This younger son then had gone into far country for a certain father had two sons; the elder had not gone far away, but wrought in his fields, and
signifieth
the saints under the Law, who did the works and precepts of the Law.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Au-
I walk in the midst of tribulation.
of tribulation, Thou shall retire me. laugh. Blessed are they that mourn. t/iidst of tribulation, Thou shall revive me.
If
walk in the
Woe to them that Luke 6, If I walk in the
midst
8'
1 88 God sometimes saves from temporal ill, always from eternal.
Psalm mine enemies were wroth ; Thou hast avenged me on mine j? >>*U2 enem'es- The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall 10. gnash with his teeth, and melt away. Where be they that
said, ' Perish the name of Christians from off the earth ? ' Verily they either die, or are converted. Therefore, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine
P<<. 4l ,5. enemies ; while it was said, as is written, Mine enemies speak evil of me ; when shall he die, and his name perish ? When shall the name of Christians be blotted out from the earth? While they say this, some believed, some perished, some remained fearful. How greatly did the wrath of the enemy rage, when the blood of the mariyrs was being shed ! how did they think that they were blotting out the name of Christians from off the earth ! Thou hast stretched forth
Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Lo ! they who persecuted the martyrs seek the memorials of the marivrs, either to worship there, or to be inebriated there : still they seek. Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. According to my longing, Thy right hand hath made me safe. There is one kind of safety on the right hand, another on the left: tem poral and carnal safety on the left, everlasting safety with the Angels on the right. Therefore Christ, now that He is placed in immortality, is said to sit on the right hand of God. For God hath not in Himself right hand or left, but
by the right hand of God is expressed that happiness, which, since it cannot be shown to the eyes, is thus called. On this right hand of Thine Thou hast made me safe, not after
For Crispina was slain: did God then desert her? He made her not safe on the left hand, but He 2Mac. 7. did on the right. How great tortures did the Maccabees suffer? But the Three Children, while they walked in the
midst of the fire, praised God. The safety of the former was on the right hand, that of the latter on the left too. Sometimes then God saveth not His Saints on the left hand, on the right He always doth. The wicked for the most part He saveth on the left, on the right He doth not save them. For they who persecuted Crispina were sound in body: she was slain, they live: their safety is on the
temporal safety.
Explanation the money in the fish's mouth. 189
left hand, hers on the right: Thy right hand hath saved Ver.
me.
8-
15. Thou, Lord, shall recompense for me. I recompense ver. 8. not: Thou shalt recompense. Let mine enemies rage
their full : Thou shalt recompense what I cannot. Thou,
Lord, shalt recompense for me. Observe this in our Head
He suffered, He threatened not; but committed
to Him that judgeth righteously. What is, Thou, O Lord,
shalt recompense for me ? /, saith He, seek not Mine own John 8, glory; there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Dearly50' beloved, avenge noi'yourselves, saith the Apostle, but rather Rom. give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Venyeance is l2' 19" Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Thou, O Lord, shalt recompense for me.
16. There is here another sense not to be neglected, perhaps even to be preferred. Lord Christ, Thou shall repay for me. For I, if 1 repay, have seized ; Thou hast paid what Thou hast not seized. Lord, Thou shalt repay
for me. Behold Him repaying for us. They came to Mat. \7, Him, who exacted tribute: they used to demand as tribute 24~26- a didrachma, that is, two drachmas for one man ; they came
to the Lord to pay tribute ; or rather, not to Him, but to
His disciples, and they said to them, Doth not your Master pay tribute Y They came and told Him. Then said He, Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, of their
own children, or of strangers ? They answered, Of strangers. He saith, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, He saith unto Peter, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and lake up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou sluill find a staler, (that is, two didrachmas, for a stater is a weight equivalent to four drachmas,) that take, and give for Me and thee. Thou, Lord, shalt repag for me. Rightly have we the first fish taken by the hook, caught by the hook, the first that riseth from the sea, the First-begotten from the dead. In His mouth we find two didrachmas, that
Himself. For He hath left us an example, that we should 1 Pe'-2, . 21 -- 23.
follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth : Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; saying, Thou, Lord, shalt recompense for me. When
Himself
Psalm xw
190 Our good works God's work in us.
four drachmas in His mouth we find the four Gospels. tllose four drachmas we are free from the claims of this world, by the four Evangelists we remain no longer debtors; for there the debt of all our sins paid. He then hath
repaid for us, thanks to His mercy. He owed nothing: John u, He repaid not for Himself: He repaid for us. Behold,
30 31
Jer. 17, "'
He saith, the prince this world cometh, and shall find nothing in Me. What is, shall find nothing in Me? He shall find no sin in Me he hath not wherefore he should put Me to death. But that all may know, He saith, that
do the trill of My Father arise, let us go hence. suffer not of necessity, but of free-will, paying that owe not.
Thou, Lord, shalt repay for me.
17. Lord, Thy mercy is for everlasting. What should
long for? not man's day. have not toiledfrom following Thee, Lord, and the day man have not desired: Thou knoic est. Behold, the holy martyr Crispina had longed for man's day, she would have denied Christ. Longer would she live here, but for everlasting she would not live. She chose rather to live for everlasting, than for little longer to live
in this world. Finally, Lord, Thy mercy for everlasting not for time only do desire to be freed. Thy mercy
for everlasting, wherewith Thou hast freed the martyrs, and so hast quickly taken them from this life. Lord, Thy mercy is for everlasting.
18. Despise not Tliou the works of Tliine own hands. say not, Lord, despise not the works of my hands of
mine own works boast not. sought, indeed, the Lord with my hands in the night season before Him, and have not been deceived but yet praise not the works of mine own hands; fear lest, when Thou shalt look into them, Thou find more sins in them than deserts. This only ask, this
say, this long to obtain, Despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands. Behold in me Thy Work, not mine: for mine Thou seest, Thou condemnest; Thine, Thou
seest, Thou crownest. For whatever good works there be of
mine, from Thee are they to me and so they are more Eph. Thine than mine. For hear from Thine Apostle, By
~ ' grace are ye saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves, the gift rf God; not of works, lest any man should
it is
2, I I I is
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The Head and the Body one Christ. 191
boast : for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus Veh.
'
PSALM CXXXIX. Lat. CxxxVIII
Sermon to the People.
1. We had prepared us a short Psalm, and had desired
the reader to chant it ; but he, through confusion at the
time, as it seems, has substituted another for it. We have chosen to follow the will of God in the reader's mistake,
rather than our own will by keeping our purpose. If then through its length we shall detain you somewhat longer
than usual, impute it not to us, but believe that God hath willed that we should labour not without fruit. For neither
in vain did we receive as our penalty for the first sin, that
in the sweat of our face we should eat bread : only take GeD. 3, heed that it be bread. But bread it is, if it be Christ. / am, l9" saith He, the living Bread that came down from Heaven. John c,
Whom we have manifested in the Gospel, Him let us seek41,
in the Prophets also. They see Him not there on whose
hearts the veil still remains, whereof ye heard, beloved, yes- 2 Cor. 3, terday. But forasmuch as for us the evening sacrifice of
the Lord's Cross hath rent the veil, so that the secrets of the Temple now lie open, so long as Christ is preached to us, though it be with labour and sweat, yet have we bread given us to eat.
