oil is in the sign, the invisible oil is in the mystery; ■ the spiritual oil is within. " God " then was " anointed " for us, and sent unto us; and God Himself was man, in order that He might be " anointed: " but He was man in such a way as to be God still. He was God in such a way as not to disdain to be man. " Very man and very God; " in nothing deceitful, in nothing false, as being everywhere true, everywhere " the Truth " itself. God then is man; and it was for this cause that " God " was " anointed," because God was Man, and became " Christ."
18. This was figured in Jacob's placing a stone at his head, and so sleeping.2 The patriarch Jacob had placed a stone at his head: sleeping with that stone at his head, he saw heaven opened, and a ladder from heaven to earth, and Angels ascending and descending; 3 after this vision he awaked, anointed the stone, and departed. In that " stone " he understood Christ; 1 Al. " The visible oil is for a sign of the oil invisible, for it is in a sacrament." [The use of oil in confirmation, designed to teach this, operated to conceal it rather; the material chrism absorbing the spiritual idea. — CI 2 Gen. xxviii. 11-18.
3 [With which he subjoins a reference to John i. 51. — C] for that reason he anointed it. Take notice what it is whereby Christ is preached. What is the meaning of that anointing of a stone, especially in the case of the Patriarchs who worshipped but One God? It was however done as a figurative act: and he departed. For he did not anoint the stone, and come to worship there constantly, and to perform sacrifice there. It was the expression of a mystery; not the commencement of sacrilege. And notice the meaning of "the stone." "The Stone which the builders refused, this is become the head of the corner." 4 Notice here a great mystery. The " Stone " is Christ. Peter calls Him "a living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God." 5 And the stone is set at "the head," because "Christ is the Head of the man." 6 And " the stone " was anointed, because " Christ" was so called from His being anointed. And in the revelation of Christ, the ladder from earth to heaven is seen, or from heaven to earth, and the Angels ascending and descending. What this means, we shall see more clearly, when we have quoted the testimony from the Lord Himself in the Gospel. You know that Jacob is the same as Israel. For when he wrestled with the Angel, and " prevailed," and had been blest by Him over whom he prevailed, his named was changed, so that he was called " Israel; " just as the people of Israel " prevailed " 7 against Christ, so as to crucify Him, and nevertheless was (in those who believed in Christ) blest by Him over whom it prevailed.
But many believed not; hence the halting of Jacob. Here we have at once, blessing and halting. Blessing on those who became believers; for we know that afterward many of that people did believe: Halting on the other hand in those who believed not. And because the greater part believed not, and but few believed, therefore that a halting might be produced, He touched " the breadth 8 of his thigh." 9 What is meant by the breadth of the thigh? The great multitude of his descendants."5...
19. "God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee." We have been speaking of God, who was " anointed; " i.e. of Christ. The name of Christ could not be more clearly expressed than by His being called " God the Anointed." In the same way in which He was " beautiful before the children of men," so is He here " anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows." Who then are His " fellows "? The children of men; for that He Himself (as the Son of Man) became partaker of their mortality in order to make them partakers of His Immortality.
7 Luke xxiii. 33.
8 Lat tudinem; but Vulgate, nervum. 9 Gen. xxxii. 25. 10 Multitude generis.
[Psalm XLV.
