Psalm 33 (Vulgate 32)

First Exposition

1. Ver. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: rejoice, 0 ye righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe; but in the Lord. For praise is comely to the upright: these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord; for else they are distorted and perverse.

2. Ver. 2. Praise the Lord with harp: praise the Lord, presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice. Sing^^— unto Him with the psaltery often strings: let your members be servants to the love of God, and of your neighbour, in which are kept both the three and the seven command-

3. Ver. 3. Sing unto Him a new song: sing unto Him a song of the grace of faith. Sing skilfully unto Him with jubilation: sing skilfully unto Him with rejoicing.

4. Ver. 4. For the Word of the Lord is right: for the Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. And all His works are done in faith: lest any think that by the merit of works he hath arrived at faith, when in fiuth are done all the works which God Himself loveth.

5. Ver. 5. He loveth 'Mercy and Judgment: for He loveth Mercy, which now He sheweth first; and Judgment, wherewith He exacteth that which He hath first shewn. The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord: throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.

6. Ver. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm: for not by themselves, but by the Word of the Lord were the righteous made strong. And all the strength 11 of them by the Breath of His Mouth. And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.

7. Ven 7, He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle: He gathereth the people of the world together, to coufession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. He layeth up the deep in storehouses: and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.

8. Ver. 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him: not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him let them stand in awe.

9. Ver. 9. For He spake, and they were made: for no other one made those things which are to fear; but He spake, and they were made. He commanded, and they were created: He commanded by His Word1, and they were created.. 10# Ver* l0* The ^rrf hringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought; of them that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. He maketh the devices of the people qf none effect: of them that covet earthly happiness. And reproveth the counsels of princes: of them that seek to rule over such peoples.

10. Ver. 11. But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever; but the counsel of the Lord, whereby He maketh none blessed but him that submitteth unto Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts of His Heart to all generations: the thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but endure to all generations.

11. Ver. 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: one nation is blessed, belonging to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen save the Lord for their God: And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance: and which not of itself, but by the gift of God, hath been chosen, that He by possessing it may not suffer it to be uncared for and miserable.

12. Ver. 18. The Lord looketh from Heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the souls of the righteous, the Lord looketh mercifully upon all who would rise to newness of life.

13. Ver. 14. From His prepared habitation: from His habitation of assumed Humanity, which He prepared for Himself. He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth: He looketh mercifully upon all who live in the flesh, that He may be over them in ruling them.

14. Ver. 15. He fashioneth their hearts singly: He giveth spiritually to their hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor the whole hearing; but that one in this manner, another in that manner, may be incorporated with Christ. He understandeth all their works. Before Him are all their works understood.

15. Ver. 16. A king shall not be saved by much strength: he shall not be saved who ruleth his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength: nor shall he be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.

16. Ver. 17. A horse is a deceitful thing for safety: he is deceived, who thinketh either that through men he gaineth salvation received among men, or that by the impetuosity of his own courage he is defended from destruction. In the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved.

17. Ver. 18. Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him: because if thou seek salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon them that fear Him. Upon them that hope in His mercy: that hope not in their own strength, but in His mercy.

18. Ver. 19. To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine. To give them the nourishment of the Word, and of Everlasting Truth, which they lost while presuming on their- own strength, and therefore have not -even their own strength, from lack of righteousness.

19. Ver. 20. My soul shall be patient far the Lord: that hereafter it may be filled with dainties incorruptible, mean-awhile, whilst here it remaineth, my soul shall be patient for the Lord. For He is our Helper and Defender: our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; and our Defender, while we resist the adversary.

20. Ver. 21. For our heart shall rejoice in Him: for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there is great need; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. And we have trusted in His holy Name: and therefore have we trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent hath He sent, through faith, His own Name.

21. Ver. 22. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, accord* ing as we have hoped in Thee: let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; for hope confoundeth not, because we have hoped in Thee.

Second Exposition

1. This Psalm admonishes us to rejoice in the Lord. It is entitled, Of David himself. Whoever then belong to the most holy seed of David, let them hearken to their own words, and speak their own words, and let them rejoice in Lord. But thus it begins, (ver. 1.) Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; let the unrighteous rejoice in the world; with the world ended is ended the rejoicing of the unrighteous. But let the righteous rejoice in the Lord; because while the Lord remaineth, remaineth also the rejoicing of the righteous. But it is meet so to rejoice in the Lord, as to praise Him, Who alone has not any thing which can displease us; and has many things, none so many, which displease the unfaithful. And that is a short precept, He pleaseth God whom God pleaseth. And think not lightly of this, dearly beloved. For ye see how many dispute against God, how many are displeased with His works. For when He would do contrary to the will of men, because He is the Lord, and knoweth what He doth,- and regardeth not so much our will as our benefit; they who would have rather their own will to be fulfilled than God's, would bend God to their will, not make right their will unto God. Such men, unfaithful, ungodly, unrighteous — though it grieveth me to say it, yet I will say it, for ye know how truly I say it— are more easily pleased with a pantomime than with God.

2. Therefore when he had said, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; because to rejoice in Him except by praising-Him we cannot, and we praise One Whom we please the more, the more He pleaseth us; For praise, saith he, is comely to the upright. Who are the upright? They who direct their heart according to the will of God; and whom, if human frailty disturb them, Divine Justice consoleth. For although in their mortal heart they may privately wish something, which may suit their own immediate case, or interest, or their present necessity, yet when they have understood and learned that God willeth otherwise, they prefer the will of The Better, to their own will; the will of The Omnipotent, to the will of the weak; the will of God, to the will of man. For far as God differs from man, so far the will of God from the will of man. Wherefore Christ having put on Man, and proposing a rule to us, teaching us to live, and granting us to live, shewed also maris private will; whereby He figured both His own and ours, because He is our Head, and we, as ye know, belong to Him as real members. Father, saith He, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; this was the human Will, wishing something proper to itself, and as it were private. But because He willed man to be right in heart, that whatever in him was somewhat crooked, He might make straight to Him, Who is ever Right; Nevertheless, saith He, not as I will, but as Thou, Father. But what evil could Christ will? What, in short, could He will other than the Father. Whose Divinity is one, Their Will can not be different. But in the person of Man, transforming His Own into Himself; whom He had transformed into Himself when He said, / was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: whom He transformed into Himself, when to Saul raging, and persecuting the Saints, He cried from Heaven, though none touched Him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest Thou Me? He shewed as it were man's proper will; He shewed thee, and corrected thee. Behold, saith He, thyself in Me; for thou also canst will something proper to thyself, though God will otherwise; this is granted to human frailty, it is granted to human infirmity: to have a proper will, it is difficult that this should not happen to thee: but think straightway Who is above thee; think of Him above thee, thyself below Him; Him the Creator, thyself the creature; Him the Lord, thyself the servant; Him Omnipotent, thyself weak; correcting thyself, submitting to His Will, and saying, Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Wherein art thou severed from God, who now wiliest that which God willeth? Then shalt thou be upright, and praise shall be comely to thee, for, praise is comely to the upright.

