Psalm 52 (Vulgate 51)

by a certain action performed, which we have also caused to ^e rea<* to ^ou k°m tne °f Kings. For Saul having been chosen king not to abide, but after the people's hard and evil heart, having been given for their reproof not for their profit, according to that text of holy Scripture which saith of God, Who maketh a hypocrite man to reign, because of the perverseness of the people: since therefore of such 8ort was Saul, he persecuted David, in whom God was prefiguring the kingdom of eternal salvation, and whom God had chosen to abide in his seed: inasmuch as indeed our King, King of ages with Whom we are to reign for everlasting, was to be from the seed of that same David after the flesh. Though then David God had elected and pre-elected and predestined to the kingdom, He would not have even David himself to hold the kingdom before that first He delivered him from them that persecuted him: in order that even in this very thing he might figure us, that is, His Body, of which Body the Head is Christ. For furthermore, if Himself our Head, without labour having been at first accomplished on the earth, chose not in heaven to reign, nor to raise up the Body, which from below He received, save by the way of tribulation; why dare the members expect, that they Can be more fortunate than their Head? If the Master of the Family they have called Beelzebub, how much more His Household. Expect we not therefore a more easy way: wherein He hath gone before, go we; wherein He hath led, follow we. For if from His steps we have strayed, we perish. In this David then, what was being prefigured ye see: kingdom evil in Saul, kingdom good in David: death in Saul, and life in David. For us nothing doth persecute but death, over which at the last we shall triumph, saying, Where, 0 Death, is thy contention? Where, O Death, is thy sting? What is it that I say; doth nothing persecute but death? Because, unless we are subject* to death, there would be nothing which the enemy could do to us. For doth he to angels do any thing? Therefore even death itself, from which most of all we have persecution, whose contention is ended at the end, when we shall have risen again from the dead, as it was ended in our Head, so will be ended in us likewise, if we shall have been found just. For He having died hath been the slayer of death, and more in Him death hath died than Himself in death.

2. Secondly, even the name itself, if we heed, is not without mystery. For Saul is interpreted, c seeking;' that is, earnest seeking. For how ought we to doubt that we to ourselves have made this death? For by man's sin death hath been born. With reason then hath man himself for himself earnestly sought death, and thus seeking is a name Of death. For as it is written. God made not death,Wisd.l, neither is glad at the perdition of the living. For God hath created all things that they might be, and healthful hath made the nations of the whole world. And, as if thou wast enquiring, ' whence death?' But ungodly men with hands,ib. he saith, and with words have called it to them, and counting it a friend, have melted away. Therefore, by seeking it earnestly they have melted away, and into death have fallen, counting it to be their friend: just as the people counted as a friend, and sought, a king that was an enemy. For the people wrung from the Lord to have a king, and there was given them Saul, as if they had been given up into their own hands, that with hands and words called to them death; and there was figured in Saul himself death itself. Therefore that seventeenth Psalm thus hath the title: In the day wherein the8\0Um Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said first, all his enemies: and afterwards, from the hand of Saul: because the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. What is, and from the16'26' hand of Saul? Forasmuch as He hath taken us forth from hell, and from the hand of death hath freed us.

