Are not His
compassions
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Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Therefore generation and generation shall praise Thy works.
We praise the works of the Lord now, while we are in this mortal nature : and if we praised while we are fettered, how shall we praise when we are crowned ?
Therefore let us now in this generation observe these works of the Lord, in Whose praise it is said, i)eneration and
generation shall praise Thy trorks, since of Thy Greatness there is no end. It is lawful to gaze on Thy works, that Thou mayest be praised Who doest such works.
7. And they shall tell out Tliine excellence. For neither shall they praise Thy works, save in order to tell out Thine excellence. Boys at school are set to praise, and all such things are set before them to be praised, as God hath wrought : a mortal is set to praise the sun, the sky, the earth ; to come to even lesser things, to praise a rose, or a laurel ; all these are works of God : they are set, they are undertaken, they are praised : the works are lauded, of the Worker they are silent. I desire in the works to praise the Creator: I love not a thankless praiser. Dost thou praise
28.
what He hath made, and art silent of Him Who made? In that which thou seest, what is it that thou praisest ? The form, the usefulness, some virtue, some power in the things. If beauty delight thee, what is more beautiful than the Maker? If usefulness be praised, what more useful than He Who made all things ?
If excellence be praised, what more excellent than He by Whom all things were made ; by Whom too all things when made are not left alone, but are ruled and guided ? Not then as some, who though
eloquent are mute, since they praise the creature, but forget the Creator; not thus doth generation and gene ration among Thy servants praise Thee, when it praiseth Thy works. But how doth it praise ? And they shall tell out Thine excellence. In praising Thy works, they shall tell out Thine excellence. Those praisers, faithful men, holy and good, true praisers; not ungrateful for grace, whence they praise this and that of God's works, above or
God to be praised for manifold attributes. 321
below, in heaven or in earth, among those works of God Ver. which they praise find themselves also, for they too are among the works of God. For He Who made all things,
made us too among all things. Accordingly, if thou praisest the works of God, thou wilt have to praise thyself
too, for thou too art a work of God. Where then Let Prov. 27,
not thine own mouth praise thee? Behold, way found
whereby thou mayest praise thyself too, yet not be arrogant. Praise God in thee, not thyself: not because thou art what thou art, but because He made thee so not because thou canst do any thing, but because He can do in thee and through thee. And by this means they shall praise Thee, and tell out Thine excellence not theirs, but Thine. Learn then to praise gazing on the works, admire the Maker; by giving thanks, not byclaim- ingoughlas thine. Praise Him, because He hath made,because He hath thus ordered, because He hath given such things.
8. Finally, see what followeth They shall tell out Thine v. 5. 6. 7. excellence, saith he, and they shall speak of the magnificence
of the glory Thy Holiness, and shall record Thy wondrous
deeds. And the excellence Thy fearful works shall they
speak of; and Thy greatness, they shall relate it. The remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall
pour forth none but Thine. See whether this man, medi tating on Thy works, hath turned aside from the Worker to the work see whether he hath sunk from Him Who made, to the things which He made. Of the things which He hath made, he hath made step up to Him, not descent from Him to them. For thou love these more than Him, thou wilt not have Him. And what profit to thee to over flow with the works, the Worker leave thee Truly thou shouldest love them but love Him more, and love them for His sake. Tell out His excellence; speak of the mag nificence of the glory His Holiness recount His wondrous works; tell of the excellence of His terrible deeds. For He doth not hold out promises, without holding out threats also
He held out no promises, there would be no encourage ment; if He held out no threats, there would be no cor rection. They that praise Thee therefore shall speak also of the excellence of Thy terrible deeds; the excellence of that work of Thy hands which punisheth and administereth
VOL. VI. Y
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322 What we learn of God, we must proclaim to others.
Psalm discipline, they shall speak of, they shall not be silent : for cxI'T" they shall not proclaim Thine everlasting kingdom, and be silent about Thine everlasting fire. For the praise of God,
setting thee in the w ay, ought to shew thee both what thou shouldest love, and what thou shouldest fear; what thou shouldest seek, and what thou shouldest shun ; what thou shouldest choose, and what thou shouldest avoid. The time of choice is now, the time of receiving will be hereafter. Let then the excellence of Thy terrible things be told. And Thy greatness, they shall recount it. Unlimited as it is, though of Thy greatness there is no end, they shall not be silent about it. That Thy greatness, of which I had said above, and of Thy greatness there is no end, that they shall recount. How shall they recount there no end of They shall recount when they praise and because there is no end of so of His praise also there shall be no end. Let us prove that of His praise there shall be no end.
Pa. 84,4. Blessed, saith the Psalmist, who dwell in Thy house; they will be aliray praising Thee. And Thy greatness, that, that boundless greatness, they shall recount it.
9. The remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth. happy feasts What shall they eat, who thus shall pour forth! The remembrance of the abun dance of Thy sweetness. What is, the remembrance of the abundance Thy sweetness Because Thou didst not forget us, when we had forgotten Thee. For all flesh had forgotten God, but He forgat not His own works. This remembrance of His concerning us, in that He forgat us not, to be proclaimed, to be told out and because very sweet,
to be eaten, and poured forth again. So eat, that thou mayest pour forth again so receive, that thou mayest give. Thou eatest, when thou learnest thou pourest forth again, when thou teachest: thou eatest, when thou hearest; thou pourest forth again, when thou preachest; but that thou pourest forth, which thou hast first eaten. Finally, that most eager feaster John, to whom the very table of the Lord sufficed not, unless he leaned on the Lord's breast, and of his inmost lieart drank in divine secrets; what did he pour forth? In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The remembrance, therefore, of the abundance of Tliy sweet
John
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All good comes from God's Grace. 323
nets they shall pour forth. How is it that it sufficeth not to Ver. say, Thy remembrance; or, the remembrance of Thine 5~-- abundance; or, the remembrance of Thy sweetness; but,
the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness? Because, what availeth it if it be abundant, yet not sweet?
So also it is annoying if it be sweet but too little.
10. Therefore, the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth : because Thou didst not forget us, and not forgetting, didst warn us, that Thou
mightest bring us also to recollection. For all the ends of Ps. 22, the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned unto27'
the Lord. Because then they shall pour forth the remem brance of the abundance of Thy sweetness, understanding
that there is nought of good in themselves, which cometh
not from Thee, and that they could not turn to Thee, unless
they were warned by Thee, and that they could not be brought back to Thy recollection, if Thou forgattest them ; considering these things by Thy grace, they shall also exult
in Thy righteousness. Considering, I say, these things by
Thy grace, they shall also exult in Thy righteousness, not in
their own. Brethren, if ye wish to give forth grace, drink
in grace. What is, drink in grace ? Learn grace, under
stand grace. We, before we were, were not at all ; and we
were made men, when before we were nothing. And then when
we were made men, from the stock of the first sinner we were
also wicked, and were by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2, even as others. Observe we then the grace of God, not only3" whereby He made, but also whereby He re-made us. To Whom therefore we owe that we are, to Him we also owe
that we are justified. Let none seem to attribute to God
that he is, and to himself that he is just. For better is that
which thou wouldest attribute to thyself, than what thou wouldest attribute to Him. For it is a better thing that
thou art righteous, than that thou art a man. Thou givest
that which is lower to God, that which is higher to thyself.
