So God is said to know not, as art knoweth not faults, and yet by art faults are
discovered
and discerned.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
Bounty of God.
385
not hurt another, it is possible ; that it should not hurt thee, Ver. it is not possible. For what hurt was done to holy Job, of --
whom I have spoken above ? As it is said in another Psalm,
Like a sharp razor thou hast wrought deceit. What is done Pn. 52,2. with a sharp razor ? Hairs, things superfluous, are cut off.
What then dost thou to him whom thou wouldest hurt ?
a worthless man, whom thou wouldest hurt, consent with thee to do ill, not thy wickedness will be hurtful to him, but his own ; but if he be inwardly free from wickedness, and
/ salvation, outwardly thou tightest against him, the inner man thou takest not. Yet thy wickedness proceeds from
can present a clean heart to the voice that saith,
am thy
thy inner man : thee first it maketh empty. Thou art cor rupt within, whence that worm proceeded ; within it hath left nothing sound. And let the net which they have hid den catch themselves, and let them fall into their own trap. Not that which haply thou thoughtest of just before when thou heardest, Let a trap come upon them, which they know not of, that is, as though it were some other one, secret and inevitable. In what then fall they ? In the same iniquity which they have hidden for me. Was not this done to the Jews? The Lord conquered their iniquity, they by their own iniquity were conquered. He rose for us : they died in themselves.
12. This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what
for me ? (Ver. 9. ) But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord ;
as in Him from Whom it hath heard, / am thy salvation ;
as not seeking other riches from without ; as not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth ; but loving
freely the true Spouse, not from Him wishing to receive
aught that may delight, but Him alone proposing to itself,
by Whom it may be delighted. For what better than God
will be given unto me? God loveth me: God loveth thee.
See He hath proposed to thee, Ask what thou wilt. If the Matt. 7. emperor should say to thee, Ask what thou wilt, what com- ' mands', what dignities8, wouldest thou burst forth with ! ' tribu- What great things wouldest thou propose to thyself, both to? R0omJ. receive and to bestow. When God saith unto thee, Ask tivas. what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask ? Empty thy mind, exert
thy avarice, stretch forward as far as possible, and enlarge cc
If
386 God Himself His own greatest gift.
Psalm thy desire : it is not any one, but Almighty God that said, Serm. Ask what thou wilt. If of possessions thou art a lover, thou
r.
wilt desire the whole earth, that all who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast possessed the whole earth ? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou canst not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also ; ask the air, although thou canst not fly ; stretch thy desire even unto the heavens, call thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He
Who made all said. Ask what thou wilt : yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt thou find better, than Himself Who made all things. Him seek, Who made all things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things which He made. All things are precious, because all are beautiful ; but what more beautiful than He. Strong are they ; but what stronger than He. And nothing would He give thee rather than Himself. If aught better thou hast found, ask it. If thou ask aught else, thou wilt do wrong to Him, and harm to thyself, by preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself Who made.
Ps. 73, 1n this love said a certain soul unto Him, Art not Tlioit 26. .
my portion, O Lord? that is, Thou art my portion. Let those who will choose for themselves what they shall possess, let them make for themselves portions of other things : Thou art my portion, Thee have I chosen for me. And again,
Ps. 16, The Lord is the portion of my inheritance. Let Him possess thee, that thou mayest possess Him : thou shalt be His property, thou shalt be His house. He possesseth that He may profit, He is possessed that H/e may profit. Is it
have said
that thou mayest profit Him at all ? unto the
L,ord, Tliou art my God, for my goods thou taut test not.
But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord ; it shall rejoice Lake 2, ,'n f{it salvation. The salvation of God is Christ: For mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation.
13. Ver. 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like
unto Thee? Who can speak any thing worthily of these
1t,? 2.
I think them only to be pronounced, not to be
words ?
expounded. Why seekest thou this or that? What is like unto thy Lord ? Him hast thou before thee. All my bones
Nothing can fill His place. The ' bones' praise Him. 387
shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? The unrighteous Ver have declared unto me delights, but not after Thy law, 0 Pfi 1 19
Lord! Persecutors have been who have said, Worship Saturn, worship Mercury. I worship not idols: (saith he)
Lord, who is like unto Thee ? They have eyes, and see not ; Ps. 115. ears have they, but they hear not. Lord, who is like unto
Thee, Who hast made the eye to see, the ear to hear? But I (saith he) worship not idols, for them a workman made. Worship a tree or mountain ; did a workman make them also ? Here too, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Earthly things are shewn unto me ; Thou art Creator of the earth. And from these haply they turn to the higher creation, and say to me, Worship the Moon, worship this Sun, who with his light, as a great lamp in the Heavens, maketh the day.
Here also I plainly say, Lord, who is like unlo Thee? The Moon and the Stars Thou hast made, the Sun to rule the day hast Thou kindled, the Heavens hast Thou framed together. There are many invisible things better. But haply here also it is said to me, Worship Angels, adore Angels. And here also will I say, Lord, who is like unto Tliee? Even the Angels Thou hast created. The Angels are nothing, but by seeing Thee. It is better with them to possess Thee, than by worshipping them to fall from Thee.
14. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee? O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let the bones say, Lord, who is like unto
Thee ? For of the righteous it is said, The Lord keepeth all P<<. 34, their bones ; not one of them shall be broken. Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken ? Finally, The just shall live by faith, and Christ justifieth'S. om. 1, the ungodly. But how justifieth He any except believing E? m. 4 and confessing? For with the heart man believeth unto5. righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto 10, io. salvation. Therefore also that thief, although from His theft
led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the
very cross was justified : with his heart he believed, with
his mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous
and not already justified, would the Lord have said, To-day Luke shall thou be with Me in Paradise, and yet his bones were23' 43, cc2
'
85. '
388 The firm resist temptations to false worship.
John I9fl33.
