Sometimes
then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
How doth the mercy of God meet both these perils, both these evils ?
What sayest thou, who through despair didst choose to sin ?
' Now I must be damned : why should
Ezek. I not do whatsoever I will? ' Hear the Scripture: / will 33'H' not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn, and live. By these words of God, he is brought back to hope ; but there is another snare to be feared, lest through
this very hope he sin the more. What then didst thou also say, thou who through hope sinnest yet more ? ' When soever I turn, God will forgive me all ; I will do whatsoever
Ecclus. I will. ' Hear thou also the Scripture : Make no tarrying to
5, '.
turn to the Lord, neither put off from day to day : for suddenly shall His wrath come forth, and in 'the time of vengeance He shall destroy thee. Say not then, To-morrow I will turn, to-morrow I will please God ; and all to-day's and yesterday's deeds shall be forgiven me. ' Thou sayest true : God hath promised pardon to thy conversion ; He hath not promised a to-morrow to thy delay.
12. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works. Why then doth He condemn ? why doth He scourge ? Are not they whom He condemneth, whom He scourgeth, His works? Plainly they are. And wilt thou know how His compassions are over all His
Matt. 5, works? Thence is that long suffering, whereby He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Are not His compassions over all His works, Who sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust ? Are not His compassions over all His works? In His long suffering He waiteth
Zech. l,for the sinner, saying, Turn ye to Me, and
you. Are not His compassions over all His works? And
Mat. 25, when He saith, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the 4 ' devil and his angels, this is not His compassion, but His severity. His compassion is given to His works: His
severity is not over His works, but over thy works.
10
Iwill turn to
Lastly,
All God's works praise Him. 8-27
if thou remove thine own evil works, and there remain in
thee nought but His work, His compassion will not leave ------ thee : but if thou leavest not thy works, there will be severity
over thy works, not over His works.
13. Let all Thy works, O Lord, con/ess to Thee, and letver. 10. Thy saints bless Thee. Let all Thy works confess to Thee.
How so? Is not the earth His work? Are not the trees
His work ? Cattle, beasts, fish, fowl, are not they His works ? Plainly they too are. And how shall these too confess to Him ?
I see indeed in the angels that His works confess to Him, for
the angels are His works : and men are His works ; and when
men confess to Him, His works confess to Him; but have
trees and stones the voice of confession ? Yes, verily ; let
all His works confess to Him. What sayest thou ? even
the earth and the trees? All His works. If all praise, how
do not all confess ? For confession is said not only of sin,
but of praise also : lest perchance, wherever ye hear ' con fession,' ye think that it is of nought, save of sin. For so entirely is this thought, that whenever it soundeth in
the word of God, forthwith it is the habit to beat the breast. Hear that there is confession of praise too. Had
our Lord Jesus Christ any sin? And yet He saith, /Mat. n, confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. '16' There is confession then in praise. Accordingly, how shall
we take, let all Thy works confess to Thee, O Lord ? Let all Thy works praise Thee. But there ariseth the same
in regard of praise, as in regard of confession.
For if earth and all things devoid of sensation therefore cannot confess, because they have no voice to confess with ; neither will they be able to praise, because they have no
voice to proclaim with. But do not those Three Children enumerate all things, as they walked amid the harmless
flames, who had leisure not only not to fear, but even to
praise God ? They say to all things, heavenly and earthly,
Bless ye the Lord, praise Him, and magnify Him for ever. Song of Behold how they praise. Let none think that the dumb stone JjV? e or dumb animal hath reason wherewith to comprehend God. dren,i9. They who have thought this, have erred far from the truth.
God hath ordered every thing, and made every thing: to
some He hath given sense and understanding and innnor-
question
328 Because in them we see His Almightiness.
Psalm tality, as to the angels ; to some He hath given sense and -^i-understanding with mortality, as to man; to some He hath
given bodily sense, yet gave them not understanding, or im mortality, as to cattle : to some He hath given neither sense, nor understanding, nor immortality, as to herbs, trees, stones : yet even these cannot be wanting in their kind, and by certain degrees He hath ordered H is creation, from earth up to heaven, from visible to invisible, from mortal to immortal. This framework of creation, this most perfectly ordered beauty, ascending from lowest to highest, descending from highest
to lowest, never broken, but tempered together of things unlike, all praiseth God. Wherefore then doth all praise God ? Because when thou considerest and seest its beauty, thou in praisest God. The beauty of the earth
kind of voice of the dumb earth. Thou observest and seest its beauty, thou seest its fruitfulness, thou seest its strength, how receiveth seed, how often bringeth forth what not sown lhou seest this, and by thy consideration of thou, as were, questionest it; thy very inquiry into
questioning it. But when thou hast inquired into
in thine admiration, and hast searched out, and hast discovered its mighty strength, and great beauty, and surpassing excellence, since could not of itself and in itself have this excellence, forthwith cometh into thy mind, that could not be of itself, without Him, the Creator. And this which thou hast found in the very voice of
its confession, that thou praise the Creator. When thou hast thought on the universal beauty of this world, doth, not its very beauty as were with one voice answer thee, made not myself, God made me
14. Therefore let all Thy works confess to Hiee, Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee. That in confession of Thy works Thy saints may bless Thee, let Thy saints look into Thy creation confessing. And hear Thou their voice when they bless Thee. For when Thy saints bless Thee, what
ver. 11. say they? They shall tell the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy Power. How powerful God, Who hath made the earth how powerful God, Who hath filled the earth with good things how powerful God, Who hath given to the animals each its own life how powerful God,
is
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it
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The surpassing beauty of God's Creation. 329
Who hath given different seeds to the womb of the earth, Ver.
12'
15. That they may make known to the sons of men Thyver. 12. power, and the glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom. Thy saints then commend the glory of the
greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom, the glory of the greatness of its beauty. There is a certain greatness ofthe beauty of Thy kingdom : that Thy kingdom hath beauty,
and great beauty. Since whatever hath beauty, hath beauty
from Thee, how great beauty hath Thy whole kingdom
Let not the kingdom frighten us: hath beauty also, wherewith to delight us. For what that beauty, which
the saints shall hereafter enjoy, to whom shall be said,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, enjoy the kingdom Whence Mat. 25, shall they come? whither shall they come? Behold, bre-34'
thren, and, ye can, as far as ye can, think of the beauty of that kingdom which to come whence our prayer saith, Thy kingdom come. For that kingdom we desire may come, that kingdom the saints proclaim to be coming. Observe this world beautiful. How beautiful are earth, sea, air, heavens, stars. Do not all these frighten him who considereth them Is not the beauty of them so conspicuous, that seemeth as though nothing more beautiful could be found And here, in this beauty, in this fairness almost unspeakable, here worm and mice and all creeping things of the earth live with thee, they live with thee in all this beauty. How great the beauty of that kingdom, where none but angels live with Thee Too little then was
to say, the glory of the beauty. For we might speak of the glory the beauty of any beautiful thing set on this earth, or that green on the earth, or that shineth from heaven but the greatness the beauty Thy kingdom commendetb to us somewhat which as yet we see not; which, as yet unseen, we believe; which, believing, we long for, for longing for which we endure all things. There then
that they might make to spring up such various shoots, such beautiful trees ! how powerful, how great is God ! Do thou ask, creation answereth, and by its answer, as by the confession of the creature, thou, 0 saint of God, blessest God, and talkest of His power.
of is
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330 God's Promises which have been fulfilled,
Psalm a greatness of a certain beauty ; let it be loved before it is CxlT' seen, that when it is seen, it may be retained.