20. "Out of Thy garments is the smell of myrrh, amber, and cassia" (ver. 8). Out of Thy garments is perceived the smell of fragrant odours. By His garments are meant His Saints, His elect, His whole Church, which he shows forth, as His garment, so to speak; His robe " without spot and wrinkle," ' which on account of its spots He has " washed " in His blood; on account of its " wrinkles " extended on His Cross. Hence the sweet savour which is signified by certain perfumes there mentioned. Hear Paul, that " least of the Apostles " (that " hem of that garment," which the woman with the issue of blood touched, and was healed), hear him saying: " We are a sweet savour of Christ, in every place, both in them that are saved, and in them that perish." 2 He did not say, " We are a sweet savour in them that are saved, and a foul savour in them that are lost: " but, as far as relates to ourselves, " we are a sweet savour both in them that are saved, and in them that perish."...They who loved him were saved by the odour of " sweet savour; " they who envied him, perished by means of that " sweet savour." To them that perished then he was not a foul "savour," but a "sweet savour." For it was for this very reason they the more envied him, the more excellent that grace was which reigned in him: for no man envies him who is unhappy. He then was glorious in the preaching of God's Word, and in regulating his life according to the rule of that " rod of direction; " and he was loved by those who loved Christ in him, who followed after and pursued the odour of sweet savour; who loved the friend of the bridegroom: that is to say, by the Bride Herself, who says in the Song of Songs,3 " We will run after the sweet savour of thy perfumes." But the others, the more they beheld him invested with the glory of the preaching of the Gospel, and of an irreproachable life, were so much the more tortured with envy, and found that sweet savour prove death to them.
31. " Out of thy ivory palaces, whereby kings' daughters have made Thee glad." Choose whichever you please, " ivory " palaces, or " magnificent," or " royal " palaces, it is out of these that the kings' daughters have made Christ glad. Would you understand the spiritual sense of " ivory palaces "? Understand by them the magnificent houses, and tabernacles of God, the hearts of the Saints; and by these self-same " kings " those who rule their flesh; who bring into subjection to themselves the rebellious commonalty of human affections, who chastise the body, and reduce it to bondage: for it is from these that the daughters of kings have made Him ' Eph. v. »7.
' Sol. Song i. 3, Lat.
glad. For all the souls that have been born through their preaching and evangelizing are "daughters of kings: " and the Churches, as the daughters of Apostles, are daughters of kings. For He is " King of kings; " they themselves kings, of whom it was said, " Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."4 They preached the " Word of Truth; " and begat Churches not for themselves, but for Him...Therefore as " raising up seed 5 to their brother," to as many as they begat, they gave the name not of " Paulians " or " Petrians," but of " Christians." Observe whether that sense is not wakefully kept 6 in these verses. For when he said, " out of the ivory palaces, he spake of mansions royal, ample, honourable, peaceful, like the heart of the Saints; he added, " Whereby the kings' daughters have made Thee glad in Thine honour." They are indeed daughters of kings, daughters of thine Apostles, but still " in Thine honour: " for they raised up seed to their brother. Hence Paul, when he saw those whom he had raised up unto his Brother, running after his own name, exclaimed, " Was Paul crucified for you? " '...No; for he says, " Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"
" The daughters of kings have made Thee glad in Thine honour." Keep, hold fast this " in Thine honour." This is meant by having " a wedding garment; " seeking His honour, His glory. Understand moreover by" kings' daughters " the cities, which were founded by kings, and have received the faith: and out of the ivory palaces (palaces rich, the proud, the lifted up). " Kings' daughters have made Thee glad in Thine honour; " in that they sought not the honour of their founders, but have sought Thine honour. Show me at Rome a temple of Romulus held in so great honour as I can show you the Monument of Peter.8 In Peter, who is honoured but He who died for us? For we are followers of Christ, not followers of Peter. And even if we were born from the brother of Him that is dead, yet are we named after the name of Him who is dead.' We were begotten by the one, but begotten to the other. Behold, Rome, Carthage, and several other cities are the daughters of kings, and yet have they " made glad the King in His honour: " and all these make up one single Queen.
22. What a nuptial song! Behold in the midst of songs full of rejoicing, comes forth the Bride herself. For the Bridegroom was coming. It was He who was being described: it was on Him all our attention was fixed.
* Matt. xix. 28.
5 Oxf. mss. add, " for the Brother's name's sake."
8 Memoriam Petri. [The first basilica of St. Peter, on the Vatican, is attributed to Constantine. — C] 5 Deut xxv. 36.
Psalm XLV.]
Psalm XLV.]