Psalm broken. For when they came to take down the bodies, by XXXV. "reason of the Sabbath, found
fcEHM.
approaching the Lord was
. already dead, and His Bones were not broken. But of those tnat vet uved, lhat Ihey might be taken down, the legs were
broken, that so from this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, The Lord keepeth all his bones ^ not one of them shall be broken ; except that in the Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm in heart, the strong, to no persecutions, no temptations, yielding, so as to consent unto evil ? And whence should they be able to yield to no temptations, except when the persecutors say, Behold this god, behold what a god ! let him come to
thee, let him charm1 thee: behold, here is in the mount some great priest : haply therefore thou art poor because this god helpeth thee not; entreat him and he will help thee: haply therefore thou art sick, because thou entreatest him not; entreat him and thou shalt be well: haply therefore thou hast no children, entreat him and thou shalt have. But if in the Lord's Body he be one of the bones, he repelleth all these words, and saith, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Give, if Thou wilt give, even in this life, what I ask;
but if Thou wilt not, be Thou my Life, Whom I seek always. Shall I depart hence unto Thee with a clear face, if I
worship another, and offend Thee ?
shall die: with what face shall I see Thee? Great is His Mercy ; and therefore hath He admonished us to live well, and hath bidden from us the last day of our life, lest we should promise ourselves aught from the future. To-day I work and live : to-morrow I work not. What if to-morrow find thee not ? Say then, among the bones of Christ, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee?
15. Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong
for him; yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him. Thus far has the Psalm been read to-day ; thus far is
' ' liget tibi. ' al. ' neget tibi,' ' deny to thee,' perhaps meaning that He will not.
To-morrow perhaps I
The Strong Deliverer. Christ one with His Body. 389
it to be handled; lest that come to disgust, which hath Vkr.
. --
been said, while we wish to say other things. Let this then
suffice for to-day, Winch delivere. it the poor from him that
is too strong for him. Who that dcliverest, but He Who is Strong in hand ? Even that David shall deliver the poor
from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too
strong for thee, and held thee, because he conquered thee,
when thou consentedst unto him. But what hath the Strong
in hand done ? No man entereth into a strong man's house, Mat. 12, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man. By
His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, hath He bound the devil by pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver the poor and needy, toPs. 72, whom there was no helper. For who is thy helper but the
Lord to whom thou sayest, O Lord, My Strength, and My Ps. 19,
Redeemer. If thou wilt presume of thy own strength, thereby wilt thou fall, whereof thou hast presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over thee, not succour thee. He then alone is to be sought, Who hath redeemed them, and made them free, and hath given His Blood to purchase them, and of His servants hath made them His Brethren.
DISCOURSE II.
On the remainingpart ofthe Psalm.
To the rest of the Psalm let us apply our minds, and to
the Lord our God let us pray, both for soundness of under standing, and for the quiet of well-doing. As far as yesterday
was discoursed, I trust that ye remember, dearly Beloved:
from the same place to-day let us take our beginning. Now
we understand here the words of Christ, the words, namely,
both of the Head and of the Body of Christ. When thou hearest Christ, do not separate the Bridegroom from the Bride, but understand that great Sacrament, And they two Gen. 2 shall be one flesh. If two in one flesh, why not also in one2,4. voice? For neither the Head alone suffered here temptations, 31. and the Body suffereth not; nor indeed was there any cause
of suffering to the Head, but that He might give an example
to the Body. For the Lord suffered of free will, we of
'
"
390 Words of Christ* Body. How He ' knew not' sin.
Psalm necessity; He out of commiseration, we out of our condition. XXXV Moreover, His voluntary Passion is our necessary consolation ;
so that when we haply suffer like things, we may look upon our Head, that being warned by His example we may say unto ourselves, If He did so, what must we ? and, Even as He was, so let us also be. For however much raged the enemy, to the death of the Body could he only approach ; which Body yet could he not destroy in the Lord, because on the third day It rose again. What in Him was done on the third day, that in ours shall be at the end of the world. The hope of our resurrection is put off, is it therefore put away ? Here then, most dearly Beloved, let us acknowledge
the Words of Christ, and let us distinguish them from the words of the ungodly. For they are the voices of the Body, suffering persecutions and troubles and temptations in this world, but since many suffer here, also for their sins, and for their crimes, with great vigilance must we discern the
Luke23, cause, not the punishment. For a criminal can have like
punishment with a Martyr, but yet a cause unlike. Three were there on the Cross, one the Saviour, another to be saved, another to be dammed: of all the punishment was equal, but the cause unequal.
Serm. I1.
^
2. Let then our Head say, (ver. 11. ) FalIse witnesses did
hearts of them that charged Thee ? Didst Thou not foresee their deceits ? Didst Thou not give Thyself into their hands knowingly ? Hadst Thou not come that Thou mightest suffer by them? What then knewest Thou uot? He knew not sin, and thereby He knew not sin, not by not judging, but by not committing. There are phrases of this kind also in daily use, as when thou sayest of any one, He knoweth not to stand, that is, he doth not stand ; and, He knoweth not to do good, because he doth not good; and, He knoweth not to do ill, because he doth not ill. That which is alien from operation, is alien from conscience ; that which is alien
from conscience, seems alien also from science.
So God is said to know not, as art knoweth not faults, and yet by art faults are discovered and discerned. This then to our in.
rise up, they laid to My charge things that
knew not. But let us say to our Head, Lord, what knewest Thou not? Didst Thou indeed know not any thing? Didst Thou not know the
Barrenness of the unbelieving Jews. Prayfor enemies. 391
terrogatories out of the very truth of His own Gospel doth Ver. our Head answer; when we have said, Lord, what knewest -2' 13' Thou not? Wherewith couldest Thou be charged which
Thou knewest not ? He answereth, Ungodliness 1 kuew not,
with ungodliness I was charged. Thou hast in the Gospel, if thou believe not that I knew not ungodliness, that even the ungodly themselves I know not, unto whom at the end I shall
know you not ; Me, say, / depart from
that work Matt. 7, ungodli-
ye
ness. Did He not know those whom He condemned ? or can
any condemn justly, but a gooId cognizant ? And yet a good
know you not: that is, ye are not joined to My Body, ye cleave not to My Rules, ye are vicious, but I am that very Art which haveth no vice, and in
which a man learneth not save not to do vice. False' wIitnesses did rise up ; they laid to My charge things that
knew not. What knew not Christ so much, as to blas pheme ? Thereof was He called in question by His perse cutors, and because He spake truth, He was judged to have Matt. spoken blasphemy. But by whom ? By them of whom it26,6? . followeth, (ver. 12. ) They rewarded Me evil for good, and barrenness to My Soul. I gave unto them fruitfulness, they
I honour,
none. Leaves there were, and fruit there was not: words
there were, and deeds there were not. See of words abun
dance, and of deeds barrenness. Thou that preachest a R0m. 2, man should not steal, stealest: thou that sayest a wian21,22, should not commit adultery, commitlest adultery. Such
were they who charged Christ with things that He knew not.
