No More Learning

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886 The fear of man a snare. God's shadowing ' wings. '
therein : but there are many Christians who lead a bad life,
Psalm
- among whom those who are resolved to lire righteously, and
to be sober among the drunken, and chaste among the unchaste, and amid the consulters of astrologers sincerely to worship God, and to ask after no such things, and among
of frivolous shows will go only to church, suffer from those very Christians reproaches, and harsh words, when they address such a one, ' Thou art the mighty, the righteous, thou art Elias, thou art Peter: thou hast come
from heaven. ' They insult him: whichever way he turns, he hears harsh sayings on each side : and if he fears, and abandons the way of Christ, he falls into the snares of the hunters. But what is when he hears such words, not to swerve from the way On hearing them, what comfort has he, which prevents his heeding them, and enables him to enter by the door Let him say What words am called, who am servant and sinner? To my Lord Jesus they
John said, Thou hast a devil. You have just beard the harsh
48
words spoken against our Lord: was not necessary for our Lord to suffer this, but in doing so He has warned thee against harsh words, lest thou fall into the snares of the hunters.
5. (Ver. 4. ) He shall defend thee between His shoulders, and thou shalt hope under His wings. He says this, that thy protection may not be to thee from thyself, that thou mayest not imagine that thou canst defend thyself He will defend thee, to deliver thee from the hunter's snare, and from an harsh word. The expression, between His shoulders, may be understood both in front and behind for the shoulders are about the head but in the words, thou shalt hope under His wings,' clear that the protection of the wings of God expanded places thee between His shoulders, so that God's wings on this side and that have thee in the midst, where thou shalt not fear lest any one hurt thee only be thou careful never to leave that spot, where no foe dares approach. If the hen defends her chickens beneath her wings how much more shalt thou be safe beneath the wings of God, even against the devil and his angels, the powers who fly about in mid air like hawks, to carry off the weak young one For the comparison of the hen to the very Wisdom of God not
spectators
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Christ likened to a Hen. Comparisons imperfect. 287 without ground ; for Christ Himself, our Lord and Saviour, Ver.
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speaks of Himself as likened to a hen ; O Jerusalem, Jeru-
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ther, even as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would
not. That Jerusalem would not : let us be willing. She, when she abandoned her hen's wings, was carried off by the powers of the air, presuming on her own strength, when she was weak : let us, confessing our want of strength, fly to the shelter of God's wings : for He will be to us as a hen
defending her young. There is nothing offensive in the name of the hen : for if you consider other birds, brethren, you will find many that hatch their eggs, and keep their young warm: but none that weakens herself in sympathy with her chickens, as the hen does. We see swallows, sparrows, and storks outside their nests, without being able to decide whether they have young or no : but we know the hen to be a mother by the weakness of her voice, and the loosening of her feathers : she changes altogether from love
for her chickens : she weakens herself because they are
weak. Thus since we were weak, the Wisdom of God
made Itself weak, when the Word was made flesh, and John 1, dwelt in us, that we might hope under His wings.
6. (Ver. 4 -- 6. ) His truth shall surround thee with a shield.
What are the wings, the same is the shield : since there are neither wings nor shield. If either were literally, how could
the one be the same as the other ? can wings be a shield or
a shield wings? But all these expressions, indeed, are figuratively used through likenesses. If Christ were really
a Stone, He could not be a Lion ; if a Lion, He could not Acts 4, be a Lamb: but He is called both Lion, and Lamb, andj^'11. '
Stone, and Calf, and any thing else of the sort, meta-6. phorically, because He is neither Stone, nor Lion, nor Lamb,29. ' n ' nor Calf, but Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all of us, for these
are likenesses, not literal names. His truth shall he thy shield,
it is said: a shield to assure us that He will not confound
those whose trust is in themselves with those who hope in
God. One is a sinner, and the other a sinner: but suppose
one that presumes upon himself, is a despiser, confesses not
his sins, and he will say, if my sins displeased God, He
would not suffer me to live. But another dared not even
salem, how often would
Mat. '23 ' hare gathered thy children toge-37.