" Upon Thy right hand did stand the Queen " (ver. 9). She which stands on the left is no Queen. For there will be one standing on " the left " also, to whom it will be said, " Go into everlasting fire." ' But she shall stand on the right hand, to whom it will be said, " Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."2 On Thy right hand did stand the Queen, " in a vesture of gold, clothed about with divers colours." What is the vesture of this Queen? It is one both precious, and also of divers colours: it is the mysteries of doctrine in all the various tongues: one African, one Syrian, one Greek, one Hebrew, one this, and one that; it is these languages that produce the divers colours of this vesture.3 But just as all the divers colours of the vesture blend together in the one vesture, so do all the languages in one and the same faith. In that vesture, let there be diversity, let there be no rent. See we have " understood " the divers colours of the diversity of tongues; and the vesture to refer to unity: but in that diversity itself, what is meant by the "gold"? Wisdom itself. Let there be any diversity of tongues you please, but there is but one "gold " that is preached of: not a different gold, but a different form of that gold. For it is the same Wisdom, the same doctrine and discipline that every language preaches. In the languages there is diversity; gold in the thoughts.
23. The Prophet addresses this Queen (for he delights in singing to her), and moreover each one of us, provided, however, we know where we are, and endeavour to belong to that body, and do belong to it in faith and hope, being united in the membership of Christ.4 For it is us whom he addresses, saying, " Hearken, O daughter, and behold " (ver. 10), as being one of the " Fathers" (for they are " daughters of kings "), although it be a Prophet, or although it be an Apostle 5 that is addressing her; addressing her, as a daughter, for we are accustomed to speak in this way, " Our fathers the Prophets, our fathers the Apostles; " if we address them as " fathers," they may address us as children: and it is one father's voice addressing one daughter. " Hearken, O daughter, and see." " Hear " first; afterward " see." For they came to us with the Gospel; and that has been preached to us, which as yet we do not see, and which on hearing of it we believed, which by believing it, we shall come to see: even as the Bridegroom Himself speaks in the Prophet, " A people whom I have not known served me. In the hearing of me with the ear it obeyed 1 Matt. xxv. 41. * Matt. xxv. 34.
3_ [Hence the beauty of a Liturgy is not that it should be in (Latin)-one language, but in the many tongues of the many nations, confessing one faith. A. N. F. vol. vii. p. 533. — C.J * Uniti in tnembris Christ.
5 Al. " and thus a Prophet addresses her, and thus an Apostle addresses her."
me." 5 What is meant by on " hearing of me with the ear "? That they did not " see." The Jews saw Him, and crucified Him; the Gentiles saw Him not, and believed. Let the Queen who comes from the Gentiles come in " the vesture of gold, clothed with divers colours; " 7 let her come from among the Gentiles clad in all languages, in the unity of Wisdom: let it be said unto her, " Hearken, O daughter, and see." If thou wilt not hear, thou shalt not " see."..." And incline thine ear." It is not enough to " hearken; " hearken with humility: bow down thine ear. " Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house." There was a certain " people," and a certain house of thy father, in which thou wast born, the people of Babylon, having the devil for thy king. Whencesoever the Gentiles came, they came from their father the devil; but they have renounced their sonship to the devil. " Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house." He, in making thee a sinner, begat thee loathsome: the Other, in that " He justifies the ungodly," 8 begetteth thee again in beauty.
24. " For the King hath greatly desired thy beauty " (ver. 1 1 ). What " beauty " is that, save that which is His own work? " Greatly desired the beauty" — Of whom? Of her the sinner, the unrighteous, the ungodly, such as she was with her " father," the devil, and among her own "people"? No, but hers of whom it is said, " Who is this that cometh up made white? " 9 She was not white then at the first, but was "made" white afterwards. For " though your sins shall be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow." IO "The king has greatly desired thy beauty." What King is this? " For He is the Lord thy God." " Now consider whether thou oughtest not to forego that thy father, and thy own people, and to come to this King, who is thy God? Thy God is " thy King," thy " King " is also thy Bridegroom. Thou weddest to thy King, who is thy God: being endowed by Him, being adorned by Him; redeemed by Him, and healed by Him. Whatever thou hast, wherewith to be pleasing to Him, thou hast from Him.