Give all to Him, in all praise Him : so wouldest thou not
fall from the hand of thy Maker. Who made thee to be ?
Is it not written, that God took dust from the ground, and Gen. 2, with it made man ? Before thou wast man, thou wast dust ; J' before thou wast dust, thou wast nothing. But give not
v2
3-24 Our good works God's work in us.
Psalm thanks to thy Maker for this making alone ; hear also another c-- making, wherein He made thee. Not of works, saith Paul, lest any one should boast. But what said he ? Not of works, lest Eph. 2, any 0lie should boast : what said he before this ? By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not ofyourselves. These are the words of the Apostle, not mine, by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that, namely, that ye should be saved through faith, not of yourselves. Although the very word
which he had used, by grace, is clearly not of yourselves, yet he chose to set forth this still more plainly. Give me one that understandeth, and he hath said all. By grace are ye saved : when thou hearest by grace, understand 'gratis. ' If then it be gratis, thou hast wrought nothing of thine own, hast merited nothing. For if ought is to be repaid to merits, it is reward, not grace. By grace, saith he, ye are saved, through faith. Explain this yet more clearly, on account of the arrogant ; on account of the self-complacent ; on account
Rom. lo, of those who are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and desire to establish their own. Hear this same thing yet more openly : and this, that ye are saved by grace, is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. But we too perhaps have done somewhat, to earn the gifts of God. Not of works, saith he, lest any should boast. What then ? do we no good works? Yes, we do. But how? By Him working in us: for by faith we give place in our hearts to Him, Who in us and through us doeth good works. For hear whence it is
Epb. 2, that thou doest good works : for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should walk in them. That is the abundant sweetness of His remembrance with regard to us. By uttering forth this,
ver. 8. 9.
His preachers shall exult in His righteousness, not in their own. What then hast Thou done unto us, O Lord, Whom we praise, that we should be, that we should praise, that we should exult in Thy righteousness, that we should utter forth the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness ? Let us tell and, as we tell, let us praise.
11. Merciful and pitiful the Lord long suffering, and very merciful. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions reach into all His works. Were He not such as this, there would be no seeking to recover us. Consider thyself what
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The greatness of His Mercy. 325
didst thou deserve, O sinner? Despiser of God, what didst Ver. thou deserve ? See if ought occur to thee but penalty, if JLJL. ought occur to thee but punishment. Thou seest then what
was due to thee, and what He hath given, Who gave gratis.
There was given pardon to the sinner ; there was given the spirit of justification ; there was given charity and love, wherein thou mayest do all good works ; and beyond this, He will give thee also life everlasting, and fellowship with the angels : all of His mercy. Boast not at all of thine own merits, for thy very merits are His gifts. And in Thy righteousness they shall exult. Merciful and pitiful is the
Lord; Thou Who hast done all gratis. Long suffering ; for how great sinners doth He bear with. Merciful and pitiful is the ford, toward those to whom He hath given pardon : toward those to whom as yet he hath not given, long suffer ing; not condemning, but waiting, by His very waiting
crying out, Turn ye unto Me, and
in exceeding long suffering; / will not, saith He, the
of a sinner, but rather that he return, and live. He 7. indeed is long suffering ; but thou, after thy hardness and33 ^ impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against Rom. a,
the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Wlw shall render to every man according to his deeds. For He is not so long suffering now in enduring, as that He will never be righteous in punishing. He divideth the times: now He calleth thee; now He exhorteth thee: He waiteth till thou come to thyself; and dost thou tarry ? Great is His mercy, in this too, that He hath made the days of thy life uncertain to thee, that thou shouldest not know when thou art to depart hence ; and so, while thou daily lookest to depart, shouldest at length turn to Him; in this too, great is His mercy. But if He had fixed the day for all, He would make sins to abound by men's security. He gave thee hope of pardon, that thou mightest not by de spairing sin more. Both hope and despair are to be feared in sins. Behold the voice of one who despairs, so as to increase his sins ; and behold the voice of one who hopeth, so as to increase his sins ; and see how the Providence and the Mercy of God meeteth each. Hear the voice of one who
despaireth : ' Now,' saith he, ' I must be damned ; why
I will turn to you : and Zech. l,
My, 3
326 Presumption and despair equally deadly.
Psalm should I not do whatsoever I will ? ' Hear too the voice of CxlV. -, one who hopeth : ' Great is the mercy of the Lord ; when
soever I turn to Him, He will forgive me all : why should not I do whatsoever I will ? ' The one despairs, so as to sin ; the other hopes, so as to sin. Both are to be feared, both are perilous : woe, because of despair ! woe, because of hope ! How doth the mercy of God meet both these perils, both these evils ? What sayest thou, who through despair didst choose to sin ? ' Now I must be damned : why should
Ezek. I not do whatsoever I will? ' Hear the Scripture: / will 33'H' not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn, and live. By these words of God, he is brought back to hope ; but there is another snare to be feared, lest through
this very hope he sin the more. What then didst thou also say, thou who through hope sinnest yet more ? ' When soever I turn, God will forgive me all ; I will do whatsoever
Ecclus. I will. ' Hear thou also the Scripture : Make no tarrying to
5, '.
turn to the Lord, neither put off from day to day : for suddenly shall His wrath come forth, and in 'the time of vengeance He shall destroy thee. Say not then, To-morrow I will turn, to-morrow I will please God ; and all to-day's and yesterday's deeds shall be forgiven me. ' Thou sayest true : God hath promised pardon to thy conversion ; He hath not promised a to-morrow to thy delay.
12. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works. Why then doth He condemn ? why doth He scourge ? Are not they whom He condemneth, whom He scourgeth, His works? Plainly they are. And wilt thou know how His compassions are over all His
Matt. 5, works? Thence is that long suffering, whereby He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Are not His compassions over all His works, Who sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust ? Are not His compassions over all His works? In His long suffering He waiteth
Zech. l,for the sinner, saying, Turn ye to Me, and
you.
Are not His compassions over all His works? And
Mat. 25, when He saith, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the 4 ' devil and his angels, this is not His compassion, but His severity. His compassion is given to His works: His
severity is not over His works, but over thy works.
