10. " Hope in God." Why " hope "? " For I will confess unto Him." What wilt thou " confess "? " My God is the saving health of my countenance." 6 My " health " (my salvation) cannot be from myself; this it is that I will say, that I will " confess." It is my God that is " the saving health of my countenance." For to account for his fears, in the midst of those 1 [ntclligibilis, answering to the Greek vorjTou. a Matt, xviii. 7.
3...Inter scandala Respexit ergo ad se.
4 Per transitnm. 5 Rom. viii. 24, 25.
6 E. V. " I shall yet give Him thanks for the help of His countenance."
things, which he now knows, having come after a sort to the " understanding " of them,7 he has been looking behind him again in anxiety, lest the enemy be stealing upon him: he cannot yet say, " I am made whole every whit." For having but " the first-fruits of the Spirit, we groan within ourselves; waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body."8 When that " health " (that salvation) is perfected in us, then shall we be living in the house of God for ever, and praising for ever Him to whom it was said, " Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, they will be praising Thee world without end." » This is not so yet, because the salvation which is promised, is not as yet in being; but it is " in hope " that I confess unto God, and say, " My God is the saving health of my countenance." For it is " in hope " that " we are saved; but hope that is seen, is not hope."...
n." My soul is disquieted on account of myself" IO (ver. 6). Is it disquieted on account of God? It is on my own account it is disquieted. By the Unchangeable it was revived; it is by the changeable it is disquieted. I know that the righteousness of God remaineth; whether my own will remain stedfast, I know not. For I am alarmed by the Apostle's saying, " Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." " Therefore since " there is no soundness in me for myself," there is no hope either for me of myself. " My soul is disquieted on account of myself."..." Therefore I remember Thee, O Lord, from the land of Jordan, and from the little hill of Hermon." From whence did I remember thee? From the " little hill," and from the " land of Jordan." Perhaps from Baptism, where the remission of sins is given. For no one runs to the remission of sins, except he who is dissatisfied with himself; no one runs to the remission of sins, but he who confesses himself a sinner; no one confesses himself a sinner, except by humbling himself before God. Therefore it is from " the land of Jordan I have remembered thee, and from the hill; " observe, not " of the great hill," that thou mayest make of the " little hill " a great one: for " whoso exalteth himself shall be abased, and whoso humbleth himself shall be exalted." If you would also ask the meanings of the names, Jordan means " their descent." Descend then, that thou mayest be " lifted up: " be not lifted up, lest thou be cast down. " And the little hill of Hermon." Hermon means " anathematizing." Anathematize thyself, by being displeased with thyself; for if thou art pleased with thyself, God will be displeased with thee. Because then God gives us all good things, because He Himself is good, not because we are worthy of it; because He is merciful, not because 7 Utcunque iniellecta cognotcit.
[Psalm XLII.
we have in anything deserved it; it is from " the land of Jordan, and from Hermon," that I remember thee. And because he so remembers with humility, he shall earn his exaltation to fruition,' for he is not " exalted " in himself, who " glories in the Lord."
