l, first
blessing
on our nature, which we have heard, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Her he calleth unhappy,
but him happy who payeth her as she hath served us. Do
we ask, what reward Happy, saith he, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock. This the re payment. For what hath that Babylon done to us? We
have already sung in another Psalm, The words of MePs. 65,3. wicked have prevailed against us. For when we were born,
the confusion of this world found us, and choked us while
yet infants with the empty notions of divers errors. The
infant that born destined to be citizen of Jerusalem,
and in God's predestination already citizen, but meanwhile
prisoner for time, when learneth he to love ought, save what his parents have whispered into his ears? They teach him and train him in avarice, robbery, daily lying, the worship
a
'
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it,
is a
!
;
aa
? it
is it: is
it, it,
? ;
it is
it is
is it
a
it O
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;
!
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176 The ' little ones' of Babylon, sins in their infancy.
Psalm of divers idols and devils, the unlawful remedies of enchant- cxxvm, menls ancl amulets. What shall one yet an infant do, a tender soul, observing what its elders do, save follow that which it
seeth them doing. Babylon then has persecuted us when little, but God hath given us when grown up knowledge of ourselves, that we should not follow the errors of our
i vid. on parents. And this, as I then loo mentioned1, was foretold
P''ophet, The nations shall come to thee from the 19" ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity which hath not profited them. So speak they, now grown up, who when little were slain by
following these vanities, and then coming to life again increase in union with God, and repay Babylon. How shall they repay her? As she hath served us. Let her little ones be choked in turn : yea let her little ones in turn be dashed, and die. What are the little ones of Babylon ? Evil desires at their birth. For there are, who have to fight with inveterate lusts. When lust is born, before evil habit giveth it strength against thee, when lust is little, by no means let it gain the strength of evil habit; when it is little, dash it. But thou fearest, lest though dashed it die
l Cor. not ; Dash it against the Rock ; and that Hock is Christ. 22. Brethren, let not your instruments of music rest in
your work : sing one to another songs of Sion. Readily have ye heard ; the more readily do what ye have heard, if ye wish not to be willows of Babylon fed by its streams, and bringing no fruit. But sigh for the everlasting Jeru salem : whither your hope goeth before, let your life follow ; there we shall be with Christ. Christ now is our Head ; now He ruleth us from above; in that city He will fold us to Himself; we shall be equal to the Angels of God. We should not dare to imagine this of ourselves, did not the Truth promise it. This then desire, brethren, this day and night think on. Howsoever the world shine happily on you, presume not, parley not willingly with your lusts. Is it a grown up enemy ? let it be slain upon the Rock. Is it a little enemy ? let it be dashed against the Rock. Slay the grown up ones on the Rock, and dash the little ones against the Rock. Let the Rock conquer. Be built upon the Rock, if ye desire not to be swept away either by the
Je^ii?
Confession twofold, of sin and ofpraise. 177
stream, or the winds, or the rain. If ye wish to be armed Vf. r. against temptations in this world, let longing for the ever- --^~ lasting Jerusalem grow and be strengthened in your hearts,
lour captivity will pass away, your happiness will come;
the last enemy shall be destroyed, and we shall trinmph with our King, without death.
PSALM CXXXVIII. SERMON.
Lat. CxxxVII.
1. The title of this Psalm is brief and simple, and need not detain us; since we know whose resemblance David wore, and since in him we recognise ourselves also, for we too are members of that Body. Let us recognise then herein the voice of the Church, and at the same time let us rejoice that we have been thought worthy to be in her, whose voice we have heard chanting. The whole title
To Daiid himself. ' Let us see then, what to David himself.
2. will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, ver. The title of the Psalm wont to tell us what treated of within it: but in this, since the title informs us not of this,
hut tells us only to Whom chanted, the first verse tells
us what treated of in the whole Psalm, will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. This confession then let us hear. But first remind you, that the term confession
Scripture, when we speak of confession to God, used in two senses, of sin, and of praise. But confession of sin all know, confession of praise few attend to. So well known confession of sin, that, wherever in Scripture we hear the words, will confess to Thee, Lord, or, we will confess to Thee, forthwith, through habitually understanding in this way, our hands hurry to beating our breast so entirely are men wont not to understand confession to be of ought, save of sin. But was then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself too sinner, Who saith in the Gospel1, confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth? He goeth on to say what He
VOL. VI.
conii.
l\]at. 'i^ 25.
N
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178 God hears the voice of the heart, not of the mouth.
Psalm confesseth, that we might understand His confession to be
-----'of praise, not of sin, / confess
to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. He praised the Father, He praised God, because He de-
spiseth not the humble, but the proud. And such confession are we now going to hear, of praise of God, of thanksgiving. / will confess to Thee, 0 Lord, with my whole heart. My whole heart 1 lay upon the altar of Thy praise, an whole burnt-offering of praise I offer to Thee. A whole burnt- offering is a sacrifice where the whole is burnt, for the
1 holo-
caustutn
Lat. spiritual whole burnt-offering, who saith,
Greek word oXov1 meaneth 'whole. ' See how he offereth a
/ will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. Let the flame of Thy Love, he saith, set on fire my whole heart, let nought in me
.
be left to myself, nought wherein I may look to myself, but may I wholly burn towards Thee, wholly be on fire towards/ Thee, wholly love Thee, as though set on fire by Thee.
will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for
Thou hast heard the words of my mouth. What mouth, save my heart? For there have we the voice which God heareth, which ear of man knoweth not at all. They cried aloud indeed who accused Susanna, but lifted not up their eyes to heaven ; she was silent, and cried with her heart ;
wherefore she was thought worthy to be heard, they to be
We have then a mouth within, there do we ask, thence do we ask, and if we have prepared a lodging or an house for God, there do we speak, there are we heard.
Actsj7, For He is not far from every one of us, for in Him we live, and move, and have our being. Nought maketh thee far off from God, save sin only. Cast down the middle wall of sin, and thou art with Him Whom thou askest. Thou hast heard, saith he, the words of my mouth ; L will confess to
punished.
Thee.