16_ Tj,y kingdom. What kingdom mean I ? a kingdom of all ages. For the kingdom of this age too hath its own beauty, but there is not in it that greatness of beauty, such as in the kingdom of all ages. And Thy dominion is in every generation and generation. This is the repetition we noticed, signifying either every generation, or the generation which will be after this generation.
Ter. 13.
17. 'Faithful is the Lord in His words, and holy in all His works. Faithful is the Lord in His words: for what hath He promised that He hath not given ? Faithful is the Lord in His words. Hereto there are certain things which He hath promised, and hath not given ; but let Him be believed from the things which He hath given. Faithful is the Lord in His words. We might well believe Him, if He only spake : He willed not that we should believe Him speaking, but that we should have His Scriptures in our hands: as though thou shouldest say to a man when thou promisedst him some
thing, ' Thou believest me not, behold, I write it for thee. ' For because one generation goeth and another cometh, and so these generations hasten by as men retire and succeed one another, it was needful that the Scriptures of God should remain, and a kind of bond of God's, which all who pass by might read, and might keep to the path of its promise. And how great things hath He already paid in accordance with that bond ! Do men hesitate to believe Him concerning the Resurrection of the dead and the Life to come, which alone now remaineth to be paid, when, if He come to reckon with the unbelievers, the unbelievers must blush ?
If God
I have promised judgment, the separation of good and bad, everlasting life for the
thee, ' Thou hast My bond :
say
to
faithful, and wilt thou not believe ? There in My bond read all that I have promised, reckon with me : verily even by
counting up what 1 have paid, thou canst believe that 1 shall pay what still I owe. In thaIt bond thou hast My
Rom. 8, only -begotten Son promised, Whom
Him up for you all: reckon this then among what is paid.
spared not, but gave ' Thin verse is not contained in the English version.
an earnest that He willfulfil what remains. 33 1
Read the bond : I promised therein that I would give by Ver. My Son the earnest of the Holy Spirit : reckon that as paid. -- 1 promised therein the blood and the crowns of the glorious Martyrs; let the massb remind you that My debt has been
paid. But that this glory of the Martyrs might be paid, which is promised thee in the bond, where it is written,
For Thy sake are we killed all the day long; that this might Ps. 44, be paid, the nations raged, and the people imagined t'at>>p^'2 ( things; the kings of the earth stood up, and the princess- came together, against the Lord, and against His Christ.
The princes came together, conspiring against the Christians. Further, did I not promise in the bond that the kings should believe, and have 1 not fulfilled it in deed ? Listen where I promised it: All kings shall worship Him, all nations shall Ps. 72,
serve Him. Ungrateful one ! thou readest what was due, thou
seest what has been paid, yet thou believest not what is promised. Read another thing in My bond: because the Pa. 2, i; nations raged, because Mine enemies spake evil of Me, (that is, *? 5" of Christ,) When shall He die, and His Name perish ? because
they did and said all these things, read what I promised, what
I bound Myself to pay. The Lord shall prevail against them, Zeph. 2, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth ;
and they shall worship Him, every one from his place. Well, now He hath prevailed, He hath destroyed all the gods of the nations of the earth. Doth He not do this, and pay it ? He setteth before the eyes of all His payment of His debts: some He hath paid in the time of our ancestors, which we saw not: some He hath paid in our times, which they saw not; throughout all generations He hath paid what was written. And what remaineth ? Do men not believe Him, when He hath paid all this ? What remaineth ? Behold thou hast reckoned: all this He hath paid: is He become unfaithful for the few things which remain ? God forbid ! Wherefore ? Because the Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.
18. The Lord strengtheneth all that are falling. But who ver. 14. are all that are falling ? All indeed fall in a general sense,
b See note on Ps. 1. 9. vol. ii. p. 314. ' White Mass,' as well as those there This sermon appears from this to have mentioned,
been preached in the Basilica of the
332 God helpeth His people in distress.
Psalm but he meaneth those who fall in a particular way. For many C*lT' fall from Him, many also fall from their own imaginations.
If they had evil imaginations, they fall from them, and God strengthened all that arefalling. They who lose any thing in this world, yet are holy, are as it were dishonoured in this world, from rich become poor, from honoured of low estate, yet are they God's saints ; they are, as it were, falling. But God
Prov. 2i, strengtheneth. For the just falleth seven times, and riseth
16'
again ; but the wicked shall be weakened in evils. When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened thereby ; when evils befall the righteous, the Lord strengthened all that are
falling. Job had fallen from the brightness of the former light of temporal things, with which he had shone for a while ; he had fallen from the glory of his house. Would ye know how far he had fallen ? He sat on the dunghill : yet
the Lord strengthened him when falling. How much did He strengthen him ? So much that, even in the grievous wound wherewith he was smitten throughout his whole body, he answered his wife, when she, the only helper whom the devil had left him, tempted him, Thou hast spoken as one of the foolish women : ifwe receive good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also endure evil? How had He strengthened
Job 2, 10'
Ps. 37, him when falling! The Lord strengtheneth all that are
2i'
James4, him ; for God resisteth the proud.
15.
19. The eyes ofall hope upon Thee, and Thou givest them food in due season. Just as when thou refreshest a sick man in due season, when he ought to receive, then Thou givest, and what he ought to receive, that Thou givest.
Sometimes then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give. Wherefore say this, brethren Lest any
one, perchance he hath not been heard, when making some righteous request of God: (for when he maketh any unrighteous request, he heard to his punishment:) but when making some righteous request of God, perchance he have not been heard, let him not be down-hearted, let him not faint, let his eyes wait for the food, which He giveth in due season. When He giveth not, He therefore
falling. When the righteous falleth , he shall not be troubled, for the Lord strengthened his hand. And lifted up all those that have been cast down : all, that is, who belong to
if
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is
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if
ver.
He withholds, as well as gives, for our good. 333 giveth not, lest that which He giveth do harm. For the Ver.
