Psalm 31 (Vulgate 30)

Part 1

To the end, a Psalm of David himself, an ecstasy.

1. To the end a Psalm of David Himself, the Mediator strong of hand in persecutions. For the word ecstasy, which is added to the title, signifies a transport of the mind, which is produced either by a panic, or by some revelation. But in this Psalm the panic of the people of God troubled by the persecution of all the heathen, and by the failing of faith throughout the world, is principally seen. But first the Mediator Himself speaks: then the People redeemed by His Blood gives thanks: at last in trouble it speaks at length, which is what belongs to the ecstasy; but the Person of the Prophet himself is twice interposed, near the end, and at the end.

2. Ver. 1. In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me not be put to confusion for ever. In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me never be confounded, whilst they shall insult Me as one like other men. In Thy righteousness rescue Me, and deliver Me* And in Thy righteousness rescue Me from the pit of death, and deliver Me out of their company.

3. Ver. 2. Bend down Thine ear unto Me. Hear Me in My humiliation, nigh at hand unto Me. Make haste to deliver Me. Defer not to the end of the world, as with all who believe on Me, My separation from sinners. Be unto Me a God Who protecteth Me. Be unto Me God, and Protector. And a house of refuge, that Thou mayest save Me. And as a house, wherein taking refuge I may be saved.

4. Ver. 3. For Thou art My strength, and My refuge. For Thou art unto Me My strength to bear My persecutors, and My refuge to escape them. And for Thy Name*s sake Thou shalt be My guide, and shalt nourish Me. And that by Me Thou mayest be known to all the Gentiles, I will in all things follow Thy will; and, by assembling, by degrees, Saints unto Me, Thou shalt fulfil My body, and My perfect

5. Ver. 4. Thou shalt bring Me out of this trap, which they have hidden for Me. Thou shalt bring Me out of these snares, which they have hidden for Me. For Thou art My Protector.

6. Ver. 5. Into Thy hands I commend My Spirit. To Thy power I commend My Spirit, soon to receive It back. Thou hast redeemed Me, O Lord God of truth. Let the people too, redeemed by the Passion of their Lord, and joyful in the glorifying of their Head, say, Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

7. Ver. 6. Thou hatest them that hold to vanity uselessly. Thou hatest them that hold to the false happiness of the world. But I have trusted in the Lord.

8. Ver. 7. / unll be glad, and rejoice in Thy mercy: which doth not deceive me. For Thou hast regarded My humiliation: wherein Thou hast subjected me to vanity in hope. Thou hast saved my soul from necessities. Thou hast saved my soul from the necessities of fear, that with a free love it may serve Thee.

9. Ver. 8. And hast not shut me up into the hands of the And hast not shut me up, that I should have no opening for recovering unto liberty, and be given over for ever the power of the devil, ensnaring me with the desire of life, and terrifying me with death. Thou hast set my in a large room. The resurrection of my Lord being known, and mine own being promised me, my love, having been brought out of the straits of fear, walks abroad in continuance, into the expanse of liberty.

10. Ver. 9. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am troubled. But what is this unlooked for cruelty of the persecutors, striking such dread into me? Have mercy on me, O Lord. For I am now no more alarmed for death, but for torments and tortures. Mine eye hath been disordered by anger. 1 had mine eye upon Thee, that Thou shouldest not abandon me: Thou art angry, and hast disordered it. My soul, and my belly. By the same anger my soul hath been disturbed, and my memory, whereby I retained what my God hath suffered for me, and what He hath promised me.

11. Ver. 10. For my life hath failed in pain. For my life is to confess Thee, but it failed in pain, when the enemy had said, Let them be tortured until they deny Him. And my years in groanings. The time that I pass in this world is not taken away from me by death, but abides, and is spent in groanings. My strength hath been weakened by want. I want the health of this body, and racking pains come on me: I want the dissolution of the body, and death forbears to come: and in this want my confidence hath been weakened. And my bones have been disturbed. And my stedfastness hath been disturbed.

12. Ver. 11. / have been made a reproach above all mine enemies. All the wicked are my enemies; and nevertheless they for their wickednesses are tortured only till they confess: I then have overpassed their reproach, I, whose confession death doth not follow, but racking pains follow upon it. And to my neighbours too much. This hath seemed too much to them, who were already drawing near to know Thee, and to hold the faith that I hold. And a fear to mine acquaintance. And into my very acquaintance I struck fear by the example of my dreadful tribulation. They that did see me, fled without from me. Because they did not under-stan^ mJ inward and invisible hope, they fled from me into things outward and visible.

13. Ver. 12. / have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. And they have forgotten me, as if I were dead from their hearts. / have become as a lost vessel. I have seemed to myself to be lost to all the Lord's service, living in this world, and gaining none, when all were afraid to join them-

14. Ver. 13. For I have heard the rebuking of many dwelling by in a circuit. For I have heard many rebuking me, in the pilgrimage of this world near me, following the circuit of time, and refusing to return with me to the eternal country. Whilst they were assembling themselves together against me, they conspired that they might take my soul. That my soul, which should by death easily escape from their power, might consent unto them, they imagined a device, whereby they would not suffer me even to die.

15. Ver. 14. But I have hoped in Tliee, O Lord; I have said, Thou art my God. For Thou hast not changed, that Thou shouldest not save, Who dost correct.

16. Ver. 15. In Thy hands are my lots. In Thy power are my lots. For I see no desert, for which out of the universal ungodliness of the human race Thou hast elected me particularly to salvation. And though there be with Thee some just and secret order in my election, yet 1, from whom this is hid, have attained by lot unto my Lord's vesture. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

17. Ver. 16. Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant. Make it known to men, who do not think that I belong unto Thee, that Thy Face is bent upon me, and that I serve Thee. Save me in Thy mercy.

18. Ver. 17. O Lord, let me not be confounded9for I have called upon Thee. O Lord, let me not be put to shame by those who insult me, for that I have called upon Thee. Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell. Let them rather who call upon stones be ashamed, and made dwell with darkness1.

19. Ver. 18. Let the deceitful lips be made dumb. In making known to the peoples Thy mysteries wrought in me, strike with dumb amazement the lips of them that invent falsehood of me. Which speak iniquity against the Righteous, in pride and contempt. Which speak iniquity against Christ, in their pride and contempt of Him as a crucified man.

20. Ver. 19. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord. Here the Prophet exclaims, having sight of all this, and admiring how manifoldly plenteous is Thy sweetness, O Lord. Which Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee. Even those, whom Thou correctest, Thou lovest much: but lest they should go on negligently from relaxed security, Thou hidest from them the sweetness of Thy love, for whom it is profitable to fear Thee. Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee. But Thou hast perfected this sweetness for them that hope in Thee. For Thou dost not withdraw from them what they look for perseveringly even unto the end. In sight of the sons of men. For it does not escape the notice of the sons of men, who now live no more after Adam, but after the Son of Man. Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance: which seat Thou shalt preserve for everlasting in the hidden place of the knowledge of Thee for them that hope in Thee. From the troubling of men. So that now they suffer no more trouble from men.

21. Ver. 20. Thou wilt protect them in Thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues. But here meanwhile whilst evil tongues murmur against them, saying, Who hath known this? or, Who hath come thence? Thou wilt protect them in the tabernacle, that of faith in those things, which the Lord wrought and endured for us in time.

22. Ver. 21. Blessed be+the Lord; for He hath made His mercy marvellous in the city of compassing. Blessed be the Lord, for after the correction of the sharpest persecutions He hath made His mercy marvellous to all throughout the world, in the circuit of human society.

23. Ver. 22. / said in my ecstasy. Whence that people again speaking saith, 1 said in my fear, when the heathen were raging horribly against me. / have been cast forth from the sight of Thine eyes. For if Thou hadst regard to me, Thou wouldest not suffer me to endure these things. Therefore Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I cried unto Thee. Therefore putting a limit to correction, and shewing that I have part in Thy care, Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I raised it high 1 out of tribulation.

24. Ver. 28. Love the Lord, all ye His saints. The Prophet again exhorts, having sight of these things, and saith, Love the Lord, all ye His saints; for the Lord will require truth. Since if the righteous shall scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear? — And He will repay them that do exceeding proudly. And He will repay them who even when conquered are not converted, because they are very proud.

25. Ver. 24. Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened: working good without fainting, that ye may reap in due season. All ye who trust in the Lord: that is, ye who duly fear and worship Him, trust ye in the Lord.

Sermon I

1. Let us investigate, as we best can, the hidden things of this Psalm, which we have just sung, and let us offer to your ears and minds a discourse framed upon it. Its title is, To the end, a psalm of David himself, an ecstasy. What, to the end, is, we know, if we know Christ. For the Apostle saith,' For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. An end, not consuming, but a perfecting. For we use the word end in a double sense; either as that by which it is brought to pass that what was is not, or by which it is brought to pass that what had been commenced is perfected. To the end, therefore, is, to Christ.

2. A psalm to David, an ecstasy. The word ecstasy is Greek; in Latin, as far as we can understand it, it may be expressed in one word, if it be called a transport, (excesses.) For a transport of the mind is properly and usually called an ecstasy. Now by transport of the mind two things are understood, either a panic, or a straining after things above, so that in some sort things below glide from the memory. In such an ecstasy have all the Saints been, to whom the secrets of God exceeding this world have been revealed. Of this transport of the mind, that is, ecstasy, when Paul spake, alluding to himself, he says, For whether we be transported in mind, it is to God: or whether we temper ourselves, it is5* to you; for the love of Christ conslraineth us. That is, if we would only do such things and only contemplate such things, as we behold in a transport of the mind, we should not be with you, but should be in things above, as it were despising you: and how should you with weak step follow us to those more lofty and interior things, unless again, the love of Christ constraining us, ( Who, when He was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant,) we should consider that we are servants, and being not ungrateful to Him from Whom we have received higher things, should for their sakes who are weak not despise lower things, and should attemper ourselves to them who cannot with us see things sublime? Therefore it is he says, Whether we be transported in mind, it is to God: for He seeth what we see in a transport of the mind; He Only re-5' vealeth His secret things. For he speaks thus, who says that he was caught up and carried away into the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Yea, such was his transport of mind, that he said, Whether in the body, or whether out of the body, I know not: God knoweth. Therefore if the title of this Psalm signifies this transport of the mind, that is, this ecstasy, we ought indeed to look that he will give utterance to things great, and lofty, who composed the Psalm, that is, the Prophet, yea rather the Holy Ghost by the Prophet.