3. Ver. 13. But I, when they troubled me, clothed myself
with sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting, and
my prayer shall return into mine own bosom. We are taught indeed, Brethren, that we belong to the Boily of( Cor Christ, that we are members of Christ; and we are admonished 12,2". in all our tribulations to consider not how we may answer
our enemies, but how by praying we may propitiate God, and chiefly to pray that we be not overcome by temptation; then, that even those who persecute us may be converted to
cognizant lied not in saying,
rewarded Me barrenness ; 1 gave life, they death ;
I medicine, wounds ; and in all these they
they dishonour ;
which they rewarded Me, was truly barrenness. This bar renness in the tree He cursed, when seeking fruit He found Matt.
,
"
392 The Flesh of Christ spoken of as His Sackcloth.
Psalm soundness and righteousness. There is no greater, no better
in tribulation, than to retire from the noise I1. which is without, and to go into the inner closet of the
^latt. e, heart; there to call upon God, where none seeth thee groan ing, and Him succouring ; that chamber-door to close against every invading trouble ; to humble thyself in con fession of sin, to magnify and praise God, both chastising and consoling : this must by every means be held firm. But of the Body must we say this ; that is, of ourselves : of our Lord Jesus Christ, what such as this do we find ? The Gospel being looked through and most diligently searched,
we find not that the Lord in any passion or tribulation
clothed Himself with sackcloth. That He fasted indeed we read, after He was baptized: sackcloth there we hear of none, read of none ; but that He fasted, the Jews not yet
Matt, j, persecuting, but the devil tempting Him. At that time I say that the Lord fasted not, when they charged Him with things which He knew not, and when they rewarded Him evil for good, by railing, by persecuting, by holding fast, by scourging, by wounding, by slaying: but yet in all these, Brethren, if for some little space with pious curiosity we lift
the veil, and search with the intent eye of the heart the inner part of this Scripture, we find that even this the Lord did. Sackcloth, haply He callelh His mortal flesh. Wherefore Sackcloth ? For the likeness of sinful flesh. For the Apostle
Rom. 8, saith, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, that through sin He might condemn sin in the flesh : that is, He clothed His Own Son with sackcloth, that through sack cloth * He might condemn the goats. Not that there was sin, I say not in the Word of God, but not even in that Holy Soul and Mind of a Man, which the Word and Wisdom of God had so joined to Himself as to be One Person. Nay,
nor even in His very Body was any sin, but the likeness of
sinful flesh there was in the Lord ; because death is not but Kom. 5, by sin, and surely that Body was mortal. For had It not been mortal, It had not died ; had It not died, It had not
risen again; had It not risen again, It had not shewed us an example of eternal life. So then death, which is caused by sin, is called sin, as we say the Greek tongue, the Latin ? i. at. de cilicio, i. e. sackcloth made of goats' hair. Compare Jfatt. 25. 32. 33.
szhm. 'employment
Our Lord's Fasting, in finding men faithless. 393
tongue, meaning not the very member of flesh, but that V"er. which is done by the member of flesh. For the tongue in 12. 13. our members is one among others, as the eyes, nose, ears,
and the rest : but the Greek tongue is Greek words, not that
the tongue is words, but that words are by the
Thou sayest of one, 1 know his face, speaking of a member of his body; and thou sayest also, I know his hand though he is absent, not the hand of his body, but the writing which was made by the hand of his body. So then the sin of the Lord, is that which was caused by sin ; because He assumed flesh, of the same lump which had deserved death by sin. For to speak more briefly, Mary who was of Adam died for sin, Adam died for sin, and the Flesh of the Lord which was of Mary died to put away sin. With this sackcloth the Lord clothed Himself, and therefore was He not known, because He lay hid under sackcloth. When they, saith He,
clothed Myself with sackcloth : that is,
they
clothed Myself with sackcloth, and humbled My Soul
with fasting. Again, if we have understood the sackcloth,
how understand we the fasting ? Wished Christ to eat, when He sought fruit on the tree, and if He had found, Mark
'
4.
would He have eaten ? Wished Christ to drink, when He
said to the woman of Samaria, Give Me to drink ? when He John 4, said on the Cross, / thirst? For what hungered, for what /nhni9 thirsted Christ, but our good works ? Because in them that28- crucified and persecuted Him He had found no good works,
He fasted; for they rewarded barrenness to His soul. For
what a fast was His, Who found barely one thief, whom on
the Cross He might taste! For the Apostles had fled, and
had hidden themselves in the multitude. And even Peter,
who even to the death of his Lord had promised to persevere,
had now thrice denied Him, had now wept, and still lay hid
in the multitude, still feared lest He should be known.
tongue.
troubled Me, I
raged, I lay hid. For had He not willed to lie hid, neither
could He have died, since in one moment of time one drop
only of His Power, if indeed it is to be called a drop, He
put forth, when they wished to seize Him, and at His one question, Whom seek ye? they all went back and fell to the Johnis, ground. Such power could He not have humbled in passion,
if He Ihad not lain hid under sackcloth.
394 Christ refreshed with our Faith. How He prayed.
Psalm Lastly, having seen Him dead, all of them despaired of their ^erm'0TM safety; and despairing He found them, after His resur- H. rection, and when He spake with them, found them grieving and mourning, no longer hoping any thing. For so also did
certain of them who spake with Him. When He said, What
talk ye between yourselves? (for they were talking of Him;) Luke24, Art Thou only, they said, a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast 18--81 " not known what things our priests and rulers have done con
cerning Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a man mighty in word and deed; how they have crucified and slain Him * But we trusted that it should have been He that should have re deemed Israel. In great fasting had the Lord remained, had He not refreshed them that He might feed on them. For He refreshed them, He comforted them, He confirmed them, and into His Own Body converted them. In this manner then was our Lord also in fasting.
5. And My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom. In the bosom of this verse is plainly a great depth, and may the Lord grant that it be fathomable by us. For in the ' bosom' a secret is understood. And we ourselves, Brethren, are here well admonished to pray within our own bosom, where God seeth, where God heareth, where no human eye penetrateth, where none seeth but He Who succoureth;
Susanna where Susanna prayed, and her voice though it was not heard by men, yet by God was heard. Of this indeed we are well admonished, but of our Lord ought we to under stand something more, because He Himself also prayed. And, indeed, His sackcloth we find not in the Gospel accord ing to the letter, nor His fasting at the time of His Passion according to the letter; and these therefore have explained
to be spoken by an allegory or similitude, as could. Bui Ps. 22,l. His prayer even from the Cross have we heard, My God, My
2^at46.
