(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was 
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)

Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves 
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing initially 
before a vowel; 3. = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi = 
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute = 
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe, 
when necessary.


ST. AUGUSTIN

EXPOSITIONS ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS

[Translated by the Rev. J. E. Tweed, M.A., chaplain of Christ Church, 
Oxford; T. Scratton, Esq., M.A., of Christ Church; the Rev. H.M. Wilkins, 
M.A., of Merton College, Oxford; ?the Rev. Charles Marriot, of Oriel 
College; ?the Rev. H. Walford, Vice-Principal of St. Edmund's Hall; at 
least one anonymous contributor. Abridged from the six volumes of the Oxford 
Series by A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D.]

PSALMS 31-41: FROM THE 1ST BOOK OF THE PSALMS


PSALM XXXI.[4]

TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF, AN ECSTASY.[5]

    1. To the end a Psalm of David Himself, the Mediator strong of hand in 
persecutions. For the word ecstasy, which is added to the title, signifies 
a transport of the mind, which is produced either by a panic, or by some 
revelation. But in this Psalm the panic of the people of God troubled by 
the persecution of all the heathen, and by the failing of faith throughout 
the world, is principally seen. But first the Mediator Himself speaks: then 
the People redeemed by His Blood gives thanks: at last in trouble it speaks 
at length, which is what belongs to the ecstasy; but the Person of the 
Prophet himself is twice interposed, near the end, and at the end.

    2. "In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me not be put to confusion for 
ever" (ver. 1). In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me never be 
confounded, whilst they shall insult Me as one like other men. "In Thy 
righteousness rescue Me, and deliver Me." And in Thy righteousness rescue 
Me from the pit of death, and deliver Me out of their company.

    3. "Bend down Thine ear unto Me" (ver. 2). Hear Me in My humiliation, 
nigh at hand unto Me. "Make haste to deliver Me." Defer not to the end of 
the world, as with all who believe on Me, My separation from sinners. "Be 
unto Me a God who protecteth Me." Be unto Me God, and Protector. "And a 
house of refuge, that Thou mayest save Me." And as a house, wherein taking 
refuge I may be saved.

    4. "For Thou art My strength, and My refuge" (ver. 3). For Thou art 
unto Me My strength to bear My persecutors, and My refuge to escape them. 
"And for Thy Name's sake Thou shalt be My guide, and shalt nourish Me." And 
that by Me Thou mayest be known to all the Gentiles. I will in all things 
follow Thy will; and, by assembling, by degrees, Saints unto Me, Thou shall 
fulfil My body, and My perfect stature.

    5. "Thou shalt bring Me out of this trap, which they have hidden for 
Me" (ver. 4). Thou shalt bring Me out of these snares, which they have 
hidden for Me. "For Thou art My Protector. "

    6. "Into Thy hands I commend My Spirit" (ver. 5). To Thy power I 
commend My Spirit, soon to receive It back. "Thou hast redeemed Me, O Lord 
God of truth?" Let the people too, redeemed by the Passion of their Lord, 
and joyful in the glorifying of their Head, say, "Thou hast redeemed me, O 
Lord God of truth."

    7. "Thou hatest them that hold to vanity uselessly" (ver. 6). Thou 
hatest them that hold to the false happiness of the world. "But I have 
trusted in the Lord."

    8. "I will be glad, and rejoice in Thy mercy:" which doth not deceive 
me. "For Thou hast regarded My humiliation:" wherein Thou hast subjected me 
to vanity in hope.[1] "Thou hast saved my soul from necessities" (ver. 7). 
Thou hast saved my soul from the necessities of fear, that with a free love 
it may serve Thee.

    9. "And hast not shut me up into the hands of the enemy" (ver. 8). And 
hast not shut me up, that I should have no opening for recovering unto 
liberty, and be given over for ever into the power of the devil, ensnaring 
me with the desire of this life, and terrifying me with death. "Thou hast 
set my feet in a large room." The resurrection of my Lord being known, and 
mine own bring promised me, my love, having been brought out of the straits 
of fear, walks abroad in continuance, into the expanse of liberty.

    10. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am troubled" (ver. 9). But what is 
this unlooked-for cruelty of the persecutors, striking such dread into me? 
"Have mercy on me, O Lord." For I am now no more alarmed for death, but for 
torments and tortures. "Mine eye hath been disordered by anger." I had mine 
eye upon Thee, that Thou shouldest not abandon me: Thou art angry, and hast 
disordered it. "My soul, and my belly." By the same anger my soul hath been 
disturbed, and my memory, whereby I retained what my God hath suffered for 
me, and what He hath promised me.

    11. "For my life hath failed in pain" (ver 10). For my life is to 
confess Thee, but it failed in pain, when the enemy had said, Let them be 
tortured until they deny Him. "And my years in groanings." The time that I 
pass in this world is not taken away from me by death, but abides, and is 
spent in groanings. "My strength hath been weakened by want" I want the 
heath of this body, and racking pains come on me: I want the dissolution of 
the body, and death forbears to come: and in this want my confidence hath 
been weakened. "And my bones have been disturbed." And my stedfastness hath 
been disturbed.

    12. "I have been made a reproach above all mine enemies" (ver 11). All 
the wicked are my enemies; and nevertheless they for their wickednesses are 
tortured only till they confess: I then have overpassed their reproach, I, 
whose confession death doth not follow, but racking pains follow upon it. 
"And to my neighbours too much." This hath seemed too much to them, who 
were already drawing near to know Thee, and to hold the faith that I hold. 
"And a fear to mine acquaintance." And into my very acquaintance I struck 
fear by the example of my dreadful tribulation. "They that did see me, fled 
without from me." Because they did not understand my inward and invisible 
hope, they fled from me into things outward and visible.

    13. "I have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart" (ver. 12). And 
they have forgotten me, as if I were dead from their hearts. "I have become 
as a lost vessel." I have seemed to myself to be lost to all the Lord's 
service, living in this world, and gaining none, when all were afraid to 
join themselves unto me.

    14. "For I have heard the rebuking of many dwelling by in a circuit" 
(ver. 13). For I have heard many rebuking me, in the pilgrimage of this 
world near me, following the circuit of time, and refusing to return with 
me to the eternal country. "Whilst they were assembling themselves together 
against me, they conspired that they might take my soul." That my soul, 
which should by death easily escape from their power, might consent unto 
them, they imagined a device, whereby they would not suffer me even to die.

    15. "But I have hoped in Thee, O Lord; I have said, Thou art my God" 
(ver. 14). For Thou hast not changed, that Thou shouldest not save, Who 
dost correct

    16. "In Thy hands" are "my lots" (ver. 15). In Thy power are my lots. 
For I see no desert for which out of the universal ungodliness of the human 
race Thou hast elected me particularly to salvation. And though there be 
with Thee some just and secret order in my election, yet I, from whom this 
is hid, have attained by lot unto my Lord's vesture.[2] "Deliver me from 
the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me,"

    17. "Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant" (ver. 16). Make it known 
to men, who do not think that I belong unto Thee, that Thy Face is bent 
upon me, and that I serve Thee. "Save me in Thy mercy."

    18. "O Lord, let me not be confounded, for I have called upon Thee" 
(ver. 17). O Lord, let me not be put to shame by those who insult me, for 
that I have called upon Thee. "Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought 
down to hell." Let them rather who call upon stones be ashamed, and made to 
dwell with darkness.[1]

    19. "Let the deceitful lips be made dumb" (ver. 18). In making known to 
the peoples Thy mysteries wrought in me, strike with dumb amazement the 
lips of them that invent falsehood of me. "Which speak iniquity against the 
Righteous, in pride and contempt." Which speak iniquity against Christ, in 
their pride and contempt of Him as a crucified man.

    20. "How great" is "the multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord" (ver. 19). 
Here the Prophet exclaims, having sight of all this, and admiring how 
manifoldly plenteous is Thy sweetness, O Lord. "Which Thou hast hid for 
them that fear Thee." Even those, whom Thou correctest, Thou lovest much: 
but lest they should go on negligently from relaxed security, Thou hidest 
from them the sweetness of Thy love, for whom it is profitable to fear 
Thee. "Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee." But Thou hast 
perfected this sweetness for them that hope in Thee. For Thou dost not 
withdraw from them what they look for perseveringly even unto the end. "In 
sight of the sons of men." For it does not escape the notice of the sons of 
men, who now live no more after Adam, but after the Son of Man. "Thou wilt 
hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance:" which seat Thou shalt 
preserve for everlasting in the hidden place of the knowledge of Thee for 
them that hope in Thee. "From the troubling of men." So that now they 
suffer no more trouble from men.

    21. "Thou writ protect them in Thy tabernacle from the contradiction of 
tongues" (ver. 20). But here meanwhile whilst evil tongues murmur against 
them, saying, Who hath come thence? Thou wilt protect them in the 
tabernacle, that of faith in those things, which the Lord wrought and 
endured for us in time.

    22. "Blessed be the Lord; for He hath made His mercy marvellous, in the 
city of compassing" (ver. 21). Blessed be the Lord, for after the 
correction of the sharpest persecutions He hath made His mercy marvellous 
to all throughout the world, in the circuit of human society.[2]

    23. "I said in my ecstasy"[3] (ver. 22). Whence that people again 
speaking saith, I said in my fear, when the heathen were raging horribly 
against me. "I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine eyes." For if 
Thou hadst regard to me, Thou wouldest not suffer me to endure these 
things. "Therefore Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I 
cried unto Thee." Therefore putting a limit to correction, and showing that 
I have part in Thy care, Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, 
when I raised it high[4] out of tribulation.

    24. "Love the Lord, all ye His saints" (ver. 23). The Prophet again 
exhorts, having sight of these things, and saith, "Love the Lord, all ye 
His saints; for the Lord will require truth." Since "if the righteous shall 
scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear?"[5] "And 
He will repay them that do exceeding proudly." And He will repay them who 
even when conquered are not converted, because they are very proud.

    25. "Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened" (ver. 24): 
working good without fainting, that ye may reap in due season. "All ye who 
trust in the Lord:" that is, ye who duly fear and worship Him, trust ye in 
the Lord.

PSALM XXXII.[2]

TO DAVID HIMSELF; FOR UNDERSTANDING.

    1. To David himself; for understanding; by which it is understood that 
not by the merits of works, but by the grace of God, man his delivered, 
confessing his sins.

    2. "Blessed are they whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sins 
are covered" (ver. 1): and whose sins are buried in oblivion. "Blessed is 
the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, nor is there guile in his 
mouth" (ver. 2): nor has he in his mouth boastings of righteousness, when 
his conscience is full of sins.

    3. "Because I kept silence, my bones waxed old:" because I made not 
with my mouth "confession unto salvation,"[7] all firmness in me  has grown 
old in infirmity. "Through my roaring all the day long" (ver. 3): when I 
was ungodly and a blasphemer, crying against God, as though defending and 
excusing my sins.

    4. "Because day and night Thy Hand was heavy upon me:" because, through 
the continual punishment of Thy scourges, "I was turned in misery, while a 
thorn was fixed through me" (ver. 4): I was made miserable by knowing my 
misery, being pricked with an evil conscience.

    5. "I acknowledged my sin, and my unrighteousness have I not hid:" that 
is, my unrighteousuess have I not concealed.[1] "I said, I will confess 
against myself my unrighteousness to the Lord :" I said, I will confess, 
not against God (as in my ungodly crying, when I kept silence), but against 
myself, my unrighteousness to the Lord. "And Thou forgavest the iniquity of 
my heart" (ver. 5); hearing the word of confession in the heart, before it 
was uttered with the voice.

    6. "For this shall every one that is holy pray unto Thee in an 
acceptable time:" for this wickedness of heart shall every one that is 
righteous pray unto Thee. For not by their own merits will they be holy, 
but by that acceptable time, that is, at His coming, who redeemed us from 
sin. "Nevertheless in the flood of great waters they shall not come nigh 
him" (ver. 6): nevertheless, let none think, when the end has come 
suddenly, as in the days of Noah,[2] that there remaineth a place of 
confession, whereby he may draw nigh unto God.

    7. "Thou art my refuge from the pressures, which have compassed me 
about:" Thou art my refuge from the pressure of my sins, which hath 
compassed my heart. "O Thou, my Rejoicing, deliver me from them that 
compass me about" (ver. 7): in Thee is my joy: deliver me from the sorrow 
which my sins bring upon me.

    8. Diapsalma. The answer of God: "I will give thee understanding, and 
will set thee in the way in which thou shalt go;" I will give thee 
understanding after confession, that thou depart not from the way in which 
thou shouldest go; lest thou wish to be in thine own power. "I will fix 
Mine Eyes upon thee" (ver. 8); so will make sure upon thee My Love.

    9. "Be not ye like unto horse or mule, which have no understanding:" 
and therefore would govern themselves. But saith the Prophet, "Hold in 
their jaws with bit and bridle." Do Thou then, O God, unto them "that will 
not come nigh Thee"  (ver. 9), what man doth to horse and mule, that by 
scourges Thou make them to bear Thy rule.

    10. "Many are the scourges of the sinner:" much is he scourged, who, 
confessing not his sins to God, would be his own ruler. "But he that 
trusteth in the Lord, mercy compasseth him about" (ver. 10); but he that 
trusteth in the Lord, and submitteth himself to His rule, mercy shall 
compass him about.

11. "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous:" be glad, and rejoice, 
ye righteous, not in yourselves, but in the Lord. "And glory, all ye that 
are right in heart" (ver. 11): and glory in Him, all ye who understand that 
it is right to be subject unto Him, that so ye may be placed above all 
things beside.

