For the Martyrs lacked not hope in God, and yet they suffered such things as do robbers, as do wicked men: cast before beasts, burnt with fires, stricken
with the sword, mangled with instruments of torture, bound in chains, worn to death with prisons, suffering all these evils, did they not hope in the Lord ?
with the sword, mangled with instruments of torture, bound in chains, worn to death with prisons, suffering all these evils, did they not hope in the Lord ?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
What law ?
That which made men guilty.
For a
law, holy, just, and good, was given to the Jews ; but its Rom. 7, effect was to make them guilty. A law was not given that12'
64 God's law of mercy enables us to wait for Him.
Psalm could give life, but which might shew his sins to the sinner. CXXX. For the sinner had forgotten himself, and saw not himself;
'
1 Impe- rator"
the law was given him, that he might see himself. The law made him guilty, the Lawgiver freed him : for the Lawgiver is the Supreme Power1. A law was given that should terrify and bind unto guiltiness ; and the law doth not release from sins, but sheweth sins, and perchance placed beneath this law, he observeth in the deep how great transgressions he hath been guilty of against the law, and crieth out thus, If
Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? There is therefore a law of the mercy of God, a law of the propitiation of God. The one was a law of fear, the other is a law of love. The law of love giveth forgiveness to sins, blotteth out the past, warneth concerning the future ; forsakelh not its companion by the way, becometh a companion to him whom it leadeth on the way. But it is needful to agree with the adversary, whilst
21.
Matt. 5, thou art with him in the way. For the Word of God is
25
Id. 6, 12.
to forgive me all my sins, to give me for the future warnings that 1 may not offend : if I perchance have slipped after these warnings, Thou hast given me a remedy, whereby I may pray Thee, in these words, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Thou hast decreed this law for me, that, as I forgive, so I may be forgiven.
thine adversary, as long as thou dost not agree with it. But thou agreest, when it has begun to be thy delight to do what God's Word commandeth. Then he who was thine adver sary becometh thy friend : so, when the way is finished, there will be none to deliveIr thee to the Judge. Therefore, For the sake of Thy law for
have waited Tliee, O Lord, because thou hast condescended to bring in a law of mercy,
For the sake, therefore, of this law I
O Lord. I have waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not for saken the law of mercy.
4. Hear what law he speaketh of, if thou hast not yet understood that he is now speaking of the law of love ; hear the Apostle ; Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . Who bear one another's burdens, save they who have love ? They who have not love, are offensive to
have waited Thee, for
Duty of bearing one another's burdens. 65
one another; but they who have love, bear with one another. Ver. Some one hath injured thee, he asketh thy pardon: if thou *~6 forgive him not, thou bearest not thy brother's burden ; if
thou dost forgive, thou bearest the weak: and if perchance
thou hast fallen into any infirmity, as a man, he also should
bear with thee, as thou didst with him.
before : Brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, ye Gal. 6, that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meek- ' 2' ness. And lest perchance, since he had warned the spiritual,
they might seem to themselves secure, he at once added, Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. He then
subjoins what I have just quoted, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ: whence saith
David, For the sake of Thy law I
O Lord. Stags are said, when they cross straits to the
Hear what went
have waited Thee, for
nearest islands, for the sake of pasture, to lay their heads one upon the other; but one, who goes before, carries his head alone, and doth not lay it upon another: but when he himself also faints, he retreats from his position in front and retires behind, that he also may rest upon another : and thus all bear their own burdens, and reach what they desire; and suffer not shipwreck, because love is as a ship unto them. Love therefore beareth burdens: but let it not fear lest it be overwhelmed by such burdens : let it heed, lest each man be overpowered by his own sins. For when thou bearest thy
brother's infirmity, his sins do not burthen thee.
if thou consent, then thine own sins overwhelm thee, not another's. For every man who hath consented to a sinner, is oppressed by another's sins, not his own. For consent to another's sin becometh thine own sin ; and there is no room for thee to complain that another's sins weigh thee down. For it is said unto thee, Sins do weigh thee down, but thine
own. When thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him. Pt. fio, What is this ? With thy feet thou didst walk to a theft ; 18' yea, thou didst join thyself in mind to the thief: what was
his deed alone, has become thine too : because it pleased
thee. But if it displeased thee, and thou didst pray for him, and when entreated freely forgavest, so that thou mayest with a free countenance say in thy prayers, which the heavenly
VOL. VI. F
Certainly
Danger of Judgment for lesser sins.
Psalm Counsellor1 hath dictated to thee. Forqive us our trespasses, eXXX 'as we forgive them that trespass against us; thou hast learnt to bear thy brother's burdens: so that another also may bear
any there may be of thine, and the words of the Apostle may be realised in you, Bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Thus thou securely singest the words we
have just read, For the sake of Thy law I Thee, O Lord.
have waited
for
5. But he who keepeth not this law, neither doth he wait for the Lord; nor, if he should wish to wait for Him, is there a reason why he should wait; he waiteth fruitlessly. For the Lord will come, and will discover thy sins. But that thou hast lived in perfect righteousness"', --He will not perhaps discover murders, for these are heavy and extreme offences; He will not discover adultery, He will not discover thefts, He will not discover robbery, He will not discover enchant
ments, He will not discover idolatry; none of these will He
perchance
discover. Will He therefore discover nothing?
Matt. 5, Hear the words of the Gospel : He who saith to his brother.
22
Thou fool. Who abstaineth from these most minute sins of the tongue ? But perhaps thou sayest, They are slight. He shall be in danger, saith our Lord, of hell fire. If it seemed but a slight or no very great thing to thee to say unto thy brother, Thou fool, at least let the fire of hell seem great to thee; if thou didst little regard the sin, at least be deterred by the magnitude of the punishment. But thou sayest, These things are slight, they are trivial : this life cannot be without them. Heap together slight things, and they constitute a great heap. For grains are minute, and yet they make a lump: and drops are minute, yet they fill rivers, and drag masses with them. He therefore considering how many minute sins man daily committeth, if nothing else, at least by his thoughts and his tongue, heeds how many they be; and if he heed how minute they be, he seeth that by many minute sins a great heap is produced; and, not thinking of
1 ' Jurisperitus. ' He speaks of it lived in perfect righteousness, He will here and elsewhere as a form of plead- not find. Perchance He will not find ing. See on Ps. civ. Ser. i. ? . 19. murders," &c.
m Oxf. Mss. '. But that thou hast
Trust in God for mercy, and blessedness to come. 67
his own former sins, but of human weakness itself, now rising Ver. saith, Out of the deep hare I called unto Thee, O Lord: T^r~^3 Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the
voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to
mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? I
can avoid murders, adulteries, robberies, perjuries, enchant
ments, idolatry ; can I avoid sins of the tongue also ? Can
I avoid sins of the heart also ? It is written, Sin is the l John transgression of the law. Who then may abide, if Thou3'4' wilt be extreme to mark transgressions ? If Thou wilt deal
with us as a severe judge, not as a merciful father, who shall stand before Thine eyes ? But with Thee there is pro pitiation : for the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee,
O Lord. What is the nature of this law ? Bear each other's Gal. 6, burdens, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ. Who2" bear each other's burdens? They who say faithfully, Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us.