288 The different temptations of the night and the day.
Psalm raise his eves, but beat upon bis breast, saying, God be L^C^ ' merciful to me a sinner. Both this was a sinner, and that: 13 but the one mocked, the other mourned : the one was a
despiser, the other a confessor, of his sins. But the truth of God, which respects not persons, discerns the penitent from him who denies his sin, the humble from the proud, him who presumes upon himself from him who presumes on God. His truth, then, shall surround thee with a shield.
7. Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor 1 nego- for the arrow that flieth by day; for the matter1 that
tium
toalketh in darkness, nor for the ruin and the devil that is in the noon-day. These two clauses above correspond to the two below ; Thou shalt not fear for the terror by night,
from the arrow that flieth by day : both because of the terror by night, from the matter that tralketh in darkness: and because of the arrow that flieth by duy, from the ruin of the devil of the noon-day. What ought to be feared by night, and what by day ? When any man sins in ignorance, be sins, as it were, by night : when he sins in full knowledge,
by day. The two former sins then are the lighter : the second are much heavier; but this is obscure, and will repay your attention, by God's blessing, can explain
so that you may understand it. He calls the light temptation, which the ignorant yield to, terror by night the light temptation, which assails men who well know, the arrow thai flieth by day. What are light temptations Those which do not press upon us so urgently, as to overcome us, but may pass by quickly declined. Suppose these, again, heavy ones. If the persecutor threatens, and frightens the ignorant grievously, mean those whose faith as yet
unstable, and know not that they are Christians that they may hope for life to come as soon as they are alarmed with temporal ills, they imagine that Christ has forsaken them, and that they are Christians to no purpose; they are not aware that they are Christians for this reason, that they may conquer the present, and hope for th<< future: the matter that walketh in darkness has found and seized them.
But some there are who know that they are called to future hope that what God has promised not of this life, or this earth that all these temptations must be endured,
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The noonday heat signifies Persecution. -289
that we may receive what God hath promised us for evermore ; Ver.
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all this they know : when however the persecutor urges them more strenuously, and plies them with threats, penalties, tortures, at length they yield, and although they are well aware of their sin, yet they fall as it were by day.
8. But why does he say, at noon-day? The persecution is very hot; and thus the noon signifies the excessive heat. My beloved brethren, hear me prove this from the Scriptures. When our Lord was speaking of the sower who went forth to sow, and some of the seeds fell by the way-side, some upon stony places, and some among thorns, He con descended to explain the parable Himself; and when He came to the seed which fell on the stony places, He said
thus, He that received the seed into stony places, the same Mat. 13, are they that hear the word, and for a while rejoice at the3- 23' word; and when tribulation ariseth because ofthe word, by
and by they are offended. For what had He said of the
seed which fell in these places ? When the sun was up, He
saith, they were scorched; and because they had no deep
root, they withered away. These then are they who for
a while rejoice at the word, and when persecution hath
arisen because of the word, they wither. Why do they wither? Because they had no firm root. What is that
root? Love: in the Apostle's words, that ye, being rooted Ephei. and grounded in love; for, as the love of money is the >>'00<iTim'. 6, of all evil, so is love the root of all good. This ye know, l0- and I have often repeated it ; but why have I wished to call
it to mind ? That ye may understand this Psalm, in which the demon that is in the noon-day, represents the heat of a furious persecution : for these are our Lord's words, The sun was up; and because they had no root, they withered away : and when explaining He applies to those who are offended when persecution ariselh, because they have not root in themselves. We are therefore right in understanding by the demon that desttoyeth in the noon-day, violent persecution. Listen, beloved, while describe the per secution, from which the Lord hath rescued His Church. At first, when the emperors and kings of the world imagined that they could extirpate from the earth the Christian name by persecution, they proclaimed, that any one who confessed
VOL. IV.