12. "Deep calleth unto deep with the voice of thy water-spouts"2 (ver. 7). I may perhaps finish the Psalm, aided as I am by your attention, whose fervour I perceive. As for your fatigue in hearing, I am not greatly solicitous, since you see me also, who speak, toiling in the heat of these exertions.' Assuredly it is from your seeing me labouring, that you labour with me: for I am labouring not for myself, but for you. " Deep calleth unto deep with the voice of thy water-spouts." It was God whom he addressed, who " remembered him from the land of Jordan and Hermon." It was in wonder and admiration he spake this: " Abyss calleth unto abyss with the voice of Thy water-spouts." What abyss is this that calls, and to what other abyss? Justly, because the "understanding"4 spoken of is an " abyss." For an " abyss " is a depth that cannot be reached or comprehended; and it is principally applied to a great body of water. For there is a " depth," a " profound," the bottom of which cannot be reached by sounding. Furthermore, it is said in a certain passage.5 "Thy judgments are a mighty abyss," Scripture meaning to suggest that the judgments of God are incomprehensible. What then is the " abyss " that calls, and to what other " abyss " does it call? If by "abyss" we understand a great depth, is not man's heart, do you not suppose, " an abyss "? For what is there more profound than that " abyss "? Men may speak, may be seen by the operations of their members, may be heard speaking in conversation: but whose thought is penetrated, whose heart seen into? What he is inwardly engaged on, what he is inwardly capable of,6 what he is inwardly doing or what purposing, what he is inwardly wishing to happen, or not to happen, who shall comprehend? I think an " abyss " may not unreaspnably be understood of man, of whom it is said elsewhere, " Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted."' If man then is an "abyss," in what way doth "abyss" call on " abyss "? Does man " call on " man as God is called upon? No, but " calls on " is equivalent to " calls to him." For it was said of a certain person, he calls on death; 8 that is, lives in such a way as to be inviting death; for there is no man at all who puts up a prayer, and calls expressly on death: but men by evil-living invite 1 Exaltatut fier/rui merebitur.
2 Cataractarutn. 3 Ita in his laborious sudare.
< In the title of the Psalm. S Ps. xxxvi. 6, 7.
6 "Quid \n\mgerat. quid possit." 7 Ps, Uiv. 6. 7.
• Wfsd. i. 16. ' 7 death. "Deep9 calls on deep," then, is, "man calls to man." Thus is it wisdom is learnt, and thus faith, when " man calls to man." The holy preachers of God's word call on the " deep: " are they not themselves " a deep " also?...1 3. " Deep calleth to deep with the voice of Thy water-spouts.'' I, who tremble all over, when my soul was disquieted on account of myself, feared greatly on account of Thy "judgments."...Are those judgments slight ones? They are great ones, severe, hard to bear; but would they were all. " Deep calls to deep with the voice of Thy water-spouts," in that Thou threatenest, Thou sayest, that there is another condemnation in store even after those sufferings. " Deep calls on deep with the voice of Thy water-spouts." " Whither then shall I go from Thy presence? And whither shall I flee from Thy Spirit? " seeing that deep calls to deep, and after those sufferings severer ones are to be dreaded.
14. " All Thy overhangings,0 and Thy waves are come upon me." The " waves " in what I already feel, the " overhangings " in that Thou denouncest. All my sufferings are Thy waves; all Thy denouncements of judgments are Thy "overhangings." In the "waves" that deep "calleth; " in the "overhangings" is the other " deep " which it " calls to." In this that I suffer are all Thy waves; in the severer punishment that Thou threatenest, all Thy " overhangings " are come unto me. For He who threatens does not let His judgments fall upon us, but keeps them suspended over us." But inasmuch as Thou sittest at liberty, I have thus spoken unto my soul. " Hope in God: for I will confess unto Him. My God is the saving health of my countenance." The more numerous my sufferings, the sweeter will be Thy mercy.
15. Therefore follows: "The Lord will commend His loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night-time will He declare it ",2 (ver. 8). In tribulation no man has leisure to hear: attend, when it is well with you; hear, when it is well with you; learn, when you are in tranquillity, the discipline of wisdom, and store up the word of God as you do food. For in tribulation every one must be profited by what he heard in the time of security. For in prosperity God " commends to thee His mercy," in case thou serve Him faithfully, for He frees thee from tribulation; but it is " in the night " only that He " declares " His mercy to thee, which He " commended " to thee by day. When tribulation shall actually come, He will not leave thee destitute of His help; He will show thee 9 Abyssum invocat.
10 Suspensiones; Vulgate, excelsa; E. V. " billows."
11 Non premit sed suspendit. Perhaps his idea is ra:!ier, " impends us over the abyss."
« E. V, " In the night-time His song shall be with me."