3. But if thou art crooked, thou praisest God when it is well with thee, blasphemest when it is ill: which ill indeed, if it be just, is not ill; but just it is, since it is done by Him, Who can do nothing unjust: and so thou wilt be a foolish boy in the house of thy father, loving thy father if he fondle thee, and hating him when he scourgeth thee: as if he were not, both when fondling and when scourging, preparing for thee the inheritance. But see how praise is comely to the upright; hear the voice of the upright praising from another Psalm, I will bless the Lord at all times, His¥*M}U praise shall continually be in my mouth. What is at all times, that is, continually; and what is, I will bless, that is, His praise shall be in my mouth. At all times, and continually, whether in prosperity or in adversity. For if in prosperity and not in adversity, how at all times? how continually? And we have heard many such words from many: when any good fortune befals them, they exult, they rejoice, they sing to God, they praise God; nor are. they to be disapproved, nay, we must rejoice in them, for many praise Him not even then. But they who have now begun to praise God on account of their prosperity, must be taught to acknowledge their Father also when scourging them, and not to murmur against the hand of Him correcting; lest remaining ever perverse they deserve to be disinherited, so that being now made upright, (what is upright? so that nothing which God doth, displease them,) they may be able to praise God even in adversity, and to say, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as the Lord pleased, so is it come to pass. Blessed be the name of the Lord. To such upright, praise is comely,' not to them that will first praise, and afterwards blame,

4. Therefore, ye righteous upright, rejoice in the Lord * for your praise is comely. Let none say, Who am I, that am righteous? or, When am I righteous? Cast not yourselves away, and despair not of yourselves. Ye are men, in the image of God were ye created: He Who made you men, for you also was made Man: that ye, being many sons, might be adopted to an eternal inheritance, the Blood of the Only-Begotten was shed for you. If ye unto yourselves have become vile through earthly frailty, according to your own price weigh yourselves: What ye eat, What ye drink, Whereto ye subscribe Amen, consider as is meet Do we give you this warning, that ye may be proud, and dare to claim to yourselves some perfection? No: but neither again ought ye to think yourselves to be exiled from all righteousness. For I will not question you of your righteousness; for perhaps none of you would dare to answer, I am righteous: but I question you of your faith. As none of you dares to say, I am righteous, so none dares to say, I am not faithful. I ask not yet how thou livest, but how thou believest. Thou wilt answer, that thou believest in Christ, Hast thou not heard the Apostle, The just shall live by faith? Thy faith is thy righteousness, because truly if thou dost believe, thou dost beware; if thou dost beware, thou dost endeavour; and God knoweth thy endeavour, and beholdest thy will, and considereth the wrestling with the flesh, and exhorteth thee to right, and assisteth thee to conquer, and contending watcheth thee, and fainting, lifteth thee up, and conquering, crowneth thee. Therefore, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: or this I would say, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye faithful, because the just shall live by faith. Praise is comely to the upright. Learn to give thanks unto God, both in prosperity and in tribulation. Learn to have in thy heart what every man hath in his tongue; The will of God be done. The common speech of the people is mostly saving doctrine. Who saith not daily, What God willeth, that let Him do? And so the upright will be among those, who rejoice in the Lord, and to whom praise is comely, whom the Psalm addresseth, in the words following, and saith, (ver. 2.) Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery qf ten strings. For this even now we sang, this expressing with one mouth, we instructed your hearts.

5. Hath not the institution of these Vigils b in the name of Christ brought it to pass that harps should be banished out of this place? And, lo, the same are bid to sound. Praise the Lord, saith he, with harp; sing unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings. Let none turn his heart to instruments of the theatre. That which is commanded him, he hath in himself, as it is elsewhere said, Thy vows are upon me, O Qod; I will render praises unto Thee. They remember, who some while since were present, when what difference there is between the psaltery and harp, as best I could, I explained in my discourse0, and tried withal to bring it home to the understanding of all: but how much I effected, they know best who heard. And now in due season I repeat it, that in this diversity of two musical instruments, we may find the diversity of human actions signified by the same, following exposition, c. 9, it appears superseded a revel of dancing, &c. 40 k° ^a^^e^ n our ^he harp hath that hollow board, like a tabor, covered with tortoiseshell, on which the chords lean, so that when touched they sound. I speak not of the staff wherewith they are touched, but that hollow board I mean, over which they are laid, upon which in some wise they lean, so that from thence trembling at the touch, and from that concavity conceiving sound, they are rendered more harmonious; this board then the harp hath in the lower, the psaltery in the upper part. This is the distinction between them. Now in this place we are bidden to praise the Lord with harp, aud to sing to Him with a psaltery of ten strings. He saith not, with a harp of ten strings, neither in this Psalm, nor, if I mistake not, in any other place. My sons, the readers may read and examine more thoroughly and leisurely for themselves; but as far as I myself remember, I have found in many places a psaltery of ten strings, a harp of ten strings no where occurs, that I have read. Remember that the harp hath that wherefrom it sounds in the lower part, the psaltery in the higher. In our lower life, that is, our earthly, we have prosperity and adversity: wherefore must we praise God in both, that His praise may be conin our mouth, and that we may bless the Lord at all times. For there is an earthly prosperity, and there is an earthly adversity: in both must God be praised, that so we may harp. What then is earthly prosperity? When we are sound in body; when all things abound whereby we live; when our safety is sure; when the fruits come in largely; when He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good9 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. All these things contribute to earthly life. Whoever therefrom praiseth not God, is ungrateful. Because they are earthly things, are they therefore not of God? Or is therefore another to be thought to give them, because they are given also to the evil. For manifold is the mercy of God, patient is it, long-suffering. Thereby sheweth He the more what things He reserveth for the good, when He sheweth what great things He giveth even to the evil. And adversities there are, forsooth from the lower part, from the frailty of the human race, in griefs, in weariness, in pressures, in tribulations, in temptations. In all these let him praise God who harpeth. Let him consider, not that they are from below, but that they cannot be ruled and governed but by that Wisdom, which reacheth from end to end mightily, and sweetly ordereth all things. For He doth not rule heavenly things, and leave alone earthly; or it would not be said unto Him, Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? orj^19 whither shall I flee from Thy presence f If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I go down into hell, Thou art there. Where then is He wanting, Who no where is not? Praise then the Lord on the harp. Whether any earthly thing abound to thee, give thanks to Him Who gave it, or whether ought be wanting to thee, or haply by misfortune be taken from thee, harp without care. For He is not taken from thee, Who gave, though that be taken from thee which He gave. Even so, I say, harp without care. Assured in thy God, touch the strings in thy heart, and say, as to an harp sounding well in the lower part, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, whatever the Lord^^ pleased that did He. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

6. But now, when thou considerest the superior gifts of God, what Commandments He hath given thee, with what heavenly doctrine He hath imbued thee, what things He hath commanded thee from above, from the fountain of His Truth; turn also to the psaltery, sing unto the Lord with a psaltery of ten strings. For the Commandments of the* Law are ten; in the ten Commandments of the Law thou hast the psaltery. The thing is complete. Therein thou hast the love of God in three, and the love of thy neighbour in seven. And truly thou knowest, the Lord Himself having said it, that On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Saith God unto thee from above, The^nt Lord thy God is one Lord; thou hast one string. ^l<?wJiarkl2 shall not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: thou hast another string: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, not carnally, not with their Jewish delights, who abuse rest unto wickedness. For better were it that they should dig the whole day, than the whole day dance. But thou, thinking on rest in thy God, and for that rest doing all things, abstain from servile work. Now, Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin; and would that I could34' say, of man, and not of sin! These three relate to the love of God: of Whom consider thou the unity, the truth, and the pleasantness, for there is a pleasantness in the Lord, where there is a true Sabbath, a true restd; wherefore it is said, Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. For who giveth such delight, as He Who maketh all things which delight? In these three is the love of God, in the other seven is the love of our neighbour, that thou do not to another, what thou wouldest not suffer. Honour thy father and thy mother: because thou also wouldest be honoured by thy children. Thou shalt not commit adultery: because thou wouldest not that thy wife should commit adultery, behind thy back. Thou shalt not kill: because thou also wouldest not be killed. Thou shalt not steal: because thou also wouldest not suffer robbery. Thou shalt not hear false uritness: because thou hatest him that beareth false witness against thee. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; because thou wouldest not thy wife to be coveted by another. Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour's: because if any other covet aught that is thine, thou art displeased. Direct thy tongue to thyself also, when thou art displeased at him who injures thee. All these are the commandments of God; by Wisdom Herself were they given; their sound cometh from above. Touch the psaltery, fulfil the Law which the Lord thy God came not to destroy but to fulfil* By love wilt thou fulfil, what by fear thou couldest not For he who through fear doth not evil, would fain do it if he could: and so though the power is not given, the will remaiueth. I do it not, saith he. Wherefore? Because I fear. Not yet lovest thou righteousness; thou art still a servant: be a son. But of a good servant is made a good son: now do it not through fear; thou wilt learn also to do it not through love: for there is a beauty in righteousness: punishment may deter thee, but righteousness hath its own comeliness; it seeketh men's eyes, it infiameth its lovers. he did consider it to apply indirectly, Ephrem. For this the Martyrs, treading under foot the world, shed their blood. What loved they when they renounced all things? For were they not lovers? or say we this to you that ye may love not? Who loveth not, is cold, is dead. Love we, but that beauty which seeketh the eyes of the heart. Love we, but that beauty which with praise of righteousness inflaraeth the mind. Men exclaim, they cry aloud, they say every where, How good! How excellent! What see they? Righteousness they see, in which an old man bowed down is beautiful. For neither if an old man that is righteous walk abroad, is there any thing in his body to be loved, and yet he is loved by all. Even there is he loved where he is not seen: nay there is he loved where he is seen, but with the heart. Let him then delight you, and pray ye to the Lord, that He may delight you. For The Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall yield her12' increase: that through love ye may fulfil, what by fear it is hard to fulfil. Why say I, it is hard? The mind is not yet able: it would rather that there were not any commandment, if to do, it is not led by love, but by fear constrained. Do not steal; fear hell1: he would rather that there were no^ehenhell, into which he should be cast. When beginneth anaa" man to love righteousness, but when he had rather that there were no stealing, even though there were no hell into which thieves should be cast? This it is, to love righteousness.

