justly by its ships may be understood the pride of the nations, presuming on things uncertain, as on the breath of the winds. Now let none presume on full sails, and on the seeming fair state of this life, as of the sea. Be our foundation in Sion: there ought we to be stablished, not to be " carried about with every wind of doctrine." * Whoso then by the uncertain things of this life had been puffed up, let them be overthrown, and be all the pride of the nations subjected to Christ, who shall " with a strong wind break all the ships of Tarshish: " not of any city, but of " Tarshish." How " with a strong wind"? With very strong fear. For so all pride feared Him that shall judge, as on Him humble to believe, lest Him exalted it should fear.
7. " As we have heard, so have we seen " (ver. 7). Blessed Church! at one time thou hast heard, at another time thou hast seen. She heard in promises, seeth in performance: heard in Prophecy, seeth in the Gospel. For all things which are now fulfilled were before prophesied. Lift up thine eyes then, and stretch them over the world; see now His " inheritance 1 Acts xxi. 39.
» So LXX.; Heb. Tarshiih. Isa. xxiii i.
3 Kzck. xxxviii. 13. [Note the author's interest in all that bears upon his own field of labour. — C.J 4 Eph. iv. 14.
even to the uttermost parts of the earth: " 5 see now is fulfilled what was said, " All kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him: " 6 see fulfilled what was said, " Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy glory above all the earth."' See Him whose feet and hands were pierced with nails, whose bones hanging on the tree were counted, upon whose vesture lots were cast: 8 see reigning whom they saw hanging; see sitting in Heaven ' whom they despised walking on earth: see thus fulfilled, " All the ends of the earth shall remember, and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him." Seeing all this, exclaim with joy, " As we have heard, so have we seen." Justly the Church herself is so called out of the Gentiles...They to whom the Prophets were not sent, first heard and understood the Prophets: they who first heard not, afterwards hearing marvelled. They remained behind to whom they were sent, carrying the books, understanding not the truth: having the tables of the Testament, and not holding the inheritance. But we,..." As we have heard, so have we seen." And where hearest thou? where seest thou? " In the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God. God hath founded it for ever." Let not heretics insult, divided into parties, let them not exalt themselves who say, " Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there." lo Whoso saith, " Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there," inviteth to parties. Unity God promised.
The kings are gathered together in one, not dissipated through schisms. But haply that city which hath held the world, shall sometime be overthrown?
Far be the thought! " God hath founded it for ever." If then God hath founded it for ever, why fearest thou lest the firmament should fall? 8. " We have received Thy mercy, O God, in the midst of Thy people " (ver. 8). Who have received, and where received? Hath not the same Thy people received Thy mercy. If Thy people hath received Thy mercy, how then, " in the midst of Thy people "? As if they who received were one party, they in the midst of whom they received another. A great mystery, but yet well known. When hence also, that is, out of these verses, hath been extracted and brought forth what ye know, it will be not ruder, but sweeter. Now forsooth all are reckoned the people of God, who carry His Sacraments, but not all belong to His Mercy. All forsooth receiving the Sacrament of the Baptism of Christ, are called Christians, but not all live worthily of that Sacrament. There are some of whom saith the Apostle, " Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." " Yet on account of 6 Ps. lxxii. 11. 9 Matt. xxvi. 64.
7 Ps. rviii. 5. 10 Mail. xxiv. 33.
Psalm XLVIII.]
this form of godliness they are named among God's people. As to the floor, until the corn is threshed, belongs not the wheat only, but the chaff. But will it also belong to the garner? In the midst then of an evil people is a good people, which hath received the Mercy of God. He liveth worthily of the Mercy of God who heareth, and holdeth, and doeth what the Apostle saith, " We beseech you that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain." ' Whoso then receiveth not the Grace of God in vain, the same receiveth not only the Sacrament, but also the Mercy of God as well...So those who have the Sacraments, and have not good manners, are both said to be of God, and not of God; are both said to be His, and to be strangers: His because of His own Sacraments, strangers because of their own vice. So also strange daughters: 2 daughters, because of the form of godliness; strange, because of their loss of virtue. Be the lily there; let it receive the Mercy of God: hold fast the root of a good flower, be not ungrateful for soft rain coming from heaven. Be thorns ungrateful, let them grow by the showers: for the fire they grow, not for the garner. In the midst of Thy people not receiving Thy mercy, we have received Thy mercy. For " He came unto His own, and His own received Him not," yet, in the midst of them, " as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." J...