PSAL-M XLII.]
that which He commended to thee in the daytime is true. For it is written in a certain passage, " The mercy of the Lord is seasonable ■ in the time of affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought." "The Lord hath commended His loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night will He declare it." He does not show that He is thine Helper, unless tribulation come, from whence thou must be rescued by Him who promised it to thee "in the daytime." Therefore we are warned to be like " the ant." For just as worldly prosperity is signified by " the day," adversity by the night, so again in another way worldly prosperity is expressed by " the summer," adversity by the winter. And what is it that the ant does? She lays up in summer what will be useful to her in winter.
Whilst therefore it is summer, whilst it is well with you, whilst you are in tranquillity, hear the wor-d of the Lord. For how can it be that in the midst of these tempests of the world, you should pass through the whole of that sea, without suffering? How could it happen? To what mortal's lot has it fallen? If even it has been the lot of any, that very calm is more to be dreaded. " The Lord hath commended His loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the nighttime will He declare it."..." There is with me prayer unto the God of my life." This I make my b.isiness here; I who am the " hart thirsting and longing for the water-brooks," calling to mind the sweetness of that strain, by which I was led on through the tabernacle even to the house of God; whilst this " corruptible body presseth down the soul," 2 there is yet with me " prayer unto the God of my life." For in order to making supplication unto God, I have not to buy aught from places beyond the sea; or in order that He may hear me, have I to sail to bring from a distance frankincense and perfumes, or have I to bring " calf or ram from the flock." There is " with me prayer to the God of my life." I have within a victim to sacrifice; I have within an incense to place on the altar; I have within a sacrifice wherewith to propitiate my God. " The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit." What sacrifice of a " troubled spirit " I have within, hear.
r6. "I will say unto God, Thou art my lifter up. Why hast Thou forgotten me? " (ver. 9). For I am suffering here, even as if Thou hadst forgotten me. But Thou art trying me, and I know that Thou dost but put off, not take utterly from me, what Thou hast promised me. But yet, " Why hast Thou forgotten me? " So cried our Head also, as if speaking in our name. " My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"3 I will say unto 1 Ecclus. xxxv. 26. 'ilpaiov «A«os; Vulgate, Speciosa misericord in.
2 Wisd. ix. 15.
3 Matt, xxvii. 46; Ps. xxii. i.
God, " Thou art my lifter up; why hast Thou forgotten me?"
17." Why hast Thou rejected me?"* " Rejected " me, that is to say, from that height of the apprehension of the unchangeable Truth. " Why hast Thou rejected me?" Why, when already longing for those things, have I been cast down to these, by the weight s and burden of my iniquity? This same voice in another passage said, " I said in my trance " 6 (i.e., in my rapture, when he had seen some great thing or other), " I said in my trance, I am cast out of the sight of Thine eyes." For he compared these things in which he found himself, to those toward which he had been raised; and saw himself cast out far " from the sight of God's eyes," as he speaks even here, " Why hast Thou rejected me? Why go I mourning, while mine enemy troubleth me, while he breaketh my bones? " Even he, my tempter, the devil; while offences are everywhere on the increase, because of the abundance of which " the love of many is waxing cold." 7 When we see the strong members of the Church generally giving way to the causes of offence, does not Christ's body say, " The enemy breaketh my bones "? For it is the strong members that are " the bones; " and sometimes even those that are strong sink under their temptations. For whosoever of the body of Christ considers this, does he not exclaim, with the voice of Christ's Body, " Why hast Thou rejected me? Why go I mourning, while mine enemy troubleth me, while he breaketh my bones?"
You may see not my flesh merely, but even my " bones." To see those who were thought to have some stability, giving way under temptations, so that the rest of the weak brethren despair when they see those who are strong succumbing; how great, my brethren, are the dangers!
18. "They who trouble me cast me in the teeth." Again that voice! " While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?" (ver. 10). And it is principally in the temptations of the Church they say this, " Where is thy God? " How much was this cast in the teeth of the Martyrs! Those men so patient and courageous for the name of Christ, how often was it said to them, " Where is your God? " " Let Him deliver you, if He can." For men saw their torments outwardly; they did not inwardly behold their crowns! " They who trouble me cast me in the teeth, while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?" And on this account, seeing "my soul is disquieted on account of myself," what else should I say unto it than those words: " Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why dost thou disquiet me? " (ver. n). And, as * Ut quid me repulisti. Neither in the Vulgate nor in our version.