3. When therefore Saul was persecuting the holy man David, David took refuge where he thought it to be safe: passing over by a certain Priest Aehimelech, he received of* him loaves. Wherein be figured also the character not only of a King but also of a Priest: because he ate the c loaves of shewing,' which, as saith the Lord in the Gospel, it was not lawful to eat but for the priests alone. After this Saul4' began to seek him, and was angry with his men because no one would betray him to him. In this sort it is read in the Book of Kings. But there was there a certain Doeg, (when he had come to Aehimelech the Priest,) chief of the shepherds of\ Saul, an Edcmite. Who when he was present, while Said was angry with his men, because no one there would betray David, betrayed where he had seen him. Saul forthwith sent, brought forth the Priest and all that were of him, and commanded them to be slain. No one of the men of king Saul, not even at the king's command, dared to laj hand upon die Priests of the Lord: but he that had betrayed, like Judas, who retreated not from his purpose, and unto the end continued of that root to bring forth fruits, (of what kind but of such kind as an evil tree bringeth forth?) that Doeg slew with his own hand, at the king's commanding, the Priest and all that were of him: secondly, even the city of the Priests was taken by storm. We have found then this Doeg, and enemy to king David and the Priest Acfaimelech. One man is Doeg, but a class of men is Doeg: just as David is both the very body of king and priest, as it were one man and two characters, but yet one class of men. Further, in this time and in this age let us see these two classes, in order that either what we sing, or what we hear to be sung, may pertain to our profit. On one side let us see Doeg, on another the 4x>dy of King and Priest, on another let us see the body of men against King and Priest.

4. In the first place to the names themselves give heed, how mystical they be. Doeg is interpreted ' motion Edomite is interpreted * earthly.' Now see what class of men signifieth that Doeg, ' motion1;9 it is not, I say, one persevering for everlasting, but one to be made to change place. Earthly: why do ye look for any fruits from an earthly man? A heavenly man shall be for everlasting. There is then a kingdom earthly, as I will briefly say, and quickly will unfold, to-day in this age, where also the kingdom of heaven is sojourning \ Its citizens hath each kingdom, kingdom earthly and kingdom heavenly, kingdom to be rooted up, and kingdom for everlasting to be planted. Only in this world the citizens of each kingdom are mingled; the body of kingdom earthly, and the body of kingdom heavenly, are commingled. Kingdom heavenly groaneth amid the citizens of kingdom earthly, and sometimes (for even this must not be hushed) in a manner kingdom earthly doth exact service from citizens of the kingdom of heaven, and kingdom heavenly doth exact service from citizens of kingdom earthly. Both things to you from the Scripture of God we will prove. Daniel and the three children at Babylon were set over the king's affairs: Joseph in Egypt, next after the king, was set to govern the state, from which state the people of God was to be delivered: in that very republic Joseph in a manner was doing service, as were those three children, as was Daniel. It is evident then that kingdom earthly had made use to itself of citizens of kingdom heavenly for its purposes, that is, for the purposes of its kingdom, not for its evil deeds. What of the kingdom of heaven also, how doth it make use of citizens of kingdom earthly in this world for a time? Doth not the Apostle say of these men, that not chastely they were proclaiming the Gospel, but desiring earthly things they were preaching the kingdom of heaven, their own things they were seeking, and Christ they were proclaiming? And that ye may know that even these same men were taken for the work of the kingdom of heaven, like mercenary soldiers, the Apostle rejoicing of them saith, There are that through envy and strife preach Christ, not chastely, thinking themselves to stir up tribulation to my bonds. But why? Forasmuch as every way, whether by occasion or whether in truth, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice, but also I will rejoice. Of such men also Christ preacheth, saying, The Pharisees and Scribes in the seat of Moses have sat; what things they say, do ye; but what things they do, do2' not ye: for they say, and do not. What things they say belong to David, but what things they do belong to Doeg. Through them hear me, them imitate not. These two races of men are to-day on the earth. Of these two races singeth this Psalm.

