tempted
Ephes.
The Head and the Body, one Christ. The Holy City. 297
not the Church of this country only, but of the whole world Ver. as well : not that of this age only, but from Abel himself ----- down to those who shall to the end be born and believe in Christ, the whole assembly of the Saints, belonging to one
city ; which city is Christ's body, of which Christ is the Head. There, too, dwell the Angels, who are our fellow- citizens: we toil, because we are as yet pilgrims: while they within that city are awaiting our arrival. Letters have reached us too from that city, apart from which we are wandering : those letters are the Scriptures, which exhort
us to live well. Why do I speak of letters only ? The King himself descended, and became a path to us in our wander
ings: that walking in Him, we may neither stray, nor faint
nor fall among robbers, nor be caught in the snares which
are set near our path. This character, then, we recognise in
the whole Person of Christ, together with the Church : Him
self alone born of the Virgin, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, Mediator between God and man : Mediator for this I Tim.
purpose, that He may reconcile by Himself those who had2'6- fallen back: for a mediator is only between two persons.
We had fallen away from the Majesty of God, and by our sins offended Him ; His Son was sent as our Mediator, who
by His blood might atone for our sins, by which we were separated from God : and placing Himself between us and
the Almighty, might restore and reconcile us to Him, having turned away from Whom, we were held bound in our sins.
He Himself is our Head, He is God, co-equal with the Father, the Word of God, by Whom all things were made : John 1, but God to create, Man to renew; God to make, Man to3, restore. Looking upon Him, then, let us hear the Psalm. Listen, beloved. This is the teaching and doctrine of this school, which may enable you to understand, not this Psalm
only, but many, if ye keep in mind this rule. Sometimes a Psalm, and all prophecy as well, in speaking of Christ, praises the Head alone, and sometimes from the Head goes to
the Body, that the Church, and without apparently chang
ing the Person spoken of: because the Head not separate
from the Body, and both are spoken of as one. For observe, beloved, what say. Clear, assuredly, to all the Psalm
in which said of our Lord, They pierced My hands and Ps. 22,
it is
I
is
is
is,
298 Recapitulation. God a sure refuge.
Psalm Afy feet: they numbered all My bones: they parted My
garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture. Even the Jews when they hear this are confounded: so evidently is it a prophecy of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. But our Lord Jesus Christ had no sins : yet in the
Ps. 22,1. commencement of that Psalm it is said, My God, my Ood, why hast Thou forsaken me; and art so far from my health, and the words of my complaint ? Ye see then what is said in the character of the Head, what in that of the Body. The sins belong to us: the suffering for us belongeth to the Head: but on account of His suffering for us, the sins which belong to us are remitted. Thus also it is in this Psalm.
2. 1 have treated of the first verses yesterday : but let us briefly run over them. (Ver. 1 . ) Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I took occasion, beloved brethren, to exhort you from these verses to put no trust in yourselves, but all in Him in Whom is our strength, for it is by means of His aid
11
that we conquer, not by presuming in ourselves. The God of Heaven therefore defends us, if we say to the Lord what follows. (Ver. 2. ) He shall say unto the Lord, Thou art my
hope and my strong hold: my God, in Him will I
trust. (Ver. 3. ) For he shall deliver thee from the snares of the hunter: and from a harsh word. I said, that many fearing a harsh word have fallen into the hunter's snares; a man is
insulted because he is a Christian, he becomes ashamed of his profession, and by means of a harsh word he falls into the snares of the devil. Again, a man is insulted, because among many Christians he lives a better life than they: and fearing the hard words of his insulting foe, he becomes a prey to the devil's snares, so that he is not wheat on the floor, but rather follows the chaff. But he who trusts in God, is rescued from the snare of the hunters, aud from the harsh word. But in what manner does God defend thee? He shall defend thee between His shoulders; that is, He will place thee before His breast, that He may defend thee under His wings : if thou acknowledge thy weakness, in order that as a weak chicken thou mayest fly beneath the wings of thy mother, lest thou be seized by the kite ; for the powers of the air, the devil and his angels, are kites, and their wish is to
Various cases and decrees of temptation. 299
seize upon our weakness. Let us then fly beneath the Ver. wings of our Mother the Divine Wisdom, since that Wisdom -- -- -- voluntarily weakened Herself on our behalf, when the Word*0*TM >, was made flesh. Just as the hen weakeneth herself together
with her chickens, that she may defend them beneath herMat. 23, wings: so our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, being in the form ofphilip.
