13. "Thou hast visited the earth, and hast inebriated it" (ver. 9). Whence hast inebriated the earth? " Thy cup inebriating how glorious it is! " 5 " Thou hast visited the earth, and hast inebriated it." Thou hast sent Thy clouds, they have rained down the preaching of the truth, inebriated is the earth. " Thou hast multiplied to enrich it." Whence? " The river of God is filled with water." What is the river of God? The people of God. The first people was filled with water, wherewith the rest of the earth might be watered. Hear Him promising water: " If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink: he that believeth on Me, rivers of living water from his belly shall flow: " 6 if rivers, one river also; for in respect of unity many are one. Many Churches and one Church, many faithful and one Bride of Christ: so many rivers and one river. Many Israelites believed, and were fulfilled with the Holy Spirit; from thence they were scattered abroad through the nations, they began to preach the truth, and from the river of God that was filled with water, was the whole earth watered. " Thou hast prepared food for them: because thus is Thy preparing." Not because they have deserved of Thee, whom Thou hast forgiven sins: the merits of them were evil, but Thou for Thy mercy's sake, " because thus is Thy preparing," thus " Thou hast prepared food for them."
14. "The furrows thereof inebriate Thou" (ver. 10). Let there be made therefore at first furrows to be inebriated: let the hardness of our breast be opened with the share of the word of God, " The furrows thereof inebriate Thou: multiply the generations thereof." We see, they 2 Oxf. mss. and old ed. " that I may." < Luke xxi. x8. 5 Ps. xxiii. 5.
PSAI.M LXV.]
2 73 believe, and by them believing other men believe, and because of those others believe; and it is not sufficient for one man, that having become himself a believer, he should gain one. So is multiplied seed too: a few grains are scattered, and fields spring up. " In the drops thereof it shall rejoice, when it shall rise up." That is, before it be perchance enlarged to the bulk of a river, " when it shall rise up, in its drops," that is, in those meet for it, " it shall rejoice." For upon those that are yet babes, and upon the weak, are dropped some portions of the sacraments, because they cannot receive the fulness of the truth. Hear in what manner he droppeth upon babes, while they are rising up, that is, in their recent rising having small capacities: the Apostle saith, " To you I could not speak as if to spiritual, but as if to carnal, as if to babes in Christ." * When he saith, " to babes in Christ," he speaketh of them as already risen up, but not yet meet to receive that plenteous wisdom, whereof he saith, " Wisdom we speak among perfect men." 2 Let it rejoice in its drops, while it is rising up and is growing, when strengthened it shall receive wisdom also: in the same manner as an infant is fed with milk, and becometh fit for meat, and nevertheless at first out of that very meat for which it was not fit, for it milk is made.
15. "Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of Thy goodness" (ver. 11). Seed is now sowing, that which is sown is growing, there will be the harvest too. And now over the seed the enemy hath sown tares; and there have risen up evil ones among the good, false Christians, having like leaf, but not like fruit. For those are properly called tares,3 which spring up in the manner of wheat, for instance darnel, for instance wild oats, and all such as have the first leaf the same. Therefore of the sowing of the tares thus saith the Lord: " There hath come an enemy, and hath sown over them tares; " 4 but what hath he done to the grain? The wheat is not choked by the tares, nay, through endurance of the tares the fruit of the wheat is increased. For the Lord Himself said to certain workmen desiring to root up the tares, " Suffer ye both to grow unto the harvest." s...Conquer the devil, and thou wilt have a crown. " Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of Thy goodness." Again he maketh reference to the goodness of God, lest any one boast of his own merits. " Thy plains shall be filled with abundance."
