Psalm 41 (Vulgate 40)

that is, in His own Person, Which is our Head; often in the person of His Body, which are we and His Church; but so — that the words sound as from the mouth of one, that we may understand the Head and the Body to consist together in the unity of integrity, and not be separated the one from the other; as in that marriage whereof it is said, They two shall Gen.u, be one flesh. If then we acknowledge two in one flesh, lets^. us acknowledge two in one voice. First, that which respond- 31. ing to the reader we have sung, though it be from the middle of the Psalm, from that I will take the beginning of this Sermon.

Ver. 5. Mine enemies speak evil of Me, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish. This is the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ: but see if herein are not understood the members also. This was spoken also when our Lord Himself walked in the flesh here on earth. For when they saw the multitude following His authority; His divinity, and majesty set forth by miracles; when this saw the Jews, of whom the Lord Himself put forth a similitude, that they said, This is the heiry come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be oars; they spoke one to another, that is among themselves, whence is that word of Caiaphas, the high priest, Perceive ye [that a great multitude followeth Him']; behold the world is gone after Him. If we let Him thus alone, the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. But the words of him, not knowing what he said, hath the Evangelist explained to us, saying, This spake he not of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation. Yet they, when they saw the people go after Him, said, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish; that is, when we have slain Him, then shall His Name be no more in the earth, nor shall He seduce any, being dead; but by that very slaying of Him shall men understand,, that He was but a man whom they followed, that there was in Him no hope of salvation, and shall desert His Name, and it shall no more be. He died, and His Name perished not, but His Name was sown as seed: He died, but He was a grain, • Text, How ye prevail nothing. which dying, the corn immediately sprang up. When glorifled then was our Lord Jesus Christ, began they much 'more, and much more numerously to trust in Him; then began His- members to hear what the Head had heard. Now then our Lord Jesus Christ being in heaven set down, and Himself in us labouring on earth, still spake His enemies, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish. For hence stirred up the devil persecutions in the Church to destroy the Name of Christ. Unless haply ye think, brethren, that those Pagans, when they raged against Christians, said not this among themselves, * to blot out the Name of Christ from the earth.1 That Christ might die again, not in the Head, but in His Body, were slain also the Martyrs. To the multiplying of the Church availed the Holy Blood poured forth, to help Its seminating came also the death of the Martyrs. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints. More and more were the Christians multiplied, nor was it fulfilled which spake the enemies, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish. Even now also is it spoken. Down sit the Pagans, and compute them the years, they hear their fanatics b saying, A time shall come when Christians shall be none, and those idols must be worshipped as before they were worshipped: still say they, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish. Twice conquered, now the third time be wise! Christ died, His Name has not perished: the Martyrs died, multiplied more is the Church, groweth through all nations the Name of Christ. He Who foretold of His own Death, and of His Resurrection, He Who foretold of His Martyrs' death, and of their crown, He Himself foretold of His Church things yet to come, if truth He spake twice, has He the third time lied? Vain then is what ye believe against Him; better is it that ye believe in Him, that ye may understand upon the needy and poor One; that though He was rich, yet for your period, he says, if computed from the sokes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. But now because He became poor He is con texnned, and, say they, He was but man. What was He? He died, He was crucified; He is a Man ye worship, in a Man ye have hope, a dead Man ye adore. Thou art deceived, Understand upon the needy and poor One, that through His poverty thou mayest be made rich. What is, Understand upon the needy and poor One? To accept Christ Himself, needy and poor, saying in another Psalm, / am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon Me. What is it to Understand upon the needy and poor One? That He emptiedYhM. Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was7' made in the likeness of men; and was found in fashion as a man; that He was rich with God, poor with us; rich in heaven, poor in earth; rich being God, poor being Man. Does this then disturb thee, that thou seest a man, that thou lookest upon flesh, that thou beholdest death, that thou deridest a cross? Doth this disturb thee? Understand upon the needy and poor One. What is this? Understand, that where is exposed to thee infirmity, therein lieth hid divinity. Rich was He, because so He is; poor was He, because so but now wast thou. But yet is His poverty our riches; even as His infirmity is our strength; as His foolishness is our wisdom; as His mortality is our immortality. What the poor is, consider; Him measure not by others' poverty. To fill the poor came He, Who became poor: wherefore open the bosom of faith, receive thou the poor One, lest poor thou remain.