3. But if this ecstasy is to be understood as panic, the context of the Psalm will not be wanting to this signification of the word either. For he seems to be about to speak of suffering, in which there is panic. But whose panic? Christ's, that he said, To the end, and we understand Christ to be the end? Or perad venture our panic? For what! can we rightly understand panic to be in Christ on the approach of suffering, Who had come on account of it? when He had come to that for which He had come, had He panic at the prospect of death? If He were so entirely man, as not to be God, He would more rejoice at the prospect of the resurrection, than have panic at the prospect of death. Nevertheless, since He vouchsafed to assume the form of a servant, and therein to clothe us with Himself, He Who disdained not to assume us unto Himself, did not disdain to transfigure us into Himself, and to speak with our words, that we too might speak with His words. For this wonderful interchange hath taken place, and a divine traffic hath been transacted, an exchange of things duly solemnized in this world by the heavenly Merchant He came to receive reproaches, to give honours; He came to drink the cup of sorrow, to give salvation; He came to submit to death, to give life. Being then about to die from that which he had of ours, He was iu panic, not in Himself, but in us: since too He both said this, that His soul was sorrowful, even unto death, and all we ourselves of course with Him. For without Him we are nothing: but in Him is Christ Himself, and we. How? Because Whole Christ is Head and Body. The Head, That Saviour of the Body, Who hath already ascended into heaven: but the body is the Church, which toils on earth. Now unless this Body did cleave to its Head in the bond of love, so as for there to be made One of the Head and the Body, He could not say in reproving from heaven a certain persecutor, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? Since no man was touching Him now sitting in heaven, how did Saul, by his violence against Christians on earth, any way inflict injury upon Him? He does not say, Why persecutest thou My Saints, or My servants; but, why persecutest thou Me? that is, My members. The Head cried out for the members, and the Head transfigured the members into Himself. For the tongue takes up the utterance of the foot. When by chance the foot, bruised in the crowd, is in pain, the tongue cries out, " You are treading upon me." For it does not say, " You are treading on my foot but it says that it is itself being trode upon, when no one touched it. But the foot, which has been trode upon, is not separated from the tongue. Therefore thus also by ecstasy is not unfitly understood panic. For what shall I say, Brethren? If there were absolutely no panic in those that are about to suffer, would that be said to Peter himself, which we heard on the Apostle's birthday, when the Lord predicted to him his future suffering, When thou wast*^**h young, thou girdedst thyself and wentest whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not? And this, saith he, spake He, signifying what death he should die. If therefore the Apostle Peter, of so great perfection, went unwillingly whither he would not, (he died unwillingly, but was crowned willingly,) what wonder, if there be some panic in the suffering even of the righteous, even of Saints? Panic comes from human weakness, hope from divine promise. That for which thou feelest panic is thine own, what thou hopest is the gift of God in thee. And it is better thou dost acknowledge thyself in thy panic, that in thy deliverance thou mayest glorify Him Who made thee. Let human weakness be panic- struck, divine mercy faileth not in that fear. In fine, this panic-struck one begins with this. (Ver. 1.) In Thee, O ford, have I hoped, let me not be confounded for ever. You see, that he both is panic-struck, and hopes: you see that this panic is not without hope. Even though there be some disturbance in the human heart, divine consolation withdraws not.

4. Here then Christ speaketh in the Prophet: I venture to say, Christ speaketh. The Psalmist will say some things in this Psalm, which may seem as if they could not apply to Christ, to that excellency of our Head, and especially to That Word Which was in the beginning God with God: nor1, perhaps will some things here seem to apply to Him in the form of a servant, which form of a servant He took from the Virgin: and yet Christ speaketh, because Christ in Christ's members. And, that ye may know, that the Head and His Body are called One Christ, He saith Himself, when He was speaking of marriage, They shall be two in one flesh: therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. But, peradventure, He may say this of any marriage. Hear the Apostle Paul; And they shall be two, saith he, in one flesh. This is. a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ, and the Church. There is produced then as it were out of two, one certain person, of the Head and the Body, of the Bridegroom and the Bride. For the wonderful and excellent unity of this person, the prophet Isaiah also sets forth; for speaking in him too, Christ saith in prophecy, He hath bound a mitre on Me, as on a Bridegroom the chaplet, and adorned Me with ornaments as a Bride. He called Himself the Bridegroom, and the Bride: why called He Himself the Bridegroom, and the Bride, unless because they shall be two in one flesh? If two in one flesh, why not too in one voice? Christ may therefore speak, because the Church speaks in Christ, and Christ in the Church; and the Body in the Head, and the Head in the Body. Hear the Apostle expressing this very thing more clearly, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members qf the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. Speaking of the members of Christ, that is, of the faithful, he doth not say, so also are the members of Christ; but to all that he hath expressed he gave the name of Christ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ many members, one Body. Therefore we all are together with our Head, Christ, without our Head nothing worth. Why? Because with our Head we are the vine: without our Head, which God forbid, lopped branches, destined to no work of the husbandman, but to the fire only. So He Himself in the Gospel, / am the Vine, ye are the branches, My Father is the husbandman, and without Me, saith He, ye can do nothing. O Lord, if without Thee nothing, in Thee all. For whatsoever He worketh by us, we seem to work. He can do much and all without us, we without Him nothing.

5. Therefore in whatever ecstasy he speaketh, whether in panic or transport of the mind, what is said is suitable. Let us speak in the Body of Christ, let us all speak as one, for that all are oneness; let us say, In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let me not be confounded for ever. That confusion do I dread, saith He, which is for ever. For there is a certain confusion for a time which is useful, the disturbance of a mind looking back on its sins, amazed at the looking back, in its amazement ashamed, in its shame reforming. Whence too the Apostle saith, For what glory had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed* Therefore he saith21* that they, now faithful, are ashamed, not of present gifts, but of past sins. Let not the Christian dread this confusion: yea rather, if he have not this, he will have everlasting confusion. What is everlasting confusion? When that shall happen, which is said, And their iniquities shall take them over on the contrary part. And as their iniquities take4'20, them over on the contrary part, all the bad flock shall go to the left hand, ats goats separated from the sheep; and they shall hear, Go ye into the fire everlasting, which hath been 'prepared for the devil and his angels. They ask why? For*****- I was an hungred, and ye gave Hie no meat. They despised then, when they gave no meat to Christ as He hungered, when they gave no drink to the thirsty, when they clothed not the naked; took not in the stranger, visited not the sick — then they despised. When these things shall begin to be enumerated to them, they will be confounded, and this confusion will be for ever. And in fear of this, lie who is afraid, or whose mind is transported toward God, maketh this request, In Thee, 0 Lord} have I trusted, let me not be confounded for ever.

6, And in Thy Righteousness rescue me, and deliver me. For if Thou lookest to my righteousness, Thou condemnest me. In Thy Righteousness rescue me. For there is a righteousness of God, which becomes ours too, when it is given to us. Now it is therefore called God's Righteousness, that man may not deem that he hath righteousness of himself. For thus the Apostle Paul saith, To him that believeth on Him Who justifieth the ungodly, (what is, Whojustifieth5' the ungodly? Who of ungodly maketh a man righteous:) his faith is counted for righteousness. But the Jews, because they thought that they could by their own strength fulfil righteousness, stumbled at the stumbling-stone and rock oflb.9,33. offence, and did not acknowledge the grace of Christ. For they received a law, whereby they could be made guilty, kut could not be freed from guilt. In fine, what saith the Apostle of them? For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. What is, what says, the Jews have a zeal of Ood9 but not according to knowledge? Hear what not according to knowledge is. For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and wishing to establish their own, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness qf God. If then for this reason they have not a zeal of God according to knowledge, because they are ignorant of God's righteousness, and wish to establish their own, as if they were made righteous of themselves: for this reason have they not come to know the grace of God, because they would not be saved freely. Who is he that is saved freely? In whom the Saviour findeth not what to crown, but what to condemn; findeth not deserts of good things, but findeth deserts of punishment. If He deal as it were strictly according to the rule of the law laid down, the sinner must be condemned. If He were to act by this rule, whom would He deliver? He found all men sinners: He Alone came without sin, Who found us sinners. So saith the Apostle: For all have sinned, and are in need of the glory of Ood. What means, are in need of the glory of Ood? That He should Himself deliver, and not thou. Because thou canst not deliver thyself, thou needest a deliverer. Wherein dost thou vaunt thyself? Wherein dost thou rely on the Law and on righteousness? Seest thou not what is inwardly struggling in thee, of thee, against thee? Hearest thou not one fighting, and confessing, and longing for help in the fight? Hearest thou not the Lord's combatant asking of the disposer of the contest help in his fight? For God doth not so look on at thy struggles, as the exhibitor of the games looks on, if so be thou fightest in the amphitheatre. He can give thee a prize if victorious; he cannot help thee in danger. Not so doth God. look on. Look there, mark him that saith, For 1 delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive in the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Why grace? Because it is given gratuitously. Why is it given gratuitously? Because thy merits have not gone before, but the kindnesses of God have prevented thee. Glory then be to Him Who delivereth us. For all have sinned, and are tnKom. need of the glory of God. In 77/?, then, O Lord, have I23' trusted, not in myself: let me not be confounded for ever, because I trust in Him, Who confoundeth not. // Thy Righteousness rescue me, and deliver me. Since Thou hast not found in me my own righteousness, rescue me in Thine: that is, let that rescue me which justifieth me, which maketh me of ungodly godly, of unrighteous righteous, of blind seeing, of falling rising, of weeping rejoicing. This delivereth me: not T myself. In Thy Righteousness rescue me, and deliver me.