10
Iwill turn to
Lastly,
All God's works praise Him. 8-27
if thou remove thine own evil works, and there remain in
thee nought but His work, His compassion will not leave ------ thee : but if thou leavest not thy works, there will be severity
over thy works, not over His works.
13. Let all Thy works, O Lord, con/ess to Thee, and letver. 10. Thy saints bless Thee. Let all Thy works confess to Thee.
How so? Is not the earth His work? Are not the trees
His work ? Cattle, beasts, fish, fowl, are not they His works ? Plainly they too are. And how shall these too confess to Him ?
I see indeed in the angels that His works confess to Him, for
the angels are His works : and men are His works ; and when
men confess to Him, His works confess to Him; but have
trees and stones the voice of confession ? Yes, verily ; let
all His works confess to Him. What sayest thou ? even
the earth and the trees? All His works. If all praise, how
do not all confess ? For confession is said not only of sin,
but of praise also : lest perchance, wherever ye hear ' con fession,' ye think that it is of nought, save of sin. For so entirely is this thought, that whenever it soundeth in
the word of God, forthwith it is the habit to beat the breast. Hear that there is confession of praise too. Had
our Lord Jesus Christ any sin? And yet He saith, /Mat. n, confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. '16' There is confession then in praise. Accordingly, how shall
we take, let all Thy works confess to Thee, O Lord ? Let all Thy works praise Thee. But there ariseth the same
in regard of praise, as in regard of confession.
For if earth and all things devoid of sensation therefore cannot confess, because they have no voice to confess with ; neither will they be able to praise, because they have no
voice to proclaim with. But do not those Three Children enumerate all things, as they walked amid the harmless
flames, who had leisure not only not to fear, but even to
praise God ? They say to all things, heavenly and earthly,
Bless ye the Lord, praise Him, and magnify Him for ever. Song of Behold how they praise. Let none think that the dumb stone JjV? e or dumb animal hath reason wherewith to comprehend God. dren,i9. They who have thought this, have erred far from the truth.
God hath ordered every thing, and made every thing: to
some He hath given sense and understanding and innnor-
question
328 Because in them we see His Almightiness.
Psalm tality, as to the angels ; to some He hath given sense and -^i-understanding with mortality, as to man; to some He hath
given bodily sense, yet gave them not understanding, or im mortality, as to cattle : to some He hath given neither sense, nor understanding, nor immortality, as to herbs, trees, stones : yet even these cannot be wanting in their kind, and by certain degrees He hath ordered H is creation, from earth up to heaven, from visible to invisible, from mortal to immortal. This framework of creation, this most perfectly ordered beauty, ascending from lowest to highest, descending from highest
to lowest, never broken, but tempered together of things unlike, all praiseth God. Wherefore then doth all praise God ? Because when thou considerest and seest its beauty, thou in praisest God. The beauty of the earth
kind of voice of the dumb earth. Thou observest and seest its beauty, thou seest its fruitfulness, thou seest its strength, how receiveth seed, how often bringeth forth what not sown lhou seest this, and by thy consideration of thou, as were, questionest it; thy very inquiry into
questioning it. But when thou hast inquired into
in thine admiration, and hast searched out, and hast discovered its mighty strength, and great beauty, and surpassing excellence, since could not of itself and in itself have this excellence, forthwith cometh into thy mind, that could not be of itself, without Him, the Creator. And this which thou hast found in the very voice of
its confession, that thou praise the Creator. When thou hast thought on the universal beauty of this world, doth, not its very beauty as were with one voice answer thee, made not myself, God made me
14. Therefore let all Thy works confess to Hiee, Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee. That in confession of Thy works Thy saints may bless Thee, let Thy saints look into Thy creation confessing. And hear Thou their voice when they bless Thee. For when Thy saints bless Thee, what
ver. 11. say they? They shall tell the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy Power. How powerful God, Who hath made the earth how powerful God, Who hath filled the earth with good things how powerful God, Who hath given to the animals each its own life how powerful God,
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The surpassing beauty of God's Creation. 329
Who hath given different seeds to the womb of the earth, Ver.
12'
15. That they may make known to the sons of men Thyver. 12. power, and the glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom. Thy saints then commend the glory of the
greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom, the glory of the greatness of its beauty. There is a certain greatness ofthe beauty of Thy kingdom : that Thy kingdom hath beauty,
and great beauty. Since whatever hath beauty, hath beauty
from Thee, how great beauty hath Thy whole kingdom
Let not the kingdom frighten us: hath beauty also, wherewith to delight us. For what that beauty, which
the saints shall hereafter enjoy, to whom shall be said,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, enjoy the kingdom Whence Mat. 25, shall they come? whither shall they come? Behold, bre-34'
thren, and, ye can, as far as ye can, think of the beauty of that kingdom which to come whence our prayer saith, Thy kingdom come. For that kingdom we desire may come, that kingdom the saints proclaim to be coming. Observe this world beautiful. How beautiful are earth, sea, air, heavens, stars. Do not all these frighten him who considereth them Is not the beauty of them so conspicuous, that seemeth as though nothing more beautiful could be found And here, in this beauty, in this fairness almost unspeakable, here worm and mice and all creeping things of the earth live with thee, they live with thee in all this beauty. How great the beauty of that kingdom, where none but angels live with Thee Too little then was
to say, the glory of the beauty. For we might speak of the glory the beauty of any beautiful thing set on this earth, or that green on the earth, or that shineth from heaven but the greatness the beauty Thy kingdom commendetb to us somewhat which as yet we see not; which, as yet unseen, we believe; which, believing, we long for, for longing for which we endure all things. There then
that they might make to spring up such various shoots, such beautiful trees ! how powerful, how great is God ! Do thou ask, creation answereth, and by its answer, as by the confession of the creature, thou, 0 saint of God, blessest God, and talkest of His power.
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330 God's Promises which have been fulfilled,
Psalm a greatness of a certain beauty ; let it be loved before it is CxlT' seen, that when it is seen, it may be retained.
16_ Tj,y kingdom. What kingdom mean I ? a kingdom of all ages. For the kingdom of this age too hath its own beauty, but there is not in it that greatness of beauty, such as in the kingdom of all ages. And Thy dominion is in every generation and generation. This is the repetition we noticed, signifying either every generation, or the generation which will be after this generation.
Ter. 13.