God, why hast Thou forsaken Me But there also were we.
For when did the Father forsake Him, from Whom He
Matt, never departed? We read also that in the mount Jesus
Luke36 prayea alone, we read that He passed the night in prayer, 12. even at the time of His Passion. What then And My
'prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom. know not
what better to understand concerning the Lord take mean-
Luke22, while what now occurs; perhaps something better will
41.
3P. Mark
I
I I
:
?
!
4'4 *
His Prayer to the Father in His own Bosom. 895
occur hereafter, either to me or to some better : My prayer Ver. shall return into Mine Own Bosom: this I understand to be -- said, because in His Own Bosom He had the Father. For2Cor. b,
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. In l ' Himself He had Him to Whom He prayed. He was not
far from Him, for Himself had said, T am in the Father, a<<tfJohnH
the Father in Me. But because prayer rather belongeth to very Man, (for according as Christ is the Word, He prayeth not, but heareth prayer; and seeketh not to be succoured for Himself, but with the Father succoureth all:) what My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom, but in Me My Manhood invoketh in Me My Godhead.
6. Ver. 14. Asa Neighbour, as our Brother, so pleased
Him: as one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled myself.
Now looketh He back to His Own Body let us now look
to this. When we rejoice in prayer, when our mind
calmed, not by the world's prosperity, but by the light of Truth: (who perceiveth this light, knoweth what say, and
he seeth and acknowledgeth what said, As a Neighbour,
as our Brother, so pleased Him even then our soul pleaseth
God, not placed afar off, for, In Him, saith one, we live and Acta 17, move and have our being, but as Brother, as Neighbour,28,
as Friend. But be not such that can so rejoice, so shine, so approach, so cleave unto Him, and seeth itself far off thence, then let do what followeth, As one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled Myself. As our Brother, so pleased Him, said He, drawing near; As one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled myself, said He, removed and set afar off. For what mourneth any one, but that which he
desireth, and hath not? And sometimes in one man
both, that at one time he should draw near, at another be far off; draw near by the light of Truth, be far off by the cloud of the flesh. For neither, Brethren, unto God, Who
every where, and contained in no place, do we through place draw near, or from Him through place remove. To draw near unto Him, to become like unto Him; to remove from Him, to become unlike unto Him. Dost not thou, when thou seest two things nearly alike, say, This comes near to that? and when things unlike are shewn to
thee, though in one place, and though they be held often in
happen
is is
I it
I it
is
I
if
I
is
is,
a
:) a
is it
I I
a
I
:
396 Likeness to God the true nearness to Him.
Psalm one hand, say, This kind is far off from that ? Thou holdest
*
Mat. 16, afar off. Did not Peter draw near, when He said, Thou art 16-23, the Christ, the Son of the Living God? And yet the same man became afar off by saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee. Lastly, what said He, his Neighbour, as it were, to him drawing near? Blessed art
thou, Simon, Barjona. To him afar off, as it were, and unlike, what said He? Get thee behind Me, Satan. To him drawing near, Flesh and blood, saith He, hath not revealed it unto Thee, but My Father, which is in Heaven. His Light is shed over Thee, in His Light Thou shinest. Butwhenhavingbecome afar off, he spake against the Lord's Passion, which should be for our Salvation, Thou savourest not, said He, the things that be qf God, but those that be of men. One rightly
Psalm,
both, joinest both, and sayest, This thing is far from that, II. not forsooth in place, but in unlikeness. If then thou wouldest draw near to Him, be like unto Him : if thou wilt
not be like, thou wilt be far off. But when thou art like,
f. rm. "
Ps. 32,
am cast Thine Eyes. my ecstasy, offfrom before
when unlike, groan; that groaning may excite desire, nay that desire may excite groaning, and that through groaning thou mayest draw near, who hadst begun to be
rejoice;
pIlacing together both of these saith in a certain
said in I
In my ecstasy, would he not have said, had he not drawn
near; for ecstasy is the transporting of the mind.
He poured over himself his own soul, and drew near unto God; and through some cloud and weight of the flesh being again
cast down to earth, and recollectin/g where he had been, and
seeing where he was, he said,
ThiIne Eyes. This then, As a Neighbour, as our Brother,
pleased Him, may He done in us; but grant to be
so
when that is not, let even this be done, As one mourning and sorrowful, so L humbled myself.
7. Ver. 15. And against Me they rejoiced, and gathered
are they that mourn. If they are blessed that miserable are they that laugh. Against Me they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: scourges were gathered
* E. V. But in mine adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together.
themselves together', against Me only:
Mat. 5, sorrowful. But we heard just now in the Gospel, Blessed
am cast before off from
they rejoicing, I
mourn,
As it fared with Christ, so with His Body. 397
together against Me, and they knew nolh. Because they Ver.
-- laid to My charge things that I knew not, they also knew --.
not Whom they charged.
8. Ver. 16. They tempted Me, and mocked Me with mock
ing'. That is, they derided Me, they insulted Me; this of the Head, this of the Body. Consider, Brethren, the glory of the Church which now is ; remember its past dishonours, remember how once were Christians every where put to flight, and wherever found, mocked, beaten, slain, exposed to beasts, burned, men rejoicing against them. As it was to the Head,so it is also to the Body. For as it was to the Lord on the Cross, so has it been to His Body in all that persecution which was made but now: nor even now cease the persecutions of the same. Wherever men find a Chris tian, they are wont to insult, to persecute, to deride him, to call him dull, senseless, of no spirit, of no knowledge. Do they what they will, Christ is in Heaven; do they what they will, He hath honoured His punishment, already hath He fixed His Cross in the foreheads of all; the ungodly is
?
to insult, to rage he is not permitted ; but yet from that which the tongue uttereth, is understood what he beareth in his heart: They gnashed upon Me with their teeth.
permitted
9. Ver. 17. Lord, when wilt Thou look on ? Rescue My
Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the lions. For to
us the time is slow; and in our person is this said, When
wilt Thou look on? that when shall we see vengeance upon
those who insult us When shall the Judge, overcome by Lukeis, weariness, hear the widow But our Judge, not from weari
ness, but from love, delayeth our salvation; from reason, not
from need not that He could not even now succour us, but
that the number of us all may be filled up even to the end.
And yet out of our desire, what do we say Lord, when
wilt Thou look on Rescue My Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the lions that is, My Church from raging powers.