PSALM XXXIII.[3]

    1. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous:" rejoice, O ye righteous, not 
in yourselves, for that is not safe; but in the Lord. "For praise is comely 
to the upright" (ver. 1): these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto 
the Lord; for else they are distorted and perverse.

    2. "Praise the Lord with harp:" praise the Lord, presenting unto Him 
your bodies a living sacrifice.[4] "Sing unto Him with the psaltery for ten 
strings" (ver. 2): let your members be servants to the love of God, and of 
your neighbour, in which are kept both the three and the seven 
commandments.[5]

    3. "Sing unto Him a new song:" sing unto Him a song of the grace of 
faith. "Sing skilfully unto Him with jubilation" (ver. 3): sing skillfully 
unto Him with rejoicing.

    4. "For the Word of the Lord is right:" for the Word of the Lord is 
right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. "And all His 
works are done in faith" (ver. 4): lest any think that by the merit of 
works he hath arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which 
God Himself loveth.

    5. "He loveth Mercy and Judgment:" for He loveth Mercy, which now He 
showeth first; and Judgment, wherewith He exacteth that which He hath first 
shown. "The earth is full is full of the Mercy of the Lord" (ver. 5): 
throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the 
Lord.

    6. "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm:" Lord were the 
righteous made strong. "And all the strength[6] of them by the Breath of 
His Mouth" (ver. 6). And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.

    7. "He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle:" He 
gathered the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, 
lest through pride they flow too freely. "He layeth up the up the deep in 
storehouses" (ver. 7): and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.

    8. "Let all the earth fear the Lord:" let every sinner fear, that so he 
may cease to sin. "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of 
Him" (ver. 8): not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him 
let them stand in awe.

    9. "For He spake, and they were made:" for no other one made those 
things which are to fear; but He spake, and they were made. "He commanded, 
and they were created" (ver. 9): He commanded by His Word,[1] and they were 
created.

    10. "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought;" of them 
that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. "He maketh the 
devices of the people of none effect:" of them that covet earthly 
happiness. "And reproveth the counsels of princes" (ver. 10): of them that 
seek to rule over such peoples.

    11. "But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever;" but the counsel of 
the Lord, whereby He maketh none blessed but him that submitteth unto 
Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts of His Heart to all generations" 
(ver. 11): the thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but endure to all 
generations.

    12. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord:" one nation is 
blessed, belonging to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen save the 
Lord for their God: "And the people whom He hath chosen for His own 
inheritance" (ver. 12): and which not of itself, but by the gift of God, 
hath been chosen, that He by possessing it may not suffer it to be uncared 
for and miserable.

    13. "The Lord looketh from Heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men" 
(ver. 13). From the souls of the righteous, the Lord looketh mercifully 
upon all who would rise to newness of life.

    14. "From His prepared habitation:" from His habitation of assumed 
Humanity, which He prepared for Himself. "He looketh upon all the 
inhabitants of the earth" (ver. 14): He looketh mercifully upon all who 
live in the flesh, that He may be over them in ruling them.

    15. "He fashioneth their hearts singly:" He giveth spiritually to their 
hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor 
the whole heating;[2] but that one in this manner, another in that manner, 
may be incorporated with Christ. "He understandeth all their works" (ver. 
15). Before Him are all their works understood.

    16. "A king shall not be saved by much strength:" he shall not be saved 
who ruleth his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. 
"Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength" (ver. 16): nor shall he 
be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the 
devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.

    17. "A horse is a deceitful thing for safety:" he is deceived, who 
thinketh either that through men he gaineth salvation received among men, 
or that by the impetuosity of his own courage he is defended from 
destruction. "In the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved" (ver. 
17).

    18. "Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him:" because 
if thou seek salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon them that fear 
Him. "Upon them that hope in His mercy" (ver. 18): that hope not in their 
own strength, but in His mercy.

    19. "To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in 
famine" (ver. 19). To give them the nourishment of the Word, and of 
Everlasting Truth, which they lost while presuming on their own strength, 
and therefore have not even their own strength, from lack of righteousness.

    20. "My soul shall be patient for the Lord:" that hereafter it may be 
filled with dainties incorruptible, meanwhile, whilst here it remaineth, my 
soul shall be patient for the Lord. "For He is our Helper and Defender" 
(ver. 20): our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; and our 
Defender, while we resist the adversary.

    21. "For our heart shall rejoice in Him:" for not in ourselves, wherein 
without Him there is great need; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. 
"And we have trusted in His holy Name" (ver. 21); and therefore have we 
trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent hath He sent, 
through faith, His own Name.

    22. "Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in 
Thee" (ver. 22): let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; for hope confoundeth 
not, because we have hoped in Thee.

PSALM XXXIV.[3]

A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS COUNTENANCE BEFORE ABIMELECH, AND HE 
SENT HIM AWAY, AND HE DEPARTED.

    1. Because there was there a sacrifice after the order of Aaron, and 
afterwards He of His Own Body and Blood appointed a sacrifice after the 
order of Melchizedek; He changed then His Countenance in the Priesthood, 
and sent away the kingdom of the Jews, and came to the Gentiles. What then 
is, "He affected"?[4] He was full of affection. For what is so full of 
affection as the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, seeing our infirmity, 
that He might deliver us from everlasting death, underwent temporal death 
with such great injury and contumely? "And He drummed:" because a drum is 
not made, except when a skin is extended on wood; and David drummed, to 
signify that Christ should be crucified. But, "He drummed upon the doors of 
the city:" what are "the doors of the city," but our hearts which we had 
closed against Christ, who by the drum of His Cross hath opened the hearts 
of mortal men? "And was carried in His Own Hands:" how "carried in His Own 
Hands"? Because when He commended His Own Body and Blood, He took into His 
Hands that which the faithful know; and in a manner carried Himself, when 
He said, "This is My Body."[1] "And He fell down at the doors of the gate;" 
that is, He humbled Himself. For this it is, to fall down even at the very 
beginning of our faith. For the door of the gate is the beginning of faith; 
whence beginneth the Church, and arriveth at last even unto sight: that as 
it believeth those things which it seeth not, it may deserve to enjoy them, 
when it shall have begun to see face to face. So is the title of the Psalm; 
briefly we have heard it; let us now hear the very words of Him that 
affecteth, and drummeth upon the doors of the city.

    2. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my 
mouth" (ver. 1). So speaketh Christ, so also let a Christian speak; for a 
Christian is in the Body of Christ; and therefore was Christ made Man, that 
that Christian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, "I will bless 
the Lord at all times." When shall I "bless the Lord"? When He blesseth 
thee? When the goods of this world abound? When thou hast great abundance 
of corn, oil, and wine, of gold and silver, of servants and cattle; when 
this mortal health remaineth unwounded and sound; when all that are born to 
thee grow up, nothing is withdrawn by immature death, happiness wholly 
reigneth in thy house, and all things overflow around thee; then shalt thou 
bless the Lord? No; but "at all times." Therefore both then, and when 
according to the time, or according to the scourges of our Lord God, these 
things are troubled, are taken away, are seldom born to thee, and born pass 
away. For these things come to pass, and thence followeth penury, need, 
labour, pain, and temptation. But thou, who hast sung, "I will bless the 
Lord at all times: His praise shall be ever in my mouth," both when He 
giveth them, bless; and when He taketh them away, bless. For it is He that 
giveth, it is He that taketh away: but Himself from him that blesseth Him 
He taketh not away.

    3. But who is it that blesseth the Lord at all times, except the humble 
in heart. For very humility taught our Lord in His Own Body and Blood: 
because when He commendeth His Own Body and Blood, He commendeth His 
Humility, in that which is written in this history, in that seeming madness 
of David, which we have passed by, "And his spittle ran down over his 
beard."[2] When the Apostle was read,[3] Ye heard the same spittle, but 
running down over the beard. One saith perhaps, What spittle have we heard? 
Was it not read but now, where the Apostle saith, "The Jews require a sign, 
and the Greeks seek after wisdom?" But now it was read, "But we preach," 
saith he, "Christ crucified" (for then He drummed), "unto the Jews a 
stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are 
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of 
God. Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of 
God is stronger than men."[4] For spittle signifieth foolishness; spittle 
signifieth weakness. But if the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and 
the Weakness of God is stronger than men; let not the spittle as it were 
offend thee, but observe that it runneth down over the beard: for as by the 
spittle, weakness; so by the beard, strength is signified. He covered then 
His Strength by the body of His Weakness, and that which without was weak, 
appeared as it were in spittle; but within His Divine Strength was covered 
as a beard. Therefore humility is commended unto us. Be humble if thou 
wouldest bless the Lord at all times, and that His praise should be ever in 
thy mouth. . . 

    4. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times? Because he is 
humble. What is it to be humble? To take not praise unto himself. Who would 
himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou 
not then be proud? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written; 
"In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be 
glad" (ver. 2). Those then who will not be praised in the Lord, are not 
humble, but fierce, rough, lifted up, proud. Gentle cattle would the Lord 
have; be thou the Lord's jumentum; that is, be thou humble. He sitteth upon 
thee, He ruleth thee: fear not lest thou stumble, and fall headlong: that 
indeed is thy infirmity; but consider Who sitteth upon thee. Thou art an 
ass's colt, but thou carriest Christ. For even He on an ass's colt came 
into the city; and that beast was gentle.... "Be not ye as the horse or as 
the mule, which have no understanding."[1] For horse and mule sometimes 
lift up their neck, and by their own fierceness throw off their rider. They 
are tamed with the bit, with bridle, with stripes, until they learn to 
submit, and to carry their master. But thou, before thy jaws are bruised 
with the bridle, be humble, and carry thy Lord: wish not praise for 
thyself, but praised be He who sitteth upon thee, and say thou, "In the 
Lord shall my soul be praised; the humble shall hear thereof, and be 
glad."...

    5. Now followeth, "O magnify the Lord with me" (ver. 3). Who is this 
that exhorteth us, that we should magnify the Lord with him? Whoever, 
Brethren, is in the body of Christ, ought for this to labour, that the Lord 
may be magnified with him. For he loveth the Lord, whoever he is. And how 
doth he love Him? So as not to envy his fellow-lover.... Let them blush who 
so love God as to envy others. Abandoned men love a charioteer, and whoever 
loveth a charioteer or hunter, wisheth the whole people to love with him, 
and exhorteth, saying, Love with me this pantomime, love with me this or 
that shame. He calleth among the people that shame may be loved with him; 
and doth not a Christian call in the Church, that the Truth of God may be 
loved with him? Stir up then love in yourselves, Brethren; and call to 
every one of yours, and say, "O magnify the Lord with me." Let there be in 
you that fervour. Wherefore are these things recited and explained? If ye 
love God, bring quickly to the love of God all who are joined unto you, and 
all who are in your house; if the Body of Christ is loved by you, that is, 
if the unity of the Church, bring them quickly to enjoy, and say, "O 
magnify the Lord with me."

    6. "And let us exalt His Name together."[2] What is, "let us exalt His 
Name together"? That is, in one. For many copies so have it, "O magnify the 
Lord with me; and let us exalt His Name in one."[3] Whether it be said, 
"together," or "in one," it is the same thing. Therefore bring quickly whom 
ye can, by exhorting, by transporting,[4] by beseeching, by disputing, by 
rendering a reason, with meekness, with gentleness. Bring them quickly unto 
love; that if they magnify the Lord, they may magnify Him in one....

    7. "I sought the Lord, and He heard me" (ver. 4). Where heard the Lord? 
Within. Where giveth He? Within. There thou prayest, there thou art heard, 
there thou art blessed. Thou hast prayed, thou art heard, thou art blessed; 
and he knoweth not who standeth by thee: it is all carried on in secret, as 
the Lord saith in the Gospel, "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast 
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which 
seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."[5] When therefore thou enterest 
into thy chamber, thou enterest into thy heart. Blessed are they who 
rejoice when they enter into their heart, and find therein nought of 
evil....

    8. "I sought the Lord, and He heard me." Who then are not heard, seek 
not the Lord. Attend, Holy Brethren;[6] he said not, I sought gold from the 
Lord, and He heard me; I sought from the Lord long life, and He heard me; I 
sought from the Lord this or that, and He heard me. It is one thing to seek 
anything from the Lord, another to seek the Lord Himself. "I sought" (saith 
he) "the Lord, and He heard me." But thou, when thou prayest, saying, Kill 
that my enemy, seekest not the Lord, but, as it were, makest thyself a 
judge over thy enemy, and makest thy God an executioner.[7] How knowest 
thou that he is not better than thou, whose death thou seekest? In that 
very thing haply he is, that he seeketh not thine. Therefore seek not from 
the Lord anything without, but seek the Lord Himself, and He will hear 
thee, and while thou yet speakest, He will say, "Lo, here I am."[8]...

    9. I have said who was the exhorter, namely, that lover who would not 
alone embrace what he loveth, and saith, "Approach unto Him, and be ye 
lightened" (ver. 5). For he saith what he himself proved. For some 
spiritual person in the Body of Christ, or even our Lord Jesus Christ 
Himself according to the flesh, the Head exhorting His Own Members, saith; 
what? "Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened." Or rather some spiritual 
Christian inviteth us to approach to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But let 
us approach to Him and be lightened; not as the Jews approached to Him, 
that they might be darkened; for they approached to Him that they might 
crucify Him: let us approach to Him that we may receive His Body and Blood. 
They by Him crucified were darkened; we by eating and drinking The 
Crucified are lightened. "Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened." Lo, this 
is said to the Gentiles. Christ was crucified amid the Jews raging and 
seeing; the Gentiles were absent; lo, they have approached who were in 
darkness, and they who saw not are lightened. Whereby approach the 
Gentiles? By following with faith, by longing with the heart, by running 
with charity. Thy feet are thy charity. Have two feet, be not lame. What 
are thy two feet? The two commandments of love, of thy God, and of thy 
Neighbour. With these feet run thou unto God, approach unto Him, for He 
hath both exhorted thee to run, and hath Himself shed His Own Light, as he 
hath magnificently and divinely continued.[1] "And your faces shall not be 
ashamed." "Approach" (saith he) "unto Him, and be ye lightened; and your 
faces shall not be ashamed." No face shall be ashamed but of the proud. 
Wherefore? Because he would be lifted up, and when he hath suffered insult, 
or ignominy, or mischance in this world, or any affliction, he is ashamed. 
But fear not thou, approach unto Him, and thou shalt not be ashamed....