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, in order2, l7- that He might undergo weakness with us, and protect us under His wings ; made Himself of 110 reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the like
ness of men, and found in fashion as a man.
And thou shall be safe under His wings: His truth shall
encompass thee with a shield and buckler. (Ver. 5. ) Thou shall not be afraid for any terror by night. The temptations of ignorance are the terror by night : the sins of knowledge are the arrow that flieth by day: for ignorance is understood by night, and the making manifest by day. Some sin through ignorance, others with full knowledge : they that sin igno- rantly are overthrown by the terror by night : they that sin
with knowledge are stricken by the arrow that flieth by day. And as these things happen in the heavier persecutions, the further we advance, as if towards the noon, whoever falls under that heat will fall as it were by the devil that is at noon-day. And many have fallen by this heat, as I yester day explained to you, my beloved, because in the heat of the persecution it was proclaimed, Let the Christians be tortured, until they deny themselves Christians. Whereas before when they confessed they were beheaded, they were afterwards tortured to make them deny : and as every one
that was accused was tortured, until he denied, the confession of Christians was tortured, their denial acquitted. Great then was the fury of the persecutors. Whoever fell under that temptation, fell by the devil that was of the noon. And how many did fall ! Many who were hoping that they might share their Lord's judgment-seat, fell from beside Him.
Many too who hoped they should be on His right hand, as provincial paymasters among/ the holy soldiers of the Cross,
to whom it should be said,
Me meat, (for there will be many on His right hand,) have fallen from that hope, and more of these than of those who
was an hungred, and ye gave
300 Christ kept safe even in His People.
Psalm hoped for ihe judgment-seat. For they are the fewer that ^l1' shall judge with the Lord, and the more that shall stand before Him. But those who shall stand before Him, will be in different conditions. For some shall be on the left, others on the right: some that they may reign, others that they may be punished : some that they may hear the words, Come, ye blessed of My Father: others, that they may be
Mat. 26, addressed thus, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlastiny
32
1 Tim. Apostle says, The Lord knoweth them that are His. For
'-
^'fife, prepared for the devil and his angels. Of those then who fall by the downfall and the demon of the noon-day, A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand by thy right hand. But it shall not come nigh thee. What is this ? The devil of the noonday overthrows not thee. What wonder if it overthrow not the Head ? But it overthrows not those either who hold so close to the Head, as the
there are some so predestined, that the Lord knoweth who belong to His own body. Since then that temptation shall not approach them in such force as to overwhelm them, it is said concerning them, but it shall not come nigh thee. But lest those sinners who were allowed to practise such cruelties against the Christians, may be attended to by some weak persons, and lest it be said, Lo, what is the will of God, that such power is given to ungodly and wicked men against His servants ? Consider a little with thy eyes, the eyes of faith, and thou shalt see the retribution upon sinners in the end, to whom at present only sufficient power is given to try thy faith. For these words follow : Yea, with thine eyes thou shalt behold, and see the reward ofthe ungodly.
3. Ver. 9-- 12. Because Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee. These words are addressed to our Lord ; Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set
Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy dwelling. Next follow the words which ye have heard spoken by the devil : For He hath given His Angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands, that Titou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. To whom does he say this ? To whom did he say
He who saves, is Himself saved in His Members. 301
For Tlwu, Lord, art my help ? 1 suppose it is no longer Ver. needful to explain to Christians who is the Lord in this-? ^2-' passage. If they understand by it God the Father, how
shall the Angels bear Him in their hands, lest He hurt His
foot against a stone ? You see this also, that our Lord Christ, when He was speaking of the body, suddenly begins to speak of the Head. Our Head is spoken of in one passage, in the words, For Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Thine house of defence eery high. For this cause, Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high, because Thou, Lord, art my hope. What means this ? Attend, my beloved : Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Tliine house of defence very high. We need no longer wonder what the meaning of this is : for in the following verse it is added, that, because Thou hast set Thine house of defence
very high, there shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy duelling. But we do not
read in the Gospel, that at any time the Angels bore our Lord, that He might not hurt His foot against a stone: and yet we understand this. For these tilings have already past : and were prophesied with reason, since they were to happen. And we cannot say, Christ will come later, so that He may not strike His foot against a stone: for He will come to judge. Wherein then is the prophecy fulfilled ? Attend, my beloved.
