For some times, (observe this, beloved; it is well known to those who have observed or have heard from physicians,)
sometimes
when limbs are sound, but are crooked and distoited, physicians break them in order to set them
and make new wound, because the soundness which was distorted was amiss.
and make new wound, because the soundness which was distorted was amiss.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
.
CxlVI
Sermon to the People of Carthage.
We listened attentively, while this present Psalm was being chanted yet not all who heard, also understood. How much more attentively then should now be listened
to, as hope and desire, with the help of the prayers
of all who hear me, whatever in perhaps obscure, may,
by God's grace, be revealed that your hearing may be profitable; and that the hearer may not return empty, who when present listened with attention. Wherewith doth begin? It said to us, Praise the Lord. This said to^er. all nations, not to us alone. And these words, sounded forth through separate places by the Readers, each Church heareth separately but the one same Voice of God proclaim-
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358 We should praise God for His own sake,
Psalm eth unto all, that we praise Him. And as though we -----'- asked wherefore we ought to praise the Lord, behold what reason he hath brought forward : Praise the Lord, he saith, for a Psalm is good. Is this all the reward of them that praise? Let us praise the Lord. Wherefore? Because a Psalm is good. I would wish, saith one, to praise the Lord, if only He give me somewhat for my praise. For who praiseth
for nothing even a man ? Those who praise a man then look for some reward : ought he who praises God, to look for or seek or hope for no reward ? The weak is praised, and somewhat is hoped for from him : the Almighty is praised, and is there no reward ? Or do I perhaps desire that which He cannot give? What doth man desire, which is not in the hand of God ? When thou hast praised a man, thou mayest perhaps desire that which he cannot supply ; God thou mayest praise in safety; for none can say that He
cannot supply ought that thou canst long for. Having then set before us the hope of some reward, we ought to praise God, not however as though He would give what soever we desire. For He is our Father; and whatever evil His sons desire, He giveth not. Let us praise and hope and long, not for this or that, but for what He, Whom we praise, judgeth meet to be given. For He knoweth what it is expedient should be given us; let us observe what it is
Rom. 8, good for us to receive. The Apostle saith, We know not what to pray for as we ought. And this very same Apostle Paul hoped that it would be good for him that the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, should be taken from Ihim, as he himself confesseth, and
This then he saith, Praise the Lord, for it is good to praise the Lord. Let us not thus pass over the praise of the Lord. It is spoken, and hath passed : it is done, and we are silent :
the thrice that it besought Lord
2Cor. 12, saith, for this cause
might be taken from me: and He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee ; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. He desired a certain thing; it was not granted him as was his wish, but it might be granted as was for his health. Here then what is set before us? Praise, saith he, the Lord. Wherefore should we praise the Lord ? Because a Psalm is good. The Psalm is praise of God.
and always ; by our lives as well as our tongues. 359
we have praised, and then rested ; we have sung, and then vr*. rested. We go forth to some business which awaits us, --' -- and when other employments have found us, shall the praise
of God cease in us ? Not so : thy tongue praiseth but for a
while, let thy life ever praise. Thus then a Psalm is good. 2. For a Psalm is a song, not any kind of song, but a song to a psaltery. A psaltery is a kind of instrument of
music, like the lyre and the harp, and suchJtinds of instru ments, which were invented for music. He therefore who singeth Psalms, not only singeth with his voice, but with a certain instrument besides, which is called a psaltery, he accompanieth his voice with his hands. Wilt thou then sing a Psalm ? Let not thy voice alone sound the praises of God ; but let thy works also be in harmony with thy voice. When then thou singest with thy voice, sometimes thou wilt be silent ; sing with thy life in such wise, that thou be never silent. Thou art engaged in business, and meditatest some fraud : thou hast become silent from the praises of God ; and, what is worse, not only hast become silent from His praise, but hast also gone on to blasphemy. For when by thy good work God is praised, thou art praising God
by thy work : when by thy evil work God is blasphemed, thou art blaspheming God by thy work. To please then the ear, sing with thy voice ; but with thy heart be not silent, with thy life be not still. Thou devisest no fraud in thy heart: thou singest a Psalm to God. When thou ealest and drinkest, sing a Psalm: not by intermingling sweet sounds suited to the ear, but by eating and drinking moderately, frugally, temperately : for thus saith the Apostle,
whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the iCor. 1o, glory of God. If then thou doest right in eating and31, drinking, if thou takest food to refresh thy body and reinvigorate thy limbs, giving thanks to Him Who gave to
thee, mortal and frail as thou art, these comforting supplies, then both thy meat and thy drink praise God : but if by immoderate voracity thou exceedest the due bounds of nature, and gluttest thyself in excess of wine, however great praises
of God thy tongue sound, yet tby life blasphemeth Him. After food and drink thou liest down to sleep : in thy bed neither commit any pollution, nor go beyond the licence
3<,0 A good life the truest praise of God.
Psalm given by the law of God: let thy marriage bed be kept chaste with thy wife: and if thou desire to beget children, yet let there not be unbridled sensuality of lust: in thy bed
l Pet. 3, give honour to thy wife, for ye are both members of Christ,
''
both made by Him, both renewed by His Blood : so doing thou praisest God, nor will thy praise be altogether silent. What, when sleep has come over thee ? Let not an evil con science rouse thee from rest : so doth the innocence of thy
sleep praise God. If then thou praisest, sing not only with
thy voice, but take to thee also the psaltery of good works, for a Psalm is good. Thou praisest in thy employment,
thou praisest in thy eating and drinking, thou praisest while resting in thy bed, thou praisest in thy sleep : when dost thou not praise ? We shall be perfect in praising God, when we come to that city, when we are made equal to the Angels of God, when no bodily craving in any part assails us, when no hunger or thirst interrupts us, no heat wearies, no cold freezes, no fever pulls down, no death endeth. For that most perfect praise let us practise ourselves, by praising here in good works.
3. Wherefore, when he had said, Praise the Lord, for a Psalm is good, he says, letpraises be pleasant to our God. How will praise be pleasant to our God? If He be praised by our good lives. Hear that then praise will be pleasant to
Ecclus. Him. In another place it is said, Praise is not seemly in
the mouth of a sinner. If then in the mouth of a sinner praise is not seemly, neither is it pleasant, for that only is pleasant which is seemly. Wilt thou then that thy praise be pleasant to thy God? Be not out of tune with thy good song by ill behaviour. Let praise be pleasant to our God.
