has He already done? " He has brought me out of a horrible pit." What horrible pit is that? It is the depth of iniquity, from the lusts of the flesh, for this is meant by " the miry clay." ' Whence hath He brought thee out? Out of a certain deep, out of which thou criedst out in another Psalm, " Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord." 2 And those who are already " crying out of the deep," are not absolutely in the lowest deep: the very act of crying is already lifting them up. There are some deeper in the deep, who do not even perceive themselves to be in the deep. Such are those who are proud despisers, not pious entreaters for pardon; not tearful criers for mercy: but such as Scripture thus describes. " The sinner 3 when he comes into the depth of evil despiseth." 4 For he is deeper in the deep, who is not satisfied with being a sinner, unless instead of confessing he even defends his sins. But he who has already "cried out of the deep," hath already lifted up his head in order that he might " cry out of the deep," has been heard already, and has been " brought out of the horrible pit, and out of the mire and clay." He already has faith, which he had not before; he has hope, which he was before without; he now walks in Christ, who before used to go astray in the devil. For on that account it is that he says, " He hath set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Now "that Rock was Christ." 5 Supposing that we are " upon the rock," and that our " goings are ordered," still it is necessary that we continue to walk; that we advance to something farther. For what did the Apostle Paul say when now upon the Rock, when his " goings had now been established "? " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended."6 What then has been done for thee, if thou hast not apprehended? On what account dost thou return thanks, saying, " But I have obtained mercy"?' Because his goings are now established, because he now walks on the Rock?...Therefore, when he was saying, " I press forward toward the prize of my high calling," because " his feet were now set on the Rock," and " his goings were ordered," because he was now walking on the right way, he had something to return thanks for; something to ask for still; returning thanks for what he had received already, while he was claiming that which still remained due. For what things already received was he giving thanks? For the remission of sins, for the illumination of faith; for the 1 Or thus, " What horrible pit is that? It is the depth of iniquity. From the lusts of the flesh, for this is meant by the ' miry clay.' " 2 I'S. CXXX. I.
3 Eng. Vers. *' When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt."
* Prov. xviii. 3.
strong support of hope, for the fire of charity. But in what respects had he still a claim of debt on the Lord? "Henceforth," he says, " there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." There is therefore something due me still. What is it that is due? "A crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." He was at first a loving Father to " bring him forth from the horrible pit;" to forgive his sins, to rescue him from " the mire and clay; " hereafter he will be a " righteous Judge," requiting to him walking rightly, what He promised; to him (I say), unto whom He had at the first granted that power to walk rightly. He then as a " righteous Judge" will repay; but whom will he repay? " He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved."8 4. "And He hath put a new song in my mouth." What new song is this? "Even a hymn unto our God" (ver. 3). Perhaps you used to sing hymns to strange gods; old hymns, because they were uttered by the " old man," not by the " new man; " let the " new man " be formed, and let him sing a " new song; " being himself made "new," let him love those "new" things by which he is himself made new. For what is more Ancient than God, who is before all things, and is without end and without beginning? He becomes "new" to thee, when thou returnest to Him; because it was by departing from Him, that thou hadst become old; and hadst said, " I have waxed old because of all mine enemies."' We therefore utter "a hymn unto our God; " and the hymn itself sets us free. " For I will call upon the Lord to praise Him, and I will be safe from all mine enemies." For a hymn is a song of praise. Call on God to " praise " Him, not to find fault with Him...
5. If haply any one asks, what person is speaking in this Psalm? I would say briefly, " It is Christ." But as ye know, brethren, and as we must say frequently, Christ sometimes speaks in His own Person, in the Person of our Head. For He Himself is " the Saviour of the Body." IO He is our Head; the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin, suffered for us, "rose again for our justification," sitteth " at the right hand of God," to " make intercession for us: " " who is also to recompense to the evil and to the good, in the judgment, all the evil and the good that they have done. He deigned to become our Head; to become " the Head of the Body," by taking of us that flesh in which He should die for us; that flesh which He also raised up again for our sakes, that in that flesh He might place before us an instance of the resurrection; that we might learn to hope for 9 Ps. vi. 7.
10 Eph. v. 23.
Psalm XL.]
that of which we heretofore despaired, and might henceforth have our feet upon the rock, and might walk in Christ. He then sometimes speaks in the name of our Head; sometimes also He speaks of us who are His members. For both when He said, " I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat," ' He spoke on behalf of His members, not of Himself: and when He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"2 the Head was crying on behalf of its members: and yet He did not say, " Why dost thou persecute My members?" but, "Why persecutest thou Me? " If He suffers in us, then shall we also be crowned in Him. Such is the love of Christ. What is there can be compared to this? This is the thing on account of which " He hath put a hymn in our mouth," and this He speaks on beTlalf of His members.