    10. As the Prophet testifieth, "The poor man cried, and the Lord heard 
him" (ver. 6). He teacheth thee how thou mayest be heard. Therefore art 
thou not heard, because thou art rich. Lest haply thou say, thou criedst 
and wast not heard, hear wherefore; "The poor man cried, and the Lord heard 
him." As poor cry thou, and the Lord heareth. And how shall I cry as poor? 
By not, if thou hast aught, presuming therefrom upon thy own strength: by 
understanding that thou art needy; by understanding that so long art thou 
poor, as thou hast not Him who maketh thee rich. But how did the Lord hear 
him? "And saved him out of all his troubles." And how saveth He men out of 
all their troubles? "The Angel of the Lord shall send[2] round about them 
that fear Him, and shall deliver them" (ver. 7). So it is written, 
brethren, not as some bad copies have it, "The Lord shall send His Angel 
round about them that fear Him, and He shall deliver them:" but thus, "The 
Angel of the Lord shall send round about them that fear Him, and shall 
deliver them." Whom called He here the Angel of the Lord, who shall send 
round about them that fear Him, and shall deliver them? Our Lord Jesus 
Christ Himself is called in Prophecy, the Angel of the great Counsel, the 
Messenger of the great Counsel;[3] so the Prophets called Him.[4] Even He 
then, the Angel of the great Counsel, that is, the Messenger, shall send 
unto them that fear the Lord, and shall deliver them. Fear not then lest 
thou be hid: wheresoever thou hast feared the Lord, there doth that Angel 
know thee, who shall send to succour thee, and shall deliver thee.

    11. Now will He speak openly of the same Sacrament, whereby He was 
carried in His Own Hands. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (ver. 8). 
Doth not the Psalm now open itself, and show thee that seeming insanity and 
constant madness, the same insanity and sober inebriety of that David, who 
in a figure showed I know not what, when in the person of king Achis they 
said to him, How is it?[5] Widen the Lord said, "Except a man eat My Flesh 
and drink My Blood,  he shall have no life in him"?[6] And they in whom 
reigned Achis, that is, error and ignorance, said; what said they? "How can 
this man give us his flesh to eat?"[7] If thou art ignorant, "Taste and see 
that the Lord is good:" but if thou understandest not, thou art king Achis: 
David shall change His Countenance and shall depart from thee, and shall 
quit thee, and shall depart.[8]

    12. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Why needeth this to be 
explained at length? Whoever trusteth not in the Lord, is miserable. Who is 
there that trusteth not in the Lord? He that trusteth in himself. ...

    13. "O fear the Lord, all ye His saints, for there is no want to them 
that fear Him" (ver. 9). For many therefore will not fear God the Lord, 
lest they suffer hunger. It is said to them, Defraud not; and they say, 
Whence can I feed myself? No art can be without imposture; no business can 
be without fraud. But fraud God punisheth: fear God. But if I should fear 
God, I shall not have whence to live. "O fear the Lord, all ye His saints, 
for there is no want to them that fear Him." He promiseth plenty to him 
that trembleth, and doubteth, lest haply if he should fear God, he should 
lose things superfluous. The Lord fed thee despising Him, and will He 
desert thee fearing Him? Attend, and say not, Such an one is rich, and I am 
poor. I fear the Lord, he by not fearing how much has he gained, and I by 
fearing am bare! See what follows; "The rich[9] do lack and suffer hunger, 
but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing" (ver. 10). If 
thou  receive it according to the letter, He seemeth to deceive thee, for 
thou seest that many rich men that are wicked die in their riches, and are 
not made poor while they live; thou seest them grow old, and come even to 
the end of life amid great abundance and riches. Thou seest their funeral 
pomp celebrated with great profusion, the man himself brought rich even to 
the sepulchre, having expired in beds of ivory, his family weeping around; 
and thou sayest in thy mind, if haply thou knowest some both sins and 
crimes done by him: I know what things that man hath done; lo, he hath 
grown old, he hath died in his bed, his friends follow him to the grave, 
his funeral is celebrated with all this pomp; I know what he hath done; the 
Scripture has deceived me, and has spoken falsely, where I hear and sing; 
"The rich do lack and suffer hunger." When was this man in need? when did 
he suffer hunger? "But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good 
thing." Daily I rise up to Church, daily I bend the knee, daily I seek the 
Lord, and have nothing good: this man sought not the Lord, and he hath died 
in the midst of all these good things! Thus thinking, the snare of offence 
choketh him; for he seeketh mortal food on the earth, and seeketh not a 
true reward in heaven, and so he putteth his head into the devil's noose, 
his jaws are tied close, and the devil holdeth him fast unto evil doing, 
that so he may imitate the evil men, whom he seeth to die in such plenty.

    14. Therefore understand it not so. ... When thou art filled with 
spiritual riches, canst thou be poor? And was he therefore rich, because he 
had a bed of ivory; and art thou poor who hast the chamber of thy heart 
filled with such jewelry of virtues, justice, truth, charity, faith, 
endurance? Unfold thy riches, if thou hast them, and compare them with the 
riches of the rich. But such an one has found in the market mules of great 
value, and  has bought them. If thou couldest find faith to be sold, how 
much wouldest thou give for that, which God willeth that thou shouldest 
have gratis, and thou art ungrateful? Those rich then lack, they lack, and 
what is heavier, they lack bread. ... For He hath said, "I am the Living 
Bread which came down from Heaven."[1] And again, "Blessed are they which 
do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."[2] 
"But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing:" but what 
manner of good, I have already said.

    15. "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of 
the Lord" (vet. 11). Ye think? brethren, that I say this: think that David 
saith it; think that an Apostle saith it; nay think that our Lord Jesus 
Christ Himself saith it; "Come, ye children, hearken unto Me." Let us 
hearken unto Him together: hearken ye unto Him through us. For He would 
teach us; He the Humble, He that drummeth, He that affecteth, would teach 
us. ...     16. "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good 
days?" (ver. 12). He asketh a question. Doth not every one among you 
answer, I? Is there any man among you that loveth not life, that is, that 
desireth not life, and loveth not to see good days? Do ye not daily thus 
murmur, and thus speak; How long shall we suffer these things? Daily are 
they worse and worse: in our fathers' time were days more joyful, were days 
better. O if thou couldest ask those same, thy fathers, in like manner 
would they murmur to thee of their own days. Our fathers were happy, 
miserable are we, evil days have we: such an one ruled over us, we thought 
that after his death might some refreshing be given to us; worse things 
have come: O God, show unto us good days! "What man is he that desireth 
life, and loveth to see good days?" Let him not seek here good days. A good 
thing he seeketh, but not in its right place doth he seek it. As, if thou 
shouldest seek some righteous man in a country, wherein he lived not, it 
would be said to thee, A good man thou seekest, a great man thou seekest, 
seek him still, but not here; in vain thou seekest him here, thou wilt 
never find him. Good days thou seekest, together let us seek them, seek not 
here. ... Read the Scriptures. ...

    17. Let not a Christian then murmur, let him see whose steps he 
followeth: but if he loveth good days, let him hearken unto Him teaching 
and saying, "Come, ye children, hearken unto Me; I will teach you the fear 
of the Lord." What wouldest thou? Life and good days. Hear, and do. "Keep 
thy tongue from evil" (ver. 13). This do. I will not, saith a miserable 
man, I will not keep my tongue from evil, and yet I desire life and good 
days. If a workman of thine should say to thee, I indeed lay waste this 
vineyard, yet I require of thee my reward; thou broughtest me to the 
vineyard to lop and prune it, I cut away all the useful wood, I will cut 
short also the very trunks of the vines, that thou have thereon nothing to 
gather, and when I have done this, thou shall repay to me my labour. 
Wouldest thou not call him mad? Wouldest thou not drive him from thy house 
or ever he put his hand to the knife? Such are those men who would both do 
evil, and swear falsely, and speak blasphemy against God, and murmur, and 
defraud, and be drunken, and dispute, and commit adultery, and use charms, 
and consult diviners, and withal see good days. To such it is said, thou 
canst not doing ill seek a good reward. If thou art unjust, shall God also 
be unjust? What shall I do, then? What desirest thou? Life I desire, good 
days I desire. "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no 
guile," that is, defraud not any, lie not to any.

    18. But what is, "Depart from evil"? (ver. 14). It is little that thou 
injure none, murder none, steal not, commit not adultery, do no wrong, 
speak no false witness; "Depart from evil." When thou hast departed, thou 
sayest, Now I am safe, I have done all, I shall have life, I shall see good 
days. Not only saith he, "Depart from evil," but also, "and do good." It is 
nothing that thou spoil not: clothe the naked. If thou hast not spoiled, 
thou hast declined from evil; but thou wilt not do good, except thou 
receive the stranger into thine house. So then depart from evil, as to do 
good. "Seek peace, and ensue it." He hath not said, Thou shalt have peace 
here; seek it, and ensue it. Whither shall I ensue it? Whither it hath gone 
before. For the Lord is our peace, hath risen again, and hath ascended into 
Heaven. "Seek peace, and ensue it;" because when thou also hast risen, this 
mortal shall be changed, and thou shall embrace peace there where no man 
shall trouble thee. For there is perfect peace, where thou wilt not hunger. 
...

    19. "The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous:" fear not then; 
labour; the eyes of the Lord are upon thee. "And His Ears are open unto 
their prayers" (ver. 15). What wouldest thou more? If an householder in a 
great house should not hearken to a servant murmuring, he would complain, 
and say, What hardship do we here suffer, and none heareth us. Canst thou 
say this of God, What hardships I suffer, and none heareth me? If He heard 
me, haply, sayest thou, He would take away my tribulation: I cry unto Him, 
and yet have tribulation. Only do thou hold fast His ways, and when thou 
art in tribulation, He heareth thee. But He is a Physician, and still hast 
thou something of putrefaction; thou criest out, but still He cutteth, and 
taketh not away His Hand, until He hath cut as much as pleaseth Him. For 
that Physician is cruel who heareth a man, and spareth his wound and 
putrefaction. How do mothers rub their children in the baths for their 
health. Do not the little ones cry out in their hands? Are they then cruel 
because they spare not, nor hearken unto their tears? Are they not full of 
affection? And yet the children cry out, and are not spared. So our God 
also is full of charity, but therefore seemeth He not to hear, that He may 
spare and heal us for everlasting.

    20. Haply say the wicked, I securely do evil, because the Eyes of the 
Lord are not upon me: God attendeth to the righteous, me He seeth not, and 
whatever I do, I do securely. Immediately added the Holy Spirit, seeing the 
thoughts of men, and said, "But the Face of the Lord is against them that 
do evil; to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth" (ver. 16).

    21. "The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them 
out of all their troubles" (ver. 17). Righteous were the Three Children; 
out of the furnace cried they unto the Lord, and in His praises their 
flames cooled. The flame could not approach nor hurt the innocent and 
righteous Children praising God, and He delivered them out of the fire.[1] 
Some one saith, Lo, truly righteous were those who were heard, as it is 
written, "The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them 
out of all their troubles:" but I have cried, and He delivereth me not; 
either I am not righteous, or I do not[2] the things which He commandeth 
me, or haply He seeth me not. Fear not: only do what He commandeth; and if 
He deliver thee not bodily, He will deliver thee spiritually. For He who 
took out of the fire the Three Children, did He take out of the fire the 
Maccabees?[3] Did not the first sing hymns in the flames, these last in the 
flames expire? The God of the Three Children, was not He the God also of 
the Maccabees? The one He delivered, the other He delivered not. Nay, He 
delivered both: but the Three Children He so delivered, that even the 
carnal were confounded; but the Maccabees therefore He delivered not so, 
that those who persecuted them should go into greater torments, while they 
thought that they had overcome God's Martyrs. He delivered Peter, when the 
Angel came unto him being in prison, and said, "Arise, and go forth,"[4] 
and suddenly his chains were loosed, and he followed the Angel, and He 
delivered him. Had Peter lost righteousness when He delivered him not from 
the cross? Did He not deliver him then? Even then He delivered him. Did his 
long life make him unrighteous? Haply He heard him more at last than at 
first, when truly He delivered him out of all his troubles. For when He 
first delivered him, how many things did he suffer afterwards! For thither 
He sent him at last, where he could have suffered no evil.

    22. "The Lord is nigh unto them that have broken their heart; and 
saveth such as be lowly in spirit" (ver. 18). God is High: let a Christian 
be lowly. If he would that the Most High God draw nigh unto him, let him be 
lowly. A great mystery, Brethren. God is above all: thou raisest thyself, 
and touchest not Him: thou humblest thyself, and He descendeth unto thee. 
"Many are the troubles of the righteous" (ver. 19): doth He say, "Therefore 
let Christians be righteous, therefore let them hear My Word, that they may 
suffer no tribulation? He promiseth not this; but saith, "Many are the 
troubles of the righteous." Rather, if they be unrighteous they have fewer 
troubles, if righteous they have many. But after few tribulations, or none, 
these shall come to tribulation everlasting, whence they shall never be 
delivered: but the righteous after many tribulations shall come to peace 
everlasting, where they shall never suffer any evil. "Many are the 
tribulations of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of all."