What did he mean? Ye who praise, live aright: He regardeth more how ye live, than how ye speak. Surely thou desirest to have peace with Him Whom thou praisest: how dost thou seek peace with Him, when thou art at discord with thyself? How, thou wilt say, am I at discord with myself? One thing thy tongue soundeth,
another thy life discloseth. Let praise be pleasant to our God. For praise may be pleasant to a man, when he heareth one praising with neat and clever sentiments, and with a sweet voice ; but let praise be pleasant to our God,
l5' 9'
God's love shewn in Christ's Death. 361
Whose ears are open not to the mouth, but to the heart; not Ver. to the tongue, but to the life of him that praiseth. ------
4. Who is our God, that praise should be pleasant to Him ? He maketh Himself sweet to us, He commendeth Himself to us ; thanks to His condescension. For He deigneth to com mend Himself to us, not as though we could supply ought to Him, but rather may receive much from Him. How then doth
God commend Himself to us? But God commendeth His Rom
love to us. How doth He commend it? Hearken:
Apostle himself speak, that we may compare him with the Psalm: God commendeth, saith he, His love to us. How doth He commend it ? In that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What then hath He in store for them that praise, Who thus commendeth Himself to them that are sinners? Since then the Apostle hath said, that God so commended His love to us, as that Christ died for the ungodly, not that they should remain ungodly, but that by the death of the Righteous they should be healed of their unrighteousness ; what hearest thou here after he had said, let praise be pleasant to our God? Let us see whether
it be the commendation which the Apostle speaketh of, that Christ died for the sinners and ungodly : the Lord Who ver. s buildeth up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of Israel. Behold the Lord Who buildeth up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of her people. For the people
of Jerusalem are the people of Israel. It is Jerusalem eternal
in the heavens, whereof the Angels are citizens also. What then is Israel there ? If thou considerest the man, the grandson of Abraham, who was called also Jacob, how
If we examine the meaning of the name, since Jacob too had his name changed,
understand we the Angels to be Israel ?
and was called Israel, greater then is the name Israel : and would that we too may follow, and be Israel. For what is the meaning of Israel ? ' Seeing God. ' All the citizens then of that city, through seeing God, rejoice in that great and wide and heavenly city; they gaze upon God Himself. But we are wanderers from that city, driven out by sin, that we should not remain there; weighed down by mortality, that we should not return thither. God looked back on our wandering, and He Who buildeth up Jerusalem, re-
let the8.
362 Through that Death God will restore us,
Psalm stored the part that had fallen. How restored He the part f? i^5: tl1at bad fallen ? Gathering the dispersions of Israel. A certain part fell, and became wanderers ; this wandering part God in His mercy saw, and sought them that sought Him not How sought He them ? Whom sent He to our captive estate ? He sent a Redeemer, according to what the Apostle saith, God commendeth His love to us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He sent then to our captive estate His Son as a Redeemer. Take with Thee, said He, a bag, bear therein the price of the captives. For He put on Him our mortal flesh, and therein was the Blood, by the shedding of Which we were to be redeemed. With that Blood He gathered the dispersions of Israel. And if He gathered them that before were dispersed, how must we strive that they be gathered who now are dispersed? If the dispersed have been gathered, that in the Hand of the Builder they might be fashioned into the building, how should they be gathered who through disquiet have fallen from the Hand of the Builder? The Lord Who buildeth up Jerusalem. Behold Whom we praise; behold to Whom we owe praise all our life long. The Lord Who buildeth
up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of Israel.
5. How doth He gather? What doeth He in order to rer. 3. gather? Who healeth the bruised in heart. Behold the
way in which the dispersions of Israel are gathered, by the healing of the bruised in heart. They who are not of a bruised heart, are not healed. What is to bruise the heart? Let it be known, brethren, let it be done, that ye may be able to be healed. For it is told in many other places of Scripture ; especially in the famous place, the Psalmist,
I forifI would have given it. He said
Ps. 6\, singing as it were with our voice, said, Thou hadst
16' 1 ' desired a sacrifice, verily
to God, if Thou hadst desired a sacrifice, verily
have given it, but Thou wilt not be delighted with burnt- offerings. What then ? shall we remain without offering any sacrifice ? Hear what He desireth that thou shouldest offer. He goeth on and saith, the sacrifice of God is a
troubled spirit, a bruised and contrite heart God will not despise. He healeth then the bruised in heart, for He draweth nigh unto them to heal them ; as is said in another
would
if we ' bruise our heart' by confession. 3G3
place, the Lord is nigh unto them who have bruised their vBh.
heart. Who are thev that have bruised their heart? The ------ Ps. 34 '
humble. Who are they that have not bruised their heart? i8. The proud. The bruised heart shall be healed, the puffed
up heart shall be dashed down. For for this purpose perhaps is it dashed down, that being bruised it may be healed. Let not our heart then, brethren, desire to be set upright, before it be upright. It is ill for that to be uplifted
which is not first corrected.
6. Who healeth the bruised in heart, and bindeth up their
bruises. He healeth, saith he, the bruised in heart: He healeth then the humbled in heart, He healeth them who confess, He healeth them that punish themselves, who exercise a strict judgment upon themselves, that they may
be able to feel His mercy. Such He healeth ; but their perfect healing will take place when this mortal life is passed, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, i Cor.
and this mortal shall have put on immortality : when there 15' 5S" shall be nothing to tempt us through the sinfulness of the
flesh : not only nothing for us to consent to, but not even
any thing to be suggested by the flesh. For now, my brethren, how many unlawful delights assail the mind ?
And although we consent to them not, so that our members are servants to righteousness, not to iniquity, yet even to
be pleased by such things, even though thou consent not, is as yet short of perfect soundness. Thou shalt then be healed, thou, man of a bruised heart, shalt be healed. Blush not, bruise thy heart; such are they whom God healeth. But
thou wilt say, What must I do now? For / dI
law of God according to the inner man ; but
law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive under the law of sin. What must thou do now? Bruise thy heartI, confess; go on, say what
followeth, 0 wretched man that
am, who shall deliver me from the bIody of this death ? For to say this, O wretched man that am, is at once to bruise the heart. Let him hope for happiness, who Iconfesseth unhappiness. Say am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? that it may be said to thee in
then, O wretched man that
answer, The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
elight in the Rom. 7,
see another
22-- 25,
364 Christ our Physician.
Psalm But how shall the grace of God, whereof we have now ? xlTn" received the earnest, set us free ? Hear the Apostle again ; the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because Rom. 8, of righteousness. If then the Spirit of Him Who raised up 10. n. jesm Christ from the dead dwell in you, He Who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Which duelleth in you. This then is the earnest which our spirit hath received, that we begin through faith to serve God, and through faith to be
Rom. l, called righteous. For the just liveth by faith. But whatever
in you still fighteth and resisteth, is of the mortality of the flesh, and this shall be healed. For He shall quicken, saith the Apostle, your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Which dwelleth in you. For this He gave the earnest, that He will fulfil what He hath promised. What then now in this life, when as yet we are confessors, not yet possessors, what in this life is to be done ? How shall it be healed ? He healeth the bruised in heart: but perfect soundness will not be till the time we mentioned. What then now ? He bindeth up their bruises. He, Who healeth the bruised in heart, whose perfect soundness will be in the resurrection of the
just, now bindeth up their bruises.
7. What are the means whereby He bindeth up their
bruises? Just as physicians bind up fractures.