2. But our Lord Jesus Christ speaketh in the Prophets, sometimes in the character of our Head, that Christ Himself, our Saviour, sitting at the right hand of the Father: but He also was for us born of Virgin, and suffered, as ye know, under Pontins Pilate by the shedding of His innocent blood, which our price, He hath redeemed us guilty from the captivity wherein we were held by the devil, for
giving us our trespasses, and with His Blood, which our price, blotting out the handwriting whereby we were held debtors. He the Ruler and Spouse and Redeemer of the
unto good works. Therefore whether in regard that we are men, or in regard that we have been changed and justified from our iniquity, Lord, despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands.
is
is
is
;
a
is,
192 The Church formed from Christ, as Eve from Adam.
Psalm Church, He our Head. And verily if He be a Head, He -xx -- bath a Body. But His Body is the Holy Church, which is l Cor. also His bride; to whom the Apostle saith, Ye are the Body
12, >7. 0y Christ, and members in particular. Whole Christ there fore is Head and Body, like an entire man : for the woman was both made of man and belongeth to man ; and it was
Gee 2, said of the first marriage, they twain shall be one flesh.
24'
speak concern ing Christ and the Church. He calls moreover Adam Rom. 5, himself the figure of Him that was to come: who is, saith he, the figure of Him that was to come. If then Adam be the figure of Him that was to come, just as Eve was made
'
Me? Let us hear then our Lord Jesus Christ speaking in prophecy. For the Psalms were sung long before the Lord
But this the Apostle explains as a mystery, that it was not said without meaning of those two persons, but because in them was already prefigured Christ and His Church. For thus the Apostle expoundeth it: they twainI, saith he, shall
be one flesh : this is a great mystery, but
from the side of Adam as he slept, so from the Side of. the Lord, as He slept, that is, as He was dying in His Passion, and was pierced on the Cross by the spear, flowed forth the Sacraments, whereby the Church was to be formed. For of that same coming Passion of His He speaketh in another
Ps. 3, 6. Psalm, / laid me down, and slept, and rose up again, for the Lord shall sustain Me. The sleep then meaneth the Passion. Eve was formed from the side of one sleeping, the Church from the side of One suffering. Our Lord Jesus Christ then speaketh in the Prophets, sometimes in His own Name, sometimes in ours, because He maketh Himself one with us ; as it is said, they twain shall be one
flesh. Wherefore also the Lord saith in the Gospel, speak ing of marriage, therefore they are no more twain, but one
One flesh, because of our mortality He took flesh ; not one divinity, for He is the Creator, we the creature. Whatsoever then our Lord speaketh in the person of the Flesh He took upon Him, belongeth both to that Head which hath already ascended into heaven, and to those members which still toil in their earthly wandering; for which toiling members, when Saul was persecuting them,
Acta 9, He cried from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecuIest thou
flesh.
God both Father and Lord of Christ. 193
was born of Mary, yet not before He was Lord; for from Vrr. everlasting He was the Creator of all things, but in time He :-- was born of His creature. Let us believe that Godhead,
and, so far as we can, understand Him to be equal to the Father. But that Godhead equal to the Father, was made partaker of our mortal nature, not of His own store, but of
ours; that we too might be made partakers of His Divine Nature, not of our store, but of His.
3. Lord, Thou hast tried me, and known me. Let the <<r. 1. Lord Jesus Christ Himself say this; let Him too say, ' Lord,'
to the Father. For His Father is not His Lord, save because He hath deigned to be born according to the
flesh. He is Father of the God, Lord of the Man. Wouldest thou know to whom He is Father ? To the coequal Sou. The Apostle saith, Who, being in the form Phil. 2, of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. To6-'- this Form God is Father, the Form equal to Himself, the only-begotten Son, begotten of His Substance. But for
asmuch as for our sakes, that we might be re-made, and made partakers of His Divine Nature, being renewed unto life eternal, He was made partaker of our mortal nature, what saith the Apostle of Him, after that he had said,
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God? He saith, yet He emptied Himself,
and look upon Him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man.
He was in the Form of God, equal to the Father; He took
upon Him the form of a servant, so as therein to be less
than the Father. Whence He saith both in the Gospel ;
both, / and the Father are one; and, For my Father isjohnio, greater than 1:1 and the Father are one, according to the
Form of God Tlie Father greater than according to 28. the form of servant. Therefore since He both Father and Lord, Father of the Form of God, Lord of the form of
servant, let Him then say, and let not us wonder or be offended that the only-begotten Son of God saith Lord, Thou hast proved me; and known me. Thou hast proved me, and known me not because He did not know before, but because He made Him known to others Thou hast proved me, he saith, and known me.
VOL. vi.
o
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is I, it,
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194 ' Down -sitting, ' Confession : ' up-rising,' Justification.
Psalm 4. Thou hast known My down-sitting and Mine up-rising. xxxix. What here is down-sitting, what up-rising? He who sitteth,
humbleth himself. The Lord then sat in His Passion, up-rose in His Resurrection. Thou, he saith, hast known this; that is, Thou hast willed, Thou hast approved; ac cording to Thy will was it done. But if thou choosest to take the words of the Head in the person of the Body, let us too say, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. For man sitteth when he humbleth himself in penitence, he riseth up when his sins are forgiven, and he is lifted up to the hope of everlasting life. Wherefore it
Ps. 127, is said also in another Psalm, Rise up after ye hare sat
3-
down, ye that eat the bread of sorrow. Penitents eat the
bread of sorrow; as they sing in another Psalm, saying, Pa. 42, My tears have been my meat day and night. What then meaneth, Rise up after ye have sat down ? Lift not up yourselves, unless ye have first been humbled. For many wish to rise before they have sat down, they wish to appear righteous, before they have confessed that they are sinners.
ver. 1. 2.
If then thou take the verse in the person of our Head, under stand thus, Thou hast known My down-sitting, and Mine up-rising, that My Passion and My Resurrection in the person of the Body, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising, before Thine eyes have confessed my sins, and by Thy grace have been justified.
5. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. What is, from afar While
am yet in my pilgrimage, before reach that, my true
country, Thou hast known my thoughts. Consider the
Lukeis, younger son in the parable, for he too was made the Body
11.
o? Qhrist, the Church which came in from the Gentiles.