7. Ver. 2. Bend down Thine ear unto me. God did this, when He sent Christ Himself unto us. He sent Him to us, Who bending His Head wrote with His Finger on tneJohn8 earth, when the adulterous woman was brought before Him to be punished. But He had before bent Himself to the earth, that is, God to man, to whom it was said, Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shalt go. For God doth not bend^. His Ear to us as if in bodily space, nor is He bounded by these circumscribed bodily members. Nay, let not human fancies form any such notions as these. God is Truth. Troth is neither square, nor round, nor long. It is every where present, if the eye of the heart be open to It. Nevertheless God bendeth His Ear to us, letting down mercy upon us. What greater mercy, than that He should give us His Only One, not to live with us, but to die for us? Bend down Thine Ear unto me.

8. Make haste to deliver me. For he is heard in this, when he saith, Make haste. For for this purpose this word was used, that thou mayest understand how that all this age, which seems to us while it is passing long, is but a moment. That is not long, which hath an end. The period from Adam to this day is passed, and much more in truth hath been passed already, than remains to be passed. If Adam were still living, and should die to-day; what would it profit him to have been so long, to have lived so long? Why then this haste f Because time flies by, and what is slow to *8 *n G°(rs sight short. This haste he had already understood in ecstasy. Make haste to deliver me. Be unto me a God Who protecteth me, and a house of refuge, that Thou mayest save me. Be Thou unto me a house of refuge, a God Who protecteth, a house of refuge. For sometimes 1 am in peril, and I would fly: whither do I fly? to what place fly safely? to what hill? to what cave? to what guarded shelter? What castle can I hold? with what walls be encompassed? Whithersoever I go, I accompany myself. For, O man, whatsoever thou wilt, thou canst fly, except thy conscience. Enter into thy house, rest on thy bed, enter the inner chambers; thou canst have no place within, whither thou mayest fly from thy conscience, if thy sins torment thee. But because he hath said, Make haste to deliver me, and rescue me in Thy Righteousness, that Thou mayest remit my sins, and build up Thy Righteousness in me: Thou shalt be to me a house of refuge, to Thee do I fly. For whither shall I fly from Thee? God is angry with thee, whither wilt thou fly? Hear what, in fear of the anger of God, he saith in another Psalm, Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or, whither shall I Jly from 77ty presence? If I climb up into heaven, Thou art there: if I go down into hell, Thou art present. Whithersoever I go, there I find Thee. And if Thou art angry, I find Thee an Avenger; if Thou art propitious, an Helper. Nothing then remains for me, but to fly unto Thee, not from Thee. If Thou art a servant, to escape a human master, Thou fliest to places where Thy master is not: to escape God, fly to the Lord. For there is no place, whither thou mayest fly from God. All things are present and naked to the eyes of the Almighty. Be Thou then to me, saith he, a house of refuge. For if I shall not be made whole, how shall I fly? Make me whole, and I fly to Thee. For if Thou dost not make me whole, I cannot walk: how shall I be able to fly? Whither should he go, whither fly, if he be unable to walk, half dead in the way, maimed and wounded by robbers? Whom the priest going by passed over, the Levite going by passed over, the Samaritan going by pitied, that is, the Lord Himself, Who hath pitied the race of man. For Samarite is by interpretation keeper. And who keepeth us, if He deserteth us? With good reason, when the Jews said railing at Hiui, Say we not truly that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? He rejected the one, accepted the other, saying, / have not a devil. He did not say, I am not a Samaritan: wishing it to be understood that He is our Keeper. In pity then He drew nigh, He took care of him, brought him to an inn, fulfilled His mercy towards him: now he is able to walk, he is able even to fly. Whither should he fly but to God, where he hath made for himself a house of refuge?

9. Ver. 3. For Thou art my strength and my refuge; and for Thy Name's sake Thou shalt be my guide, and slwlt nourish me. Not for my merit's sake, but for Thy Name^s sake, that Thou mayest be glorified, not because 1 am worthy. Thou shall be my guide, that I go not astray from Thee; and ThoU shalt nourish me, that I may be strong to eat the food, wherewith Thou feedest angels. For here hath He nourished us with milk, Who hath promised us heavenly food; and hath exercised a mother's pity. For as a mother, when suckling, conveys through the flesh the same food which the infant is not able to take, and infuses milk; (for the little one receives the same as he would receive at table, but what is conveyed through the flesh is suited to the little one;) so the Lord, that He might make His wisdom milk to us, came to us clothed with Flesh. Hence the Body of Christ speaketh, Tliou shalt nourish me.

10. Thou shalt bring me out of this trap, which they have hidden for me. Now is suffering intimated, Thou shalt bring me out of this trap which they have hidden for me. Nor is it that suffering only, wherewith our Lord Jesus Christ suffered; the devil hath spread his trap even unto the end. And woe to that man that falleth into it; now every one doth fall, who trusteth not in God, who saith not, In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let me not be confounded for ever, and in Thy righteousness rescue me, and deliver me. The trap of the enemy hath been spread, and prepared. He hath baited the trap with error and terror; error to entice with, terror to crush and hurry away. Shut thou the door of desire against error, shut the door of fear against terror, and thou shalt be led out of the trap. Of this kind of fight thy Captain Himself, Who for thy sake vouchsafed even to tempted, hath given thee an example in Himself. And He was first tempted with enticements; for the door of desire was tempted in Him, when the devil tempted Him, saying, Command these stones, that they be made bread. Worship me, and I will give Thee these kingdoms. Cast Thyself down, for it hath been written, He hath given His angels charge over Thee, and in their hands they shall bear Thee vp, test at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. All this enticement tempts desire. But when he found the door of desire shut in Him, Who was tempted for us, he be-took himself to tempting the door of fear, and prepared suffering for Him. In a word, the Evangelist speaketh thus, And the temptation being ended, the devil departed from Him for a season. What h,for a season? As if he would return, and tempt the gate of fear, because he found the gate of desire closed. The whole Body then of Christ is tempted even unlo the end. My Brethren, when some evil or other was enjoined against the Christians, this Body was attacked together, the whole was attacked: hence it was said in the Psalm, As a heap of sand I was shaken that / might fall, and the Lord held me up. But when these things were over, which attacked the whole Body that it it might fall, temptation began in its separate parts. The of Christ is tempted part by part1: one Church does not suffer persecution, another does. It suffers not the rage of the Emperor, but the rage of an evil people. How great devastations from the populace! How great evils have been heaped upon the Church by bad Christians, by those, who, having been taken in that net, have so multiplied, as to weigh down the ships in that fishing of the Lord before the Passion! There is no want then of the w eighing down of temptation. Let no one say to himself, " It is not a time of temptation." Whoso saith this to himself, promiseth himself peace: whoso promiseth himself peace, is assaulted off his guard. Let the whole Body of Christ then say, (ver. 4.) Thou wilt bring me out of this trap9 which they have hidden for me: because our Head even hath been brought out of the trap, which they hid for Him, to Whom it was just now said in the Gospel, that they would say, This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance will be ours. And on being questioned, What will the^^ Lord of the vineyard do to the wicked husbandmen? they 9. pronounced sentence against themselves: He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other- husbandmen* What, and have ye never read, 771* Mat. Stone which the builders rejected^ the same is become the42' Head of the corner? For what is here, the builders refected; is expressed in the Gospel, they cast out of the vineyard, and slew* He too then hath been delivered. Our Head is above, is free. Let us cleave to Him by love, that we may be hereafter the better united to Him by immortality; and let us say all, Thou wilt take me out of that trap which they have hidden for me; for Thou art my Protector.

11. Let us listen to the words of the Lord, which He spake on the Cross, Into Thy hands I commend My spirit. At least when we meet in the Gospel with His words from this Psalm, let us not doubt that He Himself hath spoken here. We have this in the Gospel: He said, (ver. 5.) Into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. It was not without a cause that He30* would have the words of this Psalm to be His own words, but only that He might warn you that He hath spoken in this Psalm. Seek Him here: consider how He wished to be sought for in that Psalm, For the taking up of the morning: They pierced My Hands and My Feet; they numbered^ distinctly all My bones; yea, they regarded and beheld Me; they divided My garments for themselves, and cast the lot upon My vesture; that He might warn thee that this was fulfilled in Himself, He placed in His mouth the heading of this very Psalm, O God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And yet He transferred in a figure the voice of His Body unto Himself; for the Father never at any time forsook His Only Son. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Doing what Thou hast promised, not failing in Thy promise, O God of truth.

12. Ver. 6. Thou hatest them that hold to vanity uselessly. Who holds to vanity? He that by fear of death dieth. For by fear of death he lieth, and dieth before he dies, who therefore lied that he might live. Thou wouldest lie that thou may est not die: thou both liest, and diest; and whereas shunnest one death, which thou canst put off, but canst not put away, thou fallest into two, so as that thou diest first in soul, and afterwards in body. Whence is this, but from holding to vanity? Because the passing day is sweet to thee, because the flying seasons, of which thou retainest nothing and art moreover thyself retained, are sweet to thee. Thou hatest them that hold to vanity uselessly. But I, who do not hold to vanity, hare trusted in the Lord. Thou trustest in money, thou holdest by vanity: thou trustest in honour and in some eminence of human power, thou holdest to vanity: thou trustest in some powerful friend, thou holdest to vanity. When thou trustest in all these things, either thou diest and leavest them here; or in thy lifetime they all perish, and thou failest in thy trust. Of this vanity Isaiah niaketh mention, when he saith, All Jlesh is grass, and all the glory thereof is as the flower of grass: the grass withereth9 and the flower thereof falleth; but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. But I am not as they who trust in vanity, and do hold to vanity; but have trusted in the Lord, Who is not vanity.