2. Ver. 1. Blessed is he that understandeth upon the needy and poor One: in the evil day shall the Lord deliver Him. For the evil day will come: will thou, nill thou, come it will: the Day of Judgment will come upon thee, an evil day if thou understand not the needy and poor. For what now thou wilt not believe, shall be made manifest in the end. But neither shalt thou escape, when it shall be made manifest, because thou believest not, when it is kept secret. Invited art thou, what thou seest not to believe, lest when thou see, thou be put to the blush. Understand then upon the needy and poor One, that is, Christ: understand in Him the hidden riches, Whom poor thou seest. //* Him are Aid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. For thereby in the evil day shall He deliver thee, in that He is God: but in that He is man, and that which in Him is human hath raised to life, and changed for the better, He hath lifted (theee) to heaven. But He Who is God, Who would have one person in man and with man, could neither decrease nor increase, neither die nor rise again. He died out of man's infirmity, but God dieth not. In that the Word of God dieth not, wonder not, since neither dieth the soul of the Martyr* Heard we not but now the Lord Himself saying, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soulf Did then, the Martyrs dying, the Martyrs' souls not die, and Christ dying, should the Word die? Surely the Word of God is much greater than the soul of man; for the soul of man was made by God; and if it was made by God, by the Word was it made; for all things were made by Him. Therefore neither dieth the Word, since even the soul made by the Word dieth not. But as we rightly say, Such a man died, though his soul dieth not; so we rightly say, Christ died, though His Divinity dieth not. Wherefore died? Because needy and poor. Let not His death offend thee, and avert thee from beholding His Divinity. Blessed is he that understandeth upon the needy and poor One. Consider also the poor, the needy, the hungry and thirsty, the naked, the sick, the prisoners; understand also upon such poor, for if upon such thou understand, thou understandest upon Him gaid, / was an hungred, I was thirsty, I was a stranger, naked, sick, in prison; so in the evil day shall the Lord deliver thee.

3. And see thy blessedness. The Lord preserve him. The Prophet wisheth well to him that understandeth upon the needy and poor One. That well-wishing is a promise. Secure may they wait, who this do. The Lord preserve him, and make him alive. What is preserve him, and make him alive? To what pertaineth, make him alive? To the future life. For he is made alive who was dead. But can a dead man understand upon the needy and poor? Nay, but that making alive He promiseth to us, whereof saith the Apostle, The body is dead, because of sin; but the Spirit is Ufe,^m^ because of righteousness. But if He who raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. This then is the making alive which is promised to him that underslandeth upon the needy and poor. But because, saith the Apostle to Timothy, Having the promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come; lest they should think who understand upon the needy and poor, that they should be received indeed into heaven, but neglected on earth, and should not hope but for that which shall be to eternity, but in that which is at present, should think that God careth not for His Saints and faithful ones; therefore, when he had said what most chiefly we ought to expect, The Lord preserve him, and make him alive, He looked back to this life, and bless him, saith he, upon earth. Raise then thine eyes to these promises with Christian faith: God deserteth thee not on earth, and He promiseth somewhat in heaven. For many evil Christians, inspectors of Calendars, and inquirers and observers of times and days, when therein they have begun to be reproved by us, or by some good and better Christians, asking why they do these things, answer, These things are necessary for this present time; but we are Christians for the sake of life eternal; therefore believe we in Christ that He may give us life eternal; for this life temporal in which we live, pertaineth not to His regard. Remains only that they should briefly say this, that for life eternal God, and for this life present the devil, be worshipped. To these answereth Christ Himself, Ye cannot serve two masters. And One thou worshippest for what thou expectest in heaven, and another thou worshippest for what thou expectest on earth. How much better to worship One, Who made both Heaven and earth. He Who cared that earth should be, doth He neglect His own image on earth? Therefore, The Lord preserve him, and make him alive, that understandeth upon the needy and poor: moreover, though He make him alive to eternity, bless him upon earth.