Apostle made no unrighteous request, when he besought that
17'
the thorn in the flesh, the messenger
was buffetted, might be taken from him
and did not receive, because as yet
exercising his weakness, not the due season of food. My\\,. grace, He saith, sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. The devil asked permission to tempt Job, and received it. Learn here, my brethren, great mystery, needful to be learned, repeated, kept in mind, never forgotten, on account of the abundance of
in this world. What shall say Is the Apostle really to be compared with the devil The Apostle asketh, and receiveth not the devil asketh, and receiveth. But the Apostle received not, in order to his perfecting the devil received, to his damnation. Finally, Job himself received healing in due season. He was put off, however, that he might be proved, and he sat long in his sores, and asked God that they might be taken from him, and yet God took them not away. More readily did He hear the devil for Job's trial, than Job himself for his healing. Learn then not to murmur against God, and, when ye are not heard, let not that fail in you which written above, Every day will bless Thee. Even the Son Himself, even the only-begotten
temptations
Satan, whereby he", and yet he asked, was the time for
Himself, came to suffer, to pay what He owed not, to die by
the hands of sinners, to blot out with His own Blood the handwriting of our death for this He came and yet, that
He might shew thee an example of patience, He changed Phil. the body ofour humiliation, fashioning like unto the body l'
of His Glory. Father, He said, be possible, let this Mat. 26, cup pass from Me. And that, although He received not39" what He seemed to ask, He might fulfil, Every day will
bless Thee, He said, Nevertheless, not what will, but what Thou wilt, Father. The eyes of all hope in Thee, and Thou givest them meal in due season.
20. Thou openest Thine Hand, andfillest every living thing ver. 16. with blessing. Though sometimes Thou givest not, yet in
due season Thou givest: Thou delayest, not deniest, and
that in due season.
21. Righteous the Lord in all His ways. Both when ver. 17.
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9.
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334 God to be loved for Himself, not for Hi* gift* only.
Psalm He smiteth and when He healeth, He is righteous, and in C*lv' Him unrighteousness is not. Finally, all His saints, when set in the midst of tribulation, have first praised His righte
ousness, and so sought His blessings. They first have said, ' What Thou doest is righteous. ' So did Daniel ask, and other holy men: 'Righteous are Thy judgments: rightly have we suffered, deservedly have we suffered. ' They laid not unrighteousness to God, they laid not to Him injustice and folly. First they praised Him scourging, and so they felt Him feeding. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways. Let no one think Him unrighteous, when perchance he suffereth ought of evil, but let him praise His righteousness, and accuse his own unrighteousness. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
22. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him. Prov. I, Where then is that, Then shall they call upon Me, and I
28'
will not hear thein? See then what follows: all who call upon Him in truth. For many call upon Him, but not in truth. They seek something else from Him, but seek not Himself. Why lovest thou God 1 ' Because He hath made me whole. ' That is clear: it was He that made thee so. For from none else cometh health, save Him. ' Because He gave me,' saith another, ' a rich wife, whereas I before had nothing, and one that obeyeth me. ' This too He gave : thou sayest true. ' He gave me,' saith another, ' sons many and good, He gave me a household, He gave me all good things. ' Dost thou love Him for this ? Seekest thou then nothing more ? Be hungry : still knock at the door of the Master of the household : still hath He somewhat to give.
Thou art but a beggar with all these things which thou hast received, and Thou kuowest it not. Thou bearest about as yet the ragged flesh of mortality : thou hast not yet received that glorious robe of immortality, and, as
Matt. 5, if already satisfied, dost thou cease to ask ? Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Therefore if God is good, Who hath given thee what thou hast, how much more blessed wilt thou be
when He hath given thee Himself! Thou hast desired all these things of Him : I beseech thee desire of Him Himself also. For these things are not truly sweeter than He is, nor
And therefore even when He withdraws them. 335
in any way are they to be compared to Him. He then vBr. who preferreth God Himself to all the things which he has -- received, whereat he rejoiceth, to the things he has received,
he calleth upon God in truth. For to tell you the truth, if to
such men a question were put, and it were said, ' What, if
God chose to take away from thee all those things wherein
thou delightest ? ' then He would be no longer loved : there would be none to say, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken job 1, away; as it hath pleased the Lord,so hath it been done; blessed21'
be the Name of the Lord. But what saith he, from whom He hath taken these things away ? ' What have I done to Thee, O God ? wherefore hast Thou taken from me, and given to them ? ' Thou givest to the unrighteous, aud takest from Thine own. Thou accusest God of being unrighteous,
thou praisest thyself as righteous. Turn thee, accuse thy self, praise Him. Then wilt thou be right, when in all the good which He doth, God pleaseth thee ; and in all the ills which thou sufferest, He displeaseth thee not. This is to call upon God in truth. Those who thus call upon God, He heareth : He is nigh : that is, not yet hath He given what thou wishest, yet there He is. Just as if perchance a physician lays either upon eyes or stomach what is to heal by burning, though the sick man ask that it be taken from him, the physician awaiteth the time, he doeth not what the sick man asketh ; yet he departeth not from him. He is near, yet he doeth it not: yea, all the more he doeth it not, because he is near. For to heal him he laid on what he hath laid on, and to heal him he doeth not what he is asked. He heareth him not in regard of his present will, yet he heareth him in regard of his future healing, and this at all events according to his will. For surely he wisheth to be made whole, even if he wish not to be burnt. Nigh then is the Lord to all that call upon Him. But what all ? All that call upon Him in truth.
23. He will perform the will of them that fear Him. ver. 19. He will perform it, He will perform it: though He perform
it not at once, yet He will perform it. Certainly if therefore
thou fearest God, that thou mayest do His will, behold even
He in a manner ministereth to thee; He doeth thy will.
And He shall hear their prayer, and save them. Thou
336 The goodness and severity of God.
Psalm seest that for this purpose the Physician hears, that He
Vs ' may save. When ? Hear the Apostle telling thee. For
24. we are saved in hope : but hope which is seen is not hope :
but if what we see not we hope for, then do we with
l Vet. i,patience wait for it: the salvation, that is, which Peter
''*
ver. 20.
calleth ready to be revealed in the last time.
24. The Lord guardeth all that love Him, and all sinners
He will destroy. Thou seest that there is severity with Him, with Whom is so great sweetness. He will save all that hope in Him, all the faithful, all that fear Him, all that call upon Him in truth : and all sinners He will destroy. What all sinners, save those who persevere in sin; who dare to blame God, not themselves; who daily argue against God ; who despair of pardon for their sins, and from this very despair heap up their sins ; or who perversely promise themselves pardon, and through this very promise depart not from their sins and impiety ? The time will come for all these to be separated, and for the two divisions to be made of them, one on the right hand, the other on the left ; and for the righteous to receive the everlasting Kingdom, the wicked to go into everlasting fire. And all sinners He shall destroy.