IS. Ver. 7. J will be glad, and rejoice in J7iy mercy) not in mine own righteousness. For Thou hast regarded my humiliation, Thou hast saved my soul from necessities, and hast not shut me up into the hands of the enemy. What are the necessities, from which wo wish our soul to be saved? Who can number them? Who duly amplify them? Who fitly set them forth, to be shunned and avoided? First it is a hard necessity in the human race, not to know another's heart, to think ill frequently of a faithful friend, to think well frequently of a faithless friend. O hard necessity! And what canst thou do to look into hearts? what eye apply, O weak and lamentable mortality? What canst thou do to see to-day thy brother's heart? Thou hast nothing thou canst do. There is another greater necessity, thou seest not even thine own, how it will be to-morrow. What shall I now say of the necessities of mortality itself? Death is inevitable, and no man wishes it. No man wishes what is inevitable. No man wishes that, which will be, whether he will or no. Hard necessity, not to wish that which cannot be shunned! For if it were possible, we should be unwilling doubtless to die; and should wish to be made as Angels, but by some transformation, not by death: as the Apostle saith, We have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, if so be that we be found clothed and not naked. For we who are in this habitation do groan, being burdened: wherein we would not be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life. We wish to attain unto the kingdom of God, but we do not wish it through death: and yet necessity saith unto thee, This way shalt thou come. • Dost thou hesitate, O man, to come this way, when God hath come this way to thee? What again are the necessities in conquering most inveterate lusts, and evil habits the growth of years? To conquer habit, you know, is a hard battle. Thou seest how evil are thy deeds, how detestable, how unhappy; and yet thou doest the same: thou didst so yesterday, thou wilt do so to-day. If they are thus displeasing to thee, whilst I am speaking, how do they displease thee, when thou thinkest on them? And yet thou wilt do the same. By what art thou hurried aloug? who drags thee captive? Is it that law in thy members warring against the law of thy mind f Cry out then, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?24' The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord: and so that is fulfilled in thee, which we just now said, But I have trusted in the Lord: I will be glad, and rejoice in Thy mercy; for Thou hast regarded my humiliation, Thou hast saved my soul from necessities. For how hath thy soul been saved from necessities, but because thy humiliation hath been regarded? Unless thou wert first humbled, He would not hear thee, Who should deliver thee from necessities. He was humbled, who said, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? They were not humbled, who being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and wishing to establish their own, have not submitted themselves3* to the Righteousness of God.

14. Ver. 8. And Thou hast not shut me up into the hands of the enemy. Not thy neighbour, not thy partner, not him with whom thou hast been on service, and injured him, or it maJ be in thine own city hast done wrong to: for these are such as we ought to pray for. We have another enemy, the devil, the old serpent We all at death, if we die well, are delivered out of his bands. For whoever die ill, in their iniquities, are shut up into his hands, that they should be condemned with him at the end. The Lord our God then delivered) us from the hand of our enemy; for he wishes to catch us by our lusts. Now our lusts, when they are strong, and when we serve them, are called necessities. But when #God delivereth our soul from our necessities, what shall there be which the enemy can lay hold of in us, that we should be shut up into his hands?

15. Thou hast set my feet in a large room. But yet, the way is narrow: it is narrow to the toiling, broad to the loving. The same way which is narrow, is made broad. In a large room, saith he, Thou hast set my feet, that my feet straitened for room should not knock against each other, and by such knocking throw me down. What then doth he mean by saying, Thou hast set my feet in a large room? Thou hast plainly made righteousness easy to me, which once was difficult to me: this is, Thou hast set my feet in a large room.

16. Ver. 9. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am troubled; mine eye hath been disordered by anger, my soul, and my belly. For my life hath failed in pain, and my years in groanings. Let this suffice you, dearly beloved: with the help of the Lord, we will perhaps fulfil our engagement, that this Psalm ended, we may proceed on our way".

Sermon Ii

1. Let our attention turn again to the rest of the Psalm> and let us recognise ourselves in the words of the Prophet. For if we look into ourselves in the time of tribulation, we shall rejoice in the time of retribution. 1 set forth to you, dearly beloved, when 1 was expounding the first part of this Psalm, that it is Christ Who speaketh; and I did not omit to say how that Christ is to be taken. Wholly, with the Head and the Body. I established this also by testimonies of Scripture, as it appeared to me, adequate enough and clear; so that it could not in any wise be doubted that Christ is Head and Body, Bridegroom and Bride, the Son of God and the Church, the Son of God made Son of Man for our sakes, that He might make the sons of men sons of God; and so there might be two in one flesh in a great mystery, who are recognised in the Prophets as two in one voice. The thanksgiving of the Psalmist himself hath been expressed above in the words, Thou hast regarded my humiliation, Thou hast saved my soul from necessities, and hast not shut me up into the hands of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large room. It is the thanksgiving of Man delivered from tribulation, of Christ's members delivered from affliction and snares. And again he saitb, Have mercy on me, O Lord f for I am troubled. In tribulation of course there is straitness: how then, Thou hast set my feet in a large room? If he be still troubled, how are his feet in a large room? Is it haply so that there is one voice, because there is indeed one Body; but in some of the members thereof largeness is felt, in others straitness, that is, some feel the easiness of righteousness, others are distressed in tribulation? For if the condition of different members was not different, the Apostle would not say, If\ one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and if}2> one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Some Churches, for instance, have peace, some are in tribulation; in such as have peace the feet are in a large room; such as are in tribulation suffer straitness; but both the tribulation of the latter saddens the former, and the peace of the former comforts the latter. For the Body is in such wise one, that there is no schism; now nothing maketh schism but dissension. But charity produceth closeness, closeness embraceth unity, unity preserveth charity, charity attaineth to glory. Let her say then in the person of some members, (ver. 9.) Have mercy on me, O Lord, far / am troubled; mine eye hath been disturbed by anger, my 80U^ an& mV belly.

2. We ask, whence comes this trouble, since a little before he seemed to rejoice in his deliverance, through a certain righteousness poured in upon him bountifully by the gift of God, and room thereby made for his feet in the expanse of charity. Whence then is this trouble also, unless peradventure from that which the Lord saith, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wcuv cold? For when at first the fewness of the saints had been set forth, by the casting as it were of the net, the Church was multiplied, and countless numbers were taken, of whom it been foretold, / declared, and spake, they were multiplied out of number. Who were even to overload the ships, and break the nets, as it was recorded in that first fishing before the Lord's Passion. Out of these multitudes then are those numbers swelled, by whom the Churches throughout Easter are so crammed, that the confined space of the walls cannot contain the crowds of them. Now how should he not be troubled for this multitude, when he seeth those very same filling the theatres and amphitheatres, who a little before filled the Churches? those very same in their iniquities, who were a little before in the praises of God? those very same blaspheming God, who were answering Amen unto God? Let him abide, let him endure, let him not fail, even in the abounding multitude of the wicked, because neither does the grain of corn fail in the multitude of the chaff, until that after the time of fanning he be sent into the barn, and there be in the company of the saints, and suffer nothing from the clouds of dust. Let him then endure to the end, because the Lord too, when He had said, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold, lest through this, that abundance of iniquity is foreannounced, our feet should slip and stumble, immediately added for the encouragement and consolation and con-fixation of the faithful, saying, He that shall persevere unto the end, the same shall be saved.

3. Give heed accordingly to the Psalmist, situated, as it appears to me, in this trouble. When as being in trouble he ought as it were to grieve, (for trouble hath a suitable partner in grief,) he declares that he is angry in trouble, and saith, Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, for I am in trouble, mine eye hath been disordered by anger. If thou art in trouble, why art thou angry? He is angry for others' sins. Who would not be angry, seeing men confessing God with their mouths, and in their lives denying Him? Who would not be angry, seeing men renouncing the world in word, and not in deed? Who would not be augry, seeing brethren plotting against brethren, not keeping good faith with the kiss, which they imprint in the Sacraments of God? And who can enumerate all the things, at which the Body of Christ is angry, which liveth interiorily by the Spirit of Christ, which groaneth as the grain among the chaff? For they scarcely appear who thus groan, who are thus angry; as the grain scarcely appears, when the floor is being threshed. He who knows not how many ears have been gathered in, thinks the whole chaff; and out of this which is all thought to be chaff, a large heap will be cleansed. Among these then, who do not appear and who groan, he is angry, who saith in another place, The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up. He saith too in another place, when he seeth many doing evil, Weariness possessed me, at sinners forsaking Thy law. He saith again in another place, ^ ^w.^\b9 the senseless, and I wasted away.

4. But for this anger, there is cause for fear, lest it be so great, as to be turned into hatred. For anger is not yet hatred. For thou art angry with thy son, thou dost not hate the child; thou art keeping his inheritance for him, who is sensible of thine anger; and therefore thou art angry, lest he lose what thou mayest have kept for him, should he turn out illb, by depraved habits. Anger then is not yet hatred: we do not yet hate them, with whom we are angry; but if this anger abide and be not quickly plucked out, it increases and becomes hatred. Therefore that new born anger be plucked out, and turn not into hatred, Scripture thus teacheth us, saying, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Now thou dost sometimes meet with a brother26, cherishing hatred, and he reproves one who is angry: there is hatred in him, and he blames anger in another; he hath a beam in his own eye, and reproveth a mote in his brother's But that mote and shoot, if it be not quickly plucked out, will become a beam. He doth not therefore say, Mine eye hath been put out by anger, but disordered. For, if it be put out, it is now hatred, not anger. And, see how that it is put out. Hence John saith, He that hateth his brother is in darkness even until now. Before one then pass into darkness, the eye is disordered by anger; but care must be taken that the anger turn not into hatred, and the eye be put out. Therefore he saith, Mine eye hath been disordered for anger, my soul and my belly, that is, my inward parts have been disturbed. He used belly for inward parts. For sometimes with the wicked, and perverse, with those who wander from the law, and live evilly, one may be angry, one may not cry out. When we are angry and may not cry out, our inward parts are disturbed. For so great sometimes is the perversity that it cannot be corrected.