3. And before the Angels will I
before men will I sing, but before the Angels.
is my joy ; but my joy in things below is before men, my
joy in things above before the Angels. For the wicked knoweth no1 tne joy of the just: There is no joy, saith my
22-4fl7 ' God, to the wicked. The wicked in his 2i. ' rejoiceth
tavern,
sing unto Thee. Not
My song
Man, God's Temple. 179
the martyr in his chain. In what did that holy Crispina Ver. rejoice, whose festival is kept to-day ? She rejoiced when --2-- she was being seized, when she was being carried before the
judge, when she was being put into prison, when she was
being brought forth bound, when she was being lifted up on
the scaffold ', when she was being heard, when she was being 'catasta.
condemned : in all these things she rejoiced ; and the
wretches thought her wretched, when she was rejoicing before the Angels.
4. / will worship toward Thy holy Temple. What holy ver. 2.
Temple ? That where we shall dwell, where
worship. For we hasten that we may adore. Our heart is pregnant and cometh to the birth, and seeketh where it may bring forth. What is the place where God is to be wor shipped ? What world ? what building, what abode in heaven and among the stars ? We search the holy Scrip
we shall
tures, and find Wisdom saying, / was with Him, I was Prov. 8, she before whom He rejoiced daily. Then she telleth us what an 28" are His works, and discloseth to us her own abode. When
He established the clouds above, when He set apart His
abode above the winds. His abode is His Temple. Whither
then shall we go ? Are we to go above the clouds to worship? If He is worshipped above the clouds, the birds
are better than we. But if by the winds we understand
souls, I mean souls described under the name of winds, --
(just as Scripture saith in a certain place, He came Ps. 18, flying on the wings of wind, that is, on the virtues of souls 5 whence also the soul is called the breath of God, a sort ofGen. 4, wind, not that we should understand thereby the wind
which we feel as it propels our body, but that by the title thereof may be signified somewhat invisible, which can neither be seen with the eye, nor inhaled by the smell, nor tasted by the palate, nor handled by the hand ; a sort of life, that
whereby we live, which called 'soul,') -- we understand these to be meant by winds, there no reason why we should seek visible wings to fly up with the birds to worship at the Temple of God, but we shall find that God sitteth above us ourselves, we choose to be faithful to Him. See
whether be not so: the Temple of God holy, saith the
Cor. s, Apostle, which Temple ye are. But assuredly, as manifest,
N 2
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is is
if
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180 God's dealings, Mercy and Truth.
Psalm God dwelleth in the Angels. Therefore when our joy, being in spiritual things, not in earthly, taketh up a song to God, to sing before the Angels, that very assembly of Angels is the Temple of God, we worship toward God's Temple. There is a Church below, there is a Church above also : the Church below, in all the faithful ; the Church above, in all the Angels. But the God of Angels came down to the Church below, and Angels ministered to Him on earth,
Matt. 4, while He ministered to us; for, / came not, saith He, to Mat 20 ^e ministered unto, but to minister. What hath He
28.
ministered to us, save what to-day also we eat and drink ? Since then the Lord of Angels hath ministered to us, let us not despair but that we shall be equal to the Angels. For He that is greater than the Angels came down to man ; the Creator of the Angels took man's nature upon Him ; the Lord of Angels died for man. Therefore, / will worship toward Thy holy Temple ; I mean, not the temple made
with hands, but that which Thou hast made for Thyself.
5. And I will confess to Thy Name in Thy mercy and Thy truth. In these two we confess, for so it is written in
another Psalm also, All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. In these two do we confess, in Thy mercy and Thy truth. In Thy mercy Thou lookedst upon the sinner, in Thy truth Thou performedst Thy promise. In Thy mercy, therefore, and Thy truth will I confess to Thee. These also which Thou hast given to me, do I according to my
power give to Thee in return: mercy, in aiding other; truth, in judging. By these God aideth us, by these we win God's favour. Rightly, therefore, All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth. No other ways are there whereby He can come to us, no other whereby we can come to Him.
6. For Tliou hast magnified Thy holy Name over every
thing. What sort of thanksgiving is this, brethren?
Ps. 25, 10*
Gen. 15, hath magnified His holy Name over Abraham ; for, Abraham
Rom. i believed upon God, and it was counted unto him for righte-
3.
ousness. But all other nations offered sacrifice to idols, served devils. Of Abraham was born Isaac ; over that house God wJas magnified ; then Jacob ; God was magnified,
Who said,
Isaac, and the God of Jacob : then came his twelve sons ;
am the God
of Abraham, and the God of
He
We are to pray for heavenly, not earthly, goods. 181
then the people of Israel were freed from Egypt, led through Ver.
'--- land, while the Gentiles were driven out. The name of the
the Red Sea, trained in the wilderness, placed in the promised
Lord was magnified over Israel. Then came the Virgin
Mary, then Christ our Lord, dying for our sins, rising again Rom. 4, for our justification, filling the faithful with His Holy Spirit,25-
sending forth men to proclaim throughout the Gentiles,
Behold, Matt. 3,
ver. 3.
am. Is. 58,9.
Repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. He hath magnified His holy Name above all things.
I call
7. In what day soever upon
Thee, do Thou
hear me. Wherefore, quickly? Because Thou hastIsaid,
While yet thou art speaking
Wherefore, quickly ? Because now I seek not earthly hap piness, I have learnt holy longing from the New Testament. I seek not earth, nor earthly abundance, nor temporal health, nor the overthrow of my enemies, nor riches, nor rank : nought of these do I seek : therefore quickly hear me.
hast taught me what to seek, grant what I seek.
to this man, Askest thou ought of this kind ?
let him speak out his petition, let us see what he seeketh: let us learn of him to seek, that we may be thought worthy to receive. Thou eamest to Church to-day, to ask for some what. What think we thou eamest to ask ? Thou eamest with thy longing, whatsoever it were ; would it may be innocent, yet, even then, carnal. Put away iniquity, put away carnal-mindedness : learn what it is thou seekest, take heed what it is thou celebratest. Thou art celebrating the birthday of a holy and blessed woman, and thou art desiring, it may be, earthly happiness. She for her holy longing gave up the happiness which she had on earth, gave up her children who wept and grieved for what they thought their mother's cruelty, that she seemed to have lost earthly pity, when she was hastening to an heavenly crown. Did she not know what she longed for, what she trampled on ? Yea verily, she knew how to sing before the Angels of God, and to long for their society, their friendship holy and pure, where she should die no more, where she should know
the Judge before Whom no lie could prevail. What then ? are there no good things in that life ? Yea rather, there are the only good things, not good mixed with evil, safe things,
I will Lo, here say,
quickly
Since Thou Let us say Let us hear,
For increase, not in bodily
Psalm in which thou mayest joy as much as thou wilt, and none say to thee, ' Restrain thyself. ' But here to joy in earthly goods is full of vexation and peril, lest thou joy in them so as to cling to them, and by joying amiss, perish. For wherefore doth God mingle tribulations with earthly joys, save that, feeling tribulation and bitterness, we may learn to long for everlasting sweetness ?
