Psalm 27 (Vulgate 26)

First Exposition

^ * Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the faith. (Ver. 1.) The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord will give me both knowledge of Himself, and salvation: who shall take me from Him? The Lord is the Protector of my life: of whom shall I he afraid? The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.

2. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat tip my flesh. Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. Mine enemies who trouble me. Not they only who trouble mef blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recal me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. They became weak, and fell. Whilst then they do this with the desire of defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.

3. Ver. 8. If camps stand together against me, my heart will not fear. But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to go over to their side. If war.rise up against me, in this will I trust. If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope.

4. Ver. 4. One have I asked of the Lord, this will I require. For one petition have I asked of the Lord, this will I require. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them, who bold the unity and the truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord. this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the vision may appear to me, which I may con* face to face. And I shall be protected, His And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall with immortality, being made His temple. Ver. 5. For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in of my evils. For He hath hidden me in the dis-~ of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, my mortal life is exposed. He hath protected me secret place of His tabernacle. He hath protected the heart believing unto righteousness. On a rock hath He exalted me. And that what I might be made manifest for salvation, He hath my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. 6.) And now, lot He hath exalted mine head above enemies. What doth He reserve for me at the last, even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel mind -serves the law of God, and is not led captive the rebellious law of sin? I have gone about, and have in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing. I have the circuit of the world, believing on Christ; and for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. sing and give praises to the Lord. In heart and in 1 will be glad in the Lord. Ver. 7. Hear my voice, 0 Lord, wherewith I have cried Thee. Hear, Lord, my interior voiee, which with a intention I have addressed to Thy ears. Have mercy me, and hear me. Have mercy upon me, and hear me Ver. 8. My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy For I have not exhibited myself to men; but where Thou alone nearest, my heart hath said to; I have not sought from Thee ought without Thee as but Thy countenance. Thy countenance, O Lord, I seek. In this search will I perseveringly persist: for aught that is common, but Thy countenance, 0 Lord, I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more do I find. Ver. 9. Turn not away Thy face from me: that I may* find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: lest, while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance? Be Thou my Helper. How shall I find it, if Thou help me not? Leave me not, neither despise me, O God my Saviour. Scorn not that a mortal dares to seek the Eternal; for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.

5. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother haw left me. For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which I was born in time and mortality, have left me seeking Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what I seek. But the Lord took me up. But the Lord, Who can give me Himself, took me up.

6. Ver. 11. Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way. For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and commencing so great a profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, O Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wandering Thy rule abandon me. And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies. And direct me in the right way of its straits. For it is not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end is attained.

7. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee, as if I seek glory of men. And iniquity hath lied unto itself Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me it hath not moved, to whom because of this there bath been promised a greater reward in heaven.

8. Ver. 13. i" believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. And since my Lord hath first suffered these things, if I too despise the tongues of the dying, {for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul,) I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there is no place for falsity.

9. Ver. 14. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man: and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord. But when shall this be? It is arduous for a mortal, it is slow to a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him that saith, wait on the Lord. Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burning of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee. That thou faint not in despair, see how it is said, Wait on the Lord.

Second Exposition

1. The Lord our God in addressing and consoling us, whom sooth He regards as eating our bread by His Own righteous judgment in the sweat of our face, vouchsafes to speak to us out of ourselves, to shew us that He is not only our Creator, but also our Indweller. These words of the Psalm, which we have heard and partly sung, if we say that they are our own, we must be reverently careful how we speak the truth; for they are rather the words of God's Spirit than our own. Again, if we say that they are not ours, we do indeed lie. For groaning belongs not but to those who are in distress; or all that speech, which is uttered here, full of grief and tears, may be His Who never can be miserable. The Lord then is merciful, we are miserable: in His mercy He vouchsafes to speak to the miserable, vouchsafes even in them to use the speech of the miserable. So each is true, both that the speech is ours, and that it is not ours; that it is the speech of God's Spirit, and that it is not His. The speech is that of God's Spirit, in that but for His inspiration we should not speak thus: but it is not His, in that He is neither miserable, nor in distress: but these words are those of the miserable and distressed. Again, they are ours, because they are words indicating our misery: and yet they are not ours, because it is of His gift that we are vouchsafed1 even to groan.