17. 'Faithful is the Lord in His words, and holy in all His works. Faithful is the Lord in His words: for what hath He promised that He hath not given ? Faithful is the Lord in His words. Hereto there are certain things which He hath promised, and hath not given ; but let Him be believed from the things which He hath given. Faithful is the Lord in His words. We might well believe Him, if He only spake : He willed not that we should believe Him speaking, but that we should have His Scriptures in our hands: as though thou shouldest say to a man when thou promisedst him some
thing, ' Thou believest me not, behold, I write it for thee. ' For because one generation goeth and another cometh, and so these generations hasten by as men retire and succeed one another, it was needful that the Scriptures of God should remain, and a kind of bond of God's, which all who pass by might read, and might keep to the path of its promise. And how great things hath He already paid in accordance with that bond ! Do men hesitate to believe Him concerning the Resurrection of the dead and the Life to come, which alone now remaineth to be paid, when, if He come to reckon with the unbelievers, the unbelievers must blush ?
If God
I have promised judgment, the separation of good and bad, everlasting life for the
thee, ' Thou hast My bond :
say
to
faithful, and wilt thou not believe ? There in My bond read all that I have promised, reckon with me : verily even by
counting up what 1 have paid, thou canst believe that 1 shall pay what still I owe. In thaIt bond thou hast My
Rom. 8, only -begotten Son promised, Whom
Him up for you all: reckon this then among what is paid.
spared not, but gave ' Thin verse is not contained in the English version.
an earnest that He willfulfil what remains. 33 1
Read the bond : I promised therein that I would give by Ver. My Son the earnest of the Holy Spirit : reckon that as paid. -- 1 promised therein the blood and the crowns of the glorious Martyrs; let the massb remind you that My debt has been
paid. But that this glory of the Martyrs might be paid, which is promised thee in the bond, where it is written,
For Thy sake are we killed all the day long; that this might Ps. 44, be paid, the nations raged, and the people imagined t'at>>p^'2 ( things; the kings of the earth stood up, and the princess- came together, against the Lord, and against His Christ.
The princes came together, conspiring against the Christians. Further, did I not promise in the bond that the kings should believe, and have 1 not fulfilled it in deed ? Listen where I promised it: All kings shall worship Him, all nations shall Ps. 72,
serve Him. Ungrateful one ! thou readest what was due, thou
seest what has been paid, yet thou believest not what is promised. Read another thing in My bond: because the Pa. 2, i; nations raged, because Mine enemies spake evil of Me, (that is, *? 5" of Christ,) When shall He die, and His Name perish ? because
they did and said all these things, read what I promised, what
I bound Myself to pay. The Lord shall prevail against them, Zeph. 2, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth ;
and they shall worship Him, every one from his place. Well, now He hath prevailed, He hath destroyed all the gods of the nations of the earth. Doth He not do this, and pay it ? He setteth before the eyes of all His payment of His debts: some He hath paid in the time of our ancestors, which we saw not: some He hath paid in our times, which they saw not; throughout all generations He hath paid what was written. And what remaineth ? Do men not believe Him, when He hath paid all this ? What remaineth ? Behold thou hast reckoned: all this He hath paid: is He become unfaithful for the few things which remain ? God forbid ! Wherefore ? Because the Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.
18. The Lord strengtheneth all that are falling. But who ver. 14. are all that are falling ? All indeed fall in a general sense,
b See note on Ps. 1. 9. vol. ii. p. 314. ' White Mass,' as well as those there This sermon appears from this to have mentioned,
been preached in the Basilica of the
332 God helpeth His people in distress.
Psalm but he meaneth those who fall in a particular way. For many C*lT' fall from Him, many also fall from their own imaginations.
If they had evil imaginations, they fall from them, and God strengthened all that arefalling. They who lose any thing in this world, yet are holy, are as it were dishonoured in this world, from rich become poor, from honoured of low estate, yet are they God's saints ; they are, as it were, falling. But God
Prov. 2i, strengtheneth. For the just falleth seven times, and riseth
16'
again ; but the wicked shall be weakened in evils. When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened thereby ; when evils befall the righteous, the Lord strengthened all that are
falling. Job had fallen from the brightness of the former light of temporal things, with which he had shone for a while ; he had fallen from the glory of his house. Would ye know how far he had fallen ? He sat on the dunghill : yet
the Lord strengthened him when falling. How much did He strengthen him ? So much that, even in the grievous wound wherewith he was smitten throughout his whole body, he answered his wife, when she, the only helper whom the devil had left him, tempted him, Thou hast spoken as one of the foolish women : ifwe receive good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also endure evil? How had He strengthened
Job 2, 10'
Ps. 37, him when falling! The Lord strengtheneth all that are
2i'
James4, him ; for God resisteth the proud.
15.
19. The eyes ofall hope upon Thee, and Thou givest them food in due season. Just as when thou refreshest a sick man in due season, when he ought to receive, then Thou givest, and what he ought to receive, that Thou givest. Sometimes then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give. Wherefore say this, brethren Lest any
one, perchance he hath not been heard, when making some righteous request of God: (for when he maketh any unrighteous request, he heard to his punishment:) but when making some righteous request of God, perchance he have not been heard, let him not be down-hearted, let him not faint, let his eyes wait for the food, which He giveth in due season. When He giveth not, He therefore
falling. When the righteous falleth , he shall not be troubled, for the Lord strengthened his hand. And lifted up all those that have been cast down : all, that is, who belong to
if
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He withholds, as well as gives, for our good. 333 giveth not, lest that which He giveth do harm. For the Ver.
Apostle made no unrighteous request, when he besought that
17'
the thorn in the flesh, the messenger
was buffetted, might be taken from him
and did not receive, because as yet
exercising his weakness, not the due season of food. My\\,. grace, He saith, sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. The devil asked permission to tempt Job, and received it. Learn here, my brethren, great mystery, needful to be learned, repeated, kept in mind, never forgotten, on account of the abundance of
in this world. What shall say Is the Apostle really to be compared with the devil The Apostle asketh, and receiveth not the devil asketh, and receiveth. But the Apostle received not, in order to his perfecting the devil received, to his damnation. Finally, Job himself received healing in due season. He was put off, however, that he might be proved, and he sat long in his sores, and asked God that they might be taken from him, and yet God took them not away. More readily did He hear the devil for Job's trial, than Job himself for his healing. Learn then not to murmur against God, and, when ye are not heard, let not that fail in you which written above, Every day will bless Thee. Even the Son Himself, even the only-begotten
temptations
Satan, whereby he", and yet he asked, was the time for
Himself, came to suffer, to pay what He owed not, to die by
the hands of sinners, to blot out with His own Blood the handwriting of our death for this He came and yet, that
He might shew thee an example of patience, He changed Phil. the body ofour humiliation, fashioning like unto the body l'
of His Glory. Father, He said, be possible, let this Mat. 26, cup pass from Me. And that, although He received not39" what He seemed to ask, He might fulfil, Every day will
bless Thee, He said, Nevertheless, not what will, but what Thou wilt, Father. The eyes of all hope in Thee, and Thou givest them meal in due season.