25. "And the daughters of Tyre shall worship Him with gifts" (ver. 12). It is that selfsame " King, who is thy God," that the daughters of Tyre shall worship with gifts. The daughters of Tyre are the daughters of the Gentiles; the part standing for the whole. Tyre, a city bordering on this country, where the prophecy was delivered, typified the nations that were to believe in Christ. Thence came that 7 Ben. " with truth." Oxf. mss. varietate. 8 Rom. iv. 5.
9 Sol. Song viii. 5. Dealbata; or, Vulgate, deliciis ajftuens.
10 Isa. i. 18.
" [With the Septuagint our author omits et adora cum. The text of the Vulgate here, and that of St. Augustin and of Jerome's Hebraic Psalter, differ widely. — C.J [Psalm XLV.
Canaanitish woman, who was at first called " a dog; " for that ye may know that she was from thence, the Gospel speaks thus. " He departed into the parts of Tyre and Sidon, and behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts," with all the rest that is related there. She who at first, at the house of her " father," and among her "own people," was but "a dog," who by coming to, and crying after that " King," was made beautiful by believing in Him, what did she obtain to hear? " O woman, great is thy faith."' "The King has greatly desired thy beauty. And the daughters of Tyre shall worship with gifts."2 With what gifts? Even so would this King be approached, and would have His treasuries filled: and it is He Himself who has given us that wherewith they may be filled, and may be filled 3 by you. Let them come (He says) and "worship Him with gifts." What is meant by " with gifts "?..." Give alms, and all things are clean unto you." Come with gifts to Him that saith, " I will have mercy rather than sacrifice." 4 To that Temple that existed aforetime as a shadow of that which was to come, they used to come with bulls, and rams, and goats, with every different kind of animal for sacrifice: that with that blood one thing should be done, and another be typified by it. Now that very blood, which all these things used to figure, hath come: the King Himself hath come, and He Himself would have your "gifts." What gifts? Alms. For He Himself will judge hereafter, and will Himself hereafter account " gifts " to certain persons. " Come" (He says), " ye blessed of My Father." Why? " I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat," 5 etc. These are the gifts with which the daughters of Tyre worship the King; for when they said, " When saw we Thee? " He who is at once above and below (whence those " ascending " and " descending" are spoken of6), said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of Mine, ye have done it unto Me." 7 26..."The rich among the people shall entreat Thy face." Both they who shall entreat that face, and He whose face they will entreat, are all collectively but one Bride, but one Queen, mother and children belonging all together unto Christ, belonging unto their Head...27. " All the glory of her, the King's daughter, is from within " (ver. 13). Not only is her robe, outwardly, "of gold, and of divers colours;" but He who loved her beauty, knew her to be [A truly Punic out- 1 Matt. xv. 21-38.
2 "They shall worship Him with gifts, burst, and full of point lor the Carthaginians.1 A. W. F. Tol. iii. p. 3— C] ' Or, " and let them be rilled." A I. " and they are filled."
* Hos. vi. 6: Matt, ix 13.
also beautiful within.8 What are those inward charms?9 Those of conscience. It is there Christ sees; it is there Christ loves her: it is there He addresses her, there punishes, there crowns. Let then thine alms be done in secret; for " all the glory of her, the King's daughter, is from within." " With fringes of gold, clothed with divers colours" (ver. 14). Her beauty is from within; yet in the " fringes of gold " is the diversity of languages: the beauty of doctrine. What do these avail, if there be not that beauty " from within "? " The virgins shall be brought unto the King after her." It has been fulfilled indeed. The Church has believed; the Church has been formed throughout all nations. And to what a degree do virgins now seek to find favour in the eyes of that King! Whence are they moved to do so? Even because the Church preceded them. " The virgins shall be brought unto the King after her. Her near kinswomen '° shall be brought unto Thee." For they that are brought unto Him are not strangers, but her " near kinswomen," that belong to her. And because he had said, " unto the King," he says, turning the discourse to Him, " her near kinswomen shall be brought unto Thee."