7. And what is righteousness herself like? Who painteth her? What beauty hath the Wisdom of God? Through her are all things beautiful, that are pleasant to the eyes: her to see, her to embrace, our hearts must be cleansed, her lovers we profess ourselves; herself so dresseth2 us that2C<?mvve may not be displeasing to her. And when men reprove us for those things, whereby we please her whom we love, how is it that we so little regard our reprovers, how is it we so despise them, and altogether care nothing for them? Women's lovers, loose and worthy of condemnation, when their mistresses dress them after their own fancy, if they can but please them, care not for those whom they displease, thinking it sufficient for them that they please their eyes, whom they court: and grave men they mostly displease, nay, grave men they always displease, and by better judgment are blamed. Thou art not well shorn, saith a grave man to a wanton youth, it becometh thee not to go with such-like curls. He knoweth, however, that a certain person is pleased with those curls: he hateth thee that with true judgment blamest, and keepeth in himself that which pleaseth his perverse will. He thinketh thee his enemy, because thou wouldest take away1 his disgrace. He flietb eyes, and altogether careth not by what rule of righteousness he be blamed. If therefore these regard not their reprovers in truth, that they may be handsome in falsehood; ought we, in those things whereby we please the Wisdom of God, ought we to regard unrighteous mockers, having no eyes wherewith they may see What we love? These things considering, all ye upright in heart, Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto Him with a psaltery often strings.

8. Ver. 3. Sing unto Him a new song. Put off oldness: ye know the new song. A new man, a New Testament, a new song. A new song belongeth not to men that are old: none learn that but new men, renewed through Grace from oldness, and belonging now to the New Testament, which is the kingdom of Heaven. For that sigheth all our love, and singeth a new song. A new song let it sing, not with the tongue, but with the life. Sing unto Him a new song: sing skilfully unto Him. Every man asketh how he should sing unto God. Sing unto Him, but sing not unskilfully. He would not that His Ears be offended. Sing skilfully, Brother. If, in the audience of any good musician, when it is said to thee, Sing, to please such an one, without some knowledge of the musical art, thou fearest to sing, lest thou shouldest displease a master of the art, because, what an unskilful person findeth not amiss in thee, a master blameth: who can undertake to sing skilfully before God, so judging of the siuger, so examining every part, so exactly hearing? How canst thou shew so nice a skill in singing, as in nothing to displease Ears so perfect? Behold, he giveth as it were the tune of thy song; seek not words as if thou couldesl explain whereby God is pleased. Sing with jubilation: for this is to sing skilfully unto God, to sing with jubilation. What is it to sing with jubilation? To be unable to understand, to express in words, what is sung in the heart. For singers, either in the harvest, or in the vineyard, or in any other busy work, after they have begun in the words of their hymns to exult and rejoice, being as it were filled with so great joy, that they cannot express it in words, then turn from actual words, and proceed to sounds of jubilation. The jubilee is a sound signifying that the heart laboureth with that which it cannot utter. And whom beseemeth that jubilation, but the Ineffable God? For He is Ineffable, Whom thou canst not speak; and if thou canst not speak Him, and oughtest not to keep Him silent, what remaineth to thee but jubilation; that the heart may rejoice without words, and the boundless extent of joy may have no limits of syllables? Sing skilfully unto Him with jubilation.

9. Ver. 4. For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in faith. In that even wherein He displeaseth the not right, He is right. And all His works areff™' done in faith. Let thy works be done in faith, for The /w$/Hab.2, shall live by faith; and Faith worketh by love. Let thy works be done in faith, because by trusting in God thou art6* rendered faithful. How can the works of God be done in faith, as though God also should live by faith? We find God also called faithful, and that not in our own words: hear an Apostle; God, saith He, is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but unit with the10' temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Thus ye have heard God called faithful, hear it also in another place. If we suffer, we shall also reign^Txm. with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we2'12'13, believe not, yet He abideth Faithful: He cannot deny Himself. We have then a Faithful God also: but let us well distinguish Faithful God from faithful man. Man is faithful when he trusteth in God promising: God is Faithful because

He performeth what He promised to man. Let us hold Him a Debtor most Faithful, since we hold Him a Promiser most Merciful. For neither have we lent unto Him any loan, that we should hold Him a debtor; since from Him we have whatever we offer unto Him, and from Him cometh whatever good there is in us. All the good things, in which we rejoice, are from Him. For who hath known the Mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor f or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again f For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. We then have given nothing to Him, and yet we hold Him a debtor. Wherefore a debtor? Because He is a Promiser. We say not unto God, Lord, render what Thou hast received; but, Render what Thou hast promised. For the Word of the Lord is right. What is, The Word of the Lord is right? He deceiveth thee not: do not thou deceive Him, rather do not thou deceive thyself; for who can deceive the Omniscient? But iniquity hath lied unto itself. For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in faith.

10. Ver. 5. He loveth Mercy and Judgment. Do thou the same, because He doth. Observe ye both Mercy and Judgment The time of Mercy is now, the time of Judgment shall be hereafter. Whence is it now the time of Mercy? He calleth those but now averted, He forgiveth sin to them converted: He is patient with sinners, until tbey be converted: when they are converted, He forgetteth things past, He promiseth things to come: He exhorteth the slothful, consoleth the afflicted, teacheth the studious, assisteth the fighting: He deserteth none labouring and crying unto Himself. He giveth that wherewith sacrifice may be done unto Himself; He bestoweth that wherewith He may be reconciled. Le t not the great time of Mercy pass, Brethren, let it not pass away from us. There will come a judgment, and then also there will be repentance, but then without fruit, then repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, (is it not written in the book of Wisdom?) What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All these things are passed away like a shadow. Let us now say, All these things are passing away like a shadow. Let us now say to our profit, They are passing away; lest then we say without avail, They are passed away. This then is the time of Mercy, there will come also the time of Judgment.

