Psalm 37 (Vulgate 36)

Sermon the First

With terror do they hear of the coming of the last day, who will not be secure by living well: and who fain would live ill, long. But it was for useful purposes that God willed that day to remain unknown; that the heart may be ever ready to expect that of which it knows it is to come, but knows not when it is to come. Seeing, however, that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent to us to be our " Master*" He said, that of that day not even the Son of Man knew>M*Tk because it was not part of His office as our Master that13' through Him it should become known to us. For indeed the Father knoweth nothing that the Son knoweth not; since That is the Very Knowledge of the Father Itself, gentius, c. 3, we are told, that ' having b Magister, Magisterio. Master, in roused and moved by St. Augustine's translated, * Magister,' as in English, •His:W.i^d(6ipc.tow His Son, His Word, is His " Wisdom" But because it was not for our good to know that, which however was known to Hira, Who came indeed to teach us, though not to teach us that which it was not good for us to know, He not only, as a Master, taught us something, but also as a Master, left something untaught. For, as a Master, He knew how both to teach us what was good for us, and not to teach us what was injurious. Now thus, according to a certain form of speech, the Son1 is said not to know what He does not teach: that is, (according to a certain form of speech, as I said,) in the same way that we are daily in the habit of speaking, He is said not to know, what He causes us not to know. For we call a day u joyful," because it makes us joyful; and a day sad, because it makes us sad; and we call the frost sluggish, because it makes us sluggish. In the same way that it is said, on the contrary, by the Lord, Now I know. It was said to Abraham, Now I know that thou fcarest God. This God knew even before that proof of him. For that trial of him was made for this reason, that we might know what God already knew, that what before the proof of it was known to Him might be written for our instruction. And perhaps even Abraham himself did not yet know what was the strength of his faith: for it is by being, as it were, put to the question by trial, that each one becomes acquainted with himself: just as Peter, at all events, was ignorant of what was the real strength of his faith, when he said to the Lord, J will be with Thee unto death. But the Lord, Who knew him well, having (so to speak) felt the pulse of his heart, foretold where he would fail, foreshewing to him his infirmity. Then it was that Peter, who before his trial had thought presumptuously of himself, in his trial learned to know himself. And so therefore we not unreasonably suppose our Father Abraham also to have discovered the strength of his faith, when, being commanded to sacrifice his only son, he neither hesitated nor shrunk from offering him up to Him Who had given him, because, as he knew not whence He was going to give him that son, when not as yet born, so he believed that, when sacrificed, He could replace him. Therefore God said, Now I know; which we understand. Now have I made thee to know; according to the expressions which we have quoted, of a sluggish frost, because it makes sluggish, and a joyful day $ because it makes joyful. Thence is that saying, The Lord your GodDtvt proveth you, to know whether ye love Him. For surely you will be attributing to the Lord our God, the Supreme, the Very God, great ignorance, (which however you will perceive to be sacrilegious,) if you were to understand, The Lord your God proveth you, as if He, being before in ignorance, were gaining knowledge from the trial of us. But what is meant by, " He proveth you that He may know?" " He proveth you that He may cause you to know." Receive therefore a principle of interpretation from the contrary of the present subject: and, just as when you hear God say, / know, you understand by it, " have caused you to know so also when you hear it said of the Son of Man, (i. e. of Christ,) that He knoweth not that day, understand it to be meant, that He causes us not to know it Now what is meant by " causes us not to know it?" Conceals it, so that what is not profitable for us to have told be not communicated. This is what I said of a good Master knowing what to communicate, what to keep back: as we read that some things He postponed. Whence we learn, that not every thing is to be communicated, which they to whom it is communicated, caunot bear. For in another place He says, / have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. The Apostle also says, J could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ; I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able, neither yet now are ye able. What is the purport of this discourse? That since we know that the last day will come, but, while for our profit we know that it is to come, are, for our profit also, ignorant of the time when it is to come, we may keep our heart in readiness for it, by living well: and may, not only not fear that day's coming, but £iay even desire it. Seeing that day, as it increases the misery of the unbelieving, so it ends that of die faithful. Which now of these two thou wilt choose to do, is now indeed, before it comes, in thine own power; when it shall have come, will not be so. Choose therefore, whilst there is time; for that which God mercifully conceals, He mercifully postpones also.

2. Now that in every sort of life that hath any kind of professed object, not all are found good, not all are reprobates, appears from this, that of certain classes of persons, which we have just now heard set forth in the Gospel by comparisons, it is thus concluded: One shall be taken; and be left. Two men are seen in the field. The profession is the same, but their hearts not the same. The profession is visible to men; the heart is known to God. Whatsoever therefore the field signifies, one shall be taken, and one shaU be left. Not as if half of it was to be taken, and half left: but it speaks of two classes of persons. And if one of those comprises many persons, the other but few, yet, one shall be taken, and one shall be left: that is, the one class shall be taken, and the other shall be left. So shall it be in the bed, so in the mill. Perhaps you are anxious to know what these things mean. You see that they are wrapped up and enveloped, as it were, in comparisons. Now it may seem to me to be one thing; to another, something else. But neither do I by what I say forbid any other person to receive a better explanation; nor let him object to my receiving both, if both are reconcileable with the faith. For to me it seems that those who bear rule over the Church are labouring in the field, as the Apostle saith, Ye are God's husbandry; ye are GotTs building. For he calls himself both a master builder, when he says, As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation; and also a husbandman, when he says, / have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. In the mill then He spake of two women, not two men; I suppose, because this comparison relates to the laity: because the rulers govern, the laity are governed. And I think that by that mill is meant the world, because it revolves on the wheel of the times, (so to speak,) and because it crushes those who love it. There are then some whp do not withdraw from secular business 1: but yet in this too some do xvell, others ill. Some, make to themselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness; by whom they may be received into everlasting habitations; lo whom it is said, / teas an hungred, and ye gave me meat. Some neglect those things, to whom it is said, / was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat. Therefore, because of those who are engaged in the business and the labours of this world, there are some that love to do good to the needy, some that neglect it, as of two women in the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left. Now the bed I believe to be put for rest: because there are those who will neither submit to worldly business, as there are men living in wedlock, having houses, households, children; nor do any thing in the Church like those who, being set over others, labour therein as in the Jieldc, but as if too feeble to perform these duties, betake themselves to retirement, and love to be in quiet, not venturing on great undertakings, as being mindful of their infirmity, and in a certain way entreating God on the " bed" of their infirmity. And that profession too hath good men, hath also hypocrites; wherefore of these also one shall be taken, the other left; for to whatsoever profession you turn, prepare yourself to bear with hypocrites: otherwise, if you do not prepare yourself, you will find that which you did not expect, and will fall away, or be offended at it. He therefore would prepare thee against all contingencies, Who speaks to thee now that it is the time, both for Him to speak, and not yet the time to judge, and for them to hear, and not yet to repent in vain. For now repentance is not in vain, then it will be in vain. For it is not that men will not repent them then of having lived ill, but that God's righteousness may by no means restore to them, what they by their own unrighteousness have forfeited. For it is a righteous thing with God, to shew mercy now, and then to execute justice. Therefore it is that it is declared now. Is it not declared? Let every one contradict me, let every one murmur dissent, if this Scripture is not read and is not sung all over the world, if it ceases even to be circulated for sale through the whole community.

3. But, in truth, this it is thai disturbs you who are a Christian; that you see men of bad lives prospering, and surrounded with abundance of things like these; you see ihem sound in health, distinguished with proud honours; you see their family un visited by misfortune; the happiness of their relatives, the obsequious attendance of their de-pendants, their most commanding influence, their life uninterrupted by any sad event; you see their characters most profligate, their external resources most affluent; and your heart says that there is no Divine judgment; that all things are carried to and fro by accidents, and blown about in disorderly and irregular motions. For if God, thou sayest, regarded human affairs, would his iniquity flourish, and my innocence suffer? Every sickness of the soul hath in Scripture its proper remedy. Let him then whose sickness is of that kind that he says in his heart things like these, let him drink this Psalm by way of potion. What is the matter? What aileth thee? Let us once more consider what you were saying. What was I saying? you say. What, but what you yourself see? The wicked flourish, the good suffer. How can it be that God seeth these things? Take and drink this; He, concerning Whom thou utterest those murmurs, hath Himself mingled that potion for thee. Only do not thou reject that most wholesome cup. Apply to it the lips of the heart by lending thine ears; and drink what thou hearest.

Ver. 1. Be not envious because of evil-doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. (Ver. 2.) For they shall soon wither like the grass9 and shall fade like the herbs of the meadow. That which to thee seemeth long, is " soon" in the sight of God. Conform 1 thou thyself to God; and it will be " soon" to thee. That which he here calls gratis, that we understand by the herbs of the meadow. They are some worthless things, occupying the surface only of the ground, they have no depth of root. In the winter then they are green; but when the summer sun shall begin to scorch, they will wither away. For now it is the season of winter. Thy glory doth not as yet appear. But if thy love hath but a deep root, like that of many trees during winter, the frost passes away, the summer (that is, the Day of Judgment) will come; then will the greenness of the grass wither away. Then will the glory of the trees appear. For ye (saith the Apostle) are deadf even as trees seem to be in winter, as it were dead, as it were withered. What is our hope then, if we are dead? The root is within; where our root is, there is our life also, for there our love is fixed. And your life is hid with Christ in God. When shall heCol.8,J. wither, who is thus rooted? But when will our spring be? When our summer? When will the honour of foliage clothe us around, and the fulness of fruit make us rich? When shall this come to pass? Hear what follows; When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye oho appear with Him in glory. And what then shall we do now? Be not envious because of the evil-doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall won wither tike the grass, and fade like the herb of the

4. What shouldest thou do then? (Ver. 8.) Trust tn the Lord. For they too trust, but not in the Lord. Their hope is perishable. Their hope is short-lived, frail, fleeting, transitory, baseless. Trust thou in the Lord. " Behold," thou sayest, " I do trust; what am I to do?"

And do good. Do not do that evil which thou beholdest in those men, who are prosperous in wickedness. Do good, and dwell in the land. Lest haply thou shouldest be doing good without « dwelling in the land." For it is toe Church that is the Lord's land. It is her whom He, the Father, the tiller of it, waters, and cultivates. For there are many that, as it were, do good works, but yet, in that they do not dwell in the land, they do not belong to the husbandman. Therefore do thou thy good, not outside of the land, but do thou dwell in the land. And what shall I have?

And thou shall be fed in its riches. What are the riches of that land? Her riches arc her Lord! Her riches are her God! He it is to Whom it is said, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. In a late discourse we suggested to you, dearly beloved, that God is our possession, and that we are at the same time God's possession. Hear how that He is Himself the riches of that land.

Ver. 4. Delight thyself in the Lord. As if thou hadst put the question, and hadst said, « Shew me the riches of that

• See Dtae. on P.. 33. delivered «t Carth^e in the Church of St. Cyprian. land,m which thou biddest me dwell, he says, Delight thyself tn the Lord.

5. And He shall give thee the desires qf thine heart. Understand in their proper signification1, the desires of thine heart. Distinguish the desires of thine heart from the desires of thy flesh; distinguish as much as thou canst. It is not without a meaning that it is said in a certain Psalm, God is (the strength) of mine heart. For there it says in what follows: And God is my portion for ever. For instance: One labours under bodily blindness. He asks that he may receive his sight. Let him ask it; for God does that too, and gives those blessings also. But these things are asked for even by the wicked. This is a desire of the flesh. One is sick, and prays to be made sound. From the point of death he is restored to health. That too is a desire of the flesh, as are all of such a kind. What is " the desire of the heart?" As the desire of the flesh is to wish to have one's eyesight restored, to enable him, that is, to see that light, which can be seen by such eyes; so the desire of the heart relates to a different sort of light. For, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Delight thou thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

6. " Behold," (you say,) " I do long after it, I do ask for it, I do desire it. Shall I then accomplish it?" No. Who shall then? (Ver. 5.) Reveal thy way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Mention to Him what thou sufferest, mention to Him what thou dost desire. For what is it that thou sufferest? The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. What is it then that thou dost desire? Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And because it is He Himself that " will bring it to pass," when thou shalt have revealed thy ways unto Him; hear what follows; The grace qf God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What is it then that He is to bring to pass, since it is said, Reveal thy way unto Him, and He will bring it to pass? What will He bring to pass?

Ver. 6. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light. For now, thy righteousness is hid. Now it is a thing of faith; not yet of sight. You believe something that you may do it. You do not yet see that in which you believe. But when thou shalt begin to see that, which thou didst believe before, thy righteousness will be brought forth to the light, because it is thy faith that was1 thy righteousness1 For the just lives by faith

7. And He shall bring forth thy judgment as the noonday. That is to say, " as the clear light" It was too little to say, as the light. For we call it " light" already, even when it but dawns: we call it light even while the sun is rising. But never is the light brighter than at mid-day. Therefore He will not only bring forth thy righteousness as the light, but thy judgment shall be as the noon-day. For now dost thou make thy a judgment" to follow Christ. This is thy purpose: this is thy choice: this is thy judgment. No one hath shewn thee what He hath promised: thou holdest fast One Who as yet doth but promise; but thou waitest for Him Who shall shew thee the fulfilment. In the judgment therefore of thy faith thou hast chosen to follow what thou dost not see: the justice of thy judgment is as yet a matter of uncertainty* It is as yet censured and ridiculed by the infidels. " What hast thou believed? What is it that Christ hath promised thee? That thou shalt be immortal, and that He will give thee eternal life? Where is this to be? When will He give it thee? When can it possibly be?" Yet is it thy judgment rather to follow Christ, promising what thou dost not see, than the wicked, censuring thy belief of what thou dost not yet see. And this is thy judgment; but what is the wisdom of that judgment doth not yet appear. In this world it is, as it were, night. Then, when shall He bring forth thy judgment as the noon-day? When Christ, Who is your life, shall appear, tJien shall ye also appear with Him in glory. When the Day of Judgment shall have come, and when Christ shall have come aud gathered together all nations to be judged, what shall then be? Where shall the wicked hide his falsehood8, when I shall see my* faith? Well, what is our portion now? Distress, tribulations, and trials: and Blessed is he that endureth to /AeMat24, end: for He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be13' saved. Let him not yield to those that mock him; let him not make his choice to flourish here; so that from a tree he should become grass.

