So then understand the prophecy: Let them be
confounded
and put to shame, that seek after my life.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
Neither do we wrong, be
cause we say both ourselves and Him: since when He was in Heaven, He so cried, Why persecutesl thou Me? when Him Acts 9, none touched, and we on earth were in trouble. His Voice
then let us hear : now of the Body, now of the Head. For this is a Psalm calling on God, against enemies, amid the tribulations of this world. And surely He is the same Christ, then the Head being in tribulation, now the Body being in tribulation; yet through tribulations to all His Members giving life eternal, which by promising became He desirable.
2. Ver. 1. Judge Thou, O Lord, (saith he,) them that hurt me, andjight Thou against them that fight against me. " If God Rom. 8, be for us, who can be against us ? " And whereby doth God
this for us? (Ver. 2. ) Take hold (saith he) of arms and shield,
and rise up to my help. A great spectacle is to see God
armed for thee. And what His Shield, what are His
Arms? Lord, in another place saith the man who here alsoPs. 5,12. speaketh, as with the shield of Thy good-will hast Thou compassed us. But His Arms, wherewith He may not only
us defend, but also strike His enemies, we have well profited,
shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that
we be armed, so He armed from us. But He armed
from those, whom He hath made, we are armed with those
things which we have received from Him Who made us.
These our arms the Apostle in certain place calleth, The Eph. shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of 1(1" the Spirit, which the Word God. He hath armed us
with such arms as ye have heard, arms admirable, and un-
conquered, insuperable
and shining; spiritual truly and
is
is
of
a
is if
'
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376 Designations of spiritual armour variable.
Psalm invisible, because we have to fight also against invisible Serm. enemies. If thou seest thine enemy, let thine arms be seen. *? We are armed with faith in those things which we see not,
and we overthrow enemies whom we see not. Nevertheless, dearly Beloved, think not that these arms are so that what is a shield is always a shield, or what is a helmet is always a helmet, or what is a breast-plate always a breast-plate. For in these arms corporal it is so, although even those which are made of steel may be changed, so that out of a sword may be made an axe : but the same Apostle we find to have
l Thess. said in one place, The breast-plate offaith, and in another
' '
Ps. 22,
to have said, The shield offaith. Therefore the same faith can be both a breast-plate and a shield, a shield it is, because it receives and repels the darts of the enemies, a breast-plate because it suffers not thy inward parts to be pierced through. These are our arms ; but what are God's ? We read in a certain place, Deliver my soulfrom the ungodly, Thy Weapon from the enemies of Thy Hand1'. What first he said, from the
ungodly, that in the following verse is from the enemies of Thy Hand: and what above he called my soul, that in the following verse he called, Thy Weapon, that is, Thy Sword. His soul then he called the Weapon of God : Deliver (saith he) my soul from the ungodly, that is, deliver Thy Weapon from the enemies of Thy Hand. For Thou takest hold of my soul, and warrest upon my enemies. And what is our
pro- soul, however splendid, however far reaching1, however sharpened, however anointed, however with the light and gleam of Wisdom glistening ? What is our soul, or what can it do, unless God hold it and fight with it. For the best made weapon, unless it have a warrior, is useless. But I have said of our own arms, that nothing ought be taken as so fixed, that what is one thing, the same cannot be another :
so also we find in God's arms. Lo, here he called the soul
of the righteous the weapon of God : again he saith that the
Vfisd. soul of the righteous is the seat of God, the soul of the
'?
righteous is the seat of Wisdom. Therefore whatever He will, He maketh of our soul. Since it is in His hand, let Him use it as He will.
3. Let Him then rise up, for so is He called on, let Him * Lat. Erne al, impiis animam meam,framca>>i tuam ab inimicis manus t<<tc.
Wake to call on Christ. What World Satan rules. 377
Ver.
take hold of His Arms, let Him rise up for our help. Whence
He should rise up, is said unto Him also in another place in
these very words, Rise up: why steepest Thou, O Lord? Ps. 44, And when He is said to sleep, we sleep ; and when He is
said to rise up, we are awakened. For the Lord also slept Mat. 8, in the ship ; and therefore was the ship tossed, because Jesus
For if Jesus had watched therein, the ship had not been tossed. Thy ship is thy heart; Jesus in the ship, faith in the heart. If thou rememberest thy faith, thy heart is
not tossed ; if thou forgettest thy faith, Christ sleepeth ; beware of shipwreck. Nevertheless do what remaineth, that if He sleep, He may be awakened; say unto Him, Lord, rise up, we perish ; that He may rebuke the winds, and there be a calm in thy heart. For all temptations will retire, or surely will prevail nothing, when Christ, that is, thy faith,
shall watch in thy heart. What then is, Rise up ? Make Thyself known, apparent, felt. Rise up, therefore,/or my help. 4. Ver. 3. Pour forth the weapon, and stop the way against
them that persecute me. Who are they that persecute thee ? Haply thy neighbour, or he whom thou hast offended, or to whom thou hast done wrong, or who would take away what is thine, or against whom thou preachest the truth, or whose sin thou rebukest, or whom living ill by thy well living thou
offendest. There are indeed even these enemies to us, and
slept.