11. But think not, Brethren, that these two can in any wise be separated, the one from the other, in God. They do indeed seem somewhat contrary to each other; as if one who is Merciful could not observe Judgment; and one who is tenacious of Judgment, would forget Mercy. But God is Omnipotent; neither in Mercy loseth He Judgment, nor in Judgment, Mercy. For He hath compassion, He considereth His Own Image, our frailty, our wandering, our bhndness, and He calleth; and to those converted unto Him He forgiveth sins, to the unconverted He forgiveth not. Is He Merciful to the unrighteous? Has He therefore lost Judgment, or ought He not to judge between the converted and the unconverted? Seemeth it just to you, that the converted and the unconverted be treated equally; that the same regard be paid to one confessing and one lying, to the humble and the proud? Therefore hath He Judgment, yea even in Mercy. Again, in The Judgment will He have Mercy, namely, upon those unto whom He shall say, I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat. For in a certain Apostolic Epistle it is said, For he shall have Judgment without Mercy, that hath**^8 shewed no Mercy. Blessed (saith He) are the merciful: for they shall obtain Mercy. Therefore in The Judgment7, shall there be also Mercy, but not without Judgment. For if not every one, but he shall have Mercy, who hath before shewn Mercy; even Mercy itself will be just, because it will not be indiscriminate. Mercy it surely is, that sins should be forgiven, Mercy it is, that life eternal should be bestowed; see then also Judgment, Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you. Surely this, It shall be given unto you, and, ye shall be forgiven, is Mercy; but if14, J udgment had departed therefrom, He would not say, With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

12. Thou hast heard how God sheweth Mercy and Judgment, do thou also shew Mercy and Judgment Do these things perhaps belong unto God; do they not belong unto man? If they belonged not unto man, the Lord would not have said to the Pharisees, Ye have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, Judgment and Mercy. Therefore unto Thee belong Mercy and Judgment. Think not that Mercy belongeth unto thee, but Judgment belongeth not unto thee. It may be thou hearest a cause between two, of whom one is rich, and the other poor; and it may happen that the poor man hath a bad, the rich a good cause. Now if thou art not instructed in the Kingdom of God, thou seemest to thyself to do well, if, as pitying the poor man, thou hide and conceal his iniquity, and strive to justify him, so that he may seem to have a good cause; and if thou shouldest be blamed kecauge ^jlou judged ill, thou answerest as concerning Mercy, It is true, and I too know it; but he was poor, Mercy was due unto him. How hast thou kept Mercy, and lost Judgment? And how, sayest thou, if I should keep Judgment should I not lose Mercy? Should I pronounce against a poor man, who had not wherewithal to pay, or if he had, could not, after that he had paid, find wherewithal to live? Thy God saith unto thee, Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. It is an easy thing that we should be warned not to accept the person of the rich; this every man knoweth, and would that every man so did. That is where one is deceived; where one would please God, by accepting the person of the poor in judgment, and saying unto God, I have shewn favour unto the poor. Nay, but thou shouldest hold fast both, even both Mercy and Judgment. First, what sort of mercy hast thou shewed towards him, whose iniquity thou hast favoured? Lo, his purse thou hast spared, his heart thou hast wounded: that poor man hath remained in his iniquity, and is so much the more in iniquity, as he hath seen thee, as if a righteous man, favour his iniquity. From thee hath he departed, unjustly succoured; by God he remaineth justly to be condemned. What sort of mercy hast thou shewn to him, whom thou hast made unrighteous? Lo, thou art found more cruel than merciful. What then, sayest thou, should I do? Thou shouldest judge first according to the cause. Thou shouldest convict the poor, prevail on the rich man. There is one time for judgment, another for supplication. When the rich man saw that thou hadst held justice, hadst not lifted up the head of the wicked because he was poor, but according to the merits of his sin hadst justly punished him; would not he be prevailed on to mercy at thy supplication, who had been made glad by thy judgment? My Brethren, though there remaineth indeed more of the Psalm, yet must we now spare our strength, both of mind and body, by reason of the variety of hearers: for also when we are taking food from the same wheat, many new tastes as it were are made for us, so as to do away loathing: may this suffice you.

Discourse the Second

1. Both in preaching and hearing the Word of Truth is labour; and this labour, my Brethren, we bear with patience, if we remember the Lord's sentence, and our condition. For from the very first beginning of our race hath man heard, and that not from man that deceiveth, nor from the devil that seduceth, but from Truth Itself out of the mouth of God, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread. Therefore if our bread is the Word of God, let us sweat in hearing, lest we die in fasting. A few verses of the first part of this Psalm, at the solemnity of the vigil lately past*, were handled: let us hear what remaineth.

2. Now thus begins the part which remaineth, which but now we sang, (ver. 5.) The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord. (Ver. 6.) By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm. For it is the same thing, By the voice of the Lord were the Heavens established. He had said above, Sing skilfully unto Him with jubilation, that is, Sing ineffably: (ver. 4.) For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are in faith. He promiseth nothing which He payeth not: He that is Faithful is made a debtor, be thou a covetous exacter. Then when he had said, All His works are done in faith; he added wherefore: (ver. 5.) He loveth Mercy and Judgment. He then, Who loveth Mercy, pitieth. But He Who pitieth, can He promise and not give, Who eould give though He promised not? Therefore because He loveth Mercy, it behoveth Him to afford that which He promiseth: and because He loveth Judgment, it behoveth Him to exact what He gave. Wherefore said the Lord Himself to a certain servant; Wherefore gavest thou not the money into the bank, that at My coming I might have required2*9 Mine own with usury? Which therefore we mention, that we may understand what we have but now heard. For the same Lord saith in another place, in the Gospel, / judge no man: ^r°r<^ Mat I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day. Nov let him excuse himself, who will not near lest haPty there be ought which may be required of him. For that very thing is required of him, that he would not receive, when it was given. For it is one thing not to be able to receive, another not to be willing; there is the excuse of necessity, here the guilt of wilfulness. Therefore all His works are done in faith: He loveth Mercy and Judgment. Receive ye Mercy, and fear Judgment; lest He, when He cometh to require of you, so require as to send you empty away. For He requireth an account; the account rendered, He giveth Eternity. Receive ye therefore Mercy. Brethren; let us all receive it Let none of us slumber in receiving, lest he be wakened untimely1 to give account. Receive ye Mercy; so God crieth unto us, as in time of famine it would be said, Receive corn. Which when thou heardest in time of famine, truly by the very spur of necessity goaded thou wouldest run, turning thee this way and that way; thou wouldest ask whence thou could est receive that of which it was said, Receive ye; and when thou hadst found, how wouldest thou contain thyself? what delay wouldest thou interpose? So even now it is said, Receive ye Mercy, for He loveth Mercy and Judgment When thou hast received, use it well, that thou mayest give a good account, when His Judgment cometb, Who now sheweth unto thee Mercy beforehand in this famine.

3. I would not then that thou shouldest say unto me, Whence receive I? Whither go I? Remember what Thou hast sung, The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord. Where is not the Gospel now preached? Where is the Word of the Lord silent? Where doth Salvation not work? It needs but that thou be willing to receive: the barns are full. This very fulness and abundance waited not for thee coming, but unto thee sleeping came of themselves. It was not said, Let the nations arise, and come into one place, but the same were preached unto the nations where they were, that thenceforward the prophecy might be fulfilled wn*cn saith, And men shall worship Him, every one from his place.

4. The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord. What of the Heavens? Hear what of the Heavens, For they want not Mercy, whore is no misery. On earth aboundeth the misery of man, more aboundeth the mercy of the Lord. With the misery of man the earth is full, and with the Mercy of the Lord the earth is full. The Heavens, then, in which is no misery, because they want not mercy, do they not want the Lord? All things want the Lord, both the miserable, and the happy. Without Him is not the miserable man lifted up, without Him is not the happy governed. Therefore, lest haply thou shouldest ask concerning the Heavens, when thou hast heard, The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord, hear how the Heavens also want the Lord, (ver. 6.) By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm; for neither of themselves were the Heavens a support unto themselves, nor did they of themselves bestow on themselves their own firmness. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm, and all the strength b of them by the Breath of His Mouth. It was not that They had somewhat from themselves, and received as it were a supplement from the Lord. For by the Breath qf His Mouthy was made not a part, but all the strength of them.

