wishest this, not to be vexed with the
importunity
of thy il lusts, and yet, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
And in hope that we may be able to contemplate Him, when our heart hath been purified by faith, that hereafter it may rejoice in the Truth; now as He cannot
be seen by us, let us look at His works, that we may not
live without praising Him. So 1 1 have said, Praise the Lord, 1 He
for He is good; sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet, j^j1 Perchance He would be good and not sweet, if He had notOxf. given thee the power of taste. But such did He shew Him- Ms"'
self to men, that He even sent bread from heaven ; and John 6, the Son Who is equal to Him, Who is what He is, He41-60" gave to be made man, and to be slain for man, that by that
which thou art, thou mightest taste what thou art not. It was
meet for thee to taste the sweetness of God, because it is too remote and lofty, thou art too abject, and grovelling below.
In this so great severance was sent a Mediator. Being man
thou couldest not come to God ; and God was made Man,
that as, being man, thou mayest come to Man, but canst not come to God; by Man thou mightest come to God; and there
was made a Mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus. But if He were man alone, by following what thou l Tim. art, thou wouldest never reach Him ; if He were God alone,2' 5- for lack of comprehending what thou art not, thou wouldest
never reach Him. So God was made man, that by following man which thou canst, thou mayest reach God which thou couldest not. He is Mediator, and therenpon is sweet. What is sweeter than angels' food ? How can God not be
VOL. VI. K
130 God's praises tempered to Man's weaknesses.
Psalm sweet, since man ate angels' food ? For men and angels ,fIxx*J" live not on different meat. That is truth,' that is wisdom,
Fa 88,
25. that is the goodness of God, but thou canst not enjoy it in
like wise with the angels. For how do they enjoy it? As John 1, it is written, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, by Whom all things
ib. 14. were made. But how dost thou reach it? Because the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us. That man might eat angels' food, the Creator of the angels was
made man. Therefore, Sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet. If ye taste, sing praises ; if ye have tasted how sweet the Lord sing praises that which ye have tasted has good savour, praise who so unthankful to cook or purveyor, as not to return thanks by praising what he tastes, he be pleased by any food. If we are not silent on such occasions, shall we be silent concerning Him,
Who has given us all things Sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet.
6. Now hear of His works. Ye have striven perchance to see the Good of all good, the Good from which all good things come, the Good without which nothing else good, and the Good which good without other things ye have striven to use it; and perchance in straining the sight of your minds, you have found yourselves wanting. For thus gather from myself, such are my feelings. But if there be any one, as may be, and well may be, stronger in this mental sight than who fixes the gaze of his heart for long on that which is, let him praise as he can, let him praise as we are not able. Still, thanks be to Him, who hath tempered His own praise in this Psalm, so that both strong and weak may assay it. For in the mission of His
Exod. 3, servant Moses, when He said, Am that Am, and thou
. . .
14
ib. 15.
shall say to the sons of Israel, He who Is hath sent me to you since difficult for the human mind to conceive the fact of His special Being, and a man was sent to men, though not by man forthwith God tempered His praise, and said this of Himself, which could sweetly be appre hended; He would not abide in that praise which the worshipper could not attain to. Go, said he, tell the sons of Israel, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
;
;
I
it is
if
a
I, I
is
is,
I
if is
;
is
?
it ;
;
Instanced in the Children of Israel. 131
and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you. This is My Name Ver. for ever. Seeing, O Lord, Thou bast that former Name, ---- --
because Thou hast also said, I Am : He Who Is, hath sent
me to you ; why didst Thou forthwith change Thy Name
so as to say, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, Exod. 3, and the God of Jacob ? Does not the force of it seem to
you to answer and say, That I said, I Am that I Am, is
true, but thou dost not comprehend it; that I said, / am the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, is true, and thou dost understand it? That I Am that I
Am, belongs to Me; but that I am the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, belongs to thee.
And if thou art unable to see what I am to Myself, under
stand what I am to thee. And that no one may think
that what God said, I Am that I Am, and, He Who Is,
hath sent me unto you, is His only Eternal Name, but
that what He said, / am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, is His temporal Name, God
took not care when He said, I Am that I Am, and He Who
Is hath sent me to you, to say that this His Name is eternal; for though He said not this, it would be so understood. For He is, and truly and for the very reason that He truly Is,
He Is without beginning or end. But as for man He is, am the God Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob lest men should feel anxiety, because this not eternal but temporal, He hath assured us, that He leads us to eternal life out of temporal things. This, He says, My Name for ever, not because Abraham or Isaac or Jacob are eternal, but because God makes them eternal afterwards for ever. They had indeed beginning, but shall have no end.
In Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, understand His whole church, understand the whole seed of Israel; but all the seed of Israel not alone that of the flesh, but that also which of faith. For the Apostle spake to the Gentiles,
to whom he said, If then ye be Christ's, then are ye Gal. Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise. We then are
all blessed in the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
He blessed indeed certain tree, and created an olive,
as the Apostle has said, even the holy Patriarchs, from
K 2
a
a
it
3,
7. is
is
; of
is,
is is /
132 Christians the true Israel.
Psalm whence the people of God grew; but this olive was pruned,
cxxxv.
Rom.
cuj. down, and from thence the proud branches were broken off, that the blasphemous and impious people of the Jews. Yet good and useful branches remained, for from thence were the Apostles. And as some useful branches had been left, by God's mercy the wild olive of the Gentiles was grafted in, to whom the Apostle said, But thou when thou wast a wild olive wert grafted among them, and wert made a partaker of the fatness of the olive-tree. Boast not thyself against the branches. But thou boastest, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. This the one tree
which belongeth to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and, which more, the grafted wild-olive belongeth more to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, than the branches which were broken off. They by reason of the breaking off are not there now; but the wild-olive was not once, and now. They deserved to be broken off by reason of their pride that gained grace to be grafted in by its humility. They lost the root, that retains it. Since then ye are called the Israel of God, the Israel who belongeth to God, do not thereafter make yourselves strange to Him. Ye were^a wild-olive, but now ye are an olive, partakers of the fatness of the olive. For would ye know how the wild-olive has been grafted into Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; lest ye think yourselves not to belong to this olive, because ye belong not to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh When the Lord wondered at the faith of that Centurion, who was not of the people of Israel, but of the people of
Matt. 8,the Gentiles; Wherefore, saith He, tell you, that many shall come from the east and west. Behold now the wild- olive in the hand of the grafter. Many shall come from the east and the west. We see what bears that which to be grafted in, let us see where He grafteth it. And they shall sit down, He says, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. We see both what He grafted, and where He grafted it. What saiih He of the proud natural branches. But the children of the kingdom shall go into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The fact was foretold, the fact was accomplished.