8. ' What should I do then V Hear what thou sbouldest do. (Ver. 7.) Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Him. Be this thy life, to obey His commandments. For this is to submit thee to Him; and to entreat Him until He give thee what He hath promised. Let good works " continue b;" prayer " continue." For men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Wherein dost thou shew that thou art sub* mitted to Him? In doing what He hath commanded. But haply thou dost not receive thy wages as yet, because as yet thou art not able. For He is already able to give them; but thou art not already able to receive them. Exercise thou thyself in works. Labour in the vineyard; at the close of the day crave thy wages. Faithful is He who brought thee into the vineyard. Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat

9. " See! 1 do so; I do submit to the Lord, and I do entreat. But what do you think? That neighbour of mine is a wicked man, living a bad life, and prosperous! His thefts, adulteries, robberies, are known to me. Lifted up above every one, proud, and raised on high by wickedness, he deigns not to notice me. Under these circumstances, how shall I hold out with patience?" This is a sickness; drink, by way of remedy.

"Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way" He prospereth, but it is in his tray: thou sufferest, but it is in God's way! His portion is prosperity on his way, misery on arriving at its end: yours, toil on the road, happiness in its termination. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish. Thou walkest those ways which the Lord knoweth, and if thou dost suffer toil in them, they do not deceive thee. The way of the ungodly is but a transitory happiness; at the end of the way the happiness is at an end also. Why? Because that way is the broad road; its termination leads to the pit Qf jjgj] Now, thy way is narrow; and few there be that enter in through it: but into how ample a field it comes at the last, thou oughtest to consider. Fret not thyself at Him. him who prospereth in his way; because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass..

Ver. 8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Wherefore art thou wroth? Wherefore is it that, through that passion and indignation, thou dost blaspheme, or almost blaspheme? Against the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Knowest thou not whither that wrath tempts thee on? Thou art on the point of saying unto God, that He is unjust. It tends to that. " Look! why is that man prosperous, and this man in adversity?1* Consider what thought it begets: stifle the wicked notion. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: so that now returning to thy senses, thou mayest say, Mine eye is disturbed because of wrath. What eye is that, but the eye of faith? To the eye of thy faith I appeal1. Thou didst believe in Christ:1 why didst thou believe? What did He promise thee? If it was the happiness of this world that Christ promised thee, then murmur against Christ; yes! murmur against Him, when thou seest the wicked flourishing. What of happiness did He promise? What, save in the Resurrection of the Dead? But what in this life? That which was His portion. His portion, 1 say! Dost thou, servant and disciple, disdain what thy Lord, what thy Master bore? Dost thou not hear from Him, The servant is not greater than his Lord, andJjnis» the disciple is not above his Master. He endured forMktio, thee pain, scourgings, reproaches, the Cross, and death,24 and which of these was due to the Just One, which not due to thee, a sinner? Therefore keep thou thine eye right,62, let it not be disturbed because of wrath. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Be not emulous in any wise to do evil; by, as it were, copying him who, by doing evil, flourishes for a time. Be not emulous in any wise to do evil. Ver. 9. For evil-doers shall be cut off. " But I see their prosperity." Believe Him, Who saith, they shall be cut off;

Him Who seeth better than thou, since His eye anger cannot cloud. For evil-doers shall be cut off. But those that wait upon the Lord, — not upon any one that can deceive them; but verily on Him Who is the Truth itself, — But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land. What land, but that Jerusalem, with the love of which who-soever is inflamed, shall come to peace at the last.

10. " But how long is the sinner to flourish? How long shall I have to endure?" Thou art impatient1; that which seems long to thee, will soon come to pass. It is infirmity makes that seem long, which is really short, as is found in the case of the longings of sick men. Nothing seems so long, as the mixing of the potion for him when athirst. For all that his attendants are making all speed, lest haply the patient be angry; " When will it be done? (he cries,) When will it be drest? When will it be served?" Those who are waiting upon you are making haste, but your infirmity fancies that long, which is being done with expedition. Behold ye, therefore, our Physician complying with the infirmity of the patient, saying, " How long shall I have to endure? How long will it be?"

Ver. 10. Yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be. Is it certainly among sinners, and because of the sinner, that thou murmurest? A little while, and he shall not be. Lest haply because I said, They that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land, thou shouldest think that waiting to be of very long duration. Wait a little while, thou shalt receive without end what thou waitest for. A little while, a moderate space. Review the years from Adam's time up to this day; run through the Scriptures. It is almost yesterday that he fell from Paradise! So many ages have been measured out, and unrolled. Where now are the past ages? Even so, however, shall the few which remain, pass away also. Hadst thou been living throughout all that time, since Adam was banished from Paradise up to this present day, thou wouldest certainly see that the life, which had thus flown away, had not been of long duration. But how long is the duration of each individual's life? Add any number of years you please: prolong old age to its longest duration: what is it? Is it not but a morning breeze? Be it so, however, that the Day of Judgment is far off, when the reward of the righteous and of the unrighteous is to come: your last day at all events cannot be far off. Make thyself ready against this! For such as thou shall have departed from this life, shalt thou be restored to the other. At the close of that short life, you will not yet be, where the Saints shall be, to whom it shall be said, Come, ye blessed of My Father: inherit the king-dorn prepared for you from the beginning of the world. You will not yet be there? Who does not know that? But you may already be there, where that beggar, once covered with sores, was seen at a distance, at rest, by that proud and unfruitful rich man in the midst of his torments. Surely laid in that rest thou waitest in security for the Day of Judgment, when thou art to receive again a body, to be changed so as to be made equal to an Angel. How long then is that, for which we are impatient, and are saying, * When will it come? Will it tarry long?' This our sons will say hereafter, and our sons' sons will say too; and, though each one of these in succession will say this same thing, that little while, that is yet to be, passes away, as all that is already past hath past away already! O thou sick one! Yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be. Tea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and thou shalt not find him.

He shews what he meant by, he shall not be — not that he shall cease to exist altogether, but that he shall not exist for any good end. For if he shall cease to exist altogether, he will not even be tortured. Then is security given to the sinner, so that he will say, ' I will do what I will so long as I live; afterward I shall be no more.' Will he be no more in existence, that he may suffer pain, that he may be tormented? What then will become of, Depart into ever-Mtt. lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels? ' But2541, perhaps they will not be consigned to that fire, and will be annihilated.' Then it would not be said, Go ye into everlasting fire; for if they were not to be in existence, it would not be everlasting to them. And indeed what is in store for them there, whether absolute annihilation, or pain and torment, the Lord hath not kept back from us, saying, There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Nowib. in what way shall they weep, and gnash the teeth, if they shall cease to exist altogether? In what way is it here said, A little while, and the sinner shall not be, except in the way in which he expounded his meaning in the following verse? Yea, thou shalt seek his place, and thou shalt not find it. What is meant bv his p1*™? His use- " wfay f halh the sinner any use?" He hath. God uses him here to prove the righteous, even as He made use of the devil to prove Job; even as He made" use of Judas to betray Christ. In this life, therefore, there is something that can be done with the sinner. Here, therefore, is the place for him, just as the place for the chaff is in the furnace of the goldsmith. The chaff burns, that the gold may be cleared of its dross; even so the ungodly rages, that the righteous man may be proved. But when the time of our probation shall have been completed, when there shall no longer be those requiring to be proved, there will no longer be those, by whom they must be proved. I pray you,J>ecause we said, * there will not be persons to be proved,' does it follow the persons themselves shall ' not be?' But because henceforth there will be no need of sinners, as instruments for the probation of the righteous, therefore verily thou shalt seek his place, and thou shall nol find it. Seek the sinner's place now, and thou shalt find it. God hath made of the sinner a scourge. He hath even given him honour, nay, He hath given him power also. For sometimes He does this: He gives power to the sinner; then the world is scourged, then the godly1 are corrected. To that sinner, that which is due shall be repaid; and yet he has been made an instrument for the improvement of the godly; an occasion for the falling away of the ungodly. Thou shalt seek his place; and thou shall not find it.

12. Ver. 11. But the meek shall inherit the land. That land is the one of which we have often spoken, the holy Jerusalem, which is to be released from these her pilgrimages, and to live for ever with God, and on God. Therefore, They shall inherit the land. What shall be their delight? And (hey shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Let the ungodly man delight himself here in the multitude of his gold, in the multitude of his silver, in the multitude of his slaves, in the multitude, lastly, of his baths, bis roses, his intoxicating wines, his most sumptuous and luxurious banquets. Is this the power thou enviestf Is this the glory that delights thee? Would not his fate be worthy to be deplored, even if he were to be so for ever? What shall be thy delights? And they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Peace shall be thy gold. Peace shall be thy silver. Peace shall be thy lands. Peace shall be thy life, thy God Peace. Peace shall be to thee whatsoever thou dost desire. For here that which is gold, cannot be silver to thee; that which is wine, cannot be bread unto thee; and what is light to thee, cannot be drink to thee also. Thy God* shall be all to thee! Thou shalt eat Him; so that thou shalt hunger no more. Thou shalt drink of Him, so that thou shalt never thirst. Thou shalt be enlightened by Him, so that thou shalt be no more blind. Thou shalt be stayed by Him, so that thou shalt not fall. He shall possess thee whole, entire, Himself whole, entire. Thou shalt not be straitened for room in dwelling with Him, with Whom thou dost possess all. Thou shalt possess the whole of Him. He too shall possess the whole of thee; for Thou and He shall be one; of which one He who possesses you shall possess the whole. This is the remainder in store for the man of peace, That verse we have been singing, which, however, is far in this Psalm from these verses now treated of. But because we have been singing it, we ought to end with it. Only do thou be of good courage; keep innocency. It is a precious possession. Thou hast a mind to steal something; I suppose, that thou mayest make gain. Consider what it is thou art laying hands on, and what it is from which thou art taking away! Thou wishest to gain on one side: thou art losing on the other. Thou art acquiring money, thou art losing innocency. Rather let thine heart rouse itself from its slumber. Thou who didst wish to acquire money, and art thereby losing innocence, be willing rather to lose the money. Keep innocency, and take heed to direction. For God will direct thee, that thou shouldest will whatsoever God will. For if thou wiliest not what God wills, thy way will be crooked, and thy perversity will not suffer thee to be " made straight" in the " direct" way1. Keep innocence, then; and1 take heed to direction; and think not that when there is anrec end of this life, there is an end of man: for there is a remainder in store for the man of peace.

Discourse the Second

We have both received a command to speak of the Psalm to you, dearly beloved; and it was our bounden duty to obey it also. For it hath pleased God to delay our departure on account of the violence of the rains; and we have received a command, that our tongue should not be unemployed here in your service; seeing that the thought of your welfare ever employs our hearts, even as ours does yours. We had however already suggested to you what God means in that Psalm: what He would teach us; of what He would remind us, what He would forewarn us against, and what He would have us to bear with patience, and what to hope. For there are two classes of men, the just and the unjust, mingled together in this life, and in this world. Each hath a disposition of heart peculiar to itself. That of the just is struggling upward by humbling itself; that of the unjust is sinking downward by exalting itself. For the one lowers itself that it may rise; the other exalts itself that it may fall. Hence it happens, that one class has to endure, the other to be endured; that the object of the just is to save the unjust themselves to eternal life; the object of the unjust is to return evil for good, and if it be possible to deprive even of temporal life those who wish them life everlasting. For the unjust endureth with pain the just, and the just the unjust, they are a burden the one to the other. No one doubts that those two sorts of characters are a burden to one another, but that on different views. For it is for this reason that the just man is a burden to the unjust, that both in his desires he wishes, and in his actions he endeavours, that he should not be unjust, but should become just: but the unjust man's hatred for the just is of this kind, that he would not have him exist at all; not that he would have him be righteous. For the more righteous he is, so much the more is he a burden to the unrighteousness of the other. And he takes pains moreover to make him, if it were possible, un- righteous, but if he cannot, to get him taken out of the way, and remove him from the place where he is an eyesore and a grievance to himself. But even if he should make him unrighteous, he will not be any the less a burden to him.

For not only is the just man a burden to the unjust, but even two unjust persons can with difficulty endure each other: and when they seem to have a regard for each other, it is not friendship they interchange with one another, but accompliceship. But it is when they are conspiring for the destruction of the just that they are in accord together, not because they love each other, but because they have a common hatred for the man who ought to be the object of love.

It is towards this class of persons that the Lord our God enjoins upon us patience, and that affection of charity of which we have.received the knowledge in the Gospel; where the Lord enjoins us, saying, Love your enemies, and do goodM*tt.5, to them which hate you. Even as the Apostle also says, Be^m% not overcome of evil; but overcome evil with good. Contend with evil l, but be it in the cause of goodness. For that is'or'with the proper sort of contention, or rather that is a salutary manbut contest, that there should be a good man against a wicked in man, not two wicked men opposed to each other.

2. Turn back then to the Psalm. The first part of it hath been already handled. Then follow these words: (ver. 12.) The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth: (ver. 18.) But the Lord shall laugh at him. At whom? Surely at the sinner, gnashing upon the other with his teeth. But wherefore shall the Lord laugh at him? For He foreseelh that his day is coming. He seems indeed full of wrath, while, ignorant of the morrow that is in store for him, he is threatening the just. But the Lord beholds and foresees his day. 1 What day?* That in which He will render to every man according to his works. Rom. For he is treasuring up unto himself wrath against the day6'5' of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of Ood. But it is the Lord that foresees it; thou dost not foresee it. It hath been revealed to thee by Him Who foresees it. Thou didst not know of the 1 day of the unrighteous,' in which he is to suffer punishment. But He Who knows it hath revealed it to thee. It is a main part of knowledge to join thyself to Him Who hath knowledge. He hath the eyes of knowledge: have thou the eyes of a believing mind. That which God sees, be thou willing to believe. For the day of the unjust, which God foresees, will come. What day is that? The day for all vengeance! For it is necessary that vengeance should be taken upon the ungodly, that vengeance be taken upon the unjust, whether he turn or whether he turn not. For if he shall turn from his ways, that very thing, that his injustice is come to an end, is the infliction of vengeance. Did not the Lord laugh to foresee the days of two unjust persons, both that of Judas the traitor, and that of Saul the persecutor? He foresaw the one's day for punishment, the other's for conversion to righteousness. Vengeance was inflicted upon both. The first was consigned to hell fire: tns 'ast was struck to the earth by a voice from heaven Therefore, for the unjust man, whom thou hast to endure* do thou, with God, foresee his day, by the eyes of thy faith: and when thou seest him raging furiously against thee, say to thyself, ' This man will either be reclaimed and be with me; or, still persisting in his course, will not be with me.

