' tribu- What great things
wouldest
thou propose to thyself, both to?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
In very temporal troubles God helpeth through man He Himself thy Salvation.
Through His
Angel God helpeth, He Himself thy Salvation. All things
to Him are subject, and for this temporal life He indeed helpeth one from this side, another from that eternal life
He giveth not but from Himself. Behold, when thou art in trouble, that not before thee which thou seekest, but He
is near thee Whom thou seekest. And seek thou Him, Who
never can be wanting. Let those things be withdrawn,
which He gave; He therefore withdrawn, Who gave?
Let those things be restored which He gave that true
" Who &o. ' Most Mss. read, crucified There no one that saith, That is, who asks, Who that who It haply He, &o. "
is
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380 God bestows temporal things as well as spiritual,
Psalm riches, when these things are restored, and not He Who with- X XX V ' drew them to prove thee, and restored them to console thee ?
Serm I.
For He consoleth us when these things are not wanting to us. He consoleth us in the way, but only if we understand the way. For the whole of this life, and all things which thou usest in this life, ought to be to thee as an inn to a traveller, not as a house to dwell in. Remember
though thou hast performed somewhat, that somewhat remaineth,
' diver- tnat thou hast slaved1 for refection, not for defection.
7. There are who say, God the Good, the Great, the Most High, the Invisible, the Eternal, the Incorruptible, will indeed give unto us eternal life, and that incorruption which
He hath promised in the resurrection ; but these worldly and temporal things belong to devils, and to those rulers of the darkness of this world. By thus saying, when they are entangled in the love of these things, they abandon God, as though these things belonged not unto Him, and seek by
wicked sacrifices, by I know not what remedies, and by I know not what unlawful persuasion of men, to provide for themselves that which is temporal, as money, wife and children, and whatever either comforts human life passing by, or hinders it going its way. Divine Providence watching against this opinion, that God might shew all these things to belong to Him, and to be in His Power, not only things eternal which He promiseth hereafter, but also things tem poral which on earth He giveth to whom He will, and when He will, in good time, knowing to whom He should give, to whom not give, as a physician his medicines, knowing better the sick man's disease than the sick man himself; God then, that He might shew this, divided the times of the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament are promises
of things earthly; but in the New, of a kingdom, the king dom of heaven. Most of the Commandments, both of worshipping God, and of living well, are the same both in this and in that; but because the promise here seems of one kind, there of another; the command of Him that ordereth, and the obedience of him that serveth, is the same, but the wages, as it were, are not the same. For unto them it was said, Ye shall receive the land of promise ; in it ye shall reign ; your enemies ye shall conquer; ye shall not be
but the former now subordinate to the latter. 381
subdued by them; all things shall abound to you in this land; Ver. in it ye shall beget children. These earthly things were -- promised, but yet in a figure. Suppose that some so received 23, 25-- them as they were promised; and truly many so received31. them. For the land was given to the children of Israel,
riches were given, children were given even to their barren
and old women, who prayed unto God, and in Him alone presumed, and other helper sought not even for those things. They heard the voice of God in their heart, / am thy Salva
tion. If for things eternal, why not for things temporal.
This did God shew in the case of that holy man Job; be
cause even the devil himself had no power to take away these things, except when he had received it from that Most High Power. He would envy the holy man : could he also
hurt him ? He could accuse him, could he also condemn
him ? Could he take aught from him, could he hurt even a
nail, could he a single hair, until he had said unto God, Put Job 1,
forth Thine Hand? What Putforth Thine Hand? Give11- me the power. He received he tempted him he was
tempted. Yet the tempted conquered, the tempter was con quered. For God, Who had permitted the devil to take those things, had not deserted His servant within, and to overcome
the devil himself, of the soul of His servant had made to Himself a weapon. Whereunto tendeth this speak con cerning man. Conquered was he in Paradise conqueror Gen. 3. on the dunghill. There was he conquered by the devil through the woman, here he conquered the devil and the woman. Thou speakest, saith he, as one of the foolish Joh women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the Hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? How well had
he heard, am thy Salvation.
8. Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek
after my soul. Look to men. Pray (saith He) for your Matt. 5, enemies. But here a prophecy: and those things which
are said under the figure of wishing are to be explained in
the sense of prophesying. Let this be done, or that be done,
nothing more than, this or that will be done. So then understand the prophecy: Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my life. What is, Let them be confounded and put to shame They shall be confounded and
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382 Some conquered for their good, others injudgment.
Psalm put lo shame. For even so was it done. Many have been Skrm. confounded to their health : many, put to shame, have passed ! ? over from the persecution of Christ to the society of His members with devoted piety; and this would not have been,
had they not been confounded and put to shame. There fore he wished well to them. But because there are two kinds of those who are conquered ; for in two ways are they conquered, either to this end they are conquered that they may be converted unto Christ, or to this, that they be con demned by Christ; here also are explained the same two kinds, obscurely indeed, but wanting only an understanding hearer. Of those who are converted, hear what is said. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back. Let them not go before, but follow; let them not give counsel, but take it. For Peter would go before the Lord, when the Lord spake of His future Passion : he would to Him as it were
give counsel for His health. The sick man to the Saviour
give counsel for His health ! And what said he to the Lord, Mat. 16, affirming that His future Passion? Be it far from Thee, 9,1 23' Lord. Be gracious to Thyself. This shall not be to Thee.
He would go before that the Lord might follow ; and what said He ? Get thee behind Me, satan. By going before thou art satan, by following thou wilt be a disciple. The same then is said to these also, Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that think evil against me. For when they have begun to follow after, now they will not think evil against me, but desire my good.