This younger son then had gone into far country for a certain father had two sons; the elder had not gone far away, but wrought in his fields, and signifieth the saints under the Law, who did the works and precepts of the Law. But the rest of the human race, which had turned aside to worship idols, had wandered into far country. What maketh thee so far from Him Who made thee, as the false god which thou hast made for thyself? The younger son
aI a
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The Prodigal Son explained. 195
then went into a far country, taking with him his substance, Ver. and, as we learn in the Gospel, wasted it, living prodigally "--:-- with harlots; and being in want, he joined himself to a certain great man of that country, who appointed him to
father.
feed his swine; and he would fain have filled himself with the husks they eat, and could not. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, / will arise, and go to my
I will arise, said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. I sat, in want; 1 arose, in longing for Thy Bread. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. For far indeed had 1 gone ; but where is not He whom I had left? Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. Truly; for he had understood his thoughts from afar. My path and my limit Thou hast tracked out. Mij path, he saith ; what, but a bad path, the path he had walked to leave his Father, as though he could be hid from His eyes when He would punish ? nay more, as though he would have been crushed in that want, or been set to feed swine, save that his Father willed to scourge him afar, that He might receive him again near. So then, like a runaway slave that is caught, when the lawful vengeance of God was following him, that
vengeance that punisheth our affections, whithersoever we go, and how far soever we have gone, like a runaway slave, I say, that is caught, he saith, Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. What my path that by which
have gone. What is, my limit? that wherennto have reached. Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. That limit of mine, far distant as was, was not far from Thine eyes. Far had gone, and yel Thou wast there.
Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit.
6. And all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. He said
not, hast seen, but, hast seen beforehand. Before went
by them, before walked in them, Thou didst see them beforehand and Thou didst permit me in toil to go my ownways, that, desired not to toil, might return into
Thy ways. For there no deceit in my tongue. Whatrer. 3.
o
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if I
I
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19(i We must return from sin to God.
Psalm meant he by this? Lo, I confess to Thee, I have walked --:---in mine own way, I am become far from Thee, I have departed from Thee, with Whom it was well with me, and
vet. 4.
to my good it was ill with me without Thee. For, had it been well with me without Thee, perchance 1 had been unwilling to return to Thee. So he, confessing his sins, saying that the Body of Christ was justified, not in itself, but by His grace, said, There is no deceit in my tongue.
7. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my last doings, and the ancient ones. Thou hast known my latest doings, when I fed swine; Thou hast known my ancient doings, when I asked of Thee my portion of goods. Ancient doings were the beginnings to me of latest ills: ancient sin, when we fell; latest punishment, when we came into this toilsome and dangerous mortality. And would that this may be latest to us; it will be, if now we will to return. For there is another latest for certain wicked ones, to whom it shall be
Mat. 25, said, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
4 1'
ver. 5.
his angels. And we, brethren, have heretofore abandoned God, let it be toil enough to us to have come into this mortality. Remember we our Father's Bread ; recollect we the bliss of our Father's Home ; delight we not in the husks of swine, the doctrines of devils. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my latest doings, and the ancient ones ; the latest, wherennto I have come ; the ancient, wherein I offended Thee. Thou hast fashioned me, and hast laid Thine hand upon me. Fashioned me, where ? In this mortality ; now, to the toils wherennto we all are born. For none is born, but God has fashioned him in his mother's womb; nor is there any creature, whereof God is not the Fashioner. But
Thou hast fashioned me in this toil, and laid Thine hand upon me, Thine avenging hand, putting down the proud. For thus healthfully hath He cast down the proud, that He may lift him up humble. Thou hast fashioned me, and laid
Thine hand upon me.
ver. 6.
8. Thy skill haIth displayed itself u onderfully in me : it hath
no small pleasure in the understanding thereof. Moses, the holy servant of God, with whom God spake by a cloud,--
waxed mighty:
shall not be able to attain unto it. Listen now and hear somewhat, which is obscure indeed, yet bringeth
God speaks through human means.
197
for, speaking after human fashion, He must needs speak to Ver. His servant through some work of His hands which He assumed, that is, not by His own substance, but by some
bodily work of His hands which He assumed, that through it those words might be spoken, and sound in human and mortal ears; for thus did God speak then, not as He speaketh in His own substance. For how doth He speak in His own substance ? The Word of God is God's speech : and the Word of God is Christ: that Word soundeth not and then passeth away, but ever unchangeably remaineth the Word, by Whom all things were made. To which Word (for He is also the Wisdom of God) it is said, Thou shall change them, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same ; and in another place where Scripture is speaking of Wisdom
it saith, remaining in herself she maketh all things new; that abiding Wisdom then, if we may even say abiding; (but it is such because He changeth not, not because He moveth not ;) and that ever continueth in the same way, never varying in place or time, in no place otherwise than in any other place ; at no time otherwise than in all other time; He is the Speech of God. But the speech which was addressed to Moses, being addressed to man, was by syllables, by passing sounds; and they
would not be, had not God assumed one of the works of
His hand, such as might utter such discourse and words --
holy Moses, I say, knew that that speech of God was uttered by means of certain corporeal works of God's hand
which He assumed, and he longed and desired to see the
true appearance of God, and said to God, Who was convers
ing with him, If now I hare found grace in Thy sight, s/'<? m>Ex. 33, me Thyself. When this he desired vehemently, and would l3. extort from God in that sort of friendly familiarity, if we
may so speak, wherewith God deigned to treat him, that
he might see His Glory and His Face, in such wise as we
can speak of God's Face, He said unto him, Thou canst not ibid. 20. see My Face ; for no one hath seen My Face, and lived ; but
1 will place thee in a clift of the rock, and will pass by, and
will set My hand upon thee ; and when I have passed by,
thou shalt see My back parts. And from these words there
ariseth another enigma, that is, an obscure figure of the
198 Moses a type of the Jewish People.
Pralm truth. When I have passed by, saith God, thou shall see My hack parts; as though He hath on one side His face, on another His back. Far be it from us to have any such thoughts of that Majesty ! For whoso hath such thoughts of God, what advantageth it him that the temples are closed ?
He is building an idol in his own heart. In these words then are mighty mysteries. The Lord spake, as I said, by one of the works of His hand, what He would say to His servant. Thereby was meant the Person of our Lord and
Phil. 2. Saviour Jesus Christ Himself; Who according to the form of God indeed, wherein He is equal to the Father, is equally
with the Father invisible to eye of man. For if human wisdom cannot be seen with the eye, can the Virtue and Wisdom of God be seen by eye of flesh ? But forasmuch as the Lord was about to take flesh in due time, so as to appear even to fleshly eyes, that healthfully He might cure the soul within, since thus it was needful that He should appear, foretelling this, He saith to Moses in a figure, Thou canst not see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts,
have passed by thee. But that thou mayest not see My Face, My Hand shall be upon thee. What was 'to pass by' to the Lord, save what the Evangelist saith, But
when the hour was come, that Jesus should pass from this world to the Father? For ' Pascha' signifieth passing over; for what in Hebrew is expressed by the word ' Pascha,' in
? cross- Latin is interpreted ' transitus1. ' What is, Thou shall not
see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts ? Whom did Moses personify when it was said to him, TJiou shalt not see My Face, but thou shalt see My back parts, and that when I have passed by: but that thou mayest not see My Face,
,n*r
when
I
I trill lay My Hand
meant His former estate, and in a manner by His back parts, His passing from this world by His Passion. He
the flesh ? Because the Hand was heavy on them. For of Is. 6, 10. them had Esaias said, Make the heart of this people fat, and their eyes heavy. And they say in another Psalm, l's. 32,4. Thy Hand is heavy upon me. So that they might not then
upon
thee.
