Psalm 50 (Vulgate 49)

EXPOSITION*.

1. How much availeth the Word of God to us for the correction of our life, both regarding His rewards to be expected, and His punishments to be feared, let each one 1 measure in himself; and let him put his conscience without deceit before His eyes, and not flatter himself in a danger so great: for ye see that even our Lord God Himself doth flatter no one: though He comforteth us by promising His blessings, and by strengthening our hope; yet them that live ill and despise His word he assuredly spareth not. Let each one examine himself, while it is time, and let him see where he is, and either persevere in good, or be changed from evil. For as he saith in this Psalm, not any man whatever nor any angel whatever, but, (ver. 1.) The Lord, the God of gods, hath spoken. But in speaking, He hath done what? He hath called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down. He that * hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down/ is Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, in order that He might dwell in us. Our Lord Jesus Christ then is the God of gods; because by Himself were all things made, and without Himself was nothing made. The Word of God, if He is God, is truly the God of gods; but whether He be God the Gospel answereth, In the beginning was the Ward, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And if all things were made by Himself, as He saith in the sequel, then if any were made gods, by Himself were they made. For the one God was not made, and He is Himself alone truly God. But Himself the only God, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, is one God.

2. But then who are those gods, or where are they, of God is the true God? Another Psalm saith, God hath stood in the synagogue of gods, but in the midst He judgeth gods. As yet we know not whether perchance any gods be congregated in heaven, and in their congregation, for this is c in the synagogue,' God hath stood to judge. See in the same Psalm those to whom he saith, I have said, Ye are gods, and children of the Highest all; but ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. It is evident then, that He hath called men gods, that are deified of His Grace, not bora of His Substance. For He doth justify, who is just through His own self, and not of another; and He doth deify who is God through Himself, not by the partaking of another. But He that justifieth doth Himself deify, in that by justifying He doth make sons of God. For He hath given them power to become the sons of God. If we have been made sons of God, we have also been made gods: but this is the effect of Grace adopting, not of nature generating. For the only Son of God, God, and one God with the Father, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, was in the beginning the Word, and the Word with God, the Word God. The rest that are made gods, are made by His own Grace, are not born of His Substance, that they should be the same as He, but that by favour they should come to Him, and be fellow-heirs with Christ. For so great is the love in Him the Heir, that He hath willed to have fellow-heirs. What covetous man would will this, to have fellow-heirs? But even one that is found so to will, will share with them the inheritance, the sharer having less himself, than if he had possessed alone: but the inheritance wherein we are fellow-heirs of Christ, is not lessened by multitude of possessors, nor is it made narrower by the number of fellow-heirs: but is as great for many as it is for few, as great for individuals as for all. See, saith the Apostle, what love Qod hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and be, the sons of God. And3' in another place, Dearly beloved, we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. We are3'2, therefore in hope, not yet in substance. But we know, he saith, that when He shall have appeared, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. The Only Son is like Him by birth, we like by seeing. For we are not like in such sort as He, Who is the same as He is by Whom He was begotten: for we are like, not equal: He, because equal, is therefore like. We have heard who are the gods that being made are justified, because they are called the sons of God: and who are the gods that are not Gods, to whom the God of gods is terrible? For another Psalm saith, He tsPa.96,4. terrible over all gods. And as if thou shouldest enquire, What gods? He saith, For all the gods of the nations are devils. To the gods of the nations, to the devils, terrible: to the gods made by Himself, to sons, lovely. Furthermore, I find both of them confessing the Majesty of God, both the devils confessed Christ, and the faithful confessed Christ. Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, said Peter. We know who Thou art, Tltou art the Son of God, said the devils. Alike confession I hear, but like lore I find not; nay even here love, there fear. To whom therefore He is lovely, the same are sons; to whom He is terrible, are not sons; to whom He is lovely, the same He hath made gods; those to whom He is terrible He doth prove not to be gods. For these are made gods, those are reputed gods: these Truth maketh gods, those error doth so account.

3. Ver. 1. The Qod, therefore, of gods, the Lord hath spoken. Hath spoken many ways. By Angels He hath Himself spoken, by Prophets He hath Himself spoken, by His own mouth hath Himself spoken, by His faithful He doth Himself speak, by our lowliness, when we say any thing true, He doth Himself speak. See then, by speaking diversely, many ways, by many vessels, by many instruments, yet He doth Himself sound every where, by touching, moulding, inspiring: see what He hath done. For He hath spoken, and hath called the world. What world? Africa, perhaps! for the sake of those that say, the Church of Christ is the portion of Donatus. Africa indeed alone He hath not called, but even Africa He hath not severed. For He that hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down, leaving out no parts that He hath not called, in His calling hath found Africa. Let it rejoice therefore in unity, not pride itself in division. We say well, that the voice of the God of gods hath come even into Africa, hath not stayed in Africa. For He hath called the world from the rising qf the sun unto the going down. There is no place where maj lurk the conspiracies of heretics, they have no place wherein they may hide themselves under the shadow of falsehood; for there is none that can hide himself from the heat thereof. He that hath called the world, hath called even the whole world: He that hath called the world, hath called as much as He hath formed. Why do false christs and false prophets rise up against me? why is it that they strive to ensnare me with captious words, saying, Lol here is Christ, Lo! He is there! I hear not them that point out portions: the God of gods hath pointed out the whole: He that hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down, hath redeemed the whole; but hath condemned them that lay

4. But we have heard the world called from the rising of the sun unto the going down: whence doth He begin to call, Who hath called? This thing also hear ye: (ver. 2.) Out of Sion is the semblance of His beauty. Evidently the Psalm doth agree with the Gospel, which saitb, Throughout all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Hear, " Throughout all nations:" He hath called the world from47' the rising of the sun unto the going down. Hear, " Beginning at Jerusalem:" Out q/Sion is the semblance of His beauty. Therefore, He hath called the world from tlte rising of the sun unto the going down, agreeth with the words of the Lord, Who saith, It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name throughout all nations. For all nations are from the rising of the sun unto the going down. But that, Out of Sion is the semblance of His beauty, that thence beginneth the beauty of His Gospel, that thence He began to be preached, being beautiful in form beyond the sons of men, agreeth with the words of the Lord, Who saith, "Beginning at Jerusalem." New things are in tune with old, old things with new: the two Seraphim say to one another, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth* The two Testaments are both in tune, and the two Testaments have one voice: let the voice of the Testaments in tune be beard, not that of pretenders disinherited. This thing then hath the God of gods done, He hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down, His semblance going before out of Sion. For in that place were His disciples, who received the Holy Ghost sent from heaven on the fiftieth day after4* His resurrection. Thence the Gospel, thence the preaching, thence the whole world filled, and that in the Grace of Faith.