4. Ver. 2. And deliver him not into the hand of his enemy. The enemy is the devil. Let none think of a man his enemy, when he hears these words. Haply one thought of his neighbour, of him who had a suit with him in court, of him who would take from him his own possession, of him who would force him to sell to him his house. Think not this; but that enemy think of, of whom said the Lord, An enemy hath done this. For He it is who suggests that for things earthly he be worshipped, for overthrow the Christian Name this enemy cannot. For he hath seen himself conquered by the fame and praises of Christ, be hath seen, whereas he slew Christ's Martyrs, that they are crowned, he triumphed over. He hath begun to be unable to persuade men that Christ is. nought; and because by reviling Christ, he now with difficulty deceives, by lauding Christ, he endeavours to deeeive. Before this what said he? Whom worship ye? A Jew, dead, crucified, a man of no moment, who could not even from himself drive away death. Wheu after His Name he saw running the whole human race, saw that in the Name of the Crucified temples are thrown down, idols are broken, sacrifices abolished; and that all these things predicted in the Prophets are considered by men, by men with wonder astonished, and closing now their hearts against the reviling of Christ; he clothes himself with praise of Christ, and begins to deter from the faith in another manner. Great is the law of Christ, powerful is that law, divine, ineffable! but who fulfilleth it? In the name of our Saviour d, tread upon the lion and the dragon. By reviling openly roared the lion; by lauding craftily lurks the dragon. Let them come to the faith, who doubted; and not say, Who fulfilleth it? If on their own strength they presume, they will not fulfil it. Presuming on the grace of God let them believe, presuming (on it) let them come; to be aided come, not to be judged. So live all the faithful in the Name of Christ, each one in his degree fulfilling the commands of Christ, whether married, or celibates and virgins, they live as much as God granteth them to live; neither presume they in their own strength, but know that in Him they ought to glory. For what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Say not to me, Who fulfilleth it? He in me fulfilleth it, Who to the poor came rich: poor indeed to the poor, but to the empty full. This thinking, whoso understandeth upon the needy and poor, and despiseth not the poverty of Christ, he understandeth the riches of Christ, he is blessed upon earth, and is not delivered into the hand of his enemy, of him that would persuade him that God be worshipped for things heavenly, the devil be worshipped for things earthly. And deliver him not into the hand qf his enemy.

5. Ver. 3. The Lord help him. But when? Haply in heaven, haply in the life eternal, that so it remain to worship the devil for earthly needs, for the necessities of this life. Far be it! Thou hast promise of the life that now is, and ofi that which is to come. He came unto thee on earth, by Whom were made heaven and earth. Consider then what He saith, The Lord help him, on his bed of pain. The bed of pain is the infirmity of the flesh; lest thou shouldest say, I cannot hold, and carry, and tie up my flesh; thou art aided that thou mayest. The Lord help thee on thy bed of pain. Thy bed did carry thee, thou carriedst not thy bed, but wast a paralytic inwardly; He cometh Who saith to thee, Take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. The Lord Mark help him on his bed of pain. Then to the Lord Himself He ll" turneth, as though it were asked1, Why then, since the Lord 'al.'be helpeth us, suffer we such great ills in this life, such great pi^ed.' scandals, such great labours, such disquiet from the flesh and the world? He turneth to God, and as though explaining to us the counsel of His healing, He saith, Thou hast turned all his bed in his infirmity. What is, Thou hast turned all his bed in his in firmity. By the bed is understood any thing earthly. Every soul that is infirm in this life seeketh for itself somewhat whereon to rest, because intensity of labour, and of the soul extended toward God, it can hardly endure perpetually, somewhat it seeketh on earth whereon to rest, and in a manner with a kind of pausing to recline, as are those things which innocent ones love. For neither of the desires of the wicked must we now speak, as that many rest iu theatres, many rest in the Circus, in the Amphitheatre, many rest in gambling, many in luxury of taverns, many in lust of adultery, many in violence of rapine, many in guile and treachery of frauds, in all these do men rest. What is rest? Delight in them. But remove we all these; come we to the innocent man; He resteth in his house, his family, his wife, his children; in his poverty, his little farm, his orchard planted with his own hand, in some building fabricated with his own study; in these rest the innocent. But yet God willing us not to have love but of life eternal, even with these, though innocent delights, mixeth bitterness, that even in these we may suffer tribulation, and so He turneth all our bed in our infirmity. Thou hast turned ail his bed in his infirmity. Let him not then complain, when in these things which he hath innocently, he suffereth some tribulations. He is taught to love the better, by the bitterness of the worse; lest going a traveller to his country, he choose the inn instead of his own home. Thou hast turned all his bed in his infirmity.