His Face
By He
to the Jews, they knew Him not. Them Moses when it was said to him, Thou canst not see My Face. But whence was it that they saw not the Lord in
appeared personified
They knew not our Lord till after His death.
perceive the divinity of Christ, {for had they known it, they Vtu. would not have crucified the Lord of glory, and if the Lord --~-- had not been crucified, His Blood would not have redeemed 2, 8. the world,) what did the Lord, but what the Apostle called
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge
of God; where he crieth out, O the depth of the riches of the Rom. ll, wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His 33' &e'
judgments, and His ways pastfinding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His coun
sellor ? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For of Him, and through Him,
and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. This the Apostle saith, because above he had said, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, that the fulness lb. 28, of the Gentiles might come in, and so all Israel might be26' saved. The Jews then were blinded in part, as their pride deserved, because they called themselves righteous;
and, being blinded, they crucified the Lord. He laid His Hand upon them that they might not see Him, while He passed by, that is, from this world to the Father. Let us see whether after He had passed by, they saw His back parts. The Lord rose again, appeared to His disciples, and to all
who had up to this time believed on Him ; not to those by whom He was crucified, because upon them He had laid His Hand while He passed by. Then He ascended into heaven, after He had tarried forty days with His disciples. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, He sent unto them His Holy Spirit. They, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in all men's tongues, who had been born in one, and had learnt one alone. Thousands of those who*had crucified the Lord were amazed and astonished at so great a miracle ; pricked to the heart at so great a miracle, they sought counsel of the Apostles, what they should do, when Christ was preached to them, wondering whence it came that unlearned men spake in every tongue. When then the Apostle Peter preached to them Christ, Whom they had despised on the Cross, Whom as a mortal man they had mocked, Whom they insulted because He came not down from the Cross, whereas surely it was a much greater thing to rise from the dead, as He did, than to come down
200 Sin keeps from knowing God.
Psalm from the Cross; -- when then he preached to them Christ, cixxrx. they said, What shall we do ? They who had raged against 37. 38. ' the Lord, Whom they saw, now seek counsel how they may
be saved ; and it is said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be forgiven you. Behold, they saw the back parts of Him, Whose face they could not see. For His Hand was upon their eyes, not for ever, but while He passed by. After lle had passed, He took away His Hand from their eyes. When the Hand was taken from their eyes, they say to the disciples, What shall we do ? At first they are fierce, afterwards loving; at first angry, afterwards fearful; at first hard, then pleasant; at first blind, then enlightened.
9. 1 think that we may also recognise in this Psalm the same kind of words of the Gentiles, remembering their Rom. u, unbelief. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all. Thou hast fashioned me, and
laid Thine Hand upon me. Thy knowledge is made won
derful from me; it hath waxed mighty,
I
attain unto it. Thou hast, as it were, laid Thine Hand upon
me : Thou hast been made wonderful unlo me, I comprehend
Thee not, with Whom I was. How easy to me was the Luteis, countenance of my Father, when I said, Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Behold now that I have gone
into a far country, and am crushed with hunger, difficult is it to me, and toil is before my eyes; I cannot perceive what I have abandoned. For Thy knowledge, saith he, is made wonderful from me. From my sin came it to pass, that it was made wonderful to me, and was incomprehensible to me. For easy was it to me to contemplate Thee, when I had not through pride left Thee. Thy knowledge is made
wonderful from me ; it hath waxed mighty ; I
shall not be able to attain unto it, that is, from myself. I shall not be able to attain to it from myself. When then 1 shall be able,
not, save of Thee, shall I be able.
10. Behold thou findest that the runaway in a far country
cannot escape His eyes, from Whom he fleeth. And whither >><<r. 7. can he go now, whose limiIt is tracked out ? Behold, what
Wi>><J. ] , saith he? Whither shall from
go Thy Spirit? the
for Spirit of the Lord filleth the earth. Who can in the world
shall not
be able to
We cannot flee from God, 201
flee from that Spirit, with Whom the world is filled? v<<.
I 8"
I
Whither shall
flee from Thy Face? He seeketh a place whither to flee
go Thy Spirit, and whither shall from
from the wrath of God. What place will shelter God's run away ? Men who shelter runaways, ask them from whom they have fled ; and when they find any one a slave of some master less powerful than themselves, him they shelter as it were without any fear, saying in their hearts, 4 he hath not a master by whom he can be tracked out. ' But when they are told of a powerful master, they either shelter not, or they shelter with great fear, because even a powerful man can be deceived. Where is God not ? Who can deceive God? Whom doth not God see? From whom doth not God demand His runaway ? Whither then shall that run away go from the Face of God ? He turneth him hither and thither, asIthough seeking a spot to flee to.
11. If go up, saith he, to heaven, Thou art there: if /ver. 8. go down to hell, Thou art present. At length, miserable runaway, thou hast learnt, that by no means canst thou
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away. Behold, He is every where ; thou, whither wilt thou go ? He hath found counsel, and Ithat
If
ousness. If by sinning I go down to the depths of wicked
nesses, and spurn to confess, saying, ' Who seeth me,' for in Ps. 6, 5. hell who shall confess to Thee? there also Thou art present,
to punish. Whither then shall I go that I may flee from
Thy presence, that is, not find Thee angry ?
12. This plan he found : So will I flee, saith he, from Thy
Face, so will I flee from Thy Spirit ; from Thy avenging
Spirit, Thy avenging Face thus will 1 flee. How? If I*TM- 9" lake again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea. So can I flee from Thy Face. If
he will flee to the utmost part of the sea from the Face of
God, will not He from Whom he fleeth be there, He of
inspired by Him, Who now deigneth to recall him.
up to heaven, Tliou art there : if 1 go down to hell, Thou art present. If I lift myself up, I find Thee pressing me down ; if 1 hide myself, I find Thee seeking me, and not only seeking me, but also tracking me out. For if I pride myself on my righteousness, Thou art there, Whose is true righte
go
202 save to God.
Psalm Whom he said, If I go down to hell, Thou art present ? cxxxix, glrange, if He be not in the utmost parts of the sea, Who not even in hell is absent. But I know, saith he, how 1
may flee from Thy wrath. I must take again my wings, not an erring course but right forward, that I neither be lifted up to proud presumption, nor be sunk down to aban doned despair.