6". Ver. 6. My soul hath waited for Thy word. No man
waiteth, save he who hath not as yet received what hath been promised; for what doth he, who hath already received, wait for ? We have received remission of sins ; but the kingdom of heaven is promised us ; our debts have been blotted out ; but our reward is still to come; we have received pardon, but we hold not as yet everlasting life. But He Who gave pardon, Himself promised also everlasting life. If it were our own word, we ought to fear : because it is the word of God, it deceiveth not. We therefore trust (ver. 5. ) without fear on the word of Him Who cannot deceive. My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night. What is that he saith ? hath he hoped in the Lord for one day, and hath all his hope terminated ? From the morning watch even unto night hath my soul trusted in the Lord. This morning watch is the end of night ; hence my soul hath trusted in the Lord even unto night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not sup pose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren ? The words, My soul hath trusted in the Lord from the morning watch unto night, mean this: that the Lord, through
F2
68 The ' Morning Watch,' Christ's Resurrection, and ours.
Psalm Whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead c'x\'X''atthemorningwatch,sothatwemayhopethatwhatwent before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have
been already forgiven : but we have not yet risen again : if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken place in us whih went before in our Head. What went before in our Head ? Because the flesh of that Head rose again ; did the Spirit of that Head die ? What had died in Him, rose again. Now He arose on the third day ; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves ; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.
7. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again ; but must 1 hope on that account that I also may rise again ? Certainly, on that account : for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died ; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? The flesh. What was He that came Him self? The Word of God, Who was before all things, through Whom all things were made. But that He might receive
John I, something from thee, The Word became flesh, and dwelt J? 3. 14' among us. He received from thee, what He might offer for thee; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer
for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He re ceived flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first- fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated : since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee ; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.
8. Since He then rose with the morning watch, our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? Even unto night ; until we die; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep. Thou hast begun to hope since the Lord rose again, fail not to hope until thou goest forth from this life. For if thou
Mistaken hopes from God. The trus hope is for eternity. 69
hope not even unto night, all that thou hadst hoped is Ver.
',--
destroyed. For there are men who begin to hope, hut persevere not unto night. They begin to suffer some tribulations, they begin to suffer temptations, they see Pa- <3, wicked and unrighteous men flourish in temporal prosperity:
and since they hoped for such things from the Lord, that they might here be happy, they observe that those who have committed crimes, possess what the}- desired to possess themselves ; and their feet fail, and they cease to hope. Why? Because they began not to hope from the morning watch. They did not begin to hope this thing of the Lord, which went before in the Lord from that morning watch: but
they hoped from the Lord, that if they were Christians, they might have a house full of corn, wine, oil, gold, silver: none of them would die prematurely ; if any had not children, he would obtain them ; if he had not married a wife, he would marry one : not only no woman in his house, but not even his cattle would miscarry ; his vats would not turn
sour, his vineyard would not suffer from hail storms. He who thus trusted in the Lord, observed that they who worship not the Lord abound with these things, and his feet slipped, and he hoped not until night ; because he
commenced not to hope from the morning watch.
9. Who then beginueth thus to hope from the morning watch ? He who hopeth that from the Lord, which He began to shew from the morning watch in which He rose
again. For before no man had arisen to live for ever. Listen, my beloved. The dead were raised again before our Lord's advent: for Elias also raised a dead man, and
' 1? Kin<? >> 17, 22.
Elisaeus, but they rose again doomed to die again. They 2 Kings whom the Lord Himself raised, rose to die again ; whether4'
that youth the widow's son, or the girl of twelve years ofT^u,'e7, age, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, or Lazarus: Luke 8, they were raised by different ways, but all doomed to die:'j^hn|) once they were born, but twice they died. No man had"14. risen again never to die, except the Lord. But when did
the Lord rise again never to die? From the morning watch. Do thou also hope this from the Lord, that thou wilt rise again, not as Lazarus rose, not as the widow's son and the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue rose, not as they
70 We must live in hope till we have the reality.
Psalm rose whom the Prophets of old raised ; but hope that thou 1 wilt rise again as the Lord rose, so that after thy resurrection
thou mayest no more fear that thou wilt die : and thou hast begun to hope from the morning watch.
10. But hope even until night, until this life be finished, until the night of the whole human race come on at the sun set of the world. Why is this, until? Because after this
Rom. 8, night, there will no longer be hope, but reality. For the
24' 2? '
hope that is seen is not hope, saith the Apostle : for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. If therefore we ought patiently to wait for that we see not, let us hope even unto night, that is, even to the end of this life or of the world. But when this night shall have passed over, that will come at last which we hoped for; and we shall no longer hope, nor shall we be in despair. For we blame men who despair, and sometimes we detest a man, and say, He hath no hope. It is not always an evil not to have hope. When we are in this life, it is an evil not to have hope: for he who hath not hope now, will not have the reality afterwards. We ought therefore to have hope now. But when the reality is come, will there be hope? For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? The Lord our God will come, first to shew to the human race that form wherein He was crucified and rose again, that the godly and the ungodly may see: let those see, and be thankful that they have discovered what they believed before they saw ; and let these blush not to have believed what they will see. They who are ashamed will be condemned, and they who are thankful will be crowned. It will be said to them that are
Mat. 25, confounded, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: it will be said to them that rejoice, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world, which when they shall have received, hope will be no longer, because the reality will be theirs. When hope therefore is done, that night will pass by ; but until this happen, let our soul hope in the hord from the morning watch.
11. And he returns to this, From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. From the morning natch even
Hope in God in spite of our troubles and our sins. 71
unto night hath my soul hoped in the Lord. But what hath Veh. it hoped ? From the morning watch let Israel hope in the - 8' Lord. Not only let Israel hope in the Lord, but from the morning watch let Israel hope. Do I then blame the hope
of the world, when it is placed in the Lord ? No ; but there is another hope belonging to Israel. Let not Israel hope for riches as his highest good, not for health of body, not for abundance of earthly things: he will indeed have to suffer tribulation here, if it should be his lot to suffer any troubles for the sake of the truth.
For the Martyrs lacked not hope in God, and yet they suffered such things as do robbers, as do wicked men: cast before beasts, burnt with fires, stricken
with the sword, mangled with instruments of torture, bound in chains, worn to death with prisons, suffering all these evils, did they not hope in the Lord ? or was their hope this, that they should be freed from these evils, and enjoy this life? Cer tainly not: because they hoped from the morning watch. What meaneth this ? They considered that morning watch, wherein their Lord arose, and they saw that before He rose again, He Himself also had suffered such things, as they were now suffering, and they despaired not that they also should rise again after such sufferings unto life eternal. Israel hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning even
unto night.
12. Ver. 7. 8. For with the Lord there is mercy, and
with Him is plenteous redemption. Admirable ! This could not have been better said in its own place, on account of the words, From the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord. Wherefore ? Because the Lord rose again from the morning watch ; and the body ought to hope for that which went before in the Head. But, lest this thought should be suggested : The Head might rise again, because It was not weighed down with sins, there was no sin in Him; what shall we do? Shall we hope for such a resurrection, as went before in the Lord, whilst we are weighed down by our sins? But see what followeth : For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel
from all his sins. Though therefore he was weighed down with his sins, the mercy of God is present to him. For this reason, He went before without sin, that He may blot out
72 Christ has redeemed us from All our sins.
Psalm the sins of those that follow Him. Trust not in yourselves, CX XX 'but trust from the morning watch. See that your Head hath risen again, and hath ascended into heaven. In Him there was no fault, but through Him your faults will be blotted out; He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.