us: but other enemies we are taught to know, those against whom we fight invisibly, of whom the
they persecute
Apostle warneth us, saying, We wrestle not against ^es/< Epties. and blood, that is, against men ; not against those whom ye6' 12, see, but against those whom ye see not; against princi palities, against powers, against the rulers of the world,
of this darkness. Now when he said the rulers of the world,
as he spake of the devil and his angels, there was need to take care lest men should misunderstand, and think that the
world is ruled by the devil and his demons. But because
the world is said of this fabric which we see, and the world
is said of sinners, and of those who love the world, of whom
it was said, The world knew Him not, and of whom also, John 1,
The whole world lieth in wickedness; therefore the Apostle t John
of what world they were rulers, he said, of this5, i9. darkness. The rulers of this world, I say, are the rulers of
explained
378 Man a Weapon in God's Hand. Suggestion of despair.
Psalm this darkness. Again, he maketh us to understand what he
XXXV sa^, '*** darkness. Of what darkness are the devil and Serm. of
I.
of the same as many believe, what saith the same Apostle? Eph. 5, Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Wouldest thou not be ruled by the devil ? Come to
the light. And how shalt thou come to the Light, unless He pour forth the weapon, and deliver thee from thy enemies, and from them that persecute thee ? How poureth He forth the weapon ? for we have already heard what His weapon is ; even the soul of the righteous. Let the righteous abound, so is the weapon poured forth, and the way is stopped against the enemies. For from the very pouring forth of the weapon the Apostle warning us to live righteously, in the sequel
Titus 2, saith, That he that is of the contrary part, may have no evil thing to say of you. The way is stopped against him,
because what to say against the saints he cannot find.
5. And whence shall these be righteous? Or what say the enemies who persecute us ? Those invisible enemies, what say they ? Say they nothing c ? Most of all is it suggested to the human heart, by the enemies who invisibly fight against
that God not our helper that so seeking other helps, we may be found weak, and be taken by those same enemies. This then suggested. Against those voices ought we most of all to watch, which are shewn in another
Ps. 2. Psalm. Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, there no help for him in his God. Against these voices what here said Say unto my soul, am thy Salvation. When thou hast said unto my soul, am thy Salvation, then will live righteously, so that seek no helper beside Thee.
6. And what follows? (Ver. 4. ) Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my soul: for to this end they seek
after to destroy it. For would that they would seek
for good for in another Psalm he blameth this in men, that Ps. U2, there was none who would seek after his soul Refuge failed me there was none that would seek after my soul. Who
al. nothing else so specially suggested,' &e.
his angels rulers? Of all the unbelievers, of all the wicked, John 1, of whom it is said, The Light shineth in darkness, and the
darkness comprehended It not. Lastly, out of the number
* '
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God our Salvation. Seek no other help. 379
is this that saith, There was none that would seek after my Ver.
soul d ? Is it haply He, of Whom so long before it was pre- dieted, They pierced My Hands and My Feet, they numbered? <<. 22, all My Bones, they stared and looked upon Me, they have 1 '
parted My Garments among them, and cast lots for My Vesture ? Now all these things were done before their eyes, and there was none who would seek after His Soul. Let us
then call upon Him, Brethren, that He may say unto our
soul, / am thy SalvI
hear Him, saying,
some are deaf, wherefore they hear rather those enemies that persecute them, being in tribulation. If aught wanting, if the soul in trouble, in need of temporal goods, seeks aid for the most part from devils, chooses to consult the possessed of devils, seeks the diviners: its persecutors, the invisible enemies, have approached have entered into have fought against have taken captive, have conquered
ation; and
its ears, that it
For He saith but
may open am thy Salvation.
may
4.
by saying, There is no salvation for him in his God. He Ps. 3, 2. was deaf to the voice, saying, am thy Salvation. Say unto
my soul, am thy Salvation, that they may be confounded
and put to shame that seek after my soul, to which Thou sayest, am thy Salvation. Let me hear Him saying unto
me, am thy Salvation other salvation will not seek after
except the Lord my God. By some creature salvation suggested to me from Him: and lift up mine eyes Ps. 121, unto the hills, from whence cometh my help, yet cometh not
my help from the hills, but from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. In very temporal troubles God helpeth through man He Himself thy Salvation. Through His
Angel God helpeth, He Himself thy Salvation. All things
to Him are subject, and for this temporal life He indeed helpeth one from this side, another from that eternal life
He giveth not but from Himself. Behold, when thou art in trouble, that not before thee which thou seekest, but He
is near thee Whom thou seekest. And seek thou Him, Who
never can be wanting. Let those things be withdrawn,
which He gave; He therefore withdrawn, Who gave?