16. "The ends of the desert shall grow fat, and the hills shall be encircled with exultation " (ver. 12). Plains, hills, ends of the desert, the same are also men. Plains, because of the equality: because of equality, I say, from thence 3 Zizania.
just peoples have been called plains. Hills, because of lifting up: because God doth lift up in Himself those that humble themselves. Ends of the desert are all nations. Wherefore ends of the desert? Deserted they were, to them no Prophet had been sent: they were in like case as is a desert where no man passeth by. No word of God was sent to the nations: to the people Israel alone the Prophets preached. We came to the Lord; 6 the wheat believed among that same people of the Jews. For He said at that time to the disciples, "Ye say, far off is the harvest: look back, and see how white are the lands to harvest." There hath been therefore a first harvest, there will be a second in the last age. The first harvest was of Jews, because there were sent to them Prophets proclaiming a coming Saviour. Therefore the Lord said to His disciples, " See how white are the lands to harvest: " 7 the lands, to wit, of Judaea. " Other men," He saith, " have laboured, and into their labours ye have entered." 8 The Prophets laboured to sow, and ye with the sickle have entered into their labours. There hath been finished therefore the first harvest, and thence, with that very wheat which then was purged, hath been sown the round world; so that there ariseth another harvest, which at the end is to be reaped.
In the second harvest have been sown tares, now here there is labour. Just as in that first harvest the Prophets laboured until the Lord came: so in that second harvest the Apostles laboured, and all preachers of the truth labour, even until at the end the Lord send unto the harvest His Angels. Aforetime, I say, a desert there was, " but the ends of the desert shall grow fat." Behold where the Prophets had given no sound, the Lord of the Prophets hath been received, "The ends of the desert shall grow fat, and with exultation the hills shall be encircled."
1 7. " Clothed have been the rams of the sheep" (ver. 13): "with exultation" must be understood. For with what exultation the hills are encircled, with the same are clothed the rams of the sheep. Rams are the very same as hills. For hills they are because of more eminent grace; rams, because they are leaders of the flocks..." They shall shout: " thence they shall abound with wheat, because they shall shout. What shall they shout? " For a hymn they shall say." For one thing it is to shout against God, another thing to say a hymn; one thing to shout iniquities, another thing to shout the praises of God. If thou shout in blasphemy, thorns thou hast brought forth: if thou shoutest in a hymn, thou aboundest in wheat.
6 Ventuin est ad Dominum; al. a Domino, " The Lord came." 1 John iv. 35. 8 John iv. 38.
[Psalm LXVI.
PSALM LXVI.1 i. This Psalm hath on the title the inscription, " For the end, a song of a Psalm of Resurrection." When ye hear " for the end," whenever the Psalms are repeated, understand it " for Christ:" the Apostle saying, "For the end of the law is Christ, for righteousness to every one believing." 2 In what manner therefore here Resurrection is sung, ye will hear, and whose Resurrection it is, as far as Himself deigneth to give and disclose. For the Resurrection we Christians know already hath come to pass in our Head, and in the members it is to be. The Head of the Church is Christ,' the members of Christ are the Church. That which hath preceded in the Head, will follow in the Body. This is our hope; for this we believe, for this we endure and persevere amid so great perverseness of this world, hope comforting us, before that hope becometh reality...The Jews did hold the hope of the resurrection of the dead: and they hoped that themselves alone would rise again to a blessed life because of the work of the Law, and because of the justifications of the Scriptures, which the Jews alone had, and the Gentiles had not. Crucified was Christ, "blindness in part happened unto Israel, in order that the fulness of the Gentiles might enter in: " 4 as the Apostle saith. The resurrection of the dead beginneth to be promised to the Gentiles also that believe in Jesus Christ, that He hath risen again. Thence this Psalm is against the presumption and pride of the Jews, for the comfort of the Gentiles that are to be called to the same hope of resurrection.
2...Thence he beginneth, " Be joyful in God." Who? " Every land" (ver.i). Not therefore Judaea alone. See, brethren, after what sort is set forth the universality of the Church in the whole world spread abroad: and mourn ye not only the Jews, who envied the Gentiles that grace, but still more for heretics wail ye. For if they are to be mourned, that have not been gathered together, how much more they that being gathered together have been divided? " Jubilate in God every land." What is " jubilate "? Into the voice of rejoicings break forth if ye cannot into that of words. For "jubilation "is not of words, but the sound alone of men rejoicing is uttered, as of a heart labouring and bringing forth into voice the pleasure of a thing imagined which cannot be expressed. " Be joyful in God every land: " let no one jubilate in a part: let every land be joyful, let the Catholic Church jubilate. The Catholic Church embraceth the whole: whosoever holdeth a part and from the whole is cut off, should howl, not jubilate. 3. "But play ye to His name" (ver. 2).