3. What? Does the unrighteous man's injustice hurt thee, and not hurt him? How can it be, that the iniquity, which goes forth by his wrath and his indignation to harm thee, should not lay waste his very self within him, before it comes forth to attack thee? Thy body is oppressed by adversity; his soul is corrupted by iniquity. For whatsoever he puts forth against thee, returns back upon his head. For his persecution clears thee, while it makes him guilty. To which then doth it the greater injury? See, in his rage he has stripped thee of thy property. Who is visited with the severer loss, he who loses money, or he who loses faith? That loss those who have the inward eye well know how to deplore. For there are many for whom gold has charms, faith has not; forsooth, because they have eyes wherewith to see gold, no eyes wherewith to see faith. For had they those eyes, and could they behold it, surely they would love faith more than gold! And yet when men break faith with them, they cry out, they call for indignation at it, and say, " O faith? Where is faith?" Thou loves* it so far as to require it of others, Love it so as to shew it forth thyself. Therefore, because all who persecute the righteous, are afflicted with a severer loss, and stricken with a more fatal ruin, when their soul within them is laid waste, the Psalm goes on and shews this as follows.

Ver. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright heart. (Ver. 15.) Their weapon shall enter into their own heart. It is au easy thing for his weapon, that is, his sword, to reach thy body, even as the sword of the persecutors reached the body of the MartyTs, but when the body had been smitten, the heart remained unhurt; but his heart who drew out the sword against the body of the just did not clearly remain unhurt. This is attested by this very Psalm. It saith, Their weapon, that is, Their sword shall, not go into their body, but, their weapon shall go into their own heart. They would fain have slain him in the body. Let them die the death of the soul. For those, whose bodies they sought to kill, the Lord hath freed from anxiety, saying, Fear not them who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Now what a thing is it to rage with the sword, and not to. be able to kill more than the body only of thine enemy, and to be able to kill thine own soul! They are out of their senses; it is against themselves that they are raving. They are mad, they do not see themselves; just as if one were to thrust his sword through his own flesh, that he might rend another person's coat! Thou wert thinking of that which thou hast reached, and not thinking of what thou hast had to pass through to it; thou hast made a rent in his coat, and in thine own flesh. It is clear, therefore, that the hurt and injury which the unjust do themselves, is greater than the injury which they seem to themselves to do to those whom they hate. Therefore, their weapon shall go into their own heart. It is the Lord's sentence, and it is unalterable.

And their bows shall be broken. What is meant by, and their bows shall be broken? Their plots shall be frustrated. For above He had said, The wicked have drawn out the sword and bent their bows. By the drawing out of the sword he would have understood open hostility; but by the bending of the bow, secret conspiracies. See! His sword destroys himself, and his laying of snares is frustrated. What is meant by frustrated? That it does no mischief to the righteous. How then, for instance, (you ask,) did it do no mischief to the man, whom it thus stripped of his goods, whom it reduced to straitened circumstances by taking away his possessions? He has still cause to sing, (ver. 16.) A little that a righteous man hath, is better than great riches of the ungodly.

4. But the wicked are powerful: they engage in many undertakings, they have at their command the means to effect their purposes, and activity in executing them; their command is followed by obedience. But shall it be always so?

Ver. 17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken. Now by their arms is meant their power. What will he do in hell? Will it be what the rich man had to do, he who wont to fare sumptuously in the upper world, and in hell was tormented? Therefore their arms shall be broken; but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. How does He uphold them? What saith He unto them? Even what is said in another Psalm, Wait on the Lord, be of good courage; and let thine heart be strengthened. Wait, I say, on the Lord. What is meant by this, " Wait on the Lord?" Thou sufferest but for a time; thou shalt rest for ever: thy trouble is short; thy happiness is to be everlasting. It is but for a little while thou art to sorrow; thy joy shall have no end. But in the midst of trouble does thy " foot" begin to " slip?w The example even of Christ's sufferings is set before thee. Consider what He endured for thee, in Whom no cause was found why He should endure it? How great so ever be thy sufferings, thou wilt not come to those insults, those scourgings, to that robe of shame, to that crown of thorns, and last of all to that Cross, which He endured; because that is now removed from the number of human punishments. For though under the ancients criminals were crucified, in the present day no one is crucified. It was honoured, and it came to an end. It came to an end as a punishment; it is continued in glory. It hath removed from the place of execution to the foreheads of Emperors. He Who hath invested His very sufferings with such honour, what doth He reserve for His faithful servants? By these facts then, by these words, by these appeals, the Lord upholdeth the righteous. Whatsoever befals the righteous, let him impute it to the will of God, not to the power of the enemy. He may be inflamed with rage: strike thee he cannot, unless it be His Will! And if it be His Will that the other should smite thee, He knows well how to take up1 His servant. Foriexciwhom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth; but He ^courgeth^^u every son whom He receiveth? Wherefore then should the unrighteous man think it a great thing, that God hath employed him as a scourge? Him He is employing for a service: me He is correcting to prepare me for an inheritance. Nor ought we to consider how much He permits the unjust to do; but how much He hath in store for the just.

5. But we are bound to wish even for those by whom we are scourged, that they may be converted, and may themselves be scourged. For it was so that He chastened His faithful servants, Who had once made Saul to be His scourge; and afterwards converted Saul himself. And when the Lord said to holy Ananias, by whom Saul was baptized, that that Saul was to be taken charge of by him, because he was a chosen vessel, Ananias, fearing and shuddering at hearing the mention of Saul the persecutor, answered, saying, " Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how great persecution he hath raised against thy saints in Jerusalem; and now he comes, having received commission, that wheresoever he shall find any that call upon Thy name, he should arrest them, and bind them, and bring them to Jerusalem." And the Lord said in answer, " Be it so; I will shew him what things he must suffer for My name's sake." I will recompense it to him; He saith; I will revenge myself upon liim, " and he shall suffer for My name, who now rages against My name. I am correcting, or have already corrected, others by his agency: I will correct him too by the agency of others." So did it come to pass; and we know " how great things he endured," being far more than the evils which he had done: like a covetous exactor of his due, he received what he had given back again with usury.

6. But observe whether that was fulfilled in his case which the Psalm now speaks of. The Lord strengthened the righteous. — Not only so, (saith that same Paul, whilst suffering many evils,) but tee glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience; and experience hope; but hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Justly is it said by him, now righteous, now " strengthened." As therefore those who persecuted him did no harm to him, when now " strengthened," so neither did he himself do any harm to those whom he persecuted. But the Lord, he saith, strengthened the righteous. Hear now other expressions of the now strengthened and stablished righteous man. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or nakedness, or persecution? How fast attached must he have been, who was not separated by such things as these! But it is the Lord strengthened the righteous. There had come down certain prophets from Jerusalem, and being filled with the Holy Ghost had prophesied to the same Paul, that he was " to suffer many things in Jerusalem;" so that one of them, Agabus by name, having loosened his girdle, bound himself with it, as is wont to be done, in order to shew as a Prophet by this sign the things that were to be, saying, Even as ye see me bound, so must this man be bound in Jerusalem; whereon the brethren began to deter Saul, now become Paul, as warned- by the prophecy, not to expose himself to dangers so great, and by advice and by entreaty to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. But he, who was now of the number those concerning whom it is said, The Lord strengthened the righteous, says, Wherqfore would ye break my heart. I hold not my life dear unto tne. For he had already said to those, whom he had begotten in the Gospel, I would myself be gladly spent for your souls' sake. For I am ready (he cries) not only to be bound, but also to die for the name Of the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Therefore, the Lord does strengthen the righteous. In what way does He strengthen them? (Ver. 18.) The Lord knoweth the ways1 of the spotless ones. When they suffer they are believed to be walking ill ways by those who are ignorant, by those who have not knowledge to discern the ways qf the spotless ones. He Who knoweth those ways, knoweth by what way to lead His own, them that are gentle, in the right wayr Whence in another Psalm he said, The meek shall He guide in judgment; them that are gentle will He teach His way. How, think you, was that beggar, who lay covered with sores before the rich man's door,20, spurned by the passers by! How did they, probably, close their nostrils and spit at him! The Lord, however, knew how to reserve1 Paradise for him. How did they, on the other hand, desire for themselves the life of him, who was clad in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day! But the Lord, Who foresaw that man's day coming, knew the torments, the torments without end, that were in store for^kel6> him. Therefore, The Lord knoweth the ways of the upright

8. Ver. 18. And their inheritance shall be for ever. This we hold by faith. Doth the Lord too know it by faith? The Lord knoweth those things with as clear a manifestation, as we cannot speak of even when we shall be made equal to the Angels. For the things that shall be manifest to us, shall not be equally manifest to us as they are now to Him, Who is incapable of change. Yet even of us ourselves what is said? Beloved, now are we the sons qf Qod: and it doth not yet appear, what we shall be: but we know that, when He3'2' shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. There is therefore surely some blissful vision reserved for us; and if it can be now in some measure conceived, darkly and through a glass, yet cannot we in any way express in language the ravishing beauty of that bliss, which God reserves for them that fear Him, which He consummates in those that hope in Him. It is for that destination that our hearts are being disciplined in all the troubles and trials of this life. Wonder not that it is in trouble that thou art disciplined for it It is for something glorious that thou art being disciplined. Whence comes that speech of the now strengthened righteous man. The sufferings of /AwrRom. present time are not worthy to be. compared to the glory18' which shall be revealed in us. What is that promised glory to be, but to be made equal to the Angel* and to see God? How great a benefit doth he bestow on the blind man, who makes his eyes sound so as to be able to see the light of this life. When restored to soundness, he finds nothing' worthy enough to reward his restorer. For let him give him as much as he pleases, what will he give hhn equal to what the other has bestowed on him? Let him give very largely, he will give him gold, perhaps even a great deal of gold: the other has given him light! That he may know that what he gives is nothing, let him look in the dark at what he gives. What reward then shall we give unto that Physician, Who restores soundness to our inward eyes, to enable them to see a certain eternal Light, which is Himself? What shall we give unto Him? Let us enquire, let us ascertain, if we can: and in the anxiety of our search, let us exclaim, What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits unto me? And what doth he find? / will take the cup ofsalvaHon, and call upon the name qf the Lord. Are ye able9 He saith, to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? Thence he saith to Peter, Lavest thou Me? Feed My sheep: for whose welfare he was to drink the cup of the Lord. But the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the ways oflhe upright; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

9. Ver. 19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time. What is meant by, shall not be ashamed in the evil time. In the day of trouble, in the day of distress, they shall not be ashamedy as he is ashamed whose hope deceives him. Who is the man that is ashamed? He who saith, " I have not found that which I was in hopes of." Nor undeservedly either; for thou didst hope it from thyself or from man, thy friend. But cursed is he that putteth his trust in man. Thou art ashamed, because thy hope hath deceived thee; thy hope that was set on a lie. For every man is a liar. But if thou dost place thy hopes on thy God, thou art not made ashamed. For He in Whom thou hast put thy trust, cannot be deceived1. Whence also the man whom we motioned just above, the now strengthened righteous man, when fallen on an evil time, on the day of tribulation, what saith he to shew that he was not ashamed? We glory in tribulation; knowing that tribulation worketh patience », and patience experience, and experience hope; but hope tnaketh not ashamed. Whence is it that hope maketh not ashamed? Because it is placed on God. Therefore follows immediately, Because the love of Qod is spread in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Which is given unto us. The Holy Spirit hath been given to us already: how should He deceive us, of Whom we possess such an u earnest" already? They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

For here too there is a certain satisfaction for their needs provided. For the days qf famine are the days of this life. While others are perishing with hunger, they are filled. For whence could that man glory, saying, We glory in tribulations, if he were suffering from the cravings of hunger within? Without there appeared to be straits, but there was enlargement 1 within.

10. But what is the wicked man to do when he begins to suffer tribulation? Without he hath nothing; all hath been taken from him: in his conscience he finds no comfort, He hath not whither to go forth out of himself, that is full of trouble; he hath not whither to retire within himself; for that is full of wickedness. Justly therefore doth that come to pass in his case, which follows, For the wicked shall perish. For how can it be that they should not perish, for whom there is no place found any where? There is not consolation for him in that which is without; there is not in that which is within. For those things are without with respect to us, from which there is no consolation. And all those who have not God, who are devoted to the service of wealth, of glory, of friendship, of worldly power, and all bodily goods whatsoever, cannot be comforted from within, in the way that he was comforted, who, filled with spiritual good things, out of that very fulness broke forth % saying, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. The Lord hath done as it seemed Him good. Blessed be the Name of theinVnlg. Lord. Therefore for these transgressors there is no place in what is without; for there they are suffering tribulations. Conscience doth not comfort them, they do not stand well with themselves: for it cannot go well with the bad man. Whoever is a bad man stands badly with himself: he cannot but be tormented with self-inflicted torments. For he is his sagin& plenus interiors et de ips& eaginft ructaans.' own punkhment, whom his own conscience tortures. He fly from an enemy whithersoever he can. Whither shall he flee from himself?

1 1. Thus a certain person had come over to us from the party of Donatus, having been accused and excommunicated by those of his own sect, seeking to find here, what he had lost there. But because he could not be received, except in that place in which it was right he should be received, (for he had not quitted that side in full possession of all his rights among them, so that it might be clear that it was from choice, not from necessity, that he had so acted,) because, I say, he could not have what he was seeking for, and he was seeking for empty elevation, and vain glory; because he did not find here what he lost there, he is himself lost also. He was groaning under his wounds, and would not be contorted. For some secret and horrible stings were in his conscience. We endeavoured to comfort him out of the word of God; but he was not of the number of the prudent ants, who in summer lay up a store, on which to live in winter. For it is then when the times are peaceful, that man ought to collect for himself the Word of God, and ought to store it up in the inmost recesses of his heart, just as the ant shuts up in the storehouses of her holes the labours of the summer. For in summer time there is leisure for doing this; but let winter come, let tribulation, that is, come upon him, and unless he finds somewhat to feed on within, he needs must perish with hunger. Now this man had not laid up a store of the Word of God against his necessity: the winter came upon him: he could not find here, that which he was seeking; and could not be comforted except by obtaining ft; from the Word of God he could derive no kind of consolation. Within, in his own breast, he possessed nothing; without, he could not find that which he sought. He was consumed by the fires of grief and indignation, his mind was violently agitated; and that too for a long time in secret, until at last it burst out into certain groans, audible to the brethren, yet so that he did not know them to be audible. He saw, and (God knows) we grieved to see a soul suffering so great a punishment, such rackings so great a hell, so great torments! What need of more words? Unwilling to submit to a low place, that man, to whom such a place, if he had been wise, might have been salutary, shewed himself in such - colours, that he came even to be cast out Nor should we hence, my brethren, be led to despair of others, who haply have freely chosen the truth; not been led by necessity. For so far ought we to be from despairing of the rest, that even of that man I would not despair, so long as he liveth. For we need not despair of any man, so long as he lives. Now this ought to be known to you, dearly beloved brethren, concerning this very case; lest haply any one should tell you any thing different For a Sub- deacon of theirs, who when no inquiry was set on foot against him there, freely chose reconciliation to the Church, and Catholic unity, and came quitting them of his own accord, came as in sincerity, preferring what is good, and not as rejected by the bad; he, I say, has been received with such success, that we rejoice in his conversion, and commend him to your prayers. For God is able to make him better and better yet. We must not however pronounce concerning any one, either for good or for evil. For so long as we live here, the issue of tomorrow is always unknown. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satis-

12. Ver. 20. For the wicked shall perish. But the enemies of the Lord, when they shall begin to glory, and to be lifted up, immediately shall consume away utterly, even as the smoke. Recognise from the comparison itself the thing which he intimates. Smoke, breaking forth from the place where fire has been, rises up on high, and by the very act of rising up, it swells into a large volume: but the larger that volume is, the more unsubstantial does it become; for from that very largeness of volume, which has no foundation or consistency, but is merely loose, shifting and evanescent, it passes into air, and dissolves; so that you perceive its very largeness to have been fatal to it. For the higher it ascends, the farther it is extended, the wider the circumference which it spreads itself over, the thinner, and the more rare and wasting and evanescent does it become. But the enemies of the Lord, when they shall begin to glory, and to be lifted up, immediately shall consume away utterly fied. even as the smoke. Of such as these was it said, As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the Truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But how is it that they resist the Truth, except by the vain inflation of their swelling pride, while they raise themselves up on high, as if great and righteous persons, though on the point of passing away into empty air? But what saith he of them? As if speaking of smoke, he says, They shall proceed no fart Iter, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, even as theirs also was. But the enemies of the Lord, even as they shall begin to glory, and to be lifted up, immediately shall they consume away utterly, even as the smoke.