2. A Psalm of David before he was anointed. Thus runs the tide of the Psalm, A Psalm of David before he wassoVuig. anointed, that is, before he received unction. For he was anointed as a king. And the king was then anointed alone, and also the priest: these two persons were anointed at that time. In the two persons was prefigured the One future king and priest, in either office One Christ; and therefore Christ from the chrism. But not only was our Head anointed, but His Body also, we ourselves. Now He is King, in that He ruleth and leadeth us; Priest, in that He intercedeth for us. And verily He alone hath been such a priest, as to be also Himself the sacrifice. He hath offered none other sacrifice to God than Himself. For He could not find besides Himself a most pure, reasonable victim, as a lamb without spot, redeeming us by the shedding of His own blood, incorporating us with Himself, making us His Own members, that in Him we too should be Christ. Therefore anointing belongs to all Christians: but in the former times of the Old Testament it belonged to two characters only. But it appears from this that we are the Body of Christ, in that we all are anointed: and we all in Him are both Christ's and Christ, because in some sort Whole Christ is the Head and Body. This anointing will perfect us spiritually in that life, which is promised us. But this voice is of one longing for that life; it is the voice as it were of one longing for the grace of God, which shall be perfected in us at the last: therefore it is said, Before he wa8 an0*nted. For we are anointed now in the sacrament, and, by this sacrament, something is prefigured, which we shall be. And that certain unspeakable fiiture thing we may rejoice in that thing, which is foreshewn in the sacrament.

3. See what he says: (ver. 1.) The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? He enlightens me, let darkness vanish: He saves me, let weakness vanish: walking in the light with firmness, whom shall I fear? For God giveth not such salvation, as can be wrested by any one; nor is He such a Light, as can be obscured by any one. The Lord enlightening, we enlightened; the Lord saving, we saved: if then He be the enlightener and we the enlightened; and He the Saviour, we the saved, without Him we are darkness and weakness. But having in Him a sure, and established, and true hope, whom shall we fear? The Lord thy lightj the Lord thy Saviour. Find one more powerful, and fear. I belong, in such wise, to the most powerful of all, to the all-powerful, that He both enlighteneth me, and saveth me; nor fear I any but Him. The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

4. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh: mine enemies who trouble me became weak and fell. I, therefore, what shall I fear, or whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid, or of what shall I be afraid? They who persecute me, they are weakened, they fall. Now why do they persecute me? To eat up my flesh. What is my flesh? My fleshly affections. Let them rage in their persecutions: nothing dies in me, but what is mortal. There will be somewhat in me, which the persecutor cannot reach, where my God dwelleth. Let them eat my flesh: when my flesh is gone, I shall be spirit and spiritual. And indeed so great salvation doth my Lord promise me, that even now this mortal flesh, which seems to be given up to the hands of the persecutors, doth not perish for ever; but what hath been exhibited in the resurrection of my Head, may all the members hope for. Whom should my soul fear, which God inhabiteth? Whom should my flesh fear, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption? Would ye know, because they who persecute us eat our flesh, how that we need not fear even for this very flesh of ours? It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body. Now how great confidence should there be in him, who could say, Tfte Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? The general is protected by guards, and fears not; a mortal is protected by mortals, and is secure: a mortal is protected by the Immortal, and shall he fear and be afraid?

5. Now how great confidence there should be in him, who speaks thus, do ye hear; (ver. 3.) If camps stand together against me, mine heart shall not fear. Camps are well defended, but what stronger defence than God? If war rise up against me. What can war do to me? Can it take away my hope from me? Can it take away what the Almighty gives? As He who gives is not conquered, so what He giveth is not taken away. If the gift can be taken away, the giver is conquered. Therefore even these things, which we receive in time, no one can take away from us, my Brethren, but He alone Who gave them. The spiritual things which He bestoweth He will not take away, unless thou shalt let them go; but things fleshly and temporal He taketh away; because whoever else taketh them away, taketh them away by His giving him the power. We know this, and read in the book of Job, that not even the devil, who appears, so to say, to have the greatest power for a time, can do any thing without permission. He received power over the lowest things, and lost the greatest and the highest. And this is not the power of one enraged, but the punishment of one damned. Not even he then can have any power without permission. You see this both in the book which I have quoted, and in the Gospel the Lord saith, This night Satan nath desired that he might sift you as wheat; and I have prayed for thee, Peter, that thy faith fail not. Now it is permitted either for our punishment, or for our trial. Therefore since no one can take away from us what God giveth, let us fear none but God. Whatsoever else threaten, whatsoever else vaunt itself against us, let not our heart fear.