5. See now, my Brethren, the works of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are the same. For it ought not to be negligently passed over, by reason of certain unrighteous discerners, and troublesome confounders. For out of both cometh evil. They confound, by ill discerning, the creature with the Creator; and when the Spirit of God is the Creator, reckon Him among the creatures. Again they discern, and yet confound: may they be so confounded that they may be converted. Hear now how the work of the Son and of the Spirit is one. The Word is certainly the Son of God, and the Breath of His Mouth His Holy Spirit. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm. But what is it, to be made firm, but to have a sure and firm strength? And all the strength of them by the Breath of His Mouth. It might have been said thus, " By the Breath of His Mouth were the Heavens made firm, and, By the Word of the Lord, all the strength of them." For what is * all the strength of them,' that is, ' were made firm?' This then doth the Son and the Holy Spirit. Is it without the Father? Who then acteth by His Word, and His Spirit, but He Whose is the Word, and Whose is the Spirit. This Trinity then is One God. Him worshippeth he who knoweth how to worship, Him hath he every where who hath converted himself. For He is not sought by them that are averted from Him; but averted, Himself calleth them, that converted He may fill them.

6. Now, my Brethren, excepting those superior Heavens, unknown to us on earth, labouring and seeking after them as we may by human conjectures; excepting then those Heavens, concerning which, how they be one above another, and how many they be, or in what manner they be distinguished, with what inhabitants they be filled, with what order they be ruled, how therein one hymn unfailing chanted in concert by all glorifieth God, it is much for us to find out, yet do we toil to arrive thither. For there is our country, which perhaps through our long travel we have forgotten. For our voice is in that Psalm, Woe is me, that my travel is prolonged. Concerning those Heavens then it is both for me difficult, if not impossible, to discourse, and for you to understand. Whoever in these things in understanding prevented me, let him enjoy that whither he. hath first arrived, and pray for me that I may follow. Meanwhile, excepting those Heavens, I have whereon now to discourse, as best I may, those Heavens that are the nearest to us, the sacred Apostles of God, the preachers of the Word of Truth; by which Heavens we are watered, that so through the whole world the wheat of the Church may spring up; although with the tares now drinking one common rain, but not to have one common garner.

7. When then it had been said, The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord; as if thou hadst asked, Whence is the earth made full of the Mercy of the Lord? First were the Heavens sent to scatter the Mercy of the Lord over the earth, and that too over the whole earth. For see what is elsewhere said concerning the Heavens themselves, The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth His handy-worh What are the Heavens, that is the Firmament, Day unto day utlereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no cessation, no silence. But where have they preached, and how far have they preached? There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard, but this relateth to that, that they spake in the tongues of all men in one place. Speaking in the tongues of* all men, they fulfilled that which was said, There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. But I ask, that same voice in the tongues of all men, how far hath it reached? what places hath it filled? Hear then what follows, Their sound is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Of whom but of those Heavens that declare the glory of God? If then their sound hath gone out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world, what they have preached to us let Him declare Who sent them.. He declareth plainly, faithfully He declareth: because even before they came to pass He predicted that they would be, He, all Whose works are in faith. For He rose again from the dead, and after handling of his limbs, being recognised of His disciples, He said, It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name. Whence, and how far? Among all nations, (saith He,) beginning at Jerusalem. But what Mercy do we all expect, my Brethren, more abundant from the Lord, than that our sins be forgiven? Since then that is the great Mercy of the Lord, the remission of sins, this remission of sins also hath the Lord predicted should be preached among all nations. The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord. Wherewith is the earth full? With the Mercy of the Lord? Wherefore? Because every where God forgiveth sins, because He hath sent the Heavens to water the earth.

8. And how dared those same Heavens to go with confidence, of weak men to be made Heavens, except that by the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made firm. Whence could sheep among wolves have such strength, except that by the Breath of His Mouth were all the strength qf them. Behold, saith He, / send you forth as sheep in the midst o^Mat.10, wolves. O Lord most merciful! Surely Thou dost this, that the earth may be full of Thy Mercy. If then Thou art so Merciful, as to fill the earth with Thy Mercy; see whom Thou sendest, see whither Thou sendest. Whither, I say, Thou sendest, and whom Thou sendest Sheep into the midst of wolves. If one wolf be sent into the midst of innumerable sheep, who resisteth him? What doth he not overthrow, unless it happen that he is soon satisfied? For he could devour all. Sendest Thou the weak among the savage? I send them, saith He, because they are become Heavens to water the earth. Whence can weak men be Heavens. But all the strength of them by the Breath of His Mouth. Behold the wolves shall take you, and deliver, and give you up to powers for My Name's sake. Now arm ye yourselves. With your own strength? Far be it. Take no thought how Qr wnai ye shan speak: for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. For all the strength of them by the Breath of His Mouth.

9. These things were done. The Apostles were sent; they endured pressures. Do we now bear as great to hear this Word, as they to sow it? No. Will then, Brethren, our labour be unfruitful? No. I see your thronging together, but ye also see my sweat. If we suffer* we shall also reign with Him. Behold those things are come to pass. From those sheep sent into the midst of wolves, we celebrate also the Martyrs' memories. This very place, when body of a blessed 'Martyr was smitten, was then full of w0'ves' S° many wolves were overcome by one sheep captured, and the place was filled with sheep by one sheep slain. Then raged the sea with great waves of persecutors. Into a dry land and thirsty went the Heaven of God. But now, through those things which they suffered, who broke the enemy's line, is the Name of Christ glorified. Walking over the heads of swelling waters, it hath occupied even powers themselves. And because those things are come to pass, they also who now see, not yet believing, our conventicles, our celebrations, our solemnities, the praises now openly, now publicly offered to our God; think ye that they grieve not, think ye that they do not rave? But now is fulfilled that which is written of them, The wicked shall see it, and shall be enraged. What then, though he be enraged. Fear not the wolf, O sheep. Fear not now their threats and raving. He is enraged, but what followeth? He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.

10. Because then the salt sea-water, which hath remained, dares not now to rage against Christians, but grinds1 tOj—^ itself a secret murmur, and within the mortal skin roars theal.rugit. confined saltness; see what follows, (ver. 7.) He galhereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle. Since then before, the sea having its waves free raged, but now being confined within mortal breasts is bitter, He, who in those Saints was victorious, who then set bounds to the sea, He hath caused that its waves returning into themselves should be abated. He hath gathered as into a bottle the waters of the sea: the mortal skin covereth bitter thought. For fearing for their own skin, men keep within, that which they dare not to utter. For their bitterness is the same: they hate as much, they detest as much. But what then raged openly, now rageth secretly. What else can T say, than that which is spoken, He shall gnash with his teeth and melt away? Let the Church then go on, let it walk forward. The way is made, our highway is paved for us by the Emperor. Let us be fervent in our journeys of good work, for this it is for us to walk on. And if ever arise pressures of temptations, whence we expected them not, the waters of the sea being now gathered together as into a bottle, let us understand that the Lord doth this for discipline, that He may shake out of us too confident a security in temporal things, and direct us to His kingdom with composed desire. Which desire by tribulations buffeting on this side and on that is lengthened out, so that we become tuneful to the Ears of the Lord like ductile trumpets. For this also is said in the Psalms, that we should praise God on ductile trumpets. A ductile trumpet is enlarged by the hammer, so the Christian heart by the blows of pressures is enlarged towards God.