3 Gravedine.
6 In ecstasi med. Ps. xxxi. 22. E. V. " in my haste."
1 Matt. xxiv. 12.
[Psalm XLIII.
it seems to answer, " Wouldest thou not have me disquiet thee, placed as I am here in so great evils? Wouldest thou have me not disquiet thee, panting as I am after what is good, thirsting and labouring as I am for it? " What should I say, but, " Hope thou in God; for I will yet confess unto Him " (ver. n). He states the very words of that confession; he repeats the grounds on which he fortifies his hope. " He is the health of my countenance, and my God."
PSALM XLIII.'
1. This Psalm is a short one; it satisfies the mental cravings of the hearers, without imposing too severe a trial on the hunger of those fasting.2 Let our soul feed upon it; our soul, which he who sings in this Psalm, speaks of as " cast down; " cast down, I suppose, either in consequence of some fast, or rather in consequence of some hunger he was in. For fasting is a voluntary act; being an-hungered is an involuntary thing. That which is an-hungered, is the Church, is the Body of Christ: and that " Man " who is extended throughout the whole world, of which the Head is above, the limbs below: it is His voice which ought by this time to be perfectly known, and perfectly familiar, to us, in all the Psalms; now chanting joyously, now sorrowing; now rejoicing in hope, now signing at its actual state, even as if it were our own. We need not then dwell long on pointing out to you, who is the speaker here: let each one of us be a member of Christ's Body; and he will be speaker here...
2. "Judge me, O Lord, and separate my cause from the ungodly nation " (ver. i). I do not dread Thy judgment, because I know Thy mercy. " Judge me, O God," he cries. Now, meanwhile, in this state of pilgrimage, Thou dost not yet separate my place, because I am to live together with the " tares " even to the time of the " harvest: " Thou dost not as yet separate my rain from theirs; my light from theirs: " separate my cause." Let a difference be made between him who believes in Thee, and him who believes not in Thee. Our infirmity is the same; but our consciences not the same: our sufferings the same; but our longings not the same. " The desire of the ungodly shall perish," 3 but as to the desire of the righteous, we might well doubt, if He were not "sure" who promised. The object of our desires is He Himself, who promiseth: He will give us Himself, because He has already given Himself to us; He will give Himself in His immortality to us then immortal, even ' Lat. XLII.
2 Vrntribni. It is noted that this was an afternoon sermon on a fast-day.
J l'». cxii. 14.
because He gave Himself in His mortality to us when mortal...
3. And since patience is needful in order to endure, until the harvest, a certain distinction without separation,4 if we may so speak (for they are together with us, and therefore not yet separated; the tares however being still tares, and the corn still corn, and therefore they are already distinct); since then a kind of strength s is needful, which must be implored of Him who bids us to be strong, and without whose making us strong, we should not be what He bids us to be; of Him who said, " He that endures unto the end shall be saved," 6 lest the soul's powers should be impaired in consequence of her ascribing any strength to herself, he subjoins immediately, " For Thou, O God, art my strength: why hast Thou cast me off, and why go I mourning, while the enemy harasseth me?" (ver. 2). I go mourning: the enemy is harassing me with daily temptations: inspiring either some unlawful love, or some ungrounded cause of fear; and the soul that fights against both of them, though not taken prisoner by them, yet being in danger from them, is contracted with sorrow, and says unto God, "Why?"