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i . choose to be smitten, denied that he was a Christian,
knowing the sin he was committing : the arrow that flieth by day reached him. But whoever regarded not the present life, but had a sure trust in a future one, avoided the arrow, by confessing himself a Christian ; smitten in the flesh, he was liberated in the spirit: resting with God, he began peacefully to await the redemption of his body in the resurrection of the dead: he escaped from that temptation, from the arrow that flieth by day. " Whoever professes himself a Christian, let him be beheaded;" was as the aiTow that flieth by day. The devil that is in the noon day was not yet abroad, burning with a terrible persecution, and afflicting with great heat even the strong. For hear what followed ; when the enemy saw that many were hasten ing to martyrdom, and that the number of fresh converts increased in proportion to that of the sufferers, they said among themselves, We shall annihilate the human race, so many thousands are there who believe in His Name ; if we kill all of them, there will hardly be a survivor on earth. The sun then began to blaze, and to glow with a terrible heat. Their first edict had been, Whoever shall confess himself a Christian, let him be smitten. Their second was, Whoever shall have confessed himself a Christian, let him be tortured, and tortured even until he deny himself a Christian. Com pare the arrow that flieth by day, and the devil that destroy- eth at the noon. What was the arrow flying by day ? that any confessing Christian should be smitten. What faithful believer would not avoid the arrow by a speedy death ? But the second, viz. If he confess himself a Christian, let him not be slain, but tortured until he deny : if he deny, let him be dismissed : was the demon of the noon. Many there fore who denied not, failed amid the tortures ; for they were tortured until they denied. But to those who per severed in professing Christ, w hat could the sword do, by killing the body at one stroke, and sending the soul to God ? This was the result of protracted tortures also : yet who could be found able to resist such cruel and continued torments ? Many failed : those, I believe, who presumed upon themselves, who dwelt not under the defence
290 Torture a harder trial than death.
Psalm himself a Christian, should be smitten. He who did not
Many fallfrom the ' right hand,' some from ' beside' Christ, 291
of the Most High, and under the shadow of the God of Ver. Heaven ; who said not to the Lord, Thou art my lifter up ; ----- who trusted not beneath the shadow of His wings, but reposed much confidence in their own strength. They
are thrown down by God, to shew them that it is He that protects them, He overrules their temptations, He allows so much only to befal them, as each person can sustain.
9. (Ver. 7. ) Many then fell before the demon of the noon
day. Would ye know how many ? He goes on, and says,
A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy
right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. To whom, brethren, but to Christ Jesus, is this said? For our Lord
Jesus is not only in Himself, but in us also. Remember
those words, Saul, Saul, why persecutes! thou Me ? when Acts 9, no one touched Him, and yet He said, why persecutes! thou
Me ? did He not account Himself in us ? when He said, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of /fose Mat. 25, My brethren, ye have done it unto Me, did He not account Himself as in us? For the members, the body, and the
head, are not separate from one another: the body and
the head are the Church and her Saviour. How then is
it said, A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand
by thy right hand ? Because they shall fall before the devil,
that destroyeth at noon. It is a terrible thing, my brethren,
to fall from beside Christ, from His right hand ; but how
shall they fall from beside Him ? Why the one beside Him,
the other at His right hand ? Why a thousand beside Him,
ten thousand at His right hand? Why a thousand beside
Him? Because a thousand are fewer than the ten thousand
who shall fall at His right hand. Who these are will soon
be clear in Christ's name ; for to some He promised that
they should judge with Him, namely, to the Apostles, who
left all things, and followed Him. Peter said to Him, Behold, M*t^i9, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee : and He gave them
this promise, Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel. Do not imagine that it was to them
alone that this promise was made; for where, in that case,
will the Apostle Paul sit, who laboured more abundantly 16, 10. than they all, if only twelve shall sit there ? For St. Paul is
the thirteenth : since out of the twelve, Judas fell, and in his
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992 Others beside the Apostles shall judge with Christ.
Psalm place Matthias was ordained, as we find in the Acts of the XCI_ Apostles. Thus the twelve thrones were filled up ; but 16^26. shall not he, who laboured more than all, have a seat? Or is the number twelve the perfection of the tribunal? For
thousands
shall sit in twelve seats. But some one may
possibly ask, How do you prove to me that Paul will be 1 Cor. 6, among the judges ? Hear his own words ; Know ye not that 3' we shall judge Angels ? Thus he did not hesitate to account
himself in the fulness of his faith among those who shall judge with Christ. Those judges then are the heads of the
Mat. 19, Church, the perfect. To such He said, If thou wilt be *2' perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.