Let those things be restored which He gave that true
" Who &o. ' Most Mss. read, crucified There no one that saith, That is, who asks, Who that who It haply He, &o. "
is
is
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it,
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is
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it,
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380 God bestows temporal things as well as spiritual,
Psalm riches, when these things are restored, and not He Who with- X XX V ' drew them to prove thee, and restored them to console thee ?
Serm I.
For He consoleth us when these things are not wanting to us. He consoleth us in the way, but only if we understand the way. For the whole of this life, and all things which thou usest in this life, ought to be to thee as an inn to a traveller, not as a house to dwell in. Remember
though thou hast performed somewhat, that somewhat remaineth,
' diver- tnat thou hast slaved1 for refection, not for defection.
7. There are who say, God the Good, the Great, the Most High, the Invisible, the Eternal, the Incorruptible, will indeed give unto us eternal life, and that incorruption which
He hath promised in the resurrection ; but these worldly and temporal things belong to devils, and to those rulers of the darkness of this world. By thus saying, when they are entangled in the love of these things, they abandon God, as though these things belonged not unto Him, and seek by
wicked sacrifices, by I know not what remedies, and by I know not what unlawful persuasion of men, to provide for themselves that which is temporal, as money, wife and children, and whatever either comforts human life passing by, or hinders it going its way. Divine Providence watching against this opinion, that God might shew all these things to belong to Him, and to be in His Power, not only things eternal which He promiseth hereafter, but also things tem poral which on earth He giveth to whom He will, and when He will, in good time, knowing to whom He should give, to whom not give, as a physician his medicines, knowing better the sick man's disease than the sick man himself; God then, that He might shew this, divided the times of the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament are promises
of things earthly; but in the New, of a kingdom, the king dom of heaven. Most of the Commandments, both of worshipping God, and of living well, are the same both in this and in that; but because the promise here seems of one kind, there of another; the command of Him that ordereth, and the obedience of him that serveth, is the same, but the wages, as it were, are not the same. For unto them it was said, Ye shall receive the land of promise ; in it ye shall reign ; your enemies ye shall conquer; ye shall not be
but the former now subordinate to the latter. 381
subdued by them; all things shall abound to you in this land; Ver. in it ye shall beget children. These earthly things were -- promised, but yet in a figure. Suppose that some so received 23, 25-- them as they were promised; and truly many so received31. them. For the land was given to the children of Israel,
riches were given, children were given even to their barren
and old women, who prayed unto God, and in Him alone presumed, and other helper sought not even for those things. They heard the voice of God in their heart, / am thy Salva
tion. If for things eternal, why not for things temporal.
This did God shew in the case of that holy man Job; be
cause even the devil himself had no power to take away these things, except when he had received it from that Most High Power. He would envy the holy man : could he also
hurt him ? He could accuse him, could he also condemn
him ? Could he take aught from him, could he hurt even a
nail, could he a single hair, until he had said unto God, Put Job 1,
forth Thine Hand? What Putforth Thine Hand? Give11- me the power. He received he tempted him he was
tempted. Yet the tempted conquered, the tempter was con quered. For God, Who had permitted the devil to take those things, had not deserted His servant within, and to overcome
the devil himself, of the soul of His servant had made to Himself a weapon. Whereunto tendeth this speak con cerning man. Conquered was he in Paradise conqueror Gen. 3. on the dunghill. There was he conquered by the devil through the woman, here he conquered the devil and the woman. Thou speakest, saith he, as one of the foolish Joh women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the Hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? How well had
he heard, am thy Salvation.
8. Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek
after my soul. Look to men. Pray (saith He) for your Matt. 5, enemies. But here a prophecy: and those things which
are said under the figure of wishing are to be explained in
the sense of prophesying. Let this be done, or that be done,
nothing more than, this or that will be done.
So then understand the prophecy: Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my life. What is, Let them be confounded and put to shame They shall be confounded and
?
is, it,
is
it is
"
/
2,
: a
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;
382 Some conquered for their good, others injudgment.
Psalm put lo shame. For even so was it done. Many have been Skrm. confounded to their health : many, put to shame, have passed ! ? over from the persecution of Christ to the society of His members with devoted piety; and this would not have been,
had they not been confounded and put to shame. There fore he wished well to them. But because there are two kinds of those who are conquered ; for in two ways are they conquered, either to this end they are conquered that they may be converted unto Christ, or to this, that they be con demned by Christ; here also are explained the same two kinds, obscurely indeed, but wanting only an understanding hearer. Of those who are converted, hear what is said. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back. Let them not go before, but follow; let them not give counsel, but take it. For Peter would go before the Lord, when the Lord spake of His future Passion : he would to Him as it were
give counsel for His health. The sick man to the Saviour
give counsel for His health ! And what said he to the Lord, Mat. 16, affirming that His future Passion? Be it far from Thee, 9,1 23' Lord. Be gracious to Thyself. This shall not be to Thee.