10.
not hurt another, it is possible ; that it should not hurt thee, Ver. it is not possible. For what hurt was done to holy Job, of --
whom I have spoken above ? As it is said in another Psalm,
Like a sharp razor thou hast wrought deceit. What is done Pn. 52,2. with a sharp razor ? Hairs, things superfluous, are cut off.
What then dost thou to him whom thou wouldest hurt ?
a worthless man, whom thou wouldest hurt, consent with thee to do ill, not thy wickedness will be hurtful to him, but his own ; but if he be inwardly free from wickedness, and
/ salvation, outwardly thou tightest against him, the inner man thou takest not. Yet thy wickedness proceeds from
can present a clean heart to the voice that saith,
am thy
thy inner man : thee first it maketh empty. Thou art cor rupt within, whence that worm proceeded ; within it hath left nothing sound. And let the net which they have hid den catch themselves, and let them fall into their own trap. Not that which haply thou thoughtest of just before when thou heardest, Let a trap come upon them, which they know not of, that is, as though it were some other one, secret and inevitable. In what then fall they ? In the same iniquity which they have hidden for me. Was not this done to the Jews? The Lord conquered their iniquity, they by their own iniquity were conquered. He rose for us : they died in themselves.
12. This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what
for me ? (Ver. 9. ) But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord ;
as in Him from Whom it hath heard, / am thy salvation ;
as not seeking other riches from without ; as not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth ; but loving
freely the true Spouse, not from Him wishing to receive
aught that may delight, but Him alone proposing to itself,
by Whom it may be delighted. For what better than God
will be given unto me? God loveth me: God loveth thee.
See He hath proposed to thee, Ask what thou wilt. If the Matt. 7. emperor should say to thee, Ask what thou wilt, what com- ' mands', what dignities8, wouldest thou burst forth with ! ' tribu- What great things wouldest thou propose to thyself, both to? R0omJ. receive and to bestow. When God saith unto thee, Ask tivas. what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask ? Empty thy mind, exert
thy avarice, stretch forward as far as possible, and enlarge cc
If
386 God Himself His own greatest gift.
Psalm thy desire : it is not any one, but Almighty God that said, Serm. Ask what thou wilt. If of possessions thou art a lover, thou
r.
wilt desire the whole earth, that all who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast possessed the whole earth ? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou canst not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also ; ask the air, although thou canst not fly ; stretch thy desire even unto the heavens, call thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He
Who made all said. Ask what thou wilt : yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt thou find better, than Himself Who made all things. Him seek, Who made all things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things which He made. All things are precious, because all are beautiful ; but what more beautiful than He. Strong are they ; but what stronger than He. And nothing would He give thee rather than Himself. If aught better thou hast found, ask it. If thou ask aught else, thou wilt do wrong to Him, and harm to thyself, by preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself Who made.
Ps. 73, 1n this love said a certain soul unto Him, Art not Tlioit 26. .
my portion, O Lord? that is, Thou art my portion. Let those who will choose for themselves what they shall possess, let them make for themselves portions of other things : Thou art my portion, Thee have I chosen for me. And again,
Ps. 16, The Lord is the portion of my inheritance. Let Him possess thee, that thou mayest possess Him : thou shalt be His property, thou shalt be His house. He possesseth that He may profit, He is possessed that H/e may profit. Is it
have said
that thou mayest profit Him at all ? unto the
L,ord, Tliou art my God, for my goods thou taut test not.
But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord ; it shall rejoice Lake 2, ,'n f{it salvation. The salvation of God is Christ: For mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation.
13. Ver. 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like
unto Thee? Who can speak any thing worthily of these
1t,? 2.
I think them only to be pronounced, not to be
words ?
expounded. Why seekest thou this or that? What is like unto thy Lord ? Him hast thou before thee. All my bones
Nothing can fill His place. The ' bones' praise Him. 387
shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? The unrighteous Ver have declared unto me delights, but not after Thy law, 0 Pfi 1 19
Lord! Persecutors have been who have said, Worship Saturn, worship Mercury. I worship not idols: (saith he)
Lord, who is like unto Thee ? They have eyes, and see not ; Ps. 115. ears have they, but they hear not. Lord, who is like unto
Thee, Who hast made the eye to see, the ear to hear? But I (saith he) worship not idols, for them a workman made. Worship a tree or mountain ; did a workman make them also ? Here too, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Earthly things are shewn unto me ; Thou art Creator of the earth. And from these haply they turn to the higher creation, and say to me, Worship the Moon, worship this Sun, who with his light, as a great lamp in the Heavens, maketh the day.
Here also I plainly say, Lord, who is like unlo Thee? The Moon and the Stars Thou hast made, the Sun to rule the day hast Thou kindled, the Heavens hast Thou framed together. There are many invisible things better. But haply here also it is said to me, Worship Angels, adore Angels. And here also will I say, Lord, who is like unto Tliee? Even the Angels Thou hast created. The Angels are nothing, but by seeing Thee. It is better with them to possess Thee, than by worshipping them to fall from Thee.
14. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee? O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let the bones say, Lord, who is like unto
Thee ? For of the righteous it is said, The Lord keepeth all P<<. 34, their bones ; not one of them shall be broken. Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken ? Finally, The just shall live by faith, and Christ justifieth'S. om. 1, the ungodly. But how justifieth He any except believing E? m. 4 and confessing? For with the heart man believeth unto5. righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto 10, io. salvation. Therefore also that thief, although from His theft
led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the
very cross was justified : with his heart he believed, with
his mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous
and not already justified, would the Lord have said, To-day Luke shall thou be with Me in Paradise, and yet his bones were23' 43, cc2
'
85. '
388 The firm resist temptations to false worship.
John I9fl33.