6. If war rise up against me, in this will I trust. In what? (Ver. 4.) One, saith he, have I asked of the Lord. He named some boon in the feminine gender, as if he had said, One petition. And as we are in the habit of sayiug in conversation for instance, * Duas habes,' (in the feminine,) and not c Duo,' (in the neuter:) so Scripture has used this manner of speech: One, saith he, have I asked of the Lord, this will I require. Let us see what he asketh, who feareth nothing. Great security of soul! Would ye fear nothing? Ask this one, which he asketh who feareth nothing, or which he asketh that he may fear nothing. One, saith he, have I asked of the Lord, this will I require. This is practised here by them that walk honestly. What is this? What is this one? That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. This is the one: for that is called a house where we shall abide always. In this state of pilgrimage, the word house is used, but the proper name is, tent. A tent belongs to those who are in pilgrimage, and in a measure warring and fighting against an enemy. Since then there is a tent in this life, it is plain that there is an enemy too. For to have tents in common, this is to be comrades: and you know this is the name for soldiers, Here then is a tent, there a house. But this tent too ig1*"1*16- sometimes by application of its resemblance called a house, and the house is according to the same method called a tent: yet properly the latter is the house, the former the

7. Now what we shall do in that house, you have clearly expressed in another Psalm: Blessed are they that dwell in Thine house; they will he praising Thee for ever. On fire, if we may so say, with this desire, and boiling with this love, he longs to dwell all the days of his life in the house of the Lord: in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, not as if they were to come to an end, but days eternal. For so is the word, days, used, as years, of which it is said, AndPa. Thy years shall not fail. For the day of life eternal is one day without setting. This then he said to the Lord, I have desired this, One have I asked, This will I require. And as if we should say to him, And what wilt thou do there? what will be thy delight there? what the recreation of thy soul? what the pleasures there whence thy joys will be supplied? For thou wilt not continue there, unless thou shalt be happy. But that happiness whence will it come? For here we have the divers happinesses of the human race; and any one is called miserable, when what he loves is withdrawn. Men then have divers things, and • when any man seems to have what he loves, he is called happy. But he is truly happy, not if he have what he loves, but if he love what he ought to love. For many are more miserable in having what they love, than in wanting it. For men miserable by the love of hurtful things, are more miserable by having them. And God in mercy, when we love amiss, denieth what we love: but in anger giveth to him that loveth what he loves amiss. You have the Apostle, saying expressly, God gave them up to the lust of their own hearts. He gave them what they 24' loved, but in condemnation. You have again God denying what was asked: For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, saith he, that He would take it away from me; (namely, the thorn in the flesh;) and He said (o me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for strength is made perfect in weakness. See He those up to the lust of their hearts: He denied the Apostle Paul what he prayed for; to the former He gave unto condemnation, to the latter He denied unto salvation. But when we love that which God wills us to love, beyond doubt He will give it us. This is that one, which should beloved, that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life.

8. And because, in these earthly habitations, men are charmed with divers delights and pleasures, and every one wishes to dwell in that house, where he will have nothing to offend his mind, and have many things to delight him; but if those things which did delight are withdrawn, the man wishes to remove from what place soever it be: let us then ask him, as it were, more inquisitively, and let him tell us, w^at we ourselves, what he 1 will do in that house, where he wishes and desires, longs and asks this one thing from the Lord, that he may dwell therein all the days of his life. What wilt thou do there, I ask thee? What is it for which thou longest? Hear what, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord. See what I love, see why I wish to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. He has there a grand spectacle, to contemplate the delight of the Lord Himself. He wishes when his own night is over to be fixed in His light. For then will be our morning, when the night is passed: whence he says in another Psalm, the morning I will stand before Thee, and will contemplate. Now therefore I do not contemplate, because I have fallen: then I will stand, and will contemplate8. This is v°ice* For man has fallen, and one would not be He hath descended. He hath ascended, we are lifted up; j-Qr nQ man haih ascended, but He Who descended. He who hath fallen is lifted up; He Who descended ascendeth. And let us not therefore despair, that He alone hath ascended. For He lifteth us up, to whom in our fall He descended: and we shall stand, and shall contemplate, and enjoy great delight. Lo! I have said this, and ye have cried out for the longing after some vision not seen as yet. Let your soul go beyond all ordinary things, and let your reach of thought go beyond all your customary imaginations according to the flesh, derived from the senses of the flesh, and figuring out all manner of vain fancies. Cast all away from your mind, reject whatever may have occurred to you: Tecognise the weakness of your heart, and for the very fact of any thing occurring to you, that you^are able to imagine, say, It is not that; for if it had been that, it would not have occurred to me. So will ye long for some certain good. What kind of good? The Good of all good, whence cometh all good, the Good to which cannot be added what Good It is. For we use the expression, a good man, and a good field, and a good house, and a good animal, and a good tree, and a good body, and a good soul: you have added in speaking of all these, u good." There is the Simple Good, the Very Good by Which all things are good, the Very Good of Which all good things are; this is the delight of the Lord, this we shall contemplate. Now, Brethren, mark; if these goods which are called goods delight us, if goods which are n6t in themselves goods (for all things changeable are not in themselves goods) delight us; what will be our contemplation of the Good Unchangeable, Eternal, Abiding ever in the same fashion? For these things, which are called good, would by no means delight us, except they were good; nor could they be by any other means good, save from Him Who is simply Good.