    23. "The Lord keepeth all their bones: not one of them shall be broken" 
(ver. 20): this also, Brethren, let us not receive carnally. Bones are the 
firm supports of the faithful. For as in flesh our bones give firmness, so 
in the heart of a Christian it is faith that gives firmness.[1] The 
patience then which is in faith, is as the bones of the inner man: this is 
that which cannot be broken. "The Lord keepeth all their bones: not one of 
them shall be broken." If of our Lord God Jesus Christ he had said this, 
"The Lord keepeth all the bones of His Son; not one of them shall be 
broken;" as is prefigured of Him also in another place, when the lamb was 
spoken of that should be slain, and it was said of it, "Neither shall ye 
break a bone thereof:"[2] then was it fulfilled in the Lord, because when 
He hung upon the Cross, He expired before they came to the Cross, and found 
His Body lifeless already, and would not break His legs, that it might be 
fulfilled which was written.[3] But He gave this promise to other 
Christians also, "The Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall 
be broken." Therefore, Brethren, if we see any Saint suffer tribulation, 
and haply either by a Physician so cut, or by some persecutor so mangled, 
that his bones be broken; let us not say, This man was not righteous, for 
this hath the Lord promised to His righteous, of whom He said, "The Lord 
keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be broken." Wouldest thou 
see that He spoke of other bones, those which we called the firm supports 
of faith, that is, patience and endurance in all tribulations? For these 
are the bones which are not broken. Hear, and see ye in the very Passion of 
our Lord, what I say. The Lord was in the middle Crucified; near Him were 
two thieves: the one mocked, the other believed: the one was condemned, the 
other justified: the one had his punishment both in this world, and that 
which shall be, but unto the other said the Lord, "Verily I say unto thee, 
To-day shall thou be with Me in Paradise;"[4] and yet those who came brake 
not the bones of the Lord, but of the thieves they brake: as much were 
broken the bones of the thief who blasphemed, as of the thief who believed. 
Where then is that which is spoken, "The Lord keepeth all their bones; not 
one of them shall be broken"? Lo, unto whom He said, "To-day shall thou be 
with Me in Paradise," could He keep all his bones? The Lord answereth thee: 
Yea, I kept them: for the firm support of his faith could not be broken by 
those blows whereby his legs were broken.

    24. "The death of sinners is the worst" (ver. 21). Attend, Brethren, 
for the sake of those things which I said. Truly Great is the Lord, and His 
Mercy, truly Great is He who gave to us to eat His Body, wherein He 
suffered such great things, and His Blood to drink. How regardeth He them 
that think evil and say, "Such an one died ill, by beasts was he devoured: 
he was not a righteous man, therefore he perished ill; for else would he 
not have perished." Is he then righteous who dieth in his own house and in 
his own bed? This then (sayest thou) it is whereat I wonder; because I know 
the sins and the crimes of this same man, and yet he died well; in his own 
house, within his own doors, with no injury of travel, with none even in 
mature[5] age. Hearken, "The death of sinners is worst." What seemeth to 
thee a good death, is worst if thou couldest see within. Thou seest him 
outwardly lying on his bed, dost thou see him inwardly carried to hell? 
Hearken, Brethren, and learn from the Gospel what is the "worst death" of 
sinners. Were there not two in that age,[6] a rich man who was clothed in 
purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day; another a poor man 
who lay at his door full of sores, and the dogs came and licked his sores, 
and he desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's 
table? Now it came to pass that the poor man died (righteous was that poor 
man), and was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom. He who saw his body 
lying at the rich man's door, and no man to bury it, what haply said he? So 
die he who is my enemy; and whoever persecutes me, so may I see him. His 
body is accursed with spitting, his wounds stink; and yet in Abraham's 
bosom he resteth.[7] If we are Christians, let us believe: if we believe 
not, Brethren, let none feign himself a Christian. Faith bringeth us to the 
end. As the Lord spake these things, so are they. Doth indeed an 
astrologer[8] speak unto thee, and it is true, and doth Christ speak, and 
it is false? But by what sort of death died the rich man? What sort of 
death must it not be in purple and fine linen, how sumptuous, how pompous! 
What funeral ceremonies were there! In what spices was that body buried! 
And yet when he was in hell, being in torments, from the finger of that 
despised poor man he desired one drop of water to be poured upon his 
burning tongue, and obtained it not. Learn then what meaneth, "The death of 
sinners is worst;" and ask not beds covered with costly garments, and to 
have the flesh wrapped in many rich things, friends exhibiting a show of 
lamentation, a household beating their breasts, a crowd of attendants going 
before and following when the body is carried out, marble and gilded 
memorials. For if ye ask those things, they answer you what is false, that 
of many not light sinners, but altogether wicked, the death is best, who 
have deserved to be so lamented, so embalmed, so covered, so carried out, 
so entombed. But ask the Gospel, and it will show to your faith the soul of 
the rich man burning in torments, which was nothing profited by all those 
honours and obsequies, which to his dead body the vanity of the living did 
afford.

    25. But because there are many kinds of sinners, and not to be a sinner 
is difficult, or perhaps in this life impossible, he added immediately, of 
what kind of sinners the death is worst. "And they that hate the righteous 
one" (saith he) "shall perish." What righteous one, but "Him that 
justifieth the ungodly"?[1] Whom, but our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also 
"the propitiation for our sins"?[2] Who then hate Him, have the worst 
death; because they die in their sins, who are not through Him reconciled 
to our God. "For the Lord redeemeth the souls of His servants." But 
according to the soul is death to be understood either the worst or best, 
not according to bodily either dishonour, or honours which men see. "And 
none of them which trust in Him shall perish" (ver. 22); this iS the manner 
of human righteousness, that mortal life, however advanced, because without 
sin it cannot be, in this perisheth not, while it trusteth in Him, in whom 
is remission of sins. Amen.

PSALM XXXV.[3]

1. ...The title of it causeth us no delay, for it is both brief, and to be 
understood not difficult, especially to those nursed in the Church of God. 
For so it is, "To David himself." The Psalm then is to David himself: now 
David is interpreted, Strong in hand, or Desirable. The Psalm then is to 
the Strong in hand, and Desirable, to Him who for us hath overcome death, 
who unto us hath promised life: for in this is He Strong in hand, that He 
hath overcome death for us; in this is He Desirable, that He hath promised 
unto us life eternal. For what stronger than that Hand which touched the 
bier, and he that was dead rose up?[4] What stronger than that Hand which 
overcame the world, not armed with steel, but pierced with wood? Or what 
more desirable than He, whom not having seen, the Martyrs wished even to 
die, that they might be worthy to come unto Him? Therefore is the Psalm 
unto Him: to Him let our heart, to Him our tongue sing worthily: if yet 
Himself shall deign to give somewhat to sing. ...

    2. "Judge Thou, O Lord" (saith he), "them that hurt me, and fight Thou 
against them that fight against me" (ver. 1). "If God be for us, who can be 
against us?"[5] And whereby doth God this for us? "Take hold" (saith he) 
"of arms and shield, and rise up to my help" (ver. 2). A great spectacle is 
it, to see God armed for thee. And what is His Shield, what are His Arms? 
"Lord," in another place saith the man who here also speaketh, "as with the 
shield of Thy good-will hast Thou compassed us."[6] But His Arms, wherewith 
He may not only us defend, but also strike His enemies, if we have well 
profited, shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that we be 
armed, so is He armed from us. But He is armed from those whom He hath 
made, we are armed with those things which we have received from Him who 
made us: These our arms the Apostle in a certain place calleth, "The shield 
of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is 
the Word of God."[7] He hath armed us with such arms as ye have heard, arms 
admirable, and unconquered, insuperable and shining; spiritual truly and 
invisible, because we have to fight also against invisible enemies. If thou 
seest thine enemy, let thine arms be seen. We are armed with faith in those 
things which we see not, and we overthrow enemies whom we see not. ...

    3. "Pour forth the weapon, and stop the way against them that persecute 
me" (ver. 3). Who are they that persecute thee? Haply thy neighbour, or he 
whom thou hast offended, or to whom thou hast done wrong, or who would take 
away what is thine, or against whom thou preachest the truth, or whose sin 
thou rebukest, or whom living ill by thy well living thou offendest. There 
are indeed even these enemies to us, and they persecute us: but other 
enemies we are taught to know, those against whom we fight invisibly, of 
whom the Apostle warneth us, saying, "We wrestle not against flesh and 
blood,"[8] that is, against men; not against those whom ye see, but against 
those whom ye see not; "against principalities, against powers, against the 
rulers of the world, of this darkness." ... "The whole world lieth in 
wickedness;"[9] therefore the Apostle explained of what world they were 
rulers, he said, "of this darkness." The rulers of this world, I say, are 
the rulers of this darkness. ...

    4. And what follows? "Let them be confounded and put to shame, that 
seek after my soul" (ver. 4): for to this end they seek after it, to 
destroy it. For I would that they would seek it for good! for in another 
Psalm he blameth this in men, that there was none who would seek after his 
soul: "Refuge failed me: there was none that would seek after my soul."[1] 
Who is this that saith, "There was none that would seek after my soul"?[2] 
Is it haply He, of whom so long before it was predicted, "They pierced My 
Hands and My Feet, they numbered all My Bones, they stared and looked upon 
Me, they have parted My Garments among them, and cast lots for My 
Vesture"?[3] Now all these things were done before their eyes, and there 
was none who would seek after His Soul. ...

    5. ...Many have been confounded to their health: many, put to shame, 
have passed over from the persecution of Christ to the society of His 
members with devoted piety; and this would not have been, had they not been 
confounded and put to shame. Therefore he wished well to them. ... Let them 
not go before, but follow; let them not give counsel, but take it. For 
Peter would go before the Lord, when the Lord spake of His future Passion: 
he would to Him as it were give counsel for His health. The sick man to the 
Saviour give counsel for His health! And what said he to the Lord, 
affirming that His future Passion? "Be it far from Thee, Lord. Be gracious 
to Thyself. This shall not be to Thee." He would go before that the Lord 
might follow; and what said He? "Get thee behind Me, Satan."[4] By going 
before thou art Satan, by following thou wilt be a disciple. The same then 
is said to these also, "Let them be turned back and brought to confusion 
that think evil against me." For when they have begun to follow after, now 
they will not think evil against me, but desire my good.

    6. What of others? For all are not so conquered as to be converted and 
believe: many continue in obstinacy, many preserve in heart the spirit of 
going before, and if they exert it not, yet they labour with it, and 
finding opportunity bring it forth. Of such, what followeth? "Let them be 
as dust before the wind" (ver. 5). "Not so are the ungodly, not so; but as 
the dust which the wind driveth away from the face of the earth."[5] The 
wind is temptation; the dust are the ungodly. When temptation cometh, the 
dust is raised, it neither standeth nor resisteth. "Let them be as dust 
before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord trouble them." "Let their 
way be darkness and slipping "(ver. 6). A horrible way! Darkness alone who 
feareth not? A slippery way alone who avoids not? In a dark and slippery 
way how shall thou go? where set foot? These two ills are the great 
punishments of men: darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. "And let 
the Angel of the Lord persecute them;" that they be not able to stand. i 
For any one in a dark and slippery way, when he seeth that if he move his 
foot he will fall, and there is no light before his feet, haply resolveth 
to wait until light come; but here is the Angel of the Lord persecuting 
them. These things he predicted would come upon them, not as though he 
wished them to happen. Although the Prophet in the Spirit of God so 
speaketh these things, even as God doth the same, with sure judgment, with 
a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil; not moved with wrath, not with 
bitter jealousy, not with desire of wreaking enmities, but of punishing 
wickedness with righteousness; nevertheless, it is a prophecy.

    7. But wherefore these so great evils? By what desert? Hear by what 
desert. "For without cause have they hid for me the corruption of their 
trap" (ver. 7). For Him that is our Head, observe, the Jews did this: they 
hid the corruption of their trap. For whom hid they their trap? For Him who 
saw the hearts of those that hid. But yet was He among them like one 
ignorant, as though He were deceived, whereas they were in that deceived, 
that they thought Him to be deceived. For therefore was He as though 
deceived, living among them, because we among such as they were so to live, 
as to be without doubt deceived. He saw His betrayer, and chose him the 
more to a necessary work. By his evil He wrought a great good: and yet 
among the twelve was he chosen, lest even the small number of twelve should 
be without one evil. This was an example of patience to us, because it was 
necessary that we should live among the evil: it was necessary that we 
should endure the evil, either knowing them or knowing them not: an example 
of patience He gave thee lest thou shouldest fail, when thou hast begun to 
live among the evil. And because that School of Christ in the twelve failed 
not, how much more ought we to be firm, when in the great Church is 
fulfilled what was predicted of the mixture of the evil. ...

    8. But yet what is to be done? "Without a cause have they hid for me 
the corruption of their trap." What meaneth, "Without a cause"? I have done 
them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. "Vainly have they reviled my 
soul." What is, "Vainly"? Speaking falsely, proving nothing. "Let a trap 
come upon them which they know not of" (ver. 8). A magnificent retribution, 
nothing more just! They have hidden a trap that I might know not: let a 
trap come upon them which they know not of. For I know of their trap. But 
what, trap is coming upon them? That which they know not of. Let us hear, 
lest haply he speak of that. "Let a trap come upon them, which they know 
not of." Perhaps that is one which they hid for him, that another which 
shall come upon themselves. Not so: but what? "The wicked shall be holden 
with the cords of his own sins."[1] Thereby are they deceived, whereby they 
would deceive. Thence shall come mischief to them, whence they endeavoured 
mischief. For it follows, "And let the net which they have hidden catch 
themselves, and let them fall into their own trap." As if any one should 
prepare a cup of poison for another, and forgetting should drink it up 
himself: or as if one should dig a pit, that his enemy might fall thereinto 
in the darkness and himself forgetting what he had dug, should first walk 
that way, and fall into it. ...