5. But the title of the Psalm hath: At the end, understanding of David) when there came Doeg the Edomile and told Saul, David hath come into the house of Abimelech; whereas we read that he had come into the house of Achimelech. And it may chance that we do not unreasonably suppose, that because of the similarity of a name and the difference of one syllable, or rather of one letter, the titles have been varied. In the manuscripts, however, of the Psalms, when we looked into them, rather Abimelech we have found than Achimelech. And siuce in another place thou hast a most evident Psalm, intimating not a dissimilarity of name, but an utterly different name; when, for instance, David changed his face before king Achish, not before king Abimelech, and he sent him away, and he departed: and yet the title of the Psalm is thus written, When he changed his countenance in the presence of Abimelech — the very change of name maketh us the rather intent upon a mystery, lest thou shouldest pursue the quasi -facts of history, and despise the sacred veilings. When examined, the name in that Psalm, which is Abimelech, is found to be interpreted, My father's kingdom. But in what manner did David send away his father's kingdom, and then depart, except in the same manner as Christ sent away the Jews1 kingdom, and to the Gentiles passed over? Hence perchance also the Prophetic Spirit, writing the title to this Psalm, willed not to say Achimelech, but Abimelech; because, when David came to his father's kingdom, then he was betrayed; that is, when our Lord Jesus Christ came to the Jews' kingdom established by His Father, whereof He " The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and righteousness," then He was betrayed to death, which the Word Saul doth signify. But he was not slain, as neither Isaac, though he also was figuring our Lord's passion; nor yet was the figure maintained without blood, either in the former case of the ram, or in the latter of Achimelech the priest. For it behoved not them to be slain, whom then to rise it did not behove: but their life from danger of death, though with shedding of blood, Jesus in delivering, was the rather intimating the resurrection, which in this manner was being figured in them, because it was reserved for the true* Lord. More on this point might be said, if in this Sermon we had undertaken to treat of the mysteries of those things that were performed.

6. Now, however, let us hear of those two kinds of men; since indeed from that title we have digressed; it may be somewhat tediously, and perchance in too many words, but yet as the Lord hath permitted. Observe ye two kinds of men; the one of men labouring, the other of those among whom they labour: the one of men thinking of earth, the other of heaven: the one of men weighing down their heart unto the deep, the other of men with Angels their heart conjoining: the one trusting in earthly things, wherein this world aboundeth, the other confiding in heavenly things, which God, Who lieth not, hath promised. But mingled are these kinds of men. We see now the citizen of Jerusalem, citizen of the kingdom of heaven, have some office upon earth: to wit, one weareth purple, is a Magistrate, is ^Edile, is Proconsul, is Emperor, doth direct the earthly republic: but he hath his heart above, if he is a Christian, if he is a believer, if he is godly, if he is despising those things wherein he is, and trusteth in that wherein he is not yet. Of which kind was that holy woman Esther, who, though she was wife of a king, incurred the danger of interceding for her countrymen: and when she was praying before God, where she could not lie, in her prayer said, that her royal ornaments were to her but as the cloth of a menstruous woman. Despair we not then of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven, when we see them engaged in any of Babylon's matters, doing something earthly in republic earthly: nor again let us forthwith congratulate all men that we see doing matters heavenly; because even the sons of pestilence sit sometimes in the seat of Moses, of whom is said, What things they sayy do ye: but what things they do> do not: for they say, and do not. Those, amid earthly things, lift up heart unto heaven, these, amid heavenly words, trail heart upon earth. But there will come time of winnowing, when both are to be severed with greatest diligence, in order that no grain may pass over unto the heap of chaff that is to be burned, that not one single straw may pass over to the mass that is to be stored in the barn. So long as then now it is mingled, hear we thence our voice, that is, voice of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven: (for to this we ought to aspire, to bear with evil men here, rather than be borne with by good men:) and let us conjoin ourselves to this voice, both with ear and with tongue, and with heart and work. Which if we shall have done, we are here speaking in those things which we hear. Let us therefore 6peak first of the evil body of kingdom earthly.