25. Since this is so, and we have heard the blessing of the Lord, the works of the Lord, the wondrous things of the Lord, the mercies of the Lord, the severity of the Lord, His Providence over all His works, the con fession of all His works; observe how He concludeth in
ver. 21. His praise, My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let allJlesh bless His holy Name for ever and ever.
Lat. CxI. V.
PSALM CXLVI. Sermon to the people.
1. The divine songs are the delights of our spirits, wherein even weeping is not without joy. To a faithful man, and one who is a stranger in the world, no remembrance is so
joyous as that of the city whence he is a wanderer: but the recollection of his city in his wanderings is not without sorrow and sighing. Yet the sure hope of our return
We are to hope in God, and therefore to praise Him. 337
comforteth and cheereth us when sad with our wandering. Let the words of God seize upon your hearts, and let Him, Whose ye are, claim His own possession, that your mind, that they be not turned aside to ought else. Let each one of you so be entirely here, that he be not here that is, let him give himself wholly to the word of God, which soundeth on earth, that by he may be lifted up, and not be on earth. For therefore was He God with us, that we might be with Him. For He Who came down from heaven to be with us, maketh us ascend to Him, that we may be with Him. Meanwhile He scorned not our estrangement; for no where He
stranger, Who made all things.
2. Behold the Psalm soundeth the voice ofsome
one, (and that some one are ye, ye will,) of some one encouraging his soul to praise God, and saying to himself, Praise the Lord, my soul. For sometimes in the tribu-ver. lations and temptations of this present life, whether we will
or no, our soul troubled of which troubling he speaketh
in another Psalm, saying, Wherefore art thou sad, >>iyP>>. 42, soul, and wherefore troublest thou me? But to remove 14"15- this troubling, he suggesteth joy; not as yet in reality, but
in hope and saith to when troubled and anxious, sad and sorrowing, Hope in God, for will yet confess to Him. The
hope wherewith he lifted himself up, he set in confession, as though his soul, which troubled him with sadness, said to
him, Why sayest thou to me, Hope in God? am called
back therefrom by consciousness of sins know what have committed, and thou sayest to me, hope in God. Thou hast committed these things, true but whence dost thou hope? Because, will confess to Him. As God hateth
one who defendeth his sin, so He helpeth one who con- fesseth. Having then received this hope, which hope cannot
be without joy, although we be in circumstances most difficult as concerning this life, and full of storms and tempests, yet the soul uplifted by this hope, because
rejoiceth in hope, as the Apostle saith, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, hath received sort of lifting up to
God, to praise God; and to said, Praise the Lord, my soul.
3. But who saith and to whom saith he What VOL. vi.
--
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it
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338 The sinful soul superior to the spiritual body,
Psalm shall we say, brethren? Is it the flesh that saith, Praise thou the Lord, O my soul? And can the flesh suggest good counsel to the soul ? However much the flesh be con quered, and subjected as a servant to us through strength which the Lord imparteth, that it serve us entirely as a bond slave, enough for us that it hinder us not. In the next place, surely, brethren, men seek counsel from their betters : and if our soul be in some sense good, and our flesh is in some sense good, because He created both Who created all things
Gen. 1, very good, although, I say, both be good in their several Rom 8 kinds, yet the Apostle saith, the body is dead because of sin.
,0'
ib. 23. in hope, as the Apostle saith, We groan within ourselves,
There is indeed that body also which is promised to us, which as yet we have not, in whose redemption we rejoice
&e'
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. For we are saved in hope. But hope which is seen is not hope ; for what a man seeth, why doth he hope
for? but if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Although then our body be in some sense good, yet, so long as it is mortal because of sin, as long as it is needy, as long as it is corruptible, as long
as it is so changeable, that even for a moment it abideth not, without doubt it is such, that we must wish for its redemption, whereby it will at length cease to be such. But what will it be hereafter ? Such as the same Apostle saith
iCor. 1S. in another place, For this corruptible must put on in corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But even when our body shall have become such as this, a body now heavenly and spiritual, a body angel-like in its fellowship with angels, not even then will it give counsel to the soul. For the body, inasmuch as it is the body, is even beneath the soul; and every soul, however vile, is found more excellent than the most excellent body.
4. And let not this seem to you to be wonderful, that even any vile and sinful soul is better than any great and most surpassing body. It is better, not in deserts, but in nature. The soul indeed is sinful, is stained with certain defilements of lusts ; yet gold, though rusted, is better than the most polished lead. Let your mind then run over every part of creation, and ye will see that what we are saying is not
because its capacity, when amended, higher. 339
incredible, that a soul, however blameable, is yet more praise worthy than a praiseworthy body. There are two things, a soul and a body. The soul I chide, the body I praise : the soul I chide, because it is sinful ; the body I praise, because it is sound. Yet it is in its own kind that I praise the soul, and in its own kind that I blame the soul : and so in its own kind I praise the body, or blame it. If you ask me which is better, what I have blamed or what I have praised, wondrous is the answer thou wilt receive. True, I praised the one and blamed the other, yet, when asked which is better, I answer that what I have blamed is better than what I have praised. If thou wonderest at these two things,
observe the case of the two things ready to our hands, which I have already quoted, the gold and the lead. Observe: I have found fault with the gold : it is rusted : it shines not as much, it is not as clean : this lead is beautiful, as clean as can be. The former I have found fault with, the latter I have praised, and have set before you both, finding fault with the one, praising the other. After thus bestowing my blame and praise, ask me which of these is better : I shall an swer, the gold, even though rusted, is better, is better than the lead when clear. How, better, and wherefore then hast thou found fault with it ? Wherefore have I found fault with it ? Because it is not yet the gold which it can be. What can it
be? Cleansed and better. Because it hath not yet been cleansed, it is found fault with. Why hast thou praised the lead ? Because it is already so clean that it cannot be better. So you speak of the best horse and the worst man; yet thou preferrest the man thou findest fault with to the horse thou praisest. For if thou wert asked which of these two was better, thou wouldest say, ' the man,' not by deserts, but by nature. So in trades, thou speakest of a first-rate cobbler,
and findest fault with some lawyer, because he is ignorant of many laws : thou hast praised the cobbler, thou hast blamed the lawyer; yet ask which of these two is better, and the unskilled lawyer is preferred to the perfect cobbler.
Observe, my beloved, after having in so many instances praised some things, blamed others, yet when asked, we for the most part prefer what we have blamed to what we have praised. The nature of the soul is more excellent than the
z2
340 The soul divided between love of other things and of God.
Psalm nature of the body : it surpasseth it by far, it is a thing -Cx1vI' spiritual, incorporeal, akin to the substance of God. It is somewhat invisible, it ruleth the body, moveth the limbs,
guideth the senses, prepareth thoughts, putteth forth actions, taketh in images of countless things; who is there, in short, beloved brethren, who may suffice for the praises of the soul ?