8. Therefore, Sing praises to the Lord, for He
sweet.
is
is ? ;
is
/
if is
is
i|
is,
By God's Grace, not their own Merit. 1 33
And note what He hath done for us. For the Lord hath Vp. r.
' 5-
chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His own possession. Praise Him, sing praises to Him, because He hath done these things. I say such words as ye can comprehend. The other nations
He put under the Angels; the Lord chose Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession. He made His own people the field which He cultivated, which He
sowed Himself; although He made all nations, He com
mitted the others to the Angels ; this He designed to be possessed and preserved by Himself, this people, this Jacob.
By its merits, or of His own grace ? He says of them
who are not yet born, The elder shall serve the younger : so Rom. 9, says the Apostle. What merit could they who are not yet 12' born possess, before either of them had done either good or
evil ? Let not Jacob therefore extol himself, let him not boast himself, or ascribe it to his own merits. He was known before, predestinated before, elected before, not elected for his own merits, but found out, and gifted with life by the grace of God. So with all the Gentiles ; for how did the wild-olive deserve, that it should be grafted in, from the bitterness of its berries, lhe barrenness of its wildness ? It was the wood of the wilderness, not of the Lord's field, and yet He of His mercy grafted the wild-olive into the (true) olive. But up to this time the wild-olive was not grafted in, since the Lord chose Jacob to Himself, and Israel for His own possession.
I
that the Lord is great. With mind flying upward, raised above the flesh, passing beyond the creature, he knew that
9. And what says the Prophet ? Because
have known v. 5.
the Lord is great. Not all can know by seeing ; let them praise what He hath done. {The Lord) is street, the Lord hath chosen Jacob to Himself, Israelfor His own possession.
Hence too praise Him. For further, /
have known that the
Lord is great. The Prophet spoke who entered into the 2 Cor. sanctuary of God, who heard by chance unspeakable words, 12' 4"
which it is not lawful for man to utter; who said what could be said to man, who reserved to himself what could not be said. Let him then be heard as far as we can, and believed where we cannot. Let him be heard as far as we can, Because the Lord hath chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for
134 God's Greatness known through His Works.
Psalm his own possession; let him be believed as far as we cannot, cx:txv' because he himself knew that the Lord is great. If we should say to him, we ask thee, explain to us His greatness ; would he not perchance answer us, He whom I see is not so very great, if He be able to be expounded by me. Let him then return to His works, and tell us. Let him hold in his conscience the greatness of God, which he has seen, which he has committed to our faith, whither he could not lead our eyes, and enumerate some of the things which the Lord hath done here ; that unto us, who cannot
see His greatness as he can, He may become sweet through the works of His which we can comprehend. Because, says he, / know that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods. What gods ? As the Apostle says,
^
Cor. 8, Though there he who are called gods in heaven and in earth, as there are gods many, and lords many; but to us there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things, and we in Him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him. Men may be called gods. For it
/ have said, Ye are gods, and all the sons of the Highest; is not God above men? But what is there great in this, if God is above men ? God is also above Angels, because the Angels did not make God, but God made the Angels ; and He Who made all things must needs be above all which He has made. He therefore knowing the greatness of the Lord, and seeing Him to be above every creature, not merely corporeal but spiritual, says, He is a great King above all gods, He is the highest God, Who has no god above Him. Let him tell us His works. They are understood.
10. All whatsoever the Lord willed, He made in the heaven, and in the earth, in the sea, and in all its deep places. Who can comprehend these things ? Who can enumerate the works of the Lord in the heaven and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places ? Yet if we cannot comprehend them all, we should believe and hold them without question, because whatever creature is in heaven, whatever is in earth, whatever is in the sea and in all deep places, has been made by the Lord, because all that He
PH. 82,i. is said, God stood in the congregation of gods. It is said,
lb. 6.
v. 6.
His Works all done of His own Free-will, 135
willed, that He made, in heaven and earth, in the sea, and Ver. in all deep places, as we have just now said. He was nol -- forced to make all that He made, but all that He willed He made. His will
was the cause of all things which He made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not
make thou wouldest be left without habitation
compels thee to make home, not free-will. Thou makest garment, because thou wouldest go about naked thou
didst not make it; thou art therefore led to making garment by necessity, not by free-will. Thou plantest mountain with vines, thou sowest seed, because thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food; all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made things of His goodness. He needed nothing that He made and therefore He hath made all things that He willed.
11. Dost thou think, 'we too have what we do of free
necessity
The things we have spoken of, we do of necessity, we did not do them, we should be needy and
will
because
helpless.
We do indeed, when we praise God, through loving Him. This indeed thou doest of free-will, when thou lovest that which thou praisest for this not of necessity, but because pleaseth thee. Therefore God pleaseth the just and His saints even when He scourgeth them. When He displeaseth all
the unjust, He pleaseth them; and though they are subject
to his rod, though in toils, in labours, in wounds, want,
they praise God; He displeaseth them not, though He even torment them. This free love, not for the receipt of specified pay, because God Himself will be thy highest reward, Whom thou lovest freely, and so oughtest to love,
as not to cease to desire Him for thy reward, as Him Who
alone can satisfy thee; as Philip desired Him, when He said,
Shew us the Father, and satisfieth us. Rightly,JohnH, because we do this of free-will, and we ought to do this of8, free-will, because we do so of our pleasure we do so of our
love, because though we be chastened by Him, He never
ought to displease us, for He always just. Thus spoke
His worshipper, Upon me, God, are Thy tons, which
will pay, praise to Thee. And in another place, will ps's^e. offer Thee free-will offerings. What means, will offer
Do we find any thing which we do of free-will
Pa. 56,
/
if
:
of
O
is
is
;
is it
a
/in if
I
it ? aa
;
? ' if
a
it,
;
136 God doeth all that He willeth in Heaven and Earth.
Psalm Thee free-offerings? I will freely praise Thee. For He J""'- saith, The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me. If thou wert
23. '
compelled to offer thy Lord a sacrifice, pleasing and accept able to Him, as formerly sacrifices were vowed for a shadow of things to come, perchance thou wouldest not find a fitting bull in thy herds, or a he-goat in thy goats worthy of the altar of the Lord, or a ram in thy sheepfolds a worthy victim for thy Lord; and not finding them, thou wouldest be troubled what to do, and wouldest perchance say to God, 1 would and had not. Canst thou say of praise, I
would and had not ? The very wish is praise. God seeketh not words from thee, but the heart. Lastly, thou mayest say, I had no tongue. If any one by sickness be dumb, he has no tongue, but he has praise. For if God had ears of llesh, and needed the sound of thy body, as long as thou remainest without a tongue, thou wouldest remain without
14'
on earth to men ofgood will.