Because Israel could sell himself, and become a bondsman under sin ; he cannot redeem himself from his sins. He could redeem, Who could not sell Himself: He Who committed no sin, He is the Redeemer from sin. He will redeem Israel. From what will He redeem him ? From this sin, or from that? From all his sins. Let him not therefore, when about to come before God, fear any of
C^X.
his sins : let him only come with a full heart, and cease to do any more what he before did, and not say, That sin is not forgiven me. For if he saith this, on account of that very sin which he supposeth not to be forgiven him, he con vertetb not himself, and by doing the rest, not even that which he feared not is forgiven him. As I have committed, he saith, a great crime, and it cannot be forgiven me ; I will now do the rest also : for I lose this which I do not do. Fear not : thou art in the deep, scorn not to cry unto God
from the depths, and to say, If Thou, O Lord, trill be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? Think of Him, and wait for Him, and endure on account of His law. What law hath He given thee ?
Matt. 6, Forgive us our debts, as weforgive our debtors. Hope that thou wilt rise again, and that thou wilt be there altogether without sin, since He rose again Who first was without sin. Hope from the morning watch. Say not, I am not worthy on account of my sins. Thou art not worthy: but, with Him there is plenteous redemption: and He will redeem
Israelfrom all his sins.
PSALM CXXXI.
EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the Common People.
1 . In this Psalm, the humility of one that is a servant of God and faithful is commended unto us, by whose voice it
The Church of Christ, the true Temple of God. 73
is sung; which is the whole body of Christ. For we have Ver.
often warned you, beloved, that it ought not to be received -- is the very temple of God, of which the Apostle saith, The ? Cor.
--- as the voice of one man singing, but of all who are in Christ's
Body. And since all are in His Body, as it were one man speaketh : and he is one who also is many. For they are
many in themselves, but one in Him Who is one. Now this
temple of God is holy, which are ye ; that is, all who believe
in Christ, and so believe as to love. For this is to believe
in Christ, to love Christ: not as the devils believed, but James loved not ; and therefore, although they believed, said, 2 ' 19
What have we to do with Thee, Thou Son of God? But Matt. 8, . 29
let us so believe, that we may believe on Him, loving Him,
and may not say, What have we to do with Thee ? but may rather say, Unto Thee we belong ; Thou hast redeemed us.
All therefore who thus believe, are as living stones, whereof I Pet. the temple of God is built; and as timber that doth notge^' 6 decay, whereof that ark was made, which could not be li- overwhelmed in the deluge. This is the temple, that is,
'
the men themselves, wherein God is prayed to, and heareth.
For whosoever beside the temple of God prayeth God, is
not heard unto that peace of the heavenly Jerusalem, al
though He is heard for certain temporal things, which God
hath given to the heathen also. For the devils themselves M ait 8,
? 31 32 were heard, that they might enter into the swine. To be
heard unto everlasting life is another thing, nor is it granted
save unto him who prayeth in the temple of God. Now ho prayeth in the temple of God, who prayeth in the peace of
the Church, in the unity of Christ's Body; which Body of
Christ consisteth of many who believe in the whole world :
and therefore he who prayeth in the temple, is heard. For
he prayeth in the spirit and in truth, who prayeth in the John 4,
--
peace of the Church ; not in that temple, wherein was the figure.
2. For according to a figure our Lord shut out men from the Temple, those who sought their own, that is, who re sorted to the temple for the sake of selling and buying. But if that Temple was a figure, it is clear that the Body of Christ also, which is the true Temple whereof that was the image, hath mingled with it buyers and sellers, that is,
74 Men keep themselves out of God's Temple by their sbis.
Psalm such as seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ.
CXxXI' Now they are driven out thence with a whip of cords. For a pja^T
2' 5**8 C0r& signifietb sins, as is said through the Prophet: Woe
'
Job 6, 18"
be cast forth into outer darkness ? For ye remember it is Mat. 22, said of a certain sinner in the Gospel, Bind him hand and
unto them that draw sin as it were with a long rope. They who add sins to sins, draw a long rope of sin ; they who when they have committed one sin, commit another, to cover it. For as yarn is added to yarn, to make a rope ; and it doth not progress in a straight line, but is twisted: so all evil deeds, which are sins when added one to another, when sin cometh from sin, and sin is annexed to sin, become a long rope. Whose paths are crooked, and their ways are full of windings. What is the use of this rope, save that by it each man's hands and feet are to be bound, and he is to
13
foot, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There would be no means of binding his hands and feet, had he not made for himself a rope. Whence it is most openly said in another passage,
Prov. 5, The wicked shall be holden with the cords of his sins. Since therefore men are beaten by means of their own sins, therefore did the Lord make a whip of cords, and with it drove out of the Temple all who sought their own, not the things that are of Jesus Christ.
3. It is therefore the voice of this Temple in the Psalm. In this Temple, as 1 have said, God is prayed unto: and heareth in Spirit and in Truth ; not in that bodily Temple. For there was the shadow, wherein might be shewn what
was to come : therefore that Temple hath already fallen. Hath therefore the house of our prayer fallen? God forbid! For that temple which fell could not be called the house of
Is. 56, prayer, whereof it is said, My house shall be called a house
of prayer for all nations. For ye have heard what our Mat. 21, Lord Jesus Christ said, It is written, My house shall be
ca^el^ a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. Did they who wished to make the house of God a den of thieves, effect the ruin of the Temple ? So they also who live ill in the Catholic Church, as far as in them is, wish to make the house of God a den of thieves ; yet they do not on that account ovcrthiovv the Temple. For a time
'?
and'3
John 2, -- '
The true Worshippers ; the true Priest, and Sacrifice. 75
will come, when they will be cast out of doors with the rope Vrr. of their sins. But this Temple of God, this Body of Christ, ----- this Congregation of the faithful, hath one voice, and singeth
in the Psalm as one man. We have already heard its voice
in many Psalms; let us also hear it in this. If we will, it
is our voice ; if we will, we hear it with the ear singing, and
we sing in heart. But if we refuse, we shall be in that Temple as buyers and sellers, that is, seeking our own
things : we enter the Church, not for those purposes that
please the eyes of God. Let therefore any one among you consider in what manner he heareth, whether he hear and
laugh, whether he hear and cast it behind him, whether he
hear and respond, that perceive his own voice here, and
join the voice of his own heart to the voice of this Psalm. Yet the voice of this Psalm not mute let them who are able, nay, who wish, be instructed they who wish not, let them not hinder. Let humility be recommended unto us thence he beginneth.
4. Ver. Lord, my heart is not lifted up. He hath offered a sacrifice. Whence do we prove that he hath offered
sacrifice Because humility of heart sacrifice.
said in another Psalm, //' Thou hadst desired a sacrifice, Ps. 51, surely would have given Thee. He wished to atone 16 unto God for his sins, he wished to propitiate Him, that he might receive pardon for his sins and, as were, seeking
by what means he might propitiate Him; thou hadst desired, he saith, a sacrifice, would hare given Thee;
but Thou delight est not in burnt offerings. It was super
fluous therefore for him to seek either rams, or bulls, or any such victim, wherewith he might appease God. What then? Since God not phased with burnt-offerings, doth He not receive sacrifice, and He appeased without sacrifice
If there no sacrifice, there no Priest. But we have a High Priest in Heaven, Who intercedelh with the Father for us, (for He hath entered into the Holy of Holies, within the veil, where the priest in figure entered not save once in the year, as the Lord also in the whole of time was once offered. He offered Himself, the High Priest Himself,
Himself the Victim, and entered once into the Holy of Holies, Heb- and now dieth no more, and death hath no more dominion jiom.