5. Ver. 10. For my life hath/ailed in pain, and my years in groanings. My life hath failed in pain, he saith. Now we live, saith the Apostle, if ye stand fast in the Lord, Whosoever are perfect through the Gospel and the grace of God, live not here but for others; for their life in this world is no more necessary for them. But, because their services are necessary for others, there occurs in their case what the same Apostle saith, Having a desire to depart, and be with Christ; for it is far best: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is needful for you. Now when a man sees that from his services, from his labours, from his preaching men make no progress, his life is weakened by want. A truly miserable want and hunger, since those whom we gain to the Lord the Church in a manner eateth. What is eateth? Passeth into her body. For whatever we eat we pass into our body. This the Church doeth by the Saints. She hungereth after those she would gain, and those whom she has gained in any way she in a manner eateth. Peter represented this Church, when a vessel was let down to him from heaven, full of all manner of four-footed beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air: by which kinds all the Gentiles are denoted. The Lord shewed the Church in figure beforehand, that she should devour all the Gentiles, and change 'them into her own body: and He said to Peter, Kill and eat* O Church, (that is, O Peter, for upon this rock I will build my Churchy) kill and eat. First kill, and so eat. Kill what they are>M^i6' and make them what thou art When then the Gospel is preached, and he who preaches it sees that men make no progress, how can he not cry out, For my life hath failed in and my years in graaningsf My strength hath been weakened by want, and my bones have been disturbed. These years of ours, which we pass here, are in groanings. Why? Because iniquity hath abounded, the love of many Mat waxeth cold. In groanings, not in plain speeches. When12, the Church seeth many going wrong, she stifles her groans in her own breast, so as to say to God, My groaning is notYAv>- hid from Thee. So it is said in another Psalm, but it is suitable here; My groaning, though hidden from men, hath not been hidden from Thee. My strength hath been weak' ened by want, and my bones have been disturbed. Of this want we have spoken above. By bones are meant the strong ones of the Church, who, though they be not disturbed by the persecutions of aliens, are nevertheless disturbed by the iniquities of brethren.. 6. Ver. 11. I have been made a reproach above all mine enemies, and to my neighbours too much, and fear to mine acquaintance. I have been made a reproach above all mine enemies. Who are the Church's enemies? Heathens? Jews? Bad Christians live worse than all. Would ye see how bad Christians live worse than all? Of such the prophet Ezekiel saith that they are like useless vine-branches.16. Grant that the heathen are wood of the trees of the forest without the Church, still something can be made of it, as of carpenter's woods is made wood fit for the carpenter. And if it be as yet knotty, and crooked, and covered with bark, still it may be trimmed, chipped, planed, and can come to some work for man's use. But of vine branches cut off carpenters can make nothing; the fire only awaits them. Mark, Brethren; seeing that the branch which abideth in the vine is every where preferred to the wood of the trees of the forest, because the branch yieldeth fruit, and that wood doth not; yet, if the wood of the trees of the forest be compared with the branch cut off from the vine, the wood is understood to be better, because of it the carpenter can make something, while the other none seeketh but to supply tne hearth. Giving heed therefore, to the multitude of evil Hvers in the Church, he saith, / have been made a reproach above all mine enemies. Bad men, saith he, live worse in my Sacraments, than they who have never approached them. Why should we not speak out plainly in Latin, even when we explain the Psalm? Even if we do not dare to speak at other times, at least let the obligation of exposition have the liberty of rebuking. / have been made, saith he, a reproach above all mine enemies. Of such the Apostle Peter saith, The latter end with them is worse than the beginning: for ff were ietter for them not to know the way of righteousness, than, knowing it, to turn aside from the holy commandment delivered unto them. When he saith, It were better for them not to know the way of righteousness, did he not judge that enemies stationed without are better than evil livers within, by whom the Church is oppressed and weighed down? It had been letter, saith he, for them not to know the way of righteousness, than, knowing it, to turn aside from the holy commandment delivered unto them. Finally, see to how shocking a thing he compared them. it hath happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog hath turned to his vomit again. Seeing then that the Church is full of such as these, do not the few say truly here, yea rather the Church herself by the voice of the few, / liave been made a reproach above all mine enemies, and to my neighbours too much, and fear to mine acquaintance? I have been made a reproach to my neighbours too much, that is, to those who were already drawing near to me that they might believe; that is; My neighbours have been too much frightened by the bad life of bad and false Christians. For how many do you think, my Brethren, wish to be Christians, but are offended by the evil conversation of Christians? These are the neighbours who were already1 drawing near, and we have seemed too great a reproach unto them.

6. / have been made a fear to mine acquaintance. What is so much to be feared? / have been made, saith he, a fear to mine acquaintance. What is so much to be feared, as when a man sees many living evilly, and those, of whom good was hoped found in many evil practices? He fears lest all, whom he thought good, be such, and almost all the good come into evil suspicion. What a man! How has he fallen? How has he been found in that disgraceful business, in that wickedness, in that evil deed? Thiuk you all are not the same? This is a fear to mine acquaintance », that even with those to whom we are known we very often come into suspicion. And unless, if thou art any thing, what thou art thyself console thee, thou dost not believe there is any other like thee. A good conscience, whatever it be, consoleth a man, so as that a man whose life is good may say to hiniwself, " O thou, who art fearing now lest all be such, art thou such?" Conscience makes answer, " 1 am not." Then, if thou art not such, art thou alone? Beware lest this pride be worse than that wickedness. Say not that thou art alone. For so P21ias once for weariness of the multitude of the ungodly said, They have killed Thy prophets, and^om.u, digged down Thy altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? Z have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. Therefore, Brethren, amid these offences, there is one remedy — that thou think not badly of thy brother. Be thou in humility, what thou wouldest have him be, and thou wilt not think him to be what thou art not. But still he is made a fear even to his acquaintance, even to those who have had proof of him.

7. They that did see me, fled without from me. It were pardonable, if they that did not see me, had fled without from me; for even they that did see me, fled without from me. But if they that did not see me, have fled without from me; (and it must not be said, they fled without, for they were never within; for if they had been within, they would have seen me; that is, they would have recognised the Body of Christ, they would have recognised the members of Christ, they would have recognised the unity of Christ.) This is more to be lamented, this is altogether unbearable, that many who saw me, fled without from me; that is, many, who had knowledge of what the Church was, went out, and made heresies and schisms against the Church. To-day, for instance, you find a man born in Donatus' party, he knows not what the Church is, he holds to what he was bora in; cannot tear him away from the usage which he has sucked in with his nurse's milk. Give me a man who is daily conversant with Scripture, who reads it, who preaches it. Is it possible, 1 ask, that he does not see there, Desire of Mey and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance> and the limits of the earth for thy possession? Does he not see there, All the ends of the world shall remember themselves and be turned unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him? If thou seest there the unity of the whole world, why dost thou fly without, so as not only thyself to suffer blindness, but also to create blindness for others? They that did see mey that is, who knew what the Church was, who saw it in the Scriptures, fled without from me. For think ye, my Brethren, that all they who have made heresies in divers parts and places, have not known in the Scriptures of God that the Church hath not been foretold but as diffused throughout the whole globe? I say the truth, dearly beloved; we are all at least Christians, or are all called Christians, and all sign ourselves with the sign of Christ; the prophets have spoken more obscurely of Christ, than of the Church: I suppose because they saw in the spirit that men would make parties against the Church, and would not have so much strife concerning Christ, concerning the Church would stir up great contentions. And hence that out of which greater contentions were to arise was more plainly predicted and openly prophesied of, that it may avail for the conviction of those who have seen and fled without.

8. For example I will mention one instance: Abraham was our father not by reason of carnal propagation, but of the imitation of faith. Righteous and well-pleasing to God, by faith he begat a son, Isaac, who had been promised to him, of Sarah his wife being barren, in his old age: this same son he was commanded to offer up to God, he doubted not, nor disputed, nor argued about God's command, nor thought that evil which The Best could enjoin. He led his son to be offered up, placed upon him the wood for the sacrifice, came to the spot, raised his right hand to strike him, lowered it at His prohibition at Whose command he had lifted it up; he who had obeyed to strike the blow, obeyed to spare; every where obedient, never fearful; but that the sacrifice might be completed and they might not go away without blood, a ram was found caught in a thicket £^ his horns; it was offered up, the sacrifice was accomplished. Search what this means: it is a figure of Christ wrapped up in a mystery \ Now that it may be seen, it is examined: that it may be seen, it is thoroughly discussed that what ismentls wrapped up may be unrolled. Isaac as the only beloved son, having the type of the Son of God, carrying the wood for himself, as Christ carried the cross. Finally, that very ram signified Christ. For what is it to be caught by the horns, but in a manner to be crucified? This is a figure of Christ. Forthwith the Church was to be preached; the Head having been fore-announced, the Body was to be foreannounced too. The Spirit of God began, God began to wish to preach the Church to Abraham, and took away all figure. He was preaching Christ in figure, He preached the Church openly; for He saith to Abraham, Because thou hastGen.2t, obeyed My voice, and hast not spared thy beloved son, for My sake, in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And almost every where Christ is preached by the prophets in some cover of a mystery, the Church openly; that they even might see her who were to rise against her, and this wickedness might be fulfilled in them which the Psalm foretold, They that did see me, fled without from me. They went out from us, but they were not of us: this the Apostle John said of them*

9. Ver. 12. I have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. I have been forgotten, I have fallen into oblivion, they that saw me have forgotten me; they have forgotten me, and so forgotten me as if I were dead from their hearts. / have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart. I have become as a lost vessel. What is this, J have become as a lost vessel? He was toiling, and profiting none: he saw that he was a vessel, and profited none, and he saith that he is as it were a lost vessel.