9. For when he had said, "We have received Thy mercy in the midst of Thy people," he signified that there is a people not receiving the mercy of God, in the midst of whom some do receive the mercy of God: and then lest it should occur to men that there are so few, as to be nearly none, how did He console them in the words following? "According to Thy Name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth" (ver. 9). What is this?...That is, as Thou art known through all the earth, so Thou art also praised through all the earth, nor are there wanting who now praise Thee through all the earth. But they praise Thee who live well. For, " According to Thy Name, O God, so is Thy praise," not in a part, but " unto the ends of the earth." "Thy right hand is full of righteousness." That is, many are they also who shall stand at Thy right hand. Not only shall they be many who shall stand at Thy left hand, but there also shall be a full heap set at Thy right hand.
10. " Let mount Zion rejoice, and the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments, O Lord " (ver. 10). O mount Zion, O daughters of Judah, ye labour now among tares, among chaff, among thorns ye labour: yet be 1 a Cor. vi. i.
' Cant. ii. a.
5 John i. n, n.
glad because of God's judgments. God erreth not in judgment. Live ye separate, though separate ye were not born; not vainly hath a voice gone forth from your mouth and heart, " Destroy not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men." 4 He shall winnow with such art, carrying in His hand a fan, that not one grain of wheat shall fall into the heap of chaff prepared to be burned, nor one beard of chaff pass to the heap to be laid up in the garner.' Be glad, O ye daughters of Judaea, because of the judgments of God that erreth not, and do not yet judge rashly. To you let it belong to collect, to Him let it belong to separate. But think not that the " daughters of Judah " are Jews. Judah is confession; all the sons of confession are all the sons of Judah. For " salvation is of the Jews," 6 is nothing else than that Christ is of the Jews. This saith also the Apostle, " He is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." 7 Be such a Jew; glory in the circumcision of the heart, though thou hast not the circumcision of the flesh. Let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments, O Lord.
11. "Walk about Zion, and embrace her" (ver. 11). Be it said to them who live ill, in the midst of whom is the people, which hath received the mercy of God. In the midst of you is a people living well, " Walk about Zion." But how? "embrace her." Not with scandals, but with love go round about her: that so those who live well in the midst of you ye may imitate, and by imitation of them, be incorporate with Christ, whose members they are. " Walk about Zion, go round about her: speak in the towers thereof." In the height of her bulwarks, set forth the praises thereof.
1 2. " Set your hearts upon her might " (ver. 12). Not that ye may have the form of godliness, deny the power thereof,8 but, " upon her might set your hearts. Speak ye in her towers." What is the might of this city? Whoso would understand the might of this city, let him understand the force of love. That is a virtue which none conquereth. Love's flame no waves of the world, no streams of temptation, extinguish. Of this it is said, " Love is strong as death." » For as when death cometh, it cannot be resisted; by whatever arts, whatever medicines, you meet it; the violence of death can none avoid who is born mortal; so against the violence of love can the world do nothing. For from the contrary the similitude is made of 6 John iv. 22. 9 Cant. viii. 6.