5. For when the Lord Himself had come, because He came to suffer, He came hidden: and though He was strong in Himself, He appeared in the flesh weak. For He must needs appear in order that He might not be perceived; be false claim to 1 portions. despised, in order that He might be slain. There was semblance of glory in divinity, but it lay concealed in flesh. por if they had known, they would never liave crucified the Lord of glory. So then He walked hidden among the Jews, among His enemies, doing marvels, suffering ills, until He was hanged on the tree, and the Jews seeing Him hanging both despised Him the more, and before the Cross wagging their heads they said, If He he the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. Hidden then was the God of gods, and He gave forth words more out of compassion for us than out of His own majesty. For whence, unless assumed from us, were those words. My God, My God, why Thou forsaken Me? But when hath the Father forsaken the Son, or the Son the Father? Are not Father and Son one God? Whence then, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me, save that in the Flesh of infirmity there was acknowledged the voice of a sinner? For as He took upon Him the likeness of the flesh of sin, why should He not take upon Him the voice of sin? Hidden then was the God of gods, both when He walked among men, and when He hungered, aud when He thirsted, and when fatigued He 6at, aud when with wearied body He slept, and when taken, and when scourged, and when standing before the judge, when He made answer to him in his pride, Thou coulded have no power against Me, except it had been gictn thee from above; and while led as a victim 'before His shearer He opened not His mouth,' and while crucified, and while buried, He was always hidden God of gods. What place after He rose again? The disciples marvelled, and at first believed not, until they touched and handled. But flesh had risen, because flush had been dead: Divinity which could not die, even still lay hid in the flesh of Him rising. Form could be seen, limbs held, scars bandied: the Word by Whom all things were made, who doth seer who doth hold? who doth handle? And yet the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us. And Thomas, that was holding Man, understood God as he was able. For when he had handled the scars, he cried out, My Lord, and my God. Yet the Lord was shewing that form, and that flesh, which they had seen upon the Cross, which had been laid in the sepulchre. He stayed with them forty days. To the impious Jews He shewed not Himself: He shewed Himself to them that had believed on Him before He was crucified: so that them whom being crucified He had left wavering, by rising again He made strong. In the next place, on the fortieth day charging His Church, that is, * the world, called from the rising of the sun unto the going down,' (in order that they that will perish in schism might have no excuse,) He ascended into heaven, saying to them, Ye shall be witnesses ttnto Me both in Jerusalem, (whence is the semblance of8* His beauty,) and in all Jud<ea, and in Samaria, and unto the whole earth. For after these words were spoken, a cloud received Him. They were beholding Him Whom they knew: yet they knew in humiliation, not yet in clearness. And when from them He went into heaven, they were admonished by an angelic voice, saying, Men of Galilee, why stand ye?ib. This Jesus Which ye see go, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen Him going into heaven. He ascended then: they returned rejoicing, and remained in the city, according to His commandment, until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. But what was said to Thomas handling? Because thou hast seen, thou hast believed; blessed are they that see29' not, and believe. We are foretold. That world called from the rising of the sun unto the going down seeth not, and believeth. Hidden then is the God of gods, both to those among whom He walked, and to those by whom He was crucified, and to those before whose eyes He rose, and to tis who believe on Him in heaven sitting, Whom we have not seen on earth walking. But even if we were to see, should we not see that which the Jews saw and crucified? It is more, that not seeing we believe Christ to be God, than that they seeing deemed Him only to be man. They in a word by thinking evil slew, we by believing well are made alive.

6. What then, brethren? This God of gods, both then hidden, and now hidden, shall He ever be hidden? Evidently not: hear what followeth: (ver. 3.) God shall come manifest. He that came hidden, shall come manifest. Hidden He came to be judged, manifest He shall come to judge: hidden He came that He might stand before a judge, manifest He shall come that He may be judge even of judges: He shall come manifesty and shall not be silent. But why? Is He now silent? And whence are all the words that we say? whence those precepts? whence those warnings? whence that trumpet of terror? He is not silent, and is silent: is not silent from warning, is silent from avenging: is not silent from precept, is silent from judgment. For He suffereth sinners daily doing evil things, not caring for God, not in their conscience, not in heaven, not in earth: all these things escape Him not, and universally He doth admonish all; and whenerer He chastiseth any on earth, it is admonition, not yet condemnation. He is silent then from judgment, He is hidden in heaven, as yet He intercedeth for us: He is long-suffering to sinners, not putting forth His wrath, but awaiting penitence. He saith in another place; / have held my peace, shall I always hold my peace? When then He shall not hold His peace, God shall come manifest. What God? Our God. And the God Himself, Who is our God: for he is not God, who is not our God. For the gods of the nations are devils: the God of Christians is very God. Himself shall come, but ' manifest/ not still to be mocked, not still to be buffetted and scourged: He shall come, but * manifest,1 not still to be smitten with a reed upon the head, not still to be crucified, slain, buried: for all these things God being hidden hath willed to suffer. He shall come manifest, cad shall not be silent.

7. But that He shall come to judgment, the following words teach. Fire shall go before Him. Do we fear? Be we changed, and we shall not fear. Let chaff fear the fire: what doth it to gold? What thou mayest do is now in thy power, so thou mayest not experience, for want of being corrected, that which is to come even against thy will. For if we might so bring it about, brethren, that the day of judgment should not come; 1 think that even then it were not for us to live ill. If the fire of the day of judgment were not to come, and over sinners there impended only separation from the face of -God, in whatever affluence of delights they might be, not seeing Him by Whom they were created, and separated from that sweetness of His ineffable* countenance, in whatever eternity and impunity of sin, they ought to bemoan themselves. But what shall I say, or to whom shall I say? This is a punishment to lovers, not to despisers. They that have begun to feel in any degree the sweetness of wisdom and truth, know what I say, how great a punishment it is to be only separated from the face of God: but they that have not tasted that sweetness, if not yet they yearn for the face of God, let them fear even fire; let punishments terrify those, whom rewards win not. Of no value to thee is what God promiseth, tremble at what He threateneth. The sweetness of His presence shall come; thou art not changed, thou art not awakened, thou sighest not, thou longest not: thou embracest thy sins and the delights of thy flesh, thou art heaping stubble to thyself, the fire will come. Fire shall burn in His presence. This fire will not be like thy hearth-fire, into which nevertheless, if thou art compelled to thrust thy hand, thou wilt do whatsoever he would have thee who doth threaten this alternative. If he say to thee, " write against the life 1 of thy father, write against the lives of thy children, for if thou do not, I thrust thy hand into thy fire:" thou wilt do it in order that thy hand be not burned, in order that thy member be not burned for a time, though it is not to be ever in pain. Thine enemy threateneth then but so light an evil, and thou doest evil; God threateneth eternal evil, and doest thou not good? To do evil not even menaces should compel thee: from doing good not even menaces should deter thee. But by the menaces of God, by menaces of everlasting fire, thou art dissuaded from evil, invited to good. Wherefore doth it grieve thee, except because thou believest not? Let each one then examine his heart, and see what faith doth9 hold there. If we believe a2al-t<he judgment to come, brethren, let us live well. Now is time of mercy, then will be time of judgment. No one will say, 44 Call me back to my former years." Even then men will repent, but will repent in vain: now let there be repentance, while there is fruit of repentance; now let there be applied to the roots of the tree a basket of dung, sorrow of heart, aud tears; lest He come and pluck up by the roots. For when He shall have plucked up, then the fire is to be looked for. Now, even if the branches have been broken, they can again 'be grafted in: then, "every tree which bringeth not forth gQ0(j fru%ty shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire" Fire shall bum in His presence.