12. That God then, Who is omnipotent, did whatsoever
He willed in the heaven and earth, thou doest not all thou willest in thine own house. He did whatsoever He willed in the heaven and earth: do thou do all that thou willest even in thy field. Thou willest many things, but canst not do all thou wishest in thy own house. Thy wife perchance gainsays thee, thy children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy slave contumaciously gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou willest. But thou sayest, I do what I will, because
1 punish the disobedient and gainsayer. Even this thou doest not when thou willest. Sometimes thou wouldest punish, and canst not; sometimes thou threatenest, and diest before thou doest what thou threatenest. Do we think thou doest in thyself what thou willest? Dost thou bridle all thy lusts ? Perchance thou dost ; dost thou even bring about,
But now, as He seeketh for the heart, looketh into the heart, is the witness, the judge, the approver, the helper, the giver of the crown within, it is enough that thou open
praise.
Rom. 1o, thy will. When thou canst, thou confessest with thy mouth '"' to salvation ; when thou canst not, thou believest with the heart to justification. Thou praisest with the heart, blessest with the heart ; with the heart thou placest sacred victims
Luke 2, on the altar of conscience, and the answer to thee is, Peace
Man cannot even in himself. 137
that the lusts thou bridlest do not rise up ? Verily thou Ver.
wishest this, not to be vexed with the importunity of thy il lusts, and yet, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and
5, spirit against the Jlesh, so that ye cannot do the things ye1"*- would.
Thou doest not in thyself the things thou wouldest.
But our God did whatsoever He would, in the heaven and earth. May He give thee grace, that thou tnayest do in thyself what thou willest, for except by His help, thou doest not in thyself what thou willest. Moreover, when he could not do in himself what he would, who said, The
flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, so that ye cannot do the things ye would; when he bewailed himself, I / delight in the law of God,
see another law in my wieMi-22'33, bers warring against the law of my mind, and making
me captive to the law of sin, which is in my members; because, not only in his house, not only in his field, but
in his flesh, and even in his spirit, he fulfilled not what
he would; he cried to God, Who did whatsoever He would in heaven and earth; and said, Wretched man that lh. 24. / am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death !
And as if He Who is good, He Who is sweet, had answered
him, straightway he adds, Thanks be to God, through Jesus ib. 25. Christ our Lord. Love therefore this Sweetness, praise this Sweetness. Understand hereby God, Who did whatsoever He would in the heaven and earth; He will do in you also what
ye will ; by His help ye shall fulfil your will. But while
ye cannot, confess to Him; when ye shall be able,
give Him thanks; when ye fall, cry to Him; when ye are raised up, be not high-minded. He therefore did whatsoever He would in heaven and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places.
13. Raising the clouds from the ends of the earth, ver. 7. We see these works of God in His creation. For the clouds come from the ends of the earth to the midst thereof,
and rain ; thou scannest not whence they arise. Hence the prophet signifies this, from the ends of the earth, whether it
be from the bottom, or from the circumference of the ends of the earth, whencesoever He wills He raises the clouds, only from the earth. He hath made lightnings into rain. For
after the inner man, but
saying, Rom. 7,
Psalm
John 3,
ver. 8.
ver. 9.
138 God's mighty works in behalf of His People.
lightnings without rain would frighten thee, and bestow nothing on thee. He tnaketh lightnings unto rain. It lightens, and thou tremblest; it rains, thou rejoicest. He hath made lightnings unto rain. He Who terrified thee, Himself causest that thou shouldest rejoice. Who bringeth the winds out of His treasures, their causes are hidden, thou knowest not whence they come. When the wind blows, thou feelest it; why it blows, or from what treasure of His wisdom it is brought forth, thou knowest not; yet thou owest to God the worship of faith, for it would not blow unless He had bidden Who made unless He had brought forth Who created it.
14. We see therefore these things in that work of His; we praise, we marvel at, we bless God let us see what He has done among men for His people. Who smote thefirst-bom of Egypt. But withal those divine doings are told which thou mightest love, those are not told which thou mightest fear. Attend, and see that also when He angry, He doeth what He willeth. He smote the first-born Egypt, from man even unto beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, Egypt Ye know, ye have read what the hand of the Lord did by Moses in Egypt, to crush and cast down the proud Egyptians, on Pharaoh and on all his servants. Little did He in Egypt what did He after His
was led out thence Who smote many nations, who possessed that land, which God willed to give His ver. 11. people. And slew mighty kings, Sehon king of the Amorites,
and Og the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. All these things which the Psalm records simply, do we read likewise in others of the Lord's books, and there the hand of the Lord great. When thou seest what has been done to the wicked, take heed lest be done to thee. For such things were done to them, that thou mightest pass by and not follow them, and not suffer such things. Yet see that the rod of the Lord over all flesh. Do not think that thou art not seen when thou sinnest; do not
think thou art despised; do not think that the Lord sleepeth; take note of the examples of God's benefits; when thou thinkest of these things, and when thou thinkest on God's vengeance, fear. He Almighty, both to comfort and to
ver. ]o. people
is
is
O !
is
it
is
?
:;
of
it,
it
The Mystical meaning thereof. 189 chastise. Therefore are these things useful when they are Vfr.
read. But when the good man sees what the wicked has suffered, let him cleanse himself from all iniquity, lest he
fall into a like punishment, a like chastisement. Then ye
have thoroughly understood these things. What did God then? He drove out the wicked, And he gave their landver. w.
for an inheritance, even an inheritance to Israel His servant.
15. Then follows the loud cry of His praise. Thyver. 13. Name, O Lord, is for ever and ever, after all these things
which Thou hast done. For what do I see that Thou hast
done ? I behold Thy creation which Thou hast made in heaven, I behold this lower part, where we dwell, and here
I see Thy gifts of clouds, and winds, and rain. I regard Thy people ; Thou leddest them from the house of bondage, and didst signs and wonders upon their enemies. Thou punishedst those who caused them trouble, Thou dravest the wicked from their land, Thou killedst their kings, Thou
gavest their land to Thy people :
proclaims His handy-work. For were not the people of F<? iCor. 3,
God the earth of God, the Apostle would not have said, I
are God's building, God's husbandry ; as a wise architect,
lay the foundation, another buildeth upon it. Therefore we
are the building of God, and the field of God. Wlw, says 1 Cor. 9, Ihe,planteth a vineyard, andreceiveth not ofthefruit thereof? 7'
have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Cor. 3, So in His Church, among His preachers, among His people,6,
just as in earth and heaven, He did whatsoever He willed.
^
I have seen all these things, and filled with joy have said, Lord, Thy Name is for
ever and ever.