For some times, (observe this, beloved; it is well known to those who have observed or have heard from physicians,) sometimes when limbs are sound, but are crooked and distoited, physicians break them in order to set them
and make new wound, because the soundness which was distorted was amiss. Just so then Scripture Hon. H. saith, The ways of the Lord are straight, but the crooked- hearted shall stumble in them. Who the crooked- hearled? The twisted-hearted: he that hath a twisted heart. He thinketh that all things which God hath said are twisted;
he thinketh that all which God hath done crooked and all the judgments of God displease him, especially those whereby he himself chastised and he sitteth, and argueth how evilly God doeth, because He doeth not according to his will. It not enough for the distorted heart not to set itself straight after God's pattern wisheth also to
17.
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Sacraments means of healing our ' bruises. ' 365
distort God after its own pattern. What then saith God Ver. from above ? Thou art twisted, I am straight. If thou ---- wast straight, thou wouldest see that I am straight. Just
as if thou wast to lay on an even floor a crooked piece of timber, it would not rest in its place, it would totter in every direction, it would be swayed in every direction, which yet
is not caused by the unevenness of the ground, but by the crookedness of the timber; so Scripture saith, How goodV>>-Ti,\. is God to Israel, to the right of heart. Well then, how
is the crooked heart straightened ? It is both crooked and
hard; being then both crooked and hard, let it be broken,
let it be bruised, that it may be set straight. Thou canst
not set thine own heart straight : do thou break let Him
set straight. How dost thou break it? how dost thou bruise By confessing and punishing thy sins. What
else doth beating the breast mean Unless perhaps we
think that our bones have sinned, when we beat our breasts.
Nay, we mean that we bruise our heart, that may be set
straight by God.
8. He healeth then them that are bruised in heart, that
have a bruised heart: and soundness of heart will then be perfected, when the restoration of the body also which promised shall be fulfilled. Now in the mean while, what doeth the physician He bindeth up thy bruises, that thou mayest arrive at most complete soundness, until that which has been broken and bound up may be firmly knit. What are these means whereby He bindeth? The sacraments of this present life. The means whereby He bindeth up our
bruises to heal them, are the sacraments of this present life, whereby in the mean time we obtain our comfort and all the words we speak to you, words which sound and pass away, all that done in the Church in this present time, are the means whereby He bindeth up our bruises. For just as, when the limb has become perfectly sound, the physician taketh off the bandage so in our own city Jerusalem, when we shall have been made equal to the Angels, think ye that
we shall receive there, what we have received here Will be needful then that the Gospel be read to us, that our faith may abide or that hands be laid upon us by any
Bishop All these are means of binding up fractures
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30ti Holy men are ' stars. '
Psalm when we have attained perfect soundness, they will be taken CxI"vn- 0ff ? but we should never attain they were not bound
He healeth then the bruised in heart, and bindeth up their bruises.
g. Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names. What great matter for God to tell the number of the stars! Men even have endeavoured to do this whether they have been able to achieve it, their concern they would not however attempt did they not think that they should achieve it. Let us leave alone what they can do, and how far they have attained; for God think no great matter to count all the stars. Or doth He perhaps go over the number, lest He should forget Is any great thing for God to number the stars, by Whom
ver. 4.
up.
Mat. 10, the very hairs of your head are numbered It plain, my brethren, that God willeth that we should understand some what by what He saith, Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all their names. The stars are certain lights in the Church comforting our night, all of whom the
Phil. Apostle saith, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
?
In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, saith he, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding the Word of life. These stars God counteth all who shall
reign with Him, all who are to be gathered into the Body of His only-begotten Son, He hath counted, and still counteth them. Whoso unworthy, not even counted. Many too have believed, or rather may, with kind of shadowy appearance of faith, have attached themselves to His people yet He knoweth what He counteth, what He winnoweth away. For so great the height of the Gospel, that hath
Ps. 40,6. come to pass as was said, have declared, and have spoken they are multiplied above number: there are then among the people certain supernumeraries, so to speak. What do
mean by supernumeraries More than will be there. Within these walls are more than will be in the kingdom of God, in the heavenly Jerusalem; these are above the number. Let each one of you consider whether he shineth in darkness, whether he refuseth to be led astray by the dark iniquity of the world he be not led astray, nor conquered, he will be, as were, star, which God already nunibereth.
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Not gifts, but charity, wins God's favour. 307
10. And calling them all by their names, he saith. Herein Ver. is our whole reward. We have certain names with God; that ,----- God may know our names, this we ought to wish, for this
to act, for this to busy ourselves, as far as we are able ; not
to rejoice in other things, not even in certain
gifts. Consider, beloved ; there are many gifts in the Church, as the Apostle saith; to one is given by the Spirit iCor. 12,
c'
^
the word of wisdom; to another faith, by the same Spirit;6'
to another working of cures ; to another discerning of spirits,
that is, to discover between good and bad spirits ; to another
divers kinds of tongues ; to another prophecy. How great,
how many gifts hath he mentioned ! Many who have used
such gifts amiss, shall hear in the end, / know you not. Matt. 7,
And what will they say in the end who are to hear,
I
you not ? Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name, and
in Thy Name cast out devils, and in Thy Name done many wondrous works? All this in Thy Name. And what will
I
He say to them?
who work iniquity.
the sky, comforting the night and not overshadowing the
night? Yet, saith he, / shew unto you a more excellent lCor. 12,
spiritual
know*3'
never knew you; depart
What is it then to be already a light in
speak with the tongues men and angels, way. If I I of of
and have not charity,
tinkling cymbal. What a gift is it to speak with the tongues of men and of angels! Yet, if I have not charity, saith he, I/am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though
I know all mysteries, and all knowledge, saiIth he, although
\cot 13( *? .
am become as sounding brass or a
have all prophecy, and all faith, so that
mIountains, (how great gifts are these ! ) and have not charity,
could remove am nothing. How glorious a gift is it to beIa martyr, and
give all my give my body
to be burned, and have not charity, it profdeth me nothing. Whoso then hath not charity, though for a time he have
these gifts, yet they shall be taken from him. What he
hath shall be taken from him, because a certain other thing
he hath not. This certain thing he hath not, whereby the
other may be preserved, and himself not perish. What is
that which the Lord saith, he that hath, to him shall beu&tAS, given; but whoso hath not, from him shall be taken even12'
to give away all one's goods ! Yet, though I goods, saith he, to feed the poor, and though
from
Me, ye
368 Our names being written in heaven, the highest joy.
Psalm that which he hath? He then who hath not, from him shall Cxl' be taken even that which he hath. He hath grace to possess, but he hath not love to use ; since then he hath not this, even that which he hath shall be taken from him. Therefore, that the disciples, whom He willed to make stars in heaven,
walking by the more excellent way, might have charily, He,
Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all
by their names, when the disciples returned from their
Lukelo, mission exulting, and saying, Lord, even the devils ate
17,
subject unto us in Thy Name --then He, I say, Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names, knowing that many would say, have we not /in Thy
Name cast out devils? to whom He should say,
know you not, because He counted them not among the number ib. 20. of the stars, nor called them by their names--said, In this rejoice not, that the devils are subject unto you ; but
ver. 5.
rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all
by their names.