8. Ver. 3. And a mighty tempest round about Him. A mighty tempest, in order to winnow so great a floor. In this tempest shall be that winnowing whereby from the saints shall be put away every thing impure, from the faithful every unreality; from godly men and them that fear the Word of God, every scorner and every proud man. For now a sort of mixture doth lie there, from the rising of the sun unto the going down. Let us see then how He will do That is to come, what He will do with that tempest which shall be a mighty tempest round about Hun. Doubtless this tempest is to make a sort of separation. It is that separation which they waited not for, who brake the nets, before they came to land. But in this separation there is made a sort of distinction between good men and bad men. There be some that now follow Christ with lightened shoulders without the load of the world's cares, who have not heard in vain, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in Heaven: and come, follow Me; to which sort is said, Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Some then shall be judging with the Lord: but others to be judged, but to be placed on the right hand. For that there will be certain judging with the Lord, we have most evident testimony, which I have but now quoted: Ye shall sit upw twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

9. But some one saith, " The twelve Apostles shall there sit; nothing more.1' Where then shall be the Apostle Paul? Shall he be severed thence? Far be it from us to say so, far be it from us even to think so in secret. But what if he shall himself sit in the place of Judas? On the contrary, divine Scripture hath declared who was ordained in place of Judas: for Matthias hath expressly been named in the Acts of the Apostles, so that we cannot doubt of him. Judas falling then, the number twelve was filled up. Since therefore that number twelve hath occupied twelve seats, shall not the Apostle Paul judge? Perhaps he shall judge standing? Not so it is: the Retributor of justice shall not so do: not by any means shall he judge standing, that hath laboured more than they all. Assuredly this oue Apostle Paul doth compel us diligently to think and examine, why twelve thrones have been spoken of. For we find other numbers in the Scriptures which signify multitude. FiveMat25, virgins are admitted, five are excluded. Understand virgins1, in whatever manner you please, either relating to chastity and integrity of heart, wherein the whole Church ought to be a virgin, whereunlo is said, / have espoused you to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ: or11'2, relating to those women that have also integrity of the flesh dedicated to God — amid so many thousands are there but five? But in the number five is to be per* ceived the continence of the five senses of the flesh. For to many cometh corruption through the eyes, to many through the ear, to many through illicit smelling, to many through sinful tasting, to many through adulterous embraces: from all these five gates of corruption whosoever do contain themselves, and who do so contain themselves that they have glory in their own conscience, not look for praise from men; are the five wise virgins, that have oil with them. What is, that have oil with them? ItMat25, is our glory, the testimony of our conscience. Again, he2Cor# that was being tormented in hell saith, / have five brethren. Therein is perceived the people of the Jews, set under the Law: for Moses the lawgiver wrote five books. Again, the Lord after the Resurrection commanded nets to be cast on the right side, there are taken up a hundred and fifty-three6, fishes, and for all they were so great, saith the Evangelist, the nets were not rent. For before the Passion He had^66 commanded nets to be thrown, adding neither to the right hand, nor to the left: because, if He had said to the right, He had signified only the good; if to the left, only the bad: but when right and left are not mentioned, good and bad are taken promiscuously. But then were taken, as the Evangelist testifieth, so many, that the nets were breaking. For this time was signified by that taking: the nets broken, signified the cuttings and rendings of heretics and schismatics. But what the Lord did after His resurrection, signified what is to be to us after our resurrection, in that number of the kingdom of heaven, where shall be no bad Therefore the nets that were thrown to the right side expressed those on the right hand, those on the left handhaving been removed. Nevertheless will there be only one hundred and fifty-three righteous men of those on the right hand? The Scripture doth point to thousands of thousands. Read the Apocalypse: Twelve times twelve thousand there will be perchance, as is there understood, from the people of the Jews alone. Mark the numerousness of the Martyrs: that alone near us which is called the White Massb, doth contain more than one hundred and fifty-three Martyrs. Lastly, those seven thousand of whom reply was made to Elias, i* have left me seven thousand men that hate noi bowed knees before Baal, far exceed that number of fishes. Therefore the hundred and fifty-three fishes doth not alone express just such a number of saints, but Scripture doth express the whole number of saints and righteous men by so great a number for a particular reason; to wit, in order that in those hundred and fifty-three all may be understood that pertain to the resurrection to eternal life* For the Law hath ten commandments: but the Spirit of Grace, throngh which alone the Law is fulfilled, is called sevenfold. The number then must be examined, what mean ten and seven: ten in commandments, seven in the grace of the Holy Spirit: by which grace the commandments are fulfilled. Ten then and seven contain all that pertain to the resurrection, to the right hand, to the kingdom of heaven, to life eternal, that is, they that fulfil the Law by the Grace of the Spirit, not as it were by their own work or their own merit. But ten and seven, if thou countest from one unto seventeen, by adding all the numbers by steps, so that to one thou mayest add two, add three, add four, that they may become ten, by adding five that they may become holr Martyrs, who, in the reign of in memory of them at Utica. Sena, 306 won a glorious crown of martyrdom. fifteen, by adding six that they may become twenty-one, by adding seven that they may become twenty-eight, by adding — eight that they may become thirty-six, by adding nine that they may become forty-five, by adding ten that they may become fifty-five, by adding eleven that they may become sixty-six, by adding twelve that they may become seventy-eight, by adding thirteen that they may become ninety- one, by adding fourteen that they may become one hundred and five, by adding fifteen that they may become one hundred and twenty, by adding sixteen that they may become one hundred and thirty- six, by adding seventeen, make up one hundred and fifty-three, thou wilt find a vast number of all saints to belong to this number of a few fishes. In like manner then as in five virgins, countless virgins; as in five brethren of him that was tormented in hell, thousands of the people of the Jews; as in the number of one hundred and fifty-three fishes, thousands of thousands of saints: so in twelve thrones, not twelve men, but great is the number of the perfect.

10. But I see what is next required of us; in like manner as in the case of the five virgins, a reason was given why many should belong to five, and why to those five many Jews, and why to a hundred and fifty-three many perfect — to shew why and how to the twelve thrones not twelve men, but many belong. What mean the twelve thrones, which signify all men every where that have been enabled to be so perfect as they must be perfect, to whom it is said, Ye shall sit over the twelve tribes of Israel? And why do all men28, every where belong to the number twelve? Because the very every where which we say, we say of the whole world: but the compass of lands is contained in four particular quarters, East, West, South, and North: from all these quarters they being called in the Trinity and made perfect in the faith and precept of the Trinity, — seeing that three times four are twelve, ye perceive wherefore the saints belong to the whole world; they that shall sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, since the twelve tribes of Israel, also, are the twelve tribes of the whole of Israel. For like as they that are to judge are from the whole world, so also they that are to be judged arc from the whole world. The Apostle Paul of himself, when he was reproving believing laymen, because they referred not their causes to the Church, but dragged them with whom they had matters before the public, said, Know ye not that we shall judge Angels? See after what sort He hath made Himself judge: not only himself, but also all that judge aright iu the Church.