    9. This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what for me? "But my 
soul shall rejoice in the Lord" (ver. 9); as in Him from whom it hath 
heard, "I am thy salvation;" as not seeking other riches from without; as 
not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth; but loving 
freely the true Spouse, not from Him wishing to receive aught that may 
delight, but Him alone proposing to itself, by whom it may be delighted. 
For what better than God will be given unto me? God loveth me: God loveth 
thee. See He hath proposed to thee, Ask what thou wilt.[2] If the emperor 
should say to thee, Ask what thou wilt, what commands,[3] what 
dignities,[4] wouldest thou burst forth with! What great things wouldest 
thou propose to thyself, both to receive and to bestow! When God saith unto 
thee, Ask what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask? empty thy mind, exert thy 
avarice, stretch forward as far as possible, and enlarge thy desire: it is 
not any one, but Almighty God that said, Ask what thou wilt. If of 
possessions thou art a lover, thou wilt desire the whole earth, that all 
who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast 
possessed the whole earth? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou canst 
not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But 
perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also; ask the air 
although thou canst not fly; stretch thy desire even unto the heavens, call 
thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He who made all said, 
Ask what thou wilt: yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt 
thou find better, than Himself who made all things. Him seek, who made all 
things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things which He made. 
All things are precious, because all are beautiful; but what more beautiful 
than He? Strong are they; but what stronger than He? And nothing would He 
give thee rather than Himself. If aught better thou hast found, ask it. If 
thou ask aught else, thou wilt do wrong to Him, and harm to thyself, by 
preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself 
who made. ...

    "But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His 
salvation." The salvation of God is Christ: "For mine eyes have seen Thy 
salvation."[5]

    10. "All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto Thee" (ver. 10). 
Who can speak anything worthily of these words? I think them only to be 
pronounced, not to be expounded. Why seekest thou this or that? What is 
like unto thy Lord? Him hast thou before thee. "The unrighteous have 
declared unto me delights, but not after Thy law, O Lord!"[6] Persecutors 
have been who have said, Worship Saturn, worship Mercury. I worship not 
idols (saith he): "Lord, who is like unto Thee? They have eyes, and see 
not; ears have they, but they hear not."[7] "Lord, who is like unto Thee," 
who hast made the eye to see, the ear to hear? But I (saith he) worship not 
idols, for them a workman made. Worship a tree or mountain; did a workman 
make them also? Here too, Lord, who is like unto Thee? Earthly things are 
shown unto me; Thou art Creator of the earth. And from these haply they 
turn to the higher creation, and say to me, Worship the Moon, worship this 
Sun, who with his light, as a great lamp in the Heavens, maketh the day. 
Here also I plainly say, "Lord, who is like unto Thee?" The Moon and the 
Stars Thou hast made, the Sun to rule the day hast Thou kindled, the 
Heavens hast Thou framed together. There are many invisible things better. 
But haply here also it is said to me, Worship Angels, adore Angels. And 
here also will I say, "Lord, who is like unto Thee?" Even the Angels Thou 
hast created. The Angels are nothing, but by seeing Thee. It is better with 
them to possess Thee, than by worshipping them to fall from Thee.

    11. O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, "Lord, who is 
like unto thee?" And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let 
the bones say, "Lord, who is like unto  Thee?" For of the righteous it is 
said, "The Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be 
broken."[8] Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been 
broken?  Finally, "The just shall live by faith,"[9] and "Christ justifieth 
the ungodly."[10] But how justifieth He any except believing and 
confessing? "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with 
the mouth confession is made unto salvation."[1] Therefore also that thief, 
although from His theft led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, 
yet on the very cross was justified: with his heart he believed, with his 
mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous and not already 
justified, would the Lord have said, "To-day shall thou be with Me in 
Paradise,"[2] and yet his bones were broken. For when they came to take 
down the bodies, by reason of the approaching Sabbath, the Lord was found 
already dead, and His Bones were not broken.[3] But of those that yet 
lived, that they might be taken down, the legs were broken, that so from 
this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, 
who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not 
also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made 
confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, "The Lord 
keepeth all his bones; not one of them shall be broken;" except that in the 
Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm 
in heart, the strong, yielding to no persecutions, no temptations, so as to 
consent unto evil? ...

    12. "Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him; 
yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him." ...Who that 
deliverest, but He who is Strong in hand? Even that David shall deliver the 
poor from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too strong for 
thee, and held thee, because he conquered thee, when thou consentedst unto 
him. But what hath the Strong in hand done? "No man entereth into a strong 
man's house, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man."[4] 
By His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, hath He bound the devil by 
pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver 
the poor and needy, to whom there was no helper.[5] For who is thy helper 
but the Lord to whom thou sayest, "O Lord, My Strength, and My 
Redeemer."[6] If thou wilt presume of thy own strength, thereby wilt thou 
fall, whereof thou hast presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over 
thee, not succour thee. He then alone is to be sought Who hath redeemed 
them, and made them free, and hath given His Blood to purchase them, and of 
His servants hath made them His Brethren. ...

    13. Let then our Head say, "False witnesses did rise up, they laid to 
My charge things that I knew not" (ver. 11). But let us say to our Head, 
Lord, what knewest Thou not? Didst Thou indeed know not anything? Didst 
Thou not know the hearts of them that charged Thee? Didst Thou not foresee 
their deceits? Didst Thou not give Thyself into their hands knowingly? 
Hadst Thou not come that Thou mightest suffer by them? What then knewest 
Thou not? He knew not sin, and thereby He knew not sin, not by not judging, 
but by not committing. There are phrases of this kind also in daily use, as 
when thou sayest of any one, He knoweth not to stand, that is, he doth not 
stand; and, He knoweth not to do good, because he doth not good; and, He 
knoweth not to do ill, because he doth not ill. ... What knew not Christ so 
much, as to blaspheme? Thereof was He called in question by His 
persecutors, and because He spake truth, He was judged to have spoken 
blasphemy? But by whom? By them of whom it followeth, "They rewarded Me 
evil for good, and barrenness to My Soul" (ver. 12). I gave unto them 
fruitfulness, they rewarded Me barrenness; I gave life, they death; I 
honour, they dishonour; I medicine, they wounds; and in all these which 
they rewarded Me, was truly barrenness. This barrenness in the tree He 
cursed, when seeking fruit He found none.[8] Leaves there were, and fruit 
there was not: words there were, and deeds there were not. See of words 
abundance, and of deeds barrenness. "Thou that preachest a man should not 
steal, stealest: thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, 
committest adultery."[9] Such were they who charged Christ with things that 
He knew not.

    14. "But I, when they troubled me, clothed myself with sackcloth, and 
humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return into mine own 
bosom" (ver. 13). ...Brethren, if for some little space with pious 
curiosity we lift the veil, and search with the intent eye of the heart the 
inner part of this Scripture, we find that even this the Lord did. 
Sackcloth, haply He calleth His mortal flesh. Wherefore Sackcloth? For the 
likeness of sinful flesh. For the Apostle saith, "God sent His Son in the 
likeness of sinful flesh, that through sin He might condemn sin in the 
flesh:"[10] that is, He clothed His Own Son with sackcloth, that through 
sackcloth" He might condemn the goats. Not that there was sin, I say not in 
the Word of God, but not even in that Holy Soul and Mind of a Man, which 
the Word and Wisdom of God had so joined to Himself as to be One Person. 
Nay, nor even in His very Body was any sin, but the likeness of sinful 
flesh there was in the Lord; because death is not but by sin,[12] and 
surely that Body was mortal. For had It not been mortal, It had not died; 
had It not died, It had not risen again; had It not risen again, It had not 
showed us an example of eternal life. So then death, which is caused by 
sin, is called sin; as we say the Greek tongue, the Latin tongue, meaning 
not the very member of flesh, but that which is done by the member of 
flesh. For the tongue in our members is one among others, as the eyes, 
nose, ears, and the rest: but the Greek tongue is Greek words, not that the 
tongue is words, but that words are by the tongue. ... So then the sin of 
the Lord is that which was caused by sin; because He assumed flesh, of the 
same lump which had deserved death by sin. For to speak more briefly, Mary 
who was of Adam died for sin,[1] Adam died for sin, and the Flesh of the 
Lord which was of Mary died to put away sin. With this sackcloth the Lord 
clothed Himself, and therefore was He not known, because He lay hid under 
sackcloth. "When they," saith He, "troubled Me, I clothed Myself with 
sackcloth:" that is, they raged, I lay hid. For had He not willed to lie 
hid neither could He have died, since in one moment of time one drop only 
of His Power, if indeed it is to be called a drop, He put forth, when they 
wished to seize Him, and at His one question, "Whom seek ye?" they all went 
back and fell to the ground.[2] Such power could He not have humbled in 
passion, if He had not lain hid under sackcloth.

    15. Again, if we have understood the sackcloth, how understand we the 
fasting? Wished Christ to eat, when He sought fruit on the tree,[3] and if 
He had found, would He have eaten? Wished Christ to drink, when He said to 
the woman of Samaria, "Give Me to drink"?[4] when He said on the Cross," I 
thirst"?[5] For what hungered, for what thirsted Christ, but our good 
works? Because in them that crucified and persecuted Him He had found no 
good works, He fasted; for they rewarded barrenness to His soul. For what a 
fast was His, who found barely one thief, whom on the Cross He might taste! 
For the Apostles had fled, and had hidden themselves in the multitude. And 
even Peter, who even to the death of his Lord had promised to persevere, 
had now thrice denied Him, had now wept, and still lay hid in the 
multitude, still feared lest He should be known. Lastly, having seen Him 
dead, all of them despaired of their own safety and despairing He found 
them, after His resurrection, and when He spake with them, found them 
grieving and mourning, no longer hoping anything... . In great fasting had 
the Lord remained, had He not refreshed them that He might feed on them. 
For He refreshed them, He comforted them, He confirmed them, and into His 
Own Body converted them. In this manner then was our Lord also in fasting.

    16. "And My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom." In the bosom of 
this verse is plainly a great depth, and may the Lord grant that it be 
fathomable by us. For in the "bosom" a secret is understood. And we 
ourselves, Brethren, are here well admonished to pray within our own bosom, 
where God seeth, where God heareth, where no human eye penetrateth, where 
none seeth but He who succoureth; where Susanna prayed, and her voice, 
though it was not heard by men, yet by God was heard.[6]... We read also 
that in the mount Jesus prayed alone,[7] we read that He passed the night 
in prayer,[8] even at the time of His Passion.[9] What then? "And My prayer 
shall return into Mine Own Bosom." I know not what better to understand 
concerning the Lord: take meanwhile what now occurs;[10] perhaps something 
better will occur hereafter, either to me or to some better: "My prayer 
shall return into Mine Own Bosom:" this I understand to be said, because in 
His Own Bosom He had the Father. "For God was in Christ reconciling the 
world unto Himself."[11] In Himself He had Him to whom He prayed. He was 
not far from Him, for Himself had said, "I am in the Father, and the Father 
in Me."[12] But because prayer rather belongeth to very Man [for according 
as Christ is the Word, He prayeth not, but heareth prayer; and seeketh not 
to be succoured for Himself, but with the Father succoureth all): what is, 
"My prayer shall return into Mine Own Bosom," but in Me My Manhood invoketh 
in Me My Godhead.

    17. "As a Neighbour, as our Brother, so I pleased Him: as one mourning 
and sorrowful, so I humbled myself" (ver. 14). Now looketh He back to His 
Own Body: let us now look to this. When we rejoice m prayer, when our mind 
is calmed, not by the world's prosperity, but by the light of Truth: (who 
perceiveth this light, knoweth what I say, and he seeth and acknowledgeth 
what is said, "As a Neighbour, as our Brother, so I pleased Him"): even 
then our soul pleaseth God, not placed afar off, for, "In Him," saith one, 
"we live and move and have our being,"[13] but as a Brother, as a 
Neighbour, as a Friend. But if it be not such that it can so rejoice, so 
shine, so approach, so cleave unto Him, and seeth itself far off thence, 
then let it do what followeth, "As one mourning and sorrowful, so I humbled 
Myself. As our Brother, so I pleased Him," said He, drawing near; "As one 
mourning and sorrowful, so I humbled Myself," said He, removed and set afar 
off... . Did not Peter draw near, when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the Living God"? And yet the same man became afar off by saying, "Be 
it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee." Lastly, what said He, 
his Neighbour, as it were, to him drawing near? "Blessed art thou, Simon, 
Barjona." To him afar off, as it were, and unlike, what said He? "Get thee 
behind Me, Satan."[1] To him drawing near, "Flesh and blood," saith He," 
hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father, which is in Heaven." His 
Light is shed over thee, in His Light thou shinest. But when having become 
afar off, he spake against the Lord's Passion, which should be for our 
Salvation, "Thou savourest not," said He, "the things that be of God, but 
those that be of men," One rightly placing together both of these saith in 
a certain Psalm, "I said in my ecstasy, I am cast off from before Thine 
Eyes."[2] In my ecstasy, would he not have said, had he not drawn near; for 
ecstasy, is the transporting of the mind. He poured: over himself his own 
soul, and drew near unto God; and through some cloud and weight of the 
flesh being again cast down to earth, and recollecting where he had been, 
and seeing where he was, he said, "I am cast off from before Thine Eyes." 
This then, "As a Neighbour, as our Brother, so I pleased Him," may He grant 
to be done in us; but when that is not, let even this be done, "As one 
mourning and sorrowful, so I humbled myself."