What hath he said? By you " playing " let His name be blessed. But what it is to "play"? To play is also to take up an instrument which is called a psaltery, and by the striking and action of the hands to accompany voices. If therefore ye jubilate so that God may hear; play also something that men may both see and hear: but not to your own name...For if for the sake of yourselves being glorified ye do good works, we make the same reply as He made to certain of such men, " Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward: " 5 and again, " Otherwise no reward ye will have with your Father that is in Heaven."6 Thou wilt say, ought I, then, to hide my works, that I do them not before men? No. But what saith He? " Let your works shine before men." In doubt then I shall remain. On one side Thou sayest to me, " Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men: " on the other side Thou sayest to me, "Let your good works shine before men;" what shall I keep? what do?, what leave undone? A man can as well serve two masters commanding different things as one commanding different things. I command not, saith the Lord, different things. The end observe, for the end sing: with what end thou doest it, see thou. If for this reason thou doest it, that thou mayest be glorified, I have forbidden it: but if for this reason, that God may be glorified, I have commanded it. Play therefore, not to your own name, but to the name of the Lord your God. Play ye, let Him be lauded: live ye well, let Him be glorified. For whence have ye that same living well? If for everlasting ye had had it, ye would never have lived ill; if from yourselves ye had had it, ye never would have done otherwise than have lived well. " Give glory to His praise." Our whole attention upon the praise of God he directeth, nothing for us he leaveth whence we should be praised. Let us glory thence the more, and rejoice: to Him let us cleave, in Him let us be praised. Ye heard when the Apostle was being read, "See ye your calling, brethren, how not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but the foolish things of the world God hath chosen to confound the wise." 1...
But the Lord chose afterwards orators also; but they would have been proud, if He had not first chosen fishermen; He chose rich men; but they would have said that on account of their riches they had been chosen, unless at first He had chosen poor men: He chose Emperors afterwards; but better is it, that when an Emperor hath come to Rome, he should lay aside his crown, and weep at the monument of a fisherman, than that a fisherman should weep at the > Lat. LXV. Sermon to the Commonalty. 3 Col. i. 18.
5 Matt. vi. 1.
<> Matt. vi. 1.
? 1 Cor. i. 26, 27.
Psalm LXVI.
monument of an Emperor. " For the weak things of the world God hath chosen to confound the strong," etc.1...And what followed!? The Apostle hath concluded, "That there might not glory before God any flesh." See ye how from us He hath taken away, that He might give glory: hath taken away ours, that He might give His own; hath taken away empty, that He might give full; hath taken away insecure, that He might give solid...
4. " Say ye to God, How to be feared are Thy works! " (ver. 3). Wherefore to be feared and not to be loved? Hear thou another voice of a Psalm: " Serve ye the Lord in fear, and exult unto Him with trembling."2 What meaneth this? Hear the voice of the Apostle: " With fear," he saith, " and trembling, your own salvation work ye out." 3 Wherefore with fear and trembling? He hath subjoined the reason: " for God it is that worketh in you both to will and to work according to good will."4 If therefore God worketh in thee, by the Grace of God thou workest well, not by thy strength. Therefore if thou rejoicest, fear also: lest perchance that which was given to a humble man be taken away from a proud one...Brethren, if against the Jews of old, cut off from the root of the Patriarchs, we ought not to exalt ourselves, but rather to fear and say to God, " How to be feared are Thy works: " how much less ought we not to exalt ourselves against the fresh wounds of the cutting off! Before there had been cut off Jews, graffed in Gentiles; from the very graft there have been cut off heretics; but neither against them ought we to exalt ourselves; lest perchance he deserve to be cut off, that delighteth to revile them that are cut off. My brethren, a bishop's voice, however unworthy, hath sounded to you: 5 we pray you to beware, whosoever ye are in the Church, do not revile them that are not within; but pray ye rather, that they too may be within. For God is able again to graft them in.6 Of the very Jews the Apostle said this, and it was done in their case. The Lord rose again, and many believed: they perceived not when they crucified, nevertheless afterwards they believed in Him, and there was forgiven them so great a transgression. The shedding of the Lord's blood was forgiven the manslayers, not to say, God-slayers: " for if they had known, the Lord of glory they never would have crucified." 7 Now to the manslayers hath been forgiven the shedding of the blood of Him innocent: and that same blood which through madness they shed, through grace they have drunk...O fulness of Gentiles, say thou to God, " How to 2 Ps. ii. 11.