11. Since then it is evident, that many are to judge with the Lord, but that others are to be judged, not however on equality, but according to their deserts; He will come with all His Angels, when before Him shall be gathered all nations, and among all the Angels are to be reckoned those that have been made so perfect, that sitting upon twelve thrones they judge the twelve tribes of Israel. For men are called Angels: the Apostle saith of himself, As an angel of God ye received me. Of John Baptist it is said, Behold, ^ sen(* ^ Angel before Thy face, that shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Therefore, coming with all Angels, together with Him He shall have the Saints also. For plainly saith Isaias also, He shall come to judgment with the elders of the people. Those * elders of the people,"* then, those but now named Angels, those thousands of many men made perfect coming from the whole world, are called Heaven. But earth the others, yet fruitful. Which is the earth that is fruitful? That which is to be set on the right hand, unto which it shall be said, / was an hungred, and ye gave Me to eat: truly fruitful earth in which the Apostle doth joy, when they sent to him to supply his necessities: Not because I ask a gift, he saith, but I require fruit. And he giveth thanks, saying, Because at length ye have budded forth again to be thoughtful for me. He saith, Ye have budded forth again, as to trees which had withered away with a kind of barrenness. Therefore the Lord coming to judgment, (that we may now hear the Psalm, brethren,) He will do what? (ver. 4.) He will call the heaven from above. The heaven, all the Saints, those made perfect that shall judge, them He shall call from above, to be sitters with Him to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. For how shall He call the heaven from above, when the heaven is always above? But those that He here calleth heaven, the same elsewhere He calleth heavens. What heavens? That tell out the glory of God: for, The heavens tell out the glory of God: whereof is said, Into all the earth their sound hath gone forth, and into the ends of the world their words. For see the Lord severing in judgment: He shall call the heaven from above and the earth, to sever His people. From whom but from evil men? Of whom here afterwards no mention is made, now as it were condemned to punishment. See these good men, and distinguish. He shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, to sever His people. He calleth the earth also, not however to be associated but to be dissociated. For at first He called them together, when the God of gods spake and called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down, He had not yet severed: those servants had been sent to bid to1^22 the marriage, who had gathered good and bad. But when the God of gods shall come manifest and shall not keep silence, He shall so call the heaven from above that it may judge with Him. For what the heaven is, the heavens themselves are; just as what the earth is, the lands themselves, just as what the Church is, the Churches themselves: He shall call the heaven from above and the earth, to sever His people. Now with the heaven He severeth the earth, that is, the heaven with Him doth sever the earth. How doth He sever the earth? In such sort that He setteth on the right hand some, others on the left. But to the earth severed, He saith what? Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me to eat, and so forth. But they say, When saw we Thee an hungred? And He, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of Mine, ye have done it unto Me. He shall call therefore the heaven from above, and the earth, to sever His people.

12. Ver. 5. Gather to Him His righteous. The voice divine and prophetic, seeing future things as if present doth exhort the Angels gathering. For He shall send His Angels, and before Him shall be gathered all nations. Gather to Him His righteous. What righteous men save those that live of32, faith and do works of mercy? For those works are works of righteousness. Thou hast the Gospel: Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be seen of them. And as if it were inquired, what righteousness? When therefore thou does* alms. He saith. Therefore alms He hath signified to be works of righteousness. Those very persons gather for His righteous: gather those that have had compassion on the needy, that have considered the needy and poor: gather them," The Lord preserve them, and make them to live;" Gather to Him His righteous: tpho order His covenant above sacrifices; that is, who think of His promises above those things which they work. For those things are sacrifices, God saying, * I have mercy more than sacrifice? Who keep His covenant more than sacrifice.

13. Ver. 6. And the Heaven shall declare His righteousness. Truly this righteousness of God to us the * heavens have declared/ the Evangelists have foretold. Through them we have heard that some will be on the right hand, to whom the Householder saith, Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive. Receive what? A kingdom. In return for what thing? J was an hungred, and ye gave Me to eat. What so valueless, what so earthly, as to break bread to the hungry? At so much is valued the kingdom of heaven. Break thy bread to the hungry, and the needy without covering bring into thy house; if thou seest one naked, clothe him. If thou hast not the means of breaking bread, hast not house into which thou mayest bring, hast not garment wherewith thou mayest cover: give a cup of cold water, cast two mites into the treasury. As much the widow doth buy with two mites, as Peter buyeth, leavn£ the nets> ^ Zacchaeus buyeth by giving half 'his goods. Of so much worth is all that thou hast. The havens 8kau declare ffig righteousness, for God is Judge. Truly judge not confounding but severing. For the Lord knoweth them that are His. Even if grains lie hid in the chaff, they are known to the husbandman. Let no one fear, that he is a grain even among the chaff; the eyes of our winnower are not deceived. Fear not lest that tempest, which shall be round about Him,, should confound thee with chaff. Certainly mighty will be the tempest; yet not one grain will it sweep from the side of the corn to the chaff: because not any rustic with three-pronged fork, but God, Three in One, is Judge. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is Judge. Let heavens go, let the heavens tell, into every land let their sound go out, and unto the ends of the world their words: and let that body say, From the ends of the world unto Thee have /pn.6l,2. cried, when my heart was in heaviness. For now mingled it groaneth, divided it shall rejoice. Let it cry then and say, Destroy not my soul with ungodly men, and with men of blood my life. He destroyeth not together, because God is Judge. Let it cry to Him and say, Judge me, O Lord, andP26,. sever my cause from the nation unholy: let it say, He shall do it: there shall be gathered to Him His righteous ones. He hath called the earth that He may sever His people.

14. Ver. 7. Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee. He shall come and shall not keep silence; see how that even now, if ye hear, He is not silent. Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee. For if thou hearest not, I will not speak to thee. Hear, and I will speak to thee. For if thou hearest not, even though I shall speak, it will not be to thee. When then shall I speak to thee? If thou hearest. When hearest thou? If thou art my people. For, Hear, my people: thou hearest not if thou art an alien people. Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee: Israel, and I mil testify to thee. Israel, hear thou, my people, hear thou. Israel is the name of election: Thou shalt not be called, He saith, Jacob, but thou shalt be called Israel. Therefore38' hear thou, as if Israel, as if seeing God; though not in form, but now in faith. For thus is interpreted Israel, ' seeing God.' He that hath ears of hearing, let him hear: and A* that hath eyes of seeing, let him see. Hear thou, Israel, and 1 will testify to thee. That which above He hath said, My people; the same in the sequel is Israel: and that which He hath said above, I will speak to thee; the same in the sequel is, I will testify to thee. What shall speak the Lord our God to His people? To His Israel what shall He testify? Let us hear: God, thy God, 1 am. God I am, and thy God I am. How, God I am? As to Moses it was said, J am That I am. How, Thy God I am? I am God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. 1 am God, and thy God I am: and if I be not thy God, I am God. By my good I am God, by thy evil I am not thy God. For Thy God, is properly said to that man whom God doth keep more as one of His family, as though in His household, as though iu His peculiar; Thy God am L What wilt thou more? Requirest thou a reward from God, so that God may give thee something; so that what He hath given thee may be thine own? Behold God Himself, who shall give, is thine own. What richer than He? Gifts thou wast desiring, thou hast the Giver Himself. God, thy God, I am.