Ezek. I not do whatsoever I will? ' Hear the Scripture: / will 33'H' not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn, and live. By these words of God, he is brought back to hope ; but there is another snare to be feared, lest through
this very hope he sin the more. What then didst thou also say, thou who through hope sinnest yet more ? ' When soever I turn, God will forgive me all ; I will do whatsoever
Ecclus. I will. ' Hear thou also the Scripture : Make no tarrying to
5, '.
turn to the Lord, neither put off from day to day : for suddenly shall His wrath come forth, and in 'the time of vengeance He shall destroy thee. Say not then, To-morrow I will turn, to-morrow I will please God ; and all to-day's and yesterday's deeds shall be forgiven me. ' Thou sayest true : God hath promised pardon to thy conversion ; He hath not promised a to-morrow to thy delay.
12. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works. Why then doth He condemn ? why doth He scourge ? Are not they whom He condemneth, whom He scourgeth, His works? Plainly they are. And wilt thou know how His compassions are over all His
Matt. 5, works? Thence is that long suffering, whereby He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Are not His compassions over all His works, Who sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust ? Are not His compassions over all His works? In His long suffering He waiteth
Zech. l,for the sinner, saying, Turn ye to Me, and
you. Are not His compassions over all His works? And
Mat. 25, when He saith, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the 4 ' devil and his angels, this is not His compassion, but His severity. His compassion is given to His works: His
severity is not over His works, but over thy works.
10
Iwill turn to
Lastly,
All God's works praise Him. 8-27
if thou remove thine own evil works, and there remain in
thee nought but His work, His compassion will not leave ------ thee : but if thou leavest not thy works, there will be severity
over thy works, not over His works.
13. Let all Thy works, O Lord, con/ess to Thee, and letver. 10. Thy saints bless Thee. Let all Thy works confess to Thee.
How so? Is not the earth His work? Are not the trees
His work ? Cattle, beasts, fish, fowl, are not they His works ? Plainly they too are. And how shall these too confess to Him ?
I see indeed in the angels that His works confess to Him, for
the angels are His works : and men are His works ; and when
men confess to Him, His works confess to Him; but have
trees and stones the voice of confession ? Yes, verily ; let
all His works confess to Him. What sayest thou ? even
the earth and the trees? All His works. If all praise, how
do not all confess ? For confession is said not only of sin,
but of praise also : lest perchance, wherever ye hear ' con fession,' ye think that it is of nought, save of sin. For so entirely is this thought, that whenever it soundeth in
the word of God, forthwith it is the habit to beat the breast. Hear that there is confession of praise too. Had
our Lord Jesus Christ any sin? And yet He saith, /Mat. n, confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. '16' There is confession then in praise. Accordingly, how shall
we take, let all Thy works confess to Thee, O Lord ? Let all Thy works praise Thee. But there ariseth the same
in regard of praise, as in regard of confession.
For if earth and all things devoid of sensation therefore cannot confess, because they have no voice to confess with ; neither will they be able to praise, because they have no
voice to proclaim with. But do not those Three Children enumerate all things, as they walked amid the harmless
flames, who had leisure not only not to fear, but even to
praise God ? They say to all things, heavenly and earthly,
Bless ye the Lord, praise Him, and magnify Him for ever. Song of Behold how they praise. Let none think that the dumb stone JjV? e or dumb animal hath reason wherewith to comprehend God. dren,i9. They who have thought this, have erred far from the truth.
God hath ordered every thing, and made every thing: to
some He hath given sense and understanding and innnor-
question
328 Because in them we see His Almightiness.
Psalm tality, as to the angels ; to some He hath given sense and -^i-understanding with mortality, as to man; to some He hath
given bodily sense, yet gave them not understanding, or im mortality, as to cattle : to some He hath given neither sense, nor understanding, nor immortality, as to herbs, trees, stones : yet even these cannot be wanting in their kind, and by certain degrees He hath ordered H is creation, from earth up to heaven, from visible to invisible, from mortal to immortal. This framework of creation, this most perfectly ordered beauty, ascending from lowest to highest, descending from highest
to lowest, never broken, but tempered together of things unlike, all praiseth God. Wherefore then doth all praise God ? Because when thou considerest and seest its beauty, thou in praisest God. The beauty of the earth
kind of voice of the dumb earth. Thou observest and seest its beauty, thou seest its fruitfulness, thou seest its strength, how receiveth seed, how often bringeth forth what not sown lhou seest this, and by thy consideration of thou, as were, questionest it; thy very inquiry into
questioning it. But when thou hast inquired into
in thine admiration, and hast searched out, and hast discovered its mighty strength, and great beauty, and surpassing excellence, since could not of itself and in itself have this excellence, forthwith cometh into thy mind, that could not be of itself, without Him, the Creator. And this which thou hast found in the very voice of
its confession, that thou praise the Creator. When thou hast thought on the universal beauty of this world, doth, not its very beauty as were with one voice answer thee, made not myself, God made me
14. Therefore let all Thy works confess to Hiee, Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee. That in confession of Thy works Thy saints may bless Thee, let Thy saints look into Thy creation confessing. And hear Thou their voice when they bless Thee. For when Thy saints bless Thee, what
ver. 11. say they? They shall tell the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy Power. How powerful God, Who hath made the earth how powerful God, Who hath filled the earth with good things how powerful God, Who hath given to the animals each its own life how powerful God,
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The surpassing beauty of God's Creation. 329
Who hath given different seeds to the womb of the earth, Ver.
12'
15. That they may make known to the sons of men Thyver. 12. power, and the glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom. Thy saints then commend the glory of the
greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom, the glory of the greatness of its beauty. There is a certain greatness ofthe beauty of Thy kingdom : that Thy kingdom hath beauty,
and great beauty. Since whatever hath beauty, hath beauty
from Thee, how great beauty hath Thy whole kingdom
Let not the kingdom frighten us: hath beauty also, wherewith to delight us. For what that beauty, which
the saints shall hereafter enjoy, to whom shall be said,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, enjoy the kingdom Whence Mat. 25, shall they come? whither shall they come? Behold, bre-34'
thren, and, ye can, as far as ye can, think of the beauty of that kingdom which to come whence our prayer saith, Thy kingdom come. For that kingdom we desire may come, that kingdom the saints proclaim to be coming. Observe this world beautiful. How beautiful are earth, sea, air, heavens, stars. Do not all these frighten him who considereth them Is not the beauty of them so conspicuous, that seemeth as though nothing more beautiful could be found And here, in this beauty, in this fairness almost unspeakable, here worm and mice and all creeping things of the earth live with thee, they live with thee in all this beauty. How great the beauty of that kingdom, where none but angels live with Thee Too little then was
to say, the glory of the beauty. For we might speak of the glory the beauty of any beautiful thing set on this earth, or that green on the earth, or that shineth from heaven but the greatness the beauty Thy kingdom commendetb to us somewhat which as yet we see not; which, as yet unseen, we believe; which, believing, we long for, for longing for which we endure all things. There then
that they might make to spring up such various shoots, such beautiful trees ! how powerful, how great is God ! Do thou ask, creation answereth, and by its answer, as by the confession of the creature, thou, 0 saint of God, blessest God, and talkest of His power.