6,
9,
is a
I
is
I
:
it
is
is
is,
is
If it if a
it
? isj
a
?
1.
is a
;
It
;
70 Offering of a contrite heart. Coming to 'buy and sell. '
Psalm over Him. We are safe, for we have a Priest ; let us CxxM ? offer our sacrifice there. Let us consider what sacrifice we ought to offer; for God is not pleased with burnt- offerings, as ye have heard in the Psalm. But in that place Pa. 51, }ie next sheweth what he offeretl] ; The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shult Thou not despise. If therefore a humbled heart be the sacrifice of God, he who said, O Lord, my heart is not
lifted up, offered a sacrifice. See him in another passage Ps. 25, thus offering: Look upon mine humility and my misery,
and forgive me all my sin.
5. Lord, my heart was not lifted up, neither were mine
eyes raised on high ; I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things which are too high for me. Let this be more plainly spoken and heard. I have not been proud : I have not wished to be known among men as for wondrous powers ; nor have I sought any thing beyond my strength, whereby I might boast myself among the ignorant. Observe, beloved, a great matter is set before you. As that Simon the sorcerer wished to advance into wonders above himself, on that account the power of the Apostles more pleased him, than the righteousness of Chris tians. But when he saw the imposition of hands by the Apostles, and that God gave the Holy Ghost to the faithful through their prayers ; and since then the Advent of the Holy Ghost was shewn through a miracle, so that they spoke with tongues, which they had not learnt, that is, all upon whom the. Holy Ghost descended. (Not that the Holy Ghost is not given now, because believers speak not with tongues. For they then needs must speak with tongues, to signify that all tongues should believe in Christ. When what was signified was fulfilled, the miracle was taken
When therefore Simon saw this, he wished to do the like, not to be like the Apostles; and ye are aware that he even imagined that the Holy Ghost might be gained with money. He therefore was one of those that enter into the temple to buy and sell ; he wanted to buy what he designed to sell : and truly, my brethren, it was thus, because he was such an one, and had in such wise come amongst them. The Lord cast forth from the temple the sellers of doves ;
away. )
The members in one body share each other's power. 77
now a dove signifieth the Holy Spirit ; Simon therefore Ven. wished to buy the dove, and to sell the dove. Our Lord Jesus --L-- Christ, Who dwelt in Peter, came up, and with a whip of Acts 8< cords drove forth the ungodly trader.
6. There are then men whom it pleaseth to perform a miracle, and they exact a miracle from those who have grown in grace in the Church ; and they who seem to them
selves far advanced, wish to do the like, and suppose they belong not to God, if they can not do it. But the Lord our
God, Who knoweth what He giveth and to whom, and how
the framework of the body may be preserved in peace, addresses the Church through the Apostle : Tlie eye cannot l Cor. say unto the hand, I have no need of thee ; nor again the
head to the feet, have no need of you. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ye see then, brethren, how in our members each hath its own office. The eye seeth, and heareth not the ear heareth, and seeth not the hand worketh, but neither heareth nor seeth the foot walketh, but heareth not, nor seeth, nor doth what the hand doth. But there be health in one body, and the members contend not against one another, the ear seeth in the eye, the eye heareth in the ear nor can be objected to the ear that seeth not, so as to say to it, You are nothing, you are inferior can you see and discern colours, as the eye doth For the ear answereth from the peace of the body, and sailh, am where the eye is, am in that body in myself see not, in that wherewith exist see. So when the ear saith, My eye seeth the eye saith, My ear heareth; the eyes and ears say, Our hands work for us: the hands say, The eyes and the ears see and hear for us the eyes and ears and hands say, The feet walk for us: while all members do their work in one body, there be health therein, and the members agree, they rejoice, and rejoice with each other. And there be any trouble in any member, they forsake not each other, but suffer with
one another. Because in the body the foot seemeth far from the eyes, (for they are placed aloft, the feet below,) the foot happen lo tread upon thorn, do the eyes forsake
and not, as we see, the whole body contracted, so that the
is ;
if a
?
it if
\j\ '
; if
if
it I? itif I
I
;
it
:
II it :I;
;
;
78 Power of miracles belongs to the Whole Body.
Psalm man sitteth, the spine of the back is curved, that the thorn CxXxI- whicn natl) stuck in the foot may be sought? All the members do all they can, that the thorn which had stuck in may be drawn forth from that lowest and diminutive
part.
Thus then, brethren, whosoever in the body of Christ
cannot restore to life the dead, let him not seek this power, but let him seek that he may not disagree in the body ; as if the ear should seek to see, it may disagree. For what it hath not received it cannot do. Rut be objected to him and said, If thou wert righteous, thou wouldest raise again a dead man, as Peter raised them. (For the Apostles seem
John 14, to have wrought greater works in Christ, than the Lord Himself. But how could be that the shoots should have more power than the root Yet how do they appear to have wrought greater works than He? At the voice of the Lord the dead arose, at the shadow of Peter as he passed by a dead man arose. The latter seemeth greater than the former. But Christ could work without Peter, Peter could not, save in Christ: for without Me, sailh He, ye can do nothing. ) When therefore man who gaining grace heareth this, as
Acts
John 15,
4"
and no man touched Him; but the Head cried from heaven for the Body suffering on earth.
7. If therefore, brethren, each doeth righteously what he can, and in that wherein another can do more envieth not, but rejoiceth with him as set in one body with him: these words of the Psalm relate to him, Lord, my heart is not lifted up, neither are mine eyes raised on high nor hare
were calumny cast in his teeth by ignorant heathens, by men who know not what they speak of; in the membership of the Body of Christ let him answer and say, Thou who sayest, Thou art not righteous, because thou dost not work miracles; thou mightest also say to the ear, Thou art not in the body, for thou seest not.
You, he saith, should do what for me also, since am in the in him can do what he Cor. can, from whom am not divided in that can do less, he
Peter did. But Peter did body, wherein Peter wrought
12' 26' suffereth together with me, and in that he can do more,
with him. The Lord Himself cried from above
Acts concerning His Body, Saul, Saul, why persecuted thou Me?
rejoice
;
if
it
?
it
9,
u,
I
1
I
a
;
I
it :
is
I
I
it' it
it a
St. Paul a witness to the danger of spiritual pride. 79
I exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things Ver. which are too high for me. What is above my strength, he ----- saith, I have not sought; I have not stretched myself out
there, I have not chosen to be magnified there. How deeply
this self-exaltation in the abundance of graces is to be feared,
that no man may pride himself in the gift of God, but may rather preserve humility, and may do what is written : The Ecclus. greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shall3'*8'
findfavour before the Lord : how deeply pride in God's gift should be feared, we must again and again impress upon you, beloved brethren, especially as the shortness of this Psalm alloweth of our speaking. Although the Apostle Paul became a preacher from a persecutor, he gained more abundant grace in every Apostolic labour, than the rest of the Apostles; so that God might the more shew that what He giveth is His own, not man's. As physicians are wont to display the power of their art in those that are despaired
so our Lord Jesus Christ, our Physician and Saviour, in
one despaired of, who had been persecutor of the Church, displayed the greatness of His art, in that He not only made
him Christian, but an Apostle also: nor an Apostle only,
but, as he himself saith, one who toiled more than all of them. 15' 10' He had therefore transcendent grace. And ye see, brethren,
that at present in the Church the Epistles of the Apostle
Paul flourish more than those of his fellow Apostles. For
some wrote not, but only spoke in the Church for what are alleged by those who are in error under their name, are not
their own, and therefore are reprobated, and not received by
the Church. While others who have written, have neither
written so much, nor with so great grace. Since he then
had great grace, and had received great gifts from God,
what saith he in certain passage Lest should be exalted Cor.