15. What He requireth of man, let us see; what tribute our God, our Emperor and our King doth enjoin us; since He hath willed to be our King, and hath willed us to be His province? Let us hear His injunctions. Let not a poor man tremble beneath the injunction of God: what God enjoineth to be given to Himself, He doth Himself first give That enjoineth: be ye only devoted. God doth not exact what He hath not given, and to all men hath given what He doth exact. For what doth He exact? Let us hear now: (ver. 8.) I will not reprove thee because qf thy sacrifices. I will not say to thee, Wherefore hast thou not slain for me a fat bull? why hast thou not selected the best he-goat from thy flock? Wherefore doth that ram amble among thy sheep, and is not laid upon mine altar? I will not say, Examine thy fields thy pen1 and thy walls, seeking what thou mayest give Me. / will not reprove thee because of thy sacrifices. What then? Dost Thou not accept my sacrifices? (Ver. 9.) But thy holocausts are always in My sight. Certain holocausts concerning which is said in another Psalm, If Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would surely have given, with holocausts Thou wilt not be delighted: and again he turneth himself, Sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, a heart broken and humbled God doth not despise. Which be then holocausts that He despiseth not? Which holocausts that are always in His sight? Kindly, O Lord, he saith, deal in Thy good will with Sion, and be the walls of Jerusalem builded, then shalt Thou accept the sacrifice of righteousness, oblations, and holocausts. He saith that certain holocausts God will accept. But what is a holocaust? A whole consumed with fire: causis is burning, holon is whole: but a holocaust is a whole consumed with fire. There is a certain fire of most burning love: be the mind inflamed with love, let the same love hurry off the limbs to its use, let it not allow them to serve cupidity, in order that we may wholly glow with fire of divine love that will offer to God a holocaust. Such holocausts of thine are in My sight always.

16. As yet that Israel perchance doth not understand what are the holocausts thereof which He hath in His sight always, and is still thinking of oxen, of sheep, of he-goats: let it not so think: / will not accept calves of thy house. Holocausts I named; at once in mind and thought to earthly flocks thou wast running, therefrom thou wast selecting for Me some fat thing: I will not accept calves of thy house. He is foretelling the New Testament, wherein all those sacrifices have ceased. For they were then foretelling a certain Sacrifice which was to be, with the Blood whereof we should be cleansed. I will not accept calves of thy house, nor he-goats of thy /locks.

17. Ver. 10. For mine are all the beasts of the wood. Why should I ask of thee what I have made? Is it more thine, to whom I have given it to possess, than Mine, Who have made it? For Mine are all the beasts of the wood. But perchance that Israel saith,*The beasts are God's, those wild beasts which I enclose not in my pen, which I bind not to my stall; but this ox and sheep and he-goat— these are mine own. Cuttle on the mountain, and oxen\ Mine are those which thou possessest not, Mine are these which thou possessest. For if thou art My servant, the whole of thy property is Mine. For it cannot be, that that is the property of the master which the servant hath gotten to himself, and yet that not be the property of the Master which the Master Himself hath created for the servant. Therefore Mine are the beasts of the wood which thou hast not taken; Mine are also the cattle on the mountains which are thine, and the oxen which are at thy stall; all are Mine own, for I have created them.

18. Ver. 11. / know all the winged creatures of heaven. How doth He know? He hath weighed them, hath counted. Which of us knoweth all the winged creatures of heaven? But even though to some man God give knowledge of all the winged creatures of heaven, He doth not Himself know in the same manner as He giveth man to know. One thing is God's knowledge, another man's: in like manner as there is one possession of God's, another of man's: that is, God's possessing is one thing, man's another. For what thou possessest, thou hast not wholly in thy power, or else thy ox, so long as it liveth, is in thy power; so as that it either die not, or be not to be fed. With whom there is the highest power, there is highest and most secret cognition. Let us ascribe this to God, while praising God* Let us not dare to say, How knoweth God? Do not, I pray you, brethren, of me expect this, that I should unfold to you, how God doth know: this only I say, He doth not so know as a man, He doth not so know as an Angel: and how He knoweth I dare not say, because also I cannot ken. One thing, nevertheless, I ken, that even before all the winged creatures of heaven were, God knew that which He was to create. What is that knowledge? O man, thou beginnest to see, after that thou hadst been formed, after that thou hadst received sense of seeing. These fowls sprung of the water at the word of God, saying, Let the waters bring forth fowls. Whereby did God know the things which He commanded the water to bear forth? Now surely He knew what He bad created, and before He created He knew. So great then is the knowledge of God, so that with Himself they were in a certain ineffable manner before they were created: and of thee doth He expect to receive what He had, before He created? / know all the winged creatures of heaven, which thou to Me canst not give. The things which thou wast about to slay for Me, I know all: not because I made I know, but in order that I might make. And the beauty of the field is with Me. The fairness of the field, the abundance of all things engendering upon earth, is with Me, He saith. How with Him? Were they so, even before they were made? Yea, for with Him were all things to come, and with Him are all things by-gone: things to come in such sort, that there be not withdrawn from Him all things bygone. With Him are all things by a certain cognition of the ineffable wisdom of God residing in the Word, and the* Word Himself is all things. Is not the beauty of the field in a manner with Him, inasmuch as He is every where, and Himself hath said, Heaven and earth I Jill? What with Him is not, of Whom it is said, If I shall have ascended into heaven, Thou art there; and if I shall have descended8* into hell, Thou art present? With Him is the whole: but it is not so with Him as that He doth suffer any contamination from those things which He hath created, or any want of them. For with thee, perchance, is a pillar near which thou art standing, and when thou art weary, thou leanest against it. Thou needest that which is with thee, God needeth not the field which is with Him. With Him is field, with Him beauty of earth, with Him beauty of heaven, with Him all winged creatures, because He is Himself every where. And wherefore are all things near Him? Because even before that all things were, or were created, to Him were known all things.

19. Who can explain, who expound that which is said to Him in another Psalm, For my goods Thou needest not? He hath said that He needeth not from us any necessary thing. (Ver. 12.) If I shall be hungry, I will not tell thee. He that keepeth Israel shall neither hunger nor thirst, nor be weary, nor fall asleep. But, lo! according to thy carnality I speak: because thou wilt suffer hunger when thou hast not eaten, perhaps thou thinkest even God doth hunger that He may eat Even though He shall be hungry, He telleth not thee: all things are before Him, whence He will He taketh what is needful for Him. These words are said to convince little understanding; not that God hath declared His hunger. Though for our sake this God of gods deigned even to hunger. He came to hunger, and to fill; He came to thirst, and give drink; He came to be clothed with mortality, and to clothe with immortality; He came poor, to make rich. For He lost not His riches by taking to Him our poverty, for, "In him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden" If I shall be hungry, I will not tell thee. For Mine is the whole world, and the fulness thereof. Do not then labour to find what to give Me, without whom I have what I will.

20. Why then dost still think of thy flocks? (Ver. 13.) Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or shall I drink the blood of he-goats? Ye have heard what of us He requireth not, Who willeth to enjoin ns somewhat. If of such things ye were thinking, now withdraw your thoughts from such things: think not to offer God any such thing. If thou bast a fat bull, kill for the poor: let them eat the flesh of bulls, though they shall not drink the blood of he-goats. Which, when thou shalt have done, He will account it to thee, That bath said, If I shall be hungry, I will not tell thee: and He shall say to thee, "/ was hungry, and thou gavest Me to eat? Shall I eat the Jlesh of bulls, or shall I drink the blood of he-goats?