What means the expression, if thou wilt be perfect? it means, if thou wilt judge with Me, and not be judged. That young man went away very sorrowful : but many have done, and are doing this command : and these are they who shall judge with Him. But many promise themselves they shall judge with Christ, because they forsake all, and follow
Christ: but they have a self-presumption, a certain swelling and pride, which God alone can discern, and they cannot escape the sickness of the noon-day, that is, the fall caused by the glowing heat of a too severe persecution. Many
such at that period, who had distributed their all to the poor, and already promised themselves a seat beside Christ in judgment of the nations, failed amid their torments under the blazing fire of persecution, as before the demon of the noon-day, and denied Christ. These are they who have
fallen beside Him : when about to sit with Christ for the judgment of the world, they fell.
10. I will now explain who are they who fall on the right
hand of Christ. Ye know that when the judgment-seat described, where those who have willed to be and actually become perfect, rooted and grounded in love, so that they cannot wither from the sun and the demon of the noon-day>>
Mat. 26, shall judge with Christ, our Lord saith, Before Him shall be 32' gathered all nations : and He shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd diiideth his sheep from his goats :
and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on the left ; and they shall be judged. There will be many who shall judge, but they will be fewer than those who will
is
Others that seemed such shall fall, but more of the rest. 293
stand before the tribunal ; the latter will be as ten thousand, Ver the former as a thousand. What will He say to those placed ----
on His right hand? /
was an hungred, and ye gave Me and ye took Me in ; it is clear that
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meat ;
these words will be addressed to those who have enough of
this world's riches to discharge those humane offices. Yet both will reign together: for the one are as soldiers, the other as the provincial pay-masters1 who give the soldiers their ' See supplies: both the soldier and the provincial, nevertheless, act jj'om under the same Emperor. The soldier is brave, the provincial cxxii devoted to his duties ; the brave soldier fights with his
prayers against the devil, the devoted provincial provides the soldier with his pay. Those placed on the right hand shall hear at last these words, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. There were then many, at that time when the sun of persecution and the demon of the noon-day glowed with terrible heat, there were many, who promised themselves that they should judge with Christ; yet they could not sustain the heat of persecution, and fell from beside Him; there were others there, who did not promise themselves the
judicial seat ; but through their works of charity promised themselves a place on the right hand of Christ, among those to whom He would say, ' Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from thefoundation ofthe world. ' And because many have fallen from that hope of being judges, but yet many, many more from that of being on His right hand, the Psalmist thus addresses Christ, A thousand shall fall beside Thee, and ten thousand at Thy right hand. And since there shall be many, who regarded not all these things, with whom, as it were with His own limbs, Christ is one, he adds, But it shall not come nigh Tliee. Were these words addressed to the Head alone? Surely not; surely neither
(doth it come nigh) to Paul, nor Peter, nor all the Apostles, nor all the Martyrs, who failed not in their torments. What then do the words, it shall not come nigh, mean ? Why were tbey thus tortured ? Tue torture came nigh the flesh, but it did not reach the region of faith. Their faith then was far beyond the reach of the terrors threatened by their torturers. Let them torture, terror will not come nigh ; let them torture,
was a
stranger,
294 How persecution ' comes not nigh? those who conquer.
Piui. m but they will mock the torture, putting their trust in Him --^-who conquered before ihem, that the rest might conquer. And who conquer, except they who trust not in themselves ?
Attend, my beloved ; for all he has said above refers to this.
He shall say unto the Lord, Thou art my upholder and my
trust. For He shall deliver me refuge:andinHimwillI "
from the snare of the hunter. lie shall deliver me," not I myself. He shall defend thee between His shoulders : but when? when thou shalt trust beneath His wings: His truth shall encompass thee with a shield. Because, then, thou hast trusted in Him, and reposed all thy hopes in Him, what follows? Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day ; for the matter that walketh in darkness, nor for the downfal and the devil thai is in the noon-day. Who will not fear ? He who trusts not in himself, but in Christ. But those who trust in themselves,
although they even hope to judge at the side of Christ, although they hoped they should be at His right hand, as if He said to them, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; yet the devil that is at noon overtook them, the raging heat of persecution, terrifying with violence ; and many fell from the hope of the seat of judgment, of whom it is said, A thousand shall fall beside thee ; many too fell from the hope
1 ohse- of reward for their duties1, of whom it was said, And ten
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thousand at thy right hand. But this downfal and devil that
is at noon-day shall not come nigh thee, that the Head and Tim. the body for the Lord knows who are His.
y\, Ver. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. What this Why nevertheless? Because the wicked were allowed to tyrannize over Thy servants, and to persecute them.