He would go before that the Lord might follow ; and what said He ? Get thee behind Me, satan. By going before thou art satan, by following thou wilt be a disciple. The same then is said to these also, Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that think evil against me. For when they have begun to follow after, now they will not think evil against me, but desire my good.
9. What of others r For all are not so conquered as to be converted and believe : many continue in obstinacy, many preserve in heart the spirit of going before, and if they exert it not, yet they labour with and finding opportunity bring
forth. Of such, what followeth (Ver. 5. ) Let them be as
Ps. 1,4.
dust before the wind. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but as the dust which the wind driveth away from the face
the earth. The wind temptation the dust are the un godly. When temptation cometh the dust raised, neither standeth nor resisteth. Let them be as dust before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord trouble them. (Ver. 6. ) Let their way be darkness and slipping. horrible way Dark-
A
; is
!
it
of
is
it,
it
?
Prophecy spoken as imprecation. Treason against Christ. 383
ness alone who feareth not? A slippery way alone who avoids Ver not ? In a dark and slippery way how shalt thou go ? where 6. 7. set foot ? These two ills are the great punishments of men : darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. Let their way
be darkness and slipping ; and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them; that they be not able to stand. For any one in a dark and slippery way, when he seeth that if he move his foot he will fall, and there is no light before his feet, haply resolveth to wait until light come ; but here is the
Angel of the Lord persecuting them. These things he pre
dicted would come upon them, not as though he wished
them to happen. Although the Prophet in the Spirit of God so speaketh these things, even as God doth the same, with sure judgment, with a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil ; not moved with wrath, not with bitter jealousy, not with desire of wreaking enmities, but of punishing wickedness with righteousness ; nevertheless, it is a prophecy.
10. But wherefore these so great evils? By what desert? Hear by what desert. (Ver. 7. ) For without cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. For Him that is our Head, observe, the Jews did this : they hid the cor ruption of their trap. For whom hid they their trap ? For Him, Who saw the hearts of those that hid. But yet was He among them like one ignorant, as though He were de ceived, whereas they were in that deceived, that they thought Him to be deceived. For therefore was He as though de ceived, living among them, because we among such as they were so to live, as to be without doubt deceived. He saw His betrayer, and chose him the more to a necessary work. By his evil He wrought a great good : and yet among the twelve was he chosen, lest even the small number of twelve should be without one evil. This was an example of patience to us, because it was necessary that we should live among the evil: it was necessary that we should endure the evil,
either knowing them or knowing them not: an example of patience He gave thee lest thou shouldest fail, when thou hast begun to live among the evil. And because that School of Christ in the twelve failed not, how much more ought we to be firm, when in the great Church is fulfilled what was predicted of the mixture of the evil. For neither did the same School see rendered to the Seed of Abraham what had
384 The wicked caught in their own trap.
Psalm been promised, and that very threshing floor, whence the Sbrm "8ram ^lat shall fill the garner must proceed. Wherefore I. then, when the threshing is, is not the chaff justly endured
therein, until it be purged by the last winnowing ? For this will surely come upon the evil, which ye have heard.
11. But yet what is to be done ? Without a cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. What meaneth,
Without a cause? I have done them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. Vainly have they reviled my soul. What
Vainly Speaking falsely, proving nothing. (Ver. 8. ) Let trap come upon them which they know not of. magni ficent retribution, nothing more just They have hidden trap that might know not: let trap come upon them
which they know not of. For know of their trap.
But what trap coming upon them That which they know
not of. Let us hear, lest haply he speak of that. Let trap come upon them, which they know not of. Perhaps that one which they hid for him, that another which shall
Prov. come upon themselves. Not so but what The wicked shall be holden with the cords ofhis own sins. Thereby are they deceived, whereby they would deceive. Thence shall come mischief to them, whence they endeavoured mischief. For follows, And let the net which they have hidden catch themselves. As any one should prepare a cup of poison
for another, and forgetting should drink up himself
or as if one should dig a pit, that his enemy might fall thereinto in the darkness and himself forgetting what he had dug,
should first walk that way, and fall into it. Verily, Brethren, thus believe, thus be assured thus, if there be in you any more excellent reason or prudence, thus observe and know there no wicked man who hurts not himself first. For so think of wickedness as of fire. Thou wouldest burn some
be not
not hurt And verily say, that thy wickedness should Oxf. Mas. Where putteth forth a bough doth hurt? '
thing that which thou appliest first burned
burned, burnetli not. Thou hast torch this torch thou appliest to something to burn it: not the torch itself which thou appliest first burned, that may be able to burn any thing? Wickedness then proceedeth from thee, and whom doth first waste but thyself? Doth hurt the bough to which put forth and where hath root doth
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The tricked ensnare themselves. 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?
cause we say both ourselves and Him: since when He was in Heaven, He so cried, Why persecutesl thou Me? when Him Acts 9, none touched, and we on earth were in trouble. His Voice
then let us hear : now of the Body, now of the Head. For this is a Psalm calling on God, against enemies, amid the tribulations of this world. And surely He is the same Christ, then the Head being in tribulation, now the Body being in tribulation; yet through tribulations to all His Members giving life eternal, which by promising became He desirable.