9. What of others r For all are not so conquered as to be converted and believe : many continue in obstinacy, many preserve in heart the spirit of going before, and if they exert it not, yet they labour with and finding opportunity bring
forth. Of such, what followeth (Ver. 5. ) Let them be as
Ps. 1,4.
dust before the wind. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but as the dust which the wind driveth away from the face
the earth. The wind temptation the dust are the un godly. When temptation cometh the dust raised, neither standeth nor resisteth. Let them be as dust before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord trouble them. (Ver. 6. ) Let their way be darkness and slipping. horrible way Dark-
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Prophecy spoken as imprecation. Treason against Christ. 383
ness alone who feareth not? A slippery way alone who avoids Ver not ? In a dark and slippery way how shalt thou go ? where 6. 7. set foot ? These two ills are the great punishments of men : darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. Let their way
be darkness and slipping ; and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them; that they be not able to stand. For any one in a dark and slippery way, when he seeth that if he move his foot he will fall, and there is no light before his feet, haply resolveth to wait until light come ; but here is the
Angel of the Lord persecuting them. These things he pre
dicted would come upon them, not as though he wished
them to happen. Although the Prophet in the Spirit of God so speaketh these things, even as God doth the same, with sure judgment, with a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil ; not moved with wrath, not with bitter jealousy, not with desire of wreaking enmities, but of punishing wickedness with righteousness ; nevertheless, it is a prophecy.
10. But wherefore these so great evils? By what desert? Hear by what desert. (Ver. 7. ) For without cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. For Him that is our Head, observe, the Jews did this : they hid the cor ruption of their trap. For whom hid they their trap ? For Him, Who saw the hearts of those that hid. But yet was He among them like one ignorant, as though He were de ceived, whereas they were in that deceived, that they thought Him to be deceived. For therefore was He as though de ceived, living among them, because we among such as they were so to live, as to be without doubt deceived. He saw His betrayer, and chose him the more to a necessary work. By his evil He wrought a great good : and yet among the twelve was he chosen, lest even the small number of twelve should be without one evil. This was an example of patience to us, because it was necessary that we should live among the evil: it was necessary that we should endure the evil,
either knowing them or knowing them not: an example of patience He gave thee lest thou shouldest fail, when thou hast begun to live among the evil. And because that School of Christ in the twelve failed not, how much more ought we to be firm, when in the great Church is fulfilled what was predicted of the mixture of the evil. For neither did the same School see rendered to the Seed of Abraham what had
384 The wicked caught in their own trap.
Psalm been promised, and that very threshing floor, whence the Sbrm "8ram ^lat shall fill the garner must proceed. Wherefore I. then, when the threshing is, is not the chaff justly endured
therein, until it be purged by the last winnowing ? For this will surely come upon the evil, which ye have heard.
11. But yet what is to be done ? Without a cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. What meaneth,
Without a cause? I have done them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. Vainly have they reviled my soul. What
Vainly Speaking falsely, proving nothing. (Ver. 8. ) Let trap come upon them which they know not of. magni ficent retribution, nothing more just They have hidden trap that might know not: let trap come upon them
which they know not of. For know of their trap.
But what trap coming upon them That which they know
not of. Let us hear, lest haply he speak of that. Let trap come upon them, which they know not of. Perhaps that one which they hid for him, that another which shall
Prov. come upon themselves. Not so but what The wicked shall be holden with the cords ofhis own sins. Thereby are they deceived, whereby they would deceive. Thence shall come mischief to them, whence they endeavoured mischief. For follows, And let the net which they have hidden catch themselves. As any one should prepare a cup of poison
for another, and forgetting should drink up himself
or as if one should dig a pit, that his enemy might fall thereinto in the darkness and himself forgetting what he had dug,
should first walk that way, and fall into it. Verily, Brethren, thus believe, thus be assured thus, if there be in you any more excellent reason or prudence, thus observe and know there no wicked man who hurts not himself first. For so think of wickedness as of fire. Thou wouldest burn some
be not
not hurt And verily say, that thy wickedness should Oxf. Mas. Where putteth forth a bough doth hurt? '
thing that which thou appliest first burned
burned, burnetli not. Thou hast torch this torch thou appliest to something to burn it: not the torch itself which thou appliest first burned, that may be able to burn any thing? Wickedness then proceedeth from thee, and whom doth first waste but thyself? Doth hurt the bough to which put forth and where hath root doth
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The tricked ensnare themselves. Bounty of God. 385
not hurt another, it is possible ; that it should not hurt thee, Ver. it is not possible. For what hurt was done to holy Job, of --
whom I have spoken above ? As it is said in another Psalm,
Like a sharp razor thou hast wrought deceit. What is done Pn. 52,2. with a sharp razor ? Hairs, things superfluous, are cut off.
What then dost thou to him whom thou wouldest hurt ?
a worthless man, whom thou wouldest hurt, consent with thee to do ill, not thy wickedness will be hurtful to him, but his own ; but if he be inwardly free from wickedness, and
/ salvation, outwardly thou tightest against him, the inner man thou takest not. Yet thy wickedness proceeds from
can present a clean heart to the voice that saith,
am thy
thy inner man : thee first it maketh empty. Thou art cor rupt within, whence that worm proceeded ; within it hath left nothing sound. And let the net which they have hid den catch themselves, and let them fall into their own trap. Not that which haply thou thoughtest of just before when thou heardest, Let a trap come upon them, which they know not of, that is, as though it were some other one, secret and inevitable. In what then fall they ? In the same iniquity which they have hidden for me. Was not this done to the Jews? The Lord conquered their iniquity, they by their own iniquity were conquered. He rose for us : they died in themselves.