10. Ver. 18. For I have heard the rebuking of many dwelling by in a circle. Many dwell by in my circle, and blame me daily. How many evil words do they speak against wicked Christians — evil words which reach to all For does he, who speaks evil of, or blames, Christians, does he say, " See what bad Christians do?" No, but, " See what Christians do." He makes no separation, does not discriminate. Yet they say this, who dwell by in a circle; that is, who go round about and do not enter. Why go they round about and do not enter? Because they love the wheel of time They do not enter into truth, because they do not love eternity: devoted to things temporal, as it were fast bound to a wheel; of whom it is said elsewhere, Make their princes as a wheel; and again, The ungodly walk in a circle. Whilst they were assembling themselves together against me, they conspired that they might take my soul. What is, they have conspired that they might take my soul? That I might consent to their wickednesses. For it is a little matter for those that speak evil and do not enter in, that they do not enter in; they would moreover cast men out hence by their rebuking. If they have cast thee out of the Church, they have taken thy soul; that is, have obtained thy consent, and thou wilt be in a circle, not in rest1. amj jst those reproaches, amidst those scandals, amidst those evils, amidst these seductions, ungodlinesses without and perversenesses within, when I was looking for righteous men and seeking whom to imitate, and there were none, what did I do? what counsel did 1 find? (Ver. 14.) But I have hoped in Thee, O Lord. Nothing more healthful, nothing more secure. Thou wast wishing to imitate some one, thou didst find him not good. Away with this imitation. Thou didst seek another; something or other displeased thee; thou didst seek a third, and he too did not please; what, because this one and that one did not please, shalt thou too be lost? Take away thy hope from man, for cursed be every one who putteth his hope in man. If thou look still to man, and seekest to imitate him and depend on him, thou dost ivish still to be fed with milk, and thou wilt become a breast* bred8, as those children are called who suck longer than ought. For to use milk, to wish food to be passed into one as it were through the flesh, — this is to live by man. Get strength for the table, thence take nourishment from whence he took it or perchance did not take it. Perhaps thou hast to thy profit fallen in with a bad one whom thou thoughtest good, that so thou mightest find bitterness as it were in thy mother's milk, and so by that distaste be repelled, and attracted to stronger food. For nurses act thus to the breast-bred, place something bitter on the nipples of their breasts; by which infants being disgusted, refuse the breast, and crave after the table. Therefore let him say, But I have hoped in Thee, O Lord; I have said, Thou art my God. Thou art my God. Let Donatus retire, Caecilianus retire; neither the one or the other is my God. I do not walk after man's name, 1 hold to the Name of Christ. Hear Paul himself saying, Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I should be lost, if I were of Paul's party: how shall 1 not be lost, if I shall be of Donatus* party? Yes, let them retire altogether, men's names, men's charges; men's fictions. In Thee9 O Lord, have I hoped; I have said, Thou art my God. Not any man, but Thou art my God. One man faileth, another advanceth; my God neither faileth, nor advanceth; nor hath the Perfect One any whither to advance, nor the Eternal any whither to fail. I said to the Lord, Thou art my God.

11. Ver. 15. In Tliy Hands are my lots. Not in hands of men, but in Thy Hands. What are these lots? How lots? When we hear the word lots, we must not look out for lot-diviners. For the lot is no evil thing, but it is an event, in human doubt, indicating the Divine will. For so the Apostles cast lots, when Judas perished after betraying his Lord, and, as it was written of him, He went to his own place; then began search to be made, who should be26, x>rdained in his place, two were chosen by man's judgment, and of the two, one was chosen by Divine judgment. God was consulted concerning the two, which of them it would be, and the lot fell upon Matthias. What then is, In Thy Hands are my lots? By lots, to the best of my opinion, he expressed the grace whereby we are saved* Why does he call the grace of God by the name of lot? Because in a lot there is no choice, but the will of God. For when it is said, this mau does so, that man does not. there is an estimate of deserts; and when deserts are estimated, there is choice, not i0t# But since God hath found no deserts of ours, He hath saved us by the lot of His own will, because He willed, not because we were worthy. This is a lot. With much significance upon that vesture of the Lord woven from the top, which signifies the eternity of love, when it could not be divided by the persecutors was the lot cast. By them to whom it came it signified those who seem to attain to the lot of the Saints. By grace ye are saved through faith, saith the Apostle. By grace ye are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves. (Recognise the lot.) And this not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not of works, (as if ye did any good, and so were worthy of attaining thereunto;) not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works. This so to say hidden lot is the will of God; it is a lot among mankind, a lot coming from the hidden will of God, with Whom there is no unrighteousness. For He accepteth no man's person, but His hidden justice is to thee a lot.

12. Mark therefore, dearly Beloved, see, how this very thing is confirmed by the Apostle Peter. When that Simon, the-sorcerer, having been baptized by Philip, continued with him, believing the Divine miracles which were performed in his sights the Apostles came to Samaria, where this sorcerer also had himself believed, and where he had been baptized; the Apostles laid their hands on the baptized, and they received the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues; Simon wondered, and was astounded at so great a Divine miracle, that at the laying on of men's hands the Holy Ghost came and filled men; and he longed for this, not grace, but power; not whereby he might be set free, but whereby he might be puffed up. But when he longed for this, and pride and devilish ungodliness, and exaltation which deserved a fall, had filled his heart, he said to the Apostles, How much money would you take of me, that men may receive the Holy Ghost at the laying on of my hands too? He who was seeking after things of this world, who was dwelling by in a circle, thought that for money he could buy the gift of God. He who thought that he could by money procure the Holy Ghost, judged the Apostles also to be covetous, as he was himself ungodly and proud. Forthwith Peter said, Thy money go into perdition with thee, because thou hast thought that (he gift of God may be2l% purchased' with money. Tliou hast neither part nor lot in this faith; that is, thou dost not belong to this grace, which We all receive freely, because thou dost think to buy that which is given freely. Now from this, that it is given freely, it is called a lot. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith. I have said thus much, that we might not be alarmed at what he saith, In Thy Hands are my lots. For what are lots? The Church's inheritance. To what extent is the Church's inheritance? Within what bounds? Even unto all bounds. I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the boundaries of the earth for thy possession. Let not man promise me some small portion or other; O my God, in Tliy Hands are my lots. Let this suffice you, dearly Beloved, for the present; the remainder in the Lord's Name and with His help we will make good to-morrow.

Sermon Iii

1. The remainder of this Psalm, on which we have already delivered two discourses, is somewhat more than a third part of it, and we see that to-day our task must be fulfilled. Wherefore I beg of you, dearly Beloved, to be content that we do not dwell on the plainer words of it, that those parts may occupy us which it is necessary to explain. For there are many things wnich occur spontaneously to the minds of the faithful, many which need a brief hint, while there are some, though more infrequent, on which much labour must be bestowed that they may be understood. That the time then may suffice both for your strength and mine, see how evident these parts are, and recognise them without further delay1 together with us, and^otiiu praise God in them with us; and if the Psalm pray, do ye pray; and if it lament, do ye lament; and if it joy, do ye rejoice; and if it hope, do ye hope; and if it fear, do ye fear. For all that is here written, is a mirror for us.

2. Ver. 15. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies from them that persecute me. Let us say this, yea let each one, for his own enemies, say this. For good it is, and we ought to pray that God would deliver us from the hands of our enemies. Hut we must understand for what enemies we are to pray, and what to pray against. Men, who are our enemies, whatsoever ihey be^ must not be held in hatred, lest, when a bad man hates a bad man, from whom he is suffering, there be two bad men. Let the good man love even the bad man from whom he suffers; that there be at all events but one bad man. Those are the enemies against whom we must pray, the devil and his angels; they envy us the kingdom of heaven, they would not that we should ascend up whence they have been cast down; from these let us pray that our soul be delivered. For even when men are stirred up against us, they are made the instruments of these. Wherefore the Apostle Paul, warning us how guarded we ought to be against our enemies, saith to the servants of God who were suffering tribulations, and that questionless by the dissensions, unfairnesses, enmities of men, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, that is, not against men, but against princes and powers and the rulers of the world. What world? The heavens and the earth? God forbid. There is no ruler of this world but the Creator. But what world doth he n-ein? The lovers of the world. In fine, he goes on in continuation arid explains, when I say of the world, 1 mean of this darkness. What darkness forsooth, but unbelievers and ungodly? For when from ungodly and unbelievers tjiey have been made godly and believers, the same Apostle addressed them thus, For ye were some-t*mes darkness, but now light in the Lord. Against spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, saith he, against the devil and his angels ye fight: your enemies ye see not and ye conquer. Deliver vie from the hands of mine enemies^ and from them that persecute Me.