20.
generation shall praise Thy trorks, since of Thy Greatness there is no end. It is lawful to gaze on Thy works, that Thou mayest be praised Who doest such works.
7. And they shall tell out Tliine excellence. For neither shall they praise Thy works, save in order to tell out Thine excellence. Boys at school are set to praise, and all such things are set before them to be praised, as God hath wrought : a mortal is set to praise the sun, the sky, the earth ; to come to even lesser things, to praise a rose, or a laurel ; all these are works of God : they are set, they are undertaken, they are praised : the works are lauded, of the Worker they are silent. I desire in the works to praise the Creator: I love not a thankless praiser. Dost thou praise
28.
what He hath made, and art silent of Him Who made? In that which thou seest, what is it that thou praisest ? The form, the usefulness, some virtue, some power in the things. If beauty delight thee, what is more beautiful than the Maker? If usefulness be praised, what more useful than He Who made all things ?
If excellence be praised, what more excellent than He by Whom all things were made ; by Whom too all things when made are not left alone, but are ruled and guided ? Not then as some, who though
eloquent are mute, since they praise the creature, but forget the Creator; not thus doth generation and gene ration among Thy servants praise Thee, when it praiseth Thy works. But how doth it praise ? And they shall tell out Thine excellence. In praising Thy works, they shall tell out Thine excellence. Those praisers, faithful men, holy and good, true praisers; not ungrateful for grace, whence they praise this and that of God's works, above or
God to be praised for manifold attributes. 321
below, in heaven or in earth, among those works of God Ver. which they praise find themselves also, for they too are among the works of God. For He Who made all things,
made us too among all things. Accordingly, if thou praisest the works of God, thou wilt have to praise thyself
too, for thou too art a work of God. Where then Let Prov. 27,
not thine own mouth praise thee? Behold, way found
whereby thou mayest praise thyself too, yet not be arrogant. Praise God in thee, not thyself: not because thou art what thou art, but because He made thee so not because thou canst do any thing, but because He can do in thee and through thee. And by this means they shall praise Thee, and tell out Thine excellence not theirs, but Thine. Learn then to praise gazing on the works, admire the Maker; by giving thanks, not byclaim- ingoughlas thine. Praise Him, because He hath made,because He hath thus ordered, because He hath given such things.
8. Finally, see what followeth They shall tell out Thine v. 5. 6. 7. excellence, saith he, and they shall speak of the magnificence
of the glory Thy Holiness, and shall record Thy wondrous
deeds. And the excellence Thy fearful works shall they
speak of; and Thy greatness, they shall relate it. The remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall
pour forth none but Thine. See whether this man, medi tating on Thy works, hath turned aside from the Worker to the work see whether he hath sunk from Him Who made, to the things which He made. Of the things which He hath made, he hath made step up to Him, not descent from Him to them. For thou love these more than Him, thou wilt not have Him. And what profit to thee to over flow with the works, the Worker leave thee Truly thou shouldest love them but love Him more, and love them for His sake. Tell out His excellence; speak of the mag nificence of the glory His Holiness recount His wondrous works; tell of the excellence of His terrible deeds. For He doth not hold out promises, without holding out threats also
He held out no promises, there would be no encourage ment; if He held out no threats, there would be no cor rection. They that praise Thee therefore shall speak also of the excellence of Thy terrible deeds; the excellence of that work of Thy hands which punisheth and administereth
VOL. VI. Y
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322 What we learn of God, we must proclaim to others.
Psalm discipline, they shall speak of, they shall not be silent : for cxI'T" they shall not proclaim Thine everlasting kingdom, and be silent about Thine everlasting fire. For the praise of God,
setting thee in the w ay, ought to shew thee both what thou shouldest love, and what thou shouldest fear; what thou shouldest seek, and what thou shouldest shun ; what thou shouldest choose, and what thou shouldest avoid. The time of choice is now, the time of receiving will be hereafter. Let then the excellence of Thy terrible things be told. And Thy greatness, they shall recount it. Unlimited as it is, though of Thy greatness there is no end, they shall not be silent about it. That Thy greatness, of which I had said above, and of Thy greatness there is no end, that they shall recount. How shall they recount there no end of They shall recount when they praise and because there is no end of so of His praise also there shall be no end. Let us prove that of His praise there shall be no end.
Pa. 84,4. Blessed, saith the Psalmist, who dwell in Thy house; they will be aliray praising Thee. And Thy greatness, that, that boundless greatness, they shall recount it.
9. The remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth. happy feasts What shall they eat, who thus shall pour forth! The remembrance of the abun dance of Thy sweetness. What is, the remembrance of the abundance Thy sweetness Because Thou didst not forget us, when we had forgotten Thee. For all flesh had forgotten God, but He forgat not His own works. This remembrance of His concerning us, in that He forgat us not, to be proclaimed, to be told out and because very sweet,
to be eaten, and poured forth again. So eat, that thou mayest pour forth again so receive, that thou mayest give. Thou eatest, when thou learnest thou pourest forth again, when thou teachest: thou eatest, when thou hearest; thou pourest forth again, when thou preachest; but that thou pourest forth, which thou hast first eaten. Finally, that most eager feaster John, to whom the very table of the Lord sufficed not, unless he leaned on the Lord's breast, and of his inmost lieart drank in divine secrets; what did he pour forth? In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The remembrance, therefore, of the abundance of Tliy sweet
John
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All good comes from God's Grace. 323
nets they shall pour forth. How is it that it sufficeth not to Ver. say, Thy remembrance; or, the remembrance of Thine 5~-- abundance; or, the remembrance of Thy sweetness; but,
the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness? Because, what availeth it if it be abundant, yet not sweet?
So also it is annoying if it be sweet but too little.
10. Therefore, the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth : because Thou didst not forget us, and not forgetting, didst warn us, that Thou
mightest bring us also to recollection. For all the ends of Ps. 22, the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned unto27'
the Lord. Because then they shall pour forth the remem brance of the abundance of Thy sweetness, understanding
that there is nought of good in themselves, which cometh
not from Thee, and that they could not turn to Thee, unless
they were warned by Thee, and that they could not be brought back to Thy recollection, if Thou forgattest them ; considering these things by Thy grace, they shall also exult
in Thy righteousness. Considering, I say, these things by
Thy grace, they shall also exult in Thy righteousness, not in
their own. Brethren, if ye wish to give forth grace, drink
in grace. What is, drink in grace ? Learn grace, under
stand grace. We, before we were, were not at all ; and we
were made men, when before we were nothing. And then when
we were made men, from the stock of the first sinner we were
also wicked, and were by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2, even as others. Observe we then the grace of God, not only3" whereby He made, but also whereby He re-made us. To Whom therefore we owe that we are, to Him we also owe
that we are justified. Let none seem to attribute to God
that he is, and to himself that he is just. For better is that
which thou wouldest attribute to thyself, than what thou wouldest attribute to Him. For it is a better thing that
thou art righteous, than that thou art a man. Thou givest
that which is lower to God, that which is higher to thyself.