Psalm broken. For when they came to take down the bodies, by XXXV. "reason of the Sabbath, found
fcEHM.
approaching the Lord was
. already dead, and His Bones were not broken. But of those tnat vet uved, lhat Ihey might be taken down, the legs were
broken, that so from this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, The Lord keepeth all his bones ^ not one of them shall be broken ; except that in the Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm in heart, the strong, to no persecutions, no temptations, yielding, so as to consent unto evil ? And whence should they be able to yield to no temptations, except when the persecutors say, Behold this god, behold what a god ! let him come to
thee, let him charm1 thee: behold, here is in the mount some great priest : haply therefore thou art poor because this god helpeth thee not; entreat him and he will help thee: haply therefore thou art sick, because thou entreatest him not; entreat him and thou shalt be well: haply therefore thou hast no children, entreat him and thou shalt have. But if in the Lord's Body he be one of the bones, he repelleth all these words, and saith, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? Give, if Thou wilt give, even in this life, what I ask;
but if Thou wilt not, be Thou my Life, Whom I seek always. Shall I depart hence unto Thee with a clear face, if I
worship another, and offend Thee ?
shall die: with what face shall I see Thee? Great is His Mercy ; and therefore hath He admonished us to live well, and hath bidden from us the last day of our life, lest we should promise ourselves aught from the future. To-day I work and live : to-morrow I work not. What if to-morrow find thee not ? Say then, among the bones of Christ, Lord, who is like unto Thee ? All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee?
15. Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong
for him; yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him. Thus far has the Psalm been read to-day ; thus far is
' ' liget tibi. ' al. ' neget tibi,' ' deny to thee,' perhaps meaning that He will not.
To-morrow perhaps I
The Strong Deliverer. Christ one with His Body. 389
it to be handled; lest that come to disgust, which hath Vkr.
. --
been said, while we wish to say other things. Let this then
suffice for to-day, Winch delivere. it the poor from him that
is too strong for him. Who that dcliverest, but He Who is Strong in hand ? Even that David shall deliver the poor
from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too
strong for thee, and held thee, because he conquered thee,
when thou consentedst unto him. But what hath the Strong
in hand done ? No man entereth into a strong man's house, Mat. 12, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man. By
His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, hath He bound the devil by pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver the poor and needy, toPs. 72, whom there was no helper. For who is thy helper but the
Lord to whom thou sayest, O Lord, My Strength, and My Ps. 19,
Redeemer. If thou wilt presume of thy own strength, thereby wilt thou fall, whereof thou hast presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over thee, not succour thee. He then alone is to be sought, Who hath redeemed them, and made them free, and hath given His Blood to purchase them, and of His servants hath made them His Brethren.
DISCOURSE II.
On the remainingpart ofthe Psalm.
To the rest of the Psalm let us apply our minds, and to
the Lord our God let us pray, both for soundness of under standing, and for the quiet of well-doing. As far as yesterday
was discoursed, I trust that ye remember, dearly Beloved:
from the same place to-day let us take our beginning. Now
we understand here the words of Christ, the words, namely,
both of the Head and of the Body of Christ. When thou hearest Christ, do not separate the Bridegroom from the Bride, but understand that great Sacrament, And they two Gen. 2 shall be one flesh. If two in one flesh, why not also in one2,4. voice? For neither the Head alone suffered here temptations, 31. and the Body suffereth not; nor indeed was there any cause
of suffering to the Head, but that He might give an example
to the Body. For the Lord suffered of free will, we of
'
"
390 Words of Christ* Body. How He ' knew not' sin.
Psalm necessity; He out of commiseration, we out of our condition. XXXV Moreover, His voluntary Passion is our necessary consolation ;
so that when we haply suffer like things, we may look upon our Head, that being warned by His example we may say unto ourselves, If He did so, what must we ? and, Even as He was, so let us also be. For however much raged the enemy, to the death of the Body could he only approach ; which Body yet could he not destroy in the Lord, because on the third day It rose again. What in Him was done on the third day, that in ours shall be at the end of the world. The hope of our resurrection is put off, is it therefore put away ? Here then, most dearly Beloved, let us acknowledge
the Words of Christ, and let us distinguish them from the words of the ungodly. For they are the voices of the Body, suffering persecutions and troubles and temptations in this world, but since many suffer here, also for their sins, and for their crimes, with great vigilance must we discern the
Luke23, cause, not the punishment. For a criminal can have like
punishment with a Martyr, but yet a cause unlike. Three were there on the Cross, one the Saviour, another to be saved, another to be dammed: of all the punishment was equal, but the cause unequal.
Serm. I1.
^
2. Let then our Head say, (ver. 11. ) FalIse witnesses did
hearts of them that charged Thee ? Didst Thou not foresee their deceits ? Didst Thou not give Thyself into their hands knowingly ? Hadst Thou not come that Thou mightest suffer by them? What then knewest Thou uot? He knew not sin, and thereby He knew not sin, not by not judging, but by not committing. There are phrases of this kind also in daily use, as when thou sayest of any one, He knoweth not to stand, that is, he doth not stand ; and, He knoweth not to do good, because he doth not good; and, He knoweth not to do ill, because he doth not ill. That which is alien from operation, is alien from conscience ; that which is alien
from conscience, seems alien also from science.
So God is said to know not, as art knoweth not faults, and yet by art faults are discovered and discerned. This then to our in.
rise up, they laid to My charge things that
knew not. But let us say to our Head, Lord, what knewest Thou not? Didst Thou indeed know not any thing? Didst Thou not know the
Barrenness of the unbelieving Jews. Prayfor enemies. 391
terrogatories out of the very truth of His own Gospel doth Ver. our Head answer; when we have said, Lord, what knewest -2' 13' Thou not? Wherewith couldest Thou be charged which
Thou knewest not ? He answereth, Ungodliness 1 kuew not,
with ungodliness I was charged. Thou hast in the Gospel, if thou believe not that I knew not ungodliness, that even the ungodly themselves I know not, unto whom at the end I shall
know you not ; Me, say, / depart from
that work Matt. 7, ungodli-
ye
ness. Did He not know those whom He condemned ? or can
any condemn justly, but a gooId cognizant ? And yet a good
know you not: that is, ye are not joined to My Body, ye cleave not to My Rules, ye are vicious, but I am that very Art which haveth no vice, and in
which a man learneth not save not to do vice. False' wIitnesses did rise up ; they laid to My charge things that
knew not. What knew not Christ so much, as to blas pheme ? Thereof was He called in question by His perse cutors, and because He spake truth, He was judged to have Matt. spoken blasphemy. But by whom ? By them of whom it26,6? . followeth, (ver. 12. ) They rewarded Me evil for good, and barrenness to My Soul. I gave unto them fruitfulness, they
I honour,
none. Leaves there were, and fruit there was not: words
there were, and deeds there were not. See of words abun
dance, and of deeds barrenness. Thou that preachest a R0m. 2, man should not steal, stealest: thou that sayest a wian21,22, should not commit adultery, commitlest adultery. Such
were they who charged Christ with things that He knew not.