13. Ver. 20. Tfie wicked borroweth, and payeth not again. He receiveth, and will not repay. What is it he will not repay? Thanksgiving. For what is it that God would have of thee, what doth He require of thee, except that He may do thee good? And how great are the benefits, which the sinner hath received, and which he will not repay! He hath received the gift of being; he hath received the gift of being a man; and of a being highly distinguished above the brutes; he hath received the form of a body, and the distinction of the senses in the body, eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, the nostrils for smelling, the palate for tasting, the hands for touching, and the feet for walking; and even the very health and soundness of the body. But up to this point we have these things in common even with the brute; he hath received yet more than this; a mind capable of understanding, capable of Truth, capable of distinguishing right from wrong; capable of seeking after, of longing for, its Creator, of praising Him, and fixing itself upon Him. All this the wicked man hath received as well as others; but by not living well, he fails to repay that which he owes. Thus it is, the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: he will not requite Him from Whom he hath received; he will not return thanks; nay, he will even render evil for good, blasphemies, murmuring against God, indignation. Thus it is that he (ver. 21.) borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous sheweth mercy, and lendeth. The one therefore hath nothing; the other hath. See, on the one side, destitution: see, on the other, wealth. The one receiveth Ku& payeth not again: the other sheweth mercy, and lendeth: and he hath more than enough. What if he is poor? Even so he is rich; do you but look at his riches with the eyes of Religion. For thou lookest at the empty chest; but dost not look at the conscience, that is full of God. He hath not means without, but he hath charity within. How great sums doth he expend out of the stores of his charity, and it is not exhausted. For if he hath means without, it is Charity herself still that gives, though she gives out of that which he hath: but if he finds not without ought to give, he gives good wishes; gives counsel, if he can; he gives help, if he can; finally, if he cannot assist either by counsel, or by cooperation, at least he assists by prayer; at least he prays for the brother in tribulation 1; and perhaps this one is heard in his prayer, more than he who bestows bread. He always hath wherewithal to give, whose heart is full of charity. Charity is that self-same thing, which is also called goodwill. God asketh no more of thee than that which He hath given thee within. For good-will cannot be empty. For not having good-will, thou givest not to the poor, even though thou hast money to spare: whereas the very poor do offices of charity to one another from the resources of their good-will; are not unfruitful the one towards the other. You see a blind man led by one who sees; because, being poor himself, he had not money to give, he hath lent eyes to him that had them not. Whence did it come to pass that he gave the use of his limbs to him that had them not, but that there was within good- will, the treasure of the poor: a treasure, in which is found most delightful rest, and true security? To endanger the loss of that, neither doth the thief find admission, nor is shipwreck dreaded. He preserves about him that which he hath within; he escapes stripped of every thing, and still is full Thus it is the righteous sheweth mercy, and lendeth.

14. Ver. 22. For such as shall bless Him9 shall inherit* the land, that is3, they shall possess that righteous One: the£^J*. only One, Who both is truly righteous, and inaketh righteous: Who both was poor in this world, and brought great riches to it, wherewith to make those rich whom He found poor. '?or, lt *s **e> ^at^ enr'c^e<^ tne nearte of the poor with the Holy Spirit; and having emptied out their souls by confession of sins, hath filled them with the richness of righteousness: He Who was able to enrich the fisherman, who, by forsaking his nets, spurned what he possessed already, but sought to draw up what he possessed not For God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And it was not by an orator that He gained to Himself the fisherman; but by the fisherman that He gained to Himself the orator; by the fisherman that He gained the Senator; by the fisherman that He gained the Emperor. For such as shall bless Him shall inherit the land; they shall be fellow-heirs with Him, in that land of the living, of which it is said in another Psalm, Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living. Thou art my very portion, He saith unto God; and has not hesitated to make God his own portion. They shall inherit the land. (Ver. 22.) But they that curse Him shall be cut off. Yet that those should so bless, who bless, is a grace that hath been given them. For He came to them while they were yet cursing; and they were made to bless. And in this manner they that curse Him have been cut off already; since by His free gift they have been made to bless Him, Whom before they used to curse through their own wickedness, Whom, through His goodness, they now bless.

15. Ver. 23. Observe what follows: TJte steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in His way. That man may himself ' delight in the Lord's way,* his steps are ordered by the Lord Himself? For if the Lord did not order the steps of man, so crooked are (hey naturally, that they would always be going through crooked paths, and by pursuing crooked ways, would be unable to return again. He however came, and called us, and redeemed us, and shed His blood; He hath given this ransom; He hath done this good, and suffered these evils. Consider Him in what He hath done, He is God! Consider Him in what He hath suffered, He is Man! Who is that God- Man? Hadst not thou, O man, forsaken God, God would not have been made Man for thee! For that was too little for thee to requite, or for Him to bestow, that He had made thee man; unless He Himself should become Man for thee also. For it is He Himself that hath ordered our steps; that we should delight in His way. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delight eth in His way.

16. Now that thou art following the way of Christ, promise not thyself prosperity in the world. He walked through painful paths; but He promised great rewards. Follow thou Him; consider not only the way by which thou art to go, but also the destination at which thou art to arrive. Thou wilt have to endure temporal hardships; but thou wilt come to eternal joy. If thou wouldest endure the suffering, consider the reward. For even the labourer in the vineyard would sink, if he did not look to what he was to receive. But when thou hast considered what it is thou art to receive, all these things that thou sufferest will be inconsiderable in thine eyes; and thou wilt not esteem them worthy to earn that for thee. Thou wilt marvel that so great a recompense is given for so very little labour. For surely, brethren, for the sake of everlasting rest, everlasting labour ought to have been endured; and to attain everlasting happiness thou oughtest to undergo everlasting sufferings. But if thou wert to undergo everlasting toil, when couldest thou come to everlasting bliss? Thus it results that thy tribulation must needs be temporal, which being come to an end, thou mayest come to happiness that is without end. But yet, brethren, there might have been long tribulation to earn everlasting happiness: — to explain myself, as our happiness is to have no end, so our misery, and our pains, and our tribulations, might be of long duration. For were they even of a thousand years' duration, set a thousand years against eternity! What finite quantity, how great so ever it be, canst thou set against that which is infinite? Ten thousand, ten hundred thousand years, (if we may so speak,) nay, thousands of thousands of years, which are finite quantities, cannot be compared with eternity. To this is added, that God bath willed thy suffering should be not merely temporal, but also of short duration. The whole life of man is but of a few days' duration; even if joys were not mingled with its sorrows, whereas these are certainly both more numerous and of longer duration than its hardships. And it is for this reason the hardships are both fewer and shorter, that we may be able to endure. Now man were lo be through the whole of his life in toil, and in sufferings, in pain, in tortures, in prison, in scourgirigs, in hunger, and in thirst, every day, and every hour through the whole length of life, to the period of old age, yet the whole life of man is but a few days. That labour being over, there is to come the Eternal Kingdom; there is to come happiness without end; there is to come equality with the Angels; there is to come Christ's inheritance, and Christ, our joint Heir, is to come. How great is the labour, for which thou receivest so great a recompense? The Veterans who serve in the wars, and move in the midst of wounds for so many years, enter upon the military service from their youth, and quit it in old age: and to obtain a few days of repose in their old age, when age itself begins to weigh down those, whom the wars do not break down, how great hardships do they endure; what marches, what frosts, what burning suns; what privations, what wounds, and what dangers! And while suffering all these things, they fix their thoughts on nothing but those few days of repose in old age, at which they know not whether they will ever arrive. Thus it is, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in His way. This is the point with which I commenced. If thou dost delight in the way of Christ, and art truly a Christiau, (for he is a Christian indeed, who does not despise the way of Christ, but delighteth in following Christ's way through His sufferings,) do not thou go by any other way, than that by which He Himself hath also gone. It appears painful; but it is the very way of safety; another perhaps is delightful; but it is full of robbers. And he delighteth in His way.

17. Ver. 24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth his hand. See what it is to delight in Christ's way. Should it happen that he suffers some tribulation; some forfeiture of honour, some affliction, some loss, some contumely, or all those other accidents, incident to mankind frequently in this life, he sets the Lord before him, what kind of trials He endured! and, though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth his hand, because He has suffered before him. For what shouldest thou fear, O man, whose steps are ordered so, that thou shouldest delight in the way of the Lord? What shouldest thou fear? Pain? Christ was scourged. Shouldest thou fear contumelies? He was reproached with, Thou hast aj0hnr, devil, Who was Himself casting out the devils. Haply thou fearest faction, and the conspiracy of the wicked. Con-48' spiracy was made against Him. Thou canst not make clear the purity of thy conscience in some accusation, and sufferest wrong and violence, because false witnesses are listened to against thee. False witness was borne against Him first, not only before His death, but also after His resurrection. False witnesses were suborned that He might be condemned by His judges; the watch at the sepulchre came forward as false witnesses against Him. He rose again, with so great a miracle: the earth quaking opened a way for the Lord's resurrection. There was there earth watching the earth, but it was a harder earth, on which no impression could be made. It reported the truth; but was seduced by that which was false. That watch declared to the Jews what they had seen, and what had come to pass: they took money, and were told, Say ye, that while ye slept His disciples came and stole Him away. Behold here false witnesses even against His resurrection! But how great, my brethren, how great the blindness in the false witnesses! For this generally happens to false witnesses, that they are blinded, and do not perceive that they are saying things contradictory to their own words, from which it becomes evident that they are false witnesses. For what did they say, contradicting themselves? * Whilst we were sleeping, His disciples came and stole Him away.' What testimony is this? Who is the person that bears it? The person who was asleep! To such narrators as those I would not give credence, not even if they were informing me of their dreams. It is madness and absurdity; if thou wert awake, wherefore didst thou suffer it; if thou wert asleep, how earnest thou to know it?

18. So is it also with these children of those men, as ye remember, and we (the occasion having offered itself) must not omit to mention. For the more anxious we are for their salvation, the more are we bound to dwell upon their inconsistency. Behold! Christ's Body has to endure false witnesses; the Body has to endure that which had already taken place in the case of the Head. It is not to be wondered at; and even now there are not wanting persons who say of the Body of Christ dispersed throughout the world, that it is the offspring of Traditors! You bear false witness! In that passage, following you a few words farther, I convict you of false witness. Thou sayest to me; " Thou art a Traditor." I say unto thee; "Thou art a liar." But thou dost not any where, or at any time, prove me to be a Traditor. 1, here, at this very time, prove thy falsehood in thine own words. Unquestionably you there said that we « are sharpening our swords.' I quote the proceedings1 of your Circumcelliones. Unquestionably you there said that you do not reclaim what has been taken from you. I quote the proceedings1 where you employed a Proctor b to make the exaction. Unquestionably you there said, 4 We offer the Gospels only.' I quote the so numerous rulings of the judges which you have employed to harass those who were separated from you: 1 quote the petition addressed to the Apostate emperor % to whom you said, that u in his breast justice only finds a place." I pray you does Julian's apostasy seem to you to be a part of " the Gospel?" See there I have convicted you of falsehood! What is there that you have said of me, that is entitled to credence? Even if I could find no grounds for shewing that youT words were false, it is enough for me to prove you to be a liar, you who sayd that " such as you are yourself, such are the others also." For you had good reason to send such words as those to all your whole party: you wished to be rich in associates in lying: that you might not have singly to blush at your falsehood. to our reproach, say, * They take away