4. First listen to these verses : For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house ofdefence very high. The human race knew that man died, but did not know that he arose again : it had therefore reason for fear, but not for hope. In order that He, then, Who for discipline awed them with the fear of death, might give them the hope of resurrection for the reward of eternal life, our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to rise from the dead. He died after many: He arose before all: He suffered that in dying, which many suffered before Him: He did that in His resurrection, which no one did before Him: for when will the Church receive this, except in the end ? What the members are to hope, has gone before in the Head: you know well, my beloved, their way
of speaking with one another. Let then the Church say unto her Lord Jesus Christ, let the body say to its Head,
302 No evil can approach manhood indwelt by God.
Psalm For Thou, Lord, art my hi. pe: Thou hast set Thine house l ~~ ol defence very high that is, Thou hast riseu from the dead, and ascended into heaven, that by ascending Thou mightest set Thine house of defence very high, and become my hope,
when despaired on earth, and believed not that should rise again now believe, because my Head has ascended into heaven: where the Head has gone before, the limbs will in course follow. imagine these words are now clear they may be more clearly paraphrased thus. Thou hast arisen from the dead before me, that might have hope of resur rection which had nol before, so that might hope should follow Thee, whither Thou hast gone before me. These are the words of the Church to her Lord, of the body to its Head.
5. Do not then wonder no evil shall happen unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The flesh the Lord's tabernacle. The Word dwelt in the flesh, and the flesh became a tabernacle for God in that very tent our
Chief carried on war on our behalf in that very tent He was tempted by the enemy, lest His soldiers should faint. And because He shewed that very flesh to our eyes, because our eyes rejoice in that light, and are delighted with that visible illumination, because He made His flesh manifest to
Ph. 19,4. the eyes of all men, Psalm says, He hath set His tabernacle in the sun. What is, in the sun Openly, clearly, in the light of this world that is, in the light which overspread the earth from heaven, there He hath placed His dwelling. But how could He set His tent there, He were not as
bridegroom coming forth from his chamber? for this further description follows, He cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. The tabernacle the very same as the spouse the Word the Bridegroom, and the bridal chamber the
Eph. o, Virgin's womb. And what saith the Apostle? And they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery but speak concerning Christ and the Church. And what are our
M>>t. 19, Lord's own words in the Gospel? Wherefore they are no more twain, but oneflesh. One instead of two, of the Word and the flesh, one Alan one God. But this tabernacle of our Lord's felt the scourge in this world, as
well known,
it is
if
,
:
I
:
I
I :
is
if ?
I
a
is
;
I
I
; I
a
:
:
:
I
a
I
J'1'
Instances shewing the union of the Head and the Body. 303
the Lord was scourged. Does It feel the lash in heaven ? Ver.
And wherefore not? Because He hath set His house of "' Mat. 27,
defence very high, that He might be our hope; and no evil 68. shall come near unto him ; neither shall any plague come
nigh His dwelling. He is far above all the heavens : but
His feet rest upon the earth: His head is in heaven: His
body on earth. But when His feet were being scourged,
and trampled down by Saul, the Head cried out, Saul, Saul, Acts 9, why persecutest thou Me? Lo, no"man persecutes the Head:4,
lo, the Head is in heaven : since Christ being raised from Bom. 2, the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over9'
Him no evil shall come near unto Tfiee neither shall any
plague come nigh Thy dwelling. But that we may not imagine that the Head cut off from the body: for separated in point of place, but joined in feeling; that very communion of feeling cried from Heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Mei He prostrated Saul with voice of reproach, while He raised him by the hand of pity. He who persecuted the body of Christ, became member of Christ: that thus he might feel therein what he had inflicted before. ?
6. What then, my brethreu, what said of our Head For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Tltou hast set Thine house of
defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee: neither shall any plague come nigh Thy dwelling. Of this
we have spoken, for He hath given His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. You heard these words
but now, when the Gospel was being read attend therefore.