21. Say then, Lord our God, what dost Thou enjoin Thy people, Thy Israel? (Ver. 14.) Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise. Let us also say to Him, In me, O God, are Thy vows, which I will render of praise to Thee. I had feared lest Thou mightest enjoin something which would be out of my power, which I was counting to be in my pen, and but now perchance it had been taken away by a thief. What dost Thou enjoin me? Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise. Let me revert to myself, wherein I may find what I may immolate: let me revert to myself; in myself may I find immolation of praise: be Thy altar my conscience. Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise. We are without anxiety, we go not into Arabia in quest of frankincense: not any bags of covetous dealer do we sift: God requireth of us the sacrifice of praise. Zacchseus had this sacrifice of Pra*8e n ^ patrimony; the widow had it in her bag; some poor host or other hath had it in his jar: another neither in patrimony, nor in bag, nor in jar, hath had any thing, had it wholly in his heart: salvation was to the house of Zacchseus; and more this poor widow cast in than those rich men: this man, that doth offer a cup of cold water, shall not lose his rewar(: DUt ^eTe ls even "peace on earth to men of good will." Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise. O sacrifice gratuitous, by grace given! 1 have not indeed bought this to offer, but Thou hast given: for not even this should I have had. Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise. And this is the immolation of the sacrifice of praise, to render thanks to Him from Whom thou hast whatever of good thou hast, and by Whose mercy is foTgiven thee whatsoever of evil of thine thou hast. Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise: and render to the Highest thy prayers. With this odour the Lord is well-pleased. Render to the Highest thy prayers.

22. Ver. 15. And call thou upon Me in the day of thy tribulation: and I will draw thee forth, and thou shalt glorify Me. For thou oughtest not to rely on thy powers, all thy aids are deceitful. Upon Me call thou in the day of tribulation: I will draw thee forth, and thou shalt glorify Me. For to this end I hare allowed the day of tribulation to come to thee: because perchance if thou wast not troubled, thou wouldest not call on Me: but when thou art troubled, thou callest on Me; when thou callest upon Me, I will draw thee forth, when I shall draw thee forth thou shalt glorify Me, that thou mayest no more depart from Me. A certain man had grown dull and cold in fervour of prayer, and said, Tribulation awrfPs.116, grief I found, and on the Name of the Lord I called. He4, found tribulation as it were some profitable thing; he had rotted in the slough of his sins; now he had continued without feeling, he found tribulation to be a sort of caustic and cutting. / found, he saith, tribulation and grief, and on the Name of the Lord I called. And truly, brethren, tribulations are known to all men. Behold those afflictions that abound in mankind; one afflicted with loss bewaileth; another smitten with bereavement mourneth; another exiled from country grieveth and desireth to return, deeming sojourning intolerable; another's vineyard is hailed upon, he observeth his labours and all his toil spent in vain. When can a human being not be made sad? An enemy he findeth in a friend. What greater misery in mankind? These things all men do deplore and grieve at, and these are tribulations: in all these they call upon the Lord, and they do rightly. Let them call upon God, He is able either to teach how it must be borne, or to heal it when borne. He knoweth how not to suffer us to be tried above that we are able10' to bear. Let us call upon God even in those tribulations: but these tribulations do find us; as in another Psalm is written, Helper in tribulations which have found us too much: there is a certain tribulation which we ought to find. Let such tribulations find us: there is a certain tribulation which we ought to seek and to find. What is that? The above-named felicity in this world, abundance of temporal things: that is not indeed tribulation, these are the solaces of our tribulation. Of what tribulation? Of our sojourning. For the very fact that we are not yet with God, the very /fact that we are living amid trials and difficulties, that we cannot be without fear, is tribulation: for there is not that peace which is promised us. He that shall not have found this tribulation in his sojourning, doth not think of going home to his father-land. This is tribulation, brethren. Surely now we do good works, when we deal bread to the hungry, home to the stranger, and the like: tribulation even this is. For we find pitiful objects upon whom we shew pity; and the pitiful case of pitiful objects maketh us compassionate. How much better now would it be with thee in that place, where thou findest no hungry man whom thou mayest feed, where thou findest no stranger whom thou mayest take in, no naked man whom thou mayest cover, no sick man whom thou mayest visit, no litigant whom thou mayest set at one! For all things in that place are most high, are true, are holy, are everlasting. Our bread in that place is righteousness, our drink there is wisdom, our garment there is immortality, our house is everlasting in the heavens, our stedfastness 1 is immortality: doth sickness come over? Doth weariness weigh down to sleep? No death, no liu-. tbere peace, quiet, joy, righteousness. No enemy hath entrance, no friend falleth away. What is the quiet there? If we think and observe where we are, and where He that cannot lie hath promised that we are to be, from His very promise we find in what tribulation we are. This tribulation none findeth, but be that shall have sought it Thou art whole, see if thou art miserable; for it is easy for him that is sick to find himself miserable: when thou art whole, see if thou art miserable; that thou art not yet with God. ' Tribulation and grief I found, and on the Name of the Lord I called? Immolate, therefore, to Ood the sacrifice of praise. Praise Him promising, praise Him calling, praise Him exhorting, praise Him helping: and understand in what tribulation thou art placed. Call upon (Him), thou shalt be drawn forth, thou shalt glorify, shalt abide.

23. But see what followeth, my brethren. For now some one or other, because God had said to him, Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise, and had enjoined in a manner this tribute, did meditate to himself and said, I will rise daily, I will proceed to Church, I will say one hymn at matins, another at vespers, a third or fourth in my house, daily I do sacrifice the sacrifice of praise, and immolate to my God. Well thou doest indeed, if thou doest this: but take heed, lest now thou be careless, because now thou doest this: and perchance thy tongue bless God, and thy life curse God. O my people, saith to thee the God of gods, the Lord That spake, * calling the earth from the rising of the sun unto the setting/ though yet thou art placed amid the tares, 7m-Mat.l3, molate the sacrifice of praise to thy God, and render to Him thy prayers: buttake heed lest thou live ill, and chant well. Wherefore this? For, (ver. 16.) Unto the sinner, saith Ood, Why dost thou tell out My judgments, and takest My Covenant in thy mouth? Ye see, brethren, with what trembling we say these words. We take the Covenant of God in our mouth, and we preach to you the instruction and judgment of God. And what saith God to the sinner? Why dost thou? Doth He then forbid preachers that be sinners? And where is that, What they say do, 6wMat.23, what they do, do not? Where is that, Whether in truth or^^ on occasion Christ be preached? But these words were said, lest they should fear that hear, from whomsoever it be that they hear: not that they should be without care that speak good words, and do evil deeds. Now therefore, brethren, ye are without care: if ye hear good words ye hear God through whomsoever it be that ye may hear. But God would not dismiss without reproof them that speak: lest601'' with their speaking alone, without care for themselves they should slumber in evil life, and say to themselves, " For God will not consign us to perdition, through whose mouth He has willed that so many good words should be spoken to His people." Nay, but hear what thou speakest, whoever thou art that speakest: and thou that wilt be heard thyself, first hear thyself; and speak what a certain man doth speak in another Psalm, I will hear what in me speaketh the Lord God, for He?-85*8- shall speak peace to His people. What am I then, that hear not what in me He speaketh, and will that other hear what through me He speaketh? I will hear first, will hear, and chiefly I will hear what speaketh in me the Lord God, for He shall speak peace to His people. Let me hear, and ' chasten my body, and to servitude subject it, lest perchance to others preaching, myself be found a cast-away.' Why dost thou tell out my judgments? Wherefore to thee what profiteth not thee? He admonisheth him to hear: not to lay down preaching, but to take up obedience. But thou, why dost thou take My Covenant in thy mouth?