8. Let us see then what he seeketh, with what right he hath said, quickly hear me. For what seekest thou, that thou shouldest quickly be heard ? Thou shall multiply me. Tn many ways may multiplication be understood. There is the multiplication of earthly generation, according to the
Gen.
l, first blessing on our nature, which we have heard, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. Is it thus he willed to be multiplied, who said, quickly hear me ? That multiplication clearly is fruitful, and cometh not save of the blessing of the Lord. And what shall I say of other multiplications ? One man is multiplied in gold, another in silver, another in cattle, another in slaves, another in lands, another in all these. Many earthly multiplications are there, but more happy than all is that of children, though to avaricious men even fruitfulness is vexatious. For they fear lest if many children be born to them, they will be left poor. And this anxiety hath driven many to unnatural dealing, so that they have forgotten that they were parents, and, stripped of all human affection, have exposed their children, to make them others' children : so that a mother,
who gave it birth, has cast out her child ; another, who gave it not birth, has taken it up : the first has despised it, the second loved it ; the first untruly mother after the flesh, the other more truly in will. Seeing then there be many multiplications, and many kinds of multiplications, what multiplication seeketh he who said, quickly hear me ? For he saith, Thou shall multiply me. We wait to hear, wherein. Hear then : in my soul. Not in my flesh, but in
my soul: Thou shall multiply me in my soul. Is aught further added, lest perchance even multiplication in soul signify not necessarily happiness ? For men are multiplied in their soul with cares : a man seemeth to be multiplied in soul, in whom vices even are multiplied. One man is only
advantages, but in spiritual virtues. 1 83 avaricious; another only proud; another only luxurious; Ver.
--
another is both avaricious, and proud, and luxurious, he is multiplied in his soul, but to his hurt. That is the multi plication of want, not of fulness. What then dost thou desire, thou who hast said, quickly hear me, and hast with drawn thyself entirely from the body, from every earthly thing, from every earthly desire, so as to say to God, Thou shall multiply me in my soul ? Explain yet further what thou desirest. Thou shalt multiply me, saith he, in my soul with virtue. His wish is fully stated, his longing fully stated ; it is cut off from all confusion. Were he to say,
Thou shalt multiply me, thou mightest think he meant with some earthly things; he added therefore, in my soul. Again, lest thou shouldest think he spoke of vices in the soul, he added, with virtue. Nought further is there which thou mayest long for from God, if thou wishest with a good and honest front to say, quickly hear me.
9. Let all the kings of the earth confess to Tliee, O Lord. ver. 4. So shall it be, and so it is, and that daily ; and it is shewn
that it was not said in vain, save that it was future. Let
all the kings of the earth confess to Thee, O Lord. But neither let them, when they confess to Thee, when they praise Thee, desire earthly things of Thee. For what shall
the kings of the earth desire ? Have they not already sove reignty? Whatever more a man desire on earth, sovereignty is the highest point of his desire. What more can he desire ? It must needs be some loftier eminence. But per haps the loftier it is, the more dangerous. And therefore the more exalted kings are in earthly eminence, the more ought they to humble themselves before God. What do they do ? Because they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. All the words of Thy mouth, O Lord. In a certain nation were hidden the Law and the Prophets, all the words of Thy mouth: in the Jewish nation alone were all the words of Thy mouth, the nation which the Apostle praiseth,
What advantage hath the Jew, or what profit is Rom. 3, there of circumcision? Much every way; chiefly because^'
that unto them were committed the oracles of God. These
were the words of God. But let us take Gideon, a holy man
of the time of the Judges; see what sign he sought of God.
saying,
J 84 The mystical meaning of Gideons fleece.
Psalm / will put, saith he, a fieece of wool in the Jloor; let the dew cxxxviii ^e gn ffcgcg only^ all<l /e/ tfle jloor be dry. It was done, the fleece alone was wet ; the floor was dry. Again he asked
Judp. 6, a sign, Let the whole Jloor be wet with dew, and let the ' fleece alone be dry. This also was done, the floor was wet, while the fleece was dry. First, the fleece wet, the floor dry ; then the floor wet, the fleece dry. What think ye,
ver. 5.
brethren, the floor meaneth ? Is it not the world? What the fleece? It is like the nation of the Jews in the midst of the world, which had the grace of sacraments, not indeed openly manifested, but hidden in a cloud, or in a veil, like the dew in the fleece. The time came when the dew was to be manifested in the floor ; it was manifested, no longer hidden. So came to pass what was said, Let all the kings of the earth praise Thee, O Lord, for they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. What is Israel, that thou wast hiding how long didst thou hide the fleece hath been wrung out, and the dew hath come forth from thee. Christ alone the sweetness of dew Him alone thou recognisest not in Scripture, for Whom Scripture was written. But yet, let all the kings of the earth praise Thee, Lord, for they have heard all the words Thy mouth.
10. And let them sing in the paths of the Lord, that great is the glory of the Lord. Let all the kings of the earth sing in the paths of the Lord. In what paths? Those that are spoken of above, in Thy mercy and Thy truth for all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.
Let not then the kings of the earth be proud, let them be humble. Then let them sing in the ways of the Lord, they be humble let them love, and they shall sing. We know travellers that sing; they sing, and hasten to reach the end of their journey. There are evil songs, such as belong to the old man to the new man belongeth new song. Let then the kings of the earth too walk in Thy paths, let them walk and sing in Thy paths. Sing what? that great the glory of the Lord, not of kings.
11. See how he willed that kings should sing on their way, humbly bearing the Lord, not lifting themselves up against the Lord. For they lift themselves up, what
ver. 6. follows? For the Ijord high, and hath respect unto the
is ; if
of
is
a
if
:
;
is
?