Will they then have been allowed to persecute Thy servants with impunity Not with impunity, for although Thou hast per mitted them, and Thine own have thence received brighter
crown, nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly. For the evil which they willed, not the good they unconsciously were the agents of,
will be recompensed them. All that wanting the eye of faith, by which we may see that they are raised for time
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Faith needed to see the true state ofmen. 295
only, while they shall mourn for evermore; and to those into Ver. whose hands is given temporal power over the servants of ---' - Gad, it shall be said, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared Mat. 26p
for the devil and his angels. But if every man have but41' eyes in the sense in which it is said, With thine eyes shalt thou behold, it is no unimportant thing to look upon the wicked flourishing in this life, and to have an eye to him, to consider what will become of him in the end, if he fail to reform his ways: for those who now would thunder upon others, will afterwards feel the thunderbolt themselves. Nevertheless, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly.
12. Ver. 9. For Thou, Lord, art my hope. He has now come to the power which rescues him from falling by the downfall and the devil of the noon-day. For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thy house of defence very high. What do the words very high mean ? For many make their house of defence in God a mere refuge from temporal per secution; but the defence of God is on high, and very secret, whither thou mayest fly from the wrath to come. Within Thou hast set thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil happen unto Thee : neither shall any plague come nigh Thy dwelling. For He shall give His Angels charge
over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands: that Thou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. These are the very words which Ihe devil said to our
Lord when he tempted Him ; but as they demand very careful consideration, let us defer them and the latter part of this Psalm until to-morrow, (as we owe you a discourse for to morrow also,) to begin again at the same place, in order to avoid fatiguing you; lest, when we are anxious to clear up
an obscure passage, any haste on our part may hinder your understanding it.
PSALM XCl. Lat. XC.
SECOND DISCOUBSE.
1. I doubt uot that you remember, beloved, such of you as were present yesterday at my sermon, that the shortness
296 Divers capacities ofhearers.
Psalm of time prevented my concluding the exposition of the ^Il1- Psalm, a part of which was thus deferred until this day. You who were here yesterday, remember this; you who were
not, may now know it. On this account I have caused to be read to you the chapter in the Gospel, wherein our Lord was
from the words of this Psalm. On this account Christ was tempted, that the Christian may not be overcome by the tempter : He, as the Master, willed to be tempted in all things, because we are tempted: just as He willed to die, because we die : as He willed to rise again, since we too shall rise again. For all those works which He shewed forth in humanity, Who was made Man for us, He shewed forth on our account, since He was God, through Whom we were made. And we have often impressed upon you, beloved, what we do not fear to reiterate frequently: in order that, since many of you possibly cannot read, either because they have no leisure, or know not letters, at least by constantly listening they may not forget their healthful faith. Certainly, by repeating them we may appear troublesome to some, while however we may be building up others. For we are well assured that there are many of retentive memory, and careful reading in Holy Writ, who know what we are about to say ; and perhaps they wish us to say what they do not know. But if they are quicker, let them see that they are travelling with others not so quick ; for when two persons of different speed are travelling in company, it is in the power of the quicker, and not of him who is more slow, to give or to deny his company; because if the swifter is pleased to do his utmost, the slower will not keep up with him, and so he must needs rein in his own speed, in order not to leave his fellow-traveller behind. What I have so often said, and now
Phil. 3, repeat, --as the Apostle says, To write the same things to you 1 is not grievous, hut for you it is safe, -- is this. Our Lord Jesus Christ is as one whole perfect Man, both Head and Body : we acknowledge the Head in that Man Who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontins Pilate, was
buried, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sitteth on the right hand of the Father, whence we await HU coming as Judge of the quick and the dead. This is the Head of the Church. The Body of this Head is the Church;
tempted
Ephes.