Give all to Him, in all praise Him : so wouldest thou not
fall from the hand of thy Maker. Who made thee to be ?
Is it not written, that God took dust from the ground, and Gen. 2, with it made man ? Before thou wast man, thou wast dust ; J' before thou wast dust, thou wast nothing. But give not
v2
3-24 Our good works God's work in us.
Psalm thanks to thy Maker for this making alone ; hear also another c-- making, wherein He made thee. Not of works, saith Paul, lest any one should boast. But what said he ? Not of works, lest Eph. 2, any 0lie should boast : what said he before this ? By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not ofyourselves. These are the words of the Apostle, not mine, by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that, namely, that ye should be saved through faith, not of yourselves. Although the very word
which he had used, by grace, is clearly not of yourselves, yet he chose to set forth this still more plainly. Give me one that understandeth, and he hath said all. By grace are ye saved : when thou hearest by grace, understand 'gratis. ' If then it be gratis, thou hast wrought nothing of thine own, hast merited nothing. For if ought is to be repaid to merits, it is reward, not grace. By grace, saith he, ye are saved, through faith. Explain this yet more clearly, on account of the arrogant ; on account of the self-complacent ; on account
Rom. lo, of those who are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and desire to establish their own. Hear this same thing yet more openly : and this, that ye are saved by grace, is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. But we too perhaps have done somewhat, to earn the gifts of God. Not of works, saith he, lest any should boast. What then ? do we no good works? Yes, we do. But how? By Him working in us: for by faith we give place in our hearts to Him, Who in us and through us doeth good works. For hear whence it is
Epb. 2, that thou doest good works : for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should walk in them. That is the abundant sweetness of His remembrance with regard to us. By uttering forth this,
ver. 8. 9.
His preachers shall exult in His righteousness, not in their own. What then hast Thou done unto us, O Lord, Whom we praise, that we should be, that we should praise, that we should exult in Thy righteousness, that we should utter forth the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness ? Let us tell and, as we tell, let us praise.
11. Merciful and pitiful the Lord long suffering, and very merciful. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions reach into all His works. Were He not such as this, there would be no seeking to recover us. Consider thyself what
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The greatness of His Mercy. 325
didst thou deserve, O sinner? Despiser of God, what didst Ver. thou deserve ? See if ought occur to thee but penalty, if JLJL. ought occur to thee but punishment. Thou seest then what
was due to thee, and what He hath given, Who gave gratis.
There was given pardon to the sinner ; there was given the spirit of justification ; there was given charity and love, wherein thou mayest do all good works ; and beyond this, He will give thee also life everlasting, and fellowship with the angels : all of His mercy. Boast not at all of thine own merits, for thy very merits are His gifts. And in Thy righteousness they shall exult. Merciful and pitiful is the
Lord; Thou Who hast done all gratis. Long suffering ; for how great sinners doth He bear with. Merciful and pitiful is the ford, toward those to whom He hath given pardon : toward those to whom as yet he hath not given, long suffer ing; not condemning, but waiting, by His very waiting
crying out, Turn ye unto Me, and
in exceeding long suffering; / will not, saith He, the
of a sinner, but rather that he return, and live. He 7. indeed is long suffering ; but thou, after thy hardness and33 ^ impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against Rom. a,
the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Wlw shall render to every man according to his deeds. For He is not so long suffering now in enduring, as that He will never be righteous in punishing. He divideth the times: now He calleth thee; now He exhorteth thee: He waiteth till thou come to thyself; and dost thou tarry ? Great is His mercy, in this too, that He hath made the days of thy life uncertain to thee, that thou shouldest not know when thou art to depart hence ; and so, while thou daily lookest to depart, shouldest at length turn to Him; in this too, great is His mercy. But if He had fixed the day for all, He would make sins to abound by men's security. He gave thee hope of pardon, that thou mightest not by de spairing sin more. Both hope and despair are to be feared in sins. Behold the voice of one who despairs, so as to increase his sins ; and behold the voice of one who hopeth, so as to increase his sins ; and see how the Providence and the Mercy of God meeteth each. Hear the voice of one who
despaireth : ' Now,' saith he, ' I must be damned ; why
I will turn to you : and Zech. l,
My, 3
326 Presumption and despair equally deadly.
Psalm should I not do whatsoever I will ? ' Hear too the voice of CxlV. -, one who hopeth : ' Great is the mercy of the Lord ; when
soever I turn to Him, He will forgive me all : why should not I do whatsoever I will ? ' The one despairs, so as to sin ; the other hopes, so as to sin. Both are to be feared, both are perilous : woe, because of despair ! woe, because of hope ! How doth the mercy of God meet both these perils, both these evils ? What sayest thou, who through despair didst choose to sin ? ' Now I must be damned : why should
Ezek. I not do whatsoever I will? ' Hear the Scripture: / will 33'H' not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn, and live. By these words of God, he is brought back to hope ; but there is another snare to be feared, lest through
this very hope he sin the more. What then didst thou also say, thou who through hope sinnest yet more ? ' When soever I turn, God will forgive me all ; I will do whatsoever
Ecclus. I will. ' Hear thou also the Scripture : Make no tarrying to
5, '.
turn to the Lord, neither put off from day to day : for suddenly shall His wrath come forth, and in 'the time of vengeance He shall destroy thee. Say not then, To-morrow I will turn, to-morrow I will please God ; and all to-day's and yesterday's deeds shall be forgiven me. ' Thou sayest true : God hath promised pardon to thy conversion ; He hath not promised a to-morrow to thy delay.
12. Sweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works. Why then doth He condemn ? why doth He scourge ? Are not they whom He condemneth, whom He scourgeth, His works? Plainly they are. And wilt thou know how His compassions are over all His
Matt. 5, works? Thence is that long suffering, whereby He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Are not His compassions over all His works, Who sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust ? Are not His compassions over all His works? In His long suffering He waiteth
Zech. l,for the sinner, saying, Turn ye to Me, and
you.
Are not His compassions over all His works? And
Mat. 25, when He saith, Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the 4 ' devil and his angels, this is not His compassion, but His severity. His compassion is given to His works: His
severity is not over His works, but over thy works.