O
:
it
? it,
God regards not the proud, yet sees them. 185
lowly. Do kings then desire that He have respect unto Ver. them? Let them be humble. What then? if they lift ---1-- themselves up to pride, can they escape His eyes? Lest perchance, because thou hast heard, He hath respect unto
the lowly, thou choose to be proud, and say in thy soul, God hath respect unto the lowly, He hath not respect unto me, I will do what I will. For who seeth me? Man canuot see; God willeth not to see me, because I am not lowly, but He hath respect unto the lowly ; I do what I will. O foolish one ! wouldest thou say this, if thou knewest what thou oughtest to love ? Behold, even if God willeth not to see thee, dost thou not fear this very thing, that He << illeth not to see thee ? If thou salutest one greater than thyself, thy patron, and he be intent on something else, and see thee not, how doth thy soul grieve ? And yet if God see thee not, thinkest thou thyself safe ? Thy Saviour seeth thee not, the destroyer seeth thee. Yet God too Himself seeth thee. Think not that thou art not seen ; rather pray that thou mayest be found worthy to be seen by Him by Whom thou art seen. For it is said, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. Because they are not over the unrighteous,
let the unrighteous do what they will ; the eyes of the Lord P<<. 34, are over the righteous. Let him go on yet further; and His\%\ 16' ears are open to their prayers. The unrighteous then, who thought themselves safe because the eyes of the Lord were
not over them, do not they fear because His ears are not open to their prayers? Were it not better that both His eyes should be over us, and His ears open to our prayers ? But when thou doest those things over which thou wishest not the eyes of the Lord to be, thou winnest not indeed by thy prayers the ears of the Lord, and yet thou turnest not away from thee, by doing ill, the eyes of the Lord. For what follows? Great is the glory of the Lord: for the Lord is high, and hath respect unto the lowly : the lofty then, it seemeth, He hath not respect unto, for it is the lowly He respecteth. The lofty--what? He considereth from afar. What then gaineth the proud ? To be seen from afar, not to escape being seen. And think not that thou must needs be safe on that account, for that He seeth less clearly, Who seeth thee from afar. For thou indeed seest not clearly, what
1 86 Finding tribulation a test of our love of God.
Psalm thou seest from afar; God, although He see thee from afar, ? mvmseeth thee perfectly, yet is He not with thee. This thou gainest, not that thou art less perfectly seen, but that thou art not with Him by Whom thou art seen. But what doth the lowly gain r The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart. Let the proud then lift himself up as much as he will, certainly God dwelleth on high, God is in
heaven : wishest thou that He come nigh to thee? Humble thyself. For the higher will He be above thee, the more
thou liftest thyself up. But the lofty He conxidereth
afar. If I walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shalt ver. r. 12.
revive me. True it is : whatsoever tribulation thou art in, confess, call on Him; He freeth thee. He reviveth thee. Here however we ought the better to understand, the more closely we are united to God, and say to Him, quickly hear me. For he had said, The lofty He considereth from afar : but the lofty know not tribulation. They know not, I mean,
3- 4'
Iaid in another place, called on the name
tribulation and sorrow, and
Lord. For what great thing is
If thou hast any power, do thou find tribulation. And who
there, thou sayest, who findeth tribulation, or who so much as seeketh Art thou in the midst of tribulation, and knowest not Is this life small tribulation to thee If be not tribulation, not wandering be wander ing, either thou lovest thy country but little, or else without doubt thou sufferest tribulation. For who does not feel tribulation, that he not with that which he longs for? Whence then seemeth not to be tribulation to thee Because thou lovest not. Love the other life, and thou shalt see that this life tribulation, whatever prosperity shine with, whatever delights abound and overflow with since not yet have we that joy most safe and free from all temptation, which God reserveth for us in the end, without doubt tribulation. Let us understand then what tri bulation he meaneth here too, brethren. If walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shalt revive me. Not as though he said, If perchance there shall any tribulation have befallen me, Thou shalt free me therefrom. ' But how
the tribulation find thee
of
from
Ps. ii6. that tribulation of which it is s
/ found
'
it is
it
is
isit it is
I
;it? ? ?
is it
:
if it
it
?
it ?
it, if
God's Hand over us in all. 187
If I walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shall Ver.
saith he?
rerire me: that is, otherwise Thou wilt not revive me, unless ------
I
13. Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Let mine enemies rage : what can they do ? They can take my money, strip, proscribe, banish me; afflict me with grief and tortures; at last, if they be allowed, even kill me: can they do aught more ? But Thou, O Lord, hast stretched
forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies; over that
which mine enemies can do, Thou hast stretched forth Thine
hand. For mine enemies cannot separate me from Thee:
but Thou avengest me the more, the more Thou as yet delayest ; over the wrath of mine enemies, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand. Let mine enemy rage as he
will, he cannot separate me from God : but Thou, O God,
as yet receivest me not, as yet weariest me in my wander
ings, as yet givest me not Thy joy and sweetness, as yet
hast not inebriated me with the plenteousness of Thine Vs. 36, house, as yet hast not given me to drink of the torrent ofS' 9' Thy pleasure. For with Thee is the well of life ; in Thy
light shall we see light. But, lo ! 1 have given * Thee the first-fruits of my spirit, and have believed in Thee, and
with my mind I serve the law of God : yet still we ourselves Rom. 7,
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the
demption of our bodies. This life hath God given to us sinners, wherein also it is needful that Adam be wearied in
the sweat and toil of his face, since the earth brought forth Gen. 3, to him thorns and thistles. Can any enemy lay more upon 1H' 19' him ? Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath ofmine enemies : yet not to make me despair; for it follows,
and Thy right hand hath made me safe.
14. It may be understood in this way also, Thou hast
stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies;
* Dedi. Other Msa. dedisti, so aa gustine's comment on Ps. cixiv. 8. to refer to Rom. viii. 23. but the read- Above, p. 141.
ing in the text is confirmed by S. Au-
I walk in the midst of tribulation.
of tribulation, Thou shall retire me. laugh. Blessed are they that mourn. t/iidst of tribulation, Thou shall revive me.
If
walk in the
Woe to them that Luke 6, If I walk in the
midst
8'
1 88 God sometimes saves from temporal ill, always from eternal.