Let her then ask of Him, and hear "Why?" For she is in the Psalm enquiring the cause of her dejection; saying, " Why hast Thou cast me off? and why go I mourning?" Let her hear from Isaiah; let the lesson which has just been read, suggest itself to her. " The spirit shall go forth from me, and every breath have I made. For iniquity have I a little afflicted him; I hid my face from him, and he departed from me sorrowful in the ways of his heart." 7 Why then didst thou ask, " Why hast Thou cast me off, and why go I mourning?" Thou hast hearH, it was " for iniquity." " Iniquity " is the cause of thy mourning; let " Righteousness " be the cause of thy rejoicing! Thou wouldest sin; and yet thou wouldest fain not suffer; so that it was too little for thee to be thyself unrighteous, without also wishing Him to be unrighteous, in that thou wouldest fain not be punished by Him. Consider a speech of a better kind in another Psalm. " It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I might learn Thy righteousnesses."8 By being lifted up, I had learned my own iniquities; let me by being " humbled," learn " Thy righteousnesses." " Why go I mourning, while the enemy harasses me?" Thou cornplainest of the enemy. It is true he does harass thee; but it was thou didst "give place"9 to him. And even now there is a course open to thee; choose the course of prudence; admit thy King, shut the tyrant out.
4 Q'tandam indiscretam discretionem.
* Fortitudine. 6 Matt. xxiv. 31.
• Ps. cxix. 71. 9 Eph. iv. 37.
Psalm XLIII.]
4. But in order that she may do this, hear what she says, what she supplicates, what she prays for. Pray thou for what thou hearest; pray for it when thou hearest it; let these words be the voice of us all: " O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth. They have led me, and brought me on unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy Tabernacles " (ver. 3). For that very ''Light" and " Truth " are indeed two in name; the reality expressed is but One. For what else is the "Light" of God, except the "Truth" of God?
Or what else is the " Truth " of God, except the " Light " of God? And the on,e Person of Christ is both of these. " I am the Light of the world: he that believeth on Me, shall not walk in darkness." " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." ' He is Himself" the Light: " He is Himself " the Truth." Let Him come then and rescue us, and " separate at once our cause from the ungodly nation; let Him deliver us from the deceitful and unjust man," let him separate the wheat from the tares, for at the time of harvest He will Himself send His Angels, that they may " gather out of His kingdom all things that offend," 2 and cast them into flaming fire, while they gather together the corn into the garner. He will send out His " Light," and His " Truth; " for that they have already " brought us and led us to His holy hill, and into His Tabernacles." We possess the " earnest;"'we hope for the prize. " His holy Hill " is His holy Church. It is that mountain which, according to Daniel's vision, * grew from a very small " stone," till it crushed the kingdoms of the earth; and grew to such a size, that it " filled the face of the earth." This is the " hill," from which he tells us that his prayer was heard, who says, " I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill." 5 Let no one of those that are without that mountain, hope to be heard unto eternal life. For many are heard in their prayers for many things. Let them not congratulate themselves6 on being heard; the devils were heard in their prayer, that they might be sent into the swine. Let us desire to be heard unto eternal life, by reason of our longing, through which we say, " Send out Thy Light and Thy Truth." » That is a " Light " which requires the eye of the heart. For " Blessed " (He saith) " are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 8 We are now on His Hill, that is, in His Church, and in His Tabernacle. The " tabernacle " is for persons sojourning; the house, for those dwelling in one community.9 The tabernacle is also for those who are both from home, and also in a state of warfare. When 1 John viii. 12, xiv. 6. 2 Matt. xiii. a 3 Pignut. 4 Pan. ii. 35. 5 Ps. iii. 4.
thou hearest of a tabernacle, form a notion of a war; guard against an enemy. But what shall the house be? " Blessed are they that dwell in Thine house: they will be alway praising Thee." '° 5. Now then that we have been led on even to " the Tabernacle," and are placed on " His holy Hill," what hope do we carry with us?
" Then will I go in unto the Altar of God " (ver. 4). For there is a certain invisible Altar on high, which the unrighteous man approaches not. To that Altar he alone draws nigh, who draws nigh to this one without cause to fear. There he shall find his Life, who in this one " separates his cause." "And I will go in unto the Altar of God." From His holy Hill, and from His Tabernacle, from His Holy Church, I will go in unto the Altar of God on High. What manner of Sacrifice is there? He himself who goeth in is taken for a burnt-offering. " I will go in unto the Altar of God." What is the meaning of what he says, " The Altar of my God "?