1 68 [Psalm XLVIIL.
death; for as death is most violent to take away, so love is most violent to save. Through love many have died to the world, to liye to God; by this love inflamed, the martyrs, not pretenders, not puffed up by vain-glory, not such as they of whom it is written, " Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing," ■ but men whom truly a love of Christ and of the truth led on to this passion; what to them were the temptations of the tormentors? Greater violence had the eyes of their weeping friends, than the persecutions of enemies. For how many were held by their children, that they might not suffer? to how many did their wives fall upon their knees, that they might not be left widows? How many have their parents forbidden to die, as we know and read in the Passion of the Blessed Perpetua! 2 All this was done; but tears, however great, arid with whatever force flowing, when did they extinguish the ardour of love? This is the might of Sion, to whom elsewhere it is said, " Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." 3 13. What here understand we, "Set your hearts upon her might, and distribute her houses "? That is, distinguish house from house. Do not confound. For there is a house having the form of godliness, and not having godliness; but there is a house having both form and godliness. Distribute, confound not. But then ye distribute and confound not, when ye " set your hearts upon her might; " that is, when through love ye are made spiritual. Then ye will not judge rashly, then ye will see that the evil harms not the good as long as we are in this floor. " Distribute her houses." There can be also another understanding. The two houses, one coming of the circumcision, one of the uncircumcision, it is commanded the Apostles to distribute. For when Saul was called, and made the Apostle Paul, agreeing in unity with his fellow Apostles, he so with them determined, that they should go to the circumcision, he to the uncircumcision. By that dispensation of their Apostleship, they distributed the houses of the city of the great King; and meeting in the corner, divided the Gospel in dispensation, in love united it. And truly this is rather to be understood; for it followeth and showeth that it is here said to the preachers, " distribute her houses: that ye may tell it to the generation following: " that is, that even to us, who were to come after them, their dispensation of the Gospel should reach; For not for those only they laboured, with whom they lived in the earth; nor 1 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
9 Ruinart. Acta Martyrum,?. 86, which supports the reading adopted from the Oxford mss. Ben. has, " How many parents did their sons forbid." [Sec A. N. T. vol. iii., p. 700. — C.J 3 P». exxii. 7.
the Lord for those Apostles only to whom He deigned to show Himself alive after His Resurrection, but for us also. For to them He spake, and signified us when He spake, " Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world."4 Were they then to be here alway, even to the end of the world? Also He said, " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." 5 Therefore He considereth us, because He suffered on account of us. Justly then it is said, " That ye may tell it to the generation following."
14. Tell what? " For this is God, even our God " (ver. 13). The earth was seen, the earth's Creator was not seen; the flesh was held, God in the flesh was not acknowledged. For the flesh was held by those from whom had been taken the same flesh, for of the seed of Abraham was the Virgin Mary. At the flesh they stayed, the Divinity they did not understand. O Apostles, O mighty city, preach thou on the towers, and say, " This is God, even our God." So, even so as He was despised, as He lay a stone before the feet of the stumbling, that He might humble the hearts of the confessing; even so, "This is God, even our God." Certainly He was seen, as was said, " Afterward did He show Himself upon earth, and conversed with men."6 " This is God, even our God." He is also Man, and who is there will know Him? "This is God, even our God." But haply for a time as the false gods. For because they can be called gods, but cannot be so, for a time they are even called so. For what saith the Prophet, or what warneth He to be said to them? This shall ye say to them, " The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from those that are under the heavens." 7 He is not such a god: for our God is above all gods. Above all what gods? " For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." 8 The same then is our God. "This is God, even our God."
For how long? " For ever and ever: He shall rule us for ever." If He is our God, He is also our King. He protecteth us, being our God, lest we die; He ruleth us, being our King, lest we fall. But by ruling us He doth not break us; for whom He ruleth not, He breaketh. "Thou shalt rule them," saith He, "with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 9 But there are whom He ruleth not; these He spareth not, as a potter's vessel dashing them in pieces. By Him then let us wish to be ruled and delivered, " for He is our God for ever and ever, and He shall rule us for ever."
4 Matt, xxviii. ao. * Baruch iii. 37.
7 Jer. x. xi, 8 Ps. xcvi. 5. » Ps. ii. 9.
* John xvii. ao.