Psalm mine enemies were wroth ; Thou hast avenged me on mine j? >>*U2 enem'es- The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall 10. gnash with his teeth, and melt away. Where be they that
said, ' Perish the name of Christians from off the earth ? ' Verily they either die, or are converted. Therefore, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine
P<<. 4l ,5. enemies ; while it was said, as is written, Mine enemies speak evil of me ; when shall he die, and his name perish ? When shall the name of Christians be blotted out from the earth? While they say this, some believed, some perished, some remained fearful. How greatly did the wrath of the enemy rage, when the blood of the mariyrs was being shed ! how did they think that they were blotting out the name of Christians from off the earth ! Thou hast stretched forth
Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Lo !
but him happy who payeth her as she hath served us. Do
we ask, what reward Happy, saith he, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock. This the re payment. For what hath that Babylon done to us? We
have already sung in another Psalm, The words of MePs. 65,3. wicked have prevailed against us. For when we were born,
the confusion of this world found us, and choked us while
yet infants with the empty notions of divers errors. The
infant that born destined to be citizen of Jerusalem,
and in God's predestination already citizen, but meanwhile
prisoner for time, when learneth he to love ought, save what his parents have whispered into his ears? They teach him and train him in avarice, robbery, daily lying, the worship
a
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it,
is a
!
;
aa
? it
is it: is
it, it,
? ;
it is
it is
is it
a
it O
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;
!
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176 The ' little ones' of Babylon, sins in their infancy.
Psalm of divers idols and devils, the unlawful remedies of enchant- cxxvm, menls ancl amulets. What shall one yet an infant do, a tender soul, observing what its elders do, save follow that which it
seeth them doing. Babylon then has persecuted us when little, but God hath given us when grown up knowledge of ourselves, that we should not follow the errors of our
i vid. on parents. And this, as I then loo mentioned1, was foretold
P''ophet, The nations shall come to thee from the 19" ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity which hath not profited them. So speak they, now grown up, who when little were slain by
following these vanities, and then coming to life again increase in union with God, and repay Babylon. How shall they repay her? As she hath served us. Let her little ones be choked in turn : yea let her little ones in turn be dashed, and die. What are the little ones of Babylon ? Evil desires at their birth. For there are, who have to fight with inveterate lusts. When lust is born, before evil habit giveth it strength against thee, when lust is little, by no means let it gain the strength of evil habit; when it is little, dash it. But thou fearest, lest though dashed it die
l Cor. not ; Dash it against the Rock ; and that Hock is Christ. 22. Brethren, let not your instruments of music rest in
your work : sing one to another songs of Sion. Readily have ye heard ; the more readily do what ye have heard, if ye wish not to be willows of Babylon fed by its streams, and bringing no fruit. But sigh for the everlasting Jeru salem : whither your hope goeth before, let your life follow ; there we shall be with Christ. Christ now is our Head ; now He ruleth us from above; in that city He will fold us to Himself; we shall be equal to the Angels of God. We should not dare to imagine this of ourselves, did not the Truth promise it. This then desire, brethren, this day and night think on. Howsoever the world shine happily on you, presume not, parley not willingly with your lusts. Is it a grown up enemy ? let it be slain upon the Rock. Is it a little enemy ? let it be dashed against the Rock. Slay the grown up ones on the Rock, and dash the little ones against the Rock. Let the Rock conquer. Be built upon the Rock, if ye desire not to be swept away either by the
Je^ii?
Confession twofold, of sin and ofpraise. 177
stream, or the winds, or the rain. If ye wish to be armed Vf. r. against temptations in this world, let longing for the ever- --^~ lasting Jerusalem grow and be strengthened in your hearts,
lour captivity will pass away, your happiness will come;
the last enemy shall be destroyed, and we shall trinmph with our King, without death.
PSALM CXXXVIII. SERMON.
Lat. CxxxVII.
1. The title of this Psalm is brief and simple, and need not detain us; since we know whose resemblance David wore, and since in him we recognise ourselves also, for we too are members of that Body. Let us recognise then herein the voice of the Church, and at the same time let us rejoice that we have been thought worthy to be in her, whose voice we have heard chanting. The whole title
To Daiid himself. ' Let us see then, what to David himself.
2. will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, ver. The title of the Psalm wont to tell us what treated of within it: but in this, since the title informs us not of this,
hut tells us only to Whom chanted, the first verse tells
us what treated of in the whole Psalm, will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. This confession then let us hear. But first remind you, that the term confession
Scripture, when we speak of confession to God, used in two senses, of sin, and of praise. But confession of sin all know, confession of praise few attend to. So well known confession of sin, that, wherever in Scripture we hear the words, will confess to Thee, Lord, or, we will confess to Thee, forthwith, through habitually understanding in this way, our hands hurry to beating our breast so entirely are men wont not to understand confession to be of ought, save of sin. But was then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself too sinner, Who saith in the Gospel1, confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth? He goeth on to say what He
VOL. VI.
conii.
l\]at. 'i^ 25.
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178 God hears the voice of the heart, not of the mouth.
Psalm confesseth, that we might understand His confession to be
-----'of praise, not of sin, / confess
to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. He praised the Father, He praised God, because He de-
spiseth not the humble, but the proud. And such confession are we now going to hear, of praise of God, of thanksgiving. / will confess to Thee, 0 Lord, with my whole heart. My whole heart 1 lay upon the altar of Thy praise, an whole burnt-offering of praise I offer to Thee. A whole burnt- offering is a sacrifice where the whole is burnt, for the
1 holo-
caustutn
Lat. spiritual whole burnt-offering, who saith,
Greek word oXov1 meaneth 'whole. ' See how he offereth a
/ will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. Let the flame of Thy Love, he saith, set on fire my whole heart, let nought in me
.
be left to myself, nought wherein I may look to myself, but may I wholly burn towards Thee, wholly be on fire towards/ Thee, wholly love Thee, as though set on fire by Thee.
will confess to Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for
Thou hast heard the words of my mouth. What mouth, save my heart? For there have we the voice which God heareth, which ear of man knoweth not at all. They cried aloud indeed who accused Susanna, but lifted not up their eyes to heaven ; she was silent, and cried with her heart ;
wherefore she was thought worthy to be heard, they to be
We have then a mouth within, there do we ask, thence do we ask, and if we have prepared a lodging or an house for God, there do we speak, there are we heard.
Actsj7, For He is not far from every one of us, for in Him we live, and move, and have our being. Nought maketh thee far off from God, save sin only. Cast down the middle wall of sin, and thou art with Him Whom thou askest. Thou hast heard, saith he, the words of my mouth ; L will confess to
punished.
Thee.
3. And before the Angels will I
before men will I sing, but before the Angels.
is my joy ; but my joy in things below is before men, my
joy in things above before the Angels. For the wicked knoweth no1 tne joy of the just: There is no joy, saith my
22-4fl7 ' God, to the wicked. The wicked in his 2i. ' rejoiceth
tavern,
sing unto Thee. Not
My song
Man, God's Temple. 179
the martyr in his chain. In what did that holy Crispina Ver. rejoice, whose festival is kept to-day ? She rejoiced when --2-- she was being seized, when she was being carried before the
judge, when she was being put into prison, when she was
being brought forth bound, when she was being lifted up on
the scaffold ', when she was being heard, when she was being 'catasta.
condemned : in all these things she rejoiced ; and the
wretches thought her wretched, when she was rejoicing before the Angels.