24. Ver. 17. But thou hatest instruction. Thou hatest discipline. When I spare, thou singest and praisest: when I chasten, thou murmurest: as though, when I spare, I am thy God: and, when I chasten, I am \iot thy God. " / rebuke and chasten those whom I love." But thou hatest instruction: and hast thrown My sayings behind thee. The words that are said through thee, thou throwest behind thee. And thftu hast thrown My sayings behind thee: to a place where they may not be seen by thee, but may load thee. And thou hast thrown My sayings behind thee.

25. Ver. 18. If thou sawest a thief, thou didst consent unto him, and with adulterers thou didst make thy portion. Lest perchance thou shouldest say, I have not committed theft, I have not committed adultery. What if he pleased thee that hath committed? Hast thou not with the very pleasing consented? Hast thou not by approval made thy portion with him that hath committed? For this is, brethren, to consent with a thief, and to make with an adulterer thy portion: for even if thou committest not, and approvest what is committed, thou art an accessory in the deed: for the sinner is praised in the longings of his soul, and he that doeth iniquity shall be blessed.' Thou doest not evil things, thou praisest evil-doers. For is this a small evil? Tftou didst make thy portion with adulterers.

26. Ver. 19. Thy mouth hath abounded in malice, and thy tongue hath embraced deceit. Of the malevolence and deceit, brethren, of certain men he speaketh, who by adulation, though they know what they hear to be evil, yet lest they offend those from whom they hear, not only by not reproving but by holding their peace do consent*. Too little is it, that they do not say, Thou hast done evil: but they even say, Thou hast done even well: and they know it to be evil: but their mouth aboundeth in malice, and their tongue embraceth deceit. Deceit is a sort of guile in words, of uttering one thing, thinking another. He saith not, thy tongue hath committed deceit or perpetrated deceit, but in order to point out to thee a kind of pleasure taken in the very evil doing, He hath said, Hath embraced. It is too little that thou doest it, thou art delighted too; thou praisest openly, thou laughest to thyself. Thou dost push to destruction a man heedlessly putting forth his faults, and knowing not whether they be faults: thou that knowest it to be a fault, sayest not, Whither art thou rushing? If thou wert to see him heedlessly walk in the dark, where thou knewest a well to be, and wert to hold thy peace, of what sort wouldest thou be? wouldest thou not be set down for an enemy of his life 1? And yet if he were to fall into a well, not in soul9 but in body he would die. He doth fall headlong into his vices, he doth expose before thee his evil doings: thou knowest them to be evil, and praisest and laughest to thyself. Oh that at length he were to be turned to God at whom thou laughest, and whom thou wouldest not reprove, and that be were to say, u Let them be con- Ps. founded that say to me, Well, well."

27. And thy tongue hath embraced deceit. (Ver. 20.) Sitting against thy brother thou didst detract. And this sitting doth belong to that whereof he hath spoken above in, hath embraced. For he that doeth any thing while standing or passing along, doth it not with pleasure: but if he for this purpose sitteth, how much leisure doth he seek out to do it! Sitting against thy brother thou didst detract. That very evil detraction thou wast making with diligence, thou wast making sitting; thou wouldest thereon be wholly engaged; thou wast embracing thy evil, thou wast kissing thy craftiness. Sitting against thy brother thou didst detract: and against thy mother's son thou didst lay a He would repeat then the same that he had said above, thy brother. Hath he intimated that any distinction must be perceived by us? Evidently, brethren, I think a distinction must be made. Brother against brother doth detract, for example's sake, as though for instance one strong, and now a doctor and scholar of some weight, doth detract from his brother, one perchance that is teaching well and walking well: but another is weak, against him he layeth a stumbling-block by detracting from the former. For when the good are detracted from by those that seem to be of some weight and to be learned, the weak fall upon the stumbling-block, who as yet know not how to judge. Therefore this weak one is called mother's son, not yet father's, still needing milk, and hanging on the breast He is borne as yet in the bosom of his mother the Church, he is not strong enough to draw near to the solid food of his Father's table, but from the mother's breast he draweth sustenance, unskilled in judging, inasmuch as yet he is animal and carnal. For the spiritual man judgeth all things, but the animal man perceiveth not those things which are of the Spirit of Ood; for they are foolishness to. To such men saith the Apostle, / could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as to babes in Christ I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for ye were not able, but not even now are ye able. A mother I have been to you: as is said in another place, / became a babe among you, even as a nurse cherishing her own children. Not a nurse nursing children of others, but a nurse cherishing her own children. For there are mothers who when they have borne give to nurses: they that have borne cherish not their children, because they have given them to be nursed; but those that cherish, cherish not their own, but those of others: but he himself had borne, he was himself cherishing, to no nurse did commit what he had borne; for he had said, Of whom I travail again until Christ be formed in you. He did cherish them, and gave milk. But there were some as it were learned and spiritual men who detracted from Paul. His letters indeed, say they, are weighty an(j powerful; but the presence of his body weak, and speech contemptible: he saith himself in his Epistle, that certain his detractors had said these words. They were sitting, and were detracting against their brother, and against that their mother's son, to be fed with milk, they were laying a stumbling-block. And against thy mother's son thou didst lay a stumbling-block.

28. Ver. 21. These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue. Therefore the Lord our God shall come, and shall not keep silence. Now, These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue. What is, I held my tongue? From vengeance I have desisted, my severity I have deferred, patience to thee I have prolonged, thy repentance I have long looked for. These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue. But when for this thing I was waiting, that thou shouldest repent, according to the Apostle saying, " But thou according to the hardness of thy heart, and thy heart unrepentant, art treasuring to thyself wrath in the day of wrath, and of the revelation of the just judgment of God;" thou hast imagined iniquity, that I shall be like unto thee. It is too little that thy evil doings please thee, thou thinkest that they please even Me. God, because thou findest not to be an avenger, thou wouldest have for a participator, and as though a corrupt- judge, thou wouldest have Him sharer of the spoil. Thou hast imagined iniquity, that I shall he like unto thee; Thou hast 1 imagined that I shall be like unto thee, while thou wilt not be like unto Me. For, Be ye, he saith, perfect, even as your Father, Which is in the heavens, Who maketh His sun to rise on the good and evil. Him thou wouldest not copy, Who giveth good things even to46- evil men, insomuch that sitting thou dost detract even from good men. Thou hast imagined iniquity, that I shall be like unto thee. I will reprove thee, when * God manifest shall come, our God, and shall not keep silence,' / will reprove thee. And what to thee shall I do in reproving thee? what to thee shall I do? Now thyself thou seest not, I will make thee see thyself. Because if thou shouldest see thyself, and shouldest displease thyself, thou wouldest please Me: but because not seeing thyself thou hast pleased thyself, thou wilt displease both Me and Thyself; Me when thou shalt be judged; thyself when thou shalt burn. But what to thee shall I do? He saith. / will set thee before thy face. For why wouldest thou escape thyself? At thy back thou art to thyself, thou seest not thyself: I make thee see thyself: what behind thy back thou hast put, before thy face will I put; thou shalt see thy un cleanness, not that thou mayest amend, but that thou mayest blush. Now because He saith these words, brethren, is he to be despaired of to whom this is said? Was not that city of which it was said, Three days, and Nineve shall be overthrown, within three days meet to be converted, to pray, bewail, to obtain remission of the impending punishment? Let them hear that are such, while they may hear even Him keeping silence. For * He shall come, and shall not keep silence/ and shall reprove, when for amendment no place shall be. / will set thee, He saith, before thy face. Now then do thou, whosoever art of such sort, what God threateneth to do to thee. Take thyself from thy back, where thou wilt not see thyself, dissembling thy doings, and place thyself before thyself. Mount the judgment seat of thy mind, be to thyself judge, let fear rack thee, let confession burst forth thee, and say thou to thy God, For mine iniquity I acknowledge, and my short-coming is before me ever. Let what was behind thee come before thee: lest thou thyself hereafter be set before thyself by God the Judge, and there be no place whither thou mayest flee from thyself.