Psalm XLIX.]
PSALM XLIX.'
The First Part.
i..." Hear ye these things, all ye nations " (ver. 1). Not then you only who are here. For of what power is our voice so to cry out, as that all nations may hear? For Our Lord Jesus Christ hath proclaimed it through the Apostles, hath proclaimed it in so many tongues that He sent; and we see this Psalm, which before was only repeated in one nation, in the Synagogue of the Jews, now repeated throughout the whole world, throughout all Churches; and that fulfilled which is here spoken of, " Hear ye these words, all ye nations."...Of whom ye are: " With ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world." This He seemeth to have repeated a second time, lest to have said " hear," before, were too little. What I say, he saith, "hear, with ears ponder," that is, hear not cursorily. What is, " with ears ponder "? It is what the Lord said, " he that hath ears to hear, let him hear: " 2 for as all who were in His presence must have had ears, what ears did He require save those of the heart, when He said, " he that hath ears to hear, let him hear "? The same ears also this Psalm doth smite. "With ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world." Perhaps there is here some distinction. We ought not indeed to narrow our view, but there is no harm in explaining even this view of the sense. Perhaps there is some difference between the saying, " all nations," and the saying, " all ye that dwell in the world." For perchance he would have us understand the expression, " dwell in," with a further meaning, so as to take all nations for all the wicked, but the dwellers of the world all the just. For he doth inhabit who is not held fast: but he that is occupied is inhabited, and doth not inhabit. Just as he doth possess whatever he hath, who is master of his property: but a master is one who is not held in the meshes of covetousness: while he that is held fast by covetousness is the possessed, and not the possessor...
2. Therefore let even the ungodly hear: " Hear ye this, all ye nations." Let the just also hear, who have not heard to no purpose, and who rather rule the world than are ruled by the world: " with ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world."
3. And again he saith, " both all ye earthborn, and sons of men" (ver. 2). The expression " earthborn " he doth refer to sinners; the expression "sons of men" to the faithful and righteous. Ye see then that this distinction is observed. Who are the "earthborn"? The children of the earth. Who are the children of the earth? They who desire earthly inheritances.
■ Lat. XLVIII. 3 Matt. xi. 15.
[From a sermon preached before a bishop.]
Who are the "sons of men "? They who appertain to the Son of Man. We have already before explained this distinction to your Sanctity,3 and have concluded that Adam was a man, but not the son of man; that Christ was the Son of Man, but was God also. For whosoever pertain to Adam, are "earthborn: " whosoever pertain to Christ, are "sons of men." Nevertheless, let all hear, I withhold my discourse from no one. If one is "earthborn," let him hear, because of the judgment: another is a " son of man," let him hear for the kingdom's sake. " The rich and poor together." Again, the same words are repeated. The expression " rich " refers to the " earthborn; " but the word " poor " to the " sons of men." By the " rich " understand the proud, by the " poor " the humble...He saith in another Psalm, "The poor shall eat and be satisfied."4 How hath he commended the poor? "The poor shall eat and be satisfied." What eat they? That Food which the faithful know. How shall they be satisfied? By imitating the Passion of their Lord, and not without cause receiving their recompense. "The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and they shall praise the Lord who seek Him." What of the rich? Even they eat. But how eat they? " All the rich upon the earth have eaten and worshipped." 5 He said not, " Have eaten and are satisfied; " but, " have eaten and worshipped." They worship God indeed, but they will not display brotherly humaneness. These eat and worship; those eat and are filled: yet both eat. Of the eater what he eateth is required: let him not be forbidden by the distributor to eat, but let him be admonished to fear him who doth require his account. Let these words then be heard by sinners and righteous, nations, and those who inhabit the world, " earthborn and sons of men, the rich and the poor together: " not divided, not separated. That is for the time of the harvest to do, the hand of the winnower will effect that.5 Now together let rich and poor hear, let goats and sheep feed in the same pasture, until He come who shall separate the one on His right hand, the other on His left.' Let them all hear together the teacher, lest separated from one another they hear the voice of the Judge.