4. / will worship toward Thy holy Temple. What holy ver. 2.
Temple ? That where we shall dwell, where
worship. For we hasten that we may adore. Our heart is pregnant and cometh to the birth, and seeketh where it may bring forth. What is the place where God is to be wor shipped ? What world ? what building, what abode in heaven and among the stars ? We search the holy Scrip
we shall
tures, and find Wisdom saying, / was with Him, I was Prov. 8, she before whom He rejoiced daily. Then she telleth us what an 28" are His works, and discloseth to us her own abode. When
He established the clouds above, when He set apart His
abode above the winds. His abode is His Temple. Whither
then shall we go ? Are we to go above the clouds to worship? If He is worshipped above the clouds, the birds
are better than we. But if by the winds we understand
souls, I mean souls described under the name of winds, --
(just as Scripture saith in a certain place, He came Ps. 18, flying on the wings of wind, that is, on the virtues of souls 5 whence also the soul is called the breath of God, a sort ofGen. 4, wind, not that we should understand thereby the wind
which we feel as it propels our body, but that by the title thereof may be signified somewhat invisible, which can neither be seen with the eye, nor inhaled by the smell, nor tasted by the palate, nor handled by the hand ; a sort of life, that
whereby we live, which called 'soul,') -- we understand these to be meant by winds, there no reason why we should seek visible wings to fly up with the birds to worship at the Temple of God, but we shall find that God sitteth above us ourselves, we choose to be faithful to Him. See
whether be not so: the Temple of God holy, saith the
Cor. s, Apostle, which Temple ye are. But assuredly, as manifest,
N 2
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180 God's dealings, Mercy and Truth.
Psalm God dwelleth in the Angels. Therefore when our joy, being in spiritual things, not in earthly, taketh up a song to God, to sing before the Angels, that very assembly of Angels is the Temple of God, we worship toward God's Temple. There is a Church below, there is a Church above also : the Church below, in all the faithful ; the Church above, in all the Angels. But the God of Angels came down to the Church below, and Angels ministered to Him on earth,
Matt. 4, while He ministered to us; for, / came not, saith He, to Mat 20 ^e ministered unto, but to minister. What hath He
28.
ministered to us, save what to-day also we eat and drink ? Since then the Lord of Angels hath ministered to us, let us not despair but that we shall be equal to the Angels. For He that is greater than the Angels came down to man ; the Creator of the Angels took man's nature upon Him ; the Lord of Angels died for man. Therefore, / will worship toward Thy holy Temple ; I mean, not the temple made
with hands, but that which Thou hast made for Thyself.
5. And I will confess to Thy Name in Thy mercy and Thy truth. In these two we confess, for so it is written in
another Psalm also, All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. In these two do we confess, in Thy mercy and Thy truth. In Thy mercy Thou lookedst upon the sinner, in Thy truth Thou performedst Thy promise. In Thy mercy, therefore, and Thy truth will I confess to Thee. These also which Thou hast given to me, do I according to my
power give to Thee in return: mercy, in aiding other; truth, in judging. By these God aideth us, by these we win God's favour. Rightly, therefore, All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth. No other ways are there whereby He can come to us, no other whereby we can come to Him.
6. For Tliou hast magnified Thy holy Name over every
thing. What sort of thanksgiving is this, brethren?
Ps. 25, 10*
Gen. 15, hath magnified His holy Name over Abraham ; for, Abraham
Rom. i believed upon God, and it was counted unto him for righte-
3.
ousness. But all other nations offered sacrifice to idols, served devils. Of Abraham was born Isaac ; over that house God wJas magnified ; then Jacob ; God was magnified,
Who said,
Isaac, and the God of Jacob : then came his twelve sons ;
am the God
of Abraham, and the God of
He
We are to pray for heavenly, not earthly, goods. 181
then the people of Israel were freed from Egypt, led through Ver.
'--- land, while the Gentiles were driven out. The name of the
the Red Sea, trained in the wilderness, placed in the promised
Lord was magnified over Israel. Then came the Virgin
Mary, then Christ our Lord, dying for our sins, rising again Rom. 4, for our justification, filling the faithful with His Holy Spirit,25-
sending forth men to proclaim throughout the Gentiles,
Behold, Matt. 3,
ver. 3.
am. Is. 58,9.
Repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. He hath magnified His holy Name above all things.
I call
7. In what day soever upon
Thee, do Thou
hear me. Wherefore, quickly? Because Thou hastIsaid,
While yet thou art speaking
Wherefore, quickly ? Because now I seek not earthly hap piness, I have learnt holy longing from the New Testament. I seek not earth, nor earthly abundance, nor temporal health, nor the overthrow of my enemies, nor riches, nor rank : nought of these do I seek : therefore quickly hear me.
hast taught me what to seek, grant what I seek.
to this man, Askest thou ought of this kind ?
let him speak out his petition, let us see what he seeketh: let us learn of him to seek, that we may be thought worthy to receive. Thou eamest to Church to-day, to ask for some what. What think we thou eamest to ask ? Thou eamest with thy longing, whatsoever it were ; would it may be innocent, yet, even then, carnal. Put away iniquity, put away carnal-mindedness : learn what it is thou seekest, take heed what it is thou celebratest. Thou art celebrating the birthday of a holy and blessed woman, and thou art desiring, it may be, earthly happiness. She for her holy longing gave up the happiness which she had on earth, gave up her children who wept and grieved for what they thought their mother's cruelty, that she seemed to have lost earthly pity, when she was hastening to an heavenly crown. Did she not know what she longed for, what she trampled on ? Yea verily, she knew how to sing before the Angels of God, and to long for their society, their friendship holy and pure, where she should die no more, where she should know
the Judge before Whom no lie could prevail. What then ? are there no good things in that life ? Yea rather, there are the only good things, not good mixed with evil, safe things,
I will Lo, here say,
quickly
Since Thou Let us say Let us hear,
For increase, not in bodily
Psalm in which thou mayest joy as much as thou wilt, and none say to thee, ' Restrain thyself. ' But here to joy in earthly goods is full of vexation and peril, lest thou joy in them so as to cling to them, and by joying amiss, perish. For wherefore doth God mingle tribulations with earthly joys, save that, feeling tribulation and bitterness, we may learn to long for everlasting sweetness ?