16. We see these things according to the literal meaning Mysti-
of what is written, we know and praise them. But if theyterpret- have a further meaning, let me not be burdensome while Ij? ion of expound them according to my ability. For behold among vious men can I discern, that He did whatsoever He willed in theTerse>>. heaven and earth. By the sky of heaven, I understand *er. 6. spiritual men ; by the earth, carnal ; for of these two, heaven and earth, consists the Church of God, and preaching belongeth to spiritual men, obedience to carnal ones. For
the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament Ps. 19,1.
9 10
140 Clouds represent Preachers of the Gospel.
Psalm Not alone in them. He did whatsoever He willed in the Cxxxv- sea, and in all deep places. The sea is all unbelievers, all who do not yet believe ; and He hath done whatsoever He would among them ; for unbelievers rage not, unless they be
permitted, nor are they punished, when they are obstinate, unless He command Who has made all nations. Suppose it is sea, and not land, is it the less subject to the power of God Almighty ? He did whatsoever He would on the sea, and in all deep places. What are the deep places ? The hidden hearts of mortals, the deep thoughts of men. And
Ps. 11, how does God do there what He willeth ? Because the Lord
"'
Wisd. 1, written elsewhere, For inquisition shall be made into the
'''
thoughts of the ungodly. Therefore He hath done what soever He would in all deep places. The good heart lies hid, the evil heart lies hid ; there is a deep place in the good heart, and in the bad ; but these things are naked before God, from Whom nothing is hid. He cheers the good heart, He torments the evil. Therefore He hath done all that He would in the sky and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places,
trieth the just and the wicked; for he who loveth iniquity, hateth his own life. And where doth He try him ? It is
ver. 7. 17. Raising the clouds from the ends of the earth. What clouds? The preachers of the word of His Truth. Of which clouds in another place, when angry with His vineyard, He
it.
/ will order
Is. 5, 6. says, My
rain no rain
clouds that
And it is a small thing that He raised the clouds from
Jerusalem and Israel, which He sent to preach His Gospel Ps. 19,4. in the whole world ; of which clouds it is said, Their sound
is gone out into every land, and their words into the ends of
the world. This is a small thing; but since the Lord Himself
John24,saith, This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the
14,
whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall be the end, He raiseth the clouds from the ends of the earth. For as the Gospel groweth, whence will be there preachers of the Gospel in the ends of the earth, unless He raise up clouds from the ends of the earth. But what doeth He
with the clouds? He turned lightnings to rain. He changed threats into pity. After their terror, He watered them. How did He water them after their terror? When God threateneth thee by a Prophet or Apostle, and thou fearest, doth not the
they
upon
Faith is our First-born.
141
flashing frighten you ? But when thou turnest in penitence,
and admittest that this is done by mercy, the terror of His 8" lightning changes to rain. Who bringeth the winds out
of His treasures. I understand the same preachers both
by clouds and winds, the former
the latter of the spirit. For clouds are seen, winds are felt
vEr.
to the winds, and because we know not the spirit of man, whence it cometh, Bringing, He says, the winds out of His John 3, treasures. Attend awhile, and ye shall see the rest. 8"
18. Who smote the first-born of Egypt, from man even ver. 8. unto beast. Our first-born is safe by the Lord, because
and not seen.
He bringeth, says He, the clouds from the ends of the world. He had declared, whence He brings the clouds. He cometh
by reason of the flesh,
Lastly, since we see that flesh is of the earth,
He has given it to us. For that punishment is harmful, tbatExod. blow is too terrible, even the death of the first-born. What is I2' l8" our first-born ? These moral powers of ours, by which we
now serve God, are our first-born.
We have faith as the begin. For He saith to the Church, Thou shall come and shall pass through, from the
first-fruits, whence we
beginnings offaith. And no one begins to live well, save cant. 4, by faith. Our faith therefore is in our first-born. Wben*|in*tB our faith is guarded, other things can follow. For since
men are cleansed daily by growing better, and by living
better, the inner man being renewed day by day, (as the Apostle says, And if our outer man perish, our inner 2 Cor. 4,
man is renewed day by day,) hence it follows, that our16, first-born faith lives, of which first-born faith the Apostle speaks, but not only they, but we ourselves who have the Rom 8,
first-fruits of the Spirit, that is, who give already to God the 23- first-fruits of our spirit, that faith as our first-born nevertheless, groan in ourselves, wailing our adoption, the redemption of our body. If then great grace of God
that our faith preserved, great punishment to slay the first-born, when men lose their faith being involved in the afflictions of the Church. For they afflict the Church when they lose their faith, for affliction meant by Egypt. Whoever therefore afflicts the Church, whoever causes offences to the Church, though he be called a Christian,
yet his first-born dead. They will be infidel, worthless,
is
is
is a
is
it is a
is,
it
;
142 'Man and beast' are the learned and unlearned.
Psalm they will have name and sign only, but they have buried
tne,r first-born in their hearts; so much so, that when thou 1. shalt have said any thing to him about good living, about the hope of eternal life, about the fear of eternal fire, he will mutter to himself; or if he be such as to dare before thee, he turns his face and says, Who hath returned hither from thence? men say to themselves what they will.
And yet he is a Christian; but because he afflicts us, his first-born is slain, his faith is dead, and this from man even unto beast. I will tell you, brethren, what I mean. I understand that men are spiritually meant to be the learned, on account of the rational mind which is man'; beasts the unlearned, but yet having faith, else they would not have a first-born. It is the learned who afflict the Church, by creating schism and heresy. Wherefore ye find no faith in them, because they are become Egypt, that an affliction to the people of God. Their first-born slain, they draw after them an unlearned crowd, these are beasts. In this affliction then, wherewith the Church afflicted, the faith of them who afflict her perishes. The first-born dies of the learned and unlearned, because God slew the first-born of Egypt from man even unto beast.
19. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. Pharaoh the king of the Egyptians. Observe the name, and note
how God doeth these things. The king of every nation the highest one. Egypt affliction. Pharaoh dispersion. Affliction therefore has dispersion for its king, because they who afflict the Church, are dispersed when they afflict it. For that they may afflict they are scattered, as the king leads, the people follow dispersion goes before, affliction follows. Listen ye, listen ye to these names full of typical meaning and wisdom. You will find not one of these names, which means any good thing, where God hath displayed His wrath,
v. io. li.
Rev*3
20. He smote many nations, and slew strong kings. Tell
Pharaoh, nj? "lS means king in and its cognate languages. The word
Coptic. St. Augustin appear- to have used in the >>ense of lawless or deiived this mystical interpretation of unbridled m Prov. 29, 18. according the word from the radical meaning of to <he best interpretation, unless indeed dispersion or division, contained in all tlle word compared with Pharex words beginning with 15 in Hebrew, V^? -
is
is
is,
is
J
is
;
it,
is
isd
is
is
Mystical meanings of Sehon and Og. 143
me, what kings and what nations? Sehon, king of the Ver.