Our Lord, after He was baptized, fasted. Why was He baptized That we might not scorn to be baptized. For when John said to our Lord, Comest Tliou to me lo be bap- Mutt.
Lord14,16, replied, Suffer to be so now, for thus becometh us to fulfil all righteousness; He wished to fulfil all humility, so
that He should be washed, Who had no defilement. Why this? On account of the pride of those who were to come after Himself. Suppose any catechumen, who perchance in his learning and piety excels many of the faithful he fmds many baptized who are ignorant, many who live not as he
does himself, in such continence and chastity perhaps he
tized? ought to be baptized Tliee and our
I it
:-"
it ;
;
:
by
?
:a :
a
3,
is
it ? is
is
304 Our Lord's example in His Baptism, in His Temptation.
"n.
Psalm does not think of marriage, while he sees another of the XCI. ' .
faithful, if not in fornication, at least using his marriage license too freely; he may perhaps lift up the neck of pride, and say, what need have I of baptism, to receive what this man has, whom I already surpass, both in my life ' and know ledge ? To such a one our Lord would say, How and how far hast thou surpassed him ? as much as I surpass
Mat. 10, th 'e ? The aisciple is not above his master, nor the servant 2*' 26' above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. Do not be so puffed up, as to dispense with baptism. Thou shalt seek the
baptism of the Lord, I sought that of a servant. ' Our Lord, then, was baptized, and after baptism He was tempted; He fasted forty days, a number which has, as I have often mentioned, a deep meaning. All things cannot be explained at once, lest needful time be too much taken up. After forty days He was an hungred. He could have fasted without ever feeling hunger; but then how could He be tempted? or had He not overcome the tempter, how couldest thou learn to struggle with him ? He was hungry ; and then the
If
bread out of nothing. For whence came that quantity of food, which could satisfy so many thousands ? The sources of that bread are in the Lord's hands. This is nothing
Mat. 14, wonderful ; for He Himself made out of five loaves bread
,^'21'
for the Lord to create bread out of stones? He made men even out of stones, in the words of John the ib. 3, 9. Baptist himself, God is able of these s/ones to raise up children unto Abraham. Why then did He not so? That he might teach thee how to answer the tempter, so that
if thou wast reduced to anj straits and the tempter sug gested, if thou wast a Christian and belongedst to Christ, would He desert thee now ? would He not have sent thee
Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Was it a great thing for our Lord Jesus Christ to make bread out of stones, when He satisfied so many thousands with five loaves ? He made
tempter said,
enough for so many thousands, Who also every day out of a few seeds raises up on earth immense harvests. These are the miracles of our Lord: but from their constant operation they are disregarded. What then, my brethren, was it im
possible
We may not expect God to grant our will. 305
help ? Possibly the Physician has still the knife in His Ver.
--
when he complained of the messenger of Satan, who was a thora in hisI flesh, by whom he says he was buffetted. For 2 Cor.
this thing besought the Lord thrice, that it might departTM' ' from me. And He said unto me, Big grace is sufficient for
thee : for My strength is made perfect in weakness. As if a man said to his physician, who had given him a blister, This plaister is troublesome to me : I pray you take it away. And the physician replies, No; you must let it remain for some time; you cannot otherwise recover. The physician did not listen to his patient with a view to consult his pleasure, but his health. Be therefore strong, my brethren: and when ye are tempted by some want, beneath the scourge and the instruction of God, while He is both preparing and keeping for you an eternal inheritance, let not the devil sug gest to you, If thou wert righteous, would He not send thee bread by means of the rIaven, as He did to Elias ? Where is that thou hast read,
hand, and therefore leaves thee: yet He does not forsake thee: just as He listened not to the prayers of Paul, because He did listen to him. For Paul says, that he was not heard
never saw the righteous forsaken, p? . nor his seed begging their bread/? Do thou answer the2? -
37,
devil, The Scripture speaks truth,
never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread ; for I have a bread of mine own that thou knowest not of. What bread ?
Listen to our Lord ; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Dost thou think the word of God bread? If the Word of God, through whichI all things were made, was not bread,
when pressed with hunger.