2. Ver. 1. Judge Thou, O Lord, (saith he,) them that hurt me, andjight Thou against them that fight against me. " If God Rom. 8, be for us, who can be against us ? " And whereby doth God
this for us? (Ver. 2. ) Take hold (saith he) of arms and shield,
and rise up to my help. A great spectacle is to see God
armed for thee. And what His Shield, what are His
Arms? Lord, in another place saith the man who here alsoPs. 5,12. speaketh, as with the shield of Thy good-will hast Thou compassed us. But His Arms, wherewith He may not only
us defend, but also strike His enemies, we have well profited,
shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that
we be armed, so He armed from us. But He armed
from those, whom He hath made, we are armed with those
things which we have received from Him Who made us.
These our arms the Apostle in certain place calleth, The Eph. shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of 1(1" the Spirit, which the Word God. He hath armed us
with such arms as ye have heard, arms admirable, and un-
conquered, insuperable
and shining; spiritual truly and
is
is
of
a
is if
'
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it,
376 Designations of spiritual armour variable.
Psalm invisible, because we have to fight also against invisible Serm. enemies. If thou seest thine enemy, let thine arms be seen. *? We are armed with faith in those things which we see not,
and we overthrow enemies whom we see not. Nevertheless, dearly Beloved, think not that these arms are so that what is a shield is always a shield, or what is a helmet is always a helmet, or what is a breast-plate always a breast-plate. For in these arms corporal it is so, although even those which are made of steel may be changed, so that out of a sword may be made an axe : but the same Apostle we find to have
l Thess. said in one place, The breast-plate offaith, and in another
' '
Ps. 22,
to have said, The shield offaith. Therefore the same faith can be both a breast-plate and a shield, a shield it is, because it receives and repels the darts of the enemies, a breast-plate because it suffers not thy inward parts to be pierced through. These are our arms ; but what are God's ? We read in a certain place, Deliver my soulfrom the ungodly, Thy Weapon from the enemies of Thy Hand1'. What first he said, from the
ungodly, that in the following verse is from the enemies of Thy Hand: and what above he called my soul, that in the following verse he called, Thy Weapon, that is, Thy Sword. His soul then he called the Weapon of God : Deliver (saith he) my soul from the ungodly, that is, deliver Thy Weapon from the enemies of Thy Hand. For Thou takest hold of my soul, and warrest upon my enemies. And what is our
pro- soul, however splendid, however far reaching1, however sharpened, however anointed, however with the light and gleam of Wisdom glistening ? What is our soul, or what can it do, unless God hold it and fight with it. For the best made weapon, unless it have a warrior, is useless. But I have said of our own arms, that nothing ought be taken as so fixed, that what is one thing, the same cannot be another :
so also we find in God's arms. Lo, here he called the soul
of the righteous the weapon of God : again he saith that the
Vfisd. soul of the righteous is the seat of God, the soul of the
'?
righteous is the seat of Wisdom. Therefore whatever He will, He maketh of our soul. Since it is in His hand, let Him use it as He will.
3. Let Him then rise up, for so is He called on, let Him * Lat. Erne al, impiis animam meam,framca>>i tuam ab inimicis manus t<<tc.
Wake to call on Christ. What World Satan rules. 377
Ver.
take hold of His Arms, let Him rise up for our help. Whence
He should rise up, is said unto Him also in another place in
these very words, Rise up: why steepest Thou, O Lord? Ps. 44, And when He is said to sleep, we sleep ; and when He is
said to rise up, we are awakened. For the Lord also slept Mat. 8, in the ship ; and therefore was the ship tossed, because Jesus
For if Jesus had watched therein, the ship had not been tossed. Thy ship is thy heart; Jesus in the ship, faith in the heart. If thou rememberest thy faith, thy heart is
not tossed ; if thou forgettest thy faith, Christ sleepeth ; beware of shipwreck. Nevertheless do what remaineth, that if He sleep, He may be awakened; say unto Him, Lord, rise up, we perish ; that He may rebuke the winds, and there be a calm in thy heart. For all temptations will retire, or surely will prevail nothing, when Christ, that is, thy faith,
shall watch in thy heart. What then is, Rise up ? Make Thyself known, apparent, felt. Rise up, therefore,/or my help. 4. Ver. 3. Pour forth the weapon, and stop the way against
them that persecute me. Who are they that persecute thee ? Haply thy neighbour, or he whom thou hast offended, or to whom thou hast done wrong, or who would take away what is thine, or against whom thou preachest the truth, or whose sin thou rebukest, or whom living ill by thy well living thou
offendest. There are indeed even these enemies to us, and
slept.