Amorites. Listen to names pregnant with 'sacramental -l?
be seen by us, let us look at His works, that we may not
live without praising Him. So 1 1 have said, Praise the Lord, 1 He
for He is good; sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet, j^j1 Perchance He would be good and not sweet, if He had notOxf. given thee the power of taste. But such did He shew Him- Ms"'
self to men, that He even sent bread from heaven ; and John 6, the Son Who is equal to Him, Who is what He is, He41-60" gave to be made man, and to be slain for man, that by that
which thou art, thou mightest taste what thou art not. It was
meet for thee to taste the sweetness of God, because it is too remote and lofty, thou art too abject, and grovelling below.
In this so great severance was sent a Mediator. Being man
thou couldest not come to God ; and God was made Man,
that as, being man, thou mayest come to Man, but canst not come to God; by Man thou mightest come to God; and there
was made a Mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus. But if He were man alone, by following what thou l Tim. art, thou wouldest never reach Him ; if He were God alone,2' 5- for lack of comprehending what thou art not, thou wouldest
never reach Him. So God was made man, that by following man which thou canst, thou mayest reach God which thou couldest not. He is Mediator, and therenpon is sweet. What is sweeter than angels' food ? How can God not be
VOL. VI. K
130 God's praises tempered to Man's weaknesses.
Psalm sweet, since man ate angels' food ? For men and angels ,fIxx*J" live not on different meat. That is truth,' that is wisdom,
Fa 88,
25. that is the goodness of God, but thou canst not enjoy it in
like wise with the angels. For how do they enjoy it? As John 1, it is written, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, by Whom all things
ib. 14. were made. But how dost thou reach it? Because the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us. That man might eat angels' food, the Creator of the angels was
made man. Therefore, Sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet. If ye taste, sing praises ; if ye have tasted how sweet the Lord sing praises that which ye have tasted has good savour, praise who so unthankful to cook or purveyor, as not to return thanks by praising what he tastes, he be pleased by any food. If we are not silent on such occasions, shall we be silent concerning Him,
Who has given us all things Sing praises unto His Name, for He is sweet.
6. Now hear of His works. Ye have striven perchance to see the Good of all good, the Good from which all good things come, the Good without which nothing else good, and the Good which good without other things ye have striven to use it; and perchance in straining the sight of your minds, you have found yourselves wanting. For thus gather from myself, such are my feelings. But if there be any one, as may be, and well may be, stronger in this mental sight than who fixes the gaze of his heart for long on that which is, let him praise as he can, let him praise as we are not able. Still, thanks be to Him, who hath tempered His own praise in this Psalm, so that both strong and weak may assay it. For in the mission of His
Exod. 3, servant Moses, when He said, Am that Am, and thou
. . .
14
ib. 15.
shall say to the sons of Israel, He who Is hath sent me to you since difficult for the human mind to conceive the fact of His special Being, and a man was sent to men, though not by man forthwith God tempered His praise, and said this of Himself, which could sweetly be appre hended; He would not abide in that praise which the worshipper could not attain to. Go, said he, tell the sons of Israel, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
;
;
I
it is
if
a
I, I
is
is,
I
if is
;
is
?
it ;
;
Instanced in the Children of Israel. 131
and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you. This is My Name Ver. for ever. Seeing, O Lord, Thou bast that former Name, ---- --
because Thou hast also said, I Am : He Who Is, hath sent
me to you ; why didst Thou forthwith change Thy Name
so as to say, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, Exod. 3, and the God of Jacob ? Does not the force of it seem to
you to answer and say, That I said, I Am that I Am, is
true, but thou dost not comprehend it; that I said, / am the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, is true, and thou dost understand it? That I Am that I
Am, belongs to Me; but that I am the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, belongs to thee.
And if thou art unable to see what I am to Myself, under
stand what I am to thee. And that no one may think
that what God said, I Am that I Am, and, He Who Is,
hath sent me unto you, is His only Eternal Name, but
that what He said, / am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, is His temporal Name, God
took not care when He said, I Am that I Am, and He Who
Is hath sent me to you, to say that this His Name is eternal; for though He said not this, it would be so understood. For He is, and truly and for the very reason that He truly Is,
He Is without beginning or end. But as for man He is, am the God Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob lest men should feel anxiety, because this not eternal but temporal, He hath assured us, that He leads us to eternal life out of temporal things. This, He says, My Name for ever, not because Abraham or Isaac or Jacob are eternal, but because God makes them eternal afterwards for ever. They had indeed beginning, but shall have no end.
In Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, understand His whole church, understand the whole seed of Israel; but all the seed of Israel not alone that of the flesh, but that also which of faith. For the Apostle spake to the Gentiles,
to whom he said, If then ye be Christ's, then are ye Gal. Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise. We then are
all blessed in the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
He blessed indeed certain tree, and created an olive,
as the Apostle has said, even the holy Patriarchs, from
K 2
a
a
it
3,
7. is
is
; of
is,
is is /
132 Christians the true Israel.
Psalm whence the people of God grew; but this olive was pruned,
cxxxv.
Rom.
cuj. down, and from thence the proud branches were broken off, that the blasphemous and impious people of the Jews. Yet good and useful branches remained, for from thence were the Apostles. And as some useful branches had been left, by God's mercy the wild olive of the Gentiles was grafted in, to whom the Apostle said, But thou when thou wast a wild olive wert grafted among them, and wert made a partaker of the fatness of the olive-tree. Boast not thyself against the branches. But thou boastest, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. This the one tree
which belongeth to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and, which more, the grafted wild-olive belongeth more to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, than the branches which were broken off. They by reason of the breaking off are not there now; but the wild-olive was not once, and now. They deserved to be broken off by reason of their pride that gained grace to be grafted in by its humility. They lost the root, that retains it. Since then ye are called the Israel of God, the Israel who belongeth to God, do not thereafter make yourselves strange to Him. Ye were^a wild-olive, but now ye are an olive, partakers of the fatness of the olive. For would ye know how the wild-olive has been grafted into Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; lest ye think yourselves not to belong to this olive, because ye belong not to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh When the Lord wondered at the faith of that Centurion, who was not of the people of Israel, but of the people of
Matt. 8,the Gentiles; Wherefore, saith He, tell you, that many shall come from the east and west. Behold now the wild- olive in the hand of the grafter. Many shall come from the east and the west. We see what bears that which to be grafted in, let us see where He grafteth it. And they shall sit down, He says, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. We see both what He grafted, and where He grafted it. What saiih He of the proud natural branches. But the children of the kingdom shall go into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The fact was foretold, the fact was accomplished.