I walk in the midst of tribulation.
of tribulation, Thou shall retire me. laugh. Blessed are they that mourn. t/iidst of tribulation, Thou shall revive me.
If
walk in the
Woe to them that Luke 6, If I walk in the
midst
8'
1 88 God sometimes saves from temporal ill, always from eternal.
Psalm mine enemies were wroth ; Thou hast avenged me on mine j? >>*U2 enem'es- The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall 10. gnash with his teeth, and melt away. Where be they that
said, ' Perish the name of Christians from off the earth ? ' Verily they either die, or are converted. Therefore, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine
P<<. 4l ,5. enemies ; while it was said, as is written, Mine enemies speak evil of me ; when shall he die, and his name perish ? When shall the name of Christians be blotted out from the earth? While they say this, some believed, some perished, some remained fearful. How greatly did the wrath of the enemy rage, when the blood of the mariyrs was being shed ! how did they think that they were blotting out the name of Christians from off the earth ! Thou hast stretched forth
Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. Lo ! they who persecuted the martyrs seek the memorials of the marivrs, either to worship there, or to be inebriated there : still they seek. Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe. According to my longing, Thy right hand hath made me safe. There is one kind of safety on the right hand, another on the left: tem poral and carnal safety on the left, everlasting safety with the Angels on the right. Therefore Christ, now that He is placed in immortality, is said to sit on the right hand of God. For God hath not in Himself right hand or left, but
by the right hand of God is expressed that happiness, which, since it cannot be shown to the eyes, is thus called. On this right hand of Thine Thou hast made me safe, not after
For Crispina was slain: did God then desert her? He made her not safe on the left hand, but He 2Mac. 7. did on the right. How great tortures did the Maccabees suffer? But the Three Children, while they walked in the
midst of the fire, praised God. The safety of the former was on the right hand, that of the latter on the left too. Sometimes then God saveth not His Saints on the left hand, on the right He always doth. The wicked for the most part He saveth on the left, on the right He doth not save them. For they who persecuted Crispina were sound in body: she was slain, they live: their safety is on the
temporal safety.
Explanation the money in the fish's mouth. 189
left hand, hers on the right: Thy right hand hath saved Ver.
me.
8-
15. Thou, Lord, shall recompense for me. I recompense ver. 8. not: Thou shalt recompense. Let mine enemies rage
their full : Thou shalt recompense what I cannot. Thou,
Lord, shalt recompense for me. Observe this in our Head
He suffered, He threatened not; but committed
to Him that judgeth righteously. What is, Thou, O Lord,
shalt recompense for me ? /, saith He, seek not Mine own John 8, glory; there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Dearly50' beloved, avenge noi'yourselves, saith the Apostle, but rather Rom. give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Venyeance is l2' 19" Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Thou, O Lord, shalt recompense for me.
16. There is here another sense not to be neglected, perhaps even to be preferred. Lord Christ, Thou shall repay for me. For I, if 1 repay, have seized ; Thou hast paid what Thou hast not seized. Lord, Thou shalt repay
for me. Behold Him repaying for us. They came to Mat. \7, Him, who exacted tribute: they used to demand as tribute 24~26- a didrachma, that is, two drachmas for one man ; they came
to the Lord to pay tribute ; or rather, not to Him, but to
His disciples, and they said to them, Doth not your Master pay tribute Y They came and told Him. Then said He, Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, of their
own children, or of strangers ? They answered, Of strangers. He saith, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, He saith unto Peter, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and lake up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou sluill find a staler, (that is, two didrachmas, for a stater is a weight equivalent to four drachmas,) that take, and give for Me and thee. Thou, Lord, shalt repag for me. Rightly have we the first fish taken by the hook, caught by the hook, the first that riseth from the sea, the First-begotten from the dead. In His mouth we find two didrachmas, that
Himself. For He hath left us an example, that we should 1 Pe'-2, . 21 -- 23.
follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth : Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; saying, Thou, Lord, shalt recompense for me. When
Himself
Psalm xw
190 Our good works God's work in us.
four drachmas in His mouth we find the four Gospels. tllose four drachmas we are free from the claims of this world, by the four Evangelists we remain no longer debtors; for there the debt of all our sins paid. He then hath
repaid for us, thanks to His mercy. He owed nothing: John u, He repaid not for Himself: He repaid for us. Behold,
30 31
Jer. 17, "'
He saith, the prince this world cometh, and shall find nothing in Me. What is, shall find nothing in Me? He shall find no sin in Me he hath not wherefore he should put Me to death. But that all may know, He saith, that
do the trill of My Father arise, let us go hence. suffer not of necessity, but of free-will, paying that owe not.
Thou, Lord, shalt repay for me.
17. Lord, Thy mercy is for everlasting. What should
long for? not man's day. have not toiledfrom following Thee, Lord, and the day man have not desired: Thou knoic est. Behold, the holy martyr Crispina had longed for man's day, she would have denied Christ. Longer would she live here, but for everlasting she would not live. She chose rather to live for everlasting, than for little longer to live
in this world. Finally, Lord, Thy mercy for everlasting not for time only do desire to be freed. Thy mercy
for everlasting, wherewith Thou hast freed the martyrs, and so hast quickly taken them from this life. Lord, Thy mercy is for everlasting.
18. Despise not Tliou the works of Tliine own hands. say not, Lord, despise not the works of my hands of
mine own works boast not. sought, indeed, the Lord with my hands in the night season before Him, and have not been deceived but yet praise not the works of mine own hands; fear lest, when Thou shalt look into them, Thou find more sins in them than deserts. This only ask, this
say, this long to obtain, Despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands. Behold in me Thy Work, not mine: for mine Thou seest, Thou condemnest; Thine, Thou
seest, Thou crownest. For whatever good works there be of
mine, from Thee are they to me and so they are more Eph. Thine than mine. For hear from Thine Apostle, By
~ ' grace are ye saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves, the gift rf God; not of works, lest any man should
it is
2, I I I is
I
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is,
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The Head and the Body one Christ. 191
boast : for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus Veh.
'
PSALM CXXXIX. Lat. CxxxVIII
Sermon to the People.
1. We had prepared us a short Psalm, and had desired
the reader to chant it ; but he, through confusion at the
time, as it seems, has substituted another for it. We have chosen to follow the will of God in the reader's mistake,
rather than our own will by keeping our purpose. If then through its length we shall detain you somewhat longer
than usual, impute it not to us, but believe that God hath willed that we should labour not without fruit. For neither
in vain did we receive as our penalty for the first sin, that
in the sweat of our face we should eat bread : only take GeD. 3, heed that it be bread. But bread it is, if it be Christ. / am, l9" saith He, the living Bread that came down from Heaven. John c,
Whom we have manifested in the Gospel, Him let us seek41,
in the Prophets also. They see Him not there on whose
hearts the veil still remains, whereof ye heard, beloved, yes- 2 Cor. 3, terday. But forasmuch as for us the evening sacrifice of
the Lord's Cross hath rent the veil, so that the secrets of the Temple now lie open, so long as Christ is preached to us, though it be with labour and sweat, yet have we bread given us to eat.