8. Let us see then what he seeketh, with what right he hath said, quickly hear me. For what seekest thou, that thou shouldest quickly be heard ? Thou shall multiply me. Tn many ways may multiplication be understood. There is the multiplication of earthly generation, according to the
Gen.
l, first blessing on our nature, which we have heard, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. Is it thus he willed to be multiplied, who said, quickly hear me ? That multiplication clearly is fruitful, and cometh not save of the blessing of the Lord. And what shall I say of other multiplications ? One man is multiplied in gold, another in silver, another in cattle, another in slaves, another in lands, another in all these. Many earthly multiplications are there, but more happy than all is that of children, though to avaricious men even fruitfulness is vexatious. For they fear lest if many children be born to them, they will be left poor. And this anxiety hath driven many to unnatural dealing, so that they have forgotten that they were parents, and, stripped of all human affection, have exposed their children, to make them others' children : so that a mother,
who gave it birth, has cast out her child ; another, who gave it not birth, has taken it up : the first has despised it, the second loved it ; the first untruly mother after the flesh, the other more truly in will. Seeing then there be many multiplications, and many kinds of multiplications, what multiplication seeketh he who said, quickly hear me ? For he saith, Thou shall multiply me. We wait to hear, wherein. Hear then : in my soul. Not in my flesh, but in
my soul: Thou shall multiply me in my soul. Is aught further added, lest perchance even multiplication in soul signify not necessarily happiness ? For men are multiplied in their soul with cares : a man seemeth to be multiplied in soul, in whom vices even are multiplied. One man is only
advantages, but in spiritual virtues. 1 83 avaricious; another only proud; another only luxurious; Ver.
--
another is both avaricious, and proud, and luxurious, he is multiplied in his soul, but to his hurt. That is the multi plication of want, not of fulness. What then dost thou desire, thou who hast said, quickly hear me, and hast with drawn thyself entirely from the body, from every earthly thing, from every earthly desire, so as to say to God, Thou shall multiply me in my soul ? Explain yet further what thou desirest. Thou shalt multiply me, saith he, in my soul with virtue. His wish is fully stated, his longing fully stated ; it is cut off from all confusion. Were he to say,
Thou shalt multiply me, thou mightest think he meant with some earthly things; he added therefore, in my soul. Again, lest thou shouldest think he spoke of vices in the soul, he added, with virtue. Nought further is there which thou mayest long for from God, if thou wishest with a good and honest front to say, quickly hear me.
9. Let all the kings of the earth confess to Tliee, O Lord. ver. 4. So shall it be, and so it is, and that daily ; and it is shewn
that it was not said in vain, save that it was future. Let
all the kings of the earth confess to Thee, O Lord. But neither let them, when they confess to Thee, when they praise Thee, desire earthly things of Thee. For what shall
the kings of the earth desire ? Have they not already sove reignty? Whatever more a man desire on earth, sovereignty is the highest point of his desire. What more can he desire ? It must needs be some loftier eminence. But per haps the loftier it is, the more dangerous. And therefore the more exalted kings are in earthly eminence, the more ought they to humble themselves before God. What do they do ? Because they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. All the words of Thy mouth, O Lord. In a certain nation were hidden the Law and the Prophets, all the words of Thy mouth: in the Jewish nation alone were all the words of Thy mouth, the nation which the Apostle praiseth,
What advantage hath the Jew, or what profit is Rom. 3, there of circumcision? Much every way; chiefly because^'
that unto them were committed the oracles of God. These
were the words of God. But let us take Gideon, a holy man
of the time of the Judges; see what sign he sought of God.
saying,
J 84 The mystical meaning of Gideons fleece.
Psalm / will put, saith he, a fieece of wool in the Jloor; let the dew cxxxviii ^e gn ffcgcg only^ all<l /e/ tfle jloor be dry. It was done, the fleece alone was wet ; the floor was dry. Again he asked
Judp. 6, a sign, Let the whole Jloor be wet with dew, and let the ' fleece alone be dry. This also was done, the floor was wet, while the fleece was dry. First, the fleece wet, the floor dry ; then the floor wet, the fleece dry. What think ye,
ver. 5.
brethren, the floor meaneth ? Is it not the world? What the fleece? It is like the nation of the Jews in the midst of the world, which had the grace of sacraments, not indeed openly manifested, but hidden in a cloud, or in a veil, like the dew in the fleece. The time came when the dew was to be manifested in the floor ; it was manifested, no longer hidden. So came to pass what was said, Let all the kings of the earth praise Thee, O Lord, for they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. What is Israel, that thou wast hiding how long didst thou hide the fleece hath been wrung out, and the dew hath come forth from thee. Christ alone the sweetness of dew Him alone thou recognisest not in Scripture, for Whom Scripture was written. But yet, let all the kings of the earth praise Thee, Lord, for they have heard all the words Thy mouth.
10. And let them sing in the paths of the Lord, that great is the glory of the Lord. Let all the kings of the earth sing in the paths of the Lord. In what paths? Those that are spoken of above, in Thy mercy and Thy truth for all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.
Let not then the kings of the earth be proud, let them be humble. Then let them sing in the ways of the Lord, they be humble let them love, and they shall sing. We know travellers that sing; they sing, and hasten to reach the end of their journey. There are evil songs, such as belong to the old man to the new man belongeth new song. Let then the kings of the earth too walk in Thy paths, let them walk and sing in Thy paths. Sing what? that great the glory of the Lord, not of kings.
11. See how he willed that kings should sing on their way, humbly bearing the Lord, not lifting themselves up against the Lord. For they lift themselves up, what
ver. 6. follows? For the Ijord high, and hath respect unto the
is ; if
of
is
a
if
:
;
is
?