above measure the abundance of the revelations.
law, holy, just, and good, was given to the Jews ; but its Rom. 7, effect was to make them guilty. A law was not given that12'
64 God's law of mercy enables us to wait for Him.
Psalm could give life, but which might shew his sins to the sinner. CXXX. For the sinner had forgotten himself, and saw not himself;
'
1 Impe- rator"
the law was given him, that he might see himself. The law made him guilty, the Lawgiver freed him : for the Lawgiver is the Supreme Power1. A law was given that should terrify and bind unto guiltiness ; and the law doth not release from sins, but sheweth sins, and perchance placed beneath this law, he observeth in the deep how great transgressions he hath been guilty of against the law, and crieth out thus, If
Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? There is therefore a law of the mercy of God, a law of the propitiation of God. The one was a law of fear, the other is a law of love. The law of love giveth forgiveness to sins, blotteth out the past, warneth concerning the future ; forsakelh not its companion by the way, becometh a companion to him whom it leadeth on the way. But it is needful to agree with the adversary, whilst
21.
Matt. 5, thou art with him in the way. For the Word of God is
25
Id. 6, 12.
to forgive me all my sins, to give me for the future warnings that 1 may not offend : if I perchance have slipped after these warnings, Thou hast given me a remedy, whereby I may pray Thee, in these words, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Thou hast decreed this law for me, that, as I forgive, so I may be forgiven.
thine adversary, as long as thou dost not agree with it. But thou agreest, when it has begun to be thy delight to do what God's Word commandeth. Then he who was thine adver sary becometh thy friend : so, when the way is finished, there will be none to deliveIr thee to the Judge. Therefore, For the sake of Thy law for
have waited Tliee, O Lord, because thou hast condescended to bring in a law of mercy,
For the sake, therefore, of this law I
O Lord. I have waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not for saken the law of mercy.
4. Hear what law he speaketh of, if thou hast not yet understood that he is now speaking of the law of love ; hear the Apostle ; Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . Who bear one another's burdens, save they who have love ? They who have not love, are offensive to
have waited Thee, for
Duty of bearing one another's burdens. 65
one another; but they who have love, bear with one another. Ver. Some one hath injured thee, he asketh thy pardon: if thou *~6 forgive him not, thou bearest not thy brother's burden ; if
thou dost forgive, thou bearest the weak: and if perchance
thou hast fallen into any infirmity, as a man, he also should
bear with thee, as thou didst with him.
before : Brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, ye Gal. 6, that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meek- ' 2' ness. And lest perchance, since he had warned the spiritual,
they might seem to themselves secure, he at once added, Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. He then
subjoins what I have just quoted, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ: whence saith
David, For the sake of Thy law I
O Lord. Stags are said, when they cross straits to the
Hear what went
have waited Thee, for
nearest islands, for the sake of pasture, to lay their heads one upon the other; but one, who goes before, carries his head alone, and doth not lay it upon another: but when he himself also faints, he retreats from his position in front and retires behind, that he also may rest upon another : and thus all bear their own burdens, and reach what they desire; and suffer not shipwreck, because love is as a ship unto them. Love therefore beareth burdens: but let it not fear lest it be overwhelmed by such burdens : let it heed, lest each man be overpowered by his own sins. For when thou bearest thy
brother's infirmity, his sins do not burthen thee.
if thou consent, then thine own sins overwhelm thee, not another's. For every man who hath consented to a sinner, is oppressed by another's sins, not his own. For consent to another's sin becometh thine own sin ; and there is no room for thee to complain that another's sins weigh thee down. For it is said unto thee, Sins do weigh thee down, but thine
own. When thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him. Pt. fio, What is this ? With thy feet thou didst walk to a theft ; 18' yea, thou didst join thyself in mind to the thief: what was
his deed alone, has become thine too : because it pleased
thee. But if it displeased thee, and thou didst pray for him, and when entreated freely forgavest, so that thou mayest with a free countenance say in thy prayers, which the heavenly
VOL. VI. F
Certainly
Danger of Judgment for lesser sins.
Psalm Counsellor1 hath dictated to thee. Forqive us our trespasses, eXXX 'as we forgive them that trespass against us; thou hast learnt to bear thy brother's burdens: so that another also may bear
any there may be of thine, and the words of the Apostle may be realised in you, Bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Thus thou securely singest the words we
have just read, For the sake of Thy law I Thee, O Lord.
have waited
for
5. But he who keepeth not this law, neither doth he wait for the Lord; nor, if he should wish to wait for Him, is there a reason why he should wait; he waiteth fruitlessly. For the Lord will come, and will discover thy sins. But that thou hast lived in perfect righteousness"', --He will not perhaps discover murders, for these are heavy and extreme offences; He will not discover adultery, He will not discover thefts, He will not discover robbery, He will not discover enchant
ments, He will not discover idolatry; none of these will He
perchance
discover. Will He therefore discover nothing?
Matt. 5, Hear the words of the Gospel : He who saith to his brother.
22
Thou fool. Who abstaineth from these most minute sins of the tongue ? But perhaps thou sayest, They are slight. He shall be in danger, saith our Lord, of hell fire. If it seemed but a slight or no very great thing to thee to say unto thy brother, Thou fool, at least let the fire of hell seem great to thee; if thou didst little regard the sin, at least be deterred by the magnitude of the punishment. But thou sayest, These things are slight, they are trivial : this life cannot be without them. Heap together slight things, and they constitute a great heap. For grains are minute, and yet they make a lump: and drops are minute, yet they fill rivers, and drag masses with them. He therefore considering how many minute sins man daily committeth, if nothing else, at least by his thoughts and his tongue, heeds how many they be; and if he heed how minute they be, he seeth that by many minute sins a great heap is produced; and, not thinking of
1 ' Jurisperitus. ' He speaks of it lived in perfect righteousness, He will here and elsewhere as a form of plead- not find. Perchance He will not find ing. See on Ps. civ. Ser. i. ? . 19. murders," &c.
m Oxf. Mss. '. But that thou hast
Trust in God for mercy, and blessedness to come. 67
his own former sins, but of human weakness itself, now rising Ver. saith, Out of the deep hare I called unto Thee, O Lord: T^r~^3 Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the
voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to
mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? I
can avoid murders, adulteries, robberies, perjuries, enchant
ments, idolatry ; can I avoid sins of the tongue also ? Can
I avoid sins of the heart also ? It is written, Sin is the l John transgression of the law. Who then may abide, if Thou3'4' wilt be extreme to mark transgressions ? If Thou wilt deal
with us as a severe judge, not as a merciful father, who shall stand before Thine eyes ? But with Thee there is pro pitiation : for the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee,
O Lord. What is the nature of this law ? Bear each other's Gal. 6, burdens, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ. Who2" bear each other's burdens? They who say faithfully, Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against
us.