19. And yet he says, " Let the sentence pronounced by our Fathers against Caecilian have weight." Why should it have weight? " Because they were Bishops that pronounced it." Let that too then have authority against you, which was pronounced by Maximianus's parti z an s. For previously, as I believe you know, the Bishops came to Carthage in concert with Maximianus, while yet the Deacon of this very man; as the Tractatory hath it, which these men even appended to their proceedings, when they (the Maximianists) were carrying on a civil suit for the possession of the House against the Proctor of that man "who does not reclaim what is taken from him." They first then sent round a " Tractatory" relating to him, complaining that he would not come before their tribunal: for this it was that they principally complained of. Observe how God has brought on their own heads the charge which they made in the case of Caecilian. The coincidence is marvellous: God was pleased after so many years had passed to bring round upon them, to their face, what had been done in the former case; so that ihey can in no way find pretexts for feigning ignorance, or a loophole by which to escape. Should they say, " they had forgot what had been done before," God does not suffer them to forget; and O that it might avail to their salvation! For it is in His mercy that God has done this, that they might consider what was done. Race then before your eyes, brethren, the unity of the Universal Church at that time, from which these men severed themselves in opposition to Caecilian; set also before your eyes the party of Donatus at the present time, from which the Maximianists have severed themselves in opposition to Primianus. These men have done to Priraianus now, what the others did at that time to Caecilian. It is on this ground that the Maximianists declare themselves to be more sincere than the Donatists, in that they have really and truly imitated the acts of their ancestors. For they have set up Maximianus against Primianus in the same way that they setup Majorinus against Caecilian; and they have complained of Primianus in the same way that they complained of Caecilian. For if you remember, it was this that they said, that " Caecilian, mindful of the guilt he was conscious of, refused to appear before them." Indeed, he knew well their factious spirit. So also do these men complain that Primianus refused to appear before them. Why is Primianus at liberty to understand the character of the faction of the Maximianists, and Caecilian not at liberty to understand the spirit of the Donatist faction? Maximian was as yet not ordained: charges were being made against Primianus: the Bishops came; they desired that he should appear before them: he did not come before them, as their Tractatory inserted in the Records, shews. He did not come before them. I do not find fault with him; nay, I even praise him. If you saw any factious combination, you ought not to come before the factious party, but should have reserved your case for the more impartial cognizance of your own party. For there remained a large part of Donatus's party before whom Primianus might have cleared himself; therefore he refused to appear before those who had already factiously combined against him. Observe how we praise your policy in opposition to the Maximianists: consider well Caecilianus's case also: you will not examine it in the spirit of a brother; examine it then in that of a stranger. When you refused to appear, then, what was it that you said in your own breast? " These men have entered into a factious combination against my life; they have been corrupted to do me an injury; if I put myself into their hands, I suffer my cause to be condemned before it is heard. I will not appear; let my case be reserved for fairer judges, and men whose authority has greater weight. Sound policy this. What if Caecilian said this also? Although you will have difficulty in proving what other Lucilla corrupted them to prejudice you, and will haply not be able to find such was the case, whereas to him it was a fact so well known, that it was afterwards proved in the proceedings*. But (we will suppose) you saw something that was kept iu the back ground; a report was brought to you of some danger to be feared by you. I allow your fear to justify that precaution; you did right not to appear before such judges, for there were others who could judge 320, cited b. 3. against Cresconius, in to Csecilianus, to the Bishopric of Bp. of Circa, that Lucilla had procured Eleusins, &c. Ep. 43. §. 17. Ben, ' your case. Now consider Csecilianus's case. You reserved Numidia to judge your case; he reserved the whole world. But if you wish the sentence of the Donatists against him to have force, then let those of the Maximianists now have force against you. Bishops condemned him; so did Bishops also condemn you! Wherefore did you afterwards plead your cause, and there make good your cause against the Maximianists, even as he pleaded his cause afterwards, and made it good against the Donatists? That which took place then is seen brought round before our very eyes in a marvellous and manifest manner, viz. that the Maximianists are making the same complaint of Primianus, that the whole of their party made of Caecilian. I am affected by the circumstance to an extraordinary degree, Brethren; and thank God for it; for, in truth, the mercy of God has been establishing an example to enlighten them, if they would but be wise. Therefore if you can give your attention for a short time, Brethren, listen to the Council of the Maximianists, seeing God has put this also into our hands. (And whilst he was commenting, he himself1 read the1 Council of the Maximianists.)

20. " To our most Holy Brethren throughout all Africa;" (and whilst he was reading this, he also said, ' the entire ' Unity of their own body throughout Africa. But here * there is the Catholic Church existing together with them, ' while in other parts of the world they do not themselves ' exist together with the Catholic Church;') and whilst he was commenting, he likewise read what follows: "To our u most Holy Brethren, and Colleagues established throughout " all Africa, «. e. throughout the Proconsular Province, Nu-u midia, Mauritania, Byzacena, and Tripolis, and moreover " to the Priests and Deacons, and to all the congregations93 u militant with us in the truth of the Gospel, We, Victorinus, u Fortunatus, Victorianus, Migginus, Saturninus, Con- " stantius, Candorius, Innocentius, Cresconius, Florentine, " Salvius, a second Salvius,Donatus, Geminius, Pr<etextatus; (and whilst he was reading, he likewise said, 4 That is the * very Bishop of Assura, whom they afterwards readmitted. * He afterwards readmitted the person who had given sen- * tence against himself;' and whilst he was commenting, he

Anastasius, Donatianus, Donatus, a second Donatus, Pom- " ponius, Pancratium, Januarius, Secundinus, Paschasius, " Cresconius, Rogatianus, a second Maximianus, Bene n at us y " Gaia?tus, Victorinus, Guntasius, Quintasius, Felicianus;n (and whilst he was reading he likewise said, ' Is this the 6 Bishop of Mustita, who is still living? But perhaps it is * some one from another See. The subscribers afterwards 1 express the Sees also to which each belonged;' and while commenting, he likewise proceeded to Tead what follows;) " Salvias, Migginus, Proculus, Latinus, and the rest of us " who were in the Council at Cabarsussis , send eternal " health in the Lord. There is no one, Brethren, that is " ignorant concerning the Priests of God, that it is not " according to the impulse of their own will, but by the " direction of the Divine Law, that they, according to justice u and desert, either pass sentence against the criminal, or " remove from the innocent that which has been inflicted " upon them. For he will be exposed to no slight danger, " whosoever shall either spare the guilty, or attempt to " destroy the innocent: especially seeing it is written, 6 The " innocent and the righteous slay thou not,' and, i Thou shalt " not justify the wicked Being admonished, therefore, by " this injunction of the Law, we have been obliged [letters " from elders of the same Church calling upon us to do so) " to hear and to discuss in the spirit of it the case of Primi- " anus, whom the Holy People of the Church of Carthage " had elected as their Bishop over God's slieepfold, in order u iliat all things being made clear, we might either ifinno- " cent, as was to be wished, clear him of the charges; or if " guilty, at all events shew that he was condemned according " to his just deserts. For it was most to be wished for by " us, thai the Laity of the Church of Carthage might rejoice " that they were dignified by the possession of such a Bishop Carthage, as St. Aug. says, (against justify the wicked; so Vulg. quia " as was accounted in atl respects holy and in no point u obnoxious to censure. Seeing that at all events the Lord's " Priest ought for this reason to be such a person, that " whatsoever the people be not able to effect with God for " themselves? he may deserve to obtain for the people what u he shall ask for them: because it is written, If the people " shall sin, the Priest shall pray for them: but if the Priest "sin, who shall entreat for himh?" (And while he was reading, he also said commenting upon it, ' Even Apostles 1 have written to congregations to pray for them; even 4 Apostles were in the habit of saying in prayer, Forgive us5' * our debts. Even the Apostle John said, We have an ' Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and2' * He is the propitiation for our sins. But that was written 4 concerning that Priest, Whom they know not, that the 1 people might be admonished in prophecy, that they ought ' to recognise as their Priest such a Person as could have * no one to intercede for Him. But who is there for whom ' no one prays, save Him Who intercedes for all? Because, i therefore, the Levitical Priesthood was then in existence, in ' which the priest was wont to enter into the Holy Place, ' and offer victims for the people, while however he presented 1 the shadow only, not the substance, of a certain Priest that * was to come, for at that time the priests themselves were * sinners, like the rest of mankind; God, willing by prophecy ' to remind the people, that even then such a Priest was to * be anxiously looked for by them, Who might intercede for * all, and for Whom none could have to intercede, pointing ' to such an One, He reminded them, saying, If the people 4 sin, the Priest sftall pray for them; but if the Priest shall i sin, who shall entreat for him? Therefore, O people, * choose as thy Priest such an one as thou canst not be * compelled to pray for; and of Whose intercession for thy- * self, thou inayest be assured1. That Person is our Lord * Jesus Christ, the One Priest, the One Mediator between God 1 and man, the Man Christ Jesus.' And while he was commenting, he proceeded to read what follows:) " Now the " scandals of Primianus, and his extraordinary wickedness, against him, that it was necessary to cut off utterly the " author of these crimes; who being recently ordainea\ — " (And as he was reading, he at the same time said commenting upon it;) ' from this point begins the enumeration of the * charges against him:' (and as he was commenting, he read what follows;) u — endeavouring to induce certain Priests to " combine with him in an impious conspiracy, did ask this " as a favour of them, that in order to the condemnation qf "four Deacons, excellent persons, and of singular and ap- " proved merit, to wit, Maximianus, Rogatianus, Donatus, " and Salgamius also.n (And as he read, he at the same ' time said commenting upon it, c Among these four was that ' author of the schism, severing from a fragment another 1 fragment, and not grieving at being himself cut off from the e whole body.' And while he was commenting, he also read what follows:) " that they should without delay promise " him their concurrence in order to this" (And when he read this, commenting upon it, he said, 6 It was for this he ' made interest with them; they refused to promise him; but * were silent; he did not scruple to execute the crime which * he meditated by his own authority.' And while he was commenting, he at the same time read,) u And when they, " astounded by his wicked presumption, had by their silence " rejected the proposal, he did not hesitate to perpetrate the " crime he meditated on his own responsibility; to such a " degree that he thought he might pass sentence on Maximi- " anus, a Deacon, a man, (as is known to all,) innocent, and u that too without pleading his cause — without being con- "fronted with an accuser, or a witness — while absent, while " lying sick on his couch" (And whilst he read, he at the same time said by way of comment, * Observe the charge!* and whilst he was commenting, he also read what follows;) " — having before condemned certain clerks in a similar " ebullition of passion. For when he had been admitting " unclean persons to the Communion of the Saints, contrary " to the Law and the decrees of all Priests1, and when, the " great majority qf the Laity making opposition to it, he ' was moreover called upon by the letters of the most con- " tiderable of the Elders of the Church, that he might himself " correct the wrong that he had done, he, being possessed by " that natural wilfulness of his, disdained to make amends. " Affected, therefore, by this, the Elders of the said Church " sent ambassadors and letters to the whole Body1, in which1 they, not without tears, besought of us, that we would come " to them with all diligence; that having weighed the cause™™' u in the balance, and having fully sifted the charges, we " might clear the reputation of the Church. Having then " come to this Church according to the letters of the parties u aforesaid, he, inflamed to fury after his usual fashion, " absolutely refused to acknowledge our arrival." (And as he read this, he said commenting on it, * You know what * is laid to his charge, that the party of Donatus hath now * become unclean. For this was a principle with them, that * such as they are with whom they are in communion, such * both each individually, and the entire body collectively, i become also. Therefore, if these men speak truly, at this * time the whole party of Donatus is unclean. Now let the ' Numidians come forth, and flatly say, " It does not concern * us, if you have admitted to Communion those unclean ' persons, whoever they be. Could it injure us who are at * so great a distance?" if that which takes place at Carthage ' does you no harm who are in Numidia, could what took * place in Africa affect injuriously the Church Universal? At ' every point the reasons by which they defend themselves, * serve to accuse them, and to exculpate us.9 And as he was commenting, he read what follows:) " He absolutely re-u fused to acknowledge our arrival." (And as he read this, he at the same time said; * The very same thing that they * complained of in Caecilian.' And as he commented, he read what follows:) " Who in his rebellious spirit kicking " against the pricks in every direction, persevered in his evil " disposition, so that Itaving hired a mob of abandoned " character, — " (And as he read, he said at the same time; * Here indeed there is something more; this they never 1 said of Caecilian. See what he did — ' And as he was commenting, he at the same time read what follows;) u and " having procured officers, blocked up the doors of the Basili- " cas, — " (And as he was reading, he at the same time said, c — in order that the Bishops might not enter;' and as he was commenting, he also read what follows;) " that they might " deprive us of the power of going in, and performing Vie " usual solemnities. Whether it be consistent for a Bishop " to do this, whether Christians are at liberty to perpetrate " such deeds, whether the Gospels allow of this, let any one " who is a lover or a champion qf the truth judge, and if it " be, approve them. For one, once our Brother, hath in flicted " a wound upon us, which not even a stranger would ever " have done" (And as he was reading, he at the same time said; ' Why should I say more? they say many things, and ' they condemn the man; but let us now read the condemnation ' itself.' And as he was commenting, he at the same time read,) "All we, Gods Priests, with the assistance of the " Holy Spirit, have made a decree; that, ' Whereas the said " Primianus hath in the first place appointed Bishops to " supersede others yet alive; hath admitted unclean persons " to Communion with the Saints; hath attempted to constrain " the Presbyters to enter into a conspiracy; hath caused " Fortunatus a Presbyter to be thrown into a sewer for ad- " ministering Baptism to persons in sickness; hath refused " Communion to Demetrius a Presbyter, that he might comu pel him to renounce his son; for that also the aforesaid " Presbyter was reprimanded for having entertained the " Bishops; and whereas the aforesaid Primianus did send " o mob to raze the houses of Christians; and whereas the " Bishops and the Clergy were besieged together, and after- " wards stoned by his satellites; whereas the Elders qf the "congregation were beaten1 in the Basilica, because they " expressed their indignation at the admission of the Claudi- " anists to Communion, whereas he thought proper to con- " demn certain innocent Clerks; whereas he refused to "present himself before us for the hearing of his cause; " when by means of the mob and the officers he prevented us "from entering the doors of the Basilicas; because he " rejected with insults the envoys sent from us to him; and " whereas he has kept possession of many places*, first by k Loca, houses of Bishops, as seems for the Episcopal Sees, and below quwque erat," at the beginning of §. 20. missor ablatorum/ "force, and afterwards by judicial authority, — w (And as he read, he said, * Behold the non-vindication qf what is taken t from him; whereas the Apostle Paul says, Dare any qfiCoi.e, ' you, having a matter with another, go to law before the1' ' unjust, and not before the Saints? Observe what sort of ' charge they brought against him! that he would not try 8 the cause for the possession of the said places 1 before the * Bishops, but before the judge,') " besides other his unlaw- "ful deeds, which not to pollute our writing9 we pass in " silence; we therefore adjudge him to be for ever cut off^^ "from the Sacerdotal Body3; lest from touching him ^J*^ u Church of God should be irfected with contagion, or pol- " luted with any crime. Which selfsame thing the Apostle " Paul prescribes, and admonishes us, Now we command " you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that3'6, "ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh " disorderly, and so, not regardless of the purity of the " Church, we have thought it expedient by this our Trae- " tatory to warn all our holy Colleagues in the Priesthood, " all Clerks, and all of the Laity that are mindful of their " being Christians, that they should all of t/iem with all " diligence shun Communion with him, as condemned4. ForA°T " whosoever shall by disobeying attempt to violate this our™?^' " Decree, shall have to answer for himself for the loss Qfhis^^f" " soul. It hath verily seemed good to the Holy Ghost and " to us, that time be granted to those who are slow to turn "from their error; under this limitation, that whosoever of u our Colleagues in the Episcopate, or of the Clergy, re- " gardless qf the salvation of their souls, shall not cease ufrom Communion with the aforesaid Primianus, from the " day qf his condemnation, i. e. from the twenty -second qf " June, until the twenty-second of December, should lie " under a similar sentence. And of the Laity also, unless, " between the day qf his condemnation qforesaid, and the " Easter Day next following, they shall renounce intercourse " with him, that no one should be capable qf being restored " to the Church, save by penitence, in case they should " remember themselves. Signed, Victorinus, Bishop qf " Munatia. Signed, Fortunatus, Bishop qf Dionysianum. " Signed, Victorianus, Bishop qf Carcabia. Signed, Flo- " rentius, Bishop of Adrumetum. Signed, Migginus, Bishop qf Elephantaria. Signed, Innocentius, Bishop of The- " balta. I, Miggin, signed for my colleague, Salvias qf " Membressis. Signed, Salvias, Bishop qf Auscfa. Signed, " Dona tics, Bishop qf Sabrata. Signed, Oemelius, Bishop ' parties to the condemnation, both Pretextatus of Assura, he recited as follows;) " Signed, Prceteztatus, Bishop of " Assura. Signed, Maximianus, Bishop qf Stabala. Signed, " Datianus, Bishop of Camiceta. Signed, Donatus, Bishop " of Fisciana. Signed, Theodorus, Bishop qf Usula. I, " Victorianus, signed as desired by my colleague Bishop " Agnosius. Signed, Donatus, Bishop of Cebresuta. Signed, " Natalicus, Bishop qf Thela. Signed, Pomponius, Bishop " of Macriana. Signed, Pancratius, Bishop of Baliana. " Signed, Januarius, Bishop of Aquenum. Signed, Secundus, " Bishop of Jacondiana. Signed, Pascasius, Bishop of Vicus " Augusli. Signed, Creso, Bishop of Conjustiacum. Signed, " Rogatianus, Bishop. Signed, Maximianus, Bishop qf " Erumminum. Signed, Benenatus, Bishop of Tugutianum. " Signed, Ritanus, Bishop. Signed, Qaianus, Bishop of " Tiguala. Signed, Victorinus, Bishop of Leptimagna. " Signed, Ountasius, Bishop of Benefa. Signed, Quintasius, " Bishop of Capsa. Signed, Felicianus, Bishop of MusHta. " Signed, Victorianus as deputed by Migginus, Bishop. " Signed, Miggius, Bishop. Signed, Latinus, Bishop of " Mugice. Signed, Proculus, Bishop ofOirbita. I, Donaius, u Bishop of Fabra, signed for my brother and colleague " Marratius. I, Proculus;signed for my colleague Oallionus. " Signed, Secundianus, Bishop of Prisianum. Signed, Hel- " pidius, Bishop of Tusdrita. Signed, Donatus, Bishop of " Samurdata. Signed, Qelulicus, Bishop of Victoriana. " Signed, Annibonius, Bishop of Robauta. I, Annibonius, " also signed, as requested by my colleague the Bishop qf