12. This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what
for me ? (Ver. 9. ) But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord ;
as in Him from Whom it hath heard, / am thy salvation ;
as not seeking other riches from without ; as not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth ; but loving
freely the true Spouse, not from Him wishing to receive
aught that may delight, but Him alone proposing to itself,
by Whom it may be delighted. For what better than God
will be given unto me? God loveth me: God loveth thee.
See He hath proposed to thee, Ask what thou wilt. If the Matt. 7. emperor should say to thee, Ask what thou wilt, what com- ' mands', what dignities8, wouldest thou burst forth with !
' tribu- What great things wouldest thou propose to thyself, both to? R0omJ. receive and to bestow. When God saith unto thee, Ask tivas. what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask ? Empty thy mind, exert
thy avarice, stretch forward as far as possible, and enlarge cc
If
386 God Himself His own greatest gift.
Psalm thy desire : it is not any one, but Almighty God that said, Serm. Ask what thou wilt. If of possessions thou art a lover, thou
r.
wilt desire the whole earth, that all who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast possessed the whole earth ? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou canst not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also ; ask the air, although thou canst not fly ; stretch thy desire even unto the heavens, call thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He
Who made all said. Ask what thou wilt : yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt thou find better, than Himself Who made all things. Him seek, Who made all things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things which He made. All things are precious, because all are beautiful ; but what more beautiful than He. Strong are they ; but what stronger than He. And nothing would He give thee rather than Himself. If aught better thou hast found, ask it. If thou ask aught else, thou wilt do wrong to Him, and harm to thyself, by preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself Who made.
Ps. 73, 1n this love said a certain soul unto Him, Art not Tlioit 26. .
my portion, O Lord? that is, Thou art my portion. Let those who will choose for themselves what they shall possess, let them make for themselves portions of other things : Thou art my portion, Thee have I chosen for me. And again,
Ps. 16, The Lord is the portion of my inheritance. Let Him possess thee, that thou mayest possess Him : thou shalt be His property, thou shalt be His house. He possesseth that He may profit, He is possessed that H/e may profit. Is it
have said
that thou mayest profit Him at all ? unto the
L,ord, Tliou art my God, for my goods thou taut test not.
But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord ; it shall rejoice Lake 2, ,'n f{it salvation. The salvation of God is Christ: For mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation.
13. Ver. 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like
unto Thee? Who can speak any thing worthily of these
1t,? 2.
I think them only to be pronounced, not to be
words ?
expounded. Why seekest thou this or that? What is like unto thy Lord ? Him hast thou before thee. All my bones
Nothing can fill His place. The ' bones' praise Him. 387
shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? The unrighteous Ver have declared unto me delights, but not after Thy law, 0 Pfi 1 19
Lord! Persecutors have been who have said, Worship Saturn, worship Mercury. I worship not idols: (saith he)
Lord, who is like unto Thee ? They have eyes, and see not ; Ps. 115. ears have they, but they hear not. Lord, who is like unto
Thee, Who hast made the eye to see, the ear to hear? But I (saith he) worship not idols, for them a workman made. Worship a tree or mountain ; did a workman make them also ? Here too, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Earthly things are shewn unto me ; Thou art Creator of the earth. And from these haply they turn to the higher creation, and say to me, Worship the Moon, worship this Sun, who with his light, as a great lamp in the Heavens, maketh the day.
Here also I plainly say, Lord, who is like unlo Thee? The Moon and the Stars Thou hast made, the Sun to rule the day hast Thou kindled, the Heavens hast Thou framed together. There are many invisible things better. But haply here also it is said to me, Worship Angels, adore Angels. And here also will I say, Lord, who is like unto Tliee? Even the Angels Thou hast created. The Angels are nothing, but by seeing Thee. It is better with them to possess Thee, than by worshipping them to fall from Thee.
14. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee? O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let the bones say, Lord, who is like unto
Thee ? For of the righteous it is said, The Lord keepeth all P<<. 34, their bones ; not one of them shall be broken. Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken ? Finally, The just shall live by faith, and Christ justifieth'S. om. 1, the ungodly. But how justifieth He any except believing E? m. 4 and confessing? For with the heart man believeth unto5. righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto 10, io. salvation. Therefore also that thief, although from His theft
led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the
very cross was justified : with his heart he believed, with
his mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous
and not already justified, would the Lord have said, To-day Luke shall thou be with Me in Paradise, and yet his bones were23' 43, cc2
'
85. '
388 The firm resist temptations to false worship.
John I9fl33.
Psalm broken. For when they came to take down the bodies, by XXXV. "reason of the Sabbath, found
fcEHM.
approaching the Lord was
. already dead, and His Bones were not broken. But of those tnat vet uved, lhat Ihey might be taken down, the legs were
broken, that so from this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, The Lord keepeth all his bones ^ not one of them shall be broken ; except that in the Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm in heart, the strong, to no persecutions, no temptations, yielding, so as to consent unto evil ? And whence should they be able to yield to no temptations, except when the persecutors say, Behold this god, behold what a god ! let him come to
thee, let him charm1 thee: behold, here is in the mount some great priest : haply therefore thou art poor because this god helpeth thee not; entreat him and he will help thee: haply therefore thou art sick, because thou entreatest him not; entreat him and thou shalt be well: haply therefore thou hast no children, entreat him and thou shalt have. But if in the Lord's Body he be one of the bones, he repelleth all these words, and saith, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Give, if Thou wilt give, even in this life, what I ask;
but if Thou wilt not, be Thou my Life, Whom I seek always. Shall I depart hence unto Thee with a clear face, if I
worship another, and offend Thee ?
shall die: with what face shall I see Thee? Great is His Mercy ; and therefore hath He admonished us to live well, and hath bidden from us the last day of our life, lest we should promise ourselves aught from the future. To-day I work and live : to-morrow I work not. What if to-morrow find thee not ? Say then, among the bones of Christ, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee?
15. Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong
for him; yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him. Thus far has the Psalm been read to-day ; thus far is
' ' liget tibi. ' al. ' neget tibi,' ' deny to thee,' perhaps meaning that He will not.
To-morrow perhaps I
The Strong Deliverer. Christ one with His Body. 389
it to be handled; lest that come to disgust, which hath Vkr.
. --
been said, while we wish to say other things. Let this then
suffice for to-day, Winch delivere. it the poor from him that
is too strong for him. Who that dcliverest, but He Who is Strong in hand ? Even that David shall deliver the poor
from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too
strong for thee, and held thee, because he conquered thee,
when thou consentedst unto him. But what hath the Strong
in hand done ? No man entereth into a strong man's house, Mat. 12, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man. By
His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, hath He bound the devil by pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver the poor and needy, toPs. 72, whom there was no helper. For who is thy helper but the
Lord to whom thou sayest, O Lord, My Strength, and My Ps. 19,
Redeemer. If thou wilt presume of thy own strength, thereby wilt thou fall, whereof thou hast presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over thee, not succour thee. He then alone is to be sought, Who hath redeemed them, and made them free, and hath given His Blood to purchase them, and of His servants hath made them His Brethren.
DISCOURSE II.
On the remainingpart ofthe Psalm.
To the rest of the Psalm let us apply our minds, and to
the Lord our God let us pray, both for soundness of under standing, and for the quiet of well-doing. As far as yesterday
was discoursed, I trust that ye remember, dearly Beloved:
from the same place to-day let us take our beginning. Now
we understand here the words of Christ, the words, namely,
both of the Head and of the Body of Christ. When thou hearest Christ, do not separate the Bridegroom from the Bride, but understand that great Sacrament, And they two Gen. 2 shall be one flesh. If two in one flesh, why not also in one2,4. voice? For neither the Head alone suffered here temptations, 31. and the Body suffereth not; nor indeed was there any cause
of suffering to the Head, but that He might give an example
to the Body. For the Lord suffered of free will, we of
'
"
390 Words of Christ* Body. How He ' knew not' sin.
Psalm necessity; He out of commiseration, we out of our condition. XXXV Moreover, His voluntary Passion is our necessary consolation ;
so that when we haply suffer like things, we may look upon our Head, that being warned by His example we may say unto ourselves, If He did so, what must we ? and, Even as He was, so let us also be. For however much raged the enemy, to the death of the Body could he only approach ; which Body yet could he not destroy in the Lord, because on the third day It rose again. What in Him was done on the third day, that in ours shall be at the end of the world. The hope of our resurrection is put off, is it therefore put away ? Here then, most dearly Beloved, let us acknowledge
the Words of Christ, and let us distinguish them from the words of the ungodly. For they are the voices of the Body, suffering persecutions and troubles and temptations in this world, but since many suffer here, also for their sins, and for their crimes, with great vigilance must we discern the
Luke23, cause, not the punishment. For a criminal can have like
punishment with a Martyr, but yet a cause unlike. Three were there on the Cross, one the Saviour, another to be saved, another to be dammed: of all the punishment was equal, but the cause unequal.
Serm. I1.
^
2. Let then our Head say, (ver. 11. ) FalIse witnesses did
hearts of them that charged Thee ? Didst Thou not foresee their deceits ? Didst Thou not give Thyself into their hands knowingly ? Hadst Thou not come that Thou mightest suffer by them? What then knewest Thou uot? He knew not sin, and thereby He knew not sin, not by not judging, but by not committing. There are phrases of this kind also in daily use, as when thou sayest of any one, He knoweth not to stand, that is, he doth not stand ; and, He knoweth not to do good, because he doth not good; and, He knoweth not to do ill, because he doth not ill. That which is alien from operation, is alien from conscience ; that which is alien
from conscience, seems alien also from science. So God is said to know not, as art knoweth not faults, and yet by art faults are discovered and discerned. This then to our in.
rise up, they laid to My charge things that
knew not. But let us say to our Head, Lord, what knewest Thou not? Didst Thou indeed know not any thing? Didst Thou not know the
Barrenness of the unbelieving Jews. Prayfor enemies. 391
terrogatories out of the very truth of His own Gospel doth Ver. our Head answer; when we have said, Lord, what knewest -2' 13' Thou not? Wherewith couldest Thou be charged which
Thou knewest not ? He answereth, Ungodliness 1 kuew not,
with ungodliness I was charged. Thou hast in the Gospel, if thou believe not that I knew not ungodliness, that even the ungodly themselves I know not, unto whom at the end I shall
know you not ; Me, say, / depart from
that work Matt. 7, ungodli-
ye
ness. Did He not know those whom He condemned ? or can
any condemn justly, but a gooId cognizant ? And yet a good
know you not: that is, ye are not joined to My Body, ye cleave not to My Rules, ye are vicious, but I am that very Art which haveth no vice, and in
which a man learneth not save not to do vice. False' wIitnesses did rise up ; they laid to My charge things that
knew not. What knew not Christ so much, as to blas pheme ? Thereof was He called in question by His perse cutors, and because He spake truth, He was judged to have Matt. spoken blasphemy. But by whom ? By them of whom it26,6? . followeth, (ver. 12. ) They rewarded Me evil for good, and barrenness to My Soul. I gave unto them fruitfulness, they
I honour,
none. Leaves there were, and fruit there was not: words
there were, and deeds there were not. See of words abun
dance, and of deeds barrenness. Thou that preachest a R0m. 2, man should not steal, stealest: thou that sayest a wian21,22, should not commit adultery, commitlest adultery. Such
were they who charged Christ with things that He knew not.