11. Let us remember then, Brethren, now at this time, in which the water of the sea has been gathered as into a bottle, that there is not wanting to God, whence He may bring forth somewhat, wherewith to amend us, when we have need of amendment. For therefore it follows, He layeth up the deep in storehouses. The secrets of God he calleth God's storehouses. He knoweth the hearts of all, what to bring forth at any time, whence to bring it forth, what power to bestow upon the evil over the good, to judge indeed evil, but to instruct the good. He knoweth how to dc these things, Who layelh up the deep in storehouses. Let that then come to pass which followeth, (ver. 8.) Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let not proud rejoicing glory with rash exultation, saying, Now is the water of the sea gathered together as into a bottle; who can do any thing to me? Who will dare to hurt me? Knowest thou not that He hath laid up the deep in storehouses; knowest thou not whence He bringeth forth what is needful to scourge thee, Who is thy Father? He indeed for thy discipline keepeth the treasures of the deep, wherewith He may instruct thee unto the treasures of the Heavens. Therefore return thou unto fear, who wast going but now into security. Let the earth rejoice, but let it also fear. Let it rejoice; Wherefore? Because the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. Let it fear; Wherefore? Because He hath so gathered into a bottle the waters of the sea, as to lay up the deep in storehouses. In it then come these things to pass, both of which elsewhere are briefly spoken of, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Let them not fear another instead of Him. Of Him let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe. Doth a wild beast rage? Fear God. Doth a serpent lie in wait? Fear God. Doth man hate thee? Fear God. Doth the devil fight against thee? Fear God. For the whole creation is under Him Whom thou art commanded to fear. (Ver. 9.) For He spake, and they were made: He commanded, and they were created. This followeth in the Psalm. For when he bad said, Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, lest man should betake himself to fearing any thing else, and being averse to the fear of God, should fear some creature instead of Him, and worship that which was made, leaving Him Who made it, he confirmed us in the fear of God, as it were speaking to us, and addressing us. Why wilt Thou fear aught in Heaven, aught in earth, aught in the sea? He spake, and they were made: commanded, and they were created. When He, Who spake, and they were- made; Who commanded, and they were created; when He bids, they move; when He bids, they rest. The malice of men can have the desire of injuring for its own; but the power, if He giveth not, hath it not. For there is no power but o/Rom.13, God. It is the definitive sentence of an Apostle. He said not, There is no desire but of God; for there is an evil desire which is not of God: but because that evil desire hurteth none, if He permit not; There is no power, saith he, but of God. Wherefore God as Man standing before a man, said, Thou couldest have no power at all against Mip,^olml9> except it were given thee from above. The one judged, the other taught: when He was being judged, He taught; that He might judge those whom He had taught. Thou couldest have, said He, no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above. What is this? Hath man only no power, except when he hath received it from above? What? Dared even the devil himself to take one sheep from holy Job, without first saying, Put forth Thine Hand now; that**111- is, Give me power? He was willing; but He suffered not: when He permitted, he had the power. Therefore had not he the power, but He who permitted him. Therefore Job himself also, being well instructed, said not, as I have already often observed unto you, The Lord gave, and the devil hath taken away, but, The Lord gave, and the ^^giVuig hath taken away: whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He; not whatsoever the devil pleased. See then, my Brethren, who with such labour eat wholesome and useful bread, see that ye fear not any one but the Lord. Beside Him, that Thou fear no other, Scripture commandeth thee. Therefore let all the earth fear the Lord, who layeth up the depth in storehouses. Of Him let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe. For He spake, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created*

13. But now have evil kings ceased, they are made good: they too have believed; the sign of Christ's Cross now bear they in their forehead, a sign more precious than any jewel of a diadem: they who raged, are destroyed. But who hath done this? Haply thou, that thou raayest extol thyself? (Ver. 10.) The Lard bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought; He maketh the devices of the people of none effect; reprovelh the counsels of princes. While they said, Let us away with them from off the earth, the Christian name will no longer be, if we do this: thus be they slain, thus tortured; be such and such things inflicted on them: these things were said, and amid these, did the Church grow. He maketh the devices of the people of none effect, and reprovelh the counsels of princes.

14. Ver. 11. The Counsel of the Lord standeth forever; the Thoughts of His Heart to all generations. It is a repetition of the same sentence. What before he called, The Counsel, that he calleth afterwards, The Thoughts of His Heart. And whereas above he saith, standeth for ever, so afterwards he saith, to all generations. Repetition is confirmation. But think not; Brethren, because he said, The Thoughts of His Heart, that God as it were sitteth down and thinketh what He should do, and taketh counsel to do any thing, or not to do any thing. To thee, O Man, belongs such tardiness. His Word runneth very swiftly. When can there be delay of thought, in that Word, Which is One, and embraceth all things? But the Thoughts of God are spoken of, that thou mayest understand; that according to what is in thee, thou mayest dare to lift up thy heart eren to words suited to thine infirmity: because the thing itself is too much for thee. The Thoughts of His Heart to all generations. What are the Thoughts of His Heart, and what is the counsel of the Lord which standeth for ever? Against which counsel, Why do the Heathen rage, and the imagine a vain thing? Since, The Lord maketh the devices of the people of none effect, and reprovelh the counsels of princes. How then standeth for ever the Counsel of the Lord, except it be concerning us whom He hath first fore-known and predestined? Who taketh away the Predestination of God? Before the creation of the world He saw us, made us, He healed us, He sent unto us, He redeemed

: this His counsel standeth for ever, these His Thoughts all generations. Then raged the Heathen openly swelling roaring; now let them melt away as it were confined gathered into a bottle: they had free boldness, let them now have fierce and bitter thoughts. When can they destroy that which He hath thought of, and which standeth for ever?

15. But what is this? Blessed is the nation. Who is there that hearing this, doth not rouse himself? For all love blessedness; and therein are men perverse, that wicked they would be, miserable they would not: and though misery is the inseparable companion of wickedness, they perversely not only would be wicked, and would not be miserable, which is impossible; but therefore would they be wicked lest they be miserable. What is this that I have said, Therefore would they be wicked, lest they be miserable? Observe this now in all men who do evil, they ever wish to be blessed. One stealeth: dost thou ask, Why? From hunger: from necessity. Therefore lest he should be miserable, he is wicked; and therefore is he the more miserable, because he is wicked. For the sake then of driving away misery, and of acquiring blessedness, do^ all men whatever either of good or evil they do. Always then they wish to be blessed: whether living ill, or living well, they wish to be blessed, and that happeneth not to all, which all wish to happen to them. For all would be blessed, but there shall not any be except they who will be righteous. And lo, some one, though he doth evil, would be blessed. Whereby? By money, by silver and gold, by estates, by lands, by houses, by slaves, by the pomp of the world, by honour fleeting and perishable. By having something would men be blessed: ask then what thou shouldest have, that thou mayest be blessed. For when thou shalt be blessed, thou wilt surely be better, than when thou wast miserable. But it cannot be that any thing worse than thyself should make thee better. Thou art a man; worse than thou is whatever thou covetest, whereby thou desirest to be blessed. Gold, silver, any other bodies, which thou gapest to acquire, to possess, to enjoy, are inferior to thee. Thou art better, thou art worthier: and surely thou wouldest be better than thou art, since thou wouldest be blessed, because thou art miserable. For it is surely better to be blessed than to be miserable, Thou wouldest be better than thyself; and thou seekest, thou searchest out, wherewith thou mayest become so, things worse than thyself. Whatever thou hast desired on earth, is worse than thou. This every man wisheth for his friend, thus he adjureth him, So mayest thou be better, So may we see thee better, So let us rejoice in thee befng better. What one wisheth for his friend, this he would also for himself. Accept then a faithful counsel. Thou wouldest be better than thyself; I know it, we all know it; we all wish it: seek then what is better than thyself, that thereby thou mayest be rendered better than thyself.