Augendiara. Signed, Tertullus, Bishop ofAbita. Signed, " Primulianus, Bishop. Signed, Secundinus, Bishop of " Arusia. Signed, Maximus, Bishop of Pittana. Signed, " Donatus, Bishop ofBelma. Signed, Perseverantius, Bishop " of Teberta. Signed, Fausiinus, Bishop of Bina. Signed, " Victor, Bishop of Altibura. In all fifty-three in " number*

And as he was reading, he at the same time said commenting upon it; Deign to give us your attention for a short space. This is the Sentence of your condemnation. We say to him; What will you? that it should have weight, or that it should not? J am in your favour; I say decidedly that all these have uttered falsehoods against you: and hear on what ground I believe it to be so. Because you maintained your cause before other judges, and the other party was condemned. If then I consider you to be innocent, because refusing to "Come before the tribunal of a factions cabal, you proved your innocence elsewhere, so that those who* condemned you, were really deserving of condemnation, deign to acknowledge Caecilianus' innocence, who would not come before your predecessors and reserved his cause for the cognizance of the Universal Church, just as you yourself reserved your own to the council of Numidia*. If the See of Bagai reestablished your innocence, how much more so was his reestablished by the Apostolic See? Or would you rather that their sentence should be valid, who first pronounced condemnation? If theirs be valid, it is valid against you. For against Caecilian it neither had nor will have validity; yet consider what a decision you are pronouncing against yourself.

22. Now here they dare to say, * But we who passed sentence against the Maximianists were more numerous than they.* Let your sentence then be valid against Felician, and theirs against Caecilian will be valid also. When they held a council at Bagai, they condemned Felician among the rest. At present Felician is in their Church. Either he has been reinstated being guilty; or was condemned being innocent. If then you reinstate a guilty person to preserve the peace of the Donatist Body3, yield to all nations for the sake of the peace of Christendom4. If however it was by an error on your part that Felician was condemned, being innocent, was it possible for three hundred and ten to err in condemning Felician, and impossible for seventy to err in condemning Caecilian? What do you say then when you bear it said to you, * The Maximianists condemned you previously,' you shelter yourselves by saying, ' But we who condemned the Maximianists were more in number.' To both your positions1 a reply is directly made, because your predecessors also previously condemned Caecilian. If pri- 0T\iy gives validity let the Primianists bow to the Council of the Maximianists. If superior numbers make valid, let the Donatists bow to the Church Universal. I think nothing can be fairer. * The Maximianists are few.' ' Aye, but their sentence of condemnation was passed first. A convicted party cannot convict* If you think this, how could yon, condemned as you were, venture to pass sentence? For his own name stands in the list of the pafties to the condemnation; and they did not reserve foi him the position of the party who had his cause to plead. But Csecilian's case was different; — the position of the defendant was reserved for him, as indeed the sentence itself shews: for he was not readmitted to Communion except on his acquittal. This man, on the other hand, is found in one document condemned by the judges, in the other, himself passing sentence of condemnation among the judges. But allow that to be the lenity of the Council of Bagai; we will allow that without objection.' ' The Maximianists condemned you wrongfully; so too did those your predecessors condemn Caecilian wrongfully. You established your innocence in the Council of Bagai; he his in the trial beyond the sea. The verdict in that trial was approved by all the world. What would you say?' ' We are more in number than the Maximianists.' ' Allow that you are more numerous: let us compare the number of the two majorities m; see how vast a difference! You were condemned in your absence by the Maximianists, after you had refused to come before them. In this point indeed there is a resemblance: in this way was it that they also condemned Caecilian in his absence, when he did not appear before their cabal: but, on the other hand, you caused sentence to be passed against them in the Council of Bagai, in their absence: while Caecilian was acquitted, being present at the trial, and confronted with his adversary3, There is besides another vast difference. The Numidians jour judges, before whom you were to establish your innocence, you yourself appealed to; you yourself appointed them. The Maximianists asked not for them, whereas Donatus was beaten by Csecilian before those very judges, for whom the Donatist party had petitioned. Now the Maximianists reply to you with justice, ' We being Bishops of your province, of the Diocese that belongs to you, came to yon at first, and would have judged your case; you refused to acknowledge us, yon would not come before us. If you feared to be tried by us, we should have named judges in conjunction at all events, you should not have gone to those 3*ou yourself pleased. Observe how wide a difference! Then moreover the Donatists petitioned the Emperor by letter, that he would name them judges. They found fault with those before whom they were condemned, whom, before they were condemned, they petitioned for. Others were assigned at their request; and before these also were they beaten; they appealed to the Emperor, and were beaten there. The Maximianist lost his cause once, when absent, and is silent; the Donatist, thrice beaten though present, refuses to be silent.

23. But you contend with the Maximianists on the score of numbers. As I said, I am in your favour. Three hundred and ten are more than one hundred, or as many as there were of them, who, on the side of Maximianus, condemned Primianus. And think you that the thousands of Bishops throughout the world who passed sentence in favour of Gaecilian against Donatus, should have no weight with you f But you will say, * What? Did thousands of Bishops from all the world condemn the Donatists?' Very true1. They did not condemn them. Why did they not? Because they were not present at the trial. If not present at the trial, it was for this very reason they did not condemn them, because they were utterly ignorant of that cause. Wherefore hast thou separated thyself from those who were innocent of it? There comes hither to thee from the Church throughout the world some person already baptized, whom you would fain rebaptize; and with loud exclamations and with groans appeals to you as, in the exercise of a now deadly ministerial act, you would fain repeat that which is given once for alt and is not lost1. And he says to thee, "What wouldest thou do? Rebaptize me?" (So speaks some one from Mesopotamia, or some one from Syria, or haply some one from P°ntus> or some one settled yet farther off.) You reply, ' Thou hast no Baptism!1 ' How? Read the letters of the Apostle sent to me.' There comes some one from Galatia, from Pontus; some one from Philadelphia, to which Churches John wrote. There comes some one from Colosse, from Philippi, from Thessalonica. ' What? have I no Baptism? I, to whom an Apostle wrote, through whom thou hast Baptism thyself? Darest thou read mine Epistle, who dost abominate my 8 Communion 0?'

Discourse the Third

The last part of this Psalm yet remained with you, undiscussed and unexplored. Therefore, as I perceive, it was not without His purpose, although not according to our own, that the Lord hath called us back hither, to discharge our debt. Be ye therefore attentive, brethren, that we may, with God's assistance, be enabled now to repay, what we know ourselves to owe. Who is the speaker of that which wc have been but just now singing?"

Ver. 25. / have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

If it is spoken but in the person of one single individual, how long is the whole life of one man? And what is there

» The argument may be briefly they had objected in the case of C«ciwonderful in the circumstance, that a single man, fixed in some one part of the earth, should not, throughout the whole space of his life, being so short as man's life is, have ever seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread, although be may have advanced from youth to age. It is not any thing worthy of marvel; for it might have happened, that before his lifetime there should have been some " righteous man seeking bread;" it might have happened, that there had been some one in some other part of the earth not where he himself was. Hear too another thing, which makes an impression upon us. Any single one among you, (look you,) who has now grown old, may perhaps, when, looking back upon the past course of his life, he turns over in his thoughts the persons whom he has known, not find any instance of a righteous man begging bread, or of his seed begging bread, suggest itself to him; but nevertheless be turns to the inspired Scriptures, and finds that righteous Abraham was straitened, and suffered hunger in his own country, and left that land for another; he finds too that the son of the very same man, Isaac, removed to other countries in search of bread, for the same cause of hunger. And how will it be true to say, / have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread? And if be finds this true in the duration of bis own life, he finds it is otherwise in the inspired writings, which are more trustworthy than human life is.

2. What are we to do then? Let us be seconded by your pious attention, so that we may discern the purpose of God in these verses of the Psalm, what it is He would have us understand by them. For there is a fear, lest any unstable person, not capable of understanding the Scriptures spiritually, should appeal to human instances, and should observe the virtuous servants of God to be sometimes in some necessity, and in want, so as to be compelled to beg bread: should particularly call to mind the Apostle Paul, who says, In hunger and thirst; in cold and nakedness;2 and should stumble thereat, saying to himself, "Is that11'27, certainly true1 which I have been singing? Is that certainly1 true, which I have been sounding forth in so devout a voice, standing in church? / have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Lest he should say in his heart, c Scripture deceives us;' and all his limbs should be paralyzed to good works: and when those limbs within him, those limbs of the inner man, shall have been paralyzed, (which is the more fearful paralysis,) he should henceforth leave off from good works, and say to himself, " Wherefore do I do good works? Wherefore do 1 break my bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked, and take home to mine house him who hath no shelter, putting faith in that which is written? / have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread; whereas I see so many persons who live virtuously, yet for the most part suffering from hunger. But if perhaps 1 am in error in thinking the roan who is living well, and the man who is living ill, to be both of them living well, and if God knows him to be otherwise; that is, knows him, whom I think just, to be unjust, what am I to make of Abraham' s case, who is commended by Scripture itself as a righteous person? What am I to make of the Apostle Paul, who says, Be ye followers of me, even as 1 also am of Christ. What? that I should myself be in evils such as he endured, In hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness?"

3. Whilst therefore he thus thinks, and whilst his limbs are paralyzed to the power of good works, can we, my brethren, as it were, lift up the sick of the palsy; and, as it were, 6 lay open the roof of this Scripture, and let him down before the Lord. For you observe that it is obscure. If obscure therefore, it is covered. And I behold a certain patient paralytic in mind, and 1 see this roof, and am convinced that Christ is concealed beneath the roof. Let me, as far as I am able, do that which was praised in those, who opened the roof, and let down the sick of the palsy before Christ; that He might say unto him, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. For it was so that He made the inner man whole of his palsy, by loosing his sins, by binding fast his faith. But there were present there men, who had not eyes to see that the inward paralytic was already healed; and thought that the Physician was blaspheming, when He was making him whole. Who is this, they say, W ho forgiveth sins? This man blasphemeth* Who can forgive sins but God alone? And because He really was God, He heard them thinking such things. This their thought of God, they thought truly; but they did not behold God present there. Therefore that Physician wrought a certain work in the body of the paralytic also, that He might heal the inward palsy of those also who said such things. For He wrought for them to see! He gave for them to believe! Come therefore, every one, who is feeble and weak in heart, so that, looking at human instances of worldly suffering, thou art fain to leave off from good works, and art relaxed as it were, by a certain inward paralysis; come, if we may be able, let us lay open the roof, that thou mayest be let down before the Lord.