3 Philip, ii. 12.
1 1 Cor. i 27.
* Philip, ii. 13.
* Some Oxf. mss. " My brethren, however their voice soundeth toward you."
be feared are Thy works! " and so rejoice thou as that thou mayest fear, be not exalted above the branches cut off.
5. "In the multitude of thy power Thine enemies shall lie to Thee." For this purpose he saith, "to Thee thine enemies shall lie," in order that great may be Thy power. What is this? With more attention hearken. The power of our Lord Jesus Christ most chiefly appeared in the Resurrection, from whence this Psalm hath received its title. And rising again, He appeared to His disciples.8 He appeared not to His enemies, but to His disciples. Crucified He appeared to all men, rising again to believers: so that afterwards also he that would might believe, and to him that should believe, resurrection might be promised. Many holy men wrought many miracles; no one of them when dead did rise again: because even they that by them were raised to life, were raised to life to die...Because therefore the Jews might say, when the Lord did miracles, Moses hath done these things, Elias hath done, Eliseus hath done them: they might for themselves say these words, because those men also did raise to life dead men, and did many miracles: therefore when from Him a sign was demanded, of the peculiar sign making mention which in Himself alone was to be, He saith, "This generation crooked and provoking 9 seeketh a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonas the Prophet: for as Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so shall be also the Son of Man in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." '° In what way was Jonas in the belly of the whale? Was it not so that afterwards alive he was vomited out? Hell " was to the Lord what the whale was to Jonas. This sign peculiar to Himself He mentioned, this is the most mighty sign. It is more mighty to live again after having been dead, than not to have been dead. The greatness of the power of the Lord as He was made Man, in the virtue of the Resurrection doth appear...
6. Observe also the very lie of the false witnesses in the Gospel, and see how it is about Resurrection. For when to the Lord had been said, " What sign showest Thou to us, that Thou doest these things?"'2 besides that which He had spoken about Jonah '3 through another similitude of this same thing also He spake, that ye might know this peculiar sign had been especially pointed out: " Destroy this Temple," He saith, " and in three days I will raise it up." And they said, "In forty and six years was builded this temple, and wilt Thou in three 8 Acts x. 40.
9 Amaricans, etc.; most mss.'
» [iV, Hades, Sheol. — C] IJ Matt. xii. 39.
evil and adulterous."
12 John ii. 18.
[Psalm LXVI.
days raise it up? " ' And the evangelist explaining what it was, " But this," he saith, "spake Jesus of the Temple of His Body." 2 Behold this His power He said He would show to men in the same thing as that from whence He had given the similitude of a Temple, because of His flesh, which was the Temple of the Divinity hidden within. Whence the Jews outwardly saw the Temple, the Deity dwelling within they saw not. Out of those words of the Lord false witnesses made up a lie to say against Him, out of those very words wherein He mentioned His future Resurrection, in speaking of the Temple. For false witnesses, when they were asked what they had heard Him say, alleged against Him: " We heard Him saying, I will destroy this Temple, and after three days I will raise it up." 3 " After three days I will raise up," they had heard: " I will destroy," they had not heard: but had heard " destroy ye." One word they changed and a few letters, in order to support their false testimony. But for whom changest thou a word, O human vanity, O human weakness? For the Word, the Unchangeable, dost thou change a word? Thou changest thy word, dost thou change God's Word?...Wherefore said they that Thou hadst said, "I will destroy; " and said not that which Thou saidest, "destroy ye"? It was, as it were, in order that they might defend themselves from the charge of destroying the Temple without cause. For Christ, because He willed it, died: and nevertheless ye killed Him.