U. Great is our Lord. The Psalmist is filled with joy,
he hath poured out his words wonderfully : yet somewhat he was unable to speak, and how availed he to think on it? Great is the Lord, and great is His power, and of His under
standing is no numbering. He Who numbereth the mul titude of the stars, Himself cannot be numbered. Great is our Lord, and great is His power, and of His understanding is no numbering. Who can expound this ? who can worthily even imagine what is meant by, and of His understanding is no number? And would that He may infuse Himself into you, and where we fail, in that He is mighty, He may Himself enlighten your minds, that ye may know what is the meaning of, of His understanding is no number. For ye see, brethren, of the sand is there any number? To us there is not, to
Mat. 10, God there is; by Whom the hairs of our head are num bered, by Him the sand also is numbered. Whatsoever then that is infinite this world containeth, though it be in finite to man, yet is not to God : too little is it to say, to God : even by the angels it is numbered. Of His under standing there is no number. His understanding surpasses all calculators ; it cannot be counted by us. Numbers
God not to be comprehended by human intellect. 369 themselves who numbereth ? Whatever is numbered, is v er.
numbered by numbers. If whatever is numbered, is num-
bered by numbers, of numbers there can be no number; numbers cannot by any means be numbered. What then
is there with God ? wherewith made He all things, and where made He all things, to Whom it is said, Thou hastViM. arrayed all things in measure, number, and weight ? Or n' 20' who can number, or measure, or weigh, measure and number
and weight themselves, w herein God hath ordered all things ? Therefore, of His understanding is no number. Let human
voices be hushed, human thoughts still : let them not
stretch themselves out to incomprehensible things, as though
they could comprehend them, but as though they were to partake of them, for partakers we shall be. We shall not be
this which we do contain, nor shall we contain the whole;
but we shall be partakers: for of Jerusalem, whose dispersions
He gathereth, somewhat great is said : Jerusalem is built as P>>. 122, a city, whose partaking is in the same. What meaneth he
by the same, save that which cannot be changed ? All
other created things may be this way or that, but He Who created cannot be this way or that. He then is the same, for
to Him is said, Thou shalt change them, and they shall be Ps. 102, changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not26'2^'
If then He is the same, and can in no degree be changed, by partaking of His divine nature, we too shall be immortal for ever. And this earnest is given us of the Son of God, as I have already said to you, holy brethren, that before we became partakers of His immortal nature, He should first become partaker of our mortal nature. But as He became mortal, not of His own substance, but of ours, so do we become immortal, not of our own substance, but of His. Partakers then we shall be: let none doubt it: Scripture saith it. And of what shall we be partakers, as though these were parts in God, as though God were divided into parts ? Who then can explain how many become partakers of one single substance ? Require not then that which I think ye see cannot filly be said : but return to the healing of the Saviour, bruise your heart ; let the darkness of your heart be crushed, obstinacy of soul bruised; let it be accused in evil, be born again in good.
VOL. vi. B b
8
fail.
370 We should not criticise Scripture, but believe it.
Psalm He will guide He will bind up where broken, He
- -- vu-
ver. 6.
will make perfectly sound and then those things will not
For good that he confess weakness, who desireth to attain
be impossible with us, which now are impossible.
to the divine nature. Of His understanding is no number. 12. What therefore thou shouldest do in this difficulty
of understanding, he sheweth thee, when he goeth on to say, The Lord taketh up the gentle. For example thou under-
standest not, thou failest to understand, canst not attain honour God's Scripture, honour God's Word, though be not plain in reverence wait for understanding. Be not wanton to accuse either the obscurity or seeming contra diction of Scripture. There nothing in contradictory somewhat there which obscure, not in order that may be denied thee, but that may exercise him that shall afterward receive it. When then obscure, that the Physician's doing, that thou mayest knock. He willed that thou shouldest be exercised in knocking He willed that He might open to thee when thou knockest. By knocking
thou shalt be exercised exercised, thou shalt be enlarged enlarged, thou shalt contain what given. Be not then indignant for that shut be mild, be gentle. Kick not against what dark, nor say, It were better said, were said thus. For how canst thou thus say, or judge how
be said It said as expedient be said. Let not the sick man seek to amend his remedies
the Physician knoweth how to temper them believe Him Who careth for thee. Therefore what cometh next The Lord taketh up the gentle. Resist not then against what God shutteth up be gentle, that He may take thee up. But thou resistest, hear what followeth but humbleth the sinners even to the ground. Many kinds of sinners are there. He humbleth the sinners even to the ground. What sinners, save the opposite to the gentle? In fact, by what he hath said, The Lord taketh up the gentle, but humbleth the sinners even to the ground, he intended certain sort of sinners to be understood, from the gentleness mentioned first. By sinners then in this place, we understand the
fierce, and those who are not gentle. Wherefore doth He humble them even to the earth They carp at
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objects of understanding, they shall perceive only things Veb,
- 13. This did He to men, who chose to ridicule the Law
earthly.
before they knew because they were not gentle. Under stand me, beloved. There arose certain most accursed
sect, the Manichees, who ridiculed
they had received and read them they chose to find fault with what they understood not, and by attacking and finding fault with what they understood not, they ensnared many. But they who chose to do this have been humbled even to the earth. They were not permitted to understand heavenly things: they savoured earthly things. All that thou hearest
in their fables nought but blasphemy and certain devices of bodily forms: for when they would understand God, they attained to the thought of this visible light, but could not advance beyond and they made such fields of light in the kingdom of God, as they saw our sun to be, looking on as a sort of product of that light. For all this which reached by means of the earth of the flesh, earth in God's eyes. For we have that whereby we see, hear, smell, taste, touch our flesh by means of those messengers, so to speak, which we call senses, perceives only corporeal things but things of the intellect and spirit, are taken in by the mind. Because then they ridiculed the obscurity of the Scriptures, which for this reason were shut, that they might be exercised in knocking, not that the Scriptures should be refused to babes, they were humbled even to the earth, so that they
could not any longer take in any thing save what per ceived by earth. And what mean by earth mean the flesh. For the flesh earth, and made of earth. What soever thou takest in by the eyes belongeth to earth what ever by the ear, whatever by the smell, whatever by the taste, whatever by the touch, pertaineth to the earth, for earth taken in. They therefore were not able to under stand His understanding of which there is no end, for
of His understanding is no end. Because they found fault with the Scriptures, which healthfully conceal understanding under certain mysteries, that the little ones may be ex
ercised and by this very finding fault being made ungentle, which the opposite to gentle, they were humbled even to
Bb2
the Scriptures when
371
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37i? The true road to knowledge is to humble one's self.
Psalm the earth, that they should not be able to perceive God Cx"'L1, Who is incorporeal, and that whatever thoughts they had of
ver. 7.
God, should be only corporeal thoughts.
14. God then humbleth sinners, even to the earth.
Sermon to the People of Carthage.