Angel God helpeth, He Himself thy Salvation. All things
to Him are subject, and for this temporal life He indeed helpeth one from this side, another from that eternal life
He giveth not but from Himself. Behold, when thou art in trouble, that not before thee which thou seekest, but He
is near thee Whom thou seekest. And seek thou Him, Who
never can be wanting. Let those things be withdrawn,
which He gave; He therefore withdrawn, Who gave?
Let those things be restored which He gave that true
" Who &o. ' Most Mss. read, crucified There no one that saith, That is, who asks, Who that who It haply He, &o. "
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380 God bestows temporal things as well as spiritual,
Psalm riches, when these things are restored, and not He Who with- X XX V ' drew them to prove thee, and restored them to console thee ?
Serm I.
For He consoleth us when these things are not wanting to us. He consoleth us in the way, but only if we understand the way. For the whole of this life, and all things which thou usest in this life, ought to be to thee as an inn to a traveller, not as a house to dwell in. Remember
though thou hast performed somewhat, that somewhat remaineth,
' diver- tnat thou hast slaved1 for refection, not for defection.
7. There are who say, God the Good, the Great, the Most High, the Invisible, the Eternal, the Incorruptible, will indeed give unto us eternal life, and that incorruption which
He hath promised in the resurrection ; but these worldly and temporal things belong to devils, and to those rulers of the darkness of this world. By thus saying, when they are entangled in the love of these things, they abandon God, as though these things belonged not unto Him, and seek by
wicked sacrifices, by I know not what remedies, and by I know not what unlawful persuasion of men, to provide for themselves that which is temporal, as money, wife and children, and whatever either comforts human life passing by, or hinders it going its way. Divine Providence watching against this opinion, that God might shew all these things to belong to Him, and to be in His Power, not only things eternal which He promiseth hereafter, but also things tem poral which on earth He giveth to whom He will, and when He will, in good time, knowing to whom He should give, to whom not give, as a physician his medicines, knowing better the sick man's disease than the sick man himself; God then, that He might shew this, divided the times of the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament are promises
of things earthly; but in the New, of a kingdom, the king dom of heaven. Most of the Commandments, both of worshipping God, and of living well, are the same both in this and in that; but because the promise here seems of one kind, there of another; the command of Him that ordereth, and the obedience of him that serveth, is the same, but the wages, as it were, are not the same. For unto them it was said, Ye shall receive the land of promise ; in it ye shall reign ; your enemies ye shall conquer; ye shall not be
but the former now subordinate to the latter. 381
subdued by them; all things shall abound to you in this land; Ver. in it ye shall beget children. These earthly things were -- promised, but yet in a figure. Suppose that some so received 23, 25-- them as they were promised; and truly many so received31. them. For the land was given to the children of Israel,
riches were given, children were given even to their barren
and old women, who prayed unto God, and in Him alone presumed, and other helper sought not even for those things. They heard the voice of God in their heart, / am thy Salva
tion. If for things eternal, why not for things temporal.
This did God shew in the case of that holy man Job; be
cause even the devil himself had no power to take away these things, except when he had received it from that Most High Power. He would envy the holy man : could he also
hurt him ? He could accuse him, could he also condemn
him ? Could he take aught from him, could he hurt even a
nail, could he a single hair, until he had said unto God, Put Job 1,
forth Thine Hand? What Putforth Thine Hand? Give11- me the power. He received he tempted him he was
tempted. Yet the tempted conquered, the tempter was con quered. For God, Who had permitted the devil to take those things, had not deserted His servant within, and to overcome
the devil himself, of the soul of His servant had made to Himself a weapon. Whereunto tendeth this speak con cerning man. Conquered was he in Paradise conqueror Gen. 3. on the dunghill. There was he conquered by the devil through the woman, here he conquered the devil and the woman. Thou speakest, saith he, as one of the foolish Joh women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the Hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? How well had
he heard, am thy Salvation.
8. Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek
after my soul. Look to men. Pray (saith He) for your Matt. 5, enemies. But here a prophecy: and those things which
are said under the figure of wishing are to be explained in
the sense of prophesying. Let this be done, or that be done,
nothing more than, this or that will be done. So then understand the prophecy: Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my life. What is, Let them be confounded and put to shame They shall be confounded and
?
is, it,
is
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2,
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382 Some conquered for their good, others injudgment.
Psalm put lo shame. For even so was it done. Many have been Skrm. confounded to their health : many, put to shame, have passed ! ? over from the persecution of Christ to the society of His members with devoted piety; and this would not have been,
had they not been confounded and put to shame. There fore he wished well to them. But because there are two kinds of those who are conquered ; for in two ways are they conquered, either to this end they are conquered that they may be converted unto Christ, or to this, that they be con demned by Christ; here also are explained the same two kinds, obscurely indeed, but wanting only an understanding hearer. Of those who are converted, hear what is said. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back. Let them not go before, but follow; let them not give counsel, but take it. For Peter would go before the Lord, when the Lord spake of His future Passion : he would to Him as it were
give counsel for His health. The sick man to the Saviour
give counsel for His health ! And what said he to the Lord, Mat. 16, affirming that His future Passion? Be it far from Thee, 9,1 23' Lord. Be gracious to Thyself. This shall not be to Thee.
He would go before that the Lord might follow ; and what said He ? Get thee behind Me, satan. By going before thou art satan, by following thou wilt be a disciple. The same then is said to these also, Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that think evil against me. For when they have begun to follow after, now they will not think evil against me, but desire my good.