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330 God's Promises which have been fulfilled,
Psalm a greatness of a certain beauty ; let it be loved before it is CxlT' seen, that when it is seen, it may be retained.
16_ Tj,y kingdom. What kingdom mean I ? a kingdom of all ages. For the kingdom of this age too hath its own beauty, but there is not in it that greatness of beauty, such as in the kingdom of all ages. And Thy dominion is in every generation and generation. This is the repetition we noticed, signifying either every generation, or the generation which will be after this generation.
Ter. 13.
17. 'Faithful is the Lord in His words, and holy in all His works. Faithful is the Lord in His words: for what hath He promised that He hath not given ? Faithful is the Lord in His words. Hereto there are certain things which He hath promised, and hath not given ; but let Him be believed from the things which He hath given. Faithful is the Lord in His words. We might well believe Him, if He only spake : He willed not that we should believe Him speaking, but that we should have His Scriptures in our hands: as though thou shouldest say to a man when thou promisedst him some
thing, ' Thou believest me not, behold, I write it for thee. ' For because one generation goeth and another cometh, and so these generations hasten by as men retire and succeed one another, it was needful that the Scriptures of God should remain, and a kind of bond of God's, which all who pass by might read, and might keep to the path of its promise. And how great things hath He already paid in accordance with that bond ! Do men hesitate to believe Him concerning the Resurrection of the dead and the Life to come, which alone now remaineth to be paid, when, if He come to reckon with the unbelievers, the unbelievers must blush ?
If God
I have promised judgment, the separation of good and bad, everlasting life for the
thee, ' Thou hast My bond :
say
to
faithful, and wilt thou not believe ? There in My bond read all that I have promised, reckon with me : verily even by
counting up what 1 have paid, thou canst believe that 1 shall pay what still I owe. In thaIt bond thou hast My
Rom. 8, only -begotten Son promised, Whom
Him up for you all: reckon this then among what is paid.
spared not, but gave ' Thin verse is not contained in the English version.
an earnest that He willfulfil what remains. 33 1
Read the bond : I promised therein that I would give by Ver. My Son the earnest of the Holy Spirit : reckon that as paid. -- 1 promised therein the blood and the crowns of the glorious Martyrs; let the massb remind you that My debt has been
paid. But that this glory of the Martyrs might be paid, which is promised thee in the bond, where it is written,
For Thy sake are we killed all the day long; that this might Ps. 44, be paid, the nations raged, and the people imagined t'at>>p^'2 ( things; the kings of the earth stood up, and the princess- came together, against the Lord, and against His Christ.
The princes came together, conspiring against the Christians. Further, did I not promise in the bond that the kings should believe, and have 1 not fulfilled it in deed ? Listen where I promised it: All kings shall worship Him, all nations shall Ps. 72,
serve Him. Ungrateful one ! thou readest what was due, thou
seest what has been paid, yet thou believest not what is promised. Read another thing in My bond: because the Pa. 2, i; nations raged, because Mine enemies spake evil of Me, (that is, *? 5" of Christ,) When shall He die, and His Name perish ? because
they did and said all these things, read what I promised, what
I bound Myself to pay. The Lord shall prevail against them, Zeph. 2, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth ;
and they shall worship Him, every one from his place. Well, now He hath prevailed, He hath destroyed all the gods of the nations of the earth. Doth He not do this, and pay it ? He setteth before the eyes of all His payment of His debts: some He hath paid in the time of our ancestors, which we saw not: some He hath paid in our times, which they saw not; throughout all generations He hath paid what was written. And what remaineth ? Do men not believe Him, when He hath paid all this ? What remaineth ? Behold thou hast reckoned: all this He hath paid: is He become unfaithful for the few things which remain ? God forbid ! Wherefore ? Because the Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.
18. The Lord strengtheneth all that are falling. But who ver. 14. are all that are falling ? All indeed fall in a general sense,
b See note on Ps. 1. 9. vol. ii. p. 314. ' White Mass,' as well as those there This sermon appears from this to have mentioned,
been preached in the Basilica of the
332 God helpeth His people in distress.
Psalm but he meaneth those who fall in a particular way. For many C*lT' fall from Him, many also fall from their own imaginations.
If they had evil imaginations, they fall from them, and God strengthened all that arefalling. They who lose any thing in this world, yet are holy, are as it were dishonoured in this world, from rich become poor, from honoured of low estate, yet are they God's saints ; they are, as it were, falling. But God
Prov. 2i, strengtheneth. For the just falleth seven times, and riseth
16'
again ; but the wicked shall be weakened in evils. When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened thereby ; when evils befall the righteous, the Lord strengthened all that are
falling. Job had fallen from the brightness of the former light of temporal things, with which he had shone for a while ; he had fallen from the glory of his house. Would ye know how far he had fallen ? He sat on the dunghill : yet
the Lord strengthened him when falling. How much did He strengthen him ? So much that, even in the grievous wound wherewith he was smitten throughout his whole body, he answered his wife, when she, the only helper whom the devil had left him, tempted him, Thou hast spoken as one of the foolish women : ifwe receive good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also endure evil? How had He strengthened
Job 2, 10'
Ps. 37, him when falling! The Lord strengtheneth all that are
2i'
James4, him ; for God resisteth the proud.
15.
19. The eyes ofall hope upon Thee, and Thou givest them food in due season. Just as when thou refreshest a sick man in due season, when he ought to receive, then Thou givest, and what he ought to receive, that Thou givest.
Sometimes then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give. Wherefore say this, brethren Lest any
one, perchance he hath not been heard, when making some righteous request of God: (for when he maketh any unrighteous request, he heard to his punishment:) but when making some righteous request of God, perchance he have not been heard, let him not be down-hearted, let him not faint, let his eyes wait for the food, which He giveth in due season. When He giveth not, He therefore
falling. When the righteous falleth , he shall not be troubled, for the Lord strengthened his hand. And lifted up all those that have been cast down : all, that is, who belong to
if
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ver.
He withholds, as well as gives, for our good. 333 giveth not, lest that which He giveth do harm. For the Ver.