6. But why this? Because He scourgeth every son whom ^e receiveth. Why this? Because to men sinning was it said, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Therefore because all these chastisements, in which all our bed is turned in our infirmity, man ought to acknowledge that he suffers for siu; let him turn himself, and say what follows; I said. Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. O Lord, by tribulations do Thou exercise me; to be scourged Thou judgest every son whom Thou wilt receive, Who sparedst not even the Only-Begotten. He indeed without sin was scourged; but I say, Be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. If He was lanced, Who rottenness had none, if

He, our very Medicine, refused not the medicinal fire; ought we to bear impatiently the Physician burning and cutting, that is, by every tribulation exercising us, and from sin healing us? Wholly let us commit ourselves to the Physician's hand, for He errs not, to cut the sound for the rotten: He knoweth whereon He looketh, He knoweth what is vicious, because Himself made our nature; what Himself created, what by our lust hath been added, He disccrneth.

He knoweth that to man sound He gave commaudment, lest he should fall into sickness; that He spake in Paradise. Eat this, eat not that. Man sound heard not the Physician's commandment, that he might not fall; let him hear it eveni6. sick, that he may rise again. / said, Lord, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. In my acts, in my sins, I accuse not fortune; I say not, This did fate for me; I say not, an adulterer Venus made me, and a robber Mars made me, a miser Saturn made me. / said, Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for L have sinned against Thee. Said Christ this? This said our Head, without sin? This said He, Who restored that which ZfcPs.69,4. took not away? Said He, the only free among the dead? For free was He among the dead, because without sin: for whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. This then said He Himself? Yea, Himself by His Members: for the34, voice of His Members is the voice of Himself, and the voice of our Head is our own voice. For we were in Him when He said, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. For neither feared He to die, Who had come to die. Nor30' refused He to die, Who had power to lay down His life, and had power to take it again: but this spake the Members for the Head, this spake the Head for the Members. In Him then we find our own voice, Heal my soul, for L have sinned against Thee. For in Him were we, when He said, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Mef ForMat27, in that Psalm, in the head whereof is this verse, it is said next following, The words of my sins1. Whose sins in Him, but that our old man is crucified in Him, that the body of^ sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve^^^m sin? Unto Him and in Him let us say, / said, Lord, being, merciful unto me; heal my saul,for I have sinned against Thee.

7. Ver. 5. Mine enemies. speak evil (f Me, When He shall die, then shall His Name perish. Of this we have already spoken, and from this began; and other things to say, need not to repeat, what by so recent a discourse has been impressed on your ears and hearts.

8. Ver. 6. And entered in * to see. What Christ suffered,^ that suffereth also the Church; what the Head suffered, that suffer also the Members. For the disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord. If, said He, they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If ' they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, Iww much more shall they call them of His household.