10
Iwill turn to
Lastly,
All God's works praise Him. 8-27
if thou remove thine own evil works, and there remain in
thee nought but His work, His compassion will not leave ------ thee : but if thou leavest not thy works, there will be severity
over thy works, not over His works.
13. Let all Thy works, O Lord, con/ess to Thee, and letver. 10. Thy saints bless Thee. Let all Thy works confess to Thee.
How so? Is not the earth His work? Are not the trees
His work ? Cattle, beasts, fish, fowl, are not they His works ? Plainly they too are. And how shall these too confess to Him ?
I see indeed in the angels that His works confess to Him, for
the angels are His works : and men are His works ; and when
men confess to Him, His works confess to Him; but have
trees and stones the voice of confession ? Yes, verily ; let
all His works confess to Him. What sayest thou ? even
the earth and the trees? All His works. If all praise, how
do not all confess ? For confession is said not only of sin,
but of praise also : lest perchance, wherever ye hear ' con fession,' ye think that it is of nought, save of sin. For so entirely is this thought, that whenever it soundeth in
the word of God, forthwith it is the habit to beat the breast. Hear that there is confession of praise too. Had
our Lord Jesus Christ any sin? And yet He saith, /Mat. n, confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. '16' There is confession then in praise. Accordingly, how shall
we take, let all Thy works confess to Thee, O Lord ? Let all Thy works praise Thee. But there ariseth the same
in regard of praise, as in regard of confession.
For if earth and all things devoid of sensation therefore cannot confess, because they have no voice to confess with ; neither will they be able to praise, because they have no
voice to proclaim with. But do not those Three Children enumerate all things, as they walked amid the harmless
flames, who had leisure not only not to fear, but even to
praise God ? They say to all things, heavenly and earthly,
Bless ye the Lord, praise Him, and magnify Him for ever. Song of Behold how they praise. Let none think that the dumb stone JjV? e or dumb animal hath reason wherewith to comprehend God. dren,i9. They who have thought this, have erred far from the truth.
God hath ordered every thing, and made every thing: to
some He hath given sense and understanding and innnor-
question
328 Because in them we see His Almightiness.
Psalm tality, as to the angels ; to some He hath given sense and -^i-understanding with mortality, as to man; to some He hath
given bodily sense, yet gave them not understanding, or im mortality, as to cattle : to some He hath given neither sense, nor understanding, nor immortality, as to herbs, trees, stones : yet even these cannot be wanting in their kind, and by certain degrees He hath ordered H is creation, from earth up to heaven, from visible to invisible, from mortal to immortal. This framework of creation, this most perfectly ordered beauty, ascending from lowest to highest, descending from highest
to lowest, never broken, but tempered together of things unlike, all praiseth God. Wherefore then doth all praise God ? Because when thou considerest and seest its beauty, thou in praisest God. The beauty of the earth
kind of voice of the dumb earth. Thou observest and seest its beauty, thou seest its fruitfulness, thou seest its strength, how receiveth seed, how often bringeth forth what not sown lhou seest this, and by thy consideration of thou, as were, questionest it; thy very inquiry into
questioning it. But when thou hast inquired into
in thine admiration, and hast searched out, and hast discovered its mighty strength, and great beauty, and surpassing excellence, since could not of itself and in itself have this excellence, forthwith cometh into thy mind, that could not be of itself, without Him, the Creator. And this which thou hast found in the very voice of
its confession, that thou praise the Creator. When thou hast thought on the universal beauty of this world, doth, not its very beauty as were with one voice answer thee, made not myself, God made me
14. Therefore let all Thy works confess to Hiee, Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee. That in confession of Thy works Thy saints may bless Thee, let Thy saints look into Thy creation confessing. And hear Thou their voice when they bless Thee. For when Thy saints bless Thee, what
ver. 11. say they? They shall tell the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy Power. How powerful God, Who hath made the earth how powerful God, Who hath filled the earth with good things how powerful God, Who hath given to the animals each its own life how powerful God,
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The surpassing beauty of God's Creation. 329
Who hath given different seeds to the womb of the earth, Ver.
12'
15. That they may make known to the sons of men Thyver. 12. power, and the glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom. Thy saints then commend the glory of the
greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom, the glory of the greatness of its beauty. There is a certain greatness ofthe beauty of Thy kingdom : that Thy kingdom hath beauty,
and great beauty. Since whatever hath beauty, hath beauty
from Thee, how great beauty hath Thy whole kingdom
Let not the kingdom frighten us: hath beauty also, wherewith to delight us. For what that beauty, which
the saints shall hereafter enjoy, to whom shall be said,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, enjoy the kingdom Whence Mat. 25, shall they come? whither shall they come? Behold, bre-34'
thren, and, ye can, as far as ye can, think of the beauty of that kingdom which to come whence our prayer saith, Thy kingdom come. For that kingdom we desire may come, that kingdom the saints proclaim to be coming. Observe this world beautiful. How beautiful are earth, sea, air, heavens, stars. Do not all these frighten him who considereth them Is not the beauty of them so conspicuous, that seemeth as though nothing more beautiful could be found And here, in this beauty, in this fairness almost unspeakable, here worm and mice and all creeping things of the earth live with thee, they live with thee in all this beauty. How great the beauty of that kingdom, where none but angels live with Thee Too little then was
to say, the glory of the beauty. For we might speak of the glory the beauty of any beautiful thing set on this earth, or that green on the earth, or that shineth from heaven but the greatness the beauty Thy kingdom commendetb to us somewhat which as yet we see not; which, as yet unseen, we believe; which, believing, we long for, for longing for which we endure all things. There then
that they might make to spring up such various shoots, such beautiful trees ! how powerful, how great is God ! Do thou ask, creation answereth, and by its answer, as by the confession of the creature, thou, 0 saint of God, blessest God, and talkest of His power.
of is
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330 God's Promises which have been fulfilled,
Psalm a greatness of a certain beauty ; let it be loved before it is CxlT' seen, that when it is seen, it may be retained.
16_ Tj,y kingdom. What kingdom mean I ? a kingdom of all ages. For the kingdom of this age too hath its own beauty, but there is not in it that greatness of beauty, such as in the kingdom of all ages. And Thy dominion is in every generation and generation. This is the repetition we noticed, signifying either every generation, or the generation which will be after this generation.
Ter. 13.