7. What, if he tempt thee in these words: If thou wast a
Christian, thou wouldest do miracles, as many Christians have done ? Thou, deceived by a wicked suggestion, wouldest tempt the Lord thy God, so as to say to Him, IfI am a Christian, and am before Thine eyes, and Thou dost account me at all in the number of Thine own, let me also do some thing like the many works which Thy Saints have done ? Thou hast tempted God, as if thou wert not a Christian,
VOL. IV. x
He would not say,
am the bread which came down
heaven. Thou hast therefore learnt to answer the tempter,41,
from
j0h?
c,
306 Worldly minds incline to ' tempt God?
Psalm unless thou didst this. Many who desired such things have
^len- For lnat Simon the sorcerer desired such gifts of Acts 8, the Apostles, when he wished to buy the Holy Spirit for
Xn! 18'
money. He loved the power of working miracles, but loved
not the imitation of humility. Thus, when some disciple,
or some one from the crowd, wished to follow the Lord, from witnessing the miracles which He did : the Lord saw that \ he was proud, and sought not the path of humility, but the
Matt. 8, puffing up of power, and said, The foxes have holes, the
^
birds of the air have nests; but the Sun of Man hath not where to lay His head. The foxes have holes in thee: the birds of the air have nests in thee. The foxes mean deceit: the birds of the air pride: for as the birds seek the regions above, so do the proud: and as foxes have treacherous holes, so have also all plotters against others. What then was our Lord's answer ? Piide and deceit may dwell in thee: Christ hath not where to dwell in thee: where to lay His head, because the laying of His head is the humility of Christ : unless He laid down His head, thou wouldest not be jus tified. Even His disciples, when they desired such things,
and were already wishing for a seat in His kingdom, before they gained the path of humility, when He was asked by the mother of His disciples, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, the other on Thy left, were seeking power : but through the suffering of humility we
'
|
cf. Matt. come to the power of the kingdom. Our Lord saith, Are ye
20, 21.
ao[e f0 drink 0f the cup that I shall drink of? Why do ye think of the loftiness of the kingdom, and yet imitate not My humility ? What then, if he tempt thee thus, " work miracles ? " that thou mayest not tempt God, what shouldest thou answer ? What our Lord answered. The devil said to Him, Cast Thyself down ; for it is written, He shall give His Angels charge concerning Thee ; and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. If Thou shalt cast Thyself down, Angels shall receive Thee. And it might indeed, my brethren, happen, if our Lord had cast Himself down, the attending Angels would receive our Lord's flesh ; but what
Deut. 6, does He say to him ? TV is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Thou thinkest Me a man. For the
Ministry of Angels to our Lord as Man. 307
devil came to Him with this view, that he might try whether Ver. He were the Son of God. He saw His Flesh ; but His----- might appeared in His works: the Angels had borne witness.
He saw that He was mortal, so that he might tempt Him,
that by Christ's temptation the Christian might be taught. What then is written ? Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Let us not then tempt the Lord, so as to say, If we belong to Thee, let us work a miracle.
8. Let us return to the words of the Psalm. He hath given His Angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands, lest at any time Thou hurt Thy foot against a stone. Christ was raised up in the hands of Angels, when He was taken up into heaven : not that, if Angels had not sustained Him, He
would have fallen : but because they were attending on their
King. Say not, Those who sustained Him are better than
He Who was sustained. Are then cattle better than men, because they sustain the weakness of men ? And we ought
not to speak thus either ; for if the cattle withdraw their support, their riders fall. But how ought we to speak of it ?
For it is said even of God, Heaven is My throne. Because Is. 66,i. then heaven supports Him, and God sits thereon, is therefore fg^ ' heaven the better ? Thus also in this Psalm we may under
stand it of the service of the Angels: it does not pertain to any infirmity in our Lord, but to the honour they pay, and to their service. But our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the
dead. Wherefore ? Hear the Apostle : He was delivered Rom. 4, for our offences, and rose again for our justification. Also 26'
the Gospel saith of the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost was John 7,
What39,
cost. But in the Law, in Exodus the book of Moses, from
the day when the lamb was slain and eaten, fifty days are numbered ; and the Law was given, written by the finger ofEx. 31, God on tables of stone. What the finger of God the Gospel explaineth to us for the finger of God the Holy Ghost. How do we prove this Our Lord, when answering
those who accused Him of casting out devils in the name of x
not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
is the glorification of Jesus ? He arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Glorified by God by His ascent into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit on the day of Pente
2?