3. Ver. 16. Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy mercy. We were saying before, if such of you as were present, dearly beloved, remember yesterday*s discourse, that those are the greatest persecutors of the Church who being Christians will not live good lives. For through these the Church incurs obloquy, and from them sustains enmity: when they are reproved, when they are not permitted to live evilly, when they are dealt with even by a word, they meditate evil in their hearts, and seek an opportunity of breaking out. Among them is the Psalmist mourning, and so are we if we will; for they are the more numerous, and amidst their great numbers the good are scarcely seen as grains of wheat in the floor, by which nevertheless when they are cleansed the Lord's garners are to be filled. Therefore in the midst of these the Psalmist mourning, saith, Make Thy face to shine upon rLhy servant. For a sort of confusion is supposed, when all are called Christians: and good livers and evil livers all are marked with the same mark, all draw near to one altar, all are washed in one baptism, all utter the same Lord's prayer, all are present at the celebration of the same mysteries. When are they that mourn distinguished, and they for whom they mourn, except He make His face to shine upon His servants? What then is, Make Thy face to shine upon Tlty servant f Let it appear that I belong to Thee;, and let not the ungodly Christian say so too, that he belongs to Thee, lest I shall have said to Thee in vain in another Psalm, Judge me, O God, andPa.i3,. divide my cause from the ungodly people. What he said there, Divide my cause, he expresses here, Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant. And nevertheless that he too be not proud, and seem as it were to justify himself, he goes on to say, Save me in Thy mercy. That is, not in mine own righteousness, not in my merits, but in Thy mercy; not because 1 am worthy, but because Thou art merciful. Hear me, not according to judicial severity, but according to most merciful goodness. Save me in Thy mercy.

4. Ver. 17. O Lord, let me not be confounded, for I have called upon Thee. He hath pleaded a weighty cause, Let me not be confounded, for I have called upon Thee Wouldest Thou that he should be confounded who hath called upon Thee? Wouldest Thou it should be said, Where is He in Whom he trusted? But who even of the very ungodly doth not call upon God? Unless then in some special way he said, 1 have called upon Thee, which cannot be common with the many, he would by no means venture to claim so great a reward from this calling upon God. For God might answer bim ftfter a sort *n thought, and say, " Why dost thou ask of Me that thou mayest not be confounded? Wherefore? Because thou hast called upon Me? Do not men daily call upon Me, that they may fulfil it may be the adulteries which they lust after? Do not men daily call upon Me, that those may die from whom they are expecting an inheritance? Do not men daily call upon Me, who are devising some fraud, that they may execute it with a prosperous issue? How then dost thou claim so great a reward as to say, Let me not be confounded, for I have called upon Tliee? All those men it is true call, but do not call upon Thee. Thou dost call upon God, when thou dost call God unto thyself. For this is to call upon 1 Him, to call Him unto thyself, to invite Him, so to say, into the home of thine heart. Now thou wouldest not dare to invite any householder merely, unless thou first knewest how to prepare an habitation for him. For what if God say to thee, 6i Lo, thou hast called upon Me, I come to Thee. Where shall I euter in? Shall I bear this great filth of thy conscience? If thou wast to invite My servant into thine house, wouldest thou not first take care to cleanse it? Thou dost call Me into thine heart, and it is full of rapine. The place into which God is called8 full of blasphemies, is full of adulteries, is full of frauds, is fun 0f evii iusts; and dost thou call upon Me?" Of such men in short what saith the Psalm in another place? TJiey have not called upon the Lord. And in very truth they have called, and yet they have not called upon Him. I say briefly, since the question has arisen how a man can claim so great a reward, by alleging one only merit, in saying, for I have called upon Thee, when we see that God is called upon by so many bad men; the question has arisen, and we must not pass from it: I say briefly then to the covetous man, Dost thou call upon God. Why dost thou call upon God? That He may give thee gain? Thou dost call then upon gain, not upon God. Because thou canst not have this gain, which thou covetest, by thy servant, because thou canst not have it by thy tenant, by thy client, by thy friend, by thy satellite, thou dost call upon God, thou makest God the minister of thy gain. God is held cheap by thee. Wouldest thou call upon God? Call upon Him for His own sake1. Thou covetous one! is it a little. thing to thee if God Himself fill thee? If God come to thee without gold and silver, wouldest thou have none of Him? What then of those things which God hath made is sufficient for thee, for whom God Himself sufficeth not?" With good reason then doth the Psalmist pray, Let me not be confounded, I have called upon Thee. Call ye upou the Lord, Brethren, if ye would not be confounded. For the Psalmist dreads a confusion of some sort, of which he spoke in the former part of the Psalm, In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let me not be put to confusion fur ever. For that ye may know that he fears this confusion, what did he add when he had said, Let me not be confounded for ever, for I have called upon Thee? Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell: with that confusion, of course, for

5. Ver. 18. Let the deceitful lips be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. This Righteous One is Christ. Many lips speak iniquity against Him in pride and contempt. How in pride and contempt? Because He, Who came in such humility, appeared contemptible to the proud. Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by them that love honours, He Who endured so great reproaches? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by these that so highly prize this life, He Who died? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by those who think the death of condemnation on the Cross shameful, He Who was crucified? Wouldest thou not that He should be contemned by the rich, He, Who spent a life of poverty in the world, when He was the Creator of the world? All these things which men love, because Christ would not have them, that He might shew by His not having them that they were to be contemned, not because He had it not in His power to possess them, all that love these things contemn Him. And whosoever of His servants would follow His footsteps, to walk himself in that lowliness in which He hath learnt that his Lord walked, is contemned in Christ, as a member of Christ; and when the Head and the members are contemned, whole Christ Himself is contemned, for this whole Righteous One is the Head and the Body. And it must needs be that Whole Christ Himself be despised by the proud and the ungodly, that that may befall them which is said, Let (he deceitful lips be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. When will those lips be made dumb? In this life? Never. Day by day do they cry out against Christians, most of all against the lowly, day by day do they blaspheme, day by day do they bark, multiply punishment by those tongues, with which they shall thirst in hell, and long in vain for a drop of water. It is not now then that these men's lips are made dumb. But when? When their iniquities shall lead them over on the contrary part; as it is said in the book of Wisdom, Then shall the righteous stand in great boldness against those that have afflicted them. Then shall they say, These are they whom we had sometimes in derision and in a proverb of reproach. How are they numbered among the sons of God, and their amon9 *ne ^a^n^s? We fools counted their life mad- ' ness. Then shall their lips be made dumb, who speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. For just now they say to us, Where is your God? What do ye worship? What do ye see? Ye believe, and ye are distresse<^' l^at ye are distressed is certain, what ye hope for is uncertain. When that we hope for shall come in certainty, then shall the deceitful lips be made dumb.

6. Wherefore see what follows, for that the deceitful lips shall be made dumb, which speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt. The Psalmist, who thus lamenteth, hath given heed, he hath seen the good things of God within in the spirit, hath seen these good things which are seen in secret, but are not seen by the ungodly. He seetb that they therefore speak iniquity against the Righteous in pride and contempt, because they have skill to see the good things of this life, but the good things of the life to come they skill not even to imagine. But that be might set forth the value of good things of the life to come to men whom He enjoins to endure, not love things present, he cried out and added,

Ver. 19. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, 0 Lord. Here if an ungodly man should say, " Where is this multitude of sweetness?" I will answer, How can I shew thee the multitude of this sweetness, who hast lost thy palate from the fever of iniquity? Didst thou not know what honey is, thou wouldest not cry out, " how good it is," unless thou hadst tasted it. Thou hast no palate of the heart for tasting these good things: what shall I do for thee? How shall I shew thee? He is not one to whom I can say, Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. How great is thepBM,s. multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee. What is, " hast hid for them?" Thou hast preserved for them, not denied to them, to the end that they alone may attain unto it, (for that is good which cannot be common to the just and to the ungodly,) to the end 4 that they may by fear attain unto it. For as long as they still fear, they too have not yet attained; but they believe that they shall attain, and thqy begin with fear. For nothing is sweeter than the immortality of wisdom; but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Which Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee.

7. But Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men* Not " Thou hast perfected it in sight of the sons of men," but, " for those that hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men;" that is, Thou hast perfected Thy sweetness for those that hope in Thee in sight of the sons of men. As the Lord saith, Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before 31y3^- Father. Therefore if thou trust in the Lord, trust before men; lest haply thou hide this trust of thine in thine heart, and fear to confess Him when it is objected to thee as a crime that thou art a Christian. But to whom is it objected now that he is a Christian? There are so few left who are not Christians, that it may rather be objected to them that they are not Christians, than that they should dare to object to any that they are Christians. Notwithstanding I say to you, my Brethren, begin, whosoever thou art that hearest me, to live as a Christian, aud see if it be not objected to thee even by Christians, Christians that is in name, not in life and conversation. No man feels this but he who has had trial of it. Give heed then, look well into what thou nearest. Wouldest thou live as a Christian? Wouldestthou follow the steps of thy Lord? It is objected to thee; thou art ashamed, and in thy shame thou dost leave off. Thou hast lost the way. Thou seeraest to thyself to have believed with the heart unto righteousness; but thou hast lost, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If then thou wouldest walk the way of the Lord, trust in God even in the sight of men; that is, be not ashamed for thy trust. As He liveth in thine heart, so let Him dwell in thy mouth; for not without a cause hath Christ been pleased that His mark should be imprinted on our forehead, as on the seat of shame, and that a Christian should not be ashamed at the reproach of Christ. If then thou shalt have done this in the sight of men, if thou shalt not have been ashamed thereof before men, if thou shalt not have denied Christ in sight of the sons of men, either by word or deed, hope thou that the sweetness of God is perfected for thee. What comes next?