8. Therefore, Sing praises to the Lord, for He
sweet.
is
is ? ;
is
/
if is
is
i|
is,
By God's Grace, not their own Merit. 1 33
And note what He hath done for us. For the Lord hath Vp. r.
' 5-
chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His own possession. Praise Him, sing praises to Him, because He hath done these things. I say such words as ye can comprehend. The other nations
He put under the Angels; the Lord chose Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession. He made His own people the field which He cultivated, which He
sowed Himself; although He made all nations, He com
mitted the others to the Angels ; this He designed to be possessed and preserved by Himself, this people, this Jacob.
By its merits, or of His own grace ? He says of them
who are not yet born, The elder shall serve the younger : so Rom. 9, says the Apostle. What merit could they who are not yet 12' born possess, before either of them had done either good or
evil ? Let not Jacob therefore extol himself, let him not boast himself, or ascribe it to his own merits. He was known before, predestinated before, elected before, not elected for his own merits, but found out, and gifted with life by the grace of God. So with all the Gentiles ; for how did the wild-olive deserve, that it should be grafted in, from the bitterness of its berries, lhe barrenness of its wildness ? It was the wood of the wilderness, not of the Lord's field, and yet He of His mercy grafted the wild-olive into the (true) olive. But up to this time the wild-olive was not grafted in, since the Lord chose Jacob to Himself, and Israel for His own possession.
I
that the Lord is great. With mind flying upward, raised above the flesh, passing beyond the creature, he knew that
9. And what says the Prophet ? Because
have known v. 5.
the Lord is great. Not all can know by seeing ; let them praise what He hath done. {The Lord) is street, the Lord hath chosen Jacob to Himself, Israelfor His own possession.
Hence too praise Him. For further, /
have known that the
Lord is great. The Prophet spoke who entered into the 2 Cor. sanctuary of God, who heard by chance unspeakable words, 12' 4"
which it is not lawful for man to utter; who said what could be said to man, who reserved to himself what could not be said. Let him then be heard as far as we can, and believed where we cannot. Let him be heard as far as we can, Because the Lord hath chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for
134 God's Greatness known through His Works.
Psalm his own possession; let him be believed as far as we cannot, cx:txv' because he himself knew that the Lord is great. If we should say to him, we ask thee, explain to us His greatness ; would he not perchance answer us, He whom I see is not so very great, if He be able to be expounded by me. Let him then return to His works, and tell us. Let him hold in his conscience the greatness of God, which he has seen, which he has committed to our faith, whither he could not lead our eyes, and enumerate some of the things which the Lord hath done here ; that unto us, who cannot
see His greatness as he can, He may become sweet through the works of His which we can comprehend. Because, says he, / know that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods. What gods ? As the Apostle says,
^
Cor. 8, Though there he who are called gods in heaven and in earth, as there are gods many, and lords many; but to us there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things, and we in Him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him. Men may be called gods. For it
/ have said, Ye are gods, and all the sons of the Highest; is not God above men? But what is there great in this, if God is above men ? God is also above Angels, because the Angels did not make God, but God made the Angels ; and He Who made all things must needs be above all which He has made. He therefore knowing the greatness of the Lord, and seeing Him to be above every creature, not merely corporeal but spiritual, says, He is a great King above all gods, He is the highest God, Who has no god above Him. Let him tell us His works. They are understood.
10. All whatsoever the Lord willed, He made in the heaven, and in the earth, in the sea, and in all its deep places. Who can comprehend these things ? Who can enumerate the works of the Lord in the heaven and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places ? Yet if we cannot comprehend them all, we should believe and hold them without question, because whatever creature is in heaven, whatever is in earth, whatever is in the sea and in all deep places, has been made by the Lord, because all that He
PH. 82,i. is said, God stood in the congregation of gods. It is said,
lb. 6.
v. 6.
His Works all done of His own Free-will, 135
willed, that He made, in heaven and earth, in the sea, and Ver. in all deep places, as we have just now said. He was nol -- forced to make all that He made, but all that He willed He made. His will
was the cause of all things which He made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not
make thou wouldest be left without habitation
compels thee to make home, not free-will. Thou makest garment, because thou wouldest go about naked thou
didst not make it; thou art therefore led to making garment by necessity, not by free-will. Thou plantest mountain with vines, thou sowest seed, because thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food; all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made things of His goodness. He needed nothing that He made and therefore He hath made all things that He willed.
11. Dost thou think, 'we too have what we do of free
necessity
The things we have spoken of, we do of necessity, we did not do them, we should be needy and
will
because
helpless.
We do indeed, when we praise God, through loving Him. This indeed thou doest of free-will, when thou lovest that which thou praisest for this not of necessity, but because pleaseth thee. Therefore God pleaseth the just and His saints even when He scourgeth them. When He displeaseth all
the unjust, He pleaseth them; and though they are subject
to his rod, though in toils, in labours, in wounds, want,
they praise God; He displeaseth them not, though He even torment them. This free love, not for the receipt of specified pay, because God Himself will be thy highest reward, Whom thou lovest freely, and so oughtest to love,
as not to cease to desire Him for thy reward, as Him Who
alone can satisfy thee; as Philip desired Him, when He said,
Shew us the Father, and satisfieth us. Rightly,JohnH, because we do this of free-will, and we ought to do this of8, free-will, because we do so of our pleasure we do so of our
love, because though we be chastened by Him, He never
ought to displease us, for He always just. Thus spoke
His worshipper, Upon me, God, are Thy tons, which
will pay, praise to Thee. And in another place, will ps's^e. offer Thee free-will offerings. What means, will offer
Do we find any thing which we do of free-will
Pa. 56,
/
if
:
of
O
is
is
;
is it
a
/in if
I
it ? aa
;
? ' if
a
it,
;
136 God doeth all that He willeth in Heaven and Earth.
Psalm Thee free-offerings? I will freely praise Thee. For He J""'- saith, The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me. If thou wert
23. '
compelled to offer thy Lord a sacrifice, pleasing and accept able to Him, as formerly sacrifices were vowed for a shadow of things to come, perchance thou wouldest not find a fitting bull in thy herds, or a he-goat in thy goats worthy of the altar of the Lord, or a ram in thy sheepfolds a worthy victim for thy Lord; and not finding them, thou wouldest be troubled what to do, and wouldest perchance say to God, 1 would and had not. Canst thou say of praise, I
would and had not ? The very wish is praise. God seeketh not words from thee, but the heart. Lastly, thou mayest say, I had no tongue. If any one by sickness be dumb, he has no tongue, but he has praise. For if God had ears of llesh, and needed the sound of thy body, as long as thou remainest without a tongue, thou wouldest remain without
14'
on earth to men ofgood will.