us: but other enemies we are taught to know, those against whom we fight invisibly, of whom the
they persecute
Apostle warneth us, saying, We wrestle not against ^es/< Epties. and blood, that is, against men ; not against those whom ye6' 12, see, but against those whom ye see not; against princi palities, against powers, against the rulers of the world,
of this darkness. Now when he said the rulers of the world,
as he spake of the devil and his angels, there was need to take care lest men should misunderstand, and think that the
world is ruled by the devil and his demons. But because
the world is said of this fabric which we see, and the world
is said of sinners, and of those who love the world, of whom
it was said, The world knew Him not, and of whom also, John 1,
The whole world lieth in wickedness; therefore the Apostle t John
of what world they were rulers, he said, of this5, i9. darkness. The rulers of this world, I say, are the rulers of
explained
378 Man a Weapon in God's Hand. Suggestion of despair.
Psalm this darkness. Again, he maketh us to understand what he
XXXV sa^, '*** darkness. Of what darkness are the devil and Serm. of
I.
of the same as many believe, what saith the same Apostle? Eph. 5, Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Wouldest thou not be ruled by the devil ? Come to
the light. And how shalt thou come to the Light, unless He pour forth the weapon, and deliver thee from thy enemies, and from them that persecute thee ? How poureth He forth the weapon ? for we have already heard what His weapon is ; even the soul of the righteous. Let the righteous abound, so is the weapon poured forth, and the way is stopped against the enemies. For from the very pouring forth of the weapon the Apostle warning us to live righteously, in the sequel
Titus 2, saith, That he that is of the contrary part, may have no evil thing to say of you. The way is stopped against him,
because what to say against the saints he cannot find.
5. And whence shall these be righteous? Or what say the enemies who persecute us ? Those invisible enemies, what say they ? Say they nothing c ? Most of all is it suggested to the human heart, by the enemies who invisibly fight against
that God not our helper that so seeking other helps, we may be found weak, and be taken by those same enemies. This then suggested. Against those voices ought we most of all to watch, which are shewn in another
Ps. 2. Psalm. Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, there no help for him in his God. Against these voices what here said Say unto my soul, am thy Salvation. When thou hast said unto my soul, am thy Salvation, then will live righteously, so that seek no helper beside Thee.
6. And what follows? (Ver. 4. ) Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my soul: for to this end they seek
after to destroy it. For would that they would seek
for good for in another Psalm he blameth this in men, that Ps. U2, there was none who would seek after his soul Refuge failed me there was none that would seek after my soul. Who
al. nothing else so specially suggested,' &e.
his angels rulers? Of all the unbelievers, of all the wicked, John 1, of whom it is said, The Light shineth in darkness, and the
darkness comprehended It not. Lastly, out of the number
* '
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God our Salvation. Seek no other help. 379
is this that saith, There was none that would seek after my Ver.
soul d ? Is it haply He, of Whom so long before it was pre- dieted, They pierced My Hands and My Feet, they numbered? <<. 22, all My Bones, they stared and looked upon Me, they have 1 '
parted My Garments among them, and cast lots for My Vesture ? Now all these things were done before their eyes, and there was none who would seek after His Soul. Let us
then call upon Him, Brethren, that He may say unto our
soul, / am thy SalvI
hear Him, saying,
some are deaf, wherefore they hear rather those enemies that persecute them, being in tribulation. If aught wanting, if the soul in trouble, in need of temporal goods, seeks aid for the most part from devils, chooses to consult the possessed of devils, seeks the diviners: its persecutors, the invisible enemies, have approached have entered into have fought against have taken captive, have conquered
ation; and
its ears, that it
For He saith but
may open am thy Salvation.
may
4.
by saying, There is no salvation for him in his God. He Ps. 3, 2. was deaf to the voice, saying, am thy Salvation. Say unto
my soul, am thy Salvation, that they may be confounded
and put to shame that seek after my soul, to which Thou sayest, am thy Salvation. Let me hear Him saying unto
me, am thy Salvation other salvation will not seek after
except the Lord my God. By some creature salvation suggested to me from Him: and lift up mine eyes Ps. 121, unto the hills, from whence cometh my help, yet cometh not
my help from the hills, but from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. In very temporal troubles God helpeth through man He Himself thy Salvation. Through His
Angel God helpeth, He Himself thy Salvation. All things
to Him are subject, and for this temporal life He indeed helpeth one from this side, another from that eternal life
He giveth not but from Himself. Behold, when thou art in trouble, that not before thee which thou seekest, but He
is near thee Whom thou seekest. And seek thou Him, Who
never can be wanting. Let those things be withdrawn,
which He gave; He therefore withdrawn, Who gave?