16. Consider now the Heavens and the earth: let not beautiful bodies so please thee, that by them thou wish to blessed. In the soul1 is what thou seekest. For thou wouldest be blessed: enquire thou what is better than thy soul itself. For since there are two things, that is, soul and bodjy because of these two that is the better, which is called the soul, therefore can thy body be made better by the better, because the body is subject to the soul. Thy body then can be made better by thy soul, so that when thy soul shall be righteous, thy body also may hereafter be immortal. For through the illumination of the soul, the body merits incorruption, that through the better there may be a reparation of the worse. If then thy body's good be thy soul, because it is better than thy body; when thou seekest thine own good, seek that which is better than thy soul. But what is thy soul? Beware, lest haply, despising thy soul, and thinking that it is something vile and worthless, thou shouldest seek things more vile, wherewith thy soul may be made blessed. For thy soul is the Image of God; the mind of man containeth3 it. It received it, and by inclining unto sin disfigured it. The Same came unto it as the reformer, Who was before the former of it. For by the Word were all things made, and by the Word was this Image impressed. The Word Himself came, that we might hear from an Apostle, Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Now then it remaineth that thou seek what is better than thy soul. What shall that be, I pray thee, but thy God? Thou findest no other better than thy soul; for when thy nature shall be perfected, it will be equalled with the Angels. Now is there nothing higher save the Creator. Lift up thyself unto Him, despair not, say not, It is too much for me. Rather it is too much for thee to have, it may be, gold, which thou seekest. Gold, though thou wouldest, haply thou wilt not have; God, when thou wouldest, thou shalt have: for even before thou wouldest, He came unto thee; and when thou wast in will averted, He called thee; and when thou wast converted, He frightened thee, and when frightened thou didst confess, He consoled thee. He, Who hath given thee all things, He, Who hath caused that thou shouldest be, Who to those also who are with thee, even the wicked, giveth the sun, giveth rain, giveth fruits, fountains, life, health, so many consolations; He keepeth for thee something which He giveth not save to thee. But what is that which He keepeth for thee, but Himself. Ask somewhat else, if thou hast found better. God keepeth Himself for thee. Thou covetous, why longest thou after Heaven and earth? Better is He Who made Heaven and earth: Him shalt thou see: Him shalt thou have. Why seekest thou, that such a villa should be thine, and passing by it sayest, Blessed is he whose is that possession? How many say this, who pass by it; and yet when they have so said, and pass by it, though they can shake the head and sigh, can they also possess it? Every where soundeth covetousness, soundeth iniquity, but Thou shalt not covet**^ any thing which is thy neighbour's. Blessed whose is thatDeut.5, villa, whose is that house, whose is that field! Restrain21* iniquity, hear the truth: Blessed is the nation whose — Whose vhat? Thou knowest already what I am about to say.

Therefore desire that ye may have, then indeed shall ye be blessed. With this alone shall ye be blessed, by a better thing than yourselves ye shall be made better. It is God that is better than thou; even He, 1 say, Who made thee.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. This desire, this possess, this when thou wilt, thou shalt have: this thou shalt have for nothing. 17. Ver. 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

The Lord our God! For of whom is He not God? Not surely of all in the same manner. Ours is He more; ours, who live by Him as by our bread. Let Him be our inherit- fcnce, our possession. Do we haply speak rashly in making God our possession, wheu He is the Lord, when He is the Creator? This is not rashness: it is the affection of desire, jt k ty,e 8Weetness of hope. Let the soul say, all-secure it say, Thou art my God, Who sayest to my soul, 1 am thy salvation. Let it so say, secure let it say, it will do no wrong when so it saith; nay it will do wrong if it say not Wouldest thou have trees, whereby thou mightest be blessed? Hear the Scripture speaking of Wisdom; She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her. See, he hath said that Wisdom is our possession. But lest thou shouldest think that Wisdom, because Scripture hath called it thy possession, to be something inferior to thee, it goes on and adds, And to them that lean upon her, as on the Lord, she is safe f. See thy Lord is made unto thee as a staff: securely man leaneth, because He faileth not. Say then securely, This is thy possession; to them that lay hold upon her. Scripture hath said, hath filled up thy doubts with confidence: speak securely, love securely, hope securely. Thine aiso be those words in the Psalm, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance*

18. Therefore by this shall we be blessed, by possessing God. What then? Shall we possess Him, and will not He Posse8S us - Whence then Esaias, Lord, possess us? There* fore He possesseth us, and is possessed, and all for our sakes. For not as He, that we may be blessed in Him, is possessed by us; not so doth He also, that He may be blessed, possess us. He both possesseth and is possessed, for nothing else than that we may be blessed. We possess Him, and He. possesseth us; because we attend on g Him, and He attendeth on us. We attend on Him as our Lord God; He attendeth on us as His own possession. That we attend on Him, none doubteth; that He attendeth on us, wj10 proveth to us? He Who saith, / am the Vine: ye are the branches: My Father is the Husbandman. See in this Psalm also both are declared to us, both are proved to us. He hath already said that we possess Him: Blessed is the nation, whose Qod is the Lord. Whose is this farm? His. Whose is that? His. Whose is this? Let us so speak of God; let us say whose He is. And as answer is wont to be made to us when we enquire concerning certain farms and estates that are fine and very pleasant; He is a senator, and he is called so and so, whose is that property; and we say, Blessed is that man. So if we should ask, Whose is this God? There is a blessed nation whose He is. For the Lord is their God. And not as that senator possesseth his farm, but is not possessed by his farm, so also the God of this nation. Wherefore, we ought to labour, that we may be His: but either of them possesseth the other. Ye have heard that a nation possesseth Him, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: hear how He also possesseth it: and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. Nation blessed in its possession; inheritance blessed in its possessor: And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.

19. Ver. 13. The Lord looketh from heaven, He beholdeth all the sons of men. All in this place so receive as to understand all of that nation who possess that inheritance* or who are that inheritance. For they themselves are God's inheritance. Even all of them hath the Lord looked upon from Heaven: and He hath seen them Who said, When thou wast under the fig-tree, 1 saw thee. He saw him because48' He had mercy on him. Wherefore oftentimes praying mercy we say to a man, Look upon me. And of him that despiseth thee, what sayest thou? He seeth me not. There is then a seeing of him that hath mercy, a not seeing of him that punisheth. That looking upon sins is the punishment of sins; which sins he would not to be seen, who saith, Hide Thy Face from my sins. What he would to be overlooked, that he would not to be looked upon. Hide, saith he, Thy Face from my sins. When then He hath hidden His Face from thy sins, will He not see thee? And wherefore saith he in another place, Hide not Thy Face from mefYs.27,9. Let Him then hide from thy sins, let Him not hide from thee: let Him see thee, let Him have mercy on thee, let Him succour thee. The Lord looked from Heaven, He regarded all the sons of men: all that belong unto the Son of Man.

20. Ver. 14. From His prepared habitation: from that wn*cn He hath prepared for Himself. He looked upon us the Apostles, He looketh upon us from the preachers of the Truth, He looked upon us from the Angels, whom He sent unto us. All these are His house, all these are His habitation, for all these are the Heavens which declare the Glory of God. He beheld all the sons of men: from His prepared habitation He looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth. These are the same; they are His; it is that blessed nation, whose God is the Lord; it is that people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance: for it is throughout all lands, and not only in one part. He looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

21. Ver. 15. He hath fashioned their hearts singly. By the hand of His grace; by the hand of His mercy, He hath fashioned hearts, He formed our hearts, He fashioned them singly, giving to us as it were single hearts, which yet destroy not unity. As all our members are formed singly, have their operations singly, and yet live in the unity of the body; the hand doth what the eye doth not, the ear hath a power which neither the eye nor the hand hath; yet all work together in unity; and the hand, and the eye, and the ear do different things, and yet are not opposed to one another; so also in the Body of Christ, single men, like single members, enjoy each their own gifts, because He Who hath chosen the people for His own inheritance, hath fashioned their hearts s^D8^y* Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? Have all t lie gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing. Wherefore? Because He fashioned their hearts singly. But as in our members there are diverse operations, but one health; so in all the members of Christ are diverse gifts, but one grace. Hefashioneth their hearts singly*

22. He understandeth all their works. What is understandeth? Seeth in secret and inwardly; thou hast in a certain Psalm, Understand my crying. For there is no such need as of words, that any thing may come to the Ears of God. Seeing in secret is called understanding. He spoke more expressly than if He should say, He seeth all their works: lest thou shouldest think that those works are then seen, when thou seest the work of a man. A man seeth the act of a man by motion of the body, but God seeth in the heart. Becausfe then He seeth within, it is said, He underslandeth all their works. Two men give to the poor, one seeketh his reward in Heaven, the other the praise of men. Thou in two seest one thing, God understandeth two. For He understandeth what is within, and knoweth what is within; their ends He seeth, their base intentions He seeth. He understandeth all their works.