9. See why I wish to dwell, saith he, in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. I have told you why, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord. But, that I may always contemplate, that no annoyance may befal me in my contemplation, no temptation turn me aside, no power of any hurry me away, that I may not be exposed to the violence of any enemy in my contemplation, but have secure and thorough enjoyment of my delight, the Lord my God Himself; what shall be done for me? He shall protect me. Not only, then, saith he, would I contemplate the delight of the Lord, but also that J, His temple, he protected. That He may protect me, His own temple, I shall be His temple, and be protected by Him, Is the temple of God such as the temples of idols are? The idols of the Gentiles are protected their temples: the Lord our God will protect His temple, and I shall be secure. I shall contemplate for delight, and be protected for salvation. As that contemplation shall be perfect, so shall this protection be perfect; and as that joy of contemplation shall be perfect, so also shall the incorruption of sound health be perfect. To these two expressions, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple; those two with which the Psalm commences, « The Lord is my Light, and my Salvation, whom shall I fearT In that I shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, He is my Light: in that He will protect me, His temple, He is my Salvation.

10. But why doth He make this good for us unto the end? (ver. 5.) For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. My dwelling, then, shall be in His house all the days of my life to this end, that I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple. But whence my assurance of arriving thither? For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day' of my evils. Then the days of my evils will be no more, but He hath seen me in the days of my evils. He then Who mercifully regarded ine when far off, how shall He gladden me when brought near to Him? For which cause therefore I did not make that one petition shamelessly; nor did my heart say to me, What art thou asking, or from Whom art thou asking? For dost thou dare, unrighteous sinnner, to ask any thing from God? Darest thou hope, infirm one, of heart impure, that thou shalt have any contemplation of God? I do, he answers, not of myself, but of His delight1; not of self-reliance, but of His earnest' Who hath given such an earnest to the pilgrim, will He desert him on his arrival? For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. Lo! the day of our evils is this life. Days of evil the ungodly have in one way, the faithful in another. For even they that believe, but who as yet are in pilgrimage from the Lord, {For as as we are in this body, we are in pilgrimage from the Lord, as the Apostle hath said:) if they spend no days of evil, whence the words in the Lord's prayer, Deliver us from evil, if we are not in days of evil? But far differently do they spend the days of evil, who have not yet believed: yet even these hath He not disregarded. For Christ died for the ungodly. Therefore let the soul of man dare to feel confi-6. dence, and make that one petition: it will have it in safety, it will possess it in safety. So greatly hath she been loved in her deformity, how shall she shine in her beauty f For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle, in the days of my evils: He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle. What is the secret of His tabernacle? What is this? For there are, so to say, many members of a tabernacle seen from without There is too, so to say, the shrine1 which is called the secret sanctuary*, the innermost part of the temple. And* what is this? that which the priest alone entered. AndJ^ haply the priest Himself is the secret of God's tabernacle. For He received flesh from this tabernacle, and made for us the secret of the tabernacle: so that His other members, believers on Him, should be His tabernacle, but Himself the secret of the tabernacle. For ye are dead, saith the Apostle, and your life hath been hid with Christ in Ood.