29. But, (ver. 22.) understand these things, ye that forget God. See how He crieth, and keepeth not silence, spareth 1 not. Thou hadst forgotten the Lord 1, didst not think of thy evil ^e Perceve now tnou h8* forgotten the Lord. Lest at length He seize like a lion, and there be none to deliver. 1^nat *s Me a lion? Like a brave one, like a mighty one, like him whom none can withstand. To this he made reference when he said, Lion. For it is used for praise, it is used also for shewing evil. The devil hath been called Hon: Your adversary, He saith, like a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom He may devour. May it not be that whereas be hath been called lion because of savage fierceness, Christ hath been called Lion for wondrous mightiness? And where is that, The Lion hath prevailed of the tribe of Judah? Let your love attend for a brief space to the little which still remaineth: I entreat you that ye shake off weariness, He will be with you that hath given you strength up to this hour. A little before he had said, as if enjoining us as ye have heard, a sort of tribute of praise to Him: Immolate to God the sacrifice qf praise, and render to the Most High thy prayers. But afterwards, But to the sinner hath Ood said, Why dost thou tell out My judgments, and takest My Covenant in thy mouth f As though He had said to him, It profiteth thee nothing that thou praisest! I have enjoined sacrifice of praise to them that live well: for them it profiteth that they praise: but if thou praisest, it profiteth thee nothing: why praisest thou Me? Praise is not seemly in the mouth qf a sinner. Afterwards He concludeth as if16' to both, and reproving the bad that forget God, he saith, Understand these things, ye that forget Ood, lest at length He seize like a lion, and there be none to deliver.

30. Ver. 23. Sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me. How shall sacrifice qf praise glorify Me? Assuredly sacrifice of praise doth no wise profit evil men, because they take Thy Covenant in their mouth, and do damnable things that displease Thine eyes. Straightway, he saith, even to them this I say, Sacrifice qf praise shall glorify Me. For if thou livest ill and speakest good words, not yet dost thou praise: but again, if, when thou beginnest to live well, to thy merits thou dost ascribe thy living well, not yet dost thou praise. I will not have thee to be a robber reviling the Lord's Cross: but neither will I have thee to be him that in the Temple did^ukel8> vaunt his merits, and hide his wounds. If thou hast been unrighteous and persisting in that unrighteousness, I say not to thee, praise will not profit; but thou dost not praise Me; that to be praise I count not; again, if thou hast been in a manner righteous, (for no one is righteous but the humble and godly,) and hast walked on puffed up with thy righteousness, and hast despised others in comparison with thyself, and hast above measure lifted thyself up as if glorying in thy merits, thou dost not praise Me. Neither he doth praise Me, who liveth ill, nor doth he praise Me, who liveth well as though of his own power. But was that Pharisee such as he was as of his own power, when he said, Thanks to Tftee /Lnkeis, give, that lam not like other men? Thanks to God he gave for that good which he had in himself. Though then some good be in thee, though thou now understand that not from thyself is that which is good, but from God thou hast received: yet in that very thing if thou hast lifted up thyself above another that hath not, thou art accounted envious; not yet My praiser shalt thou be. First then be made straight from thy most evil way, begin to live well: understand that thou art not made straight but by the gift of God: for By the Lord the goings of a man are directed. This when thoa shalt have understood, give countenance to others also, in order that they may be what thou art: because even thou wast that which they are. Give countenance as much as thou canst, and do not despair; for not only as far as to thee is God rich. Therefore he doth not praise, that by living ill offendeth the Lord; he praiseth not, that, when he hath begun to live well, of his own strength doth think his living well to be, not received of God; nor doth he praise, that, though he knoweth that be hath received his living well from God, yet only so far as to himself will have God to be He then that was saying, Thanks to Thee I give, O God, that I am not like other men, unjust, extortioners, adulterers, or even as this publican; had he not herein cause for saying, Give this publican also what Thou hast given me, supply also to me what Thou bast not yet given? But now, as if full, he was belching: he did not say, But I am needy and poor: which that Publican was saying, O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. Therefore the Publican went down justified, rather than that Pharisee. Therefore hear ye that live well, hear ye that live ill: Sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me. No one offereth Me this sacrifice, and is evil. I say not, Let there not offer Me this any one that is evil; but no one doth offer Me this, that is evil. For he that praiseth, is good: because if he praiseth, he doth also live well, because if he praiseth, not only with tongue he praiseth, but life also with tongue doth agree.

31. Sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me: and there is the way whereby I will shew him the salvation of Qod. In sacrifice of praise is the way whereby I will shew him the salvation of God. What is the salvation of God t Christ Jesus. And how in sacrifice of praise to us is shewn Christ? Because Christ with grace came to us. These words saith the Apostle: But I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me: but that in Jlesh I live, in faith I live of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Acknowledge then sinners, that there would not need physician, if they were whole. For Christ died for the ungodly. When then they acknowledge their ungodlinesses, and first copy that Publican, saying, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner: shew wounds, beseech Physician: and because they praise not themselves, but blame themselves, — So that he that glorieth, not in himself but in the Lord may glory, — they acknowledge the cause of the coming of Christ, because for this end He came, that He might save sinners: for Jesus Christ came, he saith, into this world to save sinners; of whom I am chief Further, those Jews, boasting of their work, thus the same Apostle doth rebuke, in saying, that they to grace belonged not, who to their merits and their works thought that reward was owing. He therefore that knoweth himself to belong to grace, doth know what is Christ and what is Christ's, because he needeth grace. If grace it is called, gratis it is given; if gratis it is given, not any merits of thine have preceded that it should be given. For if thy merits have preceded, reward is not reckoned according to4' grace, but according to debt. If therefore thou sayest thy merits have preceded, thyself thou wilt have to be praised, not God: therefore thou dost not acknowledge Christ, Who came with the grace of God: turn thee then to thy merits, see them to have been evil, so that there is not owed thee aught but punishment, not reward. And when thou shalt have seen what to thee through merit is owed, thou dost acknowledge what through grace is given: and with sacrifice of praise thou dost glorify God. For there is the way wherein tbou raayest know Christ, the salvation of Qod.