And entered in to see. Even Judas was with oar Head, to our Head he entered in to see; that is, to spy out: not to have whereon He might believe, but to find what he might betray. Lo, he entered in to see, and this is set forth in our Head for an example. What of those Members after the assumption of our Head? Saith not the Apostle Paul, And that because of false brethren, unawares brought iny who came privily to spy out1 our liberty. These also then entered in to see. For they are hypocrites, evil pretenders, joining ves to us with feigned charity, catching at every movement, every word of the Saints, seeking snares against all. And what befalleth them? See what followed), Their heart speaketh vain things: that is, they speak as with feigned love; vain is that which they speak, true is it not^ solid is it not. And because they seek to find matter for an accusation, what saith He? Tfiey have gathered iniquity to themselves. For enemies prepared with calumnies, to themselves seem as great, because they have whereof to accuse. They gather iniquity to themselves. To themselves, saith He, not to Me. As Judas to himself, not to Christ; sa the pretenders of the Church to themselves, not to us: for of them is it said also elsewhere, Iniquity hath lied to itself. They have gathered iniquity to themselves. And because they entered in to see, they went abroad and told it. He wh0 entered in to see, went abroad and told it Would that he were within and spake truth; and not going abroad to speak falsely. A betrayer and persecutor is he, going abroad he telleth. If to Christ's Members thou belongest, come within, cling to the Head. Endure the tares if thou art wheat, endure the chaff if thou art grain. Endure the bad fish within the net if thou art a good fish. Wherefore before the time of winnowing dost thou fly away? Wherefore before the time of harvest, dost thou root up the corn also with thyself? Wherefore before thou art come to the shore, hast thou broken the nets? Tfiey go abroad, and tell it.

9. Ver. 7. All mine enemies whisper against Me unto the same thing. Against Me all unto the same thing. How much better with me unto the same thing, than against men< unto the same thing. What is, Against me unto the same thing? With one counsel, with one conspiring. Christ*™™ then speaketh unto thee, Ye consent against Me, consent ye to Me: why against Me? wherefore not with Me. That same thing if ye had always had, ye had not divided you into schisms. For, saith the Apostle, I beseech you, brethren, thai ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no division among you. All mine enemies whisper against Me unto the same thing: against Me do they devise evil to Me. To themselves rather, for they have gathered iniquity to themselves: but therefore to Me, because by their intention they are to be weighed: for not because to do nothing was in their power, to do nothing was in their will. For the devil lusted to extinguish Christ, and Judas would slay Christ; yet Christ slain and rising again, we are made alive, but to the devil and to Judas is rendered the reward of their evil will, not of our salvation. For that ye may know that by the intention is every one to be weighed for retribution either of reward or punishment, we find men that have spoken good to another, and such good as we wish for, and yet are called evil speakers. When the blind man of old, now enlightened both in body and heart, convicted the Jews, seeing in body, blind in heart; for to them said he now seeing, Will ye also be His disciples? Then, saith the Gospel, they reviled him, and said, Thou art His disciple.^'28' For all of us come this to pass, which they said evil speaking! Evil speaking was that called, from the malevolent error of the speakers, not from any evil in the words. The intention wherewith they spake, not what they spake, did He consider, Who related that they spake evil of Him, Against Me they devised evil to Me. And what evil to Christ, to the Martyrs what evil? All hath God turned to good.

10. Ver. 8. An ungodly word do they set forth against Me. What sort of ungodly word? Listen to the Head Itself. Come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Fools! How shall the inheritance be yours? Because ye killed Him? Lo! ye even killed Him; yet shall not the inheritance be yours. Shall not He that slcepeth add this also, that He rise again? When ye exulted that ye had slain Him, He slept; for He saith in another Psalm, I slept. They raged and would slay Me; / slept. If I had not willed, I had not even slept. / slept, because / have power toy down My life, and I have power to take it again. I laid Me down and slept, and rose up again. Rage then the Jews; be the earth given into the hands of the wicked, be the flesh left to the hands of persecutors, let them on wood suspend it, with nails transfix it, with a spear pierce it. Shall He that sleepelh, not add this, that He rise up again f Wherefore slept He? Because Adam is the figure of Him ^a uas t°come- And Adam slept, when out of his side was made Eve. Adam in the figure of Christ, Eve in the figure 0f the Church; whence she was called the mother of all living* When was Eve created? While Adam slept. When out of Christ's side flowed the Sacraments of the Church? While He slept upon the Cross. Shall He that sleepeth not add this also, that He rise again?