12. That God then, Who is omnipotent, did whatsoever
He willed in the heaven and earth, thou doest not all thou willest in thine own house. He did whatsoever He willed in the heaven and earth: do thou do all that thou willest even in thy field. Thou willest many things, but canst not do all thou wishest in thy own house. Thy wife perchance gainsays thee, thy children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy slave contumaciously gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou willest. But thou sayest, I do what I will, because
1 punish the disobedient and gainsayer. Even this thou doest not when thou willest. Sometimes thou wouldest punish, and canst not; sometimes thou threatenest, and diest before thou doest what thou threatenest. Do we think thou doest in thyself what thou willest? Dost thou bridle all thy lusts ? Perchance thou dost ; dost thou even bring about,
But now, as He seeketh for the heart, looketh into the heart, is the witness, the judge, the approver, the helper, the giver of the crown within, it is enough that thou open
praise.
Rom. 1o, thy will. When thou canst, thou confessest with thy mouth '"' to salvation ; when thou canst not, thou believest with the heart to justification. Thou praisest with the heart, blessest with the heart ; with the heart thou placest sacred victims
Luke 2, on the altar of conscience, and the answer to thee is, Peace
Man cannot even in himself. 137
that the lusts thou bridlest do not rise up ? Verily thou Ver.
wishest this, not to be vexed with the importunity of thy il lusts, and yet, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and
But our God did whatsoever He would, in the heaven and earth. May He give thee grace, that thou tnayest do in thyself what thou willest, for except by His help, thou doest not in thyself what thou willest. Moreover, when he could not do in himself what he would, who said, The
flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, so that ye cannot do the things ye would; when he bewailed himself, I / delight in the law of God,
see another law in my wieMi-22'33, bers warring against the law of my mind, and making
me captive to the law of sin, which is in my members; because, not only in his house, not only in his field, but
in his flesh, and even in his spirit, he fulfilled not what
he would; he cried to God, Who did whatsoever He would in heaven and earth; and said, Wretched man that lh. 24. / am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death !
And as if He Who is good, He Who is sweet, had answered
him, straightway he adds, Thanks be to God, through Jesus ib. 25. Christ our Lord. Love therefore this Sweetness, praise this Sweetness. Understand hereby God, Who did whatsoever He would in the heaven and earth; He will do in you also what
ye will ; by His help ye shall fulfil your will. But while
ye cannot, confess to Him; when ye shall be able,
give Him thanks; when ye fall, cry to Him; when ye are raised up, be not high-minded. He therefore did whatsoever He would in heaven and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places.
13. Raising the clouds from the ends of the earth, ver. 7. We see these works of God in His creation. For the clouds come from the ends of the earth to the midst thereof,
and rain ; thou scannest not whence they arise. Hence the prophet signifies this, from the ends of the earth, whether it
be from the bottom, or from the circumference of the ends of the earth, whencesoever He wills He raises the clouds, only from the earth. He hath made lightnings into rain. For
after the inner man, but
saying, Rom. 7,
Psalm
John 3,
ver. 8.
ver. 9.
138 God's mighty works in behalf of His People.
lightnings without rain would frighten thee, and bestow nothing on thee. He tnaketh lightnings unto rain. It lightens, and thou tremblest; it rains, thou rejoicest. He hath made lightnings unto rain. He Who terrified thee, Himself causest that thou shouldest rejoice. Who bringeth the winds out of His treasures, their causes are hidden, thou knowest not whence they come. When the wind blows, thou feelest it; why it blows, or from what treasure of His wisdom it is brought forth, thou knowest not; yet thou owest to God the worship of faith, for it would not blow unless He had bidden Who made unless He had brought forth Who created it.
14. We see therefore these things in that work of His; we praise, we marvel at, we bless God let us see what He has done among men for His people. Who smote thefirst-bom of Egypt. But withal those divine doings are told which thou mightest love, those are not told which thou mightest fear. Attend, and see that also when He angry, He doeth what He willeth. He smote the first-born Egypt, from man even unto beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, Egypt Ye know, ye have read what the hand of the Lord did by Moses in Egypt, to crush and cast down the proud Egyptians, on Pharaoh and on all his servants. Little did He in Egypt what did He after His
was led out thence Who smote many nations, who possessed that land, which God willed to give His ver. 11. people. And slew mighty kings, Sehon king of the Amorites,
and Og the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. All these things which the Psalm records simply, do we read likewise in others of the Lord's books, and there the hand of the Lord great. When thou seest what has been done to the wicked, take heed lest be done to thee. For such things were done to them, that thou mightest pass by and not follow them, and not suffer such things. Yet see that the rod of the Lord over all flesh. Do not think that thou art not seen when thou sinnest; do not
think thou art despised; do not think that the Lord sleepeth; take note of the examples of God's benefits; when thou thinkest of these things, and when thou thinkest on God's vengeance, fear. He Almighty, both to comfort and to
ver. ]o. people
is
is
O !
is
it
is
?
:;
of
it,
it
The Mystical meaning thereof. 189 chastise. Therefore are these things useful when they are Vfr.
read. But when the good man sees what the wicked has suffered, let him cleanse himself from all iniquity, lest he
fall into a like punishment, a like chastisement. Then ye
have thoroughly understood these things. What did God then? He drove out the wicked, And he gave their landver. w.
for an inheritance, even an inheritance to Israel His servant.
15. Then follows the loud cry of His praise. Thyver. 13. Name, O Lord, is for ever and ever, after all these things
which Thou hast done. For what do I see that Thou hast
done ? I behold Thy creation which Thou hast made in heaven, I behold this lower part, where we dwell, and here
I see Thy gifts of clouds, and winds, and rain. I regard Thy people ; Thou leddest them from the house of bondage, and didst signs and wonders upon their enemies. Thou punishedst those who caused them trouble, Thou dravest the wicked from their land, Thou killedst their kings, Thou
gavest their land to Thy people :
proclaims His handy-work. For were not the people of F<? iCor. 3,
God the earth of God, the Apostle would not have said, I
are God's building, God's husbandry ; as a wise architect,
lay the foundation, another buildeth upon it. Therefore we
are the building of God, and the field of God. Wlw, says 1 Cor. 9, Ihe,planteth a vineyard, andreceiveth not ofthefruit thereof? 7'
have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Cor. 3, So in His Church, among His preachers, among His people,6,
just as in earth and heaven, He did whatsoever He willed.
^
I have seen all these things, and filled with joy have said, Lord, Thy Name is for
ever and ever.
16. We see these things according to the literal meaning Mysti-
of what is written, we know and praise them. But if theyterpret- have a further meaning, let me not be burdensome while Ij? ion of expound them according to my ability. For behold among vious men can I discern, that He did whatsoever He willed in theTerse>>. heaven and earth. By the sky of heaven, I understand *er. 6. spiritual men ; by the earth, carnal ; for of these two, heaven and earth, consists the Church of God, and preaching belongeth to spiritual men, obedience to carnal ones. For
the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament Ps. 19,1.
