For even when men are stirred up against us, they are made the
instruments
of these.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
And unless, if thou art any thing, what thou art thyself console thee, thou dost not believe there is any other like thee.
A good conscience, whatever it be, consoleth a man, so as that a man whose life is good may say to himself, " O thou, who art fearing now lest all be such, art thou such ?
" Conscience makes answer, " I am not.
" Then, if thou art not such, art thou alone ?
Beware lest this pride be worse than that wickedness.
Say not that thou art alone.
For so Elias once for weariness of the multitude
of the ungodly said, They havIe killed Thy prophets, and^om. lit
digged down Thy altars ,? and
my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him ? /j*' 10.
have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. Therefore, Brethren, amid these offences, there is one remedy -- that thou think not badly of thy brother. Be thou in humility, what thou wouldest have him be, and thou wilt not think him to be what thou art not. But still he is made a fear even to his
acquaintance, even to those who have had proof of him.
8. They that did see me, fled without from me. It were pardonable, if they that did not see me, had fled without from me ; for even they that did see me, fled without from me.
But if they that did not see me, have fled without from me ; (and it must not be said, they fled without, for they were never within ; for if they had been within, they would have seen me ; that is, they would have recognised the Body of Christ, they would have recognised the members of Christ, they would have recognised the unity of Christ. ) This is more to be lamented, this is altogether unbearable, that many who saw me, fled without from me; that is, many, who had knowledge of what the Church was, went out, and made heresies and schisms against the Church. To-day, for instance, you find a man born in Donatus' party, he knows s
am alone, and they seek \ Kings left
258 Those who leave the Church sin against clear Prophecies.
Psalm not what the Church he holds to what he was born in; Exp. ii. you cannot tear him away from the usage which he has
Serm. sucked in with his nurse's milk. Give me man who '-- daily conversant with Scripture, who reads who preaches
Ps. 2,8. it. Is possible, ask, that he does not see there, Desire ofMe, and shall give thee the heathen for thine inherit ance, and the limits of the earth for thy possession Does
Ps. 22, he not see there, All the ends of the world shall remember
27
themselves and be turned unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him If thou seest there the unity of the whole world, why dost thou without, so as not only thyself to suffer blindness, but also to create blindness for others They that did see me, that
who knew what the Church was, who saw in the Scriptures, fled without from me. For think ye, my Brethren, that all they who have made heresies in divers parts and places, have not known in the Scriptures of God that the Church hath not been foretold but as diffused throughout the whole globe say the truth, dearly beloved we are all at least Christians, or are all called Christians, and all sign ourselves
with the sign of Christ the prophets have spoken more ob scurely of Christ, than of the Church suppose because they saw in the spirit that men would make parties against the Church, and would not have so much strife concerning Christ, concerning the Church would stir up great con tentions. And hence that out of which greater contentions
were to arise was more plainly predicted and openly pro phesied of, that may avail for the conviction of those who have seen and fled without.
9. For example will mention one instance Abraham was our father not by reason of carnal propagation, but of the imitation of faith. Righteous and well-pleasing to God, by faith he begat son, Isaac, who had been promised to
him, of Sarah his wife being barren, in his old age this same son he was commanded to offer up to God, he doubted
not, nor disputed, nor argued about God's
thought that evil which The Best could enjoin. He led his son to be offered up, placed upon him the wood for the sacrifice, came to the spot, raised his right hand to strike him, lowered at His prohibition at Whose command he
command, nor
it
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;
;
is,
? II
it
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is, fly
is
;
it,
1
Those of the Church are plain, those of Christ figurative. 259
had lifted it up ; he who had obeyed to strike the blow, Ver.
'
obeyed to spare ; every where obedient, never fearful ; but
that the sacrifice might be completed and they might not go
away without blood, a ram was found caught in a thicket by Gen. 22, his horns ; it was offered up, the sacrifice was accomplished. 13, Search what this means : it is a figure of Christ wrapped up
in a mystery '. Now that it may be seen, it is examined : that ' sacra- it may be seen, it is thoroughly discussed that what isme wrapped up may be unrolled. Isaac as the only beloved
son, having the type of the Son of God, carrying the wood
for himself, as Christ carried the cross. Finally, that very
ram signified Christ. For what is it to be caught by the
horns, but in a manner to be crucified ? This is a figure of Christ. Forthwith the Church was to be preached ; the
Head having been fore-announced, the Body was to be fore- announced too. The Spirit of God began, God began to
wish to preach the Church to Abraham, and took away all
figure. He was preaching Christ in figure, He preached the Church openly; for He saith to Abraham, Because thou hastGeo. Ti, obeyed My voice, and hast not spared thy beloved son, for
My sake, in blessing will bless thee, and in multiplying
will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand
of the sea, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed. And almost every where Christ preached by
the prophets in some cover of mystery, the Church openly that they even might see her who were to rise against her, and this wickedness might be fulfilled in them which the Psalm foretold, They that did see me, fled without from me.
They went out from us, but they were not of us: this the1 John Apostle John said of them.
10. Ver. 12. have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. have been forgotten, have fallen into oblivion, they that saw me have forgotten me; they have forgotten me, and so forgotten me as were dead from their hearts.
have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. have become as a lost vessel. What this, have become as a lost vessel He was toiling, and profiting none he saw that he was vessel, and profited none, and he saith that he as it were lost vessel.
11. Ver. 13. For have heard the rebuking of many s2
/
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if IIa
;
260 Indiscriminate censure.
Psalm dwelling by in a circle. Exp. II. blame me daily. How
Hope not to be placed in any man.
Many dwell by in my circle, and
many evil words do they speak Serm. against wicked Christians --evil words which reach to all Christians. For does he,"who speaks evil of, or blames,
Christians, does he say, See what bad Christians do? " No, but, " See what Christians do. " He makes no separa tion, does not discriminate. Yet they say this, who dwell by in a circle ; that is, who go round about and do not enter. Why go they round about and do not enter ? Because they love the wheel of time. They do not enter into truth, because they do not love eternity : devoted to things temporal, as it were fast bound to a wheel ; of whom it is
Ps. 83, said elsewhere, Make their princes as a wheel ; and again, Ps 12 8 The ungodly walk in a circle. Whilst they were assembling
themselves together against me, they conspired that they
What they have conspired that they That might consent to their wicked
might take my soul.
might take my soul
nesses. For
do not enter in, that they do not enter in they would more-
little matter for those that speak evil and
'al. 'caatover cast men out hence by their rebuking. If they have cast thee out of the Church, they have taken thy soul that have obtained thy consent, and thou wilt be in a circle,
man- not in rest'.