11. And whereby slept He? By him who entered in to see, and gathered iniquity to himself. For, (ver. 9.) The man of My peace, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath enlarged his heel against Me: hath raised up his foot against Me: would trample upon Me. Who is this man of His peace? Judas. And in him did Christ trust, that He said, in whom I trusted? Did He not know him from the beginning? Did He not before he was born know that he would be? Had He not said to all His disciples, / have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? How then trusted He in him, but that He is in His Members, and that because many faithful trusted in Judas, the Lord transferred this to Himself? For when Judas was seen, by many who trusted in Christ, to walk among the twelve disciples, some trusted in him, that he was such as were the rest: but because Christ was in His Members so trusting, as He is in them hungering and thirsting; as He said, / was an hungrea\ go gaj^ j_je^ j irmie(i Furtuer> if we too so say to Him, Lord, when trustedst Thou? as it was said to Him, Lord, when wast Thou an hungred? as then He said to us, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me; so can He say, When one of these least of mine trusted in him, I trusted. In whom trusted? The man of My peace, in whom I trusted, which did eat qf My bread. How shewed He him in His Passion? By the words of His prophecy: by the sop He marked Him out, that it might appear said of him, Which did eat of My bread. Again, when he came to betray Him, He granted him a kiss, that it might appear said of him, The man of My peace.

12. Ver. 10. But Thou, 0 Lord, be merciful unto Me. This is the person of a servant, this is the person of the needy and poor. For, Blessed is he that understandeth upon the needy ami poor One. Be merciful unto Me, and raise Me tip, and I will requite them. See, as it was spoken, so is it done. For the Jews slew Christ, lest they should lose their place. Christ slain, they lost their place. Rooted out of the kingdom were they, dispersed were they. He,48, raised up, requited them tribulation, He requited them unto admonition, not yet unto condemnation. For the city wherein the people raged, as a ramping and a roaring lion, crying out, Crucify Him, Crucify Him, the Jews rooted out therefrom, hath now Christians, by not one Jew is inhabited. There is planted the Church of Christ, whence were rooted out the thorns of the synagogue. For truly this fire blazed as the fire of thorns. But the Lord was as a green tree. This said Himself, when certain women mourned Christ as dying; Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves andfor23*28' your children. From this predicting, Raise Thou Me up, and I shall reward them. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in a dry? When can a green tree be consumed by the fire of thorns? For they blazed as fire among thorns. Fire consumeth thorns, but whatsoever green tree it is applied to, is not easily kindled, for the moistness of the wood resists a flame slow and feeble, yet sufficient to consume thorns. And raise Me up, and I will requite them. Think not however, brethren, the Son less powerful than ye think the Father, because of that which He said, raise Me up, as if He could not raise up Himself. For that He raised up, which had power to die; that in the Flesh died, the Flesh was raised up. Yet lest ye think that God ihe Father of Christ could raise up Christ, that is, the Flesh of His Son, and that Christ Himself, though He be the Word equal with the Father, could not raise up His own Flesh; hear out of the Gospel, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But, said the Evangelist, {lest even after this we should doubt,) He spake of the temple of His Body. Raise Me up, and I will requite them.

IS. Ver. 11. By this I know that Thou favourest Me, thai Mine enemies shall not triumph over Me. Because the Jews did triumph, when they saw Christ crucified; they thought that they had fulfilled their will to do Him hurt: the fruits of their cruelty they saw in effect, Christ hanging on the Cross: they shook their heads, saying, If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross. He came not down, Who could; His Potency He shewed not, but patience taught. For if, on their saying these things, He had come down from the Cross, He would have seemed as it were to yield to them insulting, and not being able to endure reproach, would have been believed conquered: more firm remained He upon the Cross, than they insulting; fixed was He, they wavering. For therefore shook they their heads, because to the true Head they adhered not. He taught us plainly patience. For mightier is that which He did, Who would not do what the Jews challenged. For much mightier is it to rise from the sepulchre, than to come down from the Cross. That Mine enemies shall not triumph over Me. They triumphed then at that time. Christ rose again, Christ was glorified. Now see they in His Name the human race converted: now let them insult, now shake the head: rather now let them fix the head, or if they shake the head, in wonder and admiration let them shake. For now say they, Can this indeed be He of Whom spake Moses and the Prophets? For of Him they said, He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. With His stripes tee are healed. For we see that being Crucified He draweth after Him the human race; and without reason said our fathers, Let us kill Him, lest the world go after Him. Haply it had not gone after Him, if He had not been killed. By this / know that Tliou favouresl Me> that Mine enemies shall not triumph over Me.