8. Ver. 20. Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance*. What is this place? He said not, Thou wilt hide them in Thy heaven; he said not, Thou wilt hide them in paradise; he said not, Thou wilt hide tnem n Abraham's bosom. For the future places of the Saints are designated in Holy Scripture by many names9. Let all whatsoever is out of God, be held cheap. Let Him Who defendeth us in the place of this life, be Himself our place after this life. Because even this very Psalm aDOve satD tD*s to Him, Be Thou unto me a God, Who protecteth me, and a house of refuge. Therefore shall we hidden in the countenance of God. " Are ye waiting to hear from me what retreat there is in the Face of God? Cleanse the heart, that He may Himself enlighten you, and He upon Whom ye call may enter in. Be thou His house, and He will be thy house; let Him dwell in thee, and thou shalt dwell in Him. If thou shalt entertain Him in this' life in thy heart, He shall entertain thee after this life with His Countenance. [Thou wilt hide them, saith he. Where? In the hidden place of Thy Countenance^ From the troubling of men. For there they are not troubled when they are hid. In the hidden place of Thy Countenance they are not troubled. Is there, think ye, a man in this world so happy, as, that when he begins to hear men's reproaches because he serveth Christ, he flieth in heart to God, and beginneth to have trust in His sweetness, and enter, with his conscience, into the countenance of God from the troubling of men from whom he heareth reproaches? He doth enter doubtless, if be have wherewith to enter, that is, if this same conscience be not laden, if it make not a heavy burthen for him — at the narrow gate. Thou wilt hide them, then, in the hidden place of Thy Countenance from the troubling of men. Thou wilt protect them in Thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues. Some time or other Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance from the troubling of men, that thenceforward no troubling of men may harrass them; but meanwhile, whilst they sojourn in this life, since they who serve thee are exposed to many contradicting tongues; what dost Thou do for them? Thou wilt protect them in Thy tabernacle. What is the tabernacle? The Church of the present time, for is it for this reason called a tabernacle, because as yet it sojourneth on this earth. For a tabernacle is the habitation of soldiers encamped in an expedition. These are called tabernacles. A tabernacle is not a home. Fight thou as a sojourner on thy expedition; that having been saved in thy tabernacle, thou mayest be received in glory into thy house. For thy everlasting home will be in heaven, if only thou shalt have lived well in this tabernacle. " Therefore in this tabernacle Thou wilt protect them from the contradiction of tongues. Many tongues contradict, divers heresies, divers schisms make a noise, many tongues contradict the true doctrine, do thou run to the tabernacle of God, hold to the Catholic Church, depart not from the rule of truth, and thou shalt be protected in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.

9. Ver. 21. Blessed be the Lord, for He hath made His mercy marvellous in the city of compassing. What is the city of compassing? In Judaea alone were God's people placed, as it were, in the midst of the world, where the praises of God were celebrated, and sacrifices offered unto Him, where prophecy did not cease foretelling those future events which we now see in course of fulfilment. This people were, as it were, in the midst of the nations. This Prophet marked and saw that the Church of God should be all nations; and because all nations were around on every side, which placed the single nation of the Jews in the midst of them, he called these nations compassing her about on every side the city of compassing. Thou didst indeed, O Lord, make Thy mercy marvellous in the city Jerusalem; there Christ suffered, there He rose again, there He ascended up into heaven, there He did many wonderful things: but greater is Thy praise, for that Thou hast made Tliy mercy marvellous in the city of compassing, that is, in all nations hast spread abroad Thy mercy. Nor bast Thou kept Thine ointment in that Jerusalem, as in a vessel; but as from a broken vessel the ointment hath been poured forth throughout the world, that it might be fulfilled which is 'said in holy Scripture, Thy name is as ointment poured out. And so rphou ma€[e Thy mercy marvellous in the city of compassing. For He ascended up into heaven, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father, after ten days He sent the Holy Ghost: the disciples were filled wilh the Holy Ghost, they began to preach the wonderful works of Christ; they were stoned, slain, dispersed in flight. And when they were made to flee from thence as from one place, as brands burning with Divine fire, they filled the whole wood of the world, kindled by the heat of the Spirit and the light of truth; and the Lord made His mercy marvellous in the city of compassing.

10. Ver. 22. / said in my ecstasy. Call to remembrance the title of the Psalm. See here is that ecstasy. Mark what he saith, / said, saith he, in my ecstasy, I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes. I said in my panic, that is, / said in my ecstasy. Ho saw that he was panic-struck inwardly by some great tribulation or other, such as there is no want of: he gives heed to his panic-stricken and trembling heart, and saith, / have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes. If I were in Thy sight, I should not fear thus: if Thou hadst Thine Eye upon me, I should not tremble thus. But as he saith in another Psalm, If / said my foot hath been moved, Thy mercy, O Lord, helped me; so at once he saith here, Therefore Thou hast heard the voice of my prayer. Because I confessed, because I said, I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes, because I have not been proud, but accused my own heart, and staggering in my tribulation have cried out to Thee, Tfiou haM heard my prayer. That therefore hath been fulfilled which I set forth from that other Psalm. For what is here, I said in my ecstasy, 1 have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes, is there, If I said my foot hath been moved. And what is there, Thy mercy, O Lord, helped me, is here, Therefore Thou heist heard, 0 Lord, the voice of my prayer. MaTk that in Peter's case, He seeth the Lord walking on the water, he thinks Him a spirit: the Lord crieth out, It is I; be not afraid. Peter hath affiance, and saith, If it be Thou,26"31' bid me come unto Thee on the water. So hereby do I prove whether it be Thou, if in Thy word I am able to do as Thou art able. He saith, Come. And the word of the Bidder is made the power of the hearer. Come, saith He; and he came down: he began to go, he was going without fear, as trusting in Him; but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. I said in my ecstasy, I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes. And beginning to sink, he cried, Lord, I perish. And Jesus, stretching forth His hand to him, "raised him up, saying, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? I said, therefore, in my ecstasy, I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine Eyes; and, as though I were now beginning to perish in the sea, Thou hast heard, O Lord, the voice of my prayer. Now Thou heardest, when I cried wnto Thee. Crying unto God is not with the voice, but with the heart. Many who are silent with the lips, cry with the heart; many clamorous with the mouth, with heart averted are able to obtain nothing. If then thou criest, cry inwardly where God heareth. When I cHed unto Thee, saith he, Thou heardest the voice of my prayer.

U. Now then that he made trial, to what doth he exhort us? (Ver. 23.) Love the Lord, all ye His Saints. As if he should say, Trust me, I have made trial of it; I have had tribulations, I have called upon Him, and have not been deceived; I have hoped in God, and have not been confounded; He hath enlightened my thoughts, He hath estaWished my fear. Love the Lord, all ye His Saints; that is, Do ye love the Lord, who love not the world, that is, all His Saints. For how do I tell him to love the Lord, who still loves the amphitheatre? How do I tell him to love.the Lord, who still loves the stage-player, still loves the harlequin, still loves wine-bibbing, still loves all the pomps and all the vanities and lying madnesses of the world? I tell such, " Learn not to love, that thou mayest learn to love; turn away, that thou mayest be turned to; pour out, that thou mayest be rilled." Love the Lord, all ye His Saints.

12. For the Lord will require truth. You know that now many evil doers are seen; you know that now they are puffed up in their vanities: the Lord will require truth. And He will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Bear with them until you bear1 them to their graves, endure them unil* ^e are ^ree ^rom t*lem » *°r lt must nee<*s be that the Lord who requirelh truth will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Art thou at once about to ask, When will He repay? When He wills. Thou mayest be certain that He will repay; doubt not of His repaying; for the time, do not venture to give counsel to God. Assuredly He will require truth, and will repay them that do exceeding proudly. Some He will repay even here; and we have seen and learnt that He doth repay. For when they that fear the Lord are abased, if perchance they had been distinguished in some dignity of this world, though abased they have not fallen, because they have not shut out God from their hearts: God is their exaltation. Job seemed abased when he lost his property, when he lost his children; when he lost what he was keeping, when he lost those for whom he was keeping; he was left without inheritance, and what is sadder, without an heir; he was left with his wife alone, no comforter to him, but rather the devil's helper; he seemed abased: see whether he were wretched, see whether he were not in the hidden place of God's Countenance. Naked, saith he, came I out °f mV mother's womb, naked shall I return into the earth. Hie Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it pleased the Lord, so hath it been done. Blessed be the name of the Lord. These pearls of praise of God, whence are they? Behold him poor without, rich within. These pearls of praise of God would not proceed out of his mouth, except he had a treasure in his heart. Ye who would be rich, covet such riches as ye cannot lose even by shipwreck. Therefore, when such as these are abased, deem them not wretched. Ye are mistaken, ye know not what they possess within. Ye who love the world, judge from your own selves, because, when ye lose such things, ye are reduced to wretchedness. Do not by any means think this; they possess within wherewith to rejoice. Their Ruler is within, their Shepherd and their Comforter is within. These are they who fall miserably, even they who place their trust in this world. Their outward glitter is taken away, nothing remains within but the smoke of an evil conscience. They have no source of comfort, they have no place whither they may go abroad, they have no place whither they may return within: abandoned by the pomp of the world, void of the grace of the Spirit, they are in deed abased. And with many God dealeth thus in this life, but not with all. For if He dealt thus with none, Divine Providence would seem as it were to slumber; if He dealt thus with all, Divine long-suffering would not be preserved. Nevertheless, thou, Christian, hast learnt toRom.12, forbear, not to repay vengeance. Wouldest thou avenge19, thyself, O Christian? Christ is npt yet avenged. Hast thou suffered from the evil, and hath not He suffered? Did not He first suffer for thee, Who had no cause for suffering? For in thee tribulation is the refiner's furnace, (if so be thou art gold and not chaff,) that thou may est be cleared of dross, not be turned into ashes.

13. Love the Lord, all ye His Saints, for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them that do exceeding proudly. But when will He repay? O that He would repay now, now would I see these men abased, and laid low! Hear what follows, Quit you like men. Do not hang down the weary hands in tribulation, let not your knees totter. (Ver. 24.) Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened. Let your heart be strengthened to endure and bear all the ills of this life. But who are they to whom the Prophet saith, Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened? Is it to them who love the world? Nay. But listen to whom he speaketh, All ye who trust in the Lord.