12. But amidst those reproaches, amidst those scandals,
amidst those evils, amidst these seductions, ungodlinesses without and perversenesses within, when was looking for righteous men and seeking whom to imitate, and there were none, what did do? what counsel did find? (Ver. 14. ) But have hoped in Thee, Lord. Nothing more healthful, nothing more secure. Thou wast wishing to imitate some one, thou didst find him not good. Away with this imitation. Thou didst seek another something or other displeased thee thou didst seek third, and he too did not please what, because this one and that one did not please, shalt thou
Jer. 17, too be lost Take away thy hope from man, for cursed be every
5'
one who putteth his hope in man. If thou look still to man, and seekest to imitate him and depend on him, thou dost wish still to be fed with milk, and thou wilt become breast-
>>mam- breda, as those children are called who suck longer than
threptusthey
ought. For to use milk, to wish food to be passed into
a
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;
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Error ofresting on one man. The lotofyrace in God's hand. 26 1
one as it were through the flesh, --this is to live by man. Vek.
--
Get strength for the table, thence take nourishment from whence he took it or perchance did not take it. Perhaps thou hast to thy profit fallen in with a bad one whom thou thoughtest good, that so thou mightest find bitterness as it were in thy mother's milk, and so by that distaste be repelled, and attracted to stronger food. For nurses act thus to the breast-bred, place something bitter on the nipples of their breasts; by which infants being disgusted, refuse the breast, and crave after the table. Therefore let him say, But I
have have said, Thou art my God. Thou art my God. Let Donatus retire, Cajcilianus retire ;
hoped in Thee, O Lord ;
I
neither the one or the other is my God. I do not walk after man's name, 1 hold to the Name of Christ. Hear Paul him self saying, Was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye baptized
l Cor. 1.
I should be lost, if I were of Paul's party: how shall I not be lost, if I shall be of Donatus' party ? Yes, let them retire altogether, men's nameIs, men's
in the name of Paul Y
Icharges ; men's fictions. In Jhee, O Lord, have
hoped;
have said, Thou art my God. Not man, but Tfiou art any
my God. One man faileth, another advanceth; my God neither faileth, nor advanceth; nor hath the Perfect One any whither to advance, nor the Eternal any whither to fail. I said to the Lord, Tliou art my God.
18. Ver. 15. In Thy Hands are my lots. Not in hands of
men, but in Thy Hands. What are these lots ? How lots ? When we hear the word lots, we must not look out for lot- sorti- diviners. For the lot is no evil thing, but it is an event, in egos' human doubt, indicating the Divine will. For so the Apostles cast lots, when Judas perished after betraying his
Lord, and, as it was written of him, He went to his own Acts 1,
place; then began search to be made, who should be ordained in his place, two were chosen by man's judgment,
and of the two, one was chosen by Divine judgment. God
was consulted concerning the two, which of them it would
be, and the lot fell upon Matthias. What then is, In 7% lb. 26. Hands are my lots ? By lots, to the best of my opinion, he expressed the grace whereby we are saved. Why does he
call the grace of God by the name of lot ? Because in a lot there is no choice, but the will of God. For when it is said,
262 Grace a lot, because given without our desert.
Psalm this man does so, that man does not, there is an estimate of XXXI
Exp. 1I. deserts ; and when deserts are estimated, there is choice, not Serm. iot_ 13ut since God hath found no deserts of ours, He hath saved us by the lot of His own will, because He willed, not because we were worthy. This is a lot. With much signi-
merito
Johnio, ficance upon that vesture of the Lord woven from the top,
which signifies the eternity of love, when it could not be divided by the persecutors was the lot cast. By them to whom it came it signified those who seem to attain to the
Eph. 2, lot of the Saints. By grace ye are saved through faith, saith the Apostle. By grace ye are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves. (Recognise the lot. ) And this not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not of works, (as if ye did any good, and so were worthy of attaining thereunto ;) not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works.
Acts 8,
This so to say hidden lot is the will of God; it is a lot among mankind, a lot coming from the hidden will of God, with Whom there is no unrighteousness. For He accepteth no man's person, but His hidden justice is to thee a lot.
14. Mark therefore, dearly Beloved, see, how this very thing is confirmed by the Apostle Peter. When that Simon, the sorcerer, having been baptized by Philip, continued with him, believing the Divine miracles which were performed in his sight ; the Apostles came to Samaria, where this sorcerer also had himself believed, and where he had been baptized; the Apostles laid their hands on the baptized, and they received the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues; Simon wondered, and was astounded at so great a Divine miracle, that at the laying on of men's hands the Holy
Ghost came and filled men; and he longed for this, not grace, but power; not whereby he might be set free, but whereby he might be puffed up. But when he longed for this, and pride and devilish ungodliness, and exaltation which deserved a fall, had filled his heart, he said to the Apostles, How much money would you take of me, that men may receive the Holy Ghost at the laying on of my hands too? He who was seeking after things of this world, who
was dwelling by in a circle, thought that for money he could buy the gift of God. He who thought that he could
Simon's error, in thinking to buy God's Gift. 263
by money procure the Holy Ghost, judged the Apostles also Ver.
'. -- Forthwith Peter said, Thy money go into perdition with thee, lb. 20,
to be covetous, as he was himself ungodly and proud.
because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith ; that thou dost not belong to this grace, which we all receive freely, because thou dost think to buy that which given freely. Now from this, that given freely,
'
called a lot. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this have said thus much, that we might not be alarmed at what he saith, In Thy Hands are my lots. For what are lots The Church's inheritance. To what
faith.
extent the Church's inheritance? Within what bounds?
Even unto all bounds. will give thee the heathen for Pg. 2,8. thine inheritance, and the boundaries the earth for thy
possession. Let not man promise me some small portion or other my God, in Thy Hands are my lots. Let this suffice you, dearly Beloved, for the present; the remainder in the Lord's Name and with His help we will make good to-morrow.
SERMON III.
The remainder of this Psalm, on which we have already delivered two discourses, somewhat more than
third part of and we see that to-day our task must be fulfilled. Wherefore beg of you, dearly Beloved, to be content that we do not dwell on the plainer words of
that those parts may occupy us which necessary to explain. For there are many things which occur spon taneously to the minds of the faithful, many which need
brief hint, while there are some, though more infrequent,
on which much labour must be bestowed that they may be understood. That the time then may suffice both for your strength and mine, see how evident these parts are, and recognise them without further delay1 together with us, and1 potius praise God in them with us and the Psalm pray, do ye
pray; and rejoice; and For all that
lament, do ye lament; and joy, do ye hope, do ye hope; and fear, do ye fear.
here written, mirror for us.
is if if it it
it, I
is ; a
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if it of
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it is
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264 Satan the enemy we pray against, the ruler of darkness. Psalm 2. Ver. 1 5. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies
XXXI from them that persecute me. Let us Exp. lf. anc^ say
this, yea let Serm. each one, for his own enemies, say this. For good it is, and -- we ought to pray that God would deliver us from the hands of our enemies. Rut we must understand for what enemies we are to pray, and what to pray against. Men, who are our
enemies, whatsoever they be, must not be held in hatred, lest, when a bad man hates a bad man, from whom he is suffering, there be two bad men. Let the good man love even the bad man from whom he suffers ; that there be at all events but one bad man. Those are the enemies against whom we must pray, the devil and his angels ; they envy us the kingdom of heaven, they would not that we should ascend up whence they have been cast down ; from these let us pray that our soul be delivered.
For even when men are stirred up against us, they are made the instruments of these. Wherefore the Apostle Paul, warning us how guarded we ought to be against our enemies, saith to the servants of God who were suffering tribulations, and that questionless
Eph. 6, by the dissensions, unfairnesses, enmities of men, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, that is, not against men, but against princes and powers and the rulers of the world. What world ? The heavens and the earth ? God forbid. There is no ruler of this world but the Creator. But what world doth he mean ? The lovers of the world. In fine, he goes on in continuation and explains, when I say of the world, I mean of this darkness. What darkness for sooth, but unbelievers and ungodly ? For when from ungodly and unbelievers they have been made godly and believers,
Eph. 5, the same Apostle addressed them thus, For ye were some-
Eph. 6 timet darkness, but now light in the Lord. Against
12.
spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, saith he, against the devil and his angels ye fight : your enemies ye see not and ye conquer. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute Me.
3. Ver. 16. Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy mercy. We were saying before, if such of you as were present, dearly beloved, remember yesterday's discourse, that those are the greatest persecutors of the Church who being Christians will not live good lives.
For
The Godly long to be severed from ungodly livers. 265
through these the Church incurs obloquy, and from them Ver. sustains enmity : when they are reproved, when they are not ---- permitted to live evilly, when they are dealt with even by a
word, they meditate evil in their hearts, and seek an oppor
tunity of breaking out. Among them is the Psalmist mourn
ing, and so are we if we will ; for they are the more numerous,
and amidst their great numbers the good are scarcely seen
as grains of wheat in the floor, by which nevertheless when
they are cleansed the Lord's garners are to be filled. Therefore in the midst of these the Psalmist mourning, saith,
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant. For a sort of confusion is supposed, when all are called Christians: and
good livers and evil livers all are marked with the same
mark, all draw near to one altar, all are washed in one baptism, all utter the same Lord's prayer, all are present at
the celebration of the same mysteries. When are they that mourn distinguished, and they for whom they mourn, except
He make His face to shine upon His servants? What then
is, Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant? Let it appear
that I belong to Thee ; and let not the ungodly Christian
say so too, that he belongs to Thee, lest I shall have said to
Thee in vain in another Psalm, Judge me, O God, andPs. 43,\.
divide my cause from the ungodly people. What he said there, Divide my cause, he expresses here, Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant. And nevertheless that he too be not proud, and seem as it were to justify himself, he goes on to say, Save me in Thy mercy. That is, not in mine own righteousness, not in my merits, but in Thy mercy; not because 1 am worthy, but because Thou art merciful. Hear me, not according to judicial severity, but according to most merciful goodness. Save me in Thy mercy. I
4. Ver. 17. O Lord, let me not be confounded, for
have called upon Tliee. He hath pleaded a weighty cause, Let
I have called upon Thee. Wouldest Thou that he should be confounded who hath called upon Thee ? Wouldest Thou it should be said, Where is He in Whom he trusted ? But who even of the very ungodly doth not call upon God ? Unless then in some special way he said, / have called upon Thee, which cannot be common with the many, he would by no means venture to claim so
me not be confounded,for
266 He calls not truly upon God who does not desire Him.
Psalm great a reward from this calling upon God. For God might Exp. II. answer him after a sort in thought, . and say," Why dost Serm. thou ask of Me that thou mayest not be confounded ?
-- Wherefore ? Because thou hast called upon Me ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that they may fulfil it may be the adulteries which they lust after ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that those may die from whom they are expecting an inheritance ? Do not men daily call upon Me, who are devising some fraud, that they may execute it with a pros perous issue ? How then dost thou claim so great a reward as to say, Let me not be confounded, for I have called upon
Thee ? All those men it is true call, but do not call upon Thee. Thou dost call upon God, when thou dost call God unto thyself. For this is to call upon ' Him, to call Him unto thyself, to invite Him, so to say, into the home of thine heart. Now thou wouldest not dare to invite any householder merely, unless thou first knewest how to prepare an habitation for him. For what if God say to thee, " Lo, thou hast called upon Me, I come to Thee. Where shall I enter in ? Shall
I bear this great filth of thy conscience ?
invite My servant into thine house, wouldest thou not first take care to cleanse it ? Thou dost call Me into thine heart, and it is full of rapine. The place into which God is called a 's U|N of blasphemies, is full of adulteries, is full of frauds, is full of evil lusts ; and dost thou call upon Me ? " Of such
Ps. 14,4; men in short what saith the Psalm in another place? They
have not called upon the Lord. And in very truth they have called, and yet they have not called upon Him. I say briefly, since the question has arisen how a man can claim so gIreat a reward, by alleging one only merit, in saying,
for
called upon by so many bad men ; the question has arisen, and we must not pass from it: I say briefly then to the covetous man, Dost thou call upon God. Why dost thou call upon God? That He may give thee gain? Thou dost call then upon gain, not upon God. Because thou canst not have this gain, which thou covetest, by thy servant,
because thou canst not have it by thy tenant, by thy client, by thy friend, by thy satellite, thou dost call upon God, thou makest God the minister of thy gain. God is held
1 Invo- care
a al. ' I
e&a* God. '
If thou wast to
'
hare called Tliee, when
upon we see that God is
Christ despised by those who love what He cared not to have. 267
cheap by thee. Wouldest thou call upon God ? Call upon Ver. Him for His own sake1. Thou covetous one! is it a little. 18'. -
gratis
thing to thee if God Himself fill thee ?
thee without gold and silver, wouldest thou have none of Him ? What then of those things which God hath made is sufficient for thee, for whom God Himself sufficeth not? " With good reason then doth the Psalmist pray, Let me not be confounded, for Ihave called upon Thee. Call ye upon the Lord, Brethren, if ye would not be confounded. For the Psalmist dreads a confusion of some sort, of which he I in the
former part of the Psalm, In Thee, O Lord, have
let me not be put to confusion fur ever. For that ye may know that he fears this confusion, what did he add wIhen he
had said, Let me not be confounded for ever, for
If God come to
spoke
trusted,
have called upon Thee ? Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell: with that confusion, of course, for
ever.
5. Ver. 18. Let the deceitful lips be made dumb, which
speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. This Righteous One is Christ. Many lips speak iniquity against Him in pride and contempt. How in pride and contempt ? Because He, Who came in such humility,
to the proud. Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by them that love honours, He Who endured so great reproaches ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by these that so highly prize this life,
He Who died ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by those who think the death of condemnation on the Cross shameful, He Who was crucified ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by the rich, He, Who spent a life of poverty in the world, when He was the
Creator of the world? All these things which men love, because Christ would not have them, that He might shew by His not having them that they were to be contemned, not because He had it not in His power to possess them, all
that love these things contemn Him. And whosoever of His servants would follow His footsteps, to walk himself in that lowliness in which He hath learnt that his Lord walked, is contemned in Christ, as a member of Christ; and when the Head and the members are contemned, whole Christ
appeared contemptible
208 Tongues of the Wicked not silenced in this life.
in pride and contempt. When will those lips be made dumb ? In this life ? Never. Day by day do they cry out against Christians, most of all against the lowly, day by day do they blaspheme, day by day do they bark, multiply punishment by those tongues, with which they shall thirst in hell, and long in vain for a drop of water. It is not now then that these men's lips are made dumb. But when ? When their iniquities shall lead them over on the
Wisd. 4, contrary part ; as it is said in the book of Wisdom, Then shall
Psalm Himself is contemned, for this whole Righteous One is the ExpVi Head and the Body. And it must needs be that Whole Serm. Christ Himself be despised by the proud and the ungodly,
---- that that may befall them which is said, Lei the deceitful lips be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the
20'
the righteous stand in great boldness against those that have afflicted them. Then shall they say, These are they whom we had sometimes in derision and in a proverb of reproach. How are they numbered among the sons of God, and their
Righteous
Yfisd. 5,i0t is among the Saints ? We fools counted their life mad ness. Then shall their lips be made dumb, who speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. For
al. ' why just now they say to us, Where is your God ? What do ye
worship ? What do ye see ? Ye believe, and ye are dis- tressed; that ye are distressed is certain, what ye hope for is uncertain. When that we hope for shall come in certainty, then shall the deceitful lips be made dumb.
vor- ship?
ye not "ee.
6. Wherefore see what follows, for that the deceitful lips shall be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. The Psalmist, who thus lamenteth, hath given heed, he hath seen the good things of God within in the spirit, hath seen these good things which are seen in secret, but are not seen by the ungodly. He seeth that they therefore
pride and contempt, because they have skill to see the good things of this life, but the good things of the life to come they skill not even to imagine. But that he might set forth the value of good things of the life to come to men whom
He enjoins to endure, not love things present, he cried out and added,
Ver. 19. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O
speak iniquity against the Righteous in
Sweetness of God is for those who fear Him, and not man. 269
Lord. Here if an ungodly man should say, " Where is Ver.
this multitude of sweetness ? " I will answer, How can I shew thee the multitude of this sweetness, who hast lost thy palate from the fever of iniquity ? Didst" thou not know what honey is, thou wouldest not cry out, how good it is," unless thou hadst tasted it. Thou hast no palate of the heart for tasting these good things: what shall I do for thee? How shall I shew thee ? He is not one to whom I can say,
Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. How great is thePeMfi. multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hid
for them that fear Thee. What " hast hid for them ? "
Thou hast preserved for them, not denied to them, to
the end that they alone may attain unto it, (for that
good which cannot be common to the just and to the ungodly,) to the end that they may by fear attain unto
it. For as long as they still fear, they too have not
yet attained but they believe that they shall attain, and
they begin with fear. For nothing sweeter than the immortality of wisdom; but the fear the Lord is the Prov.
'
Thee in sight of the sons of men. Not " Thou hast per
fected in sight of the sons of men," but, " for those that
hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men;" that is, Thou
hast perfected Thy sweetness for those that hope in Thee in
sight of the sons of men. As the Lord saith, Whosoever Mat. i0, shall deny Me before men, him will also deny before My3 Father. Therefore thou trust in the Lord, trust before
men lest haply thou hide this trust of thine in thine heart, and fear to confess Him when objected to thee as crime that thou art Christian. But to whom objected now that he Christian There are so few left who are
not Christians, that may rather be objected to them that they are not Christians, than that they should dare to object to any that they are Christians. Notwithstanding say to you, my Brethren, begin, whosoever thou art that hearest me,
Christian, and see be not objected to thee even by Christians, Christians that in name, not in life and conversation. No man feels this but he who has had
to live as
1! ).
beginning of wisdom. Which Thou hast hid for them that
fear Thee.
7. But Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in
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;
;
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9,
270 Walk with God before men. God hides us in Himself.
Psalm trial of it. Give heed then, look well into what thou hearest.
ExpVi. Wonldest thou live as a Christian ? Wouldestthou follow the
Serm. steps of thy Lord? It is objected to thee; thou art ashamed,
-- and in thy shame thou dost leave off. Thou hast lost the
Rom. io way. Thou seemest to thyself to have believed with the
heart unto righteousness; but thou hast lost, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If then thou wouldest walk the way of the Lord, trust in God even in the sight of men ; that is, be not ashamed for thy trust. As He liveth in thine heart, so let Him dwell in thy mouth ; for not without a cause hath Christ been pleased that His mark should be imprinted on our forehead, as on the seat of shame, and that a Christian should not be ashamed at the reproach of Christ. If then thou shalt have done this in the
sight of men, if thou shalt not have been ashamed thereof before men, if thou shalt not have denied Christ in sight of the sons of men, either by word or deed, hope thou that the sweetness of God is perfected for thee. What comes next ?
8. Ver. 20. Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenancel. What is this place? He said not, Thou wilt hide them in Thy heaven; he said not, Thou
wilt wilt hide them in paradise; he said not, Thou wilt hide
them in Abraham's bosom. For the future places of the saith he. Saints are designated in Holy Scripture by many names*.
Let all whatsoever is out of God, be held cheap. Let
jjim wno defendeth us in the place of this life, be Himself Thy our place after this life. Because even this very Psalm tenanae aDOve sa'1^ l^'s to Him, Be Thou unto me a God, Who
a ' fide- protecteth me, and a house of refuge. Therefore shall we
hidden in the countenance of God. Are ye waiting to near from me what retreat there is in the Face of God ? Cleanse the heart, that He may Himself enlighten you, and He upon Whom ye call may enter in. Be thou His house, and He will be thy house; let Him dwell in thee, and thou shalt dwell in Him. If thou shalt entertain Him in this life in thy heart, He shall entertain thee after this life with His Countenance. [Thou uilt hide them, saith he.
of the ungodly said, They havIe killed Thy prophets, and^om. lit
digged down Thy altars ,? and
my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him ? /j*' 10.
have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. Therefore, Brethren, amid these offences, there is one remedy -- that thou think not badly of thy brother. Be thou in humility, what thou wouldest have him be, and thou wilt not think him to be what thou art not. But still he is made a fear even to his
acquaintance, even to those who have had proof of him.
8. They that did see me, fled without from me. It were pardonable, if they that did not see me, had fled without from me ; for even they that did see me, fled without from me.
But if they that did not see me, have fled without from me ; (and it must not be said, they fled without, for they were never within ; for if they had been within, they would have seen me ; that is, they would have recognised the Body of Christ, they would have recognised the members of Christ, they would have recognised the unity of Christ. ) This is more to be lamented, this is altogether unbearable, that many who saw me, fled without from me; that is, many, who had knowledge of what the Church was, went out, and made heresies and schisms against the Church. To-day, for instance, you find a man born in Donatus' party, he knows s
am alone, and they seek \ Kings left
258 Those who leave the Church sin against clear Prophecies.
Psalm not what the Church he holds to what he was born in; Exp. ii. you cannot tear him away from the usage which he has
Serm. sucked in with his nurse's milk. Give me man who '-- daily conversant with Scripture, who reads who preaches
Ps. 2,8. it. Is possible, ask, that he does not see there, Desire ofMe, and shall give thee the heathen for thine inherit ance, and the limits of the earth for thy possession Does
Ps. 22, he not see there, All the ends of the world shall remember
27
themselves and be turned unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him If thou seest there the unity of the whole world, why dost thou without, so as not only thyself to suffer blindness, but also to create blindness for others They that did see me, that
who knew what the Church was, who saw in the Scriptures, fled without from me. For think ye, my Brethren, that all they who have made heresies in divers parts and places, have not known in the Scriptures of God that the Church hath not been foretold but as diffused throughout the whole globe say the truth, dearly beloved we are all at least Christians, or are all called Christians, and all sign ourselves
with the sign of Christ the prophets have spoken more ob scurely of Christ, than of the Church suppose because they saw in the spirit that men would make parties against the Church, and would not have so much strife concerning Christ, concerning the Church would stir up great con tentions. And hence that out of which greater contentions
were to arise was more plainly predicted and openly pro phesied of, that may avail for the conviction of those who have seen and fled without.
9. For example will mention one instance Abraham was our father not by reason of carnal propagation, but of the imitation of faith. Righteous and well-pleasing to God, by faith he begat son, Isaac, who had been promised to
him, of Sarah his wife being barren, in his old age this same son he was commanded to offer up to God, he doubted
not, nor disputed, nor argued about God's
thought that evil which The Best could enjoin. He led his son to be offered up, placed upon him the wood for the sacrifice, came to the spot, raised his right hand to strike him, lowered at His prohibition at Whose command he
command, nor
it
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;
;
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? II
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is, fly
is
;
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1
Those of the Church are plain, those of Christ figurative. 259
had lifted it up ; he who had obeyed to strike the blow, Ver.
'
obeyed to spare ; every where obedient, never fearful ; but
that the sacrifice might be completed and they might not go
away without blood, a ram was found caught in a thicket by Gen. 22, his horns ; it was offered up, the sacrifice was accomplished. 13, Search what this means : it is a figure of Christ wrapped up
in a mystery '. Now that it may be seen, it is examined : that ' sacra- it may be seen, it is thoroughly discussed that what isme wrapped up may be unrolled. Isaac as the only beloved
son, having the type of the Son of God, carrying the wood
for himself, as Christ carried the cross. Finally, that very
ram signified Christ. For what is it to be caught by the
horns, but in a manner to be crucified ? This is a figure of Christ. Forthwith the Church was to be preached ; the
Head having been fore-announced, the Body was to be fore- announced too. The Spirit of God began, God began to
wish to preach the Church to Abraham, and took away all
figure. He was preaching Christ in figure, He preached the Church openly; for He saith to Abraham, Because thou hastGeo. Ti, obeyed My voice, and hast not spared thy beloved son, for
My sake, in blessing will bless thee, and in multiplying
will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand
of the sea, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed. And almost every where Christ preached by
the prophets in some cover of mystery, the Church openly that they even might see her who were to rise against her, and this wickedness might be fulfilled in them which the Psalm foretold, They that did see me, fled without from me.
They went out from us, but they were not of us: this the1 John Apostle John said of them.
10. Ver. 12. have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. have been forgotten, have fallen into oblivion, they that saw me have forgotten me; they have forgotten me, and so forgotten me as were dead from their hearts.
have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. have become as a lost vessel. What this, have become as a lost vessel He was toiling, and profiting none he saw that he was vessel, and profited none, and he saith that he as it were lost vessel.
11. Ver. 13. For have heard the rebuking of many s2
/
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is
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I i8[
is
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;
260 Indiscriminate censure.
Psalm dwelling by in a circle. Exp. II. blame me daily. How
Hope not to be placed in any man.
Many dwell by in my circle, and
many evil words do they speak Serm. against wicked Christians --evil words which reach to all Christians. For does he,"who speaks evil of, or blames,
Christians, does he say, See what bad Christians do? " No, but, " See what Christians do. " He makes no separa tion, does not discriminate. Yet they say this, who dwell by in a circle ; that is, who go round about and do not enter. Why go they round about and do not enter ? Because they love the wheel of time. They do not enter into truth, because they do not love eternity : devoted to things temporal, as it were fast bound to a wheel ; of whom it is
Ps. 83, said elsewhere, Make their princes as a wheel ; and again, Ps 12 8 The ungodly walk in a circle. Whilst they were assembling
themselves together against me, they conspired that they
What they have conspired that they That might consent to their wicked
might take my soul.
might take my soul
nesses. For
do not enter in, that they do not enter in they would more-
little matter for those that speak evil and
'al. 'caatover cast men out hence by their rebuking. If they have cast thee out of the Church, they have taken thy soul that have obtained thy consent, and thou wilt be in a circle,
man- not in rest'.
12. But amidst those reproaches, amidst those scandals,
amidst those evils, amidst these seductions, ungodlinesses without and perversenesses within, when was looking for righteous men and seeking whom to imitate, and there were none, what did do? what counsel did find? (Ver. 14. ) But have hoped in Thee, Lord. Nothing more healthful, nothing more secure. Thou wast wishing to imitate some one, thou didst find him not good. Away with this imitation. Thou didst seek another something or other displeased thee thou didst seek third, and he too did not please what, because this one and that one did not please, shalt thou
Jer. 17, too be lost Take away thy hope from man, for cursed be every
5'
one who putteth his hope in man. If thou look still to man, and seekest to imitate him and depend on him, thou dost wish still to be fed with milk, and thou wilt become breast-
>>mam- breda, as those children are called who suck longer than
threptusthey
ought. For to use milk, to wish food to be passed into
a
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Error ofresting on one man. The lotofyrace in God's hand. 26 1
one as it were through the flesh, --this is to live by man. Vek.
--
Get strength for the table, thence take nourishment from whence he took it or perchance did not take it. Perhaps thou hast to thy profit fallen in with a bad one whom thou thoughtest good, that so thou mightest find bitterness as it were in thy mother's milk, and so by that distaste be repelled, and attracted to stronger food. For nurses act thus to the breast-bred, place something bitter on the nipples of their breasts; by which infants being disgusted, refuse the breast, and crave after the table. Therefore let him say, But I
have have said, Thou art my God. Thou art my God. Let Donatus retire, Cajcilianus retire ;
hoped in Thee, O Lord ;
I
neither the one or the other is my God. I do not walk after man's name, 1 hold to the Name of Christ. Hear Paul him self saying, Was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye baptized
l Cor. 1.
I should be lost, if I were of Paul's party: how shall I not be lost, if I shall be of Donatus' party ? Yes, let them retire altogether, men's nameIs, men's
in the name of Paul Y
Icharges ; men's fictions. In Jhee, O Lord, have
hoped;
have said, Thou art my God. Not man, but Tfiou art any
my God. One man faileth, another advanceth; my God neither faileth, nor advanceth; nor hath the Perfect One any whither to advance, nor the Eternal any whither to fail. I said to the Lord, Tliou art my God.
18. Ver. 15. In Thy Hands are my lots. Not in hands of
men, but in Thy Hands. What are these lots ? How lots ? When we hear the word lots, we must not look out for lot- sorti- diviners. For the lot is no evil thing, but it is an event, in egos' human doubt, indicating the Divine will. For so the Apostles cast lots, when Judas perished after betraying his
Lord, and, as it was written of him, He went to his own Acts 1,
place; then began search to be made, who should be ordained in his place, two were chosen by man's judgment,
and of the two, one was chosen by Divine judgment. God
was consulted concerning the two, which of them it would
be, and the lot fell upon Matthias. What then is, In 7% lb. 26. Hands are my lots ? By lots, to the best of my opinion, he expressed the grace whereby we are saved. Why does he
call the grace of God by the name of lot ? Because in a lot there is no choice, but the will of God. For when it is said,
262 Grace a lot, because given without our desert.
Psalm this man does so, that man does not, there is an estimate of XXXI
Exp. 1I. deserts ; and when deserts are estimated, there is choice, not Serm. iot_ 13ut since God hath found no deserts of ours, He hath saved us by the lot of His own will, because He willed, not because we were worthy. This is a lot. With much signi-
merito
Johnio, ficance upon that vesture of the Lord woven from the top,
which signifies the eternity of love, when it could not be divided by the persecutors was the lot cast. By them to whom it came it signified those who seem to attain to the
Eph. 2, lot of the Saints. By grace ye are saved through faith, saith the Apostle. By grace ye are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves. (Recognise the lot. ) And this not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not of works, (as if ye did any good, and so were worthy of attaining thereunto ;) not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works.
Acts 8,
This so to say hidden lot is the will of God; it is a lot among mankind, a lot coming from the hidden will of God, with Whom there is no unrighteousness. For He accepteth no man's person, but His hidden justice is to thee a lot.
14. Mark therefore, dearly Beloved, see, how this very thing is confirmed by the Apostle Peter. When that Simon, the sorcerer, having been baptized by Philip, continued with him, believing the Divine miracles which were performed in his sight ; the Apostles came to Samaria, where this sorcerer also had himself believed, and where he had been baptized; the Apostles laid their hands on the baptized, and they received the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues; Simon wondered, and was astounded at so great a Divine miracle, that at the laying on of men's hands the Holy
Ghost came and filled men; and he longed for this, not grace, but power; not whereby he might be set free, but whereby he might be puffed up. But when he longed for this, and pride and devilish ungodliness, and exaltation which deserved a fall, had filled his heart, he said to the Apostles, How much money would you take of me, that men may receive the Holy Ghost at the laying on of my hands too? He who was seeking after things of this world, who
was dwelling by in a circle, thought that for money he could buy the gift of God. He who thought that he could
Simon's error, in thinking to buy God's Gift. 263
by money procure the Holy Ghost, judged the Apostles also Ver.
'. -- Forthwith Peter said, Thy money go into perdition with thee, lb. 20,
to be covetous, as he was himself ungodly and proud.
because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith ; that thou dost not belong to this grace, which we all receive freely, because thou dost think to buy that which given freely. Now from this, that given freely,
'
called a lot. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this have said thus much, that we might not be alarmed at what he saith, In Thy Hands are my lots. For what are lots The Church's inheritance. To what
faith.
extent the Church's inheritance? Within what bounds?
Even unto all bounds. will give thee the heathen for Pg. 2,8. thine inheritance, and the boundaries the earth for thy
possession. Let not man promise me some small portion or other my God, in Thy Hands are my lots. Let this suffice you, dearly Beloved, for the present; the remainder in the Lord's Name and with His help we will make good to-morrow.
SERMON III.
The remainder of this Psalm, on which we have already delivered two discourses, somewhat more than
third part of and we see that to-day our task must be fulfilled. Wherefore beg of you, dearly Beloved, to be content that we do not dwell on the plainer words of
that those parts may occupy us which necessary to explain. For there are many things which occur spon taneously to the minds of the faithful, many which need
brief hint, while there are some, though more infrequent,
on which much labour must be bestowed that they may be understood. That the time then may suffice both for your strength and mine, see how evident these parts are, and recognise them without further delay1 together with us, and1 potius praise God in them with us and the Psalm pray, do ye
pray; and rejoice; and For all that
lament, do ye lament; and joy, do ye hope, do ye hope; and fear, do ye fear.
here written, mirror for us.
is if if it it
it, I
is ; a
I
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if it of
if
it
if is it
it is
a it, a
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it is
;
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264 Satan the enemy we pray against, the ruler of darkness. Psalm 2. Ver. 1 5. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies
XXXI from them that persecute me. Let us Exp. lf. anc^ say
this, yea let Serm. each one, for his own enemies, say this. For good it is, and -- we ought to pray that God would deliver us from the hands of our enemies. Rut we must understand for what enemies we are to pray, and what to pray against. Men, who are our
enemies, whatsoever they be, must not be held in hatred, lest, when a bad man hates a bad man, from whom he is suffering, there be two bad men. Let the good man love even the bad man from whom he suffers ; that there be at all events but one bad man. Those are the enemies against whom we must pray, the devil and his angels ; they envy us the kingdom of heaven, they would not that we should ascend up whence they have been cast down ; from these let us pray that our soul be delivered.
For even when men are stirred up against us, they are made the instruments of these. Wherefore the Apostle Paul, warning us how guarded we ought to be against our enemies, saith to the servants of God who were suffering tribulations, and that questionless
Eph. 6, by the dissensions, unfairnesses, enmities of men, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, that is, not against men, but against princes and powers and the rulers of the world. What world ? The heavens and the earth ? God forbid. There is no ruler of this world but the Creator. But what world doth he mean ? The lovers of the world. In fine, he goes on in continuation and explains, when I say of the world, I mean of this darkness. What darkness for sooth, but unbelievers and ungodly ? For when from ungodly and unbelievers they have been made godly and believers,
Eph. 5, the same Apostle addressed them thus, For ye were some-
Eph. 6 timet darkness, but now light in the Lord. Against
12.
spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, saith he, against the devil and his angels ye fight : your enemies ye see not and ye conquer. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute Me.
3. Ver. 16. Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy mercy. We were saying before, if such of you as were present, dearly beloved, remember yesterday's discourse, that those are the greatest persecutors of the Church who being Christians will not live good lives.
For
The Godly long to be severed from ungodly livers. 265
through these the Church incurs obloquy, and from them Ver. sustains enmity : when they are reproved, when they are not ---- permitted to live evilly, when they are dealt with even by a
word, they meditate evil in their hearts, and seek an oppor
tunity of breaking out. Among them is the Psalmist mourn
ing, and so are we if we will ; for they are the more numerous,
and amidst their great numbers the good are scarcely seen
as grains of wheat in the floor, by which nevertheless when
they are cleansed the Lord's garners are to be filled. Therefore in the midst of these the Psalmist mourning, saith,
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant. For a sort of confusion is supposed, when all are called Christians: and
good livers and evil livers all are marked with the same
mark, all draw near to one altar, all are washed in one baptism, all utter the same Lord's prayer, all are present at
the celebration of the same mysteries. When are they that mourn distinguished, and they for whom they mourn, except
He make His face to shine upon His servants? What then
is, Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant? Let it appear
that I belong to Thee ; and let not the ungodly Christian
say so too, that he belongs to Thee, lest I shall have said to
Thee in vain in another Psalm, Judge me, O God, andPs. 43,\.
divide my cause from the ungodly people. What he said there, Divide my cause, he expresses here, Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant. And nevertheless that he too be not proud, and seem as it were to justify himself, he goes on to say, Save me in Thy mercy. That is, not in mine own righteousness, not in my merits, but in Thy mercy; not because 1 am worthy, but because Thou art merciful. Hear me, not according to judicial severity, but according to most merciful goodness. Save me in Thy mercy. I
4. Ver. 17. O Lord, let me not be confounded, for
have called upon Tliee. He hath pleaded a weighty cause, Let
I have called upon Thee. Wouldest Thou that he should be confounded who hath called upon Thee ? Wouldest Thou it should be said, Where is He in Whom he trusted ? But who even of the very ungodly doth not call upon God ? Unless then in some special way he said, / have called upon Thee, which cannot be common with the many, he would by no means venture to claim so
me not be confounded,for
266 He calls not truly upon God who does not desire Him.
Psalm great a reward from this calling upon God. For God might Exp. II. answer him after a sort in thought, . and say," Why dost Serm. thou ask of Me that thou mayest not be confounded ?
-- Wherefore ? Because thou hast called upon Me ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that they may fulfil it may be the adulteries which they lust after ? Do not men daily call upon Me, that those may die from whom they are expecting an inheritance ? Do not men daily call upon Me, who are devising some fraud, that they may execute it with a pros perous issue ? How then dost thou claim so great a reward as to say, Let me not be confounded, for I have called upon
Thee ? All those men it is true call, but do not call upon Thee. Thou dost call upon God, when thou dost call God unto thyself. For this is to call upon ' Him, to call Him unto thyself, to invite Him, so to say, into the home of thine heart. Now thou wouldest not dare to invite any householder merely, unless thou first knewest how to prepare an habitation for him. For what if God say to thee, " Lo, thou hast called upon Me, I come to Thee. Where shall I enter in ? Shall
I bear this great filth of thy conscience ?
invite My servant into thine house, wouldest thou not first take care to cleanse it ? Thou dost call Me into thine heart, and it is full of rapine. The place into which God is called a 's U|N of blasphemies, is full of adulteries, is full of frauds, is full of evil lusts ; and dost thou call upon Me ? " Of such
Ps. 14,4; men in short what saith the Psalm in another place? They
have not called upon the Lord. And in very truth they have called, and yet they have not called upon Him. I say briefly, since the question has arisen how a man can claim so gIreat a reward, by alleging one only merit, in saying,
for
called upon by so many bad men ; the question has arisen, and we must not pass from it: I say briefly then to the covetous man, Dost thou call upon God. Why dost thou call upon God? That He may give thee gain? Thou dost call then upon gain, not upon God. Because thou canst not have this gain, which thou covetest, by thy servant,
because thou canst not have it by thy tenant, by thy client, by thy friend, by thy satellite, thou dost call upon God, thou makest God the minister of thy gain. God is held
1 Invo- care
a al. ' I
e&a* God. '
If thou wast to
'
hare called Tliee, when
upon we see that God is
Christ despised by those who love what He cared not to have. 267
cheap by thee. Wouldest thou call upon God ? Call upon Ver. Him for His own sake1. Thou covetous one! is it a little. 18'. -
gratis
thing to thee if God Himself fill thee ?
thee without gold and silver, wouldest thou have none of Him ? What then of those things which God hath made is sufficient for thee, for whom God Himself sufficeth not? " With good reason then doth the Psalmist pray, Let me not be confounded, for Ihave called upon Thee. Call ye upon the Lord, Brethren, if ye would not be confounded. For the Psalmist dreads a confusion of some sort, of which he I in the
former part of the Psalm, In Thee, O Lord, have
let me not be put to confusion fur ever. For that ye may know that he fears this confusion, what did he add wIhen he
had said, Let me not be confounded for ever, for
If God come to
spoke
trusted,
have called upon Thee ? Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell: with that confusion, of course, for
ever.
5. Ver. 18. Let the deceitful lips be made dumb, which
speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. This Righteous One is Christ. Many lips speak iniquity against Him in pride and contempt. How in pride and contempt ? Because He, Who came in such humility,
to the proud. Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by them that love honours, He Who endured so great reproaches ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by these that so highly prize this life,
He Who died ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by those who think the death of condemnation on the Cross shameful, He Who was crucified ? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by the rich, He, Who spent a life of poverty in the world, when He was the
Creator of the world? All these things which men love, because Christ would not have them, that He might shew by His not having them that they were to be contemned, not because He had it not in His power to possess them, all
that love these things contemn Him. And whosoever of His servants would follow His footsteps, to walk himself in that lowliness in which He hath learnt that his Lord walked, is contemned in Christ, as a member of Christ; and when the Head and the members are contemned, whole Christ
appeared contemptible
208 Tongues of the Wicked not silenced in this life.
in pride and contempt. When will those lips be made dumb ? In this life ? Never. Day by day do they cry out against Christians, most of all against the lowly, day by day do they blaspheme, day by day do they bark, multiply punishment by those tongues, with which they shall thirst in hell, and long in vain for a drop of water. It is not now then that these men's lips are made dumb. But when ? When their iniquities shall lead them over on the
Wisd. 4, contrary part ; as it is said in the book of Wisdom, Then shall
Psalm Himself is contemned, for this whole Righteous One is the ExpVi Head and the Body. And it must needs be that Whole Serm. Christ Himself be despised by the proud and the ungodly,
---- that that may befall them which is said, Lei the deceitful lips be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the
20'
the righteous stand in great boldness against those that have afflicted them. Then shall they say, These are they whom we had sometimes in derision and in a proverb of reproach. How are they numbered among the sons of God, and their
Righteous
Yfisd. 5,i0t is among the Saints ? We fools counted their life mad ness. Then shall their lips be made dumb, who speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. For
al. ' why just now they say to us, Where is your God ? What do ye
worship ? What do ye see ? Ye believe, and ye are dis- tressed; that ye are distressed is certain, what ye hope for is uncertain. When that we hope for shall come in certainty, then shall the deceitful lips be made dumb.
vor- ship?
ye not "ee.
6. Wherefore see what follows, for that the deceitful lips shall be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. The Psalmist, who thus lamenteth, hath given heed, he hath seen the good things of God within in the spirit, hath seen these good things which are seen in secret, but are not seen by the ungodly. He seeth that they therefore
pride and contempt, because they have skill to see the good things of this life, but the good things of the life to come they skill not even to imagine. But that he might set forth the value of good things of the life to come to men whom
He enjoins to endure, not love things present, he cried out and added,
Ver. 19. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O
speak iniquity against the Righteous in
Sweetness of God is for those who fear Him, and not man. 269
Lord. Here if an ungodly man should say, " Where is Ver.
this multitude of sweetness ? " I will answer, How can I shew thee the multitude of this sweetness, who hast lost thy palate from the fever of iniquity ? Didst" thou not know what honey is, thou wouldest not cry out, how good it is," unless thou hadst tasted it. Thou hast no palate of the heart for tasting these good things: what shall I do for thee? How shall I shew thee ? He is not one to whom I can say,
Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. How great is thePeMfi. multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hid
for them that fear Thee. What " hast hid for them ? "
Thou hast preserved for them, not denied to them, to
the end that they alone may attain unto it, (for that
good which cannot be common to the just and to the ungodly,) to the end that they may by fear attain unto
it. For as long as they still fear, they too have not
yet attained but they believe that they shall attain, and
they begin with fear. For nothing sweeter than the immortality of wisdom; but the fear the Lord is the Prov.
'
Thee in sight of the sons of men. Not " Thou hast per
fected in sight of the sons of men," but, " for those that
hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men;" that is, Thou
hast perfected Thy sweetness for those that hope in Thee in
sight of the sons of men. As the Lord saith, Whosoever Mat. i0, shall deny Me before men, him will also deny before My3 Father. Therefore thou trust in the Lord, trust before
men lest haply thou hide this trust of thine in thine heart, and fear to confess Him when objected to thee as crime that thou art Christian. But to whom objected now that he Christian There are so few left who are
not Christians, that may rather be objected to them that they are not Christians, than that they should dare to object to any that they are Christians. Notwithstanding say to you, my Brethren, begin, whosoever thou art that hearest me,
Christian, and see be not objected to thee even by Christians, Christians that in name, not in life and conversation. No man feels this but he who has had
to live as
1! ).
beginning of wisdom. Which Thou hast hid for them that
fear Thee.
7. But Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in
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270 Walk with God before men. God hides us in Himself.
Psalm trial of it. Give heed then, look well into what thou hearest.
ExpVi. Wonldest thou live as a Christian ? Wouldestthou follow the
Serm. steps of thy Lord? It is objected to thee; thou art ashamed,
-- and in thy shame thou dost leave off. Thou hast lost the
Rom. io way. Thou seemest to thyself to have believed with the
heart unto righteousness; but thou hast lost, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If then thou wouldest walk the way of the Lord, trust in God even in the sight of men ; that is, be not ashamed for thy trust. As He liveth in thine heart, so let Him dwell in thy mouth ; for not without a cause hath Christ been pleased that His mark should be imprinted on our forehead, as on the seat of shame, and that a Christian should not be ashamed at the reproach of Christ. If then thou shalt have done this in the
sight of men, if thou shalt not have been ashamed thereof before men, if thou shalt not have denied Christ in sight of the sons of men, either by word or deed, hope thou that the sweetness of God is perfected for thee. What comes next ?
8. Ver. 20. Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenancel. What is this place? He said not, Thou wilt hide them in Thy heaven; he said not, Thou
wilt wilt hide them in paradise; he said not, Thou wilt hide
them in Abraham's bosom. For the future places of the saith he. Saints are designated in Holy Scripture by many names*.
Let all whatsoever is out of God, be held cheap. Let
jjim wno defendeth us in the place of this life, be Himself Thy our place after this life. Because even this very Psalm tenanae aDOve sa'1^ l^'s to Him, Be Thou unto me a God, Who
a ' fide- protecteth me, and a house of refuge. Therefore shall we
hidden in the countenance of God. Are ye waiting to near from me what retreat there is in the Face of God ? Cleanse the heart, that He may Himself enlighten you, and He upon Whom ye call may enter in. Be thou His house, and He will be thy house; let Him dwell in thee, and thou shalt dwell in Him. If thou shalt entertain Him in this life in thy heart, He shall entertain thee after this life with His Countenance. [Thou uilt hide them, saith he.