Apostle made no unrighteous request, when he besought that
17'
the thorn in the flesh, the messenger
was buffetted, might be taken from him
and did not receive, because as yet
exercising his weakness, not the due season of food. My\\,. grace, He saith, sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. The devil asked permission to tempt Job, and received it. Learn here, my brethren, great mystery, needful to be learned, repeated, kept in mind, never forgotten, on account of the abundance of
in this world. What shall say Is the Apostle really to be compared with the devil The Apostle asketh, and receiveth not the devil asketh, and receiveth. But the Apostle received not, in order to his perfecting the devil received, to his damnation. Finally, Job himself received healing in due season. He was put off, however, that he might be proved, and he sat long in his sores, and asked God that they might be taken from him, and yet God took them not away. More readily did He hear the devil for Job's trial, than Job himself for his healing. Learn then not to murmur against God, and, when ye are not heard, let not that fail in you which written above, Every day will bless Thee. Even the Son Himself, even the only-begotten
temptations
Satan, whereby he", and yet he asked, was the time for
Himself, came to suffer, to pay what He owed not, to die by
the hands of sinners, to blot out with His own Blood the handwriting of our death for this He came and yet, that
He might shew thee an example of patience, He changed Phil. the body ofour humiliation, fashioning like unto the body l'
of His Glory. Father, He said, be possible, let this Mat. 26, cup pass from Me. And that, although He received not39" what He seemed to ask, He might fulfil, Every day will
bless Thee, He said, Nevertheless, not what will, but what Thou wilt, Father. The eyes of all hope in Thee, and Thou givest them meal in due season.
20. Thou openest Thine Hand, andfillest every living thing ver. 16. with blessing. Though sometimes Thou givest not, yet in
due season Thou givest: Thou delayest, not deniest, and
that in due season.
21. Righteous the Lord in all His ways. Both when ver. 17.
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334 God to be loved for Himself, not for Hi* gift* only.
Psalm He smiteth and when He healeth, He is righteous, and in C*lv' Him unrighteousness is not. Finally, all His saints, when set in the midst of tribulation, have first praised His righte
ousness, and so sought His blessings. They first have said, ' What Thou doest is righteous. ' So did Daniel ask, and other holy men: 'Righteous are Thy judgments: rightly have we suffered, deservedly have we suffered. ' They laid not unrighteousness to God, they laid not to Him injustice and folly. First they praised Him scourging, and so they felt Him feeding. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways. Let no one think Him unrighteous, when perchance he suffereth ought of evil, but let him praise His righteousness, and accuse his own unrighteousness. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
22. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him. Prov. I, Where then is that, Then shall they call upon Me, and I
28'
will not hear thein? See then what follows: all who call upon Him in truth. For many call upon Him, but not in truth. They seek something else from Him, but seek not Himself. Why lovest thou God 1 ' Because He hath made me whole. ' That is clear: it was He that made thee so. For from none else cometh health, save Him. ' Because He gave me,' saith another, ' a rich wife, whereas I before had nothing, and one that obeyeth me. ' This too He gave : thou sayest true. ' He gave me,' saith another, ' sons many and good, He gave me a household, He gave me all good things. ' Dost thou love Him for this ? Seekest thou then nothing more ? Be hungry : still knock at the door of the Master of the household : still hath He somewhat to give.
Thou art but a beggar with all these things which thou hast received, and Thou kuowest it not. Thou bearest about as yet the ragged flesh of mortality : thou hast not yet received that glorious robe of immortality, and, as
Matt. 5, if already satisfied, dost thou cease to ask ? Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Therefore if God is good, Who hath given thee what thou hast, how much more blessed wilt thou be
when He hath given thee Himself! Thou hast desired all these things of Him : I beseech thee desire of Him Himself also. For these things are not truly sweeter than He is, nor
And therefore even when He withdraws them. 335
in any way are they to be compared to Him. He then vBr. who preferreth God Himself to all the things which he has -- received, whereat he rejoiceth, to the things he has received,
he calleth upon God in truth. For to tell you the truth, if to
such men a question were put, and it were said, ' What, if
God chose to take away from thee all those things wherein
thou delightest ? ' then He would be no longer loved : there would be none to say, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken job 1, away; as it hath pleased the Lord,so hath it been done; blessed21'
be the Name of the Lord. But what saith he, from whom He hath taken these things away ? ' What have I done to Thee, O God ? wherefore hast Thou taken from me, and given to them ? ' Thou givest to the unrighteous, aud takest from Thine own. Thou accusest God of being unrighteous,
thou praisest thyself as righteous. Turn thee, accuse thy self, praise Him. Then wilt thou be right, when in all the good which He doth, God pleaseth thee ; and in all the ills which thou sufferest, He displeaseth thee not. This is to call upon God in truth. Those who thus call upon God, He heareth : He is nigh : that is, not yet hath He given what thou wishest, yet there He is. Just as if perchance a physician lays either upon eyes or stomach what is to heal by burning, though the sick man ask that it be taken from him, the physician awaiteth the time, he doeth not what the sick man asketh ; yet he departeth not from him. He is near, yet he doeth it not: yea, all the more he doeth it not, because he is near. For to heal him he laid on what he hath laid on, and to heal him he doeth not what he is asked. He heareth him not in regard of his present will, yet he heareth him in regard of his future healing, and this at all events according to his will. For surely he wisheth to be made whole, even if he wish not to be burnt. Nigh then is the Lord to all that call upon Him. But what all ? All that call upon Him in truth.
23. He will perform the will of them that fear Him. ver. 19. He will perform it, He will perform it: though He perform
it not at once, yet He will perform it. Certainly if therefore
thou fearest God, that thou mayest do His will, behold even
He in a manner ministereth to thee; He doeth thy will.
And He shall hear their prayer, and save them. Thou
336 The goodness and severity of God.
Psalm seest that for this purpose the Physician hears, that He
Vs ' may save. When ? Hear the Apostle telling thee. For
24. we are saved in hope : but hope which is seen is not hope :
but if what we see not we hope for, then do we with
l Vet. i,patience wait for it: the salvation, that is, which Peter
''*
ver. 20.
calleth ready to be revealed in the last time.
24. The Lord guardeth all that love Him, and all sinners
He will destroy. Thou seest that there is severity with Him, with Whom is so great sweetness. He will save all that hope in Him, all the faithful, all that fear Him, all that call upon Him in truth : and all sinners He will destroy. What all sinners, save those who persevere in sin; who dare to blame God, not themselves; who daily argue against God ; who despair of pardon for their sins, and from this very despair heap up their sins ; or who perversely promise themselves pardon, and through this very promise depart not from their sins and impiety ? The time will come for all these to be separated, and for the two divisions to be made of them, one on the right hand, the other on the left ; and for the righteous to receive the everlasting Kingdom, the wicked to go into everlasting fire. And all sinners He shall destroy.