11. Would ye know that he is speaking of this? The* Rock assuredly is Christ. Hear what follows, For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the days of my evils: He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle. You were asking what is the secret of the tabernacle: hear what follows: On the Rock hath He exalted me. Therefore in Christ hath He exalted me. Because thou hast humbled thyself in the dust, He hath exalted thee on the Rock. But Christ is above, and thou art yet below. Hear the words following, (ver. 6.) Even now hath He exalted mine head above mine enemies. Even now, before I come to that house, where I wish to dwell all the days of my life, before I come to that contemplation of the Lord, Even now hath He exalted mine head above mine enemies. As yet I suffer from the enemies of the Body of Christ, as yet I have not been exalted above mine enemies; but, mine head hath He exalted above mine enemies. Christ our Head is already in heaven, our enemies can as yet rage against us; we are not yet exalted above them; but our Head is already there, whence He spake the words, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me f He hath said Acts that He is in us here below: therefore we too are in Him 4* there above; for that, Even now He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies. See what an earnest we have, whereby we to° are °y feitn> and hoPe> and charity> with our Head in heaven for ever; because the Head Himself, by divinity, goodness, unity, is with us on earlh even unto the consummation of the world.

12. I have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim of rejoicing. We sacrifice the victim of rejoicing, we sacrifice the victim of gladness, the victim of thankfulness, the victim of thanksgiving, which cannot be explained in words. But we sacrifice, where? In His very tabernacle, in the holy Church. What then do we sacrifice? Most abundant and inexpressible joy, with no words, with speech ineffable. This is the victim of rejoicing. Whence hath it been sought, where found? By going about. / have gone about, saith he, and sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim of rejoicing. Let thy mind go about through all creation: every where will creation cry out to thee, God made me. Whatever in art delighteth thee, sets forth the artificer: and much more if thou go about the universe, doth consideration conceive the great Workman's praise. Thou seest the heavens: they are God's great work. Thou seest the earth: God made the numerous seeds1, the varieties of herbs, the multitude of animals. Go yet about the heavens even unto the earth, leave nothing: on all sides all things proclaim to thee the Framer, and the very species of creatures are so to say the voices of the Creator's praisers. But who can set forth the whole creation? who set it forth in praises? who worthily praise the heaven and the earth, the sea and all things that are therein f And these indeed are things visible. Who can worthily praise Angels, Thrones, Sovereignties, Principalities, and Powers? Who can worthily praise that very power that works actively within us, quickening the body, moving the limbs, bringing the senses into action, embracing so many things by the memory, discriminating so many things by the intellect; who can worthily praise it? But if in these creatures of God human language is * so embarrassed, how fares it in the case of the Creator, except-in default of language there remain rejoicing alone? / have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim qf rejoicing. 13, There is another interpretation also, which seems to me to have a closer reference to the context of the Psalm. For since he had said that he was exalted on the Rock, which is Christ; and that his Head, which is Christ, was exalted above his enemies; he would have it understood that he himself, who was exalted on the Rock, was exalted in the same, his Head, above his enemies: referring this to the Church's honour, to which the persecution of the enemies gave way: and since this was effected through the faith of the whole world, he saith, 1 have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim of rejoicing: that is, I have considered the faith of the whole world, in which faith my Head hath been exalted above them that persecuted me; and in His very tabernacle, that is, in the Church spread abroad throughout the whole world, have I in manner unspeakable praised the Lord.

13. / will sing and give praises to the Lord, We shall be in safety, and sing in safety, and give praise in safety, when we shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, and shall be protected as His temple in that incorruption, when death shall be swallowed up in victory. But what now? For15' those joys, which we shall have, when we shall have gained that one petition, have been already spoken of. But what now? Hear my voice, O Lord. Let us groan now, let us pray now. Groaning belongs not but to the miserable, prayer belongs not but to the necessitous. Prayer shall pass away, praise shall take its place; tears shall pass away, joy shall take their place. Now in the meanwhile, whilst we are in the days of our evils, let not our prayer to God cease, from Whom we ask that one petition; and from this petition let us not desist, until by His gift and guidance we attain unto it. (Ver. 7.) Hear my voice9 O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee: have mercy upon me, and hear me* He makes that one petition; entreating, weeping, groaning so long, he makes but that one. He has put an end to all His desires; there hath remained that one petition, which he asks.