Let those things be restored which He gave that true
" Who &o. ' Most Mss. read, crucified There no one that saith, That is, who asks, Who that who It haply He, &o. "
is
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it,
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it,
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380 God bestows temporal things as well as spiritual,
Psalm riches, when these things are restored, and not He Who with- X XX V ' drew them to prove thee, and restored them to console thee ?
Serm I.
For He consoleth us when these things are not wanting to us. He consoleth us in the way, but only if we understand the way. For the whole of this life, and all things which thou usest in this life, ought to be to thee as an inn to a traveller, not as a house to dwell in. Remember
though thou hast performed somewhat, that somewhat remaineth,
' diver- tnat thou hast slaved1 for refection, not for defection.
7. There are who say, God the Good, the Great, the Most High, the Invisible, the Eternal, the Incorruptible, will indeed give unto us eternal life, and that incorruption which
He hath promised in the resurrection ; but these worldly and temporal things belong to devils, and to those rulers of the darkness of this world. By thus saying, when they are entangled in the love of these things, they abandon God, as though these things belonged not unto Him, and seek by
wicked sacrifices, by I know not what remedies, and by I know not what unlawful persuasion of men, to provide for themselves that which is temporal, as money, wife and children, and whatever either comforts human life passing by, or hinders it going its way. Divine Providence watching against this opinion, that God might shew all these things to belong to Him, and to be in His Power, not only things eternal which He promiseth hereafter, but also things tem poral which on earth He giveth to whom He will, and when He will, in good time, knowing to whom He should give, to whom not give, as a physician his medicines, knowing better the sick man's disease than the sick man himself; God then, that He might shew this, divided the times of the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament are promises
of things earthly; but in the New, of a kingdom, the king dom of heaven. Most of the Commandments, both of worshipping God, and of living well, are the same both in this and in that; but because the promise here seems of one kind, there of another; the command of Him that ordereth, and the obedience of him that serveth, is the same, but the wages, as it were, are not the same. For unto them it was said, Ye shall receive the land of promise ; in it ye shall reign ; your enemies ye shall conquer; ye shall not be
but the former now subordinate to the latter. 381
subdued by them; all things shall abound to you in this land; Ver. in it ye shall beget children. These earthly things were -- promised, but yet in a figure. Suppose that some so received 23, 25-- them as they were promised; and truly many so received31. them. For the land was given to the children of Israel,
riches were given, children were given even to their barren
and old women, who prayed unto God, and in Him alone presumed, and other helper sought not even for those things. They heard the voice of God in their heart, / am thy Salva
tion. If for things eternal, why not for things temporal.
This did God shew in the case of that holy man Job; be
cause even the devil himself had no power to take away these things, except when he had received it from that Most High Power. He would envy the holy man : could he also
hurt him ? He could accuse him, could he also condemn
him ? Could he take aught from him, could he hurt even a
nail, could he a single hair, until he had said unto God, Put Job 1,
forth Thine Hand? What Putforth Thine Hand? Give11- me the power. He received he tempted him he was
tempted. Yet the tempted conquered, the tempter was con quered. For God, Who had permitted the devil to take those things, had not deserted His servant within, and to overcome
the devil himself, of the soul of His servant had made to Himself a weapon. Whereunto tendeth this speak con cerning man. Conquered was he in Paradise conqueror Gen. 3. on the dunghill. There was he conquered by the devil through the woman, here he conquered the devil and the woman. Thou speakest, saith he, as one of the foolish Joh women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the Hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? How well had
he heard, am thy Salvation.
8. Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek
after my soul. Look to men. Pray (saith He) for your Matt. 5, enemies. But here a prophecy: and those things which
are said under the figure of wishing are to be explained in
the sense of prophesying. Let this be done, or that be done,
nothing more than, this or that will be done.
So then understand the prophecy: Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my life. What is, Let them be confounded and put to shame They shall be confounded and
?
is, it,
is
it is
"
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;
382 Some conquered for their good, others injudgment.
Psalm put lo shame. For even so was it done. Many have been Skrm. confounded to their health : many, put to shame, have passed ! ? over from the persecution of Christ to the society of His members with devoted piety; and this would not have been,
had they not been confounded and put to shame. There fore he wished well to them. But because there are two kinds of those who are conquered ; for in two ways are they conquered, either to this end they are conquered that they may be converted unto Christ, or to this, that they be con demned by Christ; here also are explained the same two kinds, obscurely indeed, but wanting only an understanding hearer. Of those who are converted, hear what is said. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back. Let them not go before, but follow; let them not give counsel, but take it. For Peter would go before the Lord, when the Lord spake of His future Passion : he would to Him as it were
give counsel for His health. The sick man to the Saviour
give counsel for His health ! And what said he to the Lord, Mat. 16, affirming that His future Passion? Be it far from Thee, 9,1 23' Lord. Be gracious to Thyself. This shall not be to Thee.