The Head and the Body, one Christ. The Holy City. 297
not the Church of this country only, but of the whole world Ver. as well : not that of this age only, but from Abel himself ----- down to those who shall to the end be born and believe in Christ, the whole assembly of the Saints, belonging to one
city ; which city is Christ's body, of which Christ is the Head. There, too, dwell the Angels, who are our fellow- citizens: we toil, because we are as yet pilgrims: while they within that city are awaiting our arrival. Letters have reached us too from that city, apart from which we are wandering : those letters are the Scriptures, which exhort
us to live well. Why do I speak of letters only ? The King himself descended, and became a path to us in our wander
ings: that walking in Him, we may neither stray, nor faint
nor fall among robbers, nor be caught in the snares which
are set near our path. This character, then, we recognise in
the whole Person of Christ, together with the Church : Him
self alone born of the Virgin, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, Mediator between God and man : Mediator for this I Tim.
purpose, that He may reconcile by Himself those who had2'6- fallen back: for a mediator is only between two persons.
We had fallen away from the Majesty of God, and by our sins offended Him ; His Son was sent as our Mediator, who
by His blood might atone for our sins, by which we were separated from God : and placing Himself between us and
the Almighty, might restore and reconcile us to Him, having turned away from Whom, we were held bound in our sins.
He Himself is our Head, He is God, co-equal with the Father, the Word of God, by Whom all things were made : John 1, but God to create, Man to renew; God to make, Man to3, restore. Looking upon Him, then, let us hear the Psalm. Listen, beloved. This is the teaching and doctrine of this school, which may enable you to understand, not this Psalm
only, but many, if ye keep in mind this rule. Sometimes a Psalm, and all prophecy as well, in speaking of Christ, praises the Head alone, and sometimes from the Head goes to
the Body, that the Church, and without apparently chang
ing the Person spoken of: because the Head not separate
from the Body, and both are spoken of as one. For observe, beloved, what say. Clear, assuredly, to all the Psalm
in which said of our Lord, They pierced My hands and Ps. 22,
it is
I
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298 Recapitulation. God a sure refuge.
Psalm Afy feet: they numbered all My bones: they parted My
garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture. Even the Jews when they hear this are confounded: so evidently is it a prophecy of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. But our Lord Jesus Christ had no sins : yet in the
Ps. 22,1. commencement of that Psalm it is said, My God, my Ood, why hast Thou forsaken me; and art so far from my health, and the words of my complaint ? Ye see then what is said in the character of the Head, what in that of the Body. The sins belong to us: the suffering for us belongeth to the Head: but on account of His suffering for us, the sins which belong to us are remitted. Thus also it is in this Psalm.
2. 1 have treated of the first verses yesterday : but let us briefly run over them. (Ver. 1 . ) Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I took occasion, beloved brethren, to exhort you from these verses to put no trust in yourselves, but all in Him in Whom is our strength, for it is by means of His aid
11
that we conquer, not by presuming in ourselves. The God of Heaven therefore defends us, if we say to the Lord what follows. (Ver. 2. ) He shall say unto the Lord, Thou art my
hope and my strong hold: my God, in Him will I
trust. (Ver. 3. ) For he shall deliver thee from the snares of the hunter: and from a harsh word. I said, that many fearing a harsh word have fallen into the hunter's snares; a man is
insulted because he is a Christian, he becomes ashamed of his profession, and by means of a harsh word he falls into the snares of the devil. Again, a man is insulted, because among many Christians he lives a better life than they: and fearing the hard words of his insulting foe, he becomes a prey to the devil's snares, so that he is not wheat on the floor, but rather follows the chaff. But he who trusts in God, is rescued from the snare of the hunters, aud from the harsh word. But in what manner does God defend thee? He shall defend thee between His shoulders; that is, He will place thee before His breast, that He may defend thee under His wings : if thou acknowledge thy weakness, in order that as a weak chicken thou mayest fly beneath the wings of thy mother, lest thou be seized by the kite ; for the powers of the air, the devil and his angels, are kites, and their wish is to
Various cases and decrees of temptation. 299
seize upon our weakness. Let us then fly beneath the Ver. wings of our Mother the Divine Wisdom, since that Wisdom -- -- -- voluntarily weakened Herself on our behalf, when the Word*0*TM >, was made flesh. Just as the hen weakeneth herself together
with her chickens, that she may defend them beneath herMat. 23, wings: so our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, being in the form ofphilip.