" Unto God, who makes glad my youth." Youth signifies newness: just as if he said, " Unto God, who makes glad my newness." It is He who makes glad my newness, who hath filled my old estate" with mourning. For now "I go mourning " in oldness, then shall " I stand," exulting in newness!
" Yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God." What is the meaning of " praising on the harp," and praising on the psaltery? For he does not always do so with the harp, nor always with the psaltery. These two instruments of the musicians have each a distinct meaning of their own, worthy of our consideration and notice. They are both borne in the hands, and played by the touch; and they stand for certain bodily works of ours. Both are good, if one knows how to play the psaltery,12 or to play the harp.'3 But since the psaltery is that instrument which has the shell '4 (i.e. that drum, that hollow piece of wood, by straining on which '5 the chords resound) on the upper part of it, whereas the harp has that same concave sounding-board on the lower part, there is to be a distinction made between our works, when they are " upon the harp," when " on the psaltery: " both however are acceptable to God, and grateful to His ear. When we do anything according to God's Commandments, obeying His commands and hearkening to Him, that we may fulfil His injunctions, when we are active and not passive, it is the psaltery that is playing. For so also do the Angels: for they have nothing to suffer. But when we suffer anything of tribulation, of trials, of offences on this earth (as we suffer only from the inferior part of ourselves; i.e. from the fact that we are mortal, that we owe somewhat of tribulation to our 10 Ps. Ixxxiv. 4. 13 Citkarizare.
>2 Psallere.
*3 Cut injiitcntes.
[Psalm XLIV.
original cause,' and also from the fact of our suffering much from those who are not " above "); this is " the harp." For there rises a sweet strain from that part of us which is " below: " we " suffer," and we strike the psaltery,2 or shall I rather say we sing and we strike the harp...
6. And again, in order that he may draw the sound from that sounding-board below, he addresses his soul: he says, " Why art thou sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me? " (ver. 5). I am in tribulations, in weariness,3 in mourning, " Why dost thou disquiet me, O my soul? " Who is the speaker, to whom is he speaking? That it is the soul to which he is speaking, everybody knows: for it is obvious: the appeal is addressed to it directly: " Why art thou sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me? " The question is as to the speaker. It is not the flesh addressing the soul, surely, since the flesh cannot speak without the soul. For it is more appropriate for the soul to address the flesh, than for the flesh to address the soul...
We perceive then that we have a certain part, in which is " the image of God; " viz. the mind and reason.4 It was that same mind that prayed for "God's Light" and " God's Truth." It is the same mind by which we apprehend 5 right and wrong: it is by the same that we discern truth from falsehood. It is this same that we call "understanding;" which "understanding," indeed, is wanting to the brutes. And this " understanding " whoever neglects in himself, and holds it in less account than the other parts of his nature, and casts it off, just as if he had it not, is addressed in the Psalm, " Be ye not as the horse and the mule, which have no understanding." 6 It is our " understanding " then that is addressing our soul. The latter is withered away from tribulations, worn out in anguish/ made " sorrowful " in temptations, fainting in toils. The mind, catching a glimpse of Truth above, would fain rouse her spirits, and she says, "Why art thou sorrowful, O my soul?"...
7. These expressions, brethren, are safe ones: but yet be watchful in good works. Touch " the psaltery," by obeying the Commandments; touch the harp, by patiently enduring your sufferings. You have heard from Isaiah, " Break thy bread to the hungry; " 8 think not that fasting by itself is sufficient. Fasting chasteneth thine own self: it does not refresh others. Thy distress will profit thee, if thou affordest comfort9 to others. See, thou hast denied thyself; to « Prima nostra causa. He seems to mean our original from Adam.
« PsalUmul. i At. "anguishes."
* T. Aquin. Prolog ad. I. II. Per imarmem Dei signincatur (sicut Damascen. dicu), intcllcctualc, rt arbitrio liberutn; et per se fijtestativnm.
* Cafimus. 6 ps. xxxii. 9. 7 Some Mss. lavguoribus. 8 Isa. lviii. 7. 9 Latitudinetn.