3. Ver. 13. But I, when they troubled me, clothed myself
with sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting, and
my prayer shall return into mine own bosom. We are taught indeed, Brethren, that we belong to the Boily of( Cor Christ, that we are members of Christ; and we are admonished 12,2". in all our tribulations to consider not how we may answer
our enemies, but how by praying we may propitiate God, and chiefly to pray that we be not overcome by temptation; then, that even those who persecute us may be converted to
cognizant lied not in saying,
rewarded Me barrenness ; 1 gave life, they death ;
I medicine, wounds ; and in all these they
they dishonour ;
which they rewarded Me, was truly barrenness. This bar renness in the tree He cursed, when seeking fruit He found Matt.
,
"
392 The Flesh of Christ spoken of as His Sackcloth.
Psalm soundness and righteousness. There is no greater, no better
in tribulation, than to retire from the noise I1. which is without, and to go into the inner closet of the
^latt. e, heart; there to call upon God, where none seeth thee groan ing, and Him succouring ; that chamber-door to close against every invading trouble ; to humble thyself in con fession of sin, to magnify and praise God, both chastising and consoling : this must by every means be held firm. But of the Body must we say this ; that is, of ourselves : of our Lord Jesus Christ, what such as this do we find ? The Gospel being looked through and most diligently searched,
we find not that the Lord in any passion or tribulation
clothed Himself with sackcloth. That He fasted indeed we read, after He was baptized: sackcloth there we hear of none, read of none ; but that He fasted, the Jews not yet
Matt, j, persecuting, but the devil tempting Him. At that time I say that the Lord fasted not, when they charged Him with things which He knew not, and when they rewarded Him evil for good, by railing, by persecuting, by holding fast, by scourging, by wounding, by slaying: but yet in all these, Brethren, if for some little space with pious curiosity we lift
the veil, and search with the intent eye of the heart the inner part of this Scripture, we find that even this the Lord did. Sackcloth, haply He callelh His mortal flesh. Wherefore Sackcloth ? For the likeness of sinful flesh. For the Apostle
Rom. 8, saith, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, that through sin He might condemn sin in the flesh : that is, He clothed His Own Son with sackcloth, that through sack cloth * He might condemn the goats. Not that there was sin, I say not in the Word of God, but not even in that Holy Soul and Mind of a Man, which the Word and Wisdom of God had so joined to Himself as to be One Person. Nay,
nor even in His very Body was any sin, but the likeness of
sinful flesh there was in the Lord ; because death is not but Kom. 5, by sin, and surely that Body was mortal. For had It not been mortal, It had not died ; had It not died, It had not
risen again; had It not risen again, It had not shewed us an example of eternal life. So then death, which is caused by sin, is called sin, as we say the Greek tongue, the Latin ? i. at. de cilicio, i. e. sackcloth made of goats' hair. Compare Jfatt. 25. 32. 33.
szhm. 'employment
Our Lord's Fasting, in finding men faithless. 393
tongue, meaning not the very member of flesh, but that V"er. which is done by the member of flesh. For the tongue in 12. 13. our members is one among others, as the eyes, nose, ears,
and the rest : but the Greek tongue is Greek words, not that
the tongue is words, but that words are by the
Thou sayest of one, 1 know his face, speaking of a member of his body; and thou sayest also, I know his hand though he is absent, not the hand of his body, but the writing which was made by the hand of his body. So then the sin of the Lord, is that which was caused by sin ; because He assumed flesh, of the same lump which had deserved death by sin. For to speak more briefly, Mary who was of Adam died for sin, Adam died for sin, and the Flesh of the Lord which was of Mary died to put away sin. With this sackcloth the Lord clothed Himself, and therefore was He not known, because He lay hid under sackcloth. When they, saith He,
clothed Myself with sackcloth : that is,
they
clothed Myself with sackcloth, and humbled My Soul
with fasting. Again, if we have understood the sackcloth,
how understand we the fasting ? Wished Christ to eat, when He sought fruit on the tree, and if He had found, Mark
'
4.
would He have eaten ? Wished Christ to drink, when He
said to the woman of Samaria, Give Me to drink ? when He John 4, said on the Cross, / thirst? For what hungered, for what /nhni9 thirsted Christ, but our good works ? Because in them that28- crucified and persecuted Him He had found no good works,
He fasted; for they rewarded barrenness to His soul. For
what a fast was His, Who found barely one thief, whom on
the Cross He might taste! For the Apostles had fled, and
had hidden themselves in the multitude. And even Peter,
who even to the death of his Lord had promised to persevere,
had now thrice denied Him, had now wept, and still lay hid
in the multitude, still feared lest He should be known.
tongue.
troubled Me, I
raged, I lay hid. For had He not willed to lie hid, neither
could He have died, since in one moment of time one drop
only of His Power, if indeed it is to be called a drop, He
put forth, when they wished to seize Him, and at His one question, Whom seek ye? they all went back and fell to the Johnis, ground. Such power could He not have humbled in passion,
if He Ihad not lain hid under sackcloth.
394 Christ refreshed with our Faith. How He prayed.
Psalm Lastly, having seen Him dead, all of them despaired of their ^erm'0TM safety; and despairing He found them, after His resur- H. rection, and when He spake with them, found them grieving and mourning, no longer hoping any thing. For so also did
certain of them who spake with Him. When He said, What
talk ye between yourselves? (for they were talking of Him;) Luke24, Art Thou only, they said, a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast 18--81 " not known what things our priests and rulers have done con
cerning Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a man mighty in word and deed; how they have crucified and slain Him * But we trusted that it should have been He that should have re deemed Israel. In great fasting had the Lord remained, had He not refreshed them that He might feed on them. For He refreshed them, He comforted them, He confirmed them, and into His Own Body converted them. In this manner then was our Lord also in fasting.
5. And My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom. In the bosom of this verse is plainly a great depth, and may the Lord grant that it be fathomable by us. For in the ' bosom' a secret is understood. And we ourselves, Brethren, are here well admonished to pray within our own bosom, where God seeth, where God heareth, where no human eye penetrateth, where none seeth but He Who succoureth;
Susanna where Susanna prayed, and her voice though it was not heard by men, yet by God was heard. Of this indeed we are well admonished, but of our Lord ought we to under stand something more, because He Himself also prayed. And, indeed, His sackcloth we find not in the Gospel accord ing to the letter, nor His fasting at the time of His Passion according to the letter; and these therefore have explained
to be spoken by an allegory or similitude, as could. Bui Ps. 22,l. His prayer even from the Cross have we heard, My God, My
2^at46.