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, in order2, l7- that He might undergo weakness with us, and protect us under His wings ; made Himself of 110 reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the like
ness of men, and found in fashion as a man.
And thou shall be safe under His wings: His truth shall
encompass thee with a shield and buckler. (Ver. 5. ) Thou shall not be afraid for any terror by night. The temptations of ignorance are the terror by night : the sins of knowledge are the arrow that flieth by day: for ignorance is understood by night, and the making manifest by day. Some sin through ignorance, others with full knowledge : they that sin igno- rantly are overthrown by the terror by night : they that sin
with knowledge are stricken by the arrow that flieth by day. And as these things happen in the heavier persecutions, the further we advance, as if towards the noon, whoever falls under that heat will fall as it were by the devil that is at noon-day. And many have fallen by this heat, as I yester day explained to you, my beloved, because in the heat of the persecution it was proclaimed, Let the Christians be tortured, until they deny themselves Christians. Whereas before when they confessed they were beheaded, they were afterwards tortured to make them deny : and as every one
that was accused was tortured, until he denied, the confession of Christians was tortured, their denial acquitted. Great then was the fury of the persecutors. Whoever fell under that temptation, fell by the devil that was of the noon. And how many did fall ! Many who were hoping that they might share their Lord's judgment-seat, fell from beside Him.
Many too who hoped they should be on His right hand, as provincial paymasters among/ the holy soldiers of the Cross,
to whom it should be said,
Me meat, (for there will be many on His right hand,) have fallen from that hope, and more of these than of those who
was an hungred, and ye gave
300 Christ kept safe even in His People.
Psalm hoped for ihe judgment-seat. For they are the fewer that ^l1' shall judge with the Lord, and the more that shall stand before Him. But those who shall stand before Him, will be in different conditions. For some shall be on the left, others on the right: some that they may reign, others that they may be punished : some that they may hear the words, Come, ye blessed of My Father: others, that they may be
Mat. 26, addressed thus, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlastiny
32
1 Tim. Apostle says, The Lord knoweth them that are His. For
'-
^'fife, prepared for the devil and his angels. Of those then who fall by the downfall and the demon of the noon-day, A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand by thy right hand. But it shall not come nigh thee. What is this ? The devil of the noonday overthrows not thee. What wonder if it overthrow not the Head ? But it overthrows not those either who hold so close to the Head, as the
there are some so predestined, that the Lord knoweth who belong to His own body. Since then that temptation shall not approach them in such force as to overwhelm them, it is said concerning them, but it shall not come nigh thee. But lest those sinners who were allowed to practise such cruelties against the Christians, may be attended to by some weak persons, and lest it be said, Lo, what is the will of God, that such power is given to ungodly and wicked men against His servants ? Consider a little with thy eyes, the eyes of faith, and thou shalt see the retribution upon sinners in the end, to whom at present only sufficient power is given to try thy faith. For these words follow : Yea, with thine eyes thou shalt behold, and see the reward ofthe ungodly.
3. Ver. 9-- 12. Because Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee. These words are addressed to our Lord ; Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set
Thine house of defence very high. There shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy dwelling. Next follow the words which ye have heard spoken by the devil : For He hath given His Angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways. They shall bear Thee in their hands, that Titou hurt not Thy foot against a stone. To whom does he say this ? To whom did he say
He who saves, is Himself saved in His Members. 301
For Tlwu, Lord, art my help ? 1 suppose it is no longer Ver. needful to explain to Christians who is the Lord in this-? ^2-' passage. If they understand by it God the Father, how
shall the Angels bear Him in their hands, lest He hurt His
foot against a stone ? You see this also, that our Lord Christ, when He was speaking of the body, suddenly begins to speak of the Head. Our Head is spoken of in one passage, in the words, For Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Thine house of defence eery high. For this cause, Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high, because Thou, Lord, art my hope. What means this ? Attend, my beloved : Because Thou, Lord, art my hope : Thou hast set Tliine house of defence very high. We need no longer wonder what the meaning of this is : for in the following verse it is added, that, because Thou hast set Thine house of defence
very high, there shall no evil come near unto Thee : neither shall any scourge come nigh Thy duelling. But we do not
read in the Gospel, that at any time the Angels bore our Lord, that He might not hurt His foot against a stone: and yet we understand this. For these tilings have already past : and were prophesied with reason, since they were to happen. And we cannot say, Christ will come later, so that He may not strike His foot against a stone: for He will come to judge. Wherein then is the prophecy fulfilled ? Attend, my beloved.