We listened attentively, while this present Psalm was being chanted yet not all who heard, also understood. How much more attentively then should now be listened
to, as hope and desire, with the help of the prayers
of all who hear me, whatever in perhaps obscure, may,
by God's grace, be revealed that your hearing may be profitable; and that the hearer may not return empty, who when present listened with attention. Wherewith doth begin? It said to us, Praise the Lord. This said to^er. all nations, not to us alone. And these words, sounded forth through separate places by the Readers, each Church heareth separately but the one same Voice of God proclaim-
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358 We should praise God for His own sake,
Psalm eth unto all, that we praise Him. And as though we -----'- asked wherefore we ought to praise the Lord, behold what reason he hath brought forward : Praise the Lord, he saith, for a Psalm is good. Is this all the reward of them that praise? Let us praise the Lord. Wherefore? Because a Psalm is good. I would wish, saith one, to praise the Lord, if only He give me somewhat for my praise. For who praiseth
for nothing even a man ? Those who praise a man then look for some reward : ought he who praises God, to look for or seek or hope for no reward ? The weak is praised, and somewhat is hoped for from him : the Almighty is praised, and is there no reward ? Or do I perhaps desire that which He cannot give? What doth man desire, which is not in the hand of God ? When thou hast praised a man, thou mayest perhaps desire that which he cannot supply ; God thou mayest praise in safety; for none can say that He
cannot supply ought that thou canst long for. Having then set before us the hope of some reward, we ought to praise God, not however as though He would give what soever we desire. For He is our Father; and whatever evil His sons desire, He giveth not. Let us praise and hope and long, not for this or that, but for what He, Whom we praise, judgeth meet to be given. For He knoweth what it is expedient should be given us; let us observe what it is
Rom. 8, good for us to receive. The Apostle saith, We know not what to pray for as we ought. And this very same Apostle Paul hoped that it would be good for him that the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, should be taken from Ihim, as he himself confesseth, and
This then he saith, Praise the Lord, for it is good to praise the Lord. Let us not thus pass over the praise of the Lord. It is spoken, and hath passed : it is done, and we are silent :
the thrice that it besought Lord
2Cor. 12, saith, for this cause
might be taken from me: and He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee ; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. He desired a certain thing; it was not granted him as was his wish, but it might be granted as was for his health. Here then what is set before us? Praise, saith he, the Lord. Wherefore should we praise the Lord ? Because a Psalm is good. The Psalm is praise of God.
and always ; by our lives as well as our tongues. 359
we have praised, and then rested ; we have sung, and then vr*. rested. We go forth to some business which awaits us, --' -- and when other employments have found us, shall the praise
of God cease in us ? Not so : thy tongue praiseth but for a
while, let thy life ever praise. Thus then a Psalm is good. 2. For a Psalm is a song, not any kind of song, but a song to a psaltery. A psaltery is a kind of instrument of
music, like the lyre and the harp, and suchJtinds of instru ments, which were invented for music. He therefore who singeth Psalms, not only singeth with his voice, but with a certain instrument besides, which is called a psaltery, he accompanieth his voice with his hands. Wilt thou then sing a Psalm ? Let not thy voice alone sound the praises of God ; but let thy works also be in harmony with thy voice. When then thou singest with thy voice, sometimes thou wilt be silent ; sing with thy life in such wise, that thou be never silent. Thou art engaged in business, and meditatest some fraud : thou hast become silent from the praises of God ; and, what is worse, not only hast become silent from His praise, but hast also gone on to blasphemy. For when by thy good work God is praised, thou art praising God
by thy work : when by thy evil work God is blasphemed, thou art blaspheming God by thy work. To please then the ear, sing with thy voice ; but with thy heart be not silent, with thy life be not still. Thou devisest no fraud in thy heart: thou singest a Psalm to God. When thou ealest and drinkest, sing a Psalm: not by intermingling sweet sounds suited to the ear, but by eating and drinking moderately, frugally, temperately : for thus saith the Apostle,
whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the iCor. 1o, glory of God. If then thou doest right in eating and31, drinking, if thou takest food to refresh thy body and reinvigorate thy limbs, giving thanks to Him Who gave to
thee, mortal and frail as thou art, these comforting supplies, then both thy meat and thy drink praise God : but if by immoderate voracity thou exceedest the due bounds of nature, and gluttest thyself in excess of wine, however great praises
of God thy tongue sound, yet tby life blasphemeth Him. After food and drink thou liest down to sleep : in thy bed neither commit any pollution, nor go beyond the licence
3<,0 A good life the truest praise of God.
Psalm given by the law of God: let thy marriage bed be kept chaste with thy wife: and if thou desire to beget children, yet let there not be unbridled sensuality of lust: in thy bed
l Pet. 3, give honour to thy wife, for ye are both members of Christ,
''
both made by Him, both renewed by His Blood : so doing thou praisest God, nor will thy praise be altogether silent. What, when sleep has come over thee ? Let not an evil con science rouse thee from rest : so doth the innocence of thy
sleep praise God. If then thou praisest, sing not only with
thy voice, but take to thee also the psaltery of good works, for a Psalm is good. Thou praisest in thy employment,
thou praisest in thy eating and drinking, thou praisest while resting in thy bed, thou praisest in thy sleep : when dost thou not praise ? We shall be perfect in praising God, when we come to that city, when we are made equal to the Angels of God, when no bodily craving in any part assails us, when no hunger or thirst interrupts us, no heat wearies, no cold freezes, no fever pulls down, no death endeth. For that most perfect praise let us practise ourselves, by praising here in good works.
3. Wherefore, when he had said, Praise the Lord, for a Psalm is good, he says, letpraises be pleasant to our God. How will praise be pleasant to our God? If He be praised by our good lives. Hear that then praise will be pleasant to
Ecclus. Him. In another place it is said, Praise is not seemly in
the mouth of a sinner. If then in the mouth of a sinner praise is not seemly, neither is it pleasant, for that only is pleasant which is seemly. Wilt thou then that thy praise be pleasant to thy God? Be not out of tune with thy good song by ill behaviour. Let praise be pleasant to our God.