4. And what is it they are now to hear? " My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart understanding" (ver. 3). And this repetition is perhaps made, lest perchance if he had said only " my mouth," thou shouldest suppose that one spake to thee who had understanding but in his lips. For many have understanding in their lips, but have not in their heart, of whom the Scripture saith, " This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart 3 On Ps. viii. 6 Matt. iii. 13.
* Ps. xxii. 26. 7 Matt. xxv. 33.
5 Ps. xxii. 29.
[Psalm XLIX.
is far from me." ' What saith he then who speaketh to thee? when he hath said, " My mouth shall speak of wisdom," in order that thou mayest know that what is poured forth from the mouth floweth from the bottom of the heart, he hath added, "And the meditation of my heart of understanding."
5. " I will incline mine ear to the parable, I will show my proposition upon the harp " (ver. 4)...And why "to a parable"? Because " now we see through a glass darkly," 2 as saith the Apostle; " whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." 3 For our vision is not yet that face to face, where there are no longer parables, where there no longer are riddles and comparisons. Whatever now we understand we behold through riddles. A riddle is a dark parable which it is hard to understand. Howsoever a man may cultivate his heart and apply himself to apprehend mysteries, so long as we see through the corruption of this flesh, we see but in part...But as He was seen by those who believed, and by those who crucified Him, when He was judged; so will He be seen, when He shall have begun to be judge, both by those whom He shall condemn, and by those whom He shall crown. But that vision of divinity, which He hath promised to them that love Him, when He saith, "He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and he that loveth Me keepeth My commandments, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him: " « this the ungodly shall not see. This manifestation is in a certain way familiar: He keepeth it for His own, He will not show it to the ungodly.
Of what sort is the vision itself? Of what sort is Christ? Equal to the Father. Of what sort is Christ? " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 5 For this vision we sigh now, and groan so long as we sojourn here; to this vision we shall be brought home at the last, this vision now we see but darkly. If then we see now darkly, let us " incline our ear to the parable," and then let us " show our proposition upon the harp: " 6 let us hear what we say, do what we enjoin.
6. And what hath he said? " And wherefore shall I fear in the evil day? The iniquity of my heel shall compass me " (ver. 5 ). He beginneth something obscurely. Therefore he ought the rather to fear if the iniquity of his heel shall compass him. Nay, for let not man fear, he saith, who hath not power to escape. For example, he who feareth death, what shall he do to escape death? Let him tell me how * John xiv. ai. * John i. x.
6 [He explains " the Inrp " elsewhere as the body, used by the soul "as the harper useth the harp"; and see p. 139, supra. — C] he is to escape what Adam oweth, he who is born of Adam. But let him consider that he is bom of Adam, and hath followed Christ, and ought to pay what Adam oweth, and obtain what Christ hath promised. Therefore, he who feareth death can no wise escape: but he who feareth the damnation which the ungodly shall hear, " Go ye into everlasting fire," 7 hath an escape. Let him not fear then. For why should he fear? Will the iniquity of his heel compass him? If then he avoid "the iniquity of his heel," and walk in the ways of God, he shall not come to the evil day: the evil day, the last day, shall not be evil to him...Now while they live, let them take heed to themselves, let them put away iniquity from their heel: let them walk in that way, let them walk in the way of which He saith Himself, " I am the way, the truth, and the life: " 8 and let them not fear in the evil day, for He giveth them safety who became " The Way." Therefore let them avoid the iniquity of their heel. With the heel a man slippeth. Let your Love observe. What was said by God to the Serpent? " She shall mark thy head, and thou shalt mark her heel." » The devil marketh thy heel, in order that when thou slippest he may overthrow thee. He marketh thy heel, do thou mark his head. What is his head? The beginning of an evil suggestion. When he beginneth to suggest evil thoughts, then do thou thrust him away before pleasure ariseth, and consent followeth; and so shalt thou avoid his head, and he shall not grasp thy heel. But wherefore said He this to Eve? Because through the flesh man doth slip. Our flesh is an Eve within us. " He that loveth his wife," he saith, " loveth himself." What meaneth " himself "? He continueth, and saith, " For no man ever yet hath hated his own flesh." 10 Because then the devil would make us slip through the flesh, just as he made that man Adam to slip, through Eve; Eve is bidden to mark the head of the devil, because the devil marketh her heel." " If then the iniquity of our heel shall compass us, why fear we in the evil day," since being converted to Christ we are able not to do iniquity; and there will be nothing to compass us, and we shall joy and not sorrow in the last day?