He would go before that the Lord might follow ; and what said He ? Get thee behind Me, satan. By going before thou art satan, by following thou wilt be a disciple. The same then is said to these also, Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that think evil against me. For when they have begun to follow after, now they will not think evil against me, but desire my good.
9. What of others r For all are not so conquered as to be converted and believe : many continue in obstinacy, many preserve in heart the spirit of going before, and if they exert it not, yet they labour with and finding opportunity bring
forth. Of such, what followeth (Ver. 5. ) Let them be as
Ps. 1,4.
dust before the wind. Not so are the ungodly, not so; but as the dust which the wind driveth away from the face
the earth. The wind temptation the dust are the un godly. When temptation cometh the dust raised, neither standeth nor resisteth. Let them be as dust before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord trouble them. (Ver. 6. ) Let their way be darkness and slipping. horrible way Dark-
A
; is
!
it
of
is
it,
it
?
Prophecy spoken as imprecation. Treason against Christ. 383
ness alone who feareth not? A slippery way alone who avoids Ver not ? In a dark and slippery way how shalt thou go ? where 6. 7. set foot ? These two ills are the great punishments of men : darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. Let their way
be darkness and slipping ; and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them; that they be not able to stand. For any one in a dark and slippery way, when he seeth that if he move his foot he will fall, and there is no light before his feet, haply resolveth to wait until light come ; but here is the
Angel of the Lord persecuting them. These things he pre
dicted would come upon them, not as though he wished
them to happen. Although the Prophet in the Spirit of God so speaketh these things, even as God doth the same, with sure judgment, with a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil ; not moved with wrath, not with bitter jealousy, not with desire of wreaking enmities, but of punishing wickedness with righteousness ; nevertheless, it is a prophecy.
10. But wherefore these so great evils? By what desert? Hear by what desert. (Ver. 7. ) For without cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. For Him that is our Head, observe, the Jews did this : they hid the cor ruption of their trap. For whom hid they their trap ? For Him, Who saw the hearts of those that hid. But yet was He among them like one ignorant, as though He were de ceived, whereas they were in that deceived, that they thought Him to be deceived. For therefore was He as though de ceived, living among them, because we among such as they were so to live, as to be without doubt deceived. He saw His betrayer, and chose him the more to a necessary work. By his evil He wrought a great good : and yet among the twelve was he chosen, lest even the small number of twelve should be without one evil. This was an example of patience to us, because it was necessary that we should live among the evil: it was necessary that we should endure the evil,
either knowing them or knowing them not: an example of patience He gave thee lest thou shouldest fail, when thou hast begun to live among the evil. And because that School of Christ in the twelve failed not, how much more ought we to be firm, when in the great Church is fulfilled what was predicted of the mixture of the evil. For neither did the same School see rendered to the Seed of Abraham what had
384 The wicked caught in their own trap.
Psalm been promised, and that very threshing floor, whence the Sbrm "8ram ^lat shall fill the garner must proceed. Wherefore I. then, when the threshing is, is not the chaff justly endured
therein, until it be purged by the last winnowing ? For this will surely come upon the evil, which ye have heard.
11. But yet what is to be done ? Without a cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap. What meaneth,
Without a cause? I have done them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. Vainly have they reviled my soul. What
Vainly Speaking falsely, proving nothing. (Ver. 8. ) Let trap come upon them which they know not of. magni ficent retribution, nothing more just They have hidden trap that might know not: let trap come upon them
which they know not of. For know of their trap.
But what trap coming upon them That which they know
not of. Let us hear, lest haply he speak of that. Let trap come upon them, which they know not of. Perhaps that one which they hid for him, that another which shall
Prov. come upon themselves. Not so but what The wicked shall be holden with the cords ofhis own sins. Thereby are they deceived, whereby they would deceive. Thence shall come mischief to them, whence they endeavoured mischief. For follows, And let the net which they have hidden catch themselves. As any one should prepare a cup of poison
for another, and forgetting should drink up himself
or as if one should dig a pit, that his enemy might fall thereinto in the darkness and himself forgetting what he had dug,
should first walk that way, and fall into it. Verily, Brethren, thus believe, thus be assured thus, if there be in you any more excellent reason or prudence, thus observe and know there no wicked man who hurts not himself first. For so think of wickedness as of fire. Thou wouldest burn some
be not
not hurt And verily say, that thy wickedness should Oxf. Mas. Where putteth forth a bough doth hurt? '
thing that which thou appliest first burned
burned, burnetli not. Thou hast torch this torch thou appliest to something to burn it: not the torch itself which thou appliest first burned, that may be able to burn any thing? Wickedness then proceedeth from thee, and whom doth first waste but thyself? Doth hurt the bough to which put forth and where hath root doth
it
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The tricked ensnare themselves. 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?