God, why hast Thou forsaken Me But there also were we.
For when did the Father forsake Him, from Whom He
Matt, never departed? We read also that in the mount Jesus
Luke36 prayea alone, we read that He passed the night in prayer, 12. even at the time of His Passion. What then And My
'prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom. know not
what better to understand concerning the Lord take mean-
Luke22, while what now occurs; perhaps something better will
41.
3P. Mark
I
I I
:
?
!
4'4 *
His Prayer to the Father in His own Bosom. 895
occur hereafter, either to me or to some better : My prayer Ver. shall return into Mine Own Bosom: this I understand to be -- said, because in His Own Bosom He had the Father. For2Cor. b,
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. In l ' Himself He had Him to Whom He prayed. He was not
far from Him, for Himself had said, T am in the Father, a<<tfJohnH
the Father in Me. But because prayer rather belongeth to very Man, (for according as Christ is the Word, He prayeth not, but heareth prayer; and seeketh not to be succoured for Himself, but with the Father succoureth all:) what My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom, but in Me My Manhood invoketh in Me My Godhead.
6. Ver. 14. Asa Neighbour, as our Brother, so pleased
Him: as one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled myself.
Now looketh He back to His Own Body let us now look
to this. When we rejoice in prayer, when our mind
calmed, not by the world's prosperity, but by the light of Truth: (who perceiveth this light, knoweth what say, and
he seeth and acknowledgeth what said, As a Neighbour,
as our Brother, so pleased Him even then our soul pleaseth
God, not placed afar off, for, In Him, saith one, we live and Acta 17, move and have our being, but as Brother, as Neighbour,28,
as Friend. But be not such that can so rejoice, so shine, so approach, so cleave unto Him, and seeth itself far off thence, then let do what followeth, As one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled Myself. As our Brother, so pleased Him, said He, drawing near; As one mourning and sorrowful, so humbled myself, said He, removed and set afar off. For what mourneth any one, but that which he
desireth, and hath not? And sometimes in one man
both, that at one time he should draw near, at another be far off; draw near by the light of Truth, be far off by the cloud of the flesh. For neither, Brethren, unto God, Who
every where, and contained in no place, do we through place draw near, or from Him through place remove. To draw near unto Him, to become like unto Him; to remove from Him, to become unlike unto Him. Dost not thou, when thou seest two things nearly alike, say, This comes near to that? and when things unlike are shewn to
thee, though in one place, and though they be held often in
happen
is is
I it
I it
is
I
if
I
is
is,
a
:) a
is it
I I
a
I
:
396 Likeness to God the true nearness to Him.
Psalm one hand, say, This kind is far off from that ? Thou holdest
*
Mat. 16, afar off. Did not Peter draw near, when He said, Thou art 16-23, the Christ, the Son of the Living God? And yet the same man became afar off by saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee. Lastly, what said He, his Neighbour, as it were, to him drawing near? Blessed art
thou, Simon, Barjona. To him afar off, as it were, and unlike, what said He? Get thee behind Me, Satan. To him drawing near, Flesh and blood, saith He, hath not revealed it unto Thee, but My Father, which is in Heaven. His Light is shed over Thee, in His Light Thou shinest. Butwhenhavingbecome afar off, he spake against the Lord's Passion, which should be for our Salvation, Thou savourest not, said He, the things that be qf God, but those that be of men. One rightly
Psalm,
both, joinest both, and sayest, This thing is far from that, II. not forsooth in place, but in unlikeness. If then thou wouldest draw near to Him, be like unto Him : if thou wilt
not be like, thou wilt be far off. But when thou art like,
f. rm. "
Ps. 32,
am cast Thine Eyes. my ecstasy, offfrom before
when unlike, groan; that groaning may excite desire, nay that desire may excite groaning, and that through groaning thou mayest draw near, who hadst begun to be
rejoice;
pIlacing together both of these saith in a certain
said in I
In my ecstasy, would he not have said, had he not drawn
near; for ecstasy is the transporting of the mind.
He poured over himself his own soul, and drew near unto God; and through some cloud and weight of the flesh being again
cast down to earth, and recollectin/g where he had been, and
seeing where he was, he said,
ThiIne Eyes. This then, As a Neighbour, as our Brother,
pleased Him, may He done in us; but grant to be
so
when that is not, let even this be done, As one mourning and sorrowful, so L humbled myself.
7. Ver. 15. And against Me they rejoiced, and gathered
are they that mourn. If they are blessed that miserable are they that laugh. Against Me they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: scourges were gathered
* E. V. But in mine adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together.
themselves together', against Me only:
Mat. 5, sorrowful. But we heard just now in the Gospel, Blessed
am cast before off from
they rejoicing, I
mourn,
As it fared with Christ, so with His Body. 397
together against Me, and they knew nolh. Because they Ver.
-- laid to My charge things that I knew not, they also knew --.
not Whom they charged.
8. Ver. 16. They tempted Me, and mocked Me with mock
ing'. That is, they derided Me, they insulted Me; this of the Head, this of the Body. Consider, Brethren, the glory of the Church which now is ; remember its past dishonours, remember how once were Christians every where put to flight, and wherever found, mocked, beaten, slain, exposed to beasts, burned, men rejoicing against them. As it was to the Head,so it is also to the Body. For as it was to the Lord on the Cross, so has it been to His Body in all that persecution which was made but now: nor even now cease the persecutions of the same. Wherever men find a Chris tian, they are wont to insult, to persecute, to deride him, to call him dull, senseless, of no spirit, of no knowledge. Do they what they will, Christ is in Heaven; do they what they will, He hath honoured His punishment, already hath He fixed His Cross in the foreheads of all; the ungodly is
?
to insult, to rage he is not permitted ; but yet from that which the tongue uttereth, is understood what he beareth in his heart: They gnashed upon Me with their teeth.
permitted
9. Ver. 17. Lord, when wilt Thou look on ? Rescue My
Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the lions. For to
us the time is slow; and in our person is this said, When
wilt Thou look on? that when shall we see vengeance upon
those who insult us When shall the Judge, overcome by Lukeis, weariness, hear the widow But our Judge, not from weari
ness, but from love, delayeth our salvation; from reason, not
from need not that He could not even now succour us, but
that the number of us all may be filled up even to the end.
And yet out of our desire, what do we say Lord, when
wilt Thou look on Rescue My Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the lions that is, My Church from raging powers.
10.