17. 'Faithful is the Lord in His words, and holy in all His works. Faithful is the Lord in His words: for what hath He promised that He hath not given ? Faithful is the Lord in His words. Hereto there are certain things which He hath promised, and hath not given ; but let Him be believed from the things which He hath given. Faithful is the Lord in His words. We might well believe Him, if He only spake : He willed not that we should believe Him speaking, but that we should have His Scriptures in our hands: as though thou shouldest say to a man when thou promisedst him some
thing, ' Thou believest me not, behold, I write it for thee. ' For because one generation goeth and another cometh, and so these generations hasten by as men retire and succeed one another, it was needful that the Scriptures of God should remain, and a kind of bond of God's, which all who pass by might read, and might keep to the path of its promise. And how great things hath He already paid in accordance with that bond ! Do men hesitate to believe Him concerning the Resurrection of the dead and the Life to come, which alone now remaineth to be paid, when, if He come to reckon with the unbelievers, the unbelievers must blush ?
If God
I have promised judgment, the separation of good and bad, everlasting life for the
thee, ' Thou hast My bond :
say
to
faithful, and wilt thou not believe ? There in My bond read all that I have promised, reckon with me : verily even by
counting up what 1 have paid, thou canst believe that 1 shall pay what still I owe. In thaIt bond thou hast My
Rom. 8, only -begotten Son promised, Whom
Him up for you all: reckon this then among what is paid.
spared not, but gave ' Thin verse is not contained in the English version.
an earnest that He willfulfil what remains. 33 1
Read the bond : I promised therein that I would give by Ver. My Son the earnest of the Holy Spirit : reckon that as paid. -- 1 promised therein the blood and the crowns of the glorious Martyrs; let the massb remind you that My debt has been
paid. But that this glory of the Martyrs might be paid, which is promised thee in the bond, where it is written,
For Thy sake are we killed all the day long; that this might Ps. 44, be paid, the nations raged, and the people imagined t'at>>p^'2 ( things; the kings of the earth stood up, and the princess- came together, against the Lord, and against His Christ.
The princes came together, conspiring against the Christians. Further, did I not promise in the bond that the kings should believe, and have 1 not fulfilled it in deed ? Listen where I promised it: All kings shall worship Him, all nations shall Ps. 72,
serve Him. Ungrateful one ! thou readest what was due, thou
seest what has been paid, yet thou believest not what is promised. Read another thing in My bond: because the Pa. 2, i; nations raged, because Mine enemies spake evil of Me, (that is, *? 5" of Christ,) When shall He die, and His Name perish ? because
they did and said all these things, read what I promised, what
I bound Myself to pay. The Lord shall prevail against them, Zeph. 2, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth ;
and they shall worship Him, every one from his place. Well, now He hath prevailed, He hath destroyed all the gods of the nations of the earth. Doth He not do this, and pay it ? He setteth before the eyes of all His payment of His debts: some He hath paid in the time of our ancestors, which we saw not: some He hath paid in our times, which they saw not; throughout all generations He hath paid what was written. And what remaineth ? Do men not believe Him, when He hath paid all this ? What remaineth ? Behold thou hast reckoned: all this He hath paid: is He become unfaithful for the few things which remain ? God forbid ! Wherefore ? Because the Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.
18. The Lord strengtheneth all that are falling. But who ver. 14. are all that are falling ? All indeed fall in a general sense,
b See note on Ps. 1. 9. vol. ii. p. 314. ' White Mass,' as well as those there This sermon appears from this to have mentioned,
been preached in the Basilica of the
332 God helpeth His people in distress.
Psalm but he meaneth those who fall in a particular way. For many C*lT' fall from Him, many also fall from their own imaginations.
If they had evil imaginations, they fall from them, and God strengthened all that arefalling. They who lose any thing in this world, yet are holy, are as it were dishonoured in this world, from rich become poor, from honoured of low estate, yet are they God's saints ; they are, as it were, falling. But God
Prov. 2i, strengtheneth. For the just falleth seven times, and riseth
16'
again ; but the wicked shall be weakened in evils. When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened thereby ; when evils befall the righteous, the Lord strengthened all that are
falling. Job had fallen from the brightness of the former light of temporal things, with which he had shone for a while ; he had fallen from the glory of his house. Would ye know how far he had fallen ? He sat on the dunghill : yet
the Lord strengthened him when falling. How much did He strengthen him ? So much that, even in the grievous wound wherewith he was smitten throughout his whole body, he answered his wife, when she, the only helper whom the devil had left him, tempted him, Thou hast spoken as one of the foolish women : ifwe receive good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also endure evil? How had He strengthened
Job 2, 10'
Ps. 37, him when falling! The Lord strengtheneth all that are
2i'
James4, him ; for God resisteth the proud.
15.
19. The eyes ofall hope upon Thee, and Thou givest them food in due season. Just as when thou refreshest a sick man in due season, when he ought to receive, then Thou givest, and what he ought to receive, that Thou givest. Sometimes then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give. Wherefore say this, brethren Lest any
one, perchance he hath not been heard, when making some righteous request of God: (for when he maketh any unrighteous request, he heard to his punishment:) but when making some righteous request of God, perchance he have not been heard, let him not be down-hearted, let him not faint, let his eyes wait for the food, which He giveth in due season. When He giveth not, He therefore
falling. When the righteous falleth , he shall not be troubled, for the Lord strengthened his hand. And lifted up all those that have been cast down : all, that is, who belong to
if
?
is
I
if
ver.
He withholds, as well as gives, for our good. 333 giveth not, lest that which He giveth do harm. For the Ver.
Apostle made no unrighteous request, when he besought that
17'
the thorn in the flesh, the messenger
was buffetted, might be taken from him
and did not receive, because as yet
exercising his weakness, not the due season of food. My\\,. grace, He saith, sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. The devil asked permission to tempt Job, and received it. Learn here, my brethren, great mystery, needful to be learned, repeated, kept in mind, never forgotten, on account of the abundance of
in this world. What shall say Is the Apostle really to be compared with the devil The Apostle asketh, and receiveth not the devil asketh, and receiveth. But the Apostle received not, in order to his perfecting the devil received, to his damnation. Finally, Job himself received healing in due season. He was put off, however, that he might be proved, and he sat long in his sores, and asked God that they might be taken from him, and yet God took them not away. More readily did He hear the devil for Job's trial, than Job himself for his healing. Learn then not to murmur against God, and, when ye are not heard, let not that fail in you which written above, Every day will bless Thee. Even the Son Himself, even the only-begotten
temptations
Satan, whereby he", and yet he asked, was the time for
Himself, came to suffer, to pay what He owed not, to die by
the hands of sinners, to blot out with His own Blood the handwriting of our death for this He came and yet, that
He might shew thee an example of patience, He changed Phil. the body ofour humiliation, fashioning like unto the body l'
of His Glory. Father, He said, be possible, let this Mat. 26, cup pass from Me. And that, although He received not39" what He seemed to ask, He might fulfil, Every day will
bless Thee, He said, Nevertheless, not what will, but what Thou wilt, Father. The eyes of all hope in Thee, and Thou givest them meal in due season.
20.