6. " The just shall see, and shall fear, and shall trust in the Lord." " The just shall see." Who are the just? The faithful; because it is " by faith that the just shall live." 3 For there is in the Church this order, some go before, others follow; and those who go before make themselves " an example " to those who follow; and those who follow imitate those who go before. But do those then follow no one, who exhibit themselves as an ensample to them that come after? If they follow no one at all, they will fall into error. These persons then must themselves also follow some one, that is, Christ Himself..."The just," therefore, "shall see, and shall fear." They see a narrow way on the one hand; on the other side, " a broad road: " on this side they see few, on the other many. But thou art a just man; count them not, but weigh them; bring " a just balance," not a " deceitful " one: because thou art called just. " The just shall see, and fear," applies to thee. Count not therefore the multitudes of men that are filling the " broad ways," that are to fill the circus to-morrow; celebrating with shouts the City's Anniversary,4 while they defile the City itself by evil living. Look not at them; they are many in number; and who can count them?
But there are a few travelling along the narrow road. Bring forth the balance, I say. Weigh them; see what a quantity of chaff you lift up on the one side, against a few grains of corn on the other. Let this be done by " the just," the " believers," who are to follow. And what shall they who precede do? Let them not be proud, let them not " exalt themselves; " let them not deceive those who follow them. How may they deceive those who follow them? By promising them salvation in themselves. What then ought those who follow to do? "The just shall see, and fear: and shall trust in the Lord; " not in 1 Matt. xxv. 35. ' Hab. ii. 4.
3 Acts ix. 4.
* Civitatis Natalem, those who go before them. But indeed they fix their eyes on those who go before them, and follow and imitate them; but they do so, because they consider from Whom they have received the grace to go before them; and because they trust in Him.s Although therefore they make these their models, they place their trust in Him from whom the others have received the grace whereby they are such as they are. " The just shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Just as in another Psalm, "I lift up mine eyes unto the hills,"6 we understand by hills, all distinguished and great spiritual persons in the Church; great in solidity, not by swollen inflation. By these it is that all Scripture hath been dispensed unto us; they are the Prophets, they are the Evangelists; they are sound Doctors: to these " I lift up mine eyes, from whence shall come my help." And lest you should think of mere human help, he goes on to say, " My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. The just shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."...
7. " Blessed is that man that maketh the name of the Lord his trust, and hath not respected vanities or lying madnesses" (ver. 4). Behold the way by which thou wouldest fain have gone. Behold the " multitude that fill the Broad way." 1 It is not without reason " that " road leads to the amphitheatre. It is not without reason it leads to Death. The "broad way" leads unto death,8 its breadth delights for time: its end is straitness to all eternity. Aye; but the multitudes murmur; the multitudes are rejoicing together; the multitudes are hastening along; the multitudes are flocking together! Do not thou imitate them; do not turn aside after them: they are " vanities, and lying madnesses." Let the Lord thy God be thy hope. Hope for nothing else from the Lord thy God; but let the Lord thy God Himself be thine hope. For many persons hope to obtain from God's hands riches, and many perishable and transitory honours; and, in short, anything else they hope to obtain at God's hands, except only God Himself. But do thou seek after thy God Himself: nay, indeed, despising all things else, make thy way unto Him! Forget other things, remember Him. Leave other things behind, and "press forward "9 unto Him. Surely it is He Himself, who set thee right, when turned away from the right path; who, now that thou art set in the right path, guides thee aright, who guides thee to thy destination. Let Him then be thy hope, who both guides thee, and guides thee to thy destination. Whither does worldly covetous- 5 [A clear exposition of the Catholic (Nicene) doctrine concern ing the merits of the saints. — C.J 6 Ps. cxxi. 1. 7 A street perhaps so named. 8 Matt. vii. 13. 9 Phil. iii. 14.
[Psalm XL.
ness lead thee? And to what point does it conduct thee at the last? Thou didst at first desire a farm; then thou wouldest possess an estate; thou wouldest shut out thy neighbours; having shut them out, thou didst set thy heart on the possessions of other neighbours; and didst extend thy covetous desires till thou hadst reached the shore: arriving at the shore, thou covetest the islands: having made the earth thine own, thou wouldest haply seize upon heaven. Leave thou all thy loves. He who made heaven and earth is more beautiful than all.