2. But our Lord Jesus Christ speaketh in the Prophets, sometimes in the character of our Head, that Christ Himself, our Saviour, sitting at the right hand of the Father: but He also was for us born of Virgin, and suffered, as ye know, under Pontins Pilate by the shedding of His innocent blood, which our price, He hath redeemed us guilty from the captivity wherein we were held by the devil, for
giving us our trespasses, and with His Blood, which our price, blotting out the handwriting whereby we were held debtors. He the Ruler and Spouse and Redeemer of the
unto good works. Therefore whether in regard that we are men, or in regard that we have been changed and justified from our iniquity, Lord, despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands.
is
is
is
;
a
is,
192 The Church formed from Christ, as Eve from Adam.
Psalm Church, He our Head. And verily if He be a Head, He -xx -- bath a Body. But His Body is the Holy Church, which is l Cor. also His bride; to whom the Apostle saith, Ye are the Body
12, >7. 0y Christ, and members in particular. Whole Christ there fore is Head and Body, like an entire man : for the woman was both made of man and belongeth to man ; and it was
Gee 2, said of the first marriage, they twain shall be one flesh.
24'
speak concern ing Christ and the Church. He calls moreover Adam Rom. 5, himself the figure of Him that was to come: who is, saith he, the figure of Him that was to come. If then Adam be the figure of Him that was to come, just as Eve was made
'
Me? Let us hear then our Lord Jesus Christ speaking in prophecy. For the Psalms were sung long before the Lord
But this the Apostle explains as a mystery, that it was not said without meaning of those two persons, but because in them was already prefigured Christ and His Church. For thus the Apostle expoundeth it: they twainI, saith he, shall
be one flesh : this is a great mystery, but
from the side of Adam as he slept, so from the Side of. the Lord, as He slept, that is, as He was dying in His Passion, and was pierced on the Cross by the spear, flowed forth the Sacraments, whereby the Church was to be formed. For of that same coming Passion of His He speaketh in another
Ps. 3, 6. Psalm, / laid me down, and slept, and rose up again, for the Lord shall sustain Me. The sleep then meaneth the Passion. Eve was formed from the side of one sleeping, the Church from the side of One suffering. Our Lord Jesus Christ then speaketh in the Prophets, sometimes in His own Name, sometimes in ours, because He maketh Himself one with us ; as it is said, they twain shall be one
flesh. Wherefore also the Lord saith in the Gospel, speak ing of marriage, therefore they are no more twain, but one
One flesh, because of our mortality He took flesh ; not one divinity, for He is the Creator, we the creature. Whatsoever then our Lord speaketh in the person of the Flesh He took upon Him, belongeth both to that Head which hath already ascended into heaven, and to those members which still toil in their earthly wandering; for which toiling members, when Saul was persecuting them,
Acta 9, He cried from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecuIest thou
flesh.
God both Father and Lord of Christ. 193
was born of Mary, yet not before He was Lord; for from Vrr. everlasting He was the Creator of all things, but in time He :-- was born of His creature. Let us believe that Godhead,
and, so far as we can, understand Him to be equal to the Father. But that Godhead equal to the Father, was made partaker of our mortal nature, not of His own store, but of
ours; that we too might be made partakers of His Divine Nature, not of our store, but of His.
3. Lord, Thou hast tried me, and known me. Let the <<r. 1. Lord Jesus Christ Himself say this; let Him too say, ' Lord,'
to the Father. For His Father is not His Lord, save because He hath deigned to be born according to the
flesh. He is Father of the God, Lord of the Man. Wouldest thou know to whom He is Father ? To the coequal Sou. The Apostle saith, Who, being in the form Phil. 2, of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. To6-'- this Form God is Father, the Form equal to Himself, the only-begotten Son, begotten of His Substance. But for
asmuch as for our sakes, that we might be re-made, and made partakers of His Divine Nature, being renewed unto life eternal, He was made partaker of our mortal nature, what saith the Apostle of Him, after that he had said,
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God? He saith, yet He emptied Himself,
and look upon Him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man.
He was in the Form of God, equal to the Father; He took
upon Him the form of a servant, so as therein to be less
than the Father. Whence He saith both in the Gospel ;
both, / and the Father are one; and, For my Father isjohnio, greater than 1:1 and the Father are one, according to the
Form of God Tlie Father greater than according to 28. the form of servant. Therefore since He both Father and Lord, Father of the Form of God, Lord of the form of
servant, let Him then say, and let not us wonder or be offended that the only-begotten Son of God saith Lord, Thou hast proved me; and known me. Thou hast proved me, and known me not because He did not know before, but because He made Him known to others Thou hast proved me, he saith, and known me.
VOL. vi.
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is I, it,
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194 ' Down -sitting, ' Confession : ' up-rising,' Justification.
Psalm 4. Thou hast known My down-sitting and Mine up-rising. xxxix. What here is down-sitting, what up-rising? He who sitteth,
humbleth himself. The Lord then sat in His Passion, up-rose in His Resurrection. Thou, he saith, hast known this; that is, Thou hast willed, Thou hast approved; ac cording to Thy will was it done. But if thou choosest to take the words of the Head in the person of the Body, let us too say, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. For man sitteth when he humbleth himself in penitence, he riseth up when his sins are forgiven, and he is lifted up to the hope of everlasting life. Wherefore it
Ps. 127, is said also in another Psalm, Rise up after ye hare sat
3-
down, ye that eat the bread of sorrow. Penitents eat the
bread of sorrow; as they sing in another Psalm, saying, Pa. 42, My tears have been my meat day and night. What then meaneth, Rise up after ye have sat down ? Lift not up yourselves, unless ye have first been humbled. For many wish to rise before they have sat down, they wish to appear righteous, before they have confessed that they are sinners.
ver. 1. 2.
If then thou take the verse in the person of our Head, under stand thus, Thou hast known My down-sitting, and Mine up-rising, that My Passion and My Resurrection in the person of the Body, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising, before Thine eyes have confessed my sins, and by Thy grace have been justified.
5. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. What is, from afar While
am yet in my pilgrimage, before reach that, my true
country, Thou hast known my thoughts. Consider the
Lukeis, younger son in the parable, for he too was made the Body
11.
o? Qhrist, the Church which came in from the Gentiles.