25. Since this is so, and we have heard the blessing of the Lord, the works of the Lord, the wondrous things of the Lord, the mercies of the Lord, the severity of the Lord, His Providence over all His works, the con fession of all His works; observe how He concludeth in
ver. 21. His praise, My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let allJlesh bless His holy Name for ever and ever.
Lat. CxI. V.
PSALM CXLVI. Sermon to the people.
1. The divine songs are the delights of our spirits, wherein even weeping is not without joy. To a faithful man, and one who is a stranger in the world, no remembrance is so
joyous as that of the city whence he is a wanderer: but the recollection of his city in his wanderings is not without sorrow and sighing. Yet the sure hope of our return
We are to hope in God, and therefore to praise Him. 337
comforteth and cheereth us when sad with our wandering. Let the words of God seize upon your hearts, and let Him, Whose ye are, claim His own possession, that your mind, that they be not turned aside to ought else. Let each one of you so be entirely here, that he be not here that is, let him give himself wholly to the word of God, which soundeth on earth, that by he may be lifted up, and not be on earth. For therefore was He God with us, that we might be with Him. For He Who came down from heaven to be with us, maketh us ascend to Him, that we may be with Him. Meanwhile He scorned not our estrangement; for no where He
stranger, Who made all things.
2. Behold the Psalm soundeth the voice ofsome
one, (and that some one are ye, ye will,) of some one encouraging his soul to praise God, and saying to himself, Praise the Lord, my soul. For sometimes in the tribu-ver. lations and temptations of this present life, whether we will
or no, our soul troubled of which troubling he speaketh
in another Psalm, saying, Wherefore art thou sad, >>iyP>>. 42, soul, and wherefore troublest thou me? But to remove 14"15- this troubling, he suggesteth joy; not as yet in reality, but
in hope and saith to when troubled and anxious, sad and sorrowing, Hope in God, for will yet confess to Him. The
hope wherewith he lifted himself up, he set in confession, as though his soul, which troubled him with sadness, said to
him, Why sayest thou to me, Hope in God? am called
back therefrom by consciousness of sins know what have committed, and thou sayest to me, hope in God. Thou hast committed these things, true but whence dost thou hope? Because, will confess to Him. As God hateth
one who defendeth his sin, so He helpeth one who con- fesseth. Having then received this hope, which hope cannot
be without joy, although we be in circumstances most difficult as concerning this life, and full of storms and tempests, yet the soul uplifted by this hope, because
rejoiceth in hope, as the Apostle saith, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, hath received sort of lifting up to
God, to praise God; and to said, Praise the Lord, my soul.
3. But who saith and to whom saith he What VOL. vi.
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I.
338 The sinful soul superior to the spiritual body,
Psalm shall we say, brethren? Is it the flesh that saith, Praise thou the Lord, O my soul? And can the flesh suggest good counsel to the soul ? However much the flesh be con quered, and subjected as a servant to us through strength which the Lord imparteth, that it serve us entirely as a bond slave, enough for us that it hinder us not. In the next place, surely, brethren, men seek counsel from their betters : and if our soul be in some sense good, and our flesh is in some sense good, because He created both Who created all things
Gen. 1, very good, although, I say, both be good in their several Rom 8 kinds, yet the Apostle saith, the body is dead because of sin.
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ib. 23. in hope, as the Apostle saith, We groan within ourselves,
There is indeed that body also which is promised to us, which as yet we have not, in whose redemption we rejoice
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waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. For we are saved in hope. But hope which is seen is not hope ; for what a man seeth, why doth he hope
for? but if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Although then our body be in some sense good, yet, so long as it is mortal because of sin, as long as it is needy, as long as it is corruptible, as long
as it is so changeable, that even for a moment it abideth not, without doubt it is such, that we must wish for its redemption, whereby it will at length cease to be such. But what will it be hereafter ? Such as the same Apostle saith
iCor. 1S. in another place, For this corruptible must put on in corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But even when our body shall have become such as this, a body now heavenly and spiritual, a body angel-like in its fellowship with angels, not even then will it give counsel to the soul. For the body, inasmuch as it is the body, is even beneath the soul; and every soul, however vile, is found more excellent than the most excellent body.
4. And let not this seem to you to be wonderful, that even any vile and sinful soul is better than any great and most surpassing body. It is better, not in deserts, but in nature. The soul indeed is sinful, is stained with certain defilements of lusts ; yet gold, though rusted, is better than the most polished lead. Let your mind then run over every part of creation, and ye will see that what we are saying is not
because its capacity, when amended, higher. 339
incredible, that a soul, however blameable, is yet more praise worthy than a praiseworthy body. There are two things, a soul and a body. The soul I chide, the body I praise : the soul I chide, because it is sinful ; the body I praise, because it is sound. Yet it is in its own kind that I praise the soul, and in its own kind that I blame the soul : and so in its own kind I praise the body, or blame it. If you ask me which is better, what I have blamed or what I have praised, wondrous is the answer thou wilt receive. True, I praised the one and blamed the other, yet, when asked which is better, I answer that what I have blamed is better than what I have praised. If thou wonderest at these two things,
observe the case of the two things ready to our hands, which I have already quoted, the gold and the lead. Observe: I have found fault with the gold : it is rusted : it shines not as much, it is not as clean : this lead is beautiful, as clean as can be. The former I have found fault with, the latter I have praised, and have set before you both, finding fault with the one, praising the other. After thus bestowing my blame and praise, ask me which of these is better : I shall an swer, the gold, even though rusted, is better, is better than the lead when clear. How, better, and wherefore then hast thou found fault with it ? Wherefore have I found fault with it ? Because it is not yet the gold which it can be. What can it
be? Cleansed and better. Because it hath not yet been cleansed, it is found fault with. Why hast thou praised the lead ? Because it is already so clean that it cannot be better. So you speak of the best horse and the worst man; yet thou preferrest the man thou findest fault with to the horse thou praisest. For if thou wert asked which of these two was better, thou wouldest say, ' the man,' not by deserts, but by nature. So in trades, thou speakest of a first-rate cobbler,
and findest fault with some lawyer, because he is ignorant of many laws : thou hast praised the cobbler, thou hast blamed the lawyer; yet ask which of these two is better, and the unskilled lawyer is preferred to the perfect cobbler.
Observe, my beloved, after having in so many instances praised some things, blamed others, yet when asked, we for the most part prefer what we have blamed to what we have praised. The nature of the soul is more excellent than the
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340 The soul divided between love of other things and of God.
Psalm nature of the body : it surpasseth it by far, it is a thing -Cx1vI' spiritual, incorporeal, akin to the substance of God. It is somewhat invisible, it ruleth the body, moveth the limbs,
guideth the senses, prepareth thoughts, putteth forth actions, taketh in images of countless things; who is there, in short, beloved brethren, who may suffice for the praises of the soul ?