9. What of others r For all are not so conquered as to be converted and believe : many continue in obstinacy, many preserve in heart the spirit of going before, and if they exert it not, yet they labour with and finding opportunity bring
forth. Of such, what followeth (Ver. 5. ) Let them be as
Ps. 1,4.
dust before the wind. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but as the dust which the wind driveth away from the face
the earth. The wind temptation the dust are the un godly. When temptation cometh the dust raised, neither standeth nor resisteth. Let them be as dust before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord trouble them. (Ver. 6. ) Let their way be darkness and slipping. horrible way Dark-
A
; is
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it
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Prophecy spoken as imprecation. Treason against Christ. 383
ness alone who feareth not? A slippery way alone who avoids Ver not ? In a dark and slippery way how shalt thou go ? where 6. 7. set foot ? These two ills are the great punishments of men : darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. Let their way
be darkness and slipping ; and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them; that they be not able to stand. For any one in a dark and slippery way, when he seeth that if he move his foot he will fall, and there is no light before his feet, haply resolveth to wait until light come ; but here is the
Angel of the Lord persecuting them. These things he pre
dicted would come upon them, not as though he wished
them to happen. Although the Prophet in the Spirit of God so speaketh these things, even as God doth the same, with sure judgment, with a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil ; not moved with wrath, not with bitter jealousy, not with desire of wreaking enmities, but of punishing wickedness with righteousness ; nevertheless, it is a prophecy.
10. But wherefore these so great evils? By what desert? Hear by what desert. (Ver. 7. ) For without cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. For Him that is our Head, observe, the Jews did this : they hid the cor ruption of their trap. For whom hid they their trap ? For Him, Who saw the hearts of those that hid. But yet was He among them like one ignorant, as though He were de ceived, whereas they were in that deceived, that they thought Him to be deceived. For therefore was He as though de ceived, living among them, because we among such as they were so to live, as to be without doubt deceived. He saw His betrayer, and chose him the more to a necessary work. By his evil He wrought a great good : and yet among the twelve was he chosen, lest even the small number of twelve should be without one evil. This was an example of patience to us, because it was necessary that we should live among the evil: it was necessary that we should endure the evil,
either knowing them or knowing them not: an example of patience He gave thee lest thou shouldest fail, when thou hast begun to live among the evil. And because that School of Christ in the twelve failed not, how much more ought we to be firm, when in the great Church is fulfilled what was predicted of the mixture of the evil. For neither did the same School see rendered to the Seed of Abraham what had
384 The wicked caught in their own trap.
Psalm been promised, and that very threshing floor, whence the Sbrm "8ram ^lat shall fill the garner must proceed. Wherefore I. then, when the threshing is, is not the chaff justly endured
therein, until it be purged by the last winnowing ? For this will surely come upon the evil, which ye have heard.
11. But yet what is to be done ? Without a cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. What meaneth,
Without a cause? I have done them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. Vainly have they reviled my soul. What
Vainly Speaking falsely, proving nothing. (Ver. 8. ) Let trap come upon them which they know not of. magni ficent retribution, nothing more just They have hidden trap that might know not: let trap come upon them
which they know not of. For know of their trap.
But what trap coming upon them That which they know
not of. Let us hear, lest haply he speak of that. Let trap come upon them, which they know not of. Perhaps that one which they hid for him, that another which shall
Prov. come upon themselves. Not so but what The wicked shall be holden with the cords ofhis own sins. Thereby are they deceived, whereby they would deceive. Thence shall come mischief to them, whence they endeavoured mischief. For follows, And let the net which they have hidden catch themselves. As any one should prepare a cup of poison
for another, and forgetting should drink up himself
or as if one should dig a pit, that his enemy might fall thereinto in the darkness and himself forgetting what he had dug,
should first walk that way, and fall into it. Verily, Brethren, thus believe, thus be assured thus, if there be in you any more excellent reason or prudence, thus observe and know there no wicked man who hurts not himself first. For so think of wickedness as of fire. Thou wouldest burn some
be not
not hurt And verily say, that thy wickedness should Oxf. Mas. Where putteth forth a bough doth hurt? '
thing that which thou appliest first burned
burned, burnetli not. Thou hast torch this torch thou appliest to something to burn it: not the torch itself which thou appliest first burned, that may be able to burn any thing? Wickedness then proceedeth from thee, and whom doth first waste but thyself? Doth hurt the bough to which put forth and where hath root doth
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The tricked ensnare themselves. Bounty of God. 385
not hurt another, it is possible ; that it should not hurt thee, Ver. it is not possible. For what hurt was done to holy Job, of --
whom I have spoken above ? As it is said in another Psalm,
Like a sharp razor thou hast wrought deceit. What is done Pn. 52,2. with a sharp razor ? Hairs, things superfluous, are cut off.
What then dost thou to him whom thou wouldest hurt ?
a worthless man, whom thou wouldest hurt, consent with thee to do ill, not thy wickedness will be hurtful to him, but his own ; but if he be inwardly free from wickedness, and
/ salvation, outwardly thou tightest against him, the inner man thou takest not. Yet thy wickedness proceeds from
can present a clean heart to the voice that saith,
am thy
thy inner man : thee first it maketh empty. Thou art cor rupt within, whence that worm proceeded ; within it hath left nothing sound. And let the net which they have hid den catch themselves, and let them fall into their own trap. Not that which haply thou thoughtest of just before when thou heardest, Let a trap come upon them, which they know not of, that is, as though it were some other one, secret and inevitable. In what then fall they ? In the same iniquity which they have hidden for me. Was not this done to the Jews? The Lord conquered their iniquity, they by their own iniquity were conquered. He rose for us : they died in themselves.