This younger son then had gone into far country for a certain father had two sons; the elder had not gone far away, but wrought in his fields, and signifieth the saints under the Law, who did the works and precepts of the Law. But the rest of the human race, which had turned aside to worship idols, had wandered into far country. What maketh thee so far from Him Who made thee, as the false god which thou hast made for thyself? The younger son
aI a
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The Prodigal Son explained. 195
then went into a far country, taking with him his substance, Ver. and, as we learn in the Gospel, wasted it, living prodigally "--:-- with harlots; and being in want, he joined himself to a certain great man of that country, who appointed him to
father.
feed his swine; and he would fain have filled himself with the husks they eat, and could not. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, / will arise, and go to my
I will arise, said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, Thou hast known my down-sitting and mine up-rising. I sat, in want; 1 arose, in longing for Thy Bread. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. For far indeed had 1 gone ; but where is not He whom I had left? Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar. Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. Truly; for he had understood his thoughts from afar. My path and my limit Thou hast tracked out. Mij path, he saith ; what, but a bad path, the path he had walked to leave his Father, as though he could be hid from His eyes when He would punish ? nay more, as though he would have been crushed in that want, or been set to feed swine, save that his Father willed to scourge him afar, that He might receive him again near. So then, like a runaway slave that is caught, when the lawful vengeance of God was following him, that
vengeance that punisheth our affections, whithersoever we go, and how far soever we have gone, like a runaway slave, I say, that is caught, he saith, Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. What my path that by which
have gone. What is, my limit? that wherennto have reached. Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit. That limit of mine, far distant as was, was not far from Thine eyes. Far had gone, and yel Thou wast there.
Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit.
6. And all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand. He said
not, hast seen, but, hast seen beforehand. Before went
by them, before walked in them, Thou didst see them beforehand and Thou didst permit me in toil to go my ownways, that, desired not to toil, might return into
Thy ways. For there no deceit in my tongue. Whatrer. 3.
o
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19(i We must return from sin to God.
Psalm meant he by this? Lo, I confess to Thee, I have walked --:---in mine own way, I am become far from Thee, I have departed from Thee, with Whom it was well with me, and
vet. 4.
to my good it was ill with me without Thee. For, had it been well with me without Thee, perchance 1 had been unwilling to return to Thee. So he, confessing his sins, saying that the Body of Christ was justified, not in itself, but by His grace, said, There is no deceit in my tongue.
7. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my last doings, and the ancient ones. Thou hast known my latest doings, when I fed swine; Thou hast known my ancient doings, when I asked of Thee my portion of goods. Ancient doings were the beginnings to me of latest ills: ancient sin, when we fell; latest punishment, when we came into this toilsome and dangerous mortality. And would that this may be latest to us; it will be, if now we will to return. For there is another latest for certain wicked ones, to whom it shall be
Mat. 25, said, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
4 1'
ver. 5.
his angels. And we, brethren, have heretofore abandoned God, let it be toil enough to us to have come into this mortality. Remember we our Father's Bread ; recollect we the bliss of our Father's Home ; delight we not in the husks of swine, the doctrines of devils. Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my latest doings, and the ancient ones ; the latest, wherennto I have come ; the ancient, wherein I offended Thee. Thou hast fashioned me, and hast laid Thine hand upon me. Fashioned me, where ? In this mortality ; now, to the toils wherennto we all are born. For none is born, but God has fashioned him in his mother's womb; nor is there any creature, whereof God is not the Fashioner. But
Thou hast fashioned me in this toil, and laid Thine hand upon me, Thine avenging hand, putting down the proud. For thus healthfully hath He cast down the proud, that He may lift him up humble. Thou hast fashioned me, and laid
Thine hand upon me.
ver. 6.
8. Thy skill haIth displayed itself u onderfully in me : it hath
no small pleasure in the understanding thereof. Moses, the holy servant of God, with whom God spake by a cloud,--
waxed mighty:
shall not be able to attain unto it. Listen now and hear somewhat, which is obscure indeed, yet bringeth
God speaks through human means.
197
for, speaking after human fashion, He must needs speak to Ver. His servant through some work of His hands which He assumed, that is, not by His own substance, but by some
bodily work of His hands which He assumed, that through it those words might be spoken, and sound in human and mortal ears; for thus did God speak then, not as He speaketh in His own substance. For how doth He speak in His own substance ? The Word of God is God's speech : and the Word of God is Christ: that Word soundeth not and then passeth away, but ever unchangeably remaineth the Word, by Whom all things were made. To which Word (for He is also the Wisdom of God) it is said, Thou shall change them, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same ; and in another place where Scripture is speaking of Wisdom
it saith, remaining in herself she maketh all things new; that abiding Wisdom then, if we may even say abiding; (but it is such because He changeth not, not because He moveth not ;) and that ever continueth in the same way, never varying in place or time, in no place otherwise than in any other place ; at no time otherwise than in all other time; He is the Speech of God. But the speech which was addressed to Moses, being addressed to man, was by syllables, by passing sounds; and they
would not be, had not God assumed one of the works of
His hand, such as might utter such discourse and words --
holy Moses, I say, knew that that speech of God was uttered by means of certain corporeal works of God's hand
which He assumed, and he longed and desired to see the
true appearance of God, and said to God, Who was convers
ing with him, If now I hare found grace in Thy sight, s/'<? m>Ex. 33, me Thyself. When this he desired vehemently, and would l3. extort from God in that sort of friendly familiarity, if we
may so speak, wherewith God deigned to treat him, that
he might see His Glory and His Face, in such wise as we
can speak of God's Face, He said unto him, Thou canst not ibid. 20. see My Face ; for no one hath seen My Face, and lived ; but
1 will place thee in a clift of the rock, and will pass by, and
will set My hand upon thee ; and when I have passed by,
thou shalt see My back parts. And from these words there
ariseth another enigma, that is, an obscure figure of the
198 Moses a type of the Jewish People.
Pralm truth. When I have passed by, saith God, thou shall see My hack parts; as though He hath on one side His face, on another His back. Far be it from us to have any such thoughts of that Majesty ! For whoso hath such thoughts of God, what advantageth it him that the temples are closed ?
He is building an idol in his own heart. In these words then are mighty mysteries. The Lord spake, as I said, by one of the works of His hand, what He would say to His servant. Thereby was meant the Person of our Lord and
Phil. 2. Saviour Jesus Christ Himself; Who according to the form of God indeed, wherein He is equal to the Father, is equally
with the Father invisible to eye of man. For if human wisdom cannot be seen with the eye, can the Virtue and Wisdom of God be seen by eye of flesh ? But forasmuch as the Lord was about to take flesh in due time, so as to appear even to fleshly eyes, that healthfully He might cure the soul within, since thus it was needful that He should appear, foretelling this, He saith to Moses in a figure, Thou canst not see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts,
have passed by thee. But that thou mayest not see My Face, My Hand shall be upon thee. What was 'to pass by' to the Lord, save what the Evangelist saith, But
when the hour was come, that Jesus should pass from this world to the Father? For ' Pascha' signifieth passing over; for what in Hebrew is expressed by the word ' Pascha,' in
? cross- Latin is interpreted ' transitus1. ' What is, Thou shall not
see My Face, but thou shall see My back parts ? Whom did Moses personify when it was said to him, TJiou shalt not see My Face, but thou shalt see My back parts, and that when I have passed by: but that thou mayest not see My Face,
,n*r
when
I
I trill lay My Hand
meant His former estate, and in a manner by His back parts, His passing from this world by His Passion. He
the flesh ? Because the Hand was heavy on them. For of Is. 6, 10. them had Esaias said, Make the heart of this people fat, and their eyes heavy. And they say in another Psalm, l's. 32,4. Thy Hand is heavy upon me. So that they might not then
upon
thee.