6". Ver. 6. My soul hath waited for Thy word. No man
waiteth, save he who hath not as yet received what hath been promised; for what doth he, who hath already received, wait for ? We have received remission of sins ; but the kingdom of heaven is promised us ; our debts have been blotted out ; but our reward is still to come; we have received pardon, but we hold not as yet everlasting life. But He Who gave pardon, Himself promised also everlasting life. If it were our own word, we ought to fear : because it is the word of God, it deceiveth not. We therefore trust (ver. 5. ) without fear on the word of Him Who cannot deceive. My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night. What is that he saith ? hath he hoped in the Lord for one day, and hath all his hope terminated ? From the morning watch even unto night hath my soul trusted in the Lord. This morning watch is the end of night ; hence my soul hath trusted in the Lord even unto night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not sup pose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren ? The words, My soul hath trusted in the Lord from the morning watch unto night, mean this: that the Lord, through
F2
68 The ' Morning Watch,' Christ's Resurrection, and ours.
Psalm Whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead c'x\'X''atthemorningwatch,sothatwemayhopethatwhatwent before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have
been already forgiven : but we have not yet risen again : if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken place in us whih went before in our Head. What went before in our Head ? Because the flesh of that Head rose again ; did the Spirit of that Head die ? What had died in Him, rose again. Now He arose on the third day ; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves ; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.
7. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again ; but must 1 hope on that account that I also may rise again ? Certainly, on that account : for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died ; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? The flesh. What was He that came Him self? The Word of God, Who was before all things, through Whom all things were made. But that He might receive
John I, something from thee, The Word became flesh, and dwelt J? 3. 14' among us. He received from thee, what He might offer for thee; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer
for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He re ceived flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first- fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated : since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee ; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.
8. Since He then rose with the morning watch, our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? Even unto night ; until we die; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep. Thou hast begun to hope since the Lord rose again, fail not to hope until thou goest forth from this life. For if thou
Mistaken hopes from God. The trus hope is for eternity. 69
hope not even unto night, all that thou hadst hoped is Ver.
',--
destroyed. For there are men who begin to hope, hut persevere not unto night. They begin to suffer some tribulations, they begin to suffer temptations, they see Pa- <3, wicked and unrighteous men flourish in temporal prosperity:
and since they hoped for such things from the Lord, that they might here be happy, they observe that those who have committed crimes, possess what the}- desired to possess themselves ; and their feet fail, and they cease to hope. Why? Because they began not to hope from the morning watch. They did not begin to hope this thing of the Lord, which went before in the Lord from that morning watch: but
they hoped from the Lord, that if they were Christians, they might have a house full of corn, wine, oil, gold, silver: none of them would die prematurely ; if any had not children, he would obtain them ; if he had not married a wife, he would marry one : not only no woman in his house, but not even his cattle would miscarry ; his vats would not turn
sour, his vineyard would not suffer from hail storms. He who thus trusted in the Lord, observed that they who worship not the Lord abound with these things, and his feet slipped, and he hoped not until night ; because he
commenced not to hope from the morning watch.
9. Who then beginueth thus to hope from the morning watch ? He who hopeth that from the Lord, which He began to shew from the morning watch in which He rose
again. For before no man had arisen to live for ever. Listen, my beloved. The dead were raised again before our Lord's advent: for Elias also raised a dead man, and
' 1? Kin<? >> 17, 22.
Elisaeus, but they rose again doomed to die again. They 2 Kings whom the Lord Himself raised, rose to die again ; whether4'
that youth the widow's son, or the girl of twelve years ofT^u,'e7, age, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, or Lazarus: Luke 8, they were raised by different ways, but all doomed to die:'j^hn|) once they were born, but twice they died. No man had"14. risen again never to die, except the Lord. But when did
the Lord rise again never to die? From the morning watch. Do thou also hope this from the Lord, that thou wilt rise again, not as Lazarus rose, not as the widow's son and the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue rose, not as they
70 We must live in hope till we have the reality.
Psalm rose whom the Prophets of old raised ; but hope that thou 1 wilt rise again as the Lord rose, so that after thy resurrection
thou mayest no more fear that thou wilt die : and thou hast begun to hope from the morning watch.
10. But hope even until night, until this life be finished, until the night of the whole human race come on at the sun set of the world. Why is this, until? Because after this
Rom. 8, night, there will no longer be hope, but reality. For the
24' 2? '
hope that is seen is not hope, saith the Apostle : for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. If therefore we ought patiently to wait for that we see not, let us hope even unto night, that is, even to the end of this life or of the world. But when this night shall have passed over, that will come at last which we hoped for; and we shall no longer hope, nor shall we be in despair. For we blame men who despair, and sometimes we detest a man, and say, He hath no hope. It is not always an evil not to have hope. When we are in this life, it is an evil not to have hope: for he who hath not hope now, will not have the reality afterwards. We ought therefore to have hope now. But when the reality is come, will there be hope? For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? The Lord our God will come, first to shew to the human race that form wherein He was crucified and rose again, that the godly and the ungodly may see: let those see, and be thankful that they have discovered what they believed before they saw ; and let these blush not to have believed what they will see. They who are ashamed will be condemned, and they who are thankful will be crowned. It will be said to them that are
Mat. 25, confounded, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: it will be said to them that rejoice, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world, which when they shall have received, hope will be no longer, because the reality will be theirs. When hope therefore is done, that night will pass by ; but until this happen, let our soul hope in the hord from the morning watch.
11. And he returns to this, From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. From the morning natch even
Hope in God in spite of our troubles and our sins. 71
unto night hath my soul hoped in the Lord. But what hath Veh. it hoped ? From the morning watch let Israel hope in the - 8' Lord. Not only let Israel hope in the Lord, but from the morning watch let Israel hope. Do I then blame the hope
of the world, when it is placed in the Lord ? No ; but there is another hope belonging to Israel. Let not Israel hope for riches as his highest good, not for health of body, not for abundance of earthly things: he will indeed have to suffer tribulation here, if it should be his lot to suffer any troubles for the sake of the truth.
For the Martyrs lacked not hope in God, and yet they suffered such things as do robbers, as do wicked men: cast before beasts, burnt with fires, stricken
with the sword, mangled with instruments of torture, bound in chains, worn to death with prisons, suffering all these evils, did they not hope in the Lord ? or was their hope this, that they should be freed from these evils, and enjoy this life? Cer tainly not: because they hoped from the morning watch. What meaneth this ? They considered that morning watch, wherein their Lord arose, and they saw that before He rose again, He Himself also had suffered such things, as they were now suffering, and they despaired not that they also should rise again after such sufferings unto life eternal. Israel hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning even
unto night.
12. Ver. 7. 8. For with the Lord there is mercy, and
with Him is plenteous redemption. Admirable ! This could not have been better said in its own place, on account of the words, From the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord. Wherefore ? Because the Lord rose again from the morning watch ; and the body ought to hope for that which went before in the Head. But, lest this thought should be suggested : The Head might rise again, because It was not weighed down with sins, there was no sin in Him; what shall we do? Shall we hope for such a resurrection, as went before in the Lord, whilst we are weighed down by our sins? But see what followeth : For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel
from all his sins. Though therefore he was weighed down with his sins, the mercy of God is present to him. For this reason, He went before without sin, that He may blot out
72 Christ has redeemed us from All our sins.
Psalm the sins of those that follow Him. Trust not in yourselves, CX XX 'but trust from the morning watch. See that your Head hath risen again, and hath ascended into heaven. In Him there was no fault, but through Him your faults will be blotted out; He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.