    18. And against Me they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together"[3] 
(ver. 15), against Me only: they rejoicing, I sorrowful. But we heard just 
now in the Gospel, "Blessed are they that mourn."[4] If they are blessed 
that mourn, miserable are they that laugh. "Against Me they rejoiced, and 
gathered themselves together: scourges were gathered together against Me, 
and they knew not."[5] Because they laid to My charge things that I knew 
not, they also knew not Whom they charged.

    19. "They tempted Me, and mocked Me with mocking"[6] (ver. 16). That 
is, they derided Me, they insulted Me; this of the Head, this of the Body. 
Consider, Brethren, the glory of the Church which now is; remember its past 
dishonours, remember how once were Christians everywhere put to flight, and 
wherever found, mocked, beaten, slain, exposed to beasts, burned, men 
rejoicing against them. As it was to the Head, so it is also to the Body. 
For as it was to the Lord on the Cross, so has it been to His Body in all 
that persecution which was made but now: nor even now cease the 
persecutions of the same. Wherever men find a Christian, they are wont to 
insult, to persecute, to deride him, to call him dull, senseless, of no 
spirit, of no knowledge. Do they what they will, Christ is in Heaven: do 
they what they will, He hath honoured His punishment, already hath He fixed 
His Cross in the foreheads of all; the ungodly is permitted to insult, to 
rage he is not permitted; but yet from that which the tongue uttereth, is 
understood what he beareth in his heart: "They gnashed upon Me with their 
teeth."

    20. "Lord, when wilt Thou look on? Rescue My Soul from their deceits, 
My Darling from the lions" (ver. 17). For to us the time is slow; and in 
our person is this said, "When wilt Thou look on?" that is, when shall we 
see vengeance upon those who insult us? When shall the Judge, overcome by 
weariness, hear the widow?[7] But our Judge, not from weariness, but from 
love, delayeth our salvation; from reason, not from need; not that He could 
not even now succour us, but that the number of us all may be filled up 
even to the end. And yet out of our desire, what do we say? "Lord, when 
wilt Thou look on? Rescue My Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the 
lions:" that is, My Church from raging powers.

    21. Lastly, wouldest thou know what is that Darling? Read the words 
following: "I will confess unto Thee, O Lord, in the great Congregation; in 
a weighty[8] people will I praise Thee" (ver. 18). Truly saith He," I will 
confess unto Thee:" for confession is made in all the multitude, but not in 
all is God praised: the whole multitude heareth our confession,[9] but not 
in all the multitude is the praise of God. For in all the whole multitude, 
that is, in the Church which is spread abroad in the whole world, is chaff, 
and wheat: the chaff flieth, the wheat remaineth; therefore, "in a weighty 
people will I praise Thee." In a weighty people, which the wind of 
temptation carries not away, in such is God praised.For in the chaff He is 
ever blasphemed... .

     22. "Let not them that are Mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over Me:" 
for they rejoice lover Me because of My chaff. "Who hate Me  without a 
cause;" that is, whom I never hurt; "winking with their eyes" (ver. 19): 
that is, pretending hypocrites, "For they spake indeed peace to Me" (ver. 
20). What is, "winking with their eyes"? Declaring by their looks, what 
they carry not in their heart. And who are these "winking with their eyes"? 
"For they spake indeed peace to Me; and with wrath devised craftily." "Yea 
they opened their mouth wide against Me" (ver. 21). First winking with 
their eyes, those lions sought to ravish and devour; first fawning they 
spake peace, and then with wrath devised craftily. What peace spake they? 
"Master, we know that Thou acceptest not man's person, and teachest the way 
of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?" They 
spake indeed peace unto Me. What then? Didst not Thou know them, and 
deceived they Thee, winking with their eyes? Truly He knew them; therefore 
said He, "Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites?"[1] Afterward, "they opened their 
mouth wide against Me," crying, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him![2] and said, 
Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it." This, when they insulted Him, "Aha, Aha, 
Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ."[3] As their peace was pretended when they 
tempted Him concerning the money, so now insulting was their praise. "They 
said, Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it" (ver. 21): that is, Thy deeds, Thy 
miracles. This Man is the Christ. "If He be the Christ, let Him come down 
from the Cross, and we will believe Him. He saved others, Himself He cannot 
save."[4] "Our eyes have seen it." This is all whereof He boasted Himself, 
when "He called Himself the Son of God."[5] But the Lord was hanging 
patient upon the Cross: His power had He not lost, but He showed His 
patience. For what great thing was it for Him to come down from the Cross, 
who could afterward rise again from the sepulchre? But He seems to have 
yielded to His insulters; and this, beloved, that having risen again He 
should show Himself to His own, and not to them, and this is a great 
mystery; for His resurrection signified the New Life, but the New Life is 
known to His friends, not to His enemies. 23. "This Thou hast seen, O Lord; 
keep not silence" (ver. 22). What is, "keep not silence"? Judge Thou. For 
of judgment is it said in a certain place,[6] "I have kept silence; shall I 
keep silence for ever?" And of the delaying of judgment it is said to the 
sinner, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence;" "Thou thoughtest 
that I was altogether such an one as thyself."[7] How keepeth He silence, 
who speaketh by the Prophets, who speaketh with His own mouth in the 
Gospel, who speaketh by the Evangelists, who speaketh by us, when we speak 
the truth? What then? He keepeth silence from judgment, not from precept, 
not from doctrine. But this His judgment the Prophet in a manner invoketh, 
and predicteth: "Thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence; "that is, Thou 
wilt not keep silence, needs must that Thou wilt judge. "O Lord, be not far 
from Me." Until Thy judgment come, be not far from Me, as Thou hast 
promised, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."'

    24. "Arise, Lord, and attend to My judgment" (ver. 23). To what 
judgment? That Thou art in tribulation; that Thou art tormented with 
labours and pains? Do not even many wicked men suffer the same? To what 
judgment? Therefore art Thou righteous, because Thou sufferest these 
things? No: but what? "To My judgment." What followeth? "Attend to My 
judgment; even to My cause, My God, and My Lord." Not to My punishment, but 
to My cause: not to that which the robber hath in common with Me, but to 
that whereof is said, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for 
righteousness' sake."[8] For this cause is distinguished. For punishment is 
equal to good and bad. Therefore Martyrs, not the punishment, but the cause 
maketh, for if punishment made Martyrs, all the mines would be full of 
Martyrs, every chain would drag Martyrs, all that are executed with the 
sword would be crowned. Therefore let the cause be distinguished; let none 
say, because I suffer, I am righteous. Because He who first suffered, 
suffered for righteousness' sake, therefore He added a great exception, 
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake." For many 
having a good cause do persecution, and many having a bad cause suffer 
persecution. For if persecution could not be done rightly, it had not been 
said in a certain Psalm, "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him did I 
persecute."[9] ... Let none then say, I suffer persecution: let him not 
sift the punishment, but prove the cause: lest if he prove not the cause, 
he be numbered with the ungodly. Therefore how watchfully, how excellently 
hath This Man recommended Himself, "O Lord, attend to My judgment," not to 
My punishments; "even to My cause, My God, and My Lord."

    25. "Judge me, O Lord, according to My righteousness" (ver. 24); that 
is, attend to My cause. Not according to My punishment, but "according to 
My righteousness, O Lord, My God," that is, according to this judge Thou 
Me. "And let them not rejoice over Me;" that is, Mine enemies.

    26. "Let them not say in their heart, Aha, aha, so would we have it" 
(ver. 25); that is, We have done what we could,[1] we have slain him, we 
have taken him away. "Let them not say:" show them that they have done 
nothing. "Let them not say, We have swallowed him up." Whence say those 
Martyrs, "If the Lord had not been on our side, then they had swallowed us 
up quick."[2] What is, "had swallowed us up "? Had passed into their own 
body. For that thou swallowest up, which thou passest into thy own body. 
The world would swallow thee up; swallow thou the world, pass it into thy 
own body: kill and eat. As it was said to Peter, "Kill and eat;"[3] do thou 
kill in them what they are, make them what thou art. But if they on the 
other hand persuade thee to ungodliness, thou art swallowed up by them. Not 
when they persecute thee art thou swallowed up by them, but when they 
persuade thee to be what they are. "Let them not say, We have swallowed him 
up." Do thou swallow up the body of Pagans. Why the body of Pagans? It 
would swallow thee up. Do thou to it, what it would to thee. Therefore 
perhaps that calf, being ground to powder, was cast into the water and 
given to the children of Israel to drink? that so the body of ungodliness 
might be swallowed up by Israel. "Let them be ashamed and brought to 
confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with 
shame and dishonour" (ver. 26); so that we may swallow up them ashamed and 
brought to confusion. "Who speak evil against me:" let them be ashamed, let 
them be brought to confusion.

    27. What sayest thou now, the Head with the Members? "Let them shout 
for joy and be glad that favour My righteous cause:" who cleave to My Body. 
Yea, let them say "continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath 
pleasure in the prosperity of His servant" (ver. 27). "And my tongue shall 
speak of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day long" (ver. 28). 
And whose tongue endureth to speak the praise of God all the day long? See 
now I have made a discourse something longer; ye are wearied. Who endureth 
to praise God all the day long? I will suggest a remedy, whereby thou 
mayest praise God all the day long if thou wilt. Whatever thou dost, do 
well, and thou hast praised God. When thou singest an hymn, thou praisest 
God, but what doth thy tongue, unless thy heart also praise Him? Hast thou 
ceased from singing hymns, and departed, that thou mayest refresh thyself? 
Be not drunken, and thou hast praised God. Dost thou go away to sleep? Rise 
not to do evil, and thou hast praised God. Dost thou transact business? Do 
no wrong, and thou hast praised God. Dost thou till thy field? Raise not 
strife, and thou hast praised God. In the innocency of thy works prepare 
thyself to praise God all the day long.

PSALM XXXVI.[5]

    1. ... "The ungodly hath said in himself that he will sin: there is no 
fear of God before his eyes" (ver. 1). Not of one man, but of a race of 
ungodly men he speaketh, who fight against their own selves, by not 
understanding, that so they may live well; not because they cannot, but 
because they will not. For it is one thing, when one endeavours to 
understand some thing, and through infirmity of flesh cannot; as saith the 
Scripture[6] in a certain place, "For the corruptible body presseth down 
the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth 
upon many things;" but another when the human heart acts mischievously 
against itself, so that what it could understand, if it had but good will 
thereto, it understandeth not, not because it is difficult, but because the 
will is contrary. But so it is when men love their own sins, and hate God's 
Commandments. For the Word of God is thy adversary, if thou be a friend to 
thy ungodliness; but if thou art an adversary to thy ungodliness, the Word 
of God is thy friend, as well as the adversary of thy ungodliness. ...

    2. "For he hath wrought deceitfully in His sight" (ver. 2). In whose 
sight? In His, whose fear was not before the eyes of him that did work 
deceitfully. "To find out his iniquity, and hate it." He wrought so as not 
to find it. For there are men who as it were endeavour to seek out their 
iniquity, and fear to find it; because if they should find it, it is said 
to them, Depart from it: this thou didst before thou knewest; thou didst 
iniquity being in ignorance; God giveth pardon: now thou hast discovered 
it, forsake it, that to thy ignorance pardon may easily be given; and that 
with a clear face thou mayest say to God, "Remember not the sins of my 
youth, and of my ignorance."[7] Thus he seeketh it, thus he feareth lest he 
find it; for he seeketh it deceitfully. When saith a man, I knew not that 
it was sin? When he hath seen that it is sin, and ceaseth to do the sin, 
which he did only because he was ignorant: such an one in truth would know 
his sin, to find it out, and hate it. But now many "work deceitfully to 
find out their iniquity:" they work not from their heart to find it out and 
hate it. But because in the very search after iniquity, there is deceit, in 
the finding it there will be defence of it. For when one hath found his 
iniquity, lo now it is manifest to him that it is iniquity. Do it not, thou 
sayest. And he who wrought deceitfully to find it out, now he hath found, 
hateth it not; for what saith he? How many do this! Who is there that doth 
it not? And will God destroy them all? Or at least he saith this: if God 
would not these things to be done, would men live who commit the same? 
Seest thou that thou didst work deceitfully to find out thy iniquity? For 
if not deceitfully but sincerely thou hadst wrought, thou wouldest now have 
found it out, and hated it; now thou hast found it out, and thou defendest 
it; therefore thou didst work deceitfully, when thou soughtest it.

    3. "The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he would not 
understand, that he might do good" (ver. 3). Ye see that he attributeth 
that to the will: for there are men who would understand and cannot, and 
there are men who would not understand, and therefore understand not. "He 
would not understand, that he might do good."

    4. "He hath meditated iniquity on his bed." What said He, "On his bed?" 
(ver. 4). "The ungodly hath said in himself, that he will sin:" what above 
he said, in himself, that here he said, "On his bed." Our bed is our heart: 
there we suffer the tossing of an evil conscience; and there we rest when 
our conscience is good. Whoso loveth the bed of his heart, let him do some 
good therein. There is our bed, where the Lord Jesus Christ commands us to 
pray. "Enter into thy chamber, and shut thy door."[1] What is, "Shut thy 
door?" Expect not from God such things as are without, but such as are 
within; "and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." 
Who is he that shutteth not the door? He who asketh much from God such 
things, and in such wise directeth all his prayers, that he may receive the 
goods that are of this world. Thy door is open, the multitude seeth when 
thou prayest. What is it to shut thy door? To ask that of God, which God 
alone knoweth how He giveth. What is that for which thou prayest, when thou 
hast shut the door? What "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, or hath entered 
into the heart of man."[2] And haply it hath not entered into thy very bed, 
that is, into thy heart. But God knoweth what He will give: but when shall 
it be? When the Lord shall be revealed, when the Judge shall appear... .