8. " Blessed is the man that maketh the name of the Lord his hope, and who hath not regarded vanities and lying madnesses." For whence is it that " madness " is called " lying "? Insanity is a lying thing, even as it is sanity that sees the Truth. For what thou seest as good things,1 thou art deceived; thou art not in thy sound senses: a violent fever has driven thee to frenzy: that which thou art in love with is not a reality. Thou applaudest the charioteer; thou cheerest the charioteer; thou art madly in love with the charioteer. It is " vanity; " it is " a lying madness." " It is ' not ' " (he cries). " Nothing can be better; nothing more delightful." What can I do for one in a state of high fever? Pray ye for such persons, if you have any feelings of compassion in you. For the physician himself also in a desperate case generally turns to those in the house, who stand around weeping; who are hanging on his lips to hear his opinion of the patient who is sick and in danger. The physician stands in a state of doubt: he sees not any good to promise; he fears to pronounce evil, lest he should excite alarm. He devises a thoroughly modest sentence: " The good God can do all things. Pray ye for him." Which then of these madmen shall I check? Which of them will listen to me? Which of them would not call us miserable? Because they suppose us to have lost great and various pleasures, of which they are madly fond, in that we are not as madly in love with them as they are: and they do not see that they are " lying " pleasures..." And hath not respected vanities, and lying madnesses." " Such a one has won," he cries; " he harnessed such and such a horse," he proclaims aloud.
He would fain be a kind of diviner; he aspires to the honours of divination by abandoning the fountain of Divinity; and he frequently pronounces an opinion, and is frequently mistaken. Why is this? Even because they are " lying madnesses." But why is it that what they say sometimes comes true? That they may lead astray the foolish ones; that by loving the semblance of truth there, they may fall into the snare of falsehood: let them be left behind, let 1 mss. want pittas; with it, the sense is, " What you see, you thick to be good things."
them be "given over," let them be "cut off." If they were members of us, they must be mortified. " Mortify," he says, " your members which are upon the earth."2 Let our God be our hope. He who made all things, is better than all! He who made what is beautiful, is more beautiful than all that is such. He who made whatever is mighty, is Himself mightier. He who made whatever is great, is Himself greater. He will be unto you everything that you love. Learn in the creature to love the Creator; and in the work Him who made it. Let not that which has been made by Him detain thine affections, so that thou shouldest lose Him by whom thou thyself wert made also. " Blessed," then, " is the man that maketh the Name of the Lord his trust, and hath not respected vanities and lying madnesses."...
9. We will give him other sights in exchange for such sights as these. And what sights shall we present to the Christian, whom we would fain divert from those sights? I thank the Lord our God; He in the following verse of the Psalm hath shown us what sights we ought to present and offer to spectators who would fain have sights to see? Let us now suppose him to be weaned from the circus, the theatre, the amphitheatre; let him be looking after, let him by all means be looking after, some sight to see; we do not leave him without a spectacle. What then shall we give in exchange for those? Hear what follows.
" Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which Thou hast made" (ver. 5). He used to gaze at the " wonderful works " of man; let him now contemplate the wonderful works of God. " Many are the wonderful works " that God " has made." Why are they become vile in his eyes? He praises the charioteer guiding four horses; running all of them without fault and without stumbling. Perhaps the Lord has not made such " wonderful works " in things spiritual. Let him control lust,3 let him control cowardice,4 let him control injustice, let him control imprudence, I mean, the passions which falling into excess produce those vices; let him control these and bring them into subjection, and let him hold the reins, and not suffer himself to be carried away; let him guide them the way he himself would have them go; let him not be forced away whither he would not. He used to applaud the charioteer, he himself shall be applauded for his own charioteering; he used to call out that the charioteer should be invested with a dress of honour; he shall himself be clothed with immortality. These are the spectacles, these the sights that God exhibits to us. He cries out of heaven, " My eyes are upon you.
» Col. iii. 5.
3 Luxuriant.
4 Ignaviam.
[Psalm XL.
Strive, and ' I will ' assist you; triumph, and I will crown you."