28. " With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought and shall be led into the Temple of the King" (ver. 15). The "Temple of the King" is the Church itself: it is the Church itself that enters into " the Temple of the King." Whereof is that Temple constructed? Of the men who enter the Temple? Who but God's " faithful " ones are its " living stones "? " " They shall be led into the Temple of the King." For there are virgins without the Temple of the King, the nuns among the heretics:,2 they are virgins, it is true; but what will that profit them, unless they be led into the "Temple of the King"? The "Temple of the King" is in unity: the "Temple of the King" is not ruinous, is not rent asunder, is not divided. The cement '3 of those living stones is " charity."
29. " Instead of thy fathers, children are bom to thee " (ver. 16). Nothing can be more manifest. Now consider the " Temple of the King " itself, for it is on its behalf he speaks, on account of the unity of the body that is spread throughout all the world: for those very persons who have chosen to be virgins, cannot find favour with the King unless they be led into the Temple of the King. " Instead of thy fathers, are thy children bom to thee." It was the Apostles begat thee.: they were "sent:" they were the preachers: they are " the fathers."
■ [Omnt's gloria filia- regis intrinsecus is Jerome's version of the Hebrew: preferable, certainly, to the tame idea of modern critics, that " within " means " (intus domum) within the palaces." -C] Psalm XLVI.]
But was it possible for them to be with us in the body for ever? Although one of them said, " I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better: to abide in the flesh is necessary for your sakes." It is true he said this, but how long was it possible for him to remain here? Could it be till this present time, could it be to all futurity? Is the Church then left desolate by their departure? God forbid. " Instead of thy fathers, children have been born to thee." What is that? The Apostles were sent to thee as " fathers," instead of the Apostles sons have been born to thee: there have been appointed Bishops. For in the present day, whence do the Bishops, throughout all the world, derive their origin? The Church itself calls them fathers; the Church itself brought them forth, and placed them on the thrones of "the fathers." Think not thyself abandoned then, because thou seest not Peter, nor seest Paul: seest not those through whom thou wert born. Out of thine own offspring has a body of " fathers " been raised up to thee. " Instead of thy fathers, have children been born to thee." Observe how widely diffused is the "Temple of the King," that " the virgins that are not led to the Temple of the King," may know that they have nothing to do with that marriage. "Thou shalt make them princes ' over all the earth."
This is the Universal Church: her children have been made " princes over all the earth: " her children have been appointed instead of the " fathers." Let those who are cut off own the truth of this, let them come to the One Body: let them be led into the Temple of the King. God hath established His Temple everywhere: hath laid everywhere " the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles."1 The Church has brought " forth sons; " has made them " instead of her fathers" to be "princes over all the earth."