    5. "He hath set himself in every way that is not good." What is, "he 
hath set himself"? He hath sinned perseveringly. Whence also of a certain 
pious and good man it is said, "He hath not stood in the way of 
sinners."[3] As this "hath not stood," so that "hath set himself." "But 
wickedness hath he not hated." There is the end, there the fruit: if a man 
cannot but have wickedness, let him at least hate it. For when thou hatest 
it, it scarcely occurs to thee to do any wickedness. For sin is in our 
mortal body, but what saith the Apostle? "Let not sin reign in your mortal 
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."[4] When beginneth it 
not to be therein? When that shall be fulfilled in us which he saith, "When 
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have 
put on immortality."[5] Before this come to pass, there is a delighting in 
sin in the body, but greater is the delighting and the pleasure in the Word 
of Wisdom, in the Commandment of God. Overcome sin and the lust thereof. 
Sin and iniquity do thou hate, that thou mayest join thyself to God, who 
hateth it as well as thou. Now being joined in mind unto the Law of God, in 
mind thou servest the Law of God. And if in the flesh thou therefore 
servest[6] the law of sin,[7] because there are in thee certain carnal 
delightings, then will there be none when thou shalt no longer fight. It is 
one thing not to fight, and to be in true and lasting peace; another to 
fight and overcome; another to fight and to be overcome; another not to 
fight at all, but to be carried away. ...

    6. "Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and Thy truth reacheth even 
unto the clouds" (ver. 5). I know not what Mercy of Him he meaneth, which 
is in the heavens. For the Mercy of the Lord is also in the earth. Thou 
hast it written, "The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord."[8] Of what 
Mercy then speaketh He, when He saith, "Thy Mercy, O Lord, is in the 
heavens"? The gifts of God are partly temporal and earthly, partly eternal 
and heavenly. Whoso for this worshippeth God, that he may receive those 
temporal and earthly goods, which are open to all, is still as it were like 
the brutes: he enjoyeth indeed the Mercy of God, but not that which is 
excepted, which shall not be given, save only to the righteous, to the 
holy, to the good. What are the gifts which abound to all? "He maketh His 
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and 
on the unjust."[9] Who hath not this Mercy of God, first that he hath 
being, that he is distinguished from the brutes, that he is a rational 
animal, so as to understand God; secondly, that he enjoys this light, this 
air, rain, fruits, diversity of seasons, and all the earthly comforts, 
health of body, the affection of friends, the safety of his family? All 
these are good, and they are God's gifts... .

    7. But this man rightly understood what mercy he should pray for from 
God. "Thy Mercy, O Lord, is in the Heavens; and Thy Truth reacheth even to 
the clouds." That is, the Mercy which Thou givest to Thy Saints, is 
Heavenly, not earthly; is Eternal, not temporal. And how couldest Thou 
declare it unto men? Because "Thy Truth reacheth even unto the clouds." For 
who could know the Heavenly Mercy of God, unless God should declare it unto 
men? How did He declare it? By sending His truth even unto the clouds. What 
are the clouds? The Preachers of the Word of God... . Truth reached even to 
the clouds: therefore unto us could be declared the Mercy of God, which is 
in Heaven and not in earth. And truly, Brethren, the clouds are the 
Preachers of the Word of Truth. When God threateneth through His Preachers, 
He thunders through the clouds. When God worketh miracles through His 
Preachers, He lightneth through the clouds, He terrifieth through the 
clouds, and watereth by the rain. Those Preachers, then, by whom is 
preached the Gospel of God, are the clouds of God. Let us then hope for 
Mercy, but for that which is in the Heavens.

    8. "Thy Righteousness is like the mountains of God: Thy Judgments are a 
great deep" (ver. 6). Who are the mountains of God? Those who are called 
clouds, the same are also the mountains of God. The great Preachers are the 
mountains of God. And as when the sun riseth, he first clothes the 
mountains with light, and thence the light descends to the lowest parts of 
the earth: so our Lord Jesus Christ, when He came, first irradiated the 
height of the Apostles, first enlightened the mountains, and so His Light 
descended to the valley of the world. And therefore saith He in a certain 
Psalm, "I lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence cometh my 
help."[1] But think not that the mountains themselves will give thee help: 
for they receive what they may give, give not of their own. And if thou 
remain in the mountains, thy hope will not be strong: but in Him who 
enlighteneth the mountains, ought to be thy hope and presumption. Thy help 
indeed will come to thee through the mountains, because the Scriptures are 
administered to thee through the mountains, through the great Preachers of 
the Truth: but fix not thy hope in them. Hear what He saith next following: 
"I lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence cometh my help." 
What then? Do the mountains give thee help? No; hear what follows, "My help 
cometh from the Lord, which made Heaven and earth."[2] Through the 
mountains cometh help, but not from the mountains. From whom then? "From 
the Lord, which made Heaven and earth." ...

    9. "Thy Judgments are like the great abyss." The abyss he calleth the 
depth of sin, whither every one cometh by despising God; as in a certain 
place it is said, "God gave them over to their own hearts' lusts, to do the 
things which are not convenient."[3] ... Because then they were proud and 
ungrateful, they were held worthy to be delivered up to the lusts of their 
own hearts, and became a great abyss, so that they not only sinned, but 
also worked craftily, lest they should understand their iniquity, and hate 
it. That is the depth of wickedness, to be unwilling to find it out and to 
hate it. But how one cometh to that depth, see; "Thy Judgments are the 
great abyss." As the mountains are by the Righteousness of God,[4] who 
through His Grace become great: so also through His Judgments come they 
unto the depth, who sink lowest. By this then let the mountains delight 
thee, by this turn away from the abyss, and turn thyself unto that, of 
which it is said, "My help cometh from the Lord." But whereby? "I have 
lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains." What meaneth this? I will speak 
plainly.[5] In the Church of God thou findest an abyss, thou findest also 
mountains; thou findest there but few good, because the mountains are few, 
the abyss broad; that is, thou findest many living ill after the wrath of 
God, because they have so worked that they are delivered up to the lusts of 
their own heart; so now they defend their sins and confess them not; but 
say, Why? What have I done? Such an one did this, and such an one did that. 
Now will they even defend what the Divine Word reproves. This is the abyss. 
Therefore in a certain place[6] saith the Scripture (hear this abyss), "The 
sinner when he cometh unto the depth of sin despiseth." See, "Thy Judgments 
are like the great abyss." But yet not art thou a mountain; not yet art 
thou in the abyss; fly from the abyss, tend towards the mountains; but yet 
remain not on the mountains. "For thy help cometh from the Lord, which made 
Heaven and earth."

    10. Because he said, Thy Mercy is in the Heavens, that it may be known 
to be also on earth, he said, "O Lord, Thou surest man and beast,[7] as Thy 
Mercy is multiplied, O God" (ver. 7). Great is Thy Mercy, and manifold is 
Thy Mercy, O God; and that showest Thou both to man and beast. For from 
whom is the saving of men? From God. Is not the saving of beasts also from 
God? For He who made man, made also beasts; He who made both, saveth both; 
but the saving of beasts is temporal. But there are who as a great thing 
ask this of God, which He hath given to beasts. "Thy Mercy, O God, is 
multiplied," so that not only unto men, but unto beasts also is given the 
same saving which is given to men, a carnal and temporal saving.

    11. Have not men then somewhat reserved with God, which beasts deserve 
not, and where-unto beasts arrive not? They have evidently. And where is 
that which they have. "The children of men put their trust under the shadow 
of Thy wings." Attend, my Beloved, to this most pleasant sentence; "Thou 
savest man and beast." First, he spake of "man and beast," then of "the 
children of men;" as though "men" were one, "the children of mea" other. 
Sometimes in Scripture children of men is said generally of all men, 
sometimes in some proper manner, with some proper signification, so that 
not all men are understood; chiefly when there is a distinction. For not 
without reason is it here put; "O Lord, Thou savest man and beast: but the 
children of men;" as though setting aside the first, he keepeth separate 
the children of men. Separate from whom? Not only from beasts, but also 
from men, who seek from God the saving of beasts, and desire this as a 
great thing. Who then are the children of men? Those who put their trust 
under the shadow of His wings. For those men together with beasts rejoice 
in possession, but the children of men rejoice in hope: those follow after 
present goods with beasts, these hope for future goods with Angels. ...

    12. "They shall be satiated [1] with the fulness of Thy House" (ver. 
8). He promiseth us some great thing. He would speak it, and He speaketh it 
not. Can He not, or do not we receive it? I dare, my Brethren, to say, even 
of holy tongues and hearts, by which Truth is declared to us, that it can 
neither be spoken, which they declared, nor even thought of. For it is a 
great thing, and ineffable; and even they saw through a glass darkly, as 
saith the Apostle, "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to 
face."[2] Lo, they who saw through a glass darkly, thus burst forth. What 
then shall we be, when we shall see face to face? That with which they 
travailed in heart, and could not with their tongue bring forth, that men 
might receive it. For what necessity was there that he should say, "They 
shall be satiated with the fulness of Thy House"? He sought a word whereby 
to express from human things what he would say; and because he saw that men 
drowning themselves in drunkenness receive indeed wine without measure, but 
lose their senses, he saw what to say; for when shall have been received 
that ineffable joy, then shall be lost in a manner the human soul, it shall 
become Divine, and be satiated with the fulness of God's House. Wherefore 
also in another Psalm it is said, "Thy cup inebriating, how excellent is 
it!"[3] With this cup were the Martyrs satiated when going to their 
passion, they knew not their own. What so inebriated as not to know a wife 
weeping, not children, not parents? They knew them not they thought not 
that they were before their eyes. Wonder not: they were inebriated 
Wherewith were they so? Lo, they had received a cup wherewith they were 
satiated Wherefore he also gives thanks to God, saying "What shall I render 
unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me? I will take the cup of 
Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord." Therefore, Brethren of 
men," let us be "children and let us trust under the shadow of His wings 
and be satiated with the fulness of His House As I could, I have spoken; 
and as far as I can I see; and how far I see, I cannot speak. "And of the 
torrent of Thy Pleasure shalt Thou give them to drink." A torrent we call 
water coming with a flood. There will be a flood of God's Mercy to overflow 
and inebriate those who now put their trust under the shadow of His wings. 
What is that Pleasure? As it were a torrent inebriating the thirsty. Let 
him then who thirsts now, lay up hope: whoso thirsts now, let him have 
hope; when inebriated, he shall have possession: before he have possession, 
let him thirst in hope. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after 
righteousness, for they shall be filled."[6]

    13. With what fountain then wilt thou be overflowed, and whence runneth 
such a torrent of His Pleasure? "For with Thee," saith he, "is the fountain 
of Life." What is the fountain of Life, but Christ? He came to thee in the 
flesh, that He might bedew thy thirsty lips: He will satisfy thee trusting, 
who bedewed thee thirsting. "For with Thee is the fountain of Life; in Thy 
Light shall we see light" (ver. 9). Here a fountain is one thing, light 
another: there not so. For that which is the Fountain, the same is also 
Light: and whatever thou wilt thou callest It, for It is not what thou 
callest It: for thou canst not find a fit name: for It remaineth not in one 
name. If thou shouldest say, that It is Light only, it would be said to 
thee, Then without cause am I told to hunger and thirst, for who is there 
that eateth light? It is said to me plainly, directly, "Blessed are the 
pure in heart: for they shall see God."[1] If It is Light, my eyes must I 
prepare. Prepare also lips; for That which is Light is also a Fountain: a 
Fountain, because It satisfieth the thirsty: Light, because It enlighteneth 
the blind. Here sometimes, light is in one place, a fountain in another. 
For sometimes fountains run even in darkness; and sometimes in the desert 
thou sufferest the sun, findest no fountain: here then can these two be 
separated: there thou shall not be wearied, for there is a Fountain; there 
thou shall not be darkened, for there is Light.