14. Hear why he makes this petition: (ver. 8.) My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy countenance* This then is what he said a little before, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord. My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy countenance. If our joy were in this visible sun, our heart would not say, I have sought Thy countenance; but, the eyes of our body. To whom saith our heart, / have sought Thy countenance, but to Him Who appertained to the eye of the heart? The eyes of the flesh seek this visible light, the eyes of the heart seek that other light. But thou wouldest see that light, which is seen by the eyes of the heart; because this Light is God. For Ood is Light, saith John, and in Him is no darkness at all. Wouldest thou then see that light? Purify the eye, whereby Christ is seen, for, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

15. My heart hath said unto Thee, I have sought Thy countenance; Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek. I have made one petition of the Lord, this will I seek, Thy countenance. Turn not away Thy face from me. How he hath planted himself in that one petition! Wouldest thou obtain thy request? Seek nothing else. Be thou sufficient but for one petition, for one will suffice thee. My heart hath said unto Thee, I have sought Thy countenance; Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek. Turn not away Thy face from me: turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. Magnificent! nothing can be more divinely spoken! This is the feeling of those that truly love. Another man would be blessed and immortal in these pleasures of earthly lusts which he loves: and peradventure for this reason would worship God, and pray, that he may long live here in his delights, and that nothing should fail him, which earthly desire has in possession, neither gold, nor silver, nor any estate that charms his eyes, that his friends, his children, his wife, his dependents, should not die; in these delights would he live for ever. But since he cannot for ever, for he knows that he is mortal; for this haply does he worship God, and for this pray to God, and for this sigh to God, that all these things may last even to old age. And if God should say to him, Lo! I make thee immortal in these things, he would accept it as a great boon, and in the exultation of his joy and self* congratulation would be unable to contain himself. Not so doth this man wish, who hath made one petition of the Lord. But what doth he wish? To contemplate the delight of the Lord all the days of his life. And on the contrary the other, who in this way and for this reason would worship the Lord, if those temporal advantages were at his hand, would not fear the anger of his Lord, unless lest He should take them away. This man feareth not His anger on this account; since he hath said of his enemies, That they may eat iwyver. Jlesh. For what doth he fear His anger? Lest He take away that which he hath loved. What hath he loved? Thy countenance. Therefore he deems this to be the anger of the Lord, if He turn away His countenance from him. (Ver. 9.) Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. He might by chance be answered thus; " Why fearest thou lest He should turn aside from thee in anger? Rather if He should turn aside from thee in anger, He will not avenge Himself on thee: if thou meet Him in His anger, He will be avenged on thee. Rather then desire that He may turn aside from thee when in anger." " No," says he; for he knows what he longs for; " His anger is nothing else than the turning away of His countenance." " What if He will make thee immortal in these delights, and in the enjoyment of earthly gratifications?" Such a lover answers, " 1 would not have it; whatever I have beside Him has no charms for me: whatever my Lord would give me, let Him take away all, give me Himself." Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. From some peradventure He doth turn aside, not in anger; as from certain who say to Him, Turn away Thy face from my sins. When He turneth away His face from thy sins, He doth not turn aside from thee in anger. Let Him then turn away His face from thy sins: but let Him not turn away His face from thee.

16. Be Thou my helper: leave me not. For, lo, I am in the way, I have made the one petition of Thee, to dwell in Thy house all the days of my life, to contemplate Thy delight, and be protected as Thy temple: this is my one petition: but that I may attain unto it, I am in the way. Peradventure Thou wilt say unto me, " Strive, walk, I have given thee freewill; thou art master of thine own will, follow on the way, seek peace, and ensue it; turn not aside from Ps. the way, abide not therein, look not back; persevere in14, walking, for he that shall persevere unto the end9 the same Mat. shall be saved" Now that thou hast received freewill, thou 13' dost rely as it were on the power of walking: rely not on thyself; if He should leave thee, thou wilt faint in the very t*lou ^a^» 8° astray, wilt come to a stand: say then to Him, Thou hast given me indeed a free will, but without Thee my efforts are nothing: Be Thou my helper: leave me not; neither despise me, O Ood of my salvation. For Thou dost help, Who formedst; Thou dost not desert, Who create dst.

17. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. He hath made himself a babe unto God: he hath made Him Father, he hath made Him Mother. He is Father, in that He made, in that He calleth, in that He ordereth, in that He ruleth him: Mother, in that He cherisheth, in that He nourisheth him, in that He suckleth, in that He beareth him. My father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up: both to rule me, and to nourish me. Mortal parents beget, children succeed, mortals to other mortals; and for this were they born who might succeed, that those who begot them might depart: He will not depart Who created me, I will not withdraw from Him. My father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up* Beside those two parents also, of whose flesh we were born, the man the father, the woman the mother, as Adam and Eve; besides those two parents, we have here another father and auother mother, or rather we had. The father according to the world is the devil, and he was our father when we were unbelievers. For to unbelievers the Lord saith, Ye are of your father the devil. If he be the father of a^ tne ungodly, who worketh in the children of disobedience, who is the mother? There is a certain* city, that is called Babylon; this city is the company of all the lost from the East even unto the West; she hath a kingdom on earth: after this city a certain* state is named, which ye now see growing old and waning. This was our first mother, in this were we born. We have known another father, God; we have left the devil. For how dare he approach those, whom He, Who overcometh all things, hath taken up? We have known another mother, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the holy Church, a portion whereof is a pilgrim on earth: we have left Babylon. My father and my mother have left mec they have nothing now to give me; since even when they seemed to give to me, it was Thou Who gavest, and I set it down to them.

18. For by whom, even with respect to this world, is aught given to man, but by God? Or what is taken away from man, except He order, or permit, Who gave it? But vain men imagine, that those spirits *, whom they adore, give it: and sometimes they say to themselves, God is necessary formonc8 life eternal, for that spiritual life; but these powers ought to be worshipped by us for these temporal things. O the folly of mankind! thou hast more love for those things for which thou wouldest worship them: in good truth, thou hast more mind to worship them, or, not to say more, at least as much. But God will not be worshipped together with them, not even though He be worshipped much more, and they much less. What then, thou wilt say, are they not necessary too for these things? No, But we have reason to fear, lest they do one harm in their anger. No harm will they do, unless He permit. They have always the wish to do barm, nor, if they be appeased, or if they be entreated, do they eease to wish to do harm. For this is a property of their malevolence. Therefore what wilt thou gain by worshipping them, save that thou wilt offend Him, by offending Whom thou wilt be given over into their power, that they who could do nothing to thee when He is favourable, may do what they will when He is angry? And that thou mayest know, who-soever thou art who thinkest so, how vainly thou dost worship them, as if for temporal benefits: of all that worship Neptune have none suffered shipwreck? or of all who blaspheme Neptune have none arrived in port? Have all the women who worship Juno had a good delivery? or all who blaspheme Juno a bad delivery? From this, beloved brethren, ye may understand the folly of those men who will worship them even for these temporal things. For if for these temporal things they ought to be worshipped, their worshippers alone would abound in all temporal blessings. And indeed if this were the case, we ought to avoid such gifts, and make one petition of the Lord. To this must be added, that it is He Who giveth even these things, Who is offended when these spirits are worshipped. Therefore let our father and our mother leave ns; let the devil leare us, the city Babylon leave us: let the Lord take us up to console us with things temporal, and to bless us with things eternal. For my father and my mother have left me: hut the Lord hath taken me up.

19. Now then he hath been taken up by the Lord, having abandoned that city, and its ruler the devil, for the devil is the ruler of the ungodly, the ruler of the world, of this darkness. What darkness? Sinners, unbelievers. Whence tne Apostle saith to them that now believe, Ye were sometimes darkness, but now light in the Lord. Being then now taken up by Him, what say we? (Ver. 11.) Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way. Hast thou dared to ask for a law? What if He should say to thee, " Thou shalt fulfil the law? if I give a law, thou shalt fulfil it?" He would not dare ask it, unless he said first, But the Lord hath taken me up. He would not dare ask it, unless he said first, Be Thou my helper. Therefore if Thou helpest, if Thou takest me up, give me a law. Appoint me, O Lord, a law in Thy way. Therefore, appoint me a law in Thy Christ. For the Way Himself hath spoken unto us, and said, / am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. A law in Christ, is a law with mercy. This is the Wisdom, of Which it is written, She carrieth law and mercy in her tongue. And if thou shalt commit any offence in the law, He Who shed His Blood for thee, pardons thee on confession: only forsake not thou the way, say unto Him, Be Thou my upholder, and direct me in the right path, because of mine enemies. Give me a law, but take not mercy away: as he said in another Psalm, For He will give mercy, Who hath given a law b. Therefore, Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Tliy way: this refers to the precept: what refers to mercy? And direct me, saith he, in the right path, because of mine enemies.

20. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me: that is, let me not consent to them that trouble me. For if thou shalt consent to him that troubleth thee, unto his soul, he will not, so to say, devour thy flesh, but by b Ps. 84, 6. Km) yk^ tbUyUt Ktfu i nf^trm. LXX. a perverted will he will eat up thy soul. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Deliver me, if it please Thee, into the hands of them that trouble me. For this Martyrs have said to Him, and He hath delivered His own into the hands of them that trouble them. But what hath He delivered? The flesh. Which is meant in the book of Job, The earth hath been delivered into the hands of the wicked; the flesh hath been delivered into the hands24' of the persecutor. Deliver me not up, not my flesh, but me. I speak unto Thee as a soul, as mind I speak uuto Thee: I do not say, Deliver not up my flesh into the hands of them that trouble me; but, Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. And how are men delivered up unto the souls of them that trouble them? For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. Now, for that there are unrighteous witnesses, and they speak much evil against me, and in many things defame me, if I shall have been delivered up unto their souls, I also shall lie, and shall be their companion, not a partaker of Thy truth, but a partaker with them in a lie against Thee: Unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied unto itself: unto itself, and not unto me: unto itself let it ever lie, but let it not lie unto me. If Thou shalt have delivered me up unto the souls of them that trouble me, that is, if I shall have consented to their wishes; now will notiniquity already have lied unto itself, but unto me also: whereas if they exercise against me all the violence they wish, and endeavour to hinder my free course, and notwithstanding Thou give me not over unto their souls: by not consenting to their wishes, I shall abide and continue in Thy truth, and iniquity will lie not unto me, but unto itself.

21. He returns to that one petition after these dangers, after toils, after difficulties, amid the hands of them that persecute and trouble him, gasping, panting, travailing, yet stedfast, and assured while He upholdeth, helpeth, guideth, ruleth; yet, after that going about and rejoicing, in joy exulting, in travails groaning, he sighed at last, and said, (ver. 13.) 1 believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living* O the good things of the Lord, sweet, immortal, incomparable, eternal, unchangeable! And when shall I see you, ye good things of the Lord? I believe to see y°u» but not in the earth of the dying. I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. The Lord shall deliver me from the earth of the dying, Who for my sake vouchsafed to take upon Himself the earth pf the dying, and to die amid the hands of the dying: the Lord shall deliver me from the earth of the dying: / believe to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. Panting he spoke, travailing he spoke, he spoke in peril amid a mighty crowd of temptations: but yet wholly depending on His mercy, to Whom he said, Appoint me a law, O Lord.

22. And what doth He say, Who hath appointed him a law? Let us hear the Voice of the Lord too exhorting us from on high, consoling us; His Voice Whom we have for father and mother, who have left us: let us hear His Voice. For He hath heard our groans, He hath seen our deep sighs, He hath beheld our longing; and our one petition, the one request through Christ our Advocate hath He gladly received; and until we accomplish this pilgrimage, during which He will defer, not take away, what He hath promised, He hath said unto us, Wait on the Lord. Thou wilt not wait on a false one, not on one that can be deceived, not on one that will not find what to give. The Almighty hath promised, the Sure One hath promised, the True hath promised. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man. Faint not: be not of them to whom it is said, Woe unto them that have lost endurance. Wait on the Lord, is said to us all, and to one Man is it said. We are one Man in Christ, we are the Body of Christ, who have that one longing, who make that one petition, who in those days of our evils groan, who believe to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living; to us all who are one in One it is said, (ver. 14.) Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man; and let thy heart be strong, yea, wait on the Lord. What else saith He to thee, than repeat what thou hast heard? Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man. Therefore he who hath lost endurance, hath become effeminate, hath lost vigour. Let men, let women, listen to this; for in the one man is man and woman. Such an one in Christ is neither male, nor female. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man; let thy heart be strong, yea, wait on the Lord. By waiting on the Lord thou shalt-^l possess Him, thou shalt possess Him on Whom thou shalt wait. Long for somewhat else, if thou canst find aught greater, better, sweeter.