;
is
is,
'
308 Christ's mystical feet not hurt, on the stone of the Law.
Psu. m Beelzebub, saith, If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God;
andIanother Evangelist, in relating the same saying, saith,
with the finger God cast out devils. What therefore MatAi, If of
Luke 11 's 'n onc stated clearly, is darkly expressed in another. Thou 20- didst not know what was the fmger of God, but another
Evangelist explains it by terming it the Spirit of God. The Law then written by the fmger of God was given on the fiftieth day after the slaughter of the lamb, and the Holy Ghost descended on the fiftieth day after the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The lamb was slain, the Passover was celebrated, the fifty days were completed, and the Law was given. But that Law was to cause fear, not love : but that fear might be changed into love, He Who was truly righteous was slain : of Whom that lamb whom the Jews were slaving was the type. He arose from the dead : and from the day of our Lord's Passover, as from that of the slaying of the Paschal lamb, fifty days are counted ; and the
Acts 2, Holy Ghost descended, now in the fulness of love, not in the punishment of fear. Why have I said this ? For this then our Lord arose, and was glorified, that He might send His Holy Spirit. And I said long ago that this was so, because His head is in heaven, His feet on earth. If His head is in heaven, His feet on earth ; what means our Lord's feet on earth ? Our Lord's saints on earth. Who are our Lord's feet ? The Apostles sent throughout the whole world. Who are our Lord's feet ? All the Evan gelists, in whom our Lord travellelh over all nations. It was to be feared lest the Evangelists should he hurt against a stone: for when He was set in Heaven as the head, the feet which were toiling upon the ground might be hurt against a stone. What stone ? The Law given on the tables of stone. That they might not therefore be impeached before the Law, not having received grace, and be held accursed in the Law: for this liability to the Law is that very stumbling against the stone: those whom the Law held con demned, the Lord absolved, that they might no more hurt
their feet against the Law. That the feet of this Head might not incur guilt of the Law, the Holy Ghost was sent to inspire love, and to release from fear. Fear did not fulfil the Law, love fulfilled it. Men feared, but they fulfilled
The Law fulfilled through the gift of Love. 309
not: they loved, and they fulfilled. How did they fear, and Ver.
:--
Peter thrice denied Him, for he had not yet received the Mat. 26, Holy Ghost: afterwards, when he had received the Holy69 Spirit, he began to preach with confidence. He who at the
words of the maid-servant thrice denied, after he had re
yet not fulfil? how did they love, and fulfil? Men used to fear, and to plunder others' goods : they loved, and they gave away their own. We need not therefore wonder that our Lord was raised up to heaven by the hands ofAngels, that His foot might not dash against a stone : lest those who on earth toiled in his body, while they were travelling over the whole world might become guilty of the Law, He took from them fear, and filled them with love. Through fear
ceived the Holy Ghost, confessed, amid the stripes of the rulers, Him Whom he had denied. This is no wonder: for Acts 6, the Lord dissolved that threefold fear by threefold love. 29' 4 For when He arose from the dead He said to Peter, Peter,
lavest thou Me? He said not, Fearest thou Me? For if
he still feared, he would be hurting his feet against the
stone. Lovest I thou Me? He saith. Peter replies, Thou
I
9. The rest is clear, my brethren, for it has often been treated of. (Ver. 13. ) Thou 1 shall go upon the asp and the l on this basilisk ; the lion and the dragon shall thou tread under thy JgTM? n
love Thee. Once was enough. Perhaps it
knowest that
might satisfy me, who see not the heart ; how much more would it suffice / the Lord, Who saw how with his whole
love Thee. It is not enough for our Lord,
soul Peter said,
to answer once: He asketh a second time, and Peter answer-
eth : He asketh a third time ; and now Peter, wearied, as if
our Lord doubted of his love, Lord, he saith, Thou huowest John2l,
1'-
all things: Thou knowest that
so dealt with him, as if He said, thrice thou hast denied Me through fear: thrice confess Me through love. With that love and that charity He filled His disciples. Why ? Because He hath set His house of defence very high: because when glo rified He sent the Holy Ghost, He released the faithful from the guilt of the Law, that His feet might not dash against a stone.
Ye know who the serpent and how the Church PM0,1.