Behold we grant you, O ye liars, Himself destroyed the Temple. For it hath been said by the Apostle, " That loved me, and gave up Himself for me." 4 It hath been said of the Father, " That His own Son spared not, but gave Him up for us all." 5...By all means be it that Himself destroyed the Temple, Himself destroyed that said, " Power I have to lay down My Soul,6 and power I have again to take it: no one taketh it from Me, but I Myself lay it down from Me, and again I take it." 1 Be it that Himself hath destroyed the Temple in His Grace, in your malice. " In the multitude of Thy power thine enemies shall lie to Thee." Behold they lie, behold they are believed, behold Thou art oppressed, behold Thou art crucified, behold Thou art insulted, behold head is wagged at Thee, " If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross." 8 Behold when Thou wilt, life Thou layest down, and with lance in the side art pierced, and Sacraments from Thy side flow forth; 9 Thou art taken down from the Tree, wound in linens, laid in the sepulchre, there are set guards lest Thy disciples take Thee away; 1 John ii. 19, so. 2 John ii. 21.
3 Matt. xxvi. 61; Mark xiv. 58: John ii. 19 there cometh the hour of Thy Resurrection, earth is shaken, tombs are cloven, Thou risest again in secret, appearest openly. Where then are those liars? Where is the false testimony of evil will? Have not Thine enemies in the multitude of Thy power lied to Thee?
7. Give them also those guards at the Tomb, let them recount what they have seen, let them take money and lie too.10...They too were added to the lie of the enemies: increased was the number of liars, that increased might be the reward of believers. Therefore they lied, " in the multitude of Thy power " they lied: to confound liars Thou hast appeared to men of truth, and Thou hast appeared to those men of truth whom Thou hast made men of truth.
8. Let Jews remain in their lies: to Thee, because in the multitude of Thy power they lied, let there be done that which followeth, " Let every land worship Thee, and play to Thee, play to Thy name, O Most Highest" (ver. 4). A little before, Most Lowly, now Most Highest: Most Lowly in the hands of lying enemies; Most Highest above the head of praising Angels. O ye Gentiles, O most distant nations, leave lying Jews, come confessing. " Come ye, and see the works of the Lord: terrible in counsels above the sons of men " (ver. 5). Son of Man indeed He too hath been called, and verily Son of Man He became: very Son of God in the form of God; " very Son of Man in form of a servant: but do not judge of that form by the condition of others alike: " terrible " He is " in counsels above the sons of men." Sons of men took counsel to crucify Christ, being crucified He blinded the crucifiers. What then have ye done, sons of men, by taking keen counsels against your Lord, in whom was hidden Majesty, and to sight shown weakness? Ye were taking counsels to destroy, He to blind and save; to blind proud men, to save humble men: but to blind those same proud men, to the end that, being blinded they might be humbled, being humbled might confess, having confessed might be enlightened. " Terrible in counsels above the sons of men." Terrible indeed. Behold blindness in part to Israel hath happened: l2 behold the Jews, out of whom was born Christ, are without: behold the Gentiles, that were against Judaea, in Christ are within. "Terrible in counsels above the sons of men."
9. Wherefore what hath He done by the terror of His counsel? He hath turned the sea into dry land. For this followeth, "That hath turned the sea into dry land " (ver. 6). A sea was the world, bitter with saltness, troubled with tempest, raging with waves of persecutions, sea it was: truly into dry land the sea hath been 10 Matt, xxviii. la.
» Philip, ii. 6.
« Rom. xi. 55.
Psalm LXVI.]
turned, now there thirsteth for sweet water the world that with salt water was filled. Who hath done this? He " that hath turned the sea into dry land." Now the soul of all the Gentiles saith what? " My soul is as it were land without water to Thee." ' " That hath turned the sea into dry land. In the river they shall pass over on foot." Those same persons that have been turned into dry land, though they were before sea, " in the river on foot shall pass over." What is the river? The river is all the mortality of the world. Observe a river: some things come and pass by, other things that are to pass by do succeed. Is it not thus with the water of a river, that from earth springeth and floweth? Every one that is born must needs give place to one going to be born: and all this order of things rolling along is a kind of river. Into this river let not the soul greedily throw herself, let her not throw herself, but let her stand still. And how shall she pass over the pleasures of things doomed to perish? Let her believe in Christ, and she will pass over on foot: she passeth over with Him for Leader, on foot she passeth over.