4. First listen to these verses : For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house ofdefence very high. The human race knew that man died, but did not know that he arose again : it had therefore reason for fear, but not for hope. In order that He, then, Who for discipline awed them with the fear of death, might give them the hope of resurrection for the reward of eternal life, our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to rise from the dead. He died after many: He arose before all: He suffered that in dying, which many suffered before Him: He did that in His resurrection, which no one did before Him: for when will the Church receive this, except in the end ? What the members are to hope, has gone before in the Head: you know well, my beloved, their way
of speaking with one another. Let then the Church say unto her Lord Jesus Christ, let the body say to its Head,
302 No evil can approach manhood indwelt by God.
Psalm For Thou, Lord, art my hi. pe: Thou hast set Thine house l ~~ ol defence very high that is, Thou hast riseu from the dead, and ascended into heaven, that by ascending Thou mightest set Thine house of defence very high, and become my hope,
when despaired on earth, and believed not that should rise again now believe, because my Head has ascended into heaven: where the Head has gone before, the limbs will in course follow. imagine these words are now clear they may be more clearly paraphrased thus. Thou hast arisen from the dead before me, that might have hope of resur rection which had nol before, so that might hope should follow Thee, whither Thou hast gone before me. These are the words of the Church to her Lord, of the body to its Head.
5. Do not then wonder no evil shall happen unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The flesh the Lord's tabernacle. The Word dwelt in the flesh, and the flesh became a tabernacle for God in that very tent our
Chief carried on war on our behalf in that very tent He was tempted by the enemy, lest His soldiers should faint. And because He shewed that very flesh to our eyes, because our eyes rejoice in that light, and are delighted with that visible illumination, because He made His flesh manifest to
Ph. 19,4. the eyes of all men, Psalm says, He hath set His tabernacle in the sun. What is, in the sun Openly, clearly, in the light of this world that is, in the light which overspread the earth from heaven, there He hath placed His dwelling. But how could He set His tent there, He were not as
bridegroom coming forth from his chamber? for this further description follows, He cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. The tabernacle the very same as the spouse the Word the Bridegroom, and the bridal chamber the
Eph. o, Virgin's womb. And what saith the Apostle? And they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery but speak concerning Christ and the Church. And what are our
M>>t. 19, Lord's own words in the Gospel? Wherefore they are no more twain, but oneflesh. One instead of two, of the Word and the flesh, one Alan one God. But this tabernacle of our Lord's felt the scourge in this world, as
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Instances shewing the union of the Head and the Body. 303
the Lord was scourged. Does It feel the lash in heaven ? Ver.
And wherefore not? Because He hath set His house of "' Mat. 27,
defence very high, that He might be our hope; and no evil 68. shall come near unto him ; neither shall any plague come
nigh His dwelling. He is far above all the heavens : but
His feet rest upon the earth: His head is in heaven: His
body on earth. But when His feet were being scourged,
and trampled down by Saul, the Head cried out, Saul, Saul, Acts 9, why persecutest thou Me? Lo, no"man persecutes the Head:4,
lo, the Head is in heaven : since Christ being raised from Bom. 2, the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over9'
Him no evil shall come near unto Tfiee neither shall any
plague come nigh Thy dwelling. But that we may not imagine that the Head cut off from the body: for separated in point of place, but joined in feeling; that very communion of feeling cried from Heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Mei He prostrated Saul with voice of reproach, while He raised him by the hand of pity. He who persecuted the body of Christ, became member of Christ: that thus he might feel therein what he had inflicted before. ?