7. But who are they whom the " iniquity of their heel shall compass "? " They who trust in their virtue," and in the abundance of their riches do glory" (ver. 6). Therefore such sins 7 Matt. xxv. 41. 8 John xiv. 6.
9 Gen. iii. 15. [" She shall mark," etc. So the Vulgate, but not in the older editions. The Septuagint is conclusive as to the ancient exposition of the Jews, for the neuter (viripua) had a masculine pronoun (avros) as nominative to the verb. So Jerome, Dominus noster conteret Satanam. It is noteworthy that our author attaches no such force to his reading as Mariolatry demands. — C] 10 Eph. v. 28, 29.
Psalm XLIX.]
will I avoid, and the " iniquity of my heel " shall never compass me. What is avoiding such sins? Let us not trust in our own virtue, let us not glory in the abundance of our own riches, but let us glory in Him who hath promised to us, being humble, exaltation, and hath threatened condemnation to men exalted; and then iniquity of our heel shall never compass us.
8. There are some who rely on their friends, others rely on their virtue, others on their riches. This is the presumption of mankind which relieth not on God. He hath spoken of virtue, he hath spoken of riches, he speaketh of friends. " Brother redeemeth not,' shall man redeem? " (ver. 7). Dost thou expect that man shall redeem thee from the wrath to come? If brother redeem thee not, shall man redeem thee? Who is the brother, who if He hath not redeemed thee, no man will redeem? It is He whs said after His resurrection, " Go, tell My brethren." * Our Brother He hath willed to be: and when we say to God, " Our Father," this is manifested in us. For he that saith to God, " Our Father; " saith to Christ, " Brother." 3 Therefore let him that hath God for his Father and Christ for his Brother, not fear in the evil day. " For the iniquity of his heel shall not compass him; " for he relieth not on his virtue, nor glorieth in the abundance of his riches, nor vaunteth himself cf his powerful friends. Let him rely on Him who died for him, that he might not die eternally: who for his sake was humbled, in order that he might be exalted; who sought him ungodly, in order that He might be sought by him faithful. Therefore if He redeem not, shall man redeem? Shall any man redeem, if the Son of man redeem not? If Christ redeem not, shall Adam redeem? " Brother redeemeth not, shall man redeem? " 4 9. " He shall not give to God his propitiation, and the price of the redemption of his soul " (ver. 8). He trusteth in his virtue, and in the abundance of his riches doth glory, who " shall not give to God his propitiation: " that is, satisfaction whereby he may prevail with God for his sins: " nor the price of the redemption of his soul," who relieth on his virtue, and on his friends, and on his riches. But who are they that give the price of the redemption of their souls? They to whom the Lord saith, " Make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that they may receive you into everlasting habitations." s They give the price of the redemption of their soul who cease not to do almsdeeds. So those whom the Apostle chargeth by Timothy 1 Oxf. mss. " hath not redeemed," and so through the paragraph.
2 Matt, xxviii. 10.
3 See on St. John, Horn. xxi. § 3.
* [The Latin versions do not divide into verses such as our author seems to have made. — C] 5 Luke xvi. q.