7. Ver. 1. Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty? Observe, my brethren, the glorying of malignity, the glorying of evil men. Where is glorying? Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty? that is, he that in malice is mighty, why doth he glory? There is need that a man be mighty, but in goodness, not in malice. Is it any great thing to glory in malice? To build a house doth belong to few men, any ignorant man you please can pull down. To sow wheat, to dress the crop, to wait until it ripen, and in that fruit on which one has laboured to rejoice, doth belong to few men: with one spark any man you please can burn all the crop. To breed an infant, when born to feed him, to educate, to bring him on to youth's estate, is a great task: to kill him in one moment of time any one you please is able. Therefore those things which are done for destruction, are most easily done. He that glorieth9 let him glory in the Lord: he that glorieth, let him glory in goodness. Thou gloriest, because thou art mighty in evil. What art thou about to do, O mighty man, what art thou about to do, boasting thyself much? Thou art about to kill a man: this thing also a scorpion, this also one fever, this also a poisonous fungus can do. To this is thy mightiness reduced, that it be made equal to a poisonous fungus? This therefore do the good citizens of Jerusalem, who not in malice but in goodness glory: firstly, that not in themselves, but in the Lord they glory. Secondly, that those things which make for edification they earnestly do, and do such things as are strong to abide: but things which make for destruction they may do, for the discipline of men advancing, not for the oppression of the innocent. To this mightiness then that earthly body being compared, why may it not hear out of these words, Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty?

8. Ver. 2. In iniquity the whole day upon injustice hath thy tongue thought. " In iniquity the whole day" that is, in the whole of time, without weariness, without intermission, without cessation. And when thou doest not, thou thinkest; so that when any thing of evil is away from thy hands, from thy heart it is not away; either thou doest an evil thing, or while thou canst not do, thou sayest an evil thing, that is, thou evil-speakest: or when not even this thou canst do, thou wiliest and thickest an evil thing. The whole day, then, that is, without intermission. We expect punishment to this man. Is he to himself a small punishment? Thou threatenest him: thou, when thou threatenest him, wilt send him whither? unto evil? Send him away unto himself. In order that thou may est rent much rage, thou art going to give him into the power of beasts: unto himself he is worse than beasts. For a beast can mangle bis body: of himself he cannot leave his heart whole. Within, against himself he doth rage of himself, and dost thou from without &ek for stripes? Nay, pray God for him, that he may be set free from himself. Nevertheless in this Psalm, my brethren, there is not a prayer for evil men, or against evil men, but a prophecy of what is to result to evil men. Think not therefore that the Psalm of ill-will saith any thing: for it is said in the spirit of prophecy.

9. There followeth then what? All thy might and all thy thought of iniquity all the day, and meditation of malignity in thy tongue without intermission, hath performed what, done what? (Ver. 3.) As with a sharp razor thou hast done deceit. See what do evil men to Saints, they scrape their hair. What is it that I have said? If there be such citizens of Jerusalem, that hear the voice of their Lord, of their King, saying, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: that hear the voice which but now from the Gospel hath been read, What doth it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and qf himself make wreck: they26, despise all present good things, and above all life itself. And what is Doeg's razor to do to a man on this earth meditating on the kingdom of heaven, and about to be in the kingdom of heaven, having with him God, and about to abide with God? What is that razor to do? Hair it is to scrape, it is to make a man bald. And this belongeth to Christ, Who in the Place of a Scull was crucified. It maketh also the son of Core, which is interpreted baldness. For this hair signifieth a superfluity of things temporal. Which hairs indeed are not made by God superfluously on the body of men, but for a sort of ornament: yet because without feeling they are cut off, they that cleave to the Lord with their heart, so have these earthly things as they have hair. But sometimes even something of good with ' hair' is wrought, when thou breakest bread to the hungry, the poor without roof thou bringest into thy house; if thou shalt have seen one naked, thou coverest him: lastly, the Martyrs themselves also imitating the Lord, blood for the Church shedding, hearing that voice, As Christ laid down His life for us, so also ought we also to lay down for the brethren, in a certain way with their hair did good to us, that is, with those things which that razor can lop off or scrape. But that therefore even with the very hair some good can be done, even that woman a sinner intimated, who, when she had wept over the feet of the Lord, with her hair wiped what with tears she wetted. Signifying what? That when thou shalt have pitied any one, thou oughtest to relieve him also if thou canst. For when thou hast pity, thