they shall be called the
children
of God.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
According to which we ought, my brethren, to understand what is said, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways.
If I shall be enabled to speak worthily of this clean fear, by the help of the Lord our God, many will perchance be inflamed by this clean fear unto a clean love.
Nor can 1 perhaps explain, unless by putting forward some similitude.
Suppose some chaste woman, fearing her husband : suppose another an adulterous woman ; she also feareth her husband.
The chaste woman feareth lest her husband depart : the adul terous wife feareth him, lest he come.
What if both be absent ?
The one feareth lest he come : the latter, lest he delay.
He is in a certain sense absent unto Whom we
have been betrothed ; He is absent, Who gave unto us as a pledge His Holy Spirit; He is absent, Who redeemed us with His blood ; that Husband than Whom nothing is more beautiful, Who seemed as it were deformed among the hands of His persecutors, of Whom a little before Tsaiah said, He hath no form or comeliness. Is then our Bride- groom deformed ? God forbid ! for how would the virgins love Him, who have not sought husbands on earth? He therefore seemed deformed to His persecutors : if they thought Him not such, they would not insult Him, they would not strike Him with whips, would not crown Him with thorns, would not defile Him with spittle ; but because
ls. 53,2. Sol, i,
|oug
John l
Philip, Have
He seemed such unto them, they did these things unto Him ; for they had not eyes whereby Christ could seem beautiful. To what sort of eyes did Christ seem beautiful ? To such as CIhrist Himself sought, when He said unto
been so long with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip ? These eyes must be cleansed, that they may see that light ; and, though slightly touched with the splendour, they are kindled with love, that they may wish to be healed, and may become enlightened. For that ye may know that Christ, Who is loved, is beautiful, the P>>. 45, Prophet saith, Fairer in beauty than the children of men.
Ilis beauty surpasseth all men. W hat is it we love in
How to prove whether our fear of God is pure. 39
His crucified members, His transfixed side, or His Ver. When we hear that He suffered for us, what do we --L-- Love is loved. He loved us, that we might in turn
Christ ?
love ?
love ?
love Him; and that we might return His love, He hath visited us with His Spirit. He is beautiful, and is absent. Let the spouse ask herself if she be chaste. We are all among His members, my brethren ; we are among His members, we are for this reason one Man. Let each man see what sort of fear he hath, whether that which love casteth out, or that clean fear which endureth for evermore.
He hath lately proved this ; I say unto you, He will also prove Our Bridegroom afar ask thy conscience
dost thou wish that He come, or dost thou still wish that He delay? Consider, brethren: have knocked at the doors of your hearts; He hath heard the voice of them that dwell therein. What the consciences of each of you may
have answered, could not reach my ears, since am but man He Who afar in respect of bodily presence, but present in the strength of His Majesty, hath heard you.
be said unto them, Lo, here Christ, the day of judgment; say not, Would that He They who speak thus, love much and they
How many,
to-morrow
may come
are told, He will delay, they fear lest He delay, because their fear clean. And as His delaying now feared so, after His coming, His leaving us will be feared. That will be a clean fear, for tranquil and secure. For we shall not be forsaken of Him, when He hath found us, since He sought us before we sought Him chaste fear therefore, my brethren, hath this source cometh from love. But that fear which not yet chaste, feareth His Presence, and
its punishment. From fear doeth whatever of good doeth not from fear of losing that good, but from fear of suffering that evil. He feareth not lest he lose the embrace of his most comely bridegroom, but lest he be cast into hell. This fear good, useful will not indeed remain for evermore but not as yet of that clean sort, that abideth for evermore.
9. In whom clean
the second time, which ye may ask of yourselves. If God should come and speak unto us with His Own Voice,
am now asking question for
is
is
it is
it
:
it is
is ?
it I is
is
it
: is
; it
:
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is a;
I is
it
is a
;
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is
!
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it.
40 Fear of losing God's Presence shews some love.
m (although He ceaseth not to speak through His Scriptures,) -- and should say unto man, Thou wishest to sin : sin ; do what
soever pleaseth thee ; whatever thou loveston the earth, let it be thine : whoever thou art angry with, let him perish ; whomsoever thou wishest to seize upon, let him be seized ; whomsoever to kill, let him be killed; whomsoever to con demn, let him be condemned ; whomsoever thou wishest to possess, possess him : let no man resist thee, let no man say unto thee, What art thou doing ? No man, Do it not ; no man, Why hast thou done it? Let all those earthly things which thou hast desired abound unto thee, and live in them, not for a season, but for evermore : only thou shalt never see My Face. My brethren, wherefore did ye groan, save because that already a clean fear, enduring alway, hath been born? Why is your heart stricken? If God should say, Thou shalt never see My Face : lo, thou wilt abound in all that earthly felicity ; temporal goods will surround thee : thou losest them not, thou forsakest them not ; what dost thou wish more ? Clean fear would weep indeed and would groan, and would say, Nay, let all things be taken away, and let me see Thy Face. Clean
80, fear would cry out from the Psalm, and would say, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts: shew us the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole. Clean fear would cryI forth from the Psalm, and would say, One thing have desired of the Lord, which 1 will require. See how ardent
27, is thatIclean fear, that true love, unmixed love. One thing
have
this? Even that I
the days of my life. What if he desire this for the sake of earthly happiness? Hear what followeth : to behold the fair
beauty of the Lord, and to be protected; that is, to be His
Temple, and to be protected by Him, this one thing have I raise' desired of the Lord. If ye ask this one thing, if ye train 1
your hearts toward this one thing, and fear to lose this one thing only, ye will not envy earthly delights, and ye will hope for that true happiness, and will be in His Body to Whom it is sung, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways.
10. Ver. 2. Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits. And
desired the Lord, which I will require. What is
of
may dwell in the house
the Lord all
of
The very labours of Godliness are food. -11
ye, O thou, ye many who are One, Thou shalt eat of the Ver. labours of thy fruits. He seemeth to speak perversely to ------ those who understand not: for he should have said, thou
shalt eat the fruit of thy labours. For many eat the fruit
of their labours. They labour in the vineyard ; they eat not
the toil itself ; but what ariseth from their labour they eat.
They labour about trees that bear fruit: who would eat labours ? But the fruit of these labours, the produce of
these trees; it is this that delighteth the husbandman.
What meaneth, Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits ?
At present we have toils: the fruits will come afterwards.
But since their labours themselves are not without joy, on account of the hope whereof we have a little before spoken, Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation; at present those Rom. 12, very labours delight us, and make us joyful in hope. If12' therefore our toil has been what could be eaten, and could
also delight us ; what will be the fruit of our labour when
eaten ? They who went weeping on their way, scattering p>>. 126, their seed, did eat their labours; with how much greater pleasure will they eat the fruits of their labours, who shall
come again with joy, bearing their sheaves with them ?
And that ye may know, brethren, that this labour is eaten,
in the former Psalm ye have heard it said to the proud, who
wished to rise before light, that before Christ, not through humility, whereby Christ rose; was said unto
them, Rise after ye have sat down that is, be humbled, Pa. 127,
and thence rise since He also, Who hath been exalted on 2" account of you, came to be humbled. And what said? Who eat the bread of grief. This the labour of fruits, the bread grief. For unless were eaten, would not be called bread unless this bread had some sweetness, no
one would eat it. With how much sweetness doth he weep in his groanings, who prayeth The tears of the praying
are sweeter than the joys of theatres. And hear the flame
of longing, wherewith this bread eaten, of which he saith
here, Ye who eat the bread grief. In another passage
this lover saith, whose voice we usually recognise in the
Psalm, My tears have been my meat day and night. How PM2,3. have tears become meat While they daily say unto me,
Where is now thy God? For before we see Him Who loved
?
of ? is
it
;
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it
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4-2 Christians could shew their God to real men.
Psalm us, Who hath given us a pledge, to Whom we are betrothed, the Heathen insult us, and say, Where is that which Christians worship ? Let them shew us Him Whom they adore. Behold, 1 shew them my deity, and let them shew me their Deity. When the Heathen speaketh thus to thee, thou findest not what to shew unto him ; for thou hast no man to shew it unto. Thou returnest therefore, and weepest before God; for thou sighest for Him, before thou seest
Him; and groanest from longing for Him; and because thou weepest in thy longing for Him, tears themselves are even sweet, and will be as meat unto thee, since they have been made unto thee as meat day and night, while it is said to thee, Where is thy God? But thy God, concerning
Rev. 31, Whom it is asked, Where is He? will come, and will wipe away thy tears, and will Himself be in stead of the bread of tears unto thee, and will feed thee for evermore ; because the word of God, upon which Angels feed, will be with us. Meanwhile, now are the labours of our fruits, afterwards will come the fruit of our labours. Thou shall eat the labours of thy fruits. Blessed art thou, and well shall it be with thee. Blessed art thou, is of the present: well shall it be with thee, is of the future. When thou eatest the labours
of thy fruits, blessed art thou ; when thou hast reached the fruit of thy labours, well shall it be with thee. What hath he said ? For if it be well with thee, thou wilt be happy: and if thou wilt be happy, thou wilt also have all well with thee. But there is a difference between hope and attain ment. If hope be so sweet, how much sweeter will reality be?
11. Let us now come to the words, Thy wife: it is said unto Christ. His wife, therefore, is the Church: His Church, His wife, we ourselves are. As a fruitful vineyard. But in whom is the vineyard fruitful ? For we see many barren ones entering those walls; we see that many intemperate, usurious persons, slave dealers, enter these walls, and such as resort to fortune-tellers, go to enchanters and en
chantresses when they have a headache. Is this the fruitful- ness of the vine? Is this the fecundity of the wife? It is not. These are thorns, but the vineyard is not every where thorny. It hath a certain fruitfulness, and is a fruitful vine ;
Children given to the Church, not all who are in her. 43
but in whom? Upon the sides of thy house. Not all are Ver. called the sides of the house. For I ask what are the sides. ------ What shall I say? Are they walls, strong stones, as it were?
If he were speaking of this bodily tenement, we should perhaps understand this by sides. We mean by the sides
of the house, those who cling unto Christ. For we do not say without reason of any person in daily discourse, who per chance is faring ill, owing to the counsels of bad friends,
" He hath bad sides. " What is, " He hath bad sides ? " Bad
men cling to him. It is therefore said of another also, He
hath good sides: he liveth according to good counsels.
What meaneth this ? He is ruled by good counsels. They therefore who cling to Christ are the sides of the house.
Nor hath His wife been created from His side without a
cause. When her spouse slept, Eve was created : when Gen. 2,
,22"
Christ died, the Church was created; she was born of her husband's side, whence a rib had been withdrawn; and the Church was born of the side of Her spouse, when His side
was transfixed with a lance, and the Sacraments flowed forth. Jobnl9, Therefore thy wife shall be fruitful as a vine. But upon34' what? Upon the sides of thine house. Among others, who
cling not unto Christ, it is barren. But I will not even reckon them in the vine.
12. Thy children. The wife and the children are the same. In these carnal marriages and wedlocks, the wife is one, the children other : in the Church, she who is the wife, is the children also. For the Apostles belonged to the
Church, and were among the members of the Church. They
were therefore in His wife, and were His wife according to
their own portion which they held in His members. Why
then it is said concerning them, When the Bridegroom shall Matt. 9,
be taken from them, then shall the children of the Bride- J5- groom fast ? She who is the wife, then, is the children also.
I speak a wonderful thing, my brethren. In the words of
the Lord, we find the Church to be both His brethren, and Mat. 12, His sisters, and His mother. For when His mother and46'8"*' His brethren were announced to Him to be standing without ;
in that they stood without, they were a figure. Who is the type of His mother? The Synagogue. Who is the type of carnal brethren ? The Jews who stood without. And
44 How Christians can be the Mother of Christ.
Psalm the Synagogue also standeth without. For Mary was among -the sides of His House, and His relatives coming of the kindred of the Virgin Mary, who believed on Him, were among the sides of His House; not in respect of their carnal
Mat. 12, *8'
consanguinity, but inasmuch as they heard the Word of God, and obeyed it. For the Lord answered thus: Who is My mother, and who are Mit brethren ? Whence some have attempted to say that Christ had not a mother, because He said, Who is My mother? Why ? Had not then Peter and John and James, and the other Apostles, fathers upon earth ?
Mat. 23, And yet what saith He unto them? Call no man your father upon earth: for One is your Father, Who is in Heaven. What, therefore, He taught His disciples in the case of their father, this He Himself shewed them in that of His mother. For our Lord's will is that we prefer God to our earthly connections. Respect thy father, because he is thy father : reverence God, because He is God. Thy father begot thee by lending his flesh ; God created thee by an exertion of His Power. Let not the father be angry when God is preferred to him : let him rather rejoice that so much respect is paid him, that He alone is found to be preferred to him. What then thall I say ? What saith the Lord ? , Who is My mother ?
and who are My brethren ? And he stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren. They were His brethren ; how were they His
Mat. 12, mother ? He added ; For whosoever shall do the will ojf Mu
'& Father Which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and
sister, and mother. Brother, perhaps, on account of the male sex whom the Church hath: sister, on account of the women whom Christ hath here in His members. How mother, save that Christ Himself is in those Christians, whom the Church daily bringeth forth Christians through baptism ? In those therefore in whom thou understandest the wife, in them thou understandest the mother, in them the children.
13. Let us therefore say what should the character of
these children be. Peacemakers they should be.
Matt. 5, peacemakers ? Because, Blessed are the peacemakers, for ? Qxf.
they shall be called the children of God. Since therefore in
4s
the olive is the fruit of peace: for oil signifieth peace,
Msa.
without' because it signifieth love; without' love there is no peace :
Why
All blessings are from God, not all out. of Sion. 45
and it is clear that they who have rent asunder peace, will Ver. not have love. Ihave already explained to you, beloved, -- - on this principle, why the dove carried the leaves with fruit 8, unto the ark : to signify that they also who have been ^en- baptized without, as those branches were baptized without
the ark, if they have not leaves alone, that is, words only,
but have fruit also, which is love, are borne by the dove to
the ark, and come unto unity*. Such children ought there
fore to be around the Lord's table, like olive-branches. Ter" 3- A complete Vine it is, a great bliss : who would now refuse to be there ? When thou seest any blasphemer have
a wife, children, grandchildren, and thyself perchance with out them, envy them not; discern that the promise hath been fulfilled in thee also, but spiritually. Perchance thou art not in His members? If thou art not there, lament that thou art neither here nor there. But if thou be there, be secure; for although thy reward be there and not here, it is a more fruitful one there than here.
14. Ver. 4. If therefore we have, why have we ? Because we fear the Lord. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. He is the man, who is also the men ;
and the men are one man ; because many are one, because Christ is One.
15. Ver. 5, 6. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. For thou hadst begun to heed the words, Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord: already per chance thine eyes were ranging through those who fear not the Lord, and saw there fruitful wives, children in abun
dance around their father's table : I know not whither thou wast going : The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. Seek not those blessings which are not out of Sion. Hath not the Lord blessed such, my brethren ? This is the Lord's blessing : or if it be not from the Lord, who will marry a wife, if the Lord be unwilling? who can be in sound health, if the Lord deny him ? or who can be rich, if the Lord refuse ? He giveth these things : but seest thou not that He hath also given them to cattle ? This blessing is not therefore from Sion. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and mayest thou see the good things that are ofJerusalem.
t Sermon vi. on St. John ii. 19.
40 The good things of Jerusalem are what truly are.
Psalm For these good things are not those of Jerusalem. Dost CxxVII I -, thou wish to see that they are not the good things of Jeru- Gen. l, salem ? Even to the birds was it said, Be fruitful arid 22" multiply. Dost thou wish to hold as a great blessing what
was given unto birds? Who can be ignorant, that it was given indeed by the voice of God ? But use these goods, if thou receive them ; and rather think how thou mayest nourish those who have been born, than that others may be born. For it is not happiness to have children, but to have good ones. Labour in the task of nourishing them, if they be born ; but if they be not born, give thanks unto God. Perchance thou wilt be less anxious, and yet thou hast not remained barren in that Mother. Perhaps through thee are spiritually born of that Mother, they who are as olive branches around the Lord's table. May the Lord therefore console thee, that thou mayest see the goods of Jerusalem. For these goods indeed are. Why are they ? Because they are everlasting. Why are they ? Because the King is
Exod. 3, there, I am That I am. But these goods are and are not :
14'
for they stand not; they slip away, they flow. Thy children are infants : thou dost caress the infants : the infants caress thee : do they abide thus ? But thou wishest they may grow, thou wishest that their age may increase. But consider that when one age cometh, another dieth. When boyhood cometh, infancy dieth ; when youth cometh, boyhood dieth : when manhood cometh, youth dieth ; when old age cometh, manhood dieth : when death cometh, all age dieth. As many successions of ages as thou wishest for, so many deaths of ages dost thou wish for. These things therefore are not. Finally, are children born unto thee to share life with thee on earth, or rather to shut thee out and to succeed thee ? Rejoicest thou in those born to exclude thee ? "Boys when born speak somewhat like this to their parents: Now then, begin to think of removing hence, let us too play our parts on the stage. " For the whole life of temptation in
Ps. 39,5. the human race is a stage play ; for it is said, Every man living is altogether vanity. Nevertheless, if we rejoice in children who will succeed us ; how much must we rejoice in children with whom we shall remain, and in that Father for Whom we are born, Who will not die, but that we may
We may see them all our life long. 47
evermore live with Him? These are the good things of vs>>. Jerusalem : for they are. The Lord from out of Sion bless ------ thee: and mayest thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem. For thou seest as one blind those goods, which
thou heedest. Mayest thou see : but those goods which are seen by the heart. And how long shall 1 see the good things of Jerusalem ? All thy life long. If thy life be for ever, thou wilt see the good things of Jerusalem for ever more. But my brethren, these goods are, yet thou seest them not all the days of thy life for thou diest not, when
thou goest forth from the body. Thy life continueth thy body dieth, but the life of the spirit continueth. The eyes see not, for he who saw through the eyes hath departed. Wheresoever he be, who saw through the eyes, he seeth
something. For the rich man, who when on earth M7a<<Lukel6, ? 19 23.
clothed with purple and fine linen, was not dead; he was dead, he would not have been tormented in hell. It would have been desirable for him to die, but he lived in hell to his hurt. For he was tormented, and saw not those goods which he had left on earth behold, such was his life, and he saw not those goods. Do thou therefore desire such goods as thou mayest see all thy life long, that is, that thou mayest live with these goods for evermore.
16. Consider therefore, brethren, what those goods are. Can these be called goods Is gold silver
pleasant estate walls of marble fretted ceilings God forbid The poor have these goods more abundantly than the rich in this life for more to poor man to see the starry heaven, than to rich man to see gilded ceiling. What then, brethren, that good, whereby we are inflamed, for which we sigh, whereby we are kindled, for the attainment of which good we endure so many toils, as ye have heard when the Apostle was read, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution For doth not follow that, because the devil rageth not through kings, Christians do not at this hour suffer persecution. If the devil be dead, our persecutions are dead but he our adversary liveth, whence doth he not suggest temptations
Whence doth he not rage whence doth he not procure threats or offences thou wouldest begin to live godly,
Tim,
?
is it
O if
: ? ? :
;
a
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if? a ; is
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? it ? a '2
is a it is
,
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;
if,
;
is ; it is
it
:
it
:
48 Death the last enemy. The goud we seek is Peace.
15C? 9 ' '
1 Cor. 2, hear it? That indeed, Neither ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into man's heart: only let us love, only let us grow in grace : ye see, then, that battles are not wanting, and that we fight with our lusts. We fight outwardly with unbelieving and disobedient men ; we fight inwardly with carnal sug gestions and perturbations: we every where as yet fight,
Wisd. 9, because the corruptible body weigheth down the soul; we fight as yet, since if the spirit be life, yet is the body dead Rom. 8, through sin. But what will be the issue ? But ifthe Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. When therefore our mortal members shall have been quick ened, nothing will then resist our spirit. There will be no hunger, no thirst, because these arise from the corruption of the body. Thou refreshest thyself, because something departeth from thee. The lusts of carnal delights fight against us. We carry with us death in the infirmity of the body: but when death itself shall have been changed into
lCor. 15, that unchangeableness, and this corruptible shall hare put 55. 26. on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immor
tality, --what will then be said unto death ? O death, where is thy sting? O death, where is thy sting? Perchance, he dieth, and it will be said, do any enemies remain ? No ; death is the last enemy. When this shall have been destroyed, immortality will succeed. If there shall be no enemy, as 'tJie last' will death be destroyed. Our good, for which we sigh, will be peace. Behold, brethren, peace is called a good, a great good. Ye were seeking what was called a good : whether it were gold, or silver, or an estate, or raiment? It is peace: not such a peace as the unstable,
treacherous, mutable, uncertain peace which prevails among men; nor such peace as the individual hath with himself.
Psalm thou wilt see that every one who will live godly in Christ PxxVIII "
'Jesus, shall suffer persecution. For the sake of what, then, ^o We su^er so great persecutions? For, ifin this life only, saith the Apostle, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. For what reason were the Martyrs con demned to beasts ? What is that good ? Can it be declared ? by what means, or what tongue can tell it ? or what ears can
Children, good works; Children's Children their reward. 49
For I have said that a man contendeth also with himself; Ver. until he subdue all his lusts, he still fighteth. What sort of -- peace then is this? One that the eye hath not seen, nor the
ear heard of. What sort of peace? One from Jerusalem,
for Jerusalem is interpreted, A vision of Peace. Thus then the Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and may est thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem, and that, all thy life long--and mayest thou see, not only thy children, but, thy children's children. What meaneth, Thy children ? Thy works which thou here dost. Who are thy children's children? The fruits of thy works. Thou givest alms: these are thy children : for the sake of thine alms thou receivest everlasting life, these are thy children's children.
Mayest thou see thy children's children ; and there shall be peace upon Israel, the last words of the Psalm. This peace is preached unto you by us: it is loved by us, we wish that it may be loved by you. Unto this peace they come who have been here also peacemakers. They who are peacemakers there, are here such also; who stand around the Lord's table like olive branches, so that the tree is not barren as was that fig-tree, where the Lord when hungry found no
fruit. Ye see what happened unto it. It had leaves only, Mat. 31, it had not fruit: thus are they who have words, and have 1B' 1J" not deeds. The Lord when He came unto it hungry found
not there what to eat; for the Lord hungereth for faith and
for good works on our part. Let us feed Him by living well, and He will feed us for evermore by giving us ever lasting life.
PSALM CXXIX. EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the people.
rx^,V
1. The Psalm which we have sung is short: but as it is written in the Gospel of Zacchasus that he was little o/"Lul;ei9, stature, but mighty in works; as it is written of that widow
who cast two mites into the treasury, little was the money, Marki2, but great was her charity; thus also this Psalm, if thou42'44'
vol. VI. E
50 How we should heir the Songs ofthe Spirit.
Psai. m count the words, is short; if thou weigh the sentiments, is CXX1X. ' great. It will not therefore detain us long unto weariness.
Wherefore ? Let your wisdom attend, and let Christian zeal aid you : let the word of God sound to you whether willing or unwilling, in season or out of season1'. It hath found itself a place, it hath found hearts where it may rest, it hath found a soil where it may blossom and bear fruit. For it is clear that there are many evil and godless men whom the Church boareth even unto the end ; and there are they to whom God's Word is superfluous : and it either falleth
among them, as the seed by the way-side is trodden under foot, and gathered up by the birds ; or as the seed on rocky places, where it hath not much earth, and withereth under the hot sun as soon as the blade is above ground, because it hath no root; or as the seed that falleth among thorns, which although it sprout and endeavour to rise into the air, is stifled by the multitude of thorns. Such are they who trample on the Word of God as on the seed on the way-side,
or they who rejoice for an hour, and when tribulation cometh, wither, as by the sun's heat; or they who stifle what had begun to germinate in them, by the anxieties and cares of this world, as it were by the thorns of avarice. But
there is also good earth, where when the seed falleth it Mat. 13, Dearetn fruit, some thirty-fold, other sixty-fold, some a hundred-fold ; whether little or much, all shall be in the barn. Such therefore are these : and for their sakes we speak. On account of these the Scripture speaketh, on account of these the Gospel is not silent. But let those
too hear, if haply they may be one thing to-day, another to-morrow : if haply they may be changed by hearing, or plough up the way, or clear away the stones, or pluck up the thorns. Let the Spirit of God speak, let It speak to us, let It sing to us; whether we wish or wish not to dance, let
11 sing. For as he who danceth, moveth his limbs to the time ; so they who dance according to the commandment of God, in their works obey the sound. What therefore saith the Lord in the Gospel to those who refused to do
Mat,ll,tnis? \ye yive pipd unt0 y0u, and ye hare not danced : we hir e mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. Let
h al. ' in season to the willing, out of season to the unwilling. '
77ie Church has ever had trouble from the wicked. 51
Him therefore sing; we trust in God's mercy, for there will Ver. be those by whom He consoleth us. For they who are *~3' obstinate, continuing in wickedness, although they hear the
Word of God, by their offences daily disturb the Church.
She endureth : and as if it were asked, " Is it now ? " The Church is of ancient birth : since saints have been so called,
the Church hath been on earth. At one time the Church
was in Abel only, and he was fought against by his wicked Gen. 4, and lost brother Cain. At one time the Church was in
Enoch alone : and he was translated from the unrighteous. Gen. 5, At one time the Church was in the house of Noah alone, and 24 endured all who perished by the flood, and the ark alone Genesis swam upon the waves, and escaped to shore. At one time T1--Tm- the Church was in Abraham alone, and we know what he endured from the wicked. The Church was in his brother's
son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom, and he endured Genesis the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed
him from amidst them. The Church also began to exist in
the people of Israel: She endured Pharaoh and the Egyp
Of such this Psalm speaketh ; for thus it commenceth ;
2. Ver. 1 -- 3.
have been betrothed ; He is absent, Who gave unto us as a pledge His Holy Spirit; He is absent, Who redeemed us with His blood ; that Husband than Whom nothing is more beautiful, Who seemed as it were deformed among the hands of His persecutors, of Whom a little before Tsaiah said, He hath no form or comeliness. Is then our Bride- groom deformed ? God forbid ! for how would the virgins love Him, who have not sought husbands on earth? He therefore seemed deformed to His persecutors : if they thought Him not such, they would not insult Him, they would not strike Him with whips, would not crown Him with thorns, would not defile Him with spittle ; but because
ls. 53,2. Sol, i,
|oug
John l
Philip, Have
He seemed such unto them, they did these things unto Him ; for they had not eyes whereby Christ could seem beautiful. To what sort of eyes did Christ seem beautiful ? To such as CIhrist Himself sought, when He said unto
been so long with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip ? These eyes must be cleansed, that they may see that light ; and, though slightly touched with the splendour, they are kindled with love, that they may wish to be healed, and may become enlightened. For that ye may know that Christ, Who is loved, is beautiful, the P>>. 45, Prophet saith, Fairer in beauty than the children of men.
Ilis beauty surpasseth all men. W hat is it we love in
How to prove whether our fear of God is pure. 39
His crucified members, His transfixed side, or His Ver. When we hear that He suffered for us, what do we --L-- Love is loved. He loved us, that we might in turn
Christ ?
love ?
love ?
love Him; and that we might return His love, He hath visited us with His Spirit. He is beautiful, and is absent. Let the spouse ask herself if she be chaste. We are all among His members, my brethren ; we are among His members, we are for this reason one Man. Let each man see what sort of fear he hath, whether that which love casteth out, or that clean fear which endureth for evermore.
He hath lately proved this ; I say unto you, He will also prove Our Bridegroom afar ask thy conscience
dost thou wish that He come, or dost thou still wish that He delay? Consider, brethren: have knocked at the doors of your hearts; He hath heard the voice of them that dwell therein. What the consciences of each of you may
have answered, could not reach my ears, since am but man He Who afar in respect of bodily presence, but present in the strength of His Majesty, hath heard you.
be said unto them, Lo, here Christ, the day of judgment; say not, Would that He They who speak thus, love much and they
How many,
to-morrow
may come
are told, He will delay, they fear lest He delay, because their fear clean. And as His delaying now feared so, after His coming, His leaving us will be feared. That will be a clean fear, for tranquil and secure. For we shall not be forsaken of Him, when He hath found us, since He sought us before we sought Him chaste fear therefore, my brethren, hath this source cometh from love. But that fear which not yet chaste, feareth His Presence, and
its punishment. From fear doeth whatever of good doeth not from fear of losing that good, but from fear of suffering that evil. He feareth not lest he lose the embrace of his most comely bridegroom, but lest he be cast into hell. This fear good, useful will not indeed remain for evermore but not as yet of that clean sort, that abideth for evermore.
9. In whom clean
the second time, which ye may ask of yourselves. If God should come and speak unto us with His Own Voice,
am now asking question for
is
is
it is
it
:
it is
is ?
it I is
is
it
: is
; it
:
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is a;
I is
it
is a
;
it :a
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is
!
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it.
40 Fear of losing God's Presence shews some love.
m (although He ceaseth not to speak through His Scriptures,) -- and should say unto man, Thou wishest to sin : sin ; do what
soever pleaseth thee ; whatever thou loveston the earth, let it be thine : whoever thou art angry with, let him perish ; whomsoever thou wishest to seize upon, let him be seized ; whomsoever to kill, let him be killed; whomsoever to con demn, let him be condemned ; whomsoever thou wishest to possess, possess him : let no man resist thee, let no man say unto thee, What art thou doing ? No man, Do it not ; no man, Why hast thou done it? Let all those earthly things which thou hast desired abound unto thee, and live in them, not for a season, but for evermore : only thou shalt never see My Face. My brethren, wherefore did ye groan, save because that already a clean fear, enduring alway, hath been born? Why is your heart stricken? If God should say, Thou shalt never see My Face : lo, thou wilt abound in all that earthly felicity ; temporal goods will surround thee : thou losest them not, thou forsakest them not ; what dost thou wish more ? Clean fear would weep indeed and would groan, and would say, Nay, let all things be taken away, and let me see Thy Face. Clean
80, fear would cry out from the Psalm, and would say, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts: shew us the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole. Clean fear would cryI forth from the Psalm, and would say, One thing have desired of the Lord, which 1 will require. See how ardent
27, is thatIclean fear, that true love, unmixed love. One thing
have
this? Even that I
the days of my life. What if he desire this for the sake of earthly happiness? Hear what followeth : to behold the fair
beauty of the Lord, and to be protected; that is, to be His
Temple, and to be protected by Him, this one thing have I raise' desired of the Lord. If ye ask this one thing, if ye train 1
your hearts toward this one thing, and fear to lose this one thing only, ye will not envy earthly delights, and ye will hope for that true happiness, and will be in His Body to Whom it is sung, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways.
10. Ver. 2. Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits. And
desired the Lord, which I will require. What is
of
may dwell in the house
the Lord all
of
The very labours of Godliness are food. -11
ye, O thou, ye many who are One, Thou shalt eat of the Ver. labours of thy fruits. He seemeth to speak perversely to ------ those who understand not: for he should have said, thou
shalt eat the fruit of thy labours. For many eat the fruit
of their labours. They labour in the vineyard ; they eat not
the toil itself ; but what ariseth from their labour they eat.
They labour about trees that bear fruit: who would eat labours ? But the fruit of these labours, the produce of
these trees; it is this that delighteth the husbandman.
What meaneth, Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits ?
At present we have toils: the fruits will come afterwards.
But since their labours themselves are not without joy, on account of the hope whereof we have a little before spoken, Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation; at present those Rom. 12, very labours delight us, and make us joyful in hope. If12' therefore our toil has been what could be eaten, and could
also delight us ; what will be the fruit of our labour when
eaten ? They who went weeping on their way, scattering p>>. 126, their seed, did eat their labours; with how much greater pleasure will they eat the fruits of their labours, who shall
come again with joy, bearing their sheaves with them ?
And that ye may know, brethren, that this labour is eaten,
in the former Psalm ye have heard it said to the proud, who
wished to rise before light, that before Christ, not through humility, whereby Christ rose; was said unto
them, Rise after ye have sat down that is, be humbled, Pa. 127,
and thence rise since He also, Who hath been exalted on 2" account of you, came to be humbled. And what said? Who eat the bread of grief. This the labour of fruits, the bread grief. For unless were eaten, would not be called bread unless this bread had some sweetness, no
one would eat it. With how much sweetness doth he weep in his groanings, who prayeth The tears of the praying
are sweeter than the joys of theatres. And hear the flame
of longing, wherewith this bread eaten, of which he saith
here, Ye who eat the bread grief. In another passage
this lover saith, whose voice we usually recognise in the
Psalm, My tears have been my meat day and night. How PM2,3. have tears become meat While they daily say unto me,
Where is now thy God? For before we see Him Who loved
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of ? is
it
;
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it
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4-2 Christians could shew their God to real men.
Psalm us, Who hath given us a pledge, to Whom we are betrothed, the Heathen insult us, and say, Where is that which Christians worship ? Let them shew us Him Whom they adore. Behold, 1 shew them my deity, and let them shew me their Deity. When the Heathen speaketh thus to thee, thou findest not what to shew unto him ; for thou hast no man to shew it unto. Thou returnest therefore, and weepest before God; for thou sighest for Him, before thou seest
Him; and groanest from longing for Him; and because thou weepest in thy longing for Him, tears themselves are even sweet, and will be as meat unto thee, since they have been made unto thee as meat day and night, while it is said to thee, Where is thy God? But thy God, concerning
Rev. 31, Whom it is asked, Where is He? will come, and will wipe away thy tears, and will Himself be in stead of the bread of tears unto thee, and will feed thee for evermore ; because the word of God, upon which Angels feed, will be with us. Meanwhile, now are the labours of our fruits, afterwards will come the fruit of our labours. Thou shall eat the labours of thy fruits. Blessed art thou, and well shall it be with thee. Blessed art thou, is of the present: well shall it be with thee, is of the future. When thou eatest the labours
of thy fruits, blessed art thou ; when thou hast reached the fruit of thy labours, well shall it be with thee. What hath he said ? For if it be well with thee, thou wilt be happy: and if thou wilt be happy, thou wilt also have all well with thee. But there is a difference between hope and attain ment. If hope be so sweet, how much sweeter will reality be?
11. Let us now come to the words, Thy wife: it is said unto Christ. His wife, therefore, is the Church: His Church, His wife, we ourselves are. As a fruitful vineyard. But in whom is the vineyard fruitful ? For we see many barren ones entering those walls; we see that many intemperate, usurious persons, slave dealers, enter these walls, and such as resort to fortune-tellers, go to enchanters and en
chantresses when they have a headache. Is this the fruitful- ness of the vine? Is this the fecundity of the wife? It is not. These are thorns, but the vineyard is not every where thorny. It hath a certain fruitfulness, and is a fruitful vine ;
Children given to the Church, not all who are in her. 43
but in whom? Upon the sides of thy house. Not all are Ver. called the sides of the house. For I ask what are the sides. ------ What shall I say? Are they walls, strong stones, as it were?
If he were speaking of this bodily tenement, we should perhaps understand this by sides. We mean by the sides
of the house, those who cling unto Christ. For we do not say without reason of any person in daily discourse, who per chance is faring ill, owing to the counsels of bad friends,
" He hath bad sides. " What is, " He hath bad sides ? " Bad
men cling to him. It is therefore said of another also, He
hath good sides: he liveth according to good counsels.
What meaneth this ? He is ruled by good counsels. They therefore who cling to Christ are the sides of the house.
Nor hath His wife been created from His side without a
cause. When her spouse slept, Eve was created : when Gen. 2,
,22"
Christ died, the Church was created; she was born of her husband's side, whence a rib had been withdrawn; and the Church was born of the side of Her spouse, when His side
was transfixed with a lance, and the Sacraments flowed forth. Jobnl9, Therefore thy wife shall be fruitful as a vine. But upon34' what? Upon the sides of thine house. Among others, who
cling not unto Christ, it is barren. But I will not even reckon them in the vine.
12. Thy children. The wife and the children are the same. In these carnal marriages and wedlocks, the wife is one, the children other : in the Church, she who is the wife, is the children also. For the Apostles belonged to the
Church, and were among the members of the Church. They
were therefore in His wife, and were His wife according to
their own portion which they held in His members. Why
then it is said concerning them, When the Bridegroom shall Matt. 9,
be taken from them, then shall the children of the Bride- J5- groom fast ? She who is the wife, then, is the children also.
I speak a wonderful thing, my brethren. In the words of
the Lord, we find the Church to be both His brethren, and Mat. 12, His sisters, and His mother. For when His mother and46'8"*' His brethren were announced to Him to be standing without ;
in that they stood without, they were a figure. Who is the type of His mother? The Synagogue. Who is the type of carnal brethren ? The Jews who stood without. And
44 How Christians can be the Mother of Christ.
Psalm the Synagogue also standeth without. For Mary was among -the sides of His House, and His relatives coming of the kindred of the Virgin Mary, who believed on Him, were among the sides of His House; not in respect of their carnal
Mat. 12, *8'
consanguinity, but inasmuch as they heard the Word of God, and obeyed it. For the Lord answered thus: Who is My mother, and who are Mit brethren ? Whence some have attempted to say that Christ had not a mother, because He said, Who is My mother? Why ? Had not then Peter and John and James, and the other Apostles, fathers upon earth ?
Mat. 23, And yet what saith He unto them? Call no man your father upon earth: for One is your Father, Who is in Heaven. What, therefore, He taught His disciples in the case of their father, this He Himself shewed them in that of His mother. For our Lord's will is that we prefer God to our earthly connections. Respect thy father, because he is thy father : reverence God, because He is God. Thy father begot thee by lending his flesh ; God created thee by an exertion of His Power. Let not the father be angry when God is preferred to him : let him rather rejoice that so much respect is paid him, that He alone is found to be preferred to him. What then thall I say ? What saith the Lord ? , Who is My mother ?
and who are My brethren ? And he stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren. They were His brethren ; how were they His
Mat. 12, mother ? He added ; For whosoever shall do the will ojf Mu
'& Father Which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and
sister, and mother. Brother, perhaps, on account of the male sex whom the Church hath: sister, on account of the women whom Christ hath here in His members. How mother, save that Christ Himself is in those Christians, whom the Church daily bringeth forth Christians through baptism ? In those therefore in whom thou understandest the wife, in them thou understandest the mother, in them the children.
13. Let us therefore say what should the character of
these children be. Peacemakers they should be.
Matt. 5, peacemakers ? Because, Blessed are the peacemakers, for ? Qxf.
they shall be called the children of God. Since therefore in
4s
the olive is the fruit of peace: for oil signifieth peace,
Msa.
without' because it signifieth love; without' love there is no peace :
Why
All blessings are from God, not all out. of Sion. 45
and it is clear that they who have rent asunder peace, will Ver. not have love. Ihave already explained to you, beloved, -- - on this principle, why the dove carried the leaves with fruit 8, unto the ark : to signify that they also who have been ^en- baptized without, as those branches were baptized without
the ark, if they have not leaves alone, that is, words only,
but have fruit also, which is love, are borne by the dove to
the ark, and come unto unity*. Such children ought there
fore to be around the Lord's table, like olive-branches. Ter" 3- A complete Vine it is, a great bliss : who would now refuse to be there ? When thou seest any blasphemer have
a wife, children, grandchildren, and thyself perchance with out them, envy them not; discern that the promise hath been fulfilled in thee also, but spiritually. Perchance thou art not in His members? If thou art not there, lament that thou art neither here nor there. But if thou be there, be secure; for although thy reward be there and not here, it is a more fruitful one there than here.
14. Ver. 4. If therefore we have, why have we ? Because we fear the Lord. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. He is the man, who is also the men ;
and the men are one man ; because many are one, because Christ is One.
15. Ver. 5, 6. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. For thou hadst begun to heed the words, Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord: already per chance thine eyes were ranging through those who fear not the Lord, and saw there fruitful wives, children in abun
dance around their father's table : I know not whither thou wast going : The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. Seek not those blessings which are not out of Sion. Hath not the Lord blessed such, my brethren ? This is the Lord's blessing : or if it be not from the Lord, who will marry a wife, if the Lord be unwilling? who can be in sound health, if the Lord deny him ? or who can be rich, if the Lord refuse ? He giveth these things : but seest thou not that He hath also given them to cattle ? This blessing is not therefore from Sion. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and mayest thou see the good things that are ofJerusalem.
t Sermon vi. on St. John ii. 19.
40 The good things of Jerusalem are what truly are.
Psalm For these good things are not those of Jerusalem. Dost CxxVII I -, thou wish to see that they are not the good things of Jeru- Gen. l, salem ? Even to the birds was it said, Be fruitful arid 22" multiply. Dost thou wish to hold as a great blessing what
was given unto birds? Who can be ignorant, that it was given indeed by the voice of God ? But use these goods, if thou receive them ; and rather think how thou mayest nourish those who have been born, than that others may be born. For it is not happiness to have children, but to have good ones. Labour in the task of nourishing them, if they be born ; but if they be not born, give thanks unto God. Perchance thou wilt be less anxious, and yet thou hast not remained barren in that Mother. Perhaps through thee are spiritually born of that Mother, they who are as olive branches around the Lord's table. May the Lord therefore console thee, that thou mayest see the goods of Jerusalem. For these goods indeed are. Why are they ? Because they are everlasting. Why are they ? Because the King is
Exod. 3, there, I am That I am. But these goods are and are not :
14'
for they stand not; they slip away, they flow. Thy children are infants : thou dost caress the infants : the infants caress thee : do they abide thus ? But thou wishest they may grow, thou wishest that their age may increase. But consider that when one age cometh, another dieth. When boyhood cometh, infancy dieth ; when youth cometh, boyhood dieth : when manhood cometh, youth dieth ; when old age cometh, manhood dieth : when death cometh, all age dieth. As many successions of ages as thou wishest for, so many deaths of ages dost thou wish for. These things therefore are not. Finally, are children born unto thee to share life with thee on earth, or rather to shut thee out and to succeed thee ? Rejoicest thou in those born to exclude thee ? "Boys when born speak somewhat like this to their parents: Now then, begin to think of removing hence, let us too play our parts on the stage. " For the whole life of temptation in
Ps. 39,5. the human race is a stage play ; for it is said, Every man living is altogether vanity. Nevertheless, if we rejoice in children who will succeed us ; how much must we rejoice in children with whom we shall remain, and in that Father for Whom we are born, Who will not die, but that we may
We may see them all our life long. 47
evermore live with Him? These are the good things of vs>>. Jerusalem : for they are. The Lord from out of Sion bless ------ thee: and mayest thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem. For thou seest as one blind those goods, which
thou heedest. Mayest thou see : but those goods which are seen by the heart. And how long shall 1 see the good things of Jerusalem ? All thy life long. If thy life be for ever, thou wilt see the good things of Jerusalem for ever more. But my brethren, these goods are, yet thou seest them not all the days of thy life for thou diest not, when
thou goest forth from the body. Thy life continueth thy body dieth, but the life of the spirit continueth. The eyes see not, for he who saw through the eyes hath departed. Wheresoever he be, who saw through the eyes, he seeth
something. For the rich man, who when on earth M7a<<Lukel6, ? 19 23.
clothed with purple and fine linen, was not dead; he was dead, he would not have been tormented in hell. It would have been desirable for him to die, but he lived in hell to his hurt. For he was tormented, and saw not those goods which he had left on earth behold, such was his life, and he saw not those goods. Do thou therefore desire such goods as thou mayest see all thy life long, that is, that thou mayest live with these goods for evermore.
16. Consider therefore, brethren, what those goods are. Can these be called goods Is gold silver
pleasant estate walls of marble fretted ceilings God forbid The poor have these goods more abundantly than the rich in this life for more to poor man to see the starry heaven, than to rich man to see gilded ceiling. What then, brethren, that good, whereby we are inflamed, for which we sigh, whereby we are kindled, for the attainment of which good we endure so many toils, as ye have heard when the Apostle was read, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution For doth not follow that, because the devil rageth not through kings, Christians do not at this hour suffer persecution. If the devil be dead, our persecutions are dead but he our adversary liveth, whence doth he not suggest temptations
Whence doth he not rage whence doth he not procure threats or offences thou wouldest begin to live godly,
Tim,
?
is it
O if
: ? ? :
;
a
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if? a ; is
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is a it is
,
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;
if,
;
is ; it is
it
:
it
:
48 Death the last enemy. The goud we seek is Peace.
15C? 9 ' '
1 Cor. 2, hear it? That indeed, Neither ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into man's heart: only let us love, only let us grow in grace : ye see, then, that battles are not wanting, and that we fight with our lusts. We fight outwardly with unbelieving and disobedient men ; we fight inwardly with carnal sug gestions and perturbations: we every where as yet fight,
Wisd. 9, because the corruptible body weigheth down the soul; we fight as yet, since if the spirit be life, yet is the body dead Rom. 8, through sin. But what will be the issue ? But ifthe Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. When therefore our mortal members shall have been quick ened, nothing will then resist our spirit. There will be no hunger, no thirst, because these arise from the corruption of the body. Thou refreshest thyself, because something departeth from thee. The lusts of carnal delights fight against us. We carry with us death in the infirmity of the body: but when death itself shall have been changed into
lCor. 15, that unchangeableness, and this corruptible shall hare put 55. 26. on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immor
tality, --what will then be said unto death ? O death, where is thy sting? O death, where is thy sting? Perchance, he dieth, and it will be said, do any enemies remain ? No ; death is the last enemy. When this shall have been destroyed, immortality will succeed. If there shall be no enemy, as 'tJie last' will death be destroyed. Our good, for which we sigh, will be peace. Behold, brethren, peace is called a good, a great good. Ye were seeking what was called a good : whether it were gold, or silver, or an estate, or raiment? It is peace: not such a peace as the unstable,
treacherous, mutable, uncertain peace which prevails among men; nor such peace as the individual hath with himself.
Psalm thou wilt see that every one who will live godly in Christ PxxVIII "
'Jesus, shall suffer persecution. For the sake of what, then, ^o We su^er so great persecutions? For, ifin this life only, saith the Apostle, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. For what reason were the Martyrs con demned to beasts ? What is that good ? Can it be declared ? by what means, or what tongue can tell it ? or what ears can
Children, good works; Children's Children their reward. 49
For I have said that a man contendeth also with himself; Ver. until he subdue all his lusts, he still fighteth. What sort of -- peace then is this? One that the eye hath not seen, nor the
ear heard of. What sort of peace? One from Jerusalem,
for Jerusalem is interpreted, A vision of Peace. Thus then the Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and may est thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem, and that, all thy life long--and mayest thou see, not only thy children, but, thy children's children. What meaneth, Thy children ? Thy works which thou here dost. Who are thy children's children? The fruits of thy works. Thou givest alms: these are thy children : for the sake of thine alms thou receivest everlasting life, these are thy children's children.
Mayest thou see thy children's children ; and there shall be peace upon Israel, the last words of the Psalm. This peace is preached unto you by us: it is loved by us, we wish that it may be loved by you. Unto this peace they come who have been here also peacemakers. They who are peacemakers there, are here such also; who stand around the Lord's table like olive branches, so that the tree is not barren as was that fig-tree, where the Lord when hungry found no
fruit. Ye see what happened unto it. It had leaves only, Mat. 31, it had not fruit: thus are they who have words, and have 1B' 1J" not deeds. The Lord when He came unto it hungry found
not there what to eat; for the Lord hungereth for faith and
for good works on our part. Let us feed Him by living well, and He will feed us for evermore by giving us ever lasting life.
PSALM CXXIX. EXPOSITION.
A Sermon to the people.
rx^,V
1. The Psalm which we have sung is short: but as it is written in the Gospel of Zacchasus that he was little o/"Lul;ei9, stature, but mighty in works; as it is written of that widow
who cast two mites into the treasury, little was the money, Marki2, but great was her charity; thus also this Psalm, if thou42'44'
vol. VI. E
50 How we should heir the Songs ofthe Spirit.
Psai. m count the words, is short; if thou weigh the sentiments, is CXX1X. ' great. It will not therefore detain us long unto weariness.
Wherefore ? Let your wisdom attend, and let Christian zeal aid you : let the word of God sound to you whether willing or unwilling, in season or out of season1'. It hath found itself a place, it hath found hearts where it may rest, it hath found a soil where it may blossom and bear fruit. For it is clear that there are many evil and godless men whom the Church boareth even unto the end ; and there are they to whom God's Word is superfluous : and it either falleth
among them, as the seed by the way-side is trodden under foot, and gathered up by the birds ; or as the seed on rocky places, where it hath not much earth, and withereth under the hot sun as soon as the blade is above ground, because it hath no root; or as the seed that falleth among thorns, which although it sprout and endeavour to rise into the air, is stifled by the multitude of thorns. Such are they who trample on the Word of God as on the seed on the way-side,
or they who rejoice for an hour, and when tribulation cometh, wither, as by the sun's heat; or they who stifle what had begun to germinate in them, by the anxieties and cares of this world, as it were by the thorns of avarice. But
there is also good earth, where when the seed falleth it Mat. 13, Dearetn fruit, some thirty-fold, other sixty-fold, some a hundred-fold ; whether little or much, all shall be in the barn. Such therefore are these : and for their sakes we speak. On account of these the Scripture speaketh, on account of these the Gospel is not silent. But let those
too hear, if haply they may be one thing to-day, another to-morrow : if haply they may be changed by hearing, or plough up the way, or clear away the stones, or pluck up the thorns. Let the Spirit of God speak, let It speak to us, let It sing to us; whether we wish or wish not to dance, let
11 sing. For as he who danceth, moveth his limbs to the time ; so they who dance according to the commandment of God, in their works obey the sound. What therefore saith the Lord in the Gospel to those who refused to do
Mat,ll,tnis? \ye yive pipd unt0 y0u, and ye hare not danced : we hir e mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. Let
h al. ' in season to the willing, out of season to the unwilling. '
77ie Church has ever had trouble from the wicked. 51
Him therefore sing; we trust in God's mercy, for there will Ver. be those by whom He consoleth us. For they who are *~3' obstinate, continuing in wickedness, although they hear the
Word of God, by their offences daily disturb the Church.
She endureth : and as if it were asked, " Is it now ? " The Church is of ancient birth : since saints have been so called,
the Church hath been on earth. At one time the Church
was in Abel only, and he was fought against by his wicked Gen. 4, and lost brother Cain. At one time the Church was in
Enoch alone : and he was translated from the unrighteous. Gen. 5, At one time the Church was in the house of Noah alone, and 24 endured all who perished by the flood, and the ark alone Genesis swam upon the waves, and escaped to shore. At one time T1--Tm- the Church was in Abraham alone, and we know what he endured from the wicked. The Church was in his brother's
son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom, and he endured Genesis the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed
him from amidst them. The Church also began to exist in
the people of Israel: She endured Pharaoh and the Egyp
Of such this Psalm speaketh ; for thus it commenceth ;
2. Ver. 1 -- 3.