O
:
it
? it,
God regards not the proud, yet sees them. 185
lowly. Do kings then desire that He have respect unto Ver. them? Let them be humble. What then? if they lift ---1-- themselves up to pride, can they escape His eyes? Lest perchance, because thou hast heard, He hath respect unto
the lowly, thou choose to be proud, and say in thy soul, God hath respect unto the lowly, He hath not respect unto me, I will do what I will. For who seeth me? Man canuot see; God willeth not to see me, because I am not lowly, but He hath respect unto the lowly ; I do what I will. O foolish one ! wouldest thou say this, if thou knewest what thou oughtest to love ? Behold, even if God willeth not to see thee, dost thou not fear this very thing, that He << illeth not to see thee ? If thou salutest one greater than thyself, thy patron, and he be intent on something else, and see thee not, how doth thy soul grieve ? And yet if God see thee not, thinkest thou thyself safe ? Thy Saviour seeth thee not, the destroyer seeth thee. Yet God too Himself seeth thee. Think not that thou art not seen ; rather pray that thou mayest be found worthy to be seen by Him by Whom thou art seen. For it is said, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. Because they are not over the unrighteous,
let the unrighteous do what they will ; the eyes of the Lord P<<. 34, are over the righteous. Let him go on yet further; and His\%\ 16' ears are open to their prayers. The unrighteous then, who thought themselves safe because the eyes of the Lord were
not over them, do not they fear because His ears are not open to their prayers? Were it not better that both His eyes should be over us, and His ears open to our prayers ? But when thou doest those things over which thou wishest not the eyes of the Lord to be, thou winnest not indeed by thy prayers the ears of the Lord, and yet thou turnest not away from thee, by doing ill, the eyes of the Lord. For what follows? Great is the glory of the Lord: for the Lord is high, and hath respect unto the lowly : the lofty then, it seemeth, He hath not respect unto, for it is the lowly He respecteth. The lofty--what? He considereth from afar. What then gaineth the proud ? To be seen from afar, not to escape being seen. And think not that thou must needs be safe on that account, for that He seeth less clearly, Who seeth thee from afar. For thou indeed seest not clearly, what
1 86 Finding tribulation a test of our love of God.
Psalm thou seest from afar; God, although He see thee from afar, ? mvmseeth thee perfectly, yet is He not with thee. This thou gainest, not that thou art less perfectly seen, but that thou art not with Him by Whom thou art seen. But what doth the lowly gain r The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart. Let the proud then lift himself up as much as he will, certainly God dwelleth on high, God is in
heaven : wishest thou that He come nigh to thee? Humble thyself. For the higher will He be above thee, the more
thou liftest thyself up. But the lofty He conxidereth
afar. If I walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shalt ver. r. 12.
revive me. True it is : whatsoever tribulation thou art in, confess, call on Him; He freeth thee. He reviveth thee. Here however we ought the better to understand, the more closely we are united to God, and say to Him, quickly hear me. For he had said, The lofty He considereth from afar : but the lofty know not tribulation. They know not, I mean,
3- 4'
Iaid in another place, called on the name
tribulation and sorrow, and
Lord. For what great thing is
If thou hast any power, do thou find tribulation. And who
there, thou sayest, who findeth tribulation, or who so much as seeketh Art thou in the midst of tribulation, and knowest not Is this life small tribulation to thee If be not tribulation, not wandering be wander ing, either thou lovest thy country but little, or else without doubt thou sufferest tribulation. For who does not feel tribulation, that he not with that which he longs for? Whence then seemeth not to be tribulation to thee Because thou lovest not. Love the other life, and thou shalt see that this life tribulation, whatever prosperity shine with, whatever delights abound and overflow with since not yet have we that joy most safe and free from all temptation, which God reserveth for us in the end, without doubt tribulation. Let us understand then what tri bulation he meaneth here too, brethren. If walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shalt revive me. Not as though he said, If perchance there shall any tribulation have befallen me, Thou shalt free me therefrom. ' But how
the tribulation find thee
of
from
Ps. ii6. that tribulation of which it is s
/ found
'
it is
it
is
isit it is
I
;it? ? ?
is it
:
if it
it
?
it ?
it, if
God's Hand over us in all. 187
If I walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shall Ver.
saith he?
rerire me: that is, otherwise Thou wilt not revive me, unless ------
I
13. Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Let mine enemies rage : what can they do ? They can take my money, strip, proscribe, banish me; afflict me with grief and tortures; at last, if they be allowed, even kill me: can they do aught more ? But Thou, O Lord, hast stretched
forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies; over that
which mine enemies can do, Thou hast stretched forth Thine
hand. For mine enemies cannot separate me from Thee:
but Thou avengest me the more, the more Thou as yet delayest ; over the wrath of mine enemies, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand. Let mine enemy rage as he
will, he cannot separate me from God : but Thou, O God,
as yet receivest me not, as yet weariest me in my wander
ings, as yet givest me not Thy joy and sweetness, as yet
hast not inebriated me with the plenteousness of Thine Vs. 36, house, as yet hast not given me to drink of the torrent ofS' 9' Thy pleasure. For with Thee is the well of life ; in Thy
light shall we see light. But, lo ! 1 have given * Thee the first-fruits of my spirit, and have believed in Thee, and
with my mind I serve the law of God : yet still we ourselves Rom. 7,
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the
demption of our bodies. This life hath God given to us sinners, wherein also it is needful that Adam be wearied in
the sweat and toil of his face, since the earth brought forth Gen. 3, to him thorns and thistles. Can any enemy lay more upon 1H' 19' him ? Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath ofmine enemies : yet not to make me despair; for it follows,
and Thy right hand hath made me safe.
14. It may be understood in this way also, Thou hast
stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies;
* Dedi. Other Msa. dedisti, so aa gustine's comment on Ps. cixiv. 8. to refer to Rom. viii. 23. but the read- Above, p. 141.
ing in the text is confirmed by S. Au-
I walk in the midst of tribulation.
of tribulation, Thou shall retire me. laugh. Blessed are they that mourn. t/iidst of tribulation, Thou shall revive me.
If
walk in the
Woe to them that Luke 6, If I walk in the
midst
8'
1 88 God sometimes saves from temporal ill, always from eternal.
Psalm mine enemies were wroth ; Thou hast avenged me on mine j? >>*U2 enem'es- The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall 10. gnash with his teeth, and melt away. Where be they that
said, ' Perish the name of Christians from off the earth ? ' Verily they either die, or are converted. Therefore, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine
P<<. 4l ,5. enemies ; while it was said, as is written, Mine enemies speak evil of me ; when shall he die, and his name perish ? When shall the name of Christians be blotted out from the earth? While they say this, some believed, some perished, some remained fearful. How greatly did the wrath of the enemy rage, when the blood of the mariyrs was being shed ! how did they think that they were blotting out the name of Christians from off the earth ! Thou hast stretched forth
Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Lo !