23. Ver. 16. A king shall not" be saved by much strength. Unto the Lord must we all, in God are we all. Be God thy hope, be God thy strength, be God thy firmness; thy supplication let Him be, thy praise let Him be, thy end inj?^"1 which thou rest, let Him be; thy succour when thou labourest, let Him be. Hear the truth, A king shall not be*£f saved by much strength: neither shall a giant be saved by much strength. A giant is any proud man, lifting up himself against God, as though he were something in himself and by himself. Such an one is not saved by much strength.

24. But he hath a horse, large, spirited, strong, swift: can he if any evil threaten, deliver him quickly out of danger f Let him not be deceived, let him hear what followeth. (Ver. 17.) A horse is a deceitful thing for safety. Understood ye what was said, A horse is a deceitful thing for safety? Let not thy horse promise thee safety; if he promise thee, he will lie. For if God will, thou wilt be freed; if God will not, thy horse falling, thou wilt fall from a greater height. Therefore think it not said, A horse is a deceitful thing for safety, as though a just man were deceitful for^Tjaiiisafety, because just men as it were tell lies for safety. For it<*mis not written aquus, which word is derived from equity; but equus, a quadruped. This the Greek version sheweth. And evil beasts, men who seek to themselves occasions of lying, are Tefuted, when the Scripture saith, The mouth that tieth, slayeth the soul, and, Thou shalt destroy all them that speak leasing. What then is this, A horse is a deceitful thing for safety? A horse lieth to thee when it promiseth safety. Doth a horse speak to any one and promise safety? But when thou seest a horse well made, of great strength, and possessed of great speed, all these things, as it were, promise safety from it: but they deceive, if God guard thee not; j horse is a deceitful thing for safety. A horse also take figuratively, for any greatness of this world, any honour unto which thou ascendest proudly: the higher thou goest, not only so much the more lofty, but so much the more safe thou thinkest thyself, but falsely; for thou knowest not how he may cast thee down, dashed the more heavily, the more loftily thou wast carried. A horse is a deceitful thing for safety: in the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved. And whereby shall he be saved? Not by might, not by strength, not by power, not by glory, not by a horse. Whereby then? Whither shall I go? Where shall I find whence I may be saved. Seek not long, seek not far? (Ver. 18.) Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him. Ye see that these are the same whom He beholds from His habitation. Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His Mercy: not in their own merits, not in strength, not in fortitude, not in a horse, but in His Mercy.

25. Ver. 19. To deliver their souls from death. He promiseth eternal life. What in this our travel? doth He desert us? See what follows: And to keep them alive in famine. The time of famine is now, the time of plenty shall be hereafter. He who in the famine of this corruption deserteth us not, when made immortal, how shall He not satisfy us! But while it is the time of famine, we must bear, we must endure, we must persevere even to the end. Now all be run1, because both the way is plain, and we must consider what we carry. The spectators in the amphitheatre are haply still in their madness, and sit in the sun: and we, even if we stand, are yet in the shade; more- useful and more beautiful is what we behold. Let us behold The Beautiful, and be beheld by The Beautiful. Let us behold in mind those things which are declared in the sense of the Divine Scriptures, and let us rejoice in such a spectacle. But who is our spectator? Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them jlhat fear Him; upon them that hope in His Mercy. To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

26. But for endurance of travel, while there is famine, and while we wait by the way to be refreshed, lest we faint; what is imposed upon us? or what ought we to profess? (Ver. 20.) Our soul shall be patient for the Lord. Securely shall it wait for Him mercifully promising, mercifully and truly performing: and until He perform, what must we do? Our soul shall be patient for the Lord. But what if in that patience, we shall not endure? Nay, we shall surely endure, For He is our Helper and Defender. He assisteth in battle, He protecteth from the heat, He deserteth thee not, bear thou, endure thou. He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

27. And what when thou hast endured, when thou hast been patient, when thou hast come even to the end, what shall be given thee? for what reward dost thou endure? why dost thou so long suffer such hardships? (Ver. 21.) For our heart shall rejoice in Him, and we have trusted in His Holy Name. Here hope, that there thou mayest rejoice; here hunger and thirst, that there thou mayest feast.

28. He hath exhorted to all things, he hath filled us with the joy of hope, he hath proposed to us what we should love, in what only and by what only we should presume; after this cometh a prayer short and salutary. (Ver. 22.) Let Thy Mercy, O Lord, be upon us. And upon what merit? according as we have hoped in Thee. To some I have been burdensome; I perceive it: for some again I have finished my discourse even too soon, and this also I perceive. Let the weak pardon the stronger, and let the stronger pray for the weaker. Let us all be members in one body, from our Head let us grow. In Him is our hope, and in Him is our strength. Let us not hesitate to exact from our Lord God Mercy; He willeth it to be exacted of Him. For He will not be troubled while it is exacted, or at all straitened, like one from whom thou seekest what he hath not, or of which he hath but little, and feareth to give lest he have too little. Wouldest thou know how God giveth thee Mercy? Do thou give charity: let us see if it come to an end, while thou givest it. What richness then is there in the Most High Himself, if such can be in His Image!

29. Therefore, Brethren, above all things I exhort you to this charity, not only towards yourselves, but also toward those wno are without, whether they be still Pagans, not yet believing in Christ, or divided from us, with us confessing Head, though severed from The Body. Let us lament Brethren> as though our brethren. Will they, nill they, our brethren they are. Then will they cease to be our brethren, when they shall cease to say, Our Father. Of some said the Prophet, To them who say unto you, Ye are not our brethren, say ye, Ye are our brethren. Look around, of whom could he say this? whether of Pagans? No: for we call not them brethren according to the Scriptures, and the ecclesiastical mode of speaking. Of the Jews, who believed not in Christ? Read the Apostle, and see that when he saith, Brethren, without any addition, he willeth to be understood none but Christians. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. When he spoke of marriage, he called a Christian man or woman, a brother or sister. Again he saith, But why dost thou judge thy brother, or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? And in another place, Ye do wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. They then, who say, ye are not our brethren, call us Pagans, And therefore do they wish to rebaptize us, saying that we have not that which they give. Whence followeth their error, to deny that we are their brethren. But why said the Prophet unto us, Say ye, Ye are our brethren; except because we acknowledge in them that which we repeat not. They then, by not acknowledging our Baptism, deny that we are their Brethren; we, by not repeating theirs, but acknowledging it ours, say unto them, Ye are our brethren. Let them say, Why seek ye us? what would ye with us? Let us answer, Ye are our brethren. Let them say, Depart from us, we have no concern with you. We certainly have concern with you: we confess one Christ: in one body, under one Head, we ought to be. Why then seekest thou me, saith one, if I am lost? A great absurdity! a great madness J Wherefore should I seek thee, unless because thou art lost? If then I am lost, saith he, bow am I thy brother? That it may be said to me of thee, For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and teas lost, and is found. Therefore, Brethren, we adjure you by the very bowels of that Love, by Whose milk we are nourished, by Whose bread we are— strengthened, even by Christ our Lord, by His Mercy T adjure you, (for it is time that we should shew toward them great charity, abundant mercy in praying God for them, that He would give them again sober sense, that they may repent, and see that they have nothing at all to say contrary to the truth; there remaineth to them nought but only the weakness of animosity, which is so much the more weak, as it thinketh that it hath more strength,) for the weak, for the carnally wise, for the animal, and carnal, yet for our brethren, celebrating the same Sacraments, though not with us, yet the same; responding the same Amen, though not with us, yet the same; for them pour forth the marrow of your charity unto God. For somewhat have we done in council for their good, which that I should explain to you now, the time sufficeth not. Wherefore I exhort you, that with more alacrity, and in greater numbers, (for our brethren, not now present; will hear from you,) ye come together to-morrow at the Church of the Triclise1.