Because Israel could sell himself, and become a bondsman under sin ; he cannot redeem himself from his sins. He could redeem, Who could not sell Himself: He Who committed no sin, He is the Redeemer from sin. He will redeem Israel. From what will He redeem him ? From this sin, or from that? From all his sins. Let him not therefore, when about to come before God, fear any of
C^X.
his sins : let him only come with a full heart, and cease to do any more what he before did, and not say, That sin is not forgiven me. For if he saith this, on account of that very sin which he supposeth not to be forgiven him, he con vertetb not himself, and by doing the rest, not even that which he feared not is forgiven him. As I have committed, he saith, a great crime, and it cannot be forgiven me ; I will now do the rest also : for I lose this which I do not do. Fear not : thou art in the deep, scorn not to cry unto God
from the depths, and to say, If Thou, O Lord, trill be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? Think of Him, and wait for Him, and endure on account of His law. What law hath He given thee ?
Matt. 6, Forgive us our debts, as weforgive our debtors. Hope that thou wilt rise again, and that thou wilt be there altogether without sin, since He rose again Who first was without sin. Hope from the morning watch. Say not, I am not worthy on account of my sins. Thou art not worthy: but, with Him there is plenteous redemption: and He will redeem
Israelfrom all his sins.
PSALM CXXXI.
EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the Common People.
1 . In this Psalm, the humility of one that is a servant of God and faithful is commended unto us, by whose voice it
The Church of Christ, the true Temple of God. 73
is sung; which is the whole body of Christ. For we have Ver.
often warned you, beloved, that it ought not to be received -- is the very temple of God, of which the Apostle saith, The ? Cor.
--- as the voice of one man singing, but of all who are in Christ's
Body. And since all are in His Body, as it were one man speaketh : and he is one who also is many. For they are
many in themselves, but one in Him Who is one. Now this
temple of God is holy, which are ye ; that is, all who believe
in Christ, and so believe as to love. For this is to believe
in Christ, to love Christ: not as the devils believed, but James loved not ; and therefore, although they believed, said, 2 ' 19
What have we to do with Thee, Thou Son of God? But Matt. 8, . 29
let us so believe, that we may believe on Him, loving Him,
and may not say, What have we to do with Thee ? but may rather say, Unto Thee we belong ; Thou hast redeemed us.
All therefore who thus believe, are as living stones, whereof I Pet. the temple of God is built; and as timber that doth notge^' 6 decay, whereof that ark was made, which could not be li- overwhelmed in the deluge. This is the temple, that is,
'
the men themselves, wherein God is prayed to, and heareth.
For whosoever beside the temple of God prayeth God, is
not heard unto that peace of the heavenly Jerusalem, al
though He is heard for certain temporal things, which God
hath given to the heathen also. For the devils themselves M ait 8,
? 31 32 were heard, that they might enter into the swine. To be
heard unto everlasting life is another thing, nor is it granted
save unto him who prayeth in the temple of God. Now ho prayeth in the temple of God, who prayeth in the peace of
the Church, in the unity of Christ's Body; which Body of
Christ consisteth of many who believe in the whole world :
and therefore he who prayeth in the temple, is heard. For
he prayeth in the spirit and in truth, who prayeth in the John 4,
--
peace of the Church ; not in that temple, wherein was the figure.
2. For according to a figure our Lord shut out men from the Temple, those who sought their own, that is, who re sorted to the temple for the sake of selling and buying. But if that Temple was a figure, it is clear that the Body of Christ also, which is the true Temple whereof that was the image, hath mingled with it buyers and sellers, that is,
74 Men keep themselves out of God's Temple by their sbis.
Psalm such as seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ.
CXxXI' Now they are driven out thence with a whip of cords. For a pja^T
2' 5**8 C0r& signifietb sins, as is said through the Prophet: Woe
'
Job 6, 18"
be cast forth into outer darkness ? For ye remember it is Mat. 22, said of a certain sinner in the Gospel, Bind him hand and
unto them that draw sin as it were with a long rope. They who add sins to sins, draw a long rope of sin ; they who when they have committed one sin, commit another, to cover it. For as yarn is added to yarn, to make a rope ; and it doth not progress in a straight line, but is twisted: so all evil deeds, which are sins when added one to another, when sin cometh from sin, and sin is annexed to sin, become a long rope. Whose paths are crooked, and their ways are full of windings. What is the use of this rope, save that by it each man's hands and feet are to be bound, and he is to
13
foot, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There would be no means of binding his hands and feet, had he not made for himself a rope. Whence it is most openly said in another passage,
Prov. 5, The wicked shall be holden with the cords of his sins. Since therefore men are beaten by means of their own sins, therefore did the Lord make a whip of cords, and with it drove out of the Temple all who sought their own, not the things that are of Jesus Christ.
3. It is therefore the voice of this Temple in the Psalm. In this Temple, as 1 have said, God is prayed unto: and heareth in Spirit and in Truth ; not in that bodily Temple. For there was the shadow, wherein might be shewn what
was to come : therefore that Temple hath already fallen. Hath therefore the house of our prayer fallen? God forbid! For that temple which fell could not be called the house of
Is. 56, prayer, whereof it is said, My house shall be called a house
of prayer for all nations. For ye have heard what our Mat. 21, Lord Jesus Christ said, It is written, My house shall be
ca^el^ a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. Did they who wished to make the house of God a den of thieves, effect the ruin of the Temple ? So they also who live ill in the Catholic Church, as far as in them is, wish to make the house of God a den of thieves ; yet they do not on that account ovcrthiovv the Temple. For a time
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John 2, -- '
The true Worshippers ; the true Priest, and Sacrifice. 75
will come, when they will be cast out of doors with the rope Vrr. of their sins. But this Temple of God, this Body of Christ, ----- this Congregation of the faithful, hath one voice, and singeth
in the Psalm as one man. We have already heard its voice
in many Psalms; let us also hear it in this. If we will, it
is our voice ; if we will, we hear it with the ear singing, and
we sing in heart. But if we refuse, we shall be in that Temple as buyers and sellers, that is, seeking our own
things : we enter the Church, not for those purposes that
please the eyes of God. Let therefore any one among you consider in what manner he heareth, whether he hear and
laugh, whether he hear and cast it behind him, whether he
hear and respond, that perceive his own voice here, and
join the voice of his own heart to the voice of this Psalm. Yet the voice of this Psalm not mute let them who are able, nay, who wish, be instructed they who wish not, let them not hinder. Let humility be recommended unto us thence he beginneth.
4. Ver. Lord, my heart is not lifted up. He hath offered a sacrifice. Whence do we prove that he hath offered
sacrifice Because humility of heart sacrifice.
said in another Psalm, //' Thou hadst desired a sacrifice, Ps. 51, surely would have given Thee. He wished to atone 16 unto God for his sins, he wished to propitiate Him, that he might receive pardon for his sins and, as were, seeking
by what means he might propitiate Him; thou hadst desired, he saith, a sacrifice, would hare given Thee;
but Thou delight est not in burnt offerings. It was super
fluous therefore for him to seek either rams, or bulls, or any such victim, wherewith he might appease God. What then? Since God not phased with burnt-offerings, doth He not receive sacrifice, and He appeased without sacrifice
If there no sacrifice, there no Priest. But we have a High Priest in Heaven, Who intercedelh with the Father for us, (for He hath entered into the Holy of Holies, within the veil, where the priest in figure entered not save once in the year, as the Lord also in the whole of time was once offered. He offered Himself, the High Priest Himself,
Himself the Victim, and entered once into the Holy of Holies, Heb- and now dieth no more, and death hath no more dominion jiom.