What did he mean? Ye who praise, live aright: He regardeth more how ye live, than how ye speak. Surely thou desirest to have peace with Him Whom thou praisest: how dost thou seek peace with Him, when thou art at discord with thyself? How, thou wilt say, am I at discord with myself? One thing thy tongue soundeth,
another thy life discloseth. Let praise be pleasant to our God. For praise may be pleasant to a man, when he heareth one praising with neat and clever sentiments, and with a sweet voice ; but let praise be pleasant to our God,
l5' 9'
God's love shewn in Christ's Death. 361
Whose ears are open not to the mouth, but to the heart; not Ver. to the tongue, but to the life of him that praiseth. ------
4. Who is our God, that praise should be pleasant to Him ? He maketh Himself sweet to us, He commendeth Himself to us ; thanks to His condescension. For He deigneth to com mend Himself to us, not as though we could supply ought to Him, but rather may receive much from Him. How then doth
God commend Himself to us? But God commendeth His Rom
love to us. How doth He commend it? Hearken:
Apostle himself speak, that we may compare him with the Psalm: God commendeth, saith he, His love to us. How doth He commend it ? In that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What then hath He in store for them that praise, Who thus commendeth Himself to them that are sinners? Since then the Apostle hath said, that God so commended His love to us, as that Christ died for the ungodly, not that they should remain ungodly, but that by the death of the Righteous they should be healed of their unrighteousness ; what hearest thou here after he had said, let praise be pleasant to our God? Let us see whether
it be the commendation which the Apostle speaketh of, that Christ died for the sinners and ungodly : the Lord Who ver. s buildeth up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of Israel. Behold the Lord Who buildeth up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of her people. For the people
of Jerusalem are the people of Israel. It is Jerusalem eternal
in the heavens, whereof the Angels are citizens also. What then is Israel there ? If thou considerest the man, the grandson of Abraham, who was called also Jacob, how
If we examine the meaning of the name, since Jacob too had his name changed,
understand we the Angels to be Israel ?
and was called Israel, greater then is the name Israel : and would that we too may follow, and be Israel. For what is the meaning of Israel ? ' Seeing God. ' All the citizens then of that city, through seeing God, rejoice in that great and wide and heavenly city; they gaze upon God Himself. But we are wanderers from that city, driven out by sin, that we should not remain there; weighed down by mortality, that we should not return thither. God looked back on our wandering, and He Who buildeth up Jerusalem, re-
let the8.
362 Through that Death God will restore us,
Psalm stored the part that had fallen. How restored He the part f? i^5: tl1at bad fallen ? Gathering the dispersions of Israel. A certain part fell, and became wanderers ; this wandering part God in His mercy saw, and sought them that sought Him not How sought He them ? Whom sent He to our captive estate ? He sent a Redeemer, according to what the Apostle saith, God commendeth His love to us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He sent then to our captive estate His Son as a Redeemer. Take with Thee, said He, a bag, bear therein the price of the captives. For He put on Him our mortal flesh, and therein was the Blood, by the shedding of Which we were to be redeemed. With that Blood He gathered the dispersions of Israel. And if He gathered them that before were dispersed, how must we strive that they be gathered who now are dispersed? If the dispersed have been gathered, that in the Hand of the Builder they might be fashioned into the building, how should they be gathered who through disquiet have fallen from the Hand of the Builder? The Lord Who buildeth up Jerusalem. Behold Whom we praise; behold to Whom we owe praise all our life long. The Lord Who buildeth
up Jerusalem, and gathereth the dispersions of Israel.
5. How doth He gather? What doeth He in order to rer. 3. gather? Who healeth the bruised in heart. Behold the
way in which the dispersions of Israel are gathered, by the healing of the bruised in heart. They who are not of a bruised heart, are not healed. What is to bruise the heart? Let it be known, brethren, let it be done, that ye may be able to be healed. For it is told in many other places of Scripture ; especially in the famous place, the Psalmist,
I forifI would have given it. He said
Ps. 6\, singing as it were with our voice, said, Thou hadst
16' 1 ' desired a sacrifice, verily
to God, if Thou hadst desired a sacrifice, verily
have given it, but Thou wilt not be delighted with burnt- offerings. What then ? shall we remain without offering any sacrifice ? Hear what He desireth that thou shouldest offer. He goeth on and saith, the sacrifice of God is a
troubled spirit, a bruised and contrite heart God will not despise. He healeth then the bruised in heart, for He draweth nigh unto them to heal them ; as is said in another
would
if we ' bruise our heart' by confession. 3G3
place, the Lord is nigh unto them who have bruised their vBh.
heart. Who are thev that have bruised their heart? The ------ Ps. 34 '
humble. Who are they that have not bruised their heart? i8. The proud. The bruised heart shall be healed, the puffed
up heart shall be dashed down. For for this purpose perhaps is it dashed down, that being bruised it may be healed. Let not our heart then, brethren, desire to be set upright, before it be upright. It is ill for that to be uplifted
which is not first corrected.
6. Who healeth the bruised in heart, and bindeth up their
bruises. He healeth, saith he, the bruised in heart: He healeth then the humbled in heart, He healeth them who confess, He healeth them that punish themselves, who exercise a strict judgment upon themselves, that they may
be able to feel His mercy. Such He healeth ; but their perfect healing will take place when this mortal life is passed, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, i Cor.
and this mortal shall have put on immortality : when there 15' 5S" shall be nothing to tempt us through the sinfulness of the
flesh : not only nothing for us to consent to, but not even
any thing to be suggested by the flesh. For now, my brethren, how many unlawful delights assail the mind ?
And although we consent to them not, so that our members are servants to righteousness, not to iniquity, yet even to
be pleased by such things, even though thou consent not, is as yet short of perfect soundness. Thou shalt then be healed, thou, man of a bruised heart, shalt be healed. Blush not, bruise thy heart; such are they whom God healeth. But
thou wilt say, What must I do now? For / dI
law of God according to the inner man ; but
law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive under the law of sin. What must thou do now? Bruise thy heartI, confess; go on, say what
followeth, 0 wretched man that
am, who shall deliver me from the bIody of this death ? For to say this, O wretched man that am, is at once to bruise the heart. Let him hope for happiness, who Iconfesseth unhappiness. Say am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? that it may be said to thee in
then, O wretched man that
answer, The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
elight in the Rom. 7,
see another
22-- 25,
364 Christ our Physician.
Psalm But how shall the grace of God, whereof we have now ? xlTn" received the earnest, set us free ? Hear the Apostle again ; the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because Rom. 8, of righteousness. If then the Spirit of Him Who raised up 10. n. jesm Christ from the dead dwell in you, He Who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Which duelleth in you. This then is the earnest which our spirit hath received, that we begin through faith to serve God, and through faith to be
Rom. l, called righteous. For the just liveth by faith. But whatever
in you still fighteth and resisteth, is of the mortality of the flesh, and this shall be healed. For He shall quicken, saith the Apostle, your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Which dwelleth in you. For this He gave the earnest, that He will fulfil what He hath promised. What then now in this life, when as yet we are confessors, not yet possessors, what in this life is to be done ? How shall it be healed ? He healeth the bruised in heart: but perfect soundness will not be till the time we mentioned. What then now ? He bindeth up their bruises. He, Who healeth the bruised in heart, whose perfect soundness will be in the resurrection of the
just, now bindeth up their bruises.
7. What are the means whereby He bindeth up their
bruises? Just as physicians bind up fractures.
For some times, (observe this, beloved; it is well known to those who have observed or have heard from physicians,) sometimes when limbs are sound, but are crooked and distoited, physicians break them in order to set them
and make new wound, because the soundness which was distorted was amiss. Just so then Scripture Hon. H. saith, The ways of the Lord are straight, but the crooked- hearted shall stumble in them. Who the crooked- hearled? The twisted-hearted: he that hath a twisted heart. He thinketh that all things which God hath said are twisted;
he thinketh that all which God hath done crooked and all the judgments of God displease him, especially those whereby he himself chastised and he sitteth, and argueth how evilly God doeth, because He doeth not according to his will. It not enough for the distorted heart not to set itself straight after God's pattern wisheth also to
17.