10. "There we will be joyous in Him." O ye Jews, of your own works boast ye: lay aside the pride of boasting of yourselves, take up the Grace of being joyous in Christ. For therein we will be joyous, but not in ourselves: "there we will be joyous in Him." When shall we joy? When we shall have passed over the river on foot. Life everlasting is promised, resurrection is promised, there our flesh no longer shall be a river: for a river it is now, while it is mortality. Observe whether there standeth still any age. Boys desire to grow up; and they know not how by succeeding years the span of their life is lessened. For years are not added to but taken from them as they grow: just as the water of a river alway dravveth near, but from the source it withdraweth. And boys desire to grow up that they may escape the thraldom of elders; behold they grow up, it cometh to pass quickly, they arrive at youth: let them that have emerged from boyhood retain, if they are able, their youth 1 that too passeth away. Old age succeedeth: 2 let even old age be everlasting; with death it is removed. Therefore a river there is3 of flesh that is born. This river of mortality, so that it doth not by reason of concupiscence of things mortal undermine and carry him away, he easily passeth over, that humbly, that is on foot, passeth over, He being leader that first hath passed over, that of the flood in the way even unto death hath drunk, and therefore hath lifted ' Ps. cxliii. 6.
' Ps. cxliii. 6.
2 Oxf. mss. add, " Let even old age succeed for everlasting, let," ' Oxf. mss. " is the mortality."
up the head.4 Passing over therefore on foot that river, that is, easily passing over that mortality that glideth along, " there we will be joyous in Him." But now in what save in Him, or in the hope of Him? For even if we are joyous now, in hope we are joyous; but then in Him we shall be joyous. And now in Him, but through hope: " but then face to face." 5 " There we will be joyous in Him."
11. In whom? " In Him that reigneth in His virtue for everlasting" (ver. 7). For what virtue have we? and is it everlasting? If everlasting were our virtue, we should not have slipped, should not have fallen into sin, we should not have deserved penal mortality. He, of His good pleasure, took up that whereunto our desert threw us down. 6 " That reigneth in His virtue for everlasting." Of Him partakers let us be made, in whose virtue we shall be strong, but He in His own. We enlightened, He a light enlightening: we, being turned away from Him, are in darkness; turned away from Himself He cannot be. With the heat of Him we are warmed; from whence withdrawing we had grown cold, to the Same drawing near again we are warmed. Therefore let us speak to Him that He may keep us in His virtue, because " in Him we will be joyous that reigneth in His virtue for everlasting."
12. But this thing is not granted to believing Jews alone..." The eyes of Him do look upon the Gentiles." And what do we? The Jews will murmur; the Jews will say, " what He hath given to us, the same to them also; to us Gospel, to them Gospel; to us the Grace of Resurrection, and to them the Grace of Resurrection; doth it profit us nothing that we have received the Law, and that in the justifications of the Law we have lived, and have kept the commandments of the fathers? Nothing will it avail? The same to them as to us." Let them not strive, let them not dispute. " Let not them that are bitter be exalted in their own selves." 7 O flesh miserable and wasting, art thou not sinful? Why crieth out thy tongue? Let the conscience be listened to. " For all men have sinned, and need the glory of God." 8 Know thyself, human weakness. Thou didst receive the Law, in order that a transgressor also of the Law thou mightest be: 9 for thou hast not kept and fulfilled that which thou didst receive. There hath come to thee because of the Law, not the justification which the Law enjoineth, but the transgression which thou hast done. If therefore there hath abounded sin, why enviest thou Grace more abounding. Be not bitter, for " let not them that are bitter be 7 [See on Ps. Ixix. ver. 10, infra, — C] 6 Gen. iii. 17, etc.
[Psalm LXVI.