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70 Offering of a contrite heart. Coming to 'buy and sell. '
Psalm over Him. We are safe, for we have a Priest ; let us CxxM ? offer our sacrifice there. Let us consider what sacrifice we ought to offer; for God is not pleased with burnt- offerings, as ye have heard in the Psalm. But in that place Pa. 51, }ie next sheweth what he offeretl] ; The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shult Thou not despise. If therefore a humbled heart be the sacrifice of God, he who said, O Lord, my heart is not
lifted up, offered a sacrifice. See him in another passage Ps. 25, thus offering: Look upon mine humility and my misery,
and forgive me all my sin.
5. Lord, my heart was not lifted up, neither were mine
eyes raised on high ; I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things which are too high for me. Let this be more plainly spoken and heard. I have not been proud : I have not wished to be known among men as for wondrous powers ; nor have I sought any thing beyond my strength, whereby I might boast myself among the ignorant. Observe, beloved, a great matter is set before you. As that Simon the sorcerer wished to advance into wonders above himself, on that account the power of the Apostles more pleased him, than the righteousness of Chris tians. But when he saw the imposition of hands by the Apostles, and that God gave the Holy Ghost to the faithful through their prayers ; and since then the Advent of the Holy Ghost was shewn through a miracle, so that they spoke with tongues, which they had not learnt, that is, all upon whom the. Holy Ghost descended. (Not that the Holy Ghost is not given now, because believers speak not with tongues. For they then needs must speak with tongues, to signify that all tongues should believe in Christ. When what was signified was fulfilled, the miracle was taken
When therefore Simon saw this, he wished to do the like, not to be like the Apostles; and ye are aware that he even imagined that the Holy Ghost might be gained with money. He therefore was one of those that enter into the temple to buy and sell ; he wanted to buy what he designed to sell : and truly, my brethren, it was thus, because he was such an one, and had in such wise come amongst them. The Lord cast forth from the temple the sellers of doves ;
away. )
The members in one body share each other's power. 77
now a dove signifieth the Holy Spirit ; Simon therefore Ven. wished to buy the dove, and to sell the dove. Our Lord Jesus --L-- Christ, Who dwelt in Peter, came up, and with a whip of Acts 8< cords drove forth the ungodly trader.
6. There are then men whom it pleaseth to perform a miracle, and they exact a miracle from those who have grown in grace in the Church ; and they who seem to them
selves far advanced, wish to do the like, and suppose they belong not to God, if they can not do it. But the Lord our
God, Who knoweth what He giveth and to whom, and how
the framework of the body may be preserved in peace, addresses the Church through the Apostle : Tlie eye cannot l Cor. say unto the hand, I have no need of thee ; nor again the
head to the feet, have no need of you. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ye see then, brethren, how in our members each hath its own office. The eye seeth, and heareth not the ear heareth, and seeth not the hand worketh, but neither heareth nor seeth the foot walketh, but heareth not, nor seeth, nor doth what the hand doth. But there be health in one body, and the members contend not against one another, the ear seeth in the eye, the eye heareth in the ear nor can be objected to the ear that seeth not, so as to say to it, You are nothing, you are inferior can you see and discern colours, as the eye doth For the ear answereth from the peace of the body, and sailh, am where the eye is, am in that body in myself see not, in that wherewith exist see. So when the ear saith, My eye seeth the eye saith, My ear heareth; the eyes and ears say, Our hands work for us: the hands say, The eyes and the ears see and hear for us the eyes and ears and hands say, The feet walk for us: while all members do their work in one body, there be health therein, and the members agree, they rejoice, and rejoice with each other. And there be any trouble in any member, they forsake not each other, but suffer with
one another. Because in the body the foot seemeth far from the eyes, (for they are placed aloft, the feet below,) the foot happen lo tread upon thorn, do the eyes forsake
and not, as we see, the whole body contracted, so that the
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78 Power of miracles belongs to the Whole Body.
Psalm man sitteth, the spine of the back is curved, that the thorn CxXxI- whicn natl) stuck in the foot may be sought? All the members do all they can, that the thorn which had stuck in may be drawn forth from that lowest and diminutive
part.
Thus then, brethren, whosoever in the body of Christ
cannot restore to life the dead, let him not seek this power, but let him seek that he may not disagree in the body ; as if the ear should seek to see, it may disagree. For what it hath not received it cannot do. Rut be objected to him and said, If thou wert righteous, thou wouldest raise again a dead man, as Peter raised them. (For the Apostles seem
John 14, to have wrought greater works in Christ, than the Lord Himself. But how could be that the shoots should have more power than the root Yet how do they appear to have wrought greater works than He? At the voice of the Lord the dead arose, at the shadow of Peter as he passed by a dead man arose. The latter seemeth greater than the former. But Christ could work without Peter, Peter could not, save in Christ: for without Me, sailh He, ye can do nothing. ) When therefore man who gaining grace heareth this, as
Acts
John 15,
4"
and no man touched Him; but the Head cried from heaven for the Body suffering on earth.
7. If therefore, brethren, each doeth righteously what he can, and in that wherein another can do more envieth not, but rejoiceth with him as set in one body with him: these words of the Psalm relate to him, Lord, my heart is not lifted up, neither are mine eyes raised on high nor hare
were calumny cast in his teeth by ignorant heathens, by men who know not what they speak of; in the membership of the Body of Christ let him answer and say, Thou who sayest, Thou art not righteous, because thou dost not work miracles; thou mightest also say to the ear, Thou art not in the body, for thou seest not.
You, he saith, should do what for me also, since am in the in him can do what he Cor. can, from whom am not divided in that can do less, he
Peter did. But Peter did body, wherein Peter wrought
12' 26' suffereth together with me, and in that he can do more,
with him. The Lord Himself cried from above
Acts concerning His Body, Saul, Saul, why persecuted thou Me?
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St. Paul a witness to the danger of spiritual pride. 79
I exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things Ver. which are too high for me. What is above my strength, he ----- saith, I have not sought; I have not stretched myself out
there, I have not chosen to be magnified there. How deeply
this self-exaltation in the abundance of graces is to be feared,
that no man may pride himself in the gift of God, but may rather preserve humility, and may do what is written : The Ecclus. greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shall3'*8'
findfavour before the Lord : how deeply pride in God's gift should be feared, we must again and again impress upon you, beloved brethren, especially as the shortness of this Psalm alloweth of our speaking. Although the Apostle Paul became a preacher from a persecutor, he gained more abundant grace in every Apostolic labour, than the rest of the Apostles; so that God might the more shew that what He giveth is His own, not man's. As physicians are wont to display the power of their art in those that are despaired
so our Lord Jesus Christ, our Physician and Saviour, in
one despaired of, who had been persecutor of the Church, displayed the greatness of His art, in that He not only made
him Christian, but an Apostle also: nor an Apostle only,
but, as he himself saith, one who toiled more than all of them. 15' 10' He had therefore transcendent grace. And ye see, brethren,
that at present in the Church the Epistles of the Apostle
Paul flourish more than those of his fellow Apostles. For
some wrote not, but only spoke in the Church for what are alleged by those who are in error under their name, are not
their own, and therefore are reprobated, and not received by
the Church. While others who have written, have neither
written so much, nor with so great grace. Since he then
had great grace, and had received great gifts from God,
what saith he in certain passage Lest should be exalted Cor.
above measure the abundance of the revelations.