12. This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what
for me ? (Ver. 9. ) But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord ;
as in Him from Whom it hath heard, / am thy salvation ;
as not seeking other riches from without ; as not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth ; but loving
freely the true Spouse, not from Him wishing to receive
aught that may delight, but Him alone proposing to itself,
by Whom it may be delighted. For what better than God
will be given unto me? God loveth me: God loveth thee.
See He hath proposed to thee, Ask what thou wilt. If the Matt. 7. emperor should say to thee, Ask what thou wilt, what com- ' mands', what dignities8, wouldest thou burst forth with !
' tribu- What great things wouldest thou propose to thyself, both to? R0omJ. receive and to bestow. When God saith unto thee, Ask tivas. what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask ? Empty thy mind, exert
thy avarice, stretch forward as far as possible, and enlarge cc
If
386 God Himself His own greatest gift.
Psalm thy desire : it is not any one, but Almighty God that said, Serm. Ask what thou wilt. If of possessions thou art a lover, thou
r.
wilt desire the whole earth, that all who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast possessed the whole earth ? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou canst not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also ; ask the air, although thou canst not fly ; stretch thy desire even unto the heavens, call thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He
Who made all said. Ask what thou wilt : yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt thou find better, than Himself Who made all things. Him seek, Who made all things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things which He made. All things are precious, because all are beautiful ; but what more beautiful than He. Strong are they ; but what stronger than He. And nothing would He give thee rather than Himself. If aught better thou hast found, ask it. If thou ask aught else, thou wilt do wrong to Him, and harm to thyself, by preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself Who made.
Ps. 73, 1n this love said a certain soul unto Him, Art not Tlioit 26. .
my portion, O Lord? that is, Thou art my portion. Let those who will choose for themselves what they shall possess, let them make for themselves portions of other things : Thou art my portion, Thee have I chosen for me. And again,
Ps. 16, The Lord is the portion of my inheritance. Let Him possess thee, that thou mayest possess Him : thou shalt be His property, thou shalt be His house. He possesseth that He may profit, He is possessed that H/e may profit. Is it
have said
that thou mayest profit Him at all ? unto the
L,ord, Tliou art my God, for my goods thou taut test not.
But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord ; it shall rejoice Lake 2, ,'n f{it salvation. The salvation of God is Christ: For mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation.
13. Ver. 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like
unto Thee? Who can speak any thing worthily of these
1t,? 2.
I think them only to be pronounced, not to be
words ?
expounded. Why seekest thou this or that? What is like unto thy Lord ? Him hast thou before thee. All my bones
Nothing can fill His place. The ' bones' praise Him. 387
shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? The unrighteous Ver have declared unto me delights, but not after Thy law, 0 Pfi 1 19
Lord! Persecutors have been who have said, Worship Saturn, worship Mercury. I worship not idols: (saith he)
Lord, who is like unto Thee ? They have eyes, and see not ; Ps. 115. ears have they, but they hear not. Lord, who is like unto
Thee, Who hast made the eye to see, the ear to hear? But I (saith he) worship not idols, for them a workman made. Worship a tree or mountain ; did a workman make them also ? Here too, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Earthly things are shewn unto me ; Thou art Creator of the earth. And from these haply they turn to the higher creation, and say to me, Worship the Moon, worship this Sun, who with his light, as a great lamp in the Heavens, maketh the day.
Here also I plainly say, Lord, who is like unlo Thee? The Moon and the Stars Thou hast made, the Sun to rule the day hast Thou kindled, the Heavens hast Thou framed together. There are many invisible things better. But haply here also it is said to me, Worship Angels, adore Angels. And here also will I say, Lord, who is like unto Tliee? Even the Angels Thou hast created. The Angels are nothing, but by seeing Thee. It is better with them to possess Thee, than by worshipping them to fall from Thee.
14. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee? O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let the bones say, Lord, who is like unto
Thee ? For of the righteous it is said, The Lord keepeth all P<<. 34, their bones ; not one of them shall be broken. Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken ? Finally, The just shall live by faith, and Christ justifieth'S. om. 1, the ungodly. But how justifieth He any except believing E? m. 4 and confessing? For with the heart man believeth unto5. righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto 10, io. salvation. Therefore also that thief, although from His theft
led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the
very cross was justified : with his heart he believed, with
his mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous
and not already justified, would the Lord have said, To-day Luke shall thou be with Me in Paradise, and yet his bones were23' 43, cc2
'
85. '
388 The firm resist temptations to false worship.
John I9fl33.
Psalm broken. For when they came to take down the bodies, by XXXV. "reason of the Sabbath, found
fcEHM.
approaching the Lord was
. already dead, and His Bones were not broken. But of those tnat vet uved, lhat Ihey might be taken down, the legs were
broken, that so from this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, The Lord keepeth all his bones ^ not one of them shall be broken ; except that in the Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm in heart, the strong, to no persecutions, no temptations, yielding, so as to consent unto evil ? And whence should they be able to yield to no temptations, except when the persecutors say, Behold this god, behold what a god ! let him come to
thee, let him charm1 thee: behold, here is in the mount some great priest : haply therefore thou art poor because this god helpeth thee not; entreat him and he will help thee: haply therefore thou art sick, because thou entreatest him not; entreat him and thou shalt be well: haply therefore thou hast no children, entreat him and thou shalt have. But if in the Lord's Body he be one of the bones, he repelleth all these words, and saith, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Give, if Thou wilt give, even in this life, what I ask;
but if Thou wilt not, be Thou my Life, Whom I seek always. Shall I depart hence unto Thee with a clear face, if I
worship another, and offend Thee ?
shall die: with what face shall I see Thee? Great is His Mercy ; and therefore hath He admonished us to live well, and hath bidden from us the last day of our life, lest we should promise ourselves aught from the future. To-day I work and live : to-morrow I work not. What if to-morrow find thee not ? Say then, among the bones of Christ, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee?
15. Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong
for him; yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him. Thus far has the Psalm been read to-day ; thus far is
' ' liget tibi. ' al. ' neget tibi,' ' deny to thee,' perhaps meaning that He will not.
To-morrow perhaps I
The Strong Deliverer. Christ one with His Body. 389
it to be handled; lest that come to disgust, which hath Vkr.
. --
been said, while we wish to say other things. Let this then
suffice for to-day, Winch delivere. it the poor from him that
is too strong for him. Who that dcliverest, but He Who is Strong in hand ? Even that David shall deliver the poor
from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too
strong for thee, and held thee, because he conquered thee,
when thou consentedst unto him. But what hath the Strong
in hand done ? No man entereth into a strong man's house, Mat. 12, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man. By
His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, hath He bound the devil by pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver the poor and needy, toPs. 72, whom there was no helper. For who is thy helper but the
Lord to whom thou sayest, O Lord, My Strength, and My Ps. 19,
Redeemer. If thou wilt presume of thy own strength, thereby wilt thou fall, whereof thou hast presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over thee, not succour thee. He then alone is to be sought, Who hath redeemed them, and made them free, and hath given His Blood to purchase them, and of His servants hath made them His Brethren.
DISCOURSE II.
On the remainingpart ofthe Psalm.
To the rest of the Psalm let us apply our minds, and to
the Lord our God let us pray, both for soundness of under standing, and for the quiet of well-doing. As far as yesterday
was discoursed, I trust that ye remember, dearly Beloved:
from the same place to-day let us take our beginning. Now
we understand here the words of Christ, the words, namely,
both of the Head and of the Body of Christ. When thou hearest Christ, do not separate the Bridegroom from the Bride, but understand that great Sacrament, And they two Gen. 2 shall be one flesh. If two in one flesh, why not also in one2,4. voice? For neither the Head alone suffered here temptations, 31. and the Body suffereth not; nor indeed was there any cause
of suffering to the Head, but that He might give an example
to the Body. For the Lord suffered of free will, we of
'
"
390 Words of Christ* Body. How He ' knew not' sin.
Psalm necessity; He out of commiseration, we out of our condition. XXXV Moreover, His voluntary Passion is our necessary consolation ;
so that when we haply suffer like things, we may look upon our Head, that being warned by His example we may say unto ourselves, If He did so, what must we ? and, Even as He was, so let us also be. For however much raged the enemy, to the death of the Body could he only approach ; which Body yet could he not destroy in the Lord, because on the third day It rose again. What in Him was done on the third day, that in ours shall be at the end of the world. The hope of our resurrection is put off, is it therefore put away ? Here then, most dearly Beloved, let us acknowledge
the Words of Christ, and let us distinguish them from the words of the ungodly. For they are the voices of the Body, suffering persecutions and troubles and temptations in this world, but since many suffer here, also for their sins, and for their crimes, with great vigilance must we discern the
Luke23, cause, not the punishment. For a criminal can have like
punishment with a Martyr, but yet a cause unlike. Three were there on the Cross, one the Saviour, another to be saved, another to be dammed: of all the punishment was equal, but the cause unequal.
Serm. I1.
^
2. Let then our Head say, (ver. 11. ) FalIse witnesses did
hearts of them that charged Thee ? Didst Thou not foresee their deceits ? Didst Thou not give Thyself into their hands knowingly ? Hadst Thou not come that Thou mightest suffer by them? What then knewest Thou uot? He knew not sin, and thereby He knew not sin, not by not judging, but by not committing. There are phrases of this kind also in daily use, as when thou sayest of any one, He knoweth not to stand, that is, he doth not stand ; and, He knoweth not to do good, because he doth not good; and, He knoweth not to do ill, because he doth not ill. That which is alien from operation, is alien from conscience ; that which is alien
from conscience, seems alien also from science. So God is said to know not, as art knoweth not faults, and yet by art faults are discovered and discerned. This then to our in.
rise up, they laid to My charge things that
knew not. But let us say to our Head, Lord, what knewest Thou not? Didst Thou indeed know not any thing? Didst Thou not know the
Barrenness of the unbelieving Jews. Prayfor enemies. 391
terrogatories out of the very truth of His own Gospel doth Ver. our Head answer; when we have said, Lord, what knewest -2' 13' Thou not? Wherewith couldest Thou be charged which
Thou knewest not ? He answereth, Ungodliness 1 kuew not,
with ungodliness I was charged. Thou hast in the Gospel, if thou believe not that I knew not ungodliness, that even the ungodly themselves I know not, unto whom at the end I shall
know you not ; Me, say, / depart from
that work Matt. 7, ungodli-
ye
ness. Did He not know those whom He condemned ? or can
any condemn justly, but a gooId cognizant ? And yet a good
know you not: that is, ye are not joined to My Body, ye cleave not to My Rules, ye are vicious, but I am that very Art which haveth no vice, and in
which a man learneth not save not to do vice. False' wIitnesses did rise up ; they laid to My charge things that
knew not. What knew not Christ so much, as to blas pheme ? Thereof was He called in question by His perse cutors, and because He spake truth, He was judged to have Matt. spoken blasphemy. But by whom ? By them of whom it26,6? . followeth, (ver. 12. ) They rewarded Me evil for good, and barrenness to My Soul. I gave unto them fruitfulness, they
I honour,
none. Leaves there were, and fruit there was not: words
there were, and deeds there were not. See of words abun
dance, and of deeds barrenness. Thou that preachest a R0m. 2, man should not steal, stealest: thou that sayest a wian21,22, should not commit adultery, commitlest adultery. Such
were they who charged Christ with things that He knew not.