9 10
140 Clouds represent Preachers of the Gospel.
Psalm Not alone in them. He did whatsoever He willed in the Cxxxv- sea, and in all deep places. The sea is all unbelievers, all who do not yet believe ; and He hath done whatsoever He would among them ; for unbelievers rage not, unless they be
permitted, nor are they punished, when they are obstinate, unless He command Who has made all nations. Suppose it is sea, and not land, is it the less subject to the power of God Almighty ? He did whatsoever He would on the sea, and in all deep places. What are the deep places ? The hidden hearts of mortals, the deep thoughts of men. And
Ps. 11, how does God do there what He willeth ? Because the Lord
"'
Wisd. 1, written elsewhere, For inquisition shall be made into the
'''
thoughts of the ungodly. Therefore He hath done what soever He would in all deep places. The good heart lies hid, the evil heart lies hid ; there is a deep place in the good heart, and in the bad ; but these things are naked before God, from Whom nothing is hid. He cheers the good heart, He torments the evil. Therefore He hath done all that He would in the sky and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places,
trieth the just and the wicked; for he who loveth iniquity, hateth his own life. And where doth He try him ? It is
ver. 7. 17. Raising the clouds from the ends of the earth. What clouds? The preachers of the word of His Truth. Of which clouds in another place, when angry with His vineyard, He
it.
/ will order
Is. 5, 6. says, My
rain no rain
clouds that
And it is a small thing that He raised the clouds from
Jerusalem and Israel, which He sent to preach His Gospel Ps. 19,4. in the whole world ; of which clouds it is said, Their sound
is gone out into every land, and their words into the ends of
the world. This is a small thing; but since the Lord Himself
John24,saith, This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the
14,
whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall be the end, He raiseth the clouds from the ends of the earth. For as the Gospel groweth, whence will be there preachers of the Gospel in the ends of the earth, unless He raise up clouds from the ends of the earth. But what doeth He
with the clouds? He turned lightnings to rain. He changed threats into pity. After their terror, He watered them. How did He water them after their terror? When God threateneth thee by a Prophet or Apostle, and thou fearest, doth not the
they
upon
Faith is our First-born.
141
flashing frighten you ? But when thou turnest in penitence,
and admittest that this is done by mercy, the terror of His 8" lightning changes to rain. Who bringeth the winds out
of His treasures. I understand the same preachers both
by clouds and winds, the former
the latter of the spirit. For clouds are seen, winds are felt
vEr.
to the winds, and because we know not the spirit of man, whence it cometh, Bringing, He says, the winds out of His John 3, treasures. Attend awhile, and ye shall see the rest. 8"
18. Who smote the first-born of Egypt, from man even ver. 8. unto beast. Our first-born is safe by the Lord, because
and not seen.
He bringeth, says He, the clouds from the ends of the world. He had declared, whence He brings the clouds. He cometh
by reason of the flesh,
Lastly, since we see that flesh is of the earth,
He has given it to us. For that punishment is harmful, tbatExod. blow is too terrible, even the death of the first-born. What is I2' l8" our first-born ? These moral powers of ours, by which we
now serve God, are our first-born.
We have faith as the begin. For He saith to the Church, Thou shall come and shall pass through, from the
first-fruits, whence we
beginnings offaith. And no one begins to live well, save cant. 4, by faith. Our faith therefore is in our first-born. Wben*|in*tB our faith is guarded, other things can follow. For since
men are cleansed daily by growing better, and by living
better, the inner man being renewed day by day, (as the Apostle says, And if our outer man perish, our inner 2 Cor. 4,
man is renewed day by day,) hence it follows, that our16, first-born faith lives, of which first-born faith the Apostle speaks, but not only they, but we ourselves who have the Rom 8,
first-fruits of the Spirit, that is, who give already to God the 23- first-fruits of our spirit, that faith as our first-born nevertheless, groan in ourselves, wailing our adoption, the redemption of our body. If then great grace of God
that our faith preserved, great punishment to slay the first-born, when men lose their faith being involved in the afflictions of the Church. For they afflict the Church when they lose their faith, for affliction meant by Egypt. Whoever therefore afflicts the Church, whoever causes offences to the Church, though he be called a Christian,
yet his first-born dead. They will be infidel, worthless,
is
is
is a
is
it is a
is,
it
;
142 'Man and beast' are the learned and unlearned.
Psalm they will have name and sign only, but they have buried
tne,r first-born in their hearts; so much so, that when thou 1. shalt have said any thing to him about good living, about the hope of eternal life, about the fear of eternal fire, he will mutter to himself; or if he be such as to dare before thee, he turns his face and says, Who hath returned hither from thence? men say to themselves what they will.
And yet he is a Christian; but because he afflicts us, his first-born is slain, his faith is dead, and this from man even unto beast. I will tell you, brethren, what I mean. I understand that men are spiritually meant to be the learned, on account of the rational mind which is man'; beasts the unlearned, but yet having faith, else they would not have a first-born. It is the learned who afflict the Church, by creating schism and heresy. Wherefore ye find no faith in them, because they are become Egypt, that an affliction to the people of God. Their first-born slain, they draw after them an unlearned crowd, these are beasts. In this affliction then, wherewith the Church afflicted, the faith of them who afflict her perishes. The first-born dies of the learned and unlearned, because God slew the first-born of Egypt from man even unto beast.
19. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. Pharaoh the king of the Egyptians. Observe the name, and note
how God doeth these things. The king of every nation the highest one. Egypt affliction. Pharaoh dispersion. Affliction therefore has dispersion for its king, because they who afflict the Church, are dispersed when they afflict it. For that they may afflict they are scattered, as the king leads, the people follow dispersion goes before, affliction follows. Listen ye, listen ye to these names full of typical meaning and wisdom. You will find not one of these names, which means any good thing, where God hath displayed His wrath,
v. io. li.
Rev*3
20. He smote many nations, and slew strong kings. Tell
Pharaoh, nj? "lS means king in and its cognate languages. The word
Coptic. St. Augustin appear- to have used in the >>ense of lawless or deiived this mystical interpretation of unbridled m Prov. 29, 18. according the word from the radical meaning of to <he best interpretation, unless indeed dispersion or division, contained in all tlle word compared with Pharex words beginning with 15 in Hebrew, V^? -
is
is
is,
is
J
is
;
it,
is
isd
is
is
Mystical meanings of Sehon and Og. 143
me, what kings and what nations? Sehon, king of the Ver.
Amorites. Listen to names pregnant with 'sacramental -l?