4. For in His body, which is the Church, the Lord Himself hath ' been young' indeed in the first ages; and, lo! He hath now grown old. You know and acknowledge, and understand, that in this body ye are placed; and ye so believe, that Christ is our Head; that we are the body of that Head. Now are we alone so; and were not those who were before our time such also? All the righteous that have been from the beginning of the world have Christ for their Head. For they believed that He was to come, Whom we believe to have now come; and it was in faith in Him, in Whose faith we also have been made whole, that they were made whole also: so that He should be in His own person the Head of the whole of the City of Jerusalem: all the faithful, from the beginning unto the end, being included in the number$-the legions and the armies of the Angels being also joined to them, so that it might become one City under one King; and, as it were, one Province under one Governor, happy in perpetual peace and security, praising God eternally, and happy eternally. Now the body of Christ, which is the Church, like an individual man, was once indeed young; and, behold! she is now in a fruitful old age. For it was of her that it was said, she shall still be multiplied in fruitful old age. She bath multiplied herself through all nations; and this is her voice as she reflects upon her first period, and this her last, as if that of one individual. She looks back over all of it, because all ages are known to her by the Scripture; and she saith, exulting, and warning us, Once was I young; in the first ages of the world, and, to! now am I old; I am now even in the last ages of the world; and never have seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

5. Now do we recognise the Man Who was young, and now is old; and having, as it were, laid open the roof, we have come to Christ! But who is the righteous man, who hath never been seen forsaken, nor his seed begging bread? If you understand what is meant by bread, you understand who is meant by him. For the " bread" is the Word of God, which never departs from the righteous man's mouth* For, that righteous man, when tempted in the person of his Head, gave this very answer. For, when the devil said to the Lord Himself, while an hungered, and suffering from hunger, Command that these stones be made bread, He answered, Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Consider now, my brethren, when it is that the righteous man doth not do the will of God. For he doth it alway, and lives according to His will. The will of God departeth not from his heart; for the will of God is the aw 0f God. And what is said of such a person? And in His law doth he meditate day and night. That other sort of bread you feed on one hour, and you leave it. On that bread of the Word you feed both day and night. For both when you hear it, and when you read it, you are feeding upon it; when you think upon it, you are ruminating it, so as to be a ' clean,' and not an ' unclean animal.' Which Wisdom also indicates by the mouth of Solomon, saying, The treasure that is to be desired conlinuelh in the mouth °ftne w^ man> oul a foolish man swalloweth it up. For he who swalloweth it up hastily, so that what he has devoured is not to be seen remaining in him, has forgotten what he heard. But he who has not forgotten, thinks upon it, and by thinking upon it, ruminates it, and in the rumination of it finds delight. Whence it is said, Holy meditation shall keep thee. See now if ' holy meditation doth keep thee* in the rumination of this bread, then hast thou never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

6. Ver. 26. He is alway merciful, and lendeth. c Fceneratur' is used in Latin indeed, both for him who lendeth, and for him who borroweth. But in this passage the meaning is more plain, if we express it by 4 foenerat.' What matters it to us, what the grammarians please to rule? It were better for us to be guilty of a barbarism, so that ye understand, than that in our propriety of speech ye be left unprovided. Therefore, that righteous man is all day merciful, and foenerat. Let not the lenders of money on usury, however, rejoice. For we find it is a particular kind of lender that is spoken of, as it was a particular kind of bread; that we may, in all passages, remove the roof, and find our way to Christ. I would not have you be lenders of money on usury; and I would not have you be such for this reason, because God would not have you. For if I indeed would not have you be so, and God would have you be, do it; but if God would not have it, even though I would fain have it so, he who should do it, would do it to his hurt. Wheuce does it appear that God would not have it so? It is said in another place, He that putteth not out his money to usury. And how detestable, odious, and execrable a thing it is, I believe that even usurers themselves know. Again, on the other hand, I myself, nay rather our God Himself, bids thee be an usurer, and says to thee, " Lend unto God." If thou lendest to man, hast thou hope? and shalt thou not have hope, if thou lendest to God? If thou hast lent thy money on usury to man, that is, if thou hast given the loan of thy money to one, from whom thou dost expect to receive something more than thou hast given, not in money only, but any thing, whether it be wheat, or wine, or oil, or whatever else you please, if you expect to receive more than you have given, you are an usurer, and in this particular are not deserving of praise, but of censure. * What then,' you say, ' am I to do, that 1 may lend profitably?' Consider what the usurer does. He undoubtedly desires to give a less sum, and to receive a larger; do thou this also; give thou a little, receive much. See how thy principal grows, and increases! Give things temporal, receive things eternal: give earth, receive heaven! And perhaps thou wouldest say, ' To whom shall I give them?" The self-same Lord, Who bade thee not lend on usury, comes forward as the Person, to Whom thou shouldest lend on usury! Hear from Scripture in what way thou mayest lend unto the Lord. He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth unto the Lord. For the Lord wanteth not aught of thee. But thou hast one who needs somewhat of thee: thou extendest it to him; he receives it For the poor hath nothing to return to thee, and yet he would himself fain requite thee, and finds nothing wherewith to do it: all that remains in his power is the good-will that desires to pray for thee. Now when the poor man prays for thee, he, as it were, says unto God, " Lord, I have borrowed this; be Thou surety for me." Then, though you have no bond on the poor man to compel his repayment, yet you have on a sponsible security. See, God from His own Scriptures saith unto thee; " Give it, and fear not; I repay it. It is to Me thou givest it." In what way do those who make themselves sureties for others, express themselves? What is it that they say? " I repay it: I take it upon myself. It is to me you are giving it." Do we then suppose that God also says this, " I take it on Myself. It is unto Me thou givest it?" Assuredly, if Christ be God, of which there is no doubt, He hath Himself said, / was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat. And when they said unto Him, When saw we Thee hungry f that He might shew Himself to be the Surety for the poor, that He answers for all His members, that He is the Head, they the members, and that when the members receive, the Head receiveth also; He says, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these that belong to Me, ye have done it unto Me. Come, thou covetous usurer, consider what thou hast given; consider what thou art to receive. Hadst thou given a small sum of money, and he to whom thou hadst given it were to give thee for that small sum a great villa, worth incomparably more money than thou hadst given, how great thanks wouldest thou render, with how great joy wouldest thou be transported! Hear what possession He to Whom thou hast been lending bestows. Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive — What? The same that they have given i God forbid! What you gave were earthly things, which, if you had not given them, would have become corrupted on earth. For what could you have made of them, if you had not given them? That which on earth would have been lost, has been preserved in heaven. Therefore what we are to receive is that which hath been preserved. It is thy. desert that hath been preserved, thy desert hath been made thy treasure. For consider what it is that thou art to receive. Receive — the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. On the other hand, what shall be their sentence, who would not lend? Qo ye into everlasting fre9Mat.2&, prepared for the devil and his angels. And what is the41, kingdom which we receive called? Consider what follows: And these shall go into everlasting burning; but the righteous into life eternal. Make interest for this; purchase this. Give your money on usury to earn this. You have Christ throned in heaven, begging on earth. We have discovered in what way the righteous lendeth. He is alway mercj/ul, and lendeth.

7. And his seed is blessed. Here too let not any carnal notion suggest itself. We see many of the sous of the righteous dying of hunger; in what sense then will his seed be blessed? His seed is that which remains of him afterwards; that wherewith he soweth here, and will hereafter reap. For the Apostle says, Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.9' As we have therefore time, he says, let us do good unto all men. This is that seed of thine which shall be blessed. You commit it to the earth, and gather ever so much more; and dost thou lose it in committing it to Christ? See it expressly termed seed by the Apostle, when he was speaking of alms. For this he saith; He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth in blessings', shall also6' reap in blessings. But, perhaps, it is a labour to thee when thou sowest; a pain to thee when thou shewest mercy, because thou seest the wretched. For it will be better for us, when some day we shall have no persons to whom to give those alms. When all shall be changed into incorniption, there will be no one hungry, to whom thou mayest offer bread: there will be no one thirsty, to whom thou mayest give drink: there will be no one naked for thee to clothe: there will be no stranger for thee to take in. Here, however, we are sowing the seed in the midst of afflictions, of travails, of griefs, of lamentation. But turn to another Psalm; They went forth, and wept as they were throwing * In benedictioniboi i*A«yMu#) Reo. t.; E. V. « bountifully." their seed. Hear now that his seed shall be blessed. T/tey shall doubtless come again with rejoicing carrying their sheaves.

8. Observe therefore what follows, and be not slothful. (Ver. 27.) Depart from evil, and do good. Do not think it to be enough for thee to do, if thou dost not strip the man who is already clothed. For in not stripping the man wno is already clothed, thou hast indeed departed from evil: but do not be barren, and wither. So choose not to strip the man who is clothed already, as to clothe the naked. For this is to depart from evil, and to do good. And you will say, " What advantage am I to derive from it?" He to Whom thou lendest has already assured thee of what He will give thee. He will give thee everlasting life. Give to Him, and fear not! Hear too what follows; Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore. And think not when thou givest that no one sees thee, or that God forsakes thee, when haply after thou hast given to the poor, and some loss, or some sorrow for the property thou hast lost, should follow, and thou shouldest say to thyself, " What hath it profited me to have done good works? I believe God doth not love the men who do good." Whence comes that buz, that subdued murmur among you, except that those expressions are very common? Each one of you at this present moment recognises these expressions, either in his own lips, or on those of his friend. May God destroy them; may He root out the thorns from His field; may He plant the good seed, and the tree bearing fruit! For wherefore art thou afflicted, O man, that thou hast given some things away to the poor, and hast lost certain other things? Seest thou not that it is what thou hast not given, that thou hast lost? Wherefore dost thou not attend to the voice of thy God? Where is thy faith? wherefore is it so fast asleep? Wake it up in thy heart. Consider what the Lord Himself said unto thee, while exhorting thee to good works of this kind; Provide yourselves bags which wax not old; a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth. Call this to mind therefore when you are lamenting over a loss. Wherefore dost thou lament, thou fool of little mind, or rather of unsound mind? Wherefore didst thou lose it, except that thou didst not lend it to Me? Wherefore didst thou lose it? Who has caried it off? Thou wilt answer, " A thief." Was it not this, that I forewarned thee of? that thou shouldest not lay it up where the thief could approach? If then he who has lost any thing, grieves, let him grieve for this, that he did not lay it up there, whence it could not be lost.

9. Ver. 28. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His Saints. When the Saints suffer affliction, think not that God doth not judge, or doth not judge righteously. Will He, Who warns thee to judge righteously, Himself judge unrighteously? He loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His Saints. But (think) how * the « life' of the Saints is ' hid with Him,7 in such a manner, that who now suffer trouble on earth, like trees in the winter-time, having no fruit and leaves, when He, like a newly-risen sun, shall have appeared, that which before was living in their root, will shew itself forth in fruits. He does then love judgment, and doth not forsake His Saints. But is the Saint afflicted with hunger? God will not forsake him. He scourges him. He scour geth every son whom He receiveth. Thou despisest him when be is being scourged: thou art affrighted when he6* is enriched. For wherewith is he scourged? It is with temporal tribulations. When is he to be enriched? When it is to be said to him, Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of34' the world. Be not thou reluctant to be chastened, that thou may est be among the number of those who deserve to be received. To such a degree doth He love just judgment, that He forsaketh not His Saints, whom He scourgeth for a short time. And seeing that He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth, He spared not His " Only Son," io6*; Whom He found no fault. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His Saints. Will He therefore perhaps, since He doth not forsake them, give them what thou desirest here, to live many years, to come to old age? Thou dost not observe, that when thou wouldest wish old age to come, thou wishest for that, of which, when it shall have b quomodd. Ben. 4 quo modo.' better sense, or, * quo modo/ * in such 4 quod modo/ * that now/ gives a sort that.' come.' thou wilt complain. Let not thy soul therefore, whether through wickedness, or through weakness, or through littleness, say unto thee, How is it true the Lord loveth judgment; He forsaketh not His Saints. In very truth He forsook not the Three Children who praised Him in the furnace; the fire touched them not Were not the Mac* cabees His Saints too, whose flesh indeed was consumed in the fire, but whose faith failed not? * But this,9 you say, ' involves a still greater question, because though their faith did not fail, He nevertheless did forsake them? Hear what follows; They shall be preserved for ever. It was but a few years that you were desiring for them, which if He had given them, God (you think) would not have forsaken His Saints. He visibly did not forsake the Three Children. Invisibly He forsook not the Maccabees either. To the one He gave temporal life, to confound the unbelievers: the others He crowned invisibly, that He might judge the impiety of the persecutor. Yet neither the one nor the other did He forsake, Who forsaketh not His Saints. And it was no great reward the Three Children received, if they were not to be preserved for ever. They shall be preserved for

10. But the unrighteous shall be punished; the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Just as the seed of the other shall be blessed, so shall the seed of the wicked be cut off. For the seed of the wicked is the works of the wicked. For again, on the other hand, we find the son of the wicked man flourish in the world, and sometimes become righteous, and flourish in Christ. Be careful therefore how thou takest it; that thou mayest remove the covering, and make thy way to Christ Do not take the text in a carnal sense; for thou wilt be deceived. But the seed of the wicked — all the works of the wicked — will be cut off: they shall have no fruit For they are effective indeed for a short time; afterwards they shall seek for them, and shall not find the reward of that which they have wrought. For it is the expression of those who lose what they have wrought, that text which says, What hath pride profited us, or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow. The seed of the wicked, then, shall be cut off.

11. Ver. 29. The righteous shall inherit the land. Here^VM. again let not covetousness steal on thee, nor promise thee some great estate; hope not to find there, what you are commanded to despise in this world. That land in the text, is a certain land of the living* the kingdom of the Saints. Whence it is said; Thou art my hope, my portion in theP*.u*. land of the living. For if thy life too is the same life as that there spoken of, think what sort of land thou art about to inherit. That is the land qf the living; this the land of those who are about to die: to receive again, when dead, those whom it nourished when living. Such then as is that land, such shall the life itself be also: if the life be for ever, the land also is to be thine for ever. And how is the land to be thine for evert

And they shall dwell therein (it says) for ever. It must therefore be another land, where they are to dwell therein for ever. For of this land (of this earth) it is said, Heaven™-* and earth shall pass away.

12. Ver. 80. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom. See here is that 4 bread.' Observe with what satisfaction this righteous man feedeth upon it; how he turns wisdom over and over in his mouth. And his tongue talketh of judgment.

Ver. 31. The law of his Ood is in his heart. Lest haply thou shouldest think him to have that on his lips, which he hath not in his heart, lest thou shouldest reckon him among those of whom it is said, This people honour Me within, their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And of what use is this to him? And none of his steps shall slide. The word of God in the heart frees from the snare; the word of Ood in the heart delivers from the evil way; the word of God in the heart delivers from the slippery place1. He is with thee, Whose word departeth not from thee- Now what evil doth hecJJ£; goffer, whom God keepeth? Thou settest a watchman in thy vineyard, and feelest secure from thieves; and that watchman may sleep, and may himself fall, and may admit a thief.

But He Who keepeth Israel sliall neither slumber nor sleep.

The law of his God is in his heart, and none of his steps shall slide. Let him therefore live free from fear; let him live free from fear even in the midst of the wicked; free from fear even in the midst of the ungodly. For what evil can the ungodly or unrighteous man do to the righteous? Lo see what follows.

Ver. 32. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. For he says, what it was foretold in the book

Wisdom that he should say, He is grievous unto us, even to behold; for his life is not like other men's. Therefore he seeks to slay him. What? Doth the Lord, Who keepeth him, Who dwelleth with him, Who departeth not from his lips, from his heart, doth He forsake him? What then becomes of what was said before; And He forsaketh not His Saints?