His Face
By He
to the Jews, they knew Him not. Them Moses when it was said to him, Thou canst not see My Face. But whence was it that they saw not the Lord in
appeared personified
They knew not our Lord till after His death.
perceive the divinity of Christ, {for had they known it, they Vtu. would not have crucified the Lord of glory, and if the Lord --~-- had not been crucified, His Blood would not have redeemed 2, 8. the world,) what did the Lord, but what the Apostle called
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge
of God; where he crieth out, O the depth of the riches of the Rom. ll, wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His 33' &e'
judgments, and His ways pastfinding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His coun
sellor ? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For of Him, and through Him,
and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. This the Apostle saith, because above he had said, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, that the fulness lb. 28, of the Gentiles might come in, and so all Israel might be26' saved. The Jews then were blinded in part, as their pride deserved, because they called themselves righteous;
and, being blinded, they crucified the Lord. He laid His Hand upon them that they might not see Him, while He passed by, that is, from this world to the Father. Let us see whether after He had passed by, they saw His back parts. The Lord rose again, appeared to His disciples, and to all
who had up to this time believed on Him ; not to those by whom He was crucified, because upon them He had laid His Hand while He passed by. Then He ascended into heaven, after He had tarried forty days with His disciples. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, He sent unto them His Holy Spirit. They, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in all men's tongues, who had been born in one, and had learnt one alone. Thousands of those who*had crucified the Lord were amazed and astonished at so great a miracle ; pricked to the heart at so great a miracle, they sought counsel of the Apostles, what they should do, when Christ was preached to them, wondering whence it came that unlearned men spake in every tongue. When then the Apostle Peter preached to them Christ, Whom they had despised on the Cross, Whom as a mortal man they had mocked, Whom they insulted because He came not down from the Cross, whereas surely it was a much greater thing to rise from the dead, as He did, than to come down
200 Sin keeps from knowing God.
Psalm from the Cross; -- when then he preached to them Christ, cixxrx. they said, What shall we do ? They who had raged against 37. 38. ' the Lord, Whom they saw, now seek counsel how they may
be saved ; and it is said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be forgiven you. Behold, they saw the back parts of Him, Whose face they could not see. For His Hand was upon their eyes, not for ever, but while He passed by. After lle had passed, He took away His Hand from their eyes. When the Hand was taken from their eyes, they say to the disciples, What shall we do ? At first they are fierce, afterwards loving; at first angry, afterwards fearful; at first hard, then pleasant; at first blind, then enlightened.
9. 1 think that we may also recognise in this Psalm the same kind of words of the Gentiles, remembering their Rom. u, unbelief. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all. Thou hast fashioned me, and
laid Thine Hand upon me. Thy knowledge is made won
derful from me; it hath waxed mighty,
I
attain unto it. Thou hast, as it were, laid Thine Hand upon
me : Thou hast been made wonderful unlo me, I comprehend
Thee not, with Whom I was. How easy to me was the Luteis, countenance of my Father, when I said, Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Behold now that I have gone
into a far country, and am crushed with hunger, difficult is it to me, and toil is before my eyes; I cannot perceive what I have abandoned. For Thy knowledge, saith he, is made wonderful from me. From my sin came it to pass, that it was made wonderful to me, and was incomprehensible to me. For easy was it to me to contemplate Thee, when I had not through pride left Thee. Thy knowledge is made
wonderful from me ; it hath waxed mighty ; I
shall not be able to attain unto it, that is, from myself. I shall not be able to attain to it from myself. When then 1 shall be able,
not, save of Thee, shall I be able.
10. Behold thou findest that the runaway in a far country
cannot escape His eyes, from Whom he fleeth. And whither >><<r. 7. can he go now, whose limiIt is tracked out ? Behold, what
Wi>><J. ] , saith he? Whither shall from
go Thy Spirit? the
for Spirit of the Lord filleth the earth. Who can in the world
shall not
be able to
We cannot flee from God, 201
flee from that Spirit, with Whom the world is filled? v<<.
I 8"
I
Whither shall
flee from Thy Face? He seeketh a place whither to flee
go Thy Spirit, and whither shall from
from the wrath of God. What place will shelter God's run away ? Men who shelter runaways, ask them from whom they have fled ; and when they find any one a slave of some master less powerful than themselves, him they shelter as it were without any fear, saying in their hearts, 4 he hath not a master by whom he can be tracked out. ' But when they are told of a powerful master, they either shelter not, or they shelter with great fear, because even a powerful man can be deceived. Where is God not ? Who can deceive God? Whom doth not God see? From whom doth not God demand His runaway ? Whither then shall that run away go from the Face of God ? He turneth him hither and thither, asIthough seeking a spot to flee to.
11. If go up, saith he, to heaven, Thou art there: if /ver. 8. go down to hell, Thou art present. At length, miserable runaway, thou hast learnt, that by no means canst thou
make thyself far from Him, from Whom thou hast wished
to remove far away. Behold, He is every where ; thou, whither wilt thou go ? He hath found counsel, and Ithat
If
ousness. If by sinning I go down to the depths of wicked
nesses, and spurn to confess, saying, ' Who seeth me,' for in Ps. 6, 5. hell who shall confess to Thee? there also Thou art present,
to punish. Whither then shall I go that I may flee from
Thy presence, that is, not find Thee angry ?
12. This plan he found : So will I flee, saith he, from Thy
Face, so will I flee from Thy Spirit ; from Thy avenging
Spirit, Thy avenging Face thus will 1 flee. How? If I*TM- 9" lake again my wings right forward, and abide in the utmost parts of the sea. So can I flee from Thy Face. If
he will flee to the utmost part of the sea from the Face of
God, will not He from Whom he fleeth be there, He of
inspired by Him, Who now deigneth to recall him.
up to heaven, Tliou art there : if 1 go down to hell, Thou art present. If I lift myself up, I find Thee pressing me down ; if 1 hide myself, I find Thee seeking me, and not only seeking me, but also tracking me out. For if I pride myself on my righteousness, Thou art there, Whose is true righte
go
202 save to God.
Psalm Whom he said, If I go down to hell, Thou art present ? cxxxix, glrange, if He be not in the utmost parts of the sea, Who not even in hell is absent. But I know, saith he, how 1
may flee from Thy wrath. I must take again my wings, not an erring course but right forward, that I neither be lifted up to proud presumption, nor be sunk down to aban doned despair.