" And in Thy thought there is none that is like unto Thee." Now then look at the actor! For the man hath by dint of great pains learnt to walk upon a rope; and hanging there he holds thee hanging in suspense. Turn to Him who exhibits spectacles far more wonderful. This man hath learned to walk upon the rope; but hath he caused another to walk on the sea? Forget now thy theatre; behold our Peter; not a walker on the rope, but, so to speak, a walker on the sea.' And do thou also walk on other waters (though not on those on which Peter walked, to symbolize a certain truth), for this world is a sea. It hath a deleterious bitterness; it hath the waves of tribulations, the, tempests of temptations; it hath men in it who, like fish, delight in their own ruin, and prey upon each other; walk thou here, set thou thy foot on this. Thou wouldest see sights; be thyself a " spectacle." That thy spirit may not sink, look on Him who goes before thee, and says, " We have been made a spectacle unto this world, and unto angels, and unto men." 2 Tread thou on the waters; suffer not thyself to be drowned in the sea. Thou wilt not go there, thou wilt not " tread it under foot," unless it be His bidding, who was Himself the first to walk upon the sea. For it was thus that Peter spoke. " If Thou art, bid me come unto Thee on the waters." 3 And because " He was," He heard him when praying; He granted his wish to him when expressing his desire; He raised him up when sinking. These are the " wonderful works " that the " Lord hath made." Look on them; let faith be the eye of him who would behold them. And do thou also likewise; for although the winds alarm thee, though the waves rage against thee, and though human frailty may have inspired thee with some doubt of thy salvation, thou hast it in thy power to " cry out," thou mayest say " Lord, I perish." 4 He who bids thee walk there, suffers thee not to perish. For in that thou now walkest " on the Rock," thou fearest not even on the sea! If thou art without " the Rock," thou must sink in the sea; for the Rock on which thou must walk is such an one as is not sunk in the sea.
10. Observe then the "wonderful works " of God. " I have declared, and have spoken; they are multiplied beyond number." There is " a number," there are some over and above the number. There is a fixed number that belongs to that heavenly Jerusalem. For " the Lord knoweth them that are His; " s the Christians that fear Him, the Christians that believe, the Christians that keep the commandments, that 1 Mariambulum. * Matt, xiv 30.
: Cor. iv. 9. Tim. ii. 19.
3 Matt. xiv. 28.
walk in God's ways, that keep themselves from sins; that if they fall confess: they belong to " the number." But are they the only ones? There are also some " beyond the number." For even if they be but a few (a few in comparison of the numbers of the larger majority), with how great numbers are our Churches filled, crowded up to the very walls; to what a degree do they annoy each other by the pressure, and almost choke each other by their overflowing numbers. Again, out of these very same persons, when there is a public spectacle,6 there are numbers flocking to the amphitheatre; these are over and above " the number." But it is for this reason that we say this, that they may be in " the number." Not being present, they do not hear this from us; but when ye have gone from hence, let them hear it from you. " I have declared," he says, " and have spoken." It is Christ who speaks. " He hath declared it," in His own Person, as our Head. He hath Himself declared it by His members. He Himself hath sent those who should " declare " it; He Himself hath sent the Apostles. " Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world."7 How great the number of believers that are gathered together; how great the multitudes that flock together; many of them truly converted, many but in appearance: and those who are truly converted are the minority; those who are so but in appearance are the majoritybecause " they are multiplied beyond the number."
11...These are the "wonderful works" of God; these are the " thoughts " of God, to which " no man's thoughts are like; " that the lover of sight-seeing may be weaned from curiosity: 8 and with us may seek after those more excellent, those more profitable things, in which, when he shall have attained unto them, he will rejoice...12. "Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire" (ver. 6), saith the Psalm to God. For the men of old time, when as yet the true Sacrifice, which is known to the faithful, was foreshown in figures, used to celebrate rites that were figures of the reality that was to be hereafter; many of them understanding their meaning; but more of them in ignorance of it. For the Prophets and the holy Patriarchs understood what they were celebrating; but the rest of the " stiff-necked people " were so carnal, that what was done by them was but to symbolize the things that were to come afterwards; and it came to pass,' when that first sacrifice was abolished; when the burnt-offerings of " rams, of 6 Munus. 7 Ps. xix. 4.
8 Al. " may be drawn to curiosity."
9 Et venit Some Mss. en vetiit Veritas, came." which makes easier sense.
Lo, the Truth [Psalm XL.
goats, and of calves," and of other victims, had been abolished, "God did not desire them." Why did God not desire them? And why did He at the first desire them? Because all those things were, as it were, the words of a person making a promise; and the expressions conveying a promise, when the thing that they promise is come, are no longer uttered...Those sacrifices then, as being but expressions of a promise, have been abrogated. What is that which has been given as its fulfilment? That "Body;" which ye know; which ye do not all of you know; which, of you who do know it, I pray God all may not know it unto condemnation. Observe the time when it was said; for the person is Christ our Lord, speaking at one time for His members, at another in His own person. " Sacrifice and offering," said He, "Thou didst not desire." What then? Are we left at this present time without a sacrifice? God forbid!