13. Ver. 32, 33. The wicked therefore watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. But the Lord will not leave him in his hands. Wherefore then did He leave the Martyrs in the hands of the ungodly? Wherefore did they do unto them whatsoever they would? Some they slew with the sword; some they crucified; some they delivered to the beasts; some they burnt by fire; others they led about in chains, till wasted out by a long protracted decay. Assuredly the Lord forsaketh not His Saints. He will not leave him in his hands. Lastly, wherefore did He leave His own Son in the hands of the ungodly? Here also, if thou wouldest have all the limbs of thy inner man made strong, remove the covering of the roof, and find thy way to the Lord. Hear what another Scripture, foreseeing our Lord's future suffering at the hands of the ungodly, saith. What saith it? The earth is given into the hands of the wicked. What is meant by earth being given into the hands of the ungodly? The delivering of the flesh into the hands of the persecutors. But God did not leave His righteous One there: from the flesh, which was taken captive, He leads forth the soul unconquered. God would have forsaken His " Just One" in the hands of the ungodly, if He had caused Him to consent to the ungodly: an evil against which He prays in another Psalm, and says, Deliver me not, O Lord, by mine own hearts desire to the sinful man. It is necessary that thou shouldest not be abandoned to the sinful man, in consequence of " thine own heart's desire;" lest while thou desirest this present life, thou shouldest fall into his hands, and lose life eternal. By what desire is it that he ought not to be abandoned to the sinful tnanf By that desire of which it is also said, Neither have J desired the***- day of man^ Thou knowest. For he who sets his affections and desires on the day of man, when his adversary shall have threatened him that he will take from him the day of man, that he will kill him, and destroy this present life, then he who has no hope of another life faints, and gives way to the enemy. He however who listens to the words of the Lord, saying, Fear not them which kill the body, fotfMat.10, cannot kill the soul, even though the earth be delivered over into the hands of the enemy, even though the earthly house be taken, yet the spirit escapes away; and the spirit escaping out of their hands, the earth too shall rise again. The spirit shall be changed unto the Lord: earth shall be changed into heaven. For even of the earth itself, which is delivered for a time into the hands of the ungodly, not a particle is lost. The very hairs of your head are numbered, Security therefore there is, but it is provided that God be within. But God finds admission, if the devil be driven

Ver. 38. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when there shall be judgment for him. Some copies have it, and when He shall judge him, there shall be judgment for him. For him, however, means when sentence is passed upon him. For we can express ourselves so as to say to a person, Judge for me, i. e. * hear my cause.' When therefore God shall begin to hear the cause of His righteous servant, since we must all be presented before Me tribunal of Christ, and stand before it to receive every one the things he hath done in this body, whether good or evil, when therefore he shall have come to that Judgment, He will not condemn him; though he may seem to be condemned in this present life by man. Even though the Proconsul may have passed sentence on Cyprian, yet the earthly seat of judgment is one thing, the heavenly tribunal is another. From the inferior tribunal he receives sentence of death; from the superior one a crown, Nor will He condemn him when there shall be judgment for him.

14. Bttt when will it be? Think not it is to be now. Now is the season of labour; now is the season of seedtime; the season of winter. Sow thou thy seed, though it be hi the midst of wind or of rain. Be not slothful. The summer will come to gladden thee; the summer in which thou wilt rejoice that thou hast sown. " What then am I to do now?"

Ver. 84. Wait on the Lord. And while I am waiting upon Him, what am I to do? — and keep His ways. And if I beep them, what am I to receive? And He shall exalt thee to inherit the land. " What land?" Once more let not any estate suggest itself to your mind: — that land of which it is Come, ye blessed of My Father* inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. What of those, who have troubled us, in the midst of whom we have groaned, whose scandals we have patiently endured, for whom, while they were raging against us, we have prayed in vain? What will become of them? What follows? When the wicked are cut off, thou shall see it.

And from how close a proximity wilt thou see it! Thou wilt be on the right hand; they on the left. This sight, however, belongs to the eyes of faith: which eyes whoever have not, they are grieved at the prosperity of the ungodly, and think that it is to no purpose that they are righteous, because they see the ungodly flourish here. But he who hath that eye of faith, what doth he say?

Ver. 85. / have seen the ungodly lifted up on high, and rising above the cedars of Libanus. And suppose him to be lifted up on high; suppose him to be towering above the rest; what follows?

Ver. 36. J passed by, and, lo, he was not! I sought him, and his place could no where be found! Why was he, " no more, and his place no where to be found?w Because thou hast passed by. But if thou art yet carnally-minded, and that earthly prosperity appears to thee to be true happiness, thou hast not yet passed by him; thou art either his fellow, or thou art below him; go on, and pass him: and when thou hast made progress, and hast passed by him, thou observest him by the eye of faith; thou seest his end, thou say est to thyself, " Lo! he who so swelled before, is not!" just as if it were some smoke that thou wert passing near to. For this too was said above in this very Psalm, They shall consume and fade away as the smoke. Smoke rises on high, and grows into a swelling volume; the greater the height to which it rises, the greater the bulk to which it expands. But when thou bast passed by, look behind thee; for the smoke is behind thee, if God be before thee. Look not on things which are behind out of longing after them, as Lot's wife looked and remained behind in the 'way; but look back upon them out of contempt for them, and thou shalt see c the ungodly no where to be found,' and thou shalt seek for his place. What is his place? That in which he hath power, riches, a certain rank in the world, so that many pay court to him; that he commands, and is obeyed; this place will be no more, but will pass away; so that you may say, / passed by9 and he was not. What is meant by " passed by?" Advanced, arrived at what is spiritual: entered into the sanctuary of God; so as to consider his end. And, lo! he was not, and his place was no where to17' be found.

15. Ver.37. Keep innocency; keep it even as thou usedst to keep thy purse, when thou wert covetous; even as thou usedst to hold fast that purse, that it might not be snatched from thy grasp by the thief, even so keep innocency, lest that be snatched from thy grasp by the devil. Be that thy sure inheritance, of which the rich and the poor may both be sure. Keep innocency. What doth it profit thee to gain gold, and to lose innocence?

Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing which is right. Keep thou thine eyes " right," that thou mayest see the thing which is right; not perverted, wherewith thou lookest upon the wicked; not distorted, so that God should appear to thee distorted and wrong, in that He favours the wicked, and afflicts the faithful with persecutions. Dost thou not observe how distorted thy vision is? Set right thine eyes, and behold the thing that is right. What " thing that is right?v Take no heed of things present And what wilt thou see?

For there is a remainder for the man that maketh peace''. What is meant by there is a remainder? When thou art dead, thou shalt not be dead. This is the meaning of there. is a remainder. He will still have something remaining to him, even after this life, that is to say, that seed, which shall blessed. Whence our Lord saith, He that helievelh on Me, though he die, yet shall he live; — seeing there is a remainder for the man that maketh peace.

16. Ver. 38. But the transgressors shall he destroyed in ine selfsame thing1. What is meant by, in (he selfsame fj£ng jt means for ever: or all together in one and the same destruction.

T7te remainder of the wicked shall be cut off. Now there is {a remainder) for the man that maketh peace: they there- *°re are not Peace"ma^ers9 are ungodly. For, Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children

17. Ver. 39, 40. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, and He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them% and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the sinners*. At present therefore let the righteous bear with the sinner; Jet the wheat bear with the tares; let the grain bear with the chaff: for the time of separation will come, and the good seed shall be set apart from that which is to be consumed with fire. The one will be consigned to the garner; the other to everlasting burning; for it was for this reason that the just and the unjust were at the first together; that the one should lay a stumbling-block*, that the other should be proved; that afterwards the one should be condemned, the other receive a crown.

18. Thanks be to God! Brethren, we have discharged that debt which was owing, in Christ's name; yet Charity hath still a bond upon us, as her debtors stilL For that debt is the only one, which if it be repaid every day, is still ever due. We have spoken many things against the Donatists; we have read many things in your ears; many documents, many things beside the canonical Scriptures, they having compelled us. For even if they find fault with this, that we read such things to you, we are willing to be of God. found fault with, provided you derive instruction. For in this respect we may also reply to them in these words, / have^ became a fool; ye have compelled me. But above all, my brethren, hold fast your inheritance; concerning which we have assurance that our names are in our Father's Will and Testament; not in any worthless deed of any mortal man. Of that we have assurance; for He Who made the bequest, Himself lives. He Who made that Will in favour of His heir, is Himself to judge of the Will that He Himself made. In things of this life, the testator is one person, the judge another: and yet the person who has the will wins before a judge who is a different party; not before a judge who is another party, and who is dead. How sure then is our winning, when He is to judge of it, Who made the Testament? For although Christ died for a time, yet now however He liveth for ever.

19. Let them therefore say against us whatever they please, let us on our part love them, even in spite of themselves. For we know, brethren, we know, I say, those tongues of theirs; on account of which let us not become enraged against them: do ye bear with them with patience, even as we do. For in their cause they see themselves to have nothing to rely on; and they begin to rail and speak evil of us, saying many things that they know, many also that they do not know. What they do know, are our past offences. For we ourselves also (even as the Apostle says) were sometime foolish, and unbelieving; and unto every good work^'l>lG' reprobate. We were deluded and infatuated in a perverse error, we do not deny it; and in proportion as we do not deny what we were before, do we praise God Who hath not imputed these things unto us. Wherefore theu, O heretic, dost thou leave the question, and attack the person? For what am I? What am I? Am I the Catholic Church? Am 1 Christ's inheritance, dispersed throughout the world? It is enough for me that I am in it. Thou revilest my past misconducts; what great result dost thou achieve thereby? I am more severe to my own past misconducts than thou art. What thou revilest, I have condemned. O that thou wouldest but imitate me, that one day thine error also might be a thing of the past! These are past misconducts, which they know °^ * misconducts committed principally in this city. For it was here that we lived wickedly, as I myself confess1, and *n ProPor^on 218 I rejoice on account of the grace of God, so on account of my past misconducts, do 1 What gija]] J gav? « Grieve?" I should grieve indeed, if they were still in existence. But what shall I say? do I " rejoice?" I cannot say this either, for, O that I had never been what I was before! Whatever I was before, however, that is now, in Christ's name, past. That with which they charge me now, they know not. There are things in me with which they may charge me still; but for them it would be a hard matter to gain a knowledge of them. For I have much ado in my thoughts, struggling against the evil suggestions of my thoughts, and holding a protracted and an almost continual conflict with the assaults of the enemy trying to overthrow me. I groan unto God in mine infirmity; and He Who knpw my birth, knoweth also what my heart travaileth of. With me9 however 9it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment, (saith the Apostle;) yea, I judge not mine own self. For I indeed know myself better than they do; but God knoweth me better than I know myself. Let them not therefore insult you on our account: Christ forbid! For they say, " And] who are these men, and whence come they? Here, where they received baptism, we knew them wicked." If they really know us well, they know that once we went to sea; that we travelled abroad; that we returned a different person from what we went out It was not here then that we were baptized; but where we were baptized, is a Church known to all the world- Aud there are many brethren of ours, who both know that we were baptized, and were baptized together with us. It is easy therefore to ascertain this, if any of the brethren is anxious on that subject. Shall we, however, give satisfaction to these men, and give them any thing of a demonstration of the testimony of the Church, with which they are not in communion? No wonder they do not know us to have been baptized in Christ beyond the sea, who beyond the sea have not Christ Himself either. For he who hath the communion of the whole Church, hath Christ Himself on the other side of the sea also. How can he know where I was baptized, when his own communion scarcely crosses the sea? However, my brethren, what shall I say unto them? Suspect what ill you please of roe. If we be good, ive are the corn in Christ's Church; if wicked, we are the chaff in Christ's Church; we have not, however, quitted the ' floor.' But as for thee who feast been blown abroad by the blast of temptation, what art tfeou? The wind bears not away the corn from the floor; tearp then, from the place where thou art, to know what thou

20. " But who art thou," (saith he,) " that speakest such great things against us Whoever I may be, consider what is said, not by whom it is said. " But," says he, " unto the*£ wicked God with, What hast thou to do, that thou takest My covenant in thy mmth?" Be it so, that " the Lord sajth this to the wicked haply there is a class of sinners, to whom the Lord rightly s# speaks: but of whomsoever He speaks, He saith so for this reason, that the sinner himself profiteth not, when he pronounceth the law of God. Does he therefore not profit his hearers? In the Church, as the Lord hath said, we hare both kinds, the evil as well as the good. For when the good preach, what is it that they say? Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ. And of the good what is said also? But be thou an example of the]1 believers. This is what we are striving to the uttermost to*> be; what we really are, however, is known to Him, unto Whom we groan. Of the wicked, however, it is said, The Scribes and Pharisees sit on Mos&? seat: what they say, do2' ye: but do not the things which they do. Thou seest that on the seat of Moses, to which the seat of Christ hath succeeded, the evil also sit; yet do not, while they speak what is good, do harm to their hearers. Wherefore hast thou, because of the wicked, forsaken His very Seat itself? Return to peace, to reconciliation with that Catholic unity that gives thee no occasion of offence. If my words, and my actions, are both of them good, then imitate me; but if I myself do not do what I say, ithou hast a rule from the Lord, * Do the things that I say, but do *iot after my works:' at all events, do not forsake the Cajtholic See. Lo! in Christ's name we are about to go forth, and they will say many things: where will it end? Do ye soon cease to care to defend our cause. Say to them no more than, "Brethren, the Catholic Church. He bears his own burden; he is to give account of himself to God. I know him to be among the good; if he be wicked, is known to himself; if he be a good man, even so he is not my hope. For this have I learned before all other things in the Catholic Church, not to have my hope placed in man. No wonder therefore that you find fault with the persons, since your owu hopes are placed on man." Assuredly when they find fault with us, do you too despise us. For we ourselves know already, what place we hold in your affections, seeing we know what place you hold in ours. Contend not in our defence against them. Whatever they say of us, pass it quickly by, lest while contending for the defence of our cause, you neglect the care of your own. For this is the object they are artfully aiming at: Being afraid and unwilling to let us speak of the merits of the case itself, they heap accusations upon us in order to call us off, that while we are bent upon defending ourselves, we may refrain from confuting them. For, of a certainty, as for you who call me wicked, I call myself both this and innumerable other names. Away with the subject quickly from our discussion; bring my defence to a close; discuss the merits of the case itself; consider the question that affects the Church; look to the position in which you yourself stand. From whatever quarter Truth speaks to thee, accept it as if hungry; lest haply the Bread should never find its way to thee, whilst in a fastidious and calumnious spirit thou art always seeking for somewhat to find fault with in the vessel which contains it.

Apposite to what we have been chanting, (viz.) / will declare mine iniquity, I urill be sorry for my sin, is the answer of this woman in the Gospel lesson. For the Lord, looking on her iniquities, called her a dog, saying, It is not meet to cast the children's meat to dogs. But she, who