14. Ver. 12. But as for Me> Thou upholdest Me, because of Mine innocence. Truly innocence; integrity without siu, requiting without debt, scourging without desert. Thou upholdest Me because of Mine innocence, and hast made Me strong in Thy sight for ever. Thou hast made Me strong for ever, Thou niadest Me weak for a time: Thou hast made Me strong in Thy sight, Thou madest Me weak in sight of men. What then? Praise to Him, glory to Him. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. For He is the God of Israel, our God, the God of Jacob, the God of the younger son, the God of the younger people. Let none say, Of the Jews said He this, 1 am not Israel; rather the Jews are not Israel. For the elder sou, he is the elder people reprobated; the younger, the people beloved. The elder shall serve the younger: now is it fulfilled: now, brethren, the Jews serve us, they are as our satchellers1, we studying, they carry our books, Hear wherein the Jews serve us, and not without reason. Cain, the elder brother, who killed the younger brother, received a mark, that he might not be slain; that is, that the people might remain for ever. With them are the Law and the Prophets, in which Law, and in which Prophets, Christ is preached. When we have to do with Pagans, and shew this coming to pass in the Church of Christ, which before was predicted of the Name of Christ, of the Head and Body of Christ, lest they think that we have forged these predictions, and from things which have happened, as though they were future, had made them up, we bring forth the books of the Jews. The Jews forsooth are our enemies, from an enemy's books convince we the adversary. All then hath the Lord disposed, all hath He ordaiued for our salvation. He predicted before us, He hath fulfilled in this our time, and what He hath not yet fulfilled, He is fulfilling. We have Him so a Requiter, that we may trust Him a Debtor, trust that what He hath not yet given, He will give; and what He then had not given, He hath given since. If any would prove where they be written, let him read Moses and the Prophets. If any enemy clamour and say, * Ye for yourselves have forged prophecies;' be the books of the Jews brought forth, because the elder shall serve the younger. Therein let them read those predictions, which now we see fulfilled; and let us all say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, and all the people shall say. So be it, So be it.

Long since has our spirit been longing to rejoice with you in God's Word; and to salute you in Him, Who is our Help and our Salvation. Hear therefore by us that which the Lord gives; and rejoice with us in Him, in His Word, His Truth, and His Love. For we have undertaken the exposition of a Psalm corresponding to your own longings, on which we propose to speak to you. For the Psalm itself begins with a certain pious longing; and he who sings so,

Ver 1. Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee, 0 God. Who is it then that saith this? It is ourselves, if we be but willing! And why ask, who it is other than thyself, when it is in thy power to be the thing which thou art asking about? It is not however one individual, but it is One Body; but Chrisfs Body is the Church. Such longing indeed is not found in all who enter the Church: let all however who have tasted the sweetness of the Lord, and who own in Christ that for which they have a relish, think that they are not the only ones; but that there are such seeds scattered throughout the field of the Lord, this whole earth: and that there is a certain Christian unity, whose voice thus speaks, Like cls the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee, O Ood. And indeed it is not ill understood as the cry of those, who being as yet Catechumens, are hastening to the grace of the holy Font. On which account too this Psalm is ordinarily1 chanted on those occasions, that they may long for the Fountain of remission of sins, even as the hart for the water-brooks. Let this be allowed; and this meaning retain its place in the Church; a place both truthful and sanctioned by usage2. Nevertheless, it appears to me, my brethren, that such a longing is not fully satisfied even in the faithful in Baptism: but that haply, if they know where