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Sacraments means of healing our ' bruises. ' 365
distort God after its own pattern. What then saith God Ver. from above ? Thou art twisted, I am straight. If thou ---- wast straight, thou wouldest see that I am straight. Just
as if thou wast to lay on an even floor a crooked piece of timber, it would not rest in its place, it would totter in every direction, it would be swayed in every direction, which yet
is not caused by the unevenness of the ground, but by the crookedness of the timber; so Scripture saith, How goodV>>-Ti,\. is God to Israel, to the right of heart. Well then, how
is the crooked heart straightened ? It is both crooked and
hard; being then both crooked and hard, let it be broken,
let it be bruised, that it may be set straight. Thou canst
not set thine own heart straight : do thou break let Him
set straight. How dost thou break it? how dost thou bruise By confessing and punishing thy sins. What
else doth beating the breast mean Unless perhaps we
think that our bones have sinned, when we beat our breasts.
Nay, we mean that we bruise our heart, that may be set
straight by God.
8. He healeth then them that are bruised in heart, that
have a bruised heart: and soundness of heart will then be perfected, when the restoration of the body also which promised shall be fulfilled. Now in the mean while, what doeth the physician He bindeth up thy bruises, that thou mayest arrive at most complete soundness, until that which has been broken and bound up may be firmly knit. What are these means whereby He bindeth? The sacraments of this present life. The means whereby He bindeth up our
bruises to heal them, are the sacraments of this present life, whereby in the mean time we obtain our comfort and all the words we speak to you, words which sound and pass away, all that done in the Church in this present time, are the means whereby He bindeth up our bruises. For just as, when the limb has become perfectly sound, the physician taketh off the bandage so in our own city Jerusalem, when we shall have been made equal to the Angels, think ye that
we shall receive there, what we have received here Will be needful then that the Gospel be read to us, that our faith may abide or that hands be laid upon us by any
Bishop All these are means of binding up fractures
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30ti Holy men are ' stars. '
Psalm when we have attained perfect soundness, they will be taken CxI"vn- 0ff ? but we should never attain they were not bound
He healeth then the bruised in heart, and bindeth up their bruises.
g. Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names. What great matter for God to tell the number of the stars! Men even have endeavoured to do this whether they have been able to achieve it, their concern they would not however attempt did they not think that they should achieve it. Let us leave alone what they can do, and how far they have attained; for God think no great matter to count all the stars. Or doth He perhaps go over the number, lest He should forget Is any great thing for God to number the stars, by Whom
ver. 4.
up.
Mat. 10, the very hairs of your head are numbered It plain, my brethren, that God willeth that we should understand some what by what He saith, Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all their names. The stars are certain lights in the Church comforting our night, all of whom the
Phil. Apostle saith, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
?
In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, saith he, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding the Word of life. These stars God counteth all who shall
reign with Him, all who are to be gathered into the Body of His only-begotten Son, He hath counted, and still counteth them. Whoso unworthy, not even counted. Many too have believed, or rather may, with kind of shadowy appearance of faith, have attached themselves to His people yet He knoweth what He counteth, what He winnoweth away. For so great the height of the Gospel, that hath
Ps. 40,6. come to pass as was said, have declared, and have spoken they are multiplied above number: there are then among the people certain supernumeraries, so to speak. What do
mean by supernumeraries More than will be there. Within these walls are more than will be in the kingdom of God, in the heavenly Jerusalem; these are above the number. Let each one of you consider whether he shineth in darkness, whether he refuseth to be led astray by the dark iniquity of the world he be not led astray, nor conquered, he will be, as were, star, which God already nunibereth.
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Not gifts, but charity, wins God's favour. 307
10. And calling them all by their names, he saith. Herein Ver. is our whole reward. We have certain names with God; that ,----- God may know our names, this we ought to wish, for this
to act, for this to busy ourselves, as far as we are able ; not
to rejoice in other things, not even in certain
gifts. Consider, beloved ; there are many gifts in the Church, as the Apostle saith; to one is given by the Spirit iCor. 12,
c'
^
the word of wisdom; to another faith, by the same Spirit;6'
to another working of cures ; to another discerning of spirits,
that is, to discover between good and bad spirits ; to another
divers kinds of tongues ; to another prophecy. How great,
how many gifts hath he mentioned ! Many who have used
such gifts amiss, shall hear in the end, / know you not. Matt. 7,
And what will they say in the end who are to hear,
I
you not ? Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name, and
in Thy Name cast out devils, and in Thy Name done many wondrous works? All this in Thy Name. And what will
I
He say to them?
who work iniquity.
the sky, comforting the night and not overshadowing the
night? Yet, saith he, / shew unto you a more excellent lCor. 12,
spiritual
know*3'
never knew you; depart
What is it then to be already a light in
speak with the tongues men and angels, way. If I I of of
and have not charity,
tinkling cymbal. What a gift is it to speak with the tongues of men and of angels! Yet, if I have not charity, saith he, I/am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though
I know all mysteries, and all knowledge, saiIth he, although
\cot 13( *? .
am become as sounding brass or a
have all prophecy, and all faith, so that
mIountains, (how great gifts are these ! ) and have not charity,
could remove am nothing. How glorious a gift is it to beIa martyr, and
give all my give my body
to be burned, and have not charity, it profdeth me nothing. Whoso then hath not charity, though for a time he have
these gifts, yet they shall be taken from him. What he
hath shall be taken from him, because a certain other thing
he hath not. This certain thing he hath not, whereby the
other may be preserved, and himself not perish. What is
that which the Lord saith, he that hath, to him shall beu&tAS, given; but whoso hath not, from him shall be taken even12'
to give away all one's goods ! Yet, though I goods, saith he, to feed the poor, and though
from
Me, ye
368 Our names being written in heaven, the highest joy.
Psalm that which he hath? He then who hath not, from him shall Cxl' be taken even that which he hath. He hath grace to possess, but he hath not love to use ; since then he hath not this, even that which he hath shall be taken from him. Therefore, that the disciples, whom He willed to make stars in heaven,
walking by the more excellent way, might have charily, He,
Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all
by their names, when the disciples returned from their
Lukelo, mission exulting, and saying, Lord, even the devils ate
17,
subject unto us in Thy Name --then He, I say, Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names, knowing that many would say, have we not /in Thy
Name cast out devils? to whom He should say,
know you not, because He counted them not among the number ib. 20. of the stars, nor called them by their names--said, In this rejoice not, that the devils are subject unto you ; but
ver. 5.
rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all
by their names.