" But a Body hast Thou perfected for me." ' It was for this reason that Thou didst not desire the others; that Thou mightest " perfect " this; before Thou " perfectedst " this, Thou didst desire the others. The fulfilment of the promise has done away with the words that express the promise. For if they still hold out a promise, that which was promised is not yet fulfilled. This was promised by certain signs; the signs that convey the promise are done away; because the Substance that was promised is come. We are in this " Body." We are partakers of this " Body." We know that which we ourselves receive; and ye who know it not yet, will know it bye and bye; and when ye come to know it, I pray ye may not receive it unto condemnation.2 " For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation unto himself." » " A Body " hath been " perfected " for us; let us be made perfect in the Body.
13. " Burnt-offerings also for sin hast Thou not required." " Then said I, Lo, I come! " (ver. 7). It is time that what " was promised should come; " because the signs, by means of which they were promised, have been put away. And indeed, Brethren, observe these put away; those fulfilled. Let the Jewish nation at this time show me their priest, if they can! Where are their sacrifices? They are brought to an end; 4 they are put away now. Should we at that time have rejected them? s We do reject them now; because, if you chose to celebrate them now, it were unseasonable; 6 unfitting at the time; incongruous. You are still making promises; I have already received! There has remained to them a certain thing for them to celebrate; that 1 Corfut pe r/eciMti, Augustin; aurei ptrfecitti, Vulgate; corpus aptasti, neb. x. 5. Vulgate.
7 yudicium. So Vulgate. 3 1 Cor. xi. 20.
« Perierunt. » Rtproiaremus. * Inttmporale.
they might not remain altogether without a sign...In such a case then are they; like Cain with his mark. The sacrifices, however, which used to be performed there, have been put away; and that which remained unto them for a sign like that of Cain, hath by this time been fulfilled; and they know it not. They slay the Lamb; they eat the unleavened bread. " Christ has been sacrificed for us, as our Passover." ' Lo, in the sacrifice of Christ, I recognise the Lamb that was slain! What of the unleavened bread? " Therefore," says he, " let us keep the feast; not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of wickedness " (he shows what is meant by " old; " it is " stale " flour; it is sour), " but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."8 They have, continued in the shade; they cannot abide the Sun of Glory. We are already in the light of day. We have " the Body " of Christ, we have the Blood of Christ. If we have a new life, let us " sing a new song, even a hymn unto our God." « " Burnt offerings for sin Thou didst not desire. Then said I, Lo, I come! " 14. " In the head IO of the Book it is written of me, that I should fulfil Thy will: O my God, I am willing, and Thy Law is within my heart " ( ver. 8 ). Behold! He turns His regards to His members. Behold! He hath Himself " fulfilled the will " of the Father. But in what " beginning IO of a Book " is it written of Him? Perhaps in the beginning of this Book of Psalms. For why should we seek far for it, or examine into other books for it? Behold! It is written in the beginning of this Book of Psalms! " His will is in the Law of the Lord; " " that is, " ' O my God, I am willing,' and 'Thy Law is within my heart; ' " that is the same as, " And in His Law doth he meditate day and night."
15. "I have well declared Thy righteousness in the great congregation" (ver. 9). He now addresses His members. He is exhorting them to do what He has already done. He has " declared; " let us declare also. He has suffered; let us " suffer with Him." He has been glorified; we shall be " glorified with Him." I2 " I have declared Thy righteousness in the great congregation." How great an one is that? In all the world. How great is it? Even among all nations. Why among all nations? Because He is " the Seed of Abraham, in whom all nations shall be blessed." 1J Why among all nations? " Because their sound hath gone forth into all lands." '4 " Lo! I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, and that Thou knowest." My lips speak; I will not " refrain " them from speaking. My lips indeed sound audibly in the ears of men; but " Thou knowest " mine heart. " I will not re- 9 Supra, ver. 3. 12 Rom. viii. 17.
Psalm XL] frain my lips, O Lord; that Thou knowest." It is one thing that man heareth; another that God " knoweth." That the " declaring " of it should not be confined to the lips alone, and that it might not be said of us, " YVhatsoever things they say unto you, do; but do not after their works; " ' or lest it should be said to the people, " praising God with their lips, but not with their heart," " This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; " 2 do thou make audible confession with thy lips; draw nigh with thine heart also.3 " For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 4 In case like unto which that thief was found, who, hanging on the Cross with the Lord, did on the Cross acknowledge the Lord. Others had refused to acknowledge Him while working miracles; this man acknowledged Him when hanging on the Cross. That thief had every other member pierced through; his hands were fastened by the nails; his feet were pierced also; his whole body was fastened to the tree; the body was not disengaged in its other members; the heart and the tongue were disengaged;5 "with the heart"