30. "They shall be mindful of thy name in every generation and generation; therefore shall the peoples confess unto3 Thee" (ver. 17). What does it profit then to " confess " indeed, and yet to confess out of " the Temple "? What does it profit to pray, and yet not to pray on the Mount? "I cried," says he, "unto the Lord with my voice: and He heard me out of His holy hill." * Out of what " hill "? Out of that of which it is said, " A city set upon a hill cannot be hid." s Of what " hill "? Out of that hill which Daniel saw " grow out of a small stone, and break all the kingdoms of the earth; and cover all the face of the earth." 6 There let him pray, who.hopes to receive: there let him ask, 1 [Not worldly princes, but spiritual chiefs and leaders of the floclc.-C] who would have his prayer heard: there let him confess, who wishes to be pardoned. " Therefore shall the peoples confess unto thee for ever, world without end." For in that eternal life it is true indeed there will no longer be the mourning over sins: but yet in the praises of God by that everlasting City which is above, there will not be wanting a perpetual confession of the greatness of that happiness. For to that City itself, to which another Psalm? sings, " Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God," to her who is the very Bride of Christ, the very Queen, a " King's daughter, and a King's consort; "...the peoples shall for this very cause confess even to herself; the hearts of all, now enlightened by perfect charity, being laid bare, and made manifest, that she may know the whole of herself most completely, who here is, in many parts of her, unknown to herself...PSALM XLVI.8 PSALM XLVI.8 1. It is called, " A Psalm, to the end, for the sons of Korah, for things secret." Secret is it then; but He Himself, who in the place of Calvary was crucified, ye know, hath rent the veil,' that the secrets of the temple might be discovered. Furthermore since the Cross of our Lord was a key, whereby things closed might be opened; let us trust that He will be with us, that these secrets may be revealed. What is said, " To the end," always ought to be understood of Christ. For " Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believ- ' eth." '° But The End He is called, not because He consumeth, but because He perfecteth. For ended call we the food which is eaten, and ended the coat which is woven, the former to consumption, the latter to perfection. Because then we have not where to go farther when we have come to Christ, Himself is called the end of our course. Nor ought we to think, that when we have come to Him, we ought to strive any further to come also to the Father. For this thought Philip also, when he said to Him, " Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." When he said, "It sufficeth us," lie sought the end of satisfaction and perfection. Then said He, " Have I been so long time with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip: he that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father." " In Him then have we the Father, because He is in the Father, 7 Ps. Ixxxvii. 3.
7 Ps. Ixxxvii. 3.
8 Lat. XLV. [In his exordium the Saint recurs to his favourite idea as follows: " Korah is interpreted ' Baldness,' and that our l.ord, since in the ' place of the Bald skull ' [Matt, xxvii 33] Hewascrucified, hath drawn unto Him many; like that corn of wheat, which except it die, should abide alone: and that those who are drawn unto Him are called sons of Korah [John xii. 24, 32]. Thus much in the mystery. There were indeed some sons of Korah at the time when this was first sung [1 Chron. xxvi. 1], but to us ought the Spirit to give life, not the Tetter to be a veil " [2 Cor. iii. 6] — C] 9 Matt, xxvii. 51.
Rom. x. 4.
John xiv. 8, 9.
^56 [Psalm XLVI.
and the Father in Him, and He and His Father are One.'
2. " Our God is a refuge and strength " (ver. i). There are some refuges wherein is no strength, whereto when any fleeth, he is more weakened than strengthened. Thou fleest, for example, to some one greater in the world, that thou mayest make thyself a powerful friend; this seemeth to thee a refuge. Yet so great are this world's uncertainties, and so frequent grow the ruins of the powerful day by day, that when to such refuge thou art come, thou beginnest to fear more than ever therein...Our refuge is not such, but our refuge is strength. When thither we have fled, we shall be firm.
3. " A helper in tribulations, which find us out too much." Tribulations are many, and in every tribulation unto God must we flee; whether it be a tribulation in our estate, or in our body's health, or about the peril of those dearest to us, or any other thing necessary to the sustaining of this life, refuge ought there to be none at all to a Christian man, other than his Saviour, other than his God, to whom when he has fled, he is strong.
For he will not in himself be strong, nor will he to himself be strength, but He will be his strength, who has become his refuge. But, dearly beloved, among all tribulations of the human soul is no greater tribulation than the consciousness of sin. For if there be no wound herein, and that be sound within man which is called conscience, wherever else he may suffer tribulation, thither will he flee, and there find God...Ye see, dearly beloved, when trees are cut down and proved by the carpenters, sometimes in the surface they seem as though injured and rotten; but the carpenter looks into the inner marrow as it were of the tree, and if within he find the wood sound, he promises that it will last in a building; nor will he be very anxious about the injured surface, when that which is within he declares sound. Furthermore, to man anything more inward than conscience is not found; what then profits it, if what is without is sound, and the marrow of conscience has become rotton? These are close and vehement overmuch, and as this Psalm saith, too great tribulations; yet even in these the Lord hath become a helper by forgiving sin.