U. Great is our Lord. The Psalmist is filled with joy,
he hath poured out his words wonderfully : yet somewhat he was unable to speak, and how availed he to think on it? Great is the Lord, and great is His power, and of His under
standing is no numbering. He Who numbereth the mul titude of the stars, Himself cannot be numbered. Great is our Lord, and great is His power, and of His understanding is no numbering. Who can expound this ? who can worthily even imagine what is meant by, and of His understanding is no number? And would that He may infuse Himself into you, and where we fail, in that He is mighty, He may Himself enlighten your minds, that ye may know what is the meaning of, of His understanding is no number. For ye see, brethren, of the sand is there any number? To us there is not, to
Mat. 10, God there is; by Whom the hairs of our head are num bered, by Him the sand also is numbered. Whatsoever then that is infinite this world containeth, though it be in finite to man, yet is not to God : too little is it to say, to God : even by the angels it is numbered. Of His under standing there is no number. His understanding surpasses all calculators ; it cannot be counted by us. Numbers
God not to be comprehended by human intellect. 369 themselves who numbereth ? Whatever is numbered, is v er.
numbered by numbers. If whatever is numbered, is num-
bered by numbers, of numbers there can be no number; numbers cannot by any means be numbered. What then
is there with God ? wherewith made He all things, and where made He all things, to Whom it is said, Thou hastViM. arrayed all things in measure, number, and weight ? Or n' 20' who can number, or measure, or weigh, measure and number
and weight themselves, w herein God hath ordered all things ? Therefore, of His understanding is no number. Let human
voices be hushed, human thoughts still : let them not
stretch themselves out to incomprehensible things, as though
they could comprehend them, but as though they were to partake of them, for partakers we shall be. We shall not be
this which we do contain, nor shall we contain the whole;
but we shall be partakers: for of Jerusalem, whose dispersions
He gathereth, somewhat great is said : Jerusalem is built as P>>. 122, a city, whose partaking is in the same. What meaneth he
by the same, save that which cannot be changed ? All
other created things may be this way or that, but He Who created cannot be this way or that. He then is the same, for
to Him is said, Thou shalt change them, and they shall be Ps. 102, changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not26'2^'
If then He is the same, and can in no degree be changed, by partaking of His divine nature, we too shall be immortal for ever. And this earnest is given us of the Son of God, as I have already said to you, holy brethren, that before we became partakers of His immortal nature, He should first become partaker of our mortal nature. But as He became mortal, not of His own substance, but of ours, so do we become immortal, not of our own substance, but of His. Partakers then we shall be: let none doubt it: Scripture saith it. And of what shall we be partakers, as though these were parts in God, as though God were divided into parts ? Who then can explain how many become partakers of one single substance ? Require not then that which I think ye see cannot filly be said : but return to the healing of the Saviour, bruise your heart ; let the darkness of your heart be crushed, obstinacy of soul bruised; let it be accused in evil, be born again in good.
VOL. vi. B b
8
fail.
370 We should not criticise Scripture, but believe it.
Psalm He will guide He will bind up where broken, He
- -- vu-
ver. 6.
will make perfectly sound and then those things will not
For good that he confess weakness, who desireth to attain
be impossible with us, which now are impossible.
to the divine nature. Of His understanding is no number. 12. What therefore thou shouldest do in this difficulty
of understanding, he sheweth thee, when he goeth on to say, The Lord taketh up the gentle. For example thou under-
standest not, thou failest to understand, canst not attain honour God's Scripture, honour God's Word, though be not plain in reverence wait for understanding. Be not wanton to accuse either the obscurity or seeming contra diction of Scripture. There nothing in contradictory somewhat there which obscure, not in order that may be denied thee, but that may exercise him that shall afterward receive it. When then obscure, that the Physician's doing, that thou mayest knock. He willed that thou shouldest be exercised in knocking He willed that He might open to thee when thou knockest. By knocking
thou shalt be exercised exercised, thou shalt be enlarged enlarged, thou shalt contain what given. Be not then indignant for that shut be mild, be gentle. Kick not against what dark, nor say, It were better said, were said thus. For how canst thou thus say, or judge how
be said It said as expedient be said. Let not the sick man seek to amend his remedies
the Physician knoweth how to temper them believe Him Who careth for thee. Therefore what cometh next The Lord taketh up the gentle. Resist not then against what God shutteth up be gentle, that He may take thee up. But thou resistest, hear what followeth but humbleth the sinners even to the ground. Many kinds of sinners are there. He humbleth the sinners even to the ground. What sinners, save the opposite to the gentle? In fact, by what he hath said, The Lord taketh up the gentle, but humbleth the sinners even to the ground, he intended certain sort of sinners to be understood, from the gentleness mentioned first. By sinners then in this place, we understand the
fierce, and those who are not gentle. Wherefore doth He humble them even to the earth They carp at
expedient
? ; it a is
;
if
:
it
it is
?
it
if
is
it is
it
: it is
is ?
;
; is
is
it ;
is
it
: it ;
it, is it
::
is
it is
is
it
:
it
it,
it
;
The Manichees blinded for their intellectual lrride.
objects of understanding, they shall perceive only things Veb,
- 13. This did He to men, who chose to ridicule the Law
earthly.
before they knew because they were not gentle. Under stand me, beloved. There arose certain most accursed
sect, the Manichees, who ridiculed
they had received and read them they chose to find fault with what they understood not, and by attacking and finding fault with what they understood not, they ensnared many. But they who chose to do this have been humbled even to the earth. They were not permitted to understand heavenly things: they savoured earthly things. All that thou hearest
in their fables nought but blasphemy and certain devices of bodily forms: for when they would understand God, they attained to the thought of this visible light, but could not advance beyond and they made such fields of light in the kingdom of God, as they saw our sun to be, looking on as a sort of product of that light. For all this which reached by means of the earth of the flesh, earth in God's eyes. For we have that whereby we see, hear, smell, taste, touch our flesh by means of those messengers, so to speak, which we call senses, perceives only corporeal things but things of the intellect and spirit, are taken in by the mind. Because then they ridiculed the obscurity of the Scriptures, which for this reason were shut, that they might be exercised in knocking, not that the Scriptures should be refused to babes, they were humbled even to the earth, so that they
could not any longer take in any thing save what per ceived by earth. And what mean by earth mean the flesh. For the flesh earth, and made of earth. What soever thou takest in by the eyes belongeth to earth what ever by the ear, whatever by the smell, whatever by the taste, whatever by the touch, pertaineth to the earth, for earth taken in. They therefore were not able to under stand His understanding of which there is no end, for
of His understanding is no end. Because they found fault with the Scriptures, which healthfully conceal understanding under certain mysteries, that the little ones may be ex
ercised and by this very finding fault being made ungentle, which the opposite to gentle, they were humbled even to
Bb2
the Scriptures when
371
is ;
it is
by
:
is
is I
;
a
:
is
is
it
?
I
:
is
is it,
it,
37i? The true road to knowledge is to humble one's self.
Psalm the earth, that they should not be able to perceive God Cx"'L1, Who is incorporeal, and that whatever thoughts they had of
ver. 7.
God, should be only corporeal thoughts.
14. God then humbleth sinners, even to the earth.