    14. "Show forth Thy Mercy unto them that know Thee; Thy Righteousness 
to them that are of a fight heart" (ver. 10). As I have said, Those are of 
a right heart who follow in this life the Will of God. The will of God is 
sometimes that thou shouldest be whole, sometimes that thou shouldest be 
sick. If when thou art whole God's Will be sweet, and when thou art sick 
God's Will be bitter; thou art not of a right heart. Wherefore? Because 
thou wilt not make right thy will according to God's Will, but wilt bend 
God's Will to thine. That is right, but thou art crooked: thy will must be 
made right to That, not That made crooked to thee; and thou wilt have a 
right heart. It is well with thee in this world; be God blessed, who 
comforteth thee: it goeth hardly with thee in this world; be God blessed, 
because He[2] chasteneth and proveth thee; and so wilt thou be of a right 
heart, saying, "I will bless the Lord at all times: His Praise shall be 
ever in my mouth."[3]

    15. "Let not the foot of pride come against me" (ver. 11). But now he 
said, The children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of Thy 
wings: they shall be satiated with the fulness of Thy House. When one hath 
begun to be plentifully overflowed with that Fountain, let him take heed 
lest he grow proud. For the same was not wanting to Adam, the first man: 
but the foot of pride came against him, and the hand of the sinner removed 
him, that is, the proud hand of the devil. As he who seduced him, said of 
himself, "I will sit in the sides of the north;"[4] so he persuaded him, by 
saying, "Taste, and ye shall be as gods."[5] By pride then have we so 
fallen as to arrive at this mortality. And because pride had wounded us, 
humility maketh us whole. God came humbly, that from such great wound of 
pride He might heal man. He came, for "The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt 
among us."[6] He was taken by the Jews; He was reviled of them. Ye heard 
when the Gospel was read, what they said, and to Whom they said, "Thou hast 
a devil:"[7] and He said not, Ye have a devil, for ye are still in your 
sins, and the devil possesseth your hearts. He said not this, which if He 
had said, He had said truly: but it was not meet that He should say it, 
lest He should seem not to preach Truth, but to retort evil speaking. He 
let go what He heard as though He heard it not. For a Physician was He, and 
to cure the madman had He come. As a Physician careth not what he may hear 
from the madman; but how the madman may recover and become sane; nor even 
if he receive a blow from the madman, careth he; but while he to him giveth 
new wounds, he cureth his old fever: so also the Lord came to the 'sick 
man, to the madman came He, that whatever He might hear, whatever He might 
suffer, He should despise; by this very thing teaching us humility, that 
being taught by humility, we might be healed from pride: from which he here 
prayeth to be delivered, saying, "Let not the foot of pride come against 
me; neither let the hand of the sinner remove me." For if the foot of pride 
come, the hand of the sinner removeth. What is the hand of the sinner? The 
working of him that adviseth ill. Hast thou become proud? Quickly he 
corrupteth thee who adviseth ill. Humbly fix thyself in God, and care not 
much what is said to thee. Hence is that which is elsewhere spoken, "From 
my secret sins cleanse Thou me; and from others' sins also keep Thy 
servant."[8] What is, "From my secret sins"? "Let not the foot of pride 
come against me." What is, "From other men's sins also keep Thy servant"? 
"Let not the hand of the wicked remove me." Keep that which is within, and 
thou shall not fear from without.

    16. But wherefore so greatly fearest thou this? Because it is said, 
"Thereby have fallen all that work iniquity" (ver. 12); so that they have 
come into that abyss of which it is said, "Thy judgments are like the great 
abyss:" so that they have come even to that deep wherein sinners who 
despise have fallen. "Have fallen." Whereby did they first fall? By the 
foot of pride. Hear the foot of pride. "When they knew God, they glorified 
Him not as God." Therefore came against them the foot of pride, whereby 
they came into the depth. "God gave them over to their own hearts' lusts, 
to do those things which are not convenient."[9] The root of sin, and the 
head of sin feared he who said, "Let not the foot of pride come against 
me." Wherefore said he, "the foot"? Because by walking proudly man deserted 
God, and departed from Him. His foot, called he his affection. "Let not the 
foot of pride come against me: let not the hand of the wicked remove me:" 
that is, let not the works of the wicked remove me from Thee, that I should 
wish to imitate them. But wherefore said he this against pride, "Thereby 
have fallen all that work iniquity"? Because those who now are ungodly, 
have fallen by pride. Therefore when the Lord would caution His Church, He 
said, "It shall watch thy head, and thou shall watch[1] his heel."[2] The 
serpent watcheth when the foot of pride may come against thee, when thou 
mayest fall, that he may cast thee down. But watch thou his head: the 
beginning of all sin is pride.[3] "Thereby have fallen all that work 
iniquity: they are driven out, and are not able to stand." He first, who in 
the Truth stood not, then, through him, they whom God sent out of Paradise. 
Whence he, the humble, who said that he was not worthy to unloose His 
shoe's latchet, is not driven out, but standeth and heareth Him, and 
rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice;[4] not because of his 
own, lest the foot of pride come against him, and he be driven out, and be 
not able to stand. ...

PSALM XXXVII. [5]

On the First Part of the Psalm.

    1. With tenor do they hear of the coming of the last day, who will not 
be secure by living well: and who fain would live ill, long. But it was for 
useful purposes that God willed that day to remain unknown; that the heart 
may be ever ready to expect that of which it knows it is to come, but knows 
not when it is to come. Seeing, however, that our Lord Jesus Christ was 
sent to us to be our "Master,"[6] He said, that "of the day not even the 
Son of Man knew,"[7] because it was not part of His office as our Master 
that through Him it should become known to us.  For indeed the Father 
knoweth nothing that the Son knoweth not; since that is the Very Knowledge 
of the Father Itself, which is His Wisdom; now His Son, His Word, is "His 
Wisdom." But because it was not for our good to know that, which however 
was known to Him who came indeed to teach us, though not to teach us that 
which it was not good for us to know, He not only, as a Master, taught us 
something, but also, as a Master, left something untaught. For, as a 
Master, He knew how both to teach us what was good for us, and not to teach 
us what was injurious. Now thus, according to a certain form of speech, the 
Son[8] is said not to know what He does not teach: that is, in the same way 
that we are daily in the habit of speaking, He is said not to know what He 
causes us not to know.[9] ...

    2. This it is that disturbs you who are a Christian; that you see men 
of bad lives prospering, and surrounded with abundance of things like 
these; you see them sound in health, distinguished with proud honours; you 
see their family unvisited by misfortune; the happiness of their relatives, 
the obsequious attendance of their dependants, their most commanding 
influence, theirs life uninterrupted by any sad event; you see their 
characters most profligate, their external resources most affluent; and 
your heart says that there is no Divine judgment; that all things are 
carried to and fro by accidents, and blown about in disorderly; and 
irregular motions. For if God, thou sayest, regarded human affairs, would 
his iniquity flourish, and my innocence suffer? Every sickness of the soul 
hath in Scripture its proper remedy. Let him then whose sickness is of that 
kind that he says in his heart things like these, let him drink this Psalm 
by way of potion. ...

    3. "Be not envious because of evil-doers, neither be envious against 
the workers of iniquity" (ver. 1). "For they shall soon wither like the 
grass, and shall fade like the herbs of the meadow" (ver. 2). That which to 
thee seemeth long, is "soon" in the sight of God. Conform[10] thou thyself 
to God; and it will be "soon" to thee. That which he here calls "grass," 
that we understand by the "herbs of the meadow." They are some worthless 
things, occupying the surface only of the ground, they have no depth of 
root. In the winter then they are green; but when the summer sun shall 
begin to scorch, they will wither away. For now it is the season of winter. 
Thy glory cloth not as yet appear. But if thy love hath but a deep root, 
like that of many trees during winter, the frost passes away, the summer 
(that is, the Day of Judgment) will come; then will the greenness of the 
grass wither away. Then will the glory of the trees appear. "For ye" (saith 
the Apostle) "are dead."[11] even as trees seem to be in winter, as it were 
dead, as it were withered. What is our hope then, if we are dead? The root 
is within; where our root is, there is our life also, for there our love is 
fixed. "And your life is hid with Christ in God."[11] When shall he wither 
who is thus rooted? But when will our spring be? When our summer? When will 
the honour of foliage clothe us around, and the fulness of fruit make us 
rich? When shall this come to pass? Hear what follows: "When Christ, who is 
our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." And 
what then shall we do now? "Be not envious because of the evil-doers, 
neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon 
wither like the grass, and fade like the herb of the meadow."

    4. What shouldest thou do then? "Trust in the Lord" (ver. 3). For they 
too trust, but not "in the Lord." Their hope is perishable. Their hope is 
short-lived, frail, fleeting, transitory, baseless. "Trust thou in the 
Lord." "Behold," thou sayest, "I do trust; what am I to do?"

    "And do good." Do not do that evil which thou beholdest in those men, 
who are prosperous in wickedness. "Do good, and dwell in the land." Lest 
haply thou shouldest be doing good without "dwelling in the land." For it 
is the Church that is the Lord's land. It is her whom He, the Father, the 
tiller of it, waters and cultivates. For there are many that, as it were, 
do good works, but yet, in that they do not "dwell in the land," they do 
not belong to the husbandman. Therefore do thou thy good, not outside of 
the land, but do thou "dwell in the land." And what shall I have?

    "And thou shalt be fed in its riches." What are the riches of that 
land? Her riches are her Lord! Her riches are her God l He it is to whom it 
is said, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup."[1] 
In a late discourse we suggested to you, dearly beloved, that God is our 
possession,[2] and that we are at the same time God's possession. Hear how 
that He is Himself the riches of that land.

    "Delight thyself in the Lord" (ver. 4). As if thou hadst put the 
question, and hadst said "Show me the riches of that land, in which thou 
biddest me dwell, he says, "Delight thyself in the Lord."

    5. "And He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Understand in 
their proper signification,[3] "the desires of thine heart." Distinguish 
the "desires of thine heart" from the desires of thy flesh; distinguish as 
much as thou canst. It is not without a meaning that it is said in a 
certain Psalm, "God is" (the strength) "of mine heart." For there it says 
in what follows: "And God is my portion for ever." For instance: One 
labours under bodily blindness. He asks that he may receive his sight. Let 
him ask it; for God does that too, and gives those blessings also. But 
these things are asked for even by the wicked. This is a desire of the 
flesh. One is sick, and prays to be made sound. From the point of death he 
is restored to health. That too is a desire of the flesh, as are all of 
such a kind. What is "the desire of the heart"? As the desire of the flesh 
is to wish to have one's eyesight restored, to enable him, that is, to see 
that light, which can be seen by such eyes; so "the desire of the heart" 
relates to a different sort of light. For, "Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they shall see God. Delight thou thyself in the Lord; and He shall give 
thee the desires of thine heart."

    6. "Behold" (you say), "I do long after it, I do ask for it, I do 
desire it. Shall I then accomplish it?" No. Who shall then? "Reveal thy way 
unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (ver. 5). 
Mention to Him what thou sufferest, mention to Him what thou dost desire. 
For what is it that thou sufferest? "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, 
and the spirit against the flesh."[4] What is it then that thou dost 
desire? "Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this 
death?"[5] And because it is He "Himself" that "will bring it to pass," 
when thou shall have "revealed thy ways unto Him;" hear what follows: "The 
grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." What is it then that He is to 
bring to pass, since it is said, "Reveal thy way unto Him, and He will 
bring it to pass"? What will He bring to pass?

    "And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light" (ver. 6). For 
now, "thy righteousness" is hid. Now it is a thing of faith; not yet of 
sight. You believe something that you may do it. You do not yet see that in 
which you believe. But when thou shall begin to see that, which thou didst 
believe before, "thy righteousness will be brought forth to the light," 
because it is thy faith that was [6] thy righteousness. For "the just lives 
by faith."

    7. "And He shall bring forth thy judgment as the noon-day." That is to 
say, "as the clear light." It was too little to say, "as the light." For we 
call it "light" already, even when it but dawns: we call it light even 
while the sun is rising. But never is the light brighter than at mid-day. 
Therefore He will not only "bring forth thy righteousness as the light," 
but "thy judgment shall be as the noon-day." For now dost thou make thy 
"judgment" to follow Christ. This is thy purposé: this is thy choice: this 
is thy "judgment."...

    8. "What should I do then?" Hear what thou shouldest do. "Submit thee 
to the Lord, and entreat Him" (ver. 7). Be this thy life, to obey His 
commandments. For this is to submit thee to Him; and to entreat Him until 
He give thee what He hath promised. Let good works "continue;"[1] let 
prayer "continue." For "men ought always to pray, and not to faint."[2] 
Wherein dost thou show that thou art "submitted to Him"? In doing what He 
hath commanded. But haply thou dost not receive thy wages as yet, because 
as yet thou art not able. For He is already able to give them; but thou art 
not already able to receive them. Exercise thou thyself in works. Labour in 
the vineyard; at the close of the day crave thy wages. "Faithful is He" who 
brought thee into the vineyard. "Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Him."

    9. "See! I do so; I do 'submit to the Lord, and I do entreat.' But what 
do you think? That neighbour of mine is a wicked man, living a bad life, 
and prosperous! His thefts, adulteries, robberies, are known to me. Lifted 
up above every one, proud, and raised on high by wickedness, he deigns not 
to notice me. In these circumstances, how shall I hold out with patience?" 
This is a sickness; drink, by way of remedy. "Fret not thyself because of 
him who prospereth in his way." He prospereth, but it is "in his way:" thou 
sufferest, but it is in God's way! His portion is prosperity on his way, 
misery on arriving at its end: yours, toil on the road, happiness in its 
termination. "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the 
ungodly shall perish."[3] Thou walkest those ways which "the Lord knoweth," 
and if thou dost suffer toil in them, they do not deceive thee. The "way of 
the ungodly" is but a transitory happiness; at the end of the way the 
happiness is at an end also. Why? Because that way is "the broad road;" its 
termination leads to the pit of hell. Now, thy way is narrow; and "few 
there be" that enter in through it:[4] but into how ample a field it comes 
at the last, thou oughtest to consider. "Fret not thyself at him who 
prospereth in his way; because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to 
pass."

    "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath" (ver. 8). Wherefore art thou 
wroth? Wherefore is it that, through that passion and indignation, thou 
dost blaspheme, or almost blaspheme? Against "the man who bringeth wicked 
devices to pass, cease from anger, and forsake wrath." Knowest thou not 
whither that wrath tempts thee on? Thou art on the point of saying unto 
God, that He is unjust. It tends to that. "Look! why is that man 
prosperous, and this man in adversity?" Consider what thought it begets: 
stifle the wicked notion. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:" so that 
now returning to thy senses, thou mayest say, "Mine eye is disturbed 
because of wrath."[5] What eye is that, but the eye of faith? To the eye of 
thy faith I appeal.[6] Thou didst believe in Christ: why didst thou 
believe? What did He promise thee? If it was the happiness of this world 
that Christ promised thee, then murmur against Christ; yes! murmur against 
Him, when thou seest the wicked flourishing. What of happiness did He 
promise? What, save in the Resurrection of the Dead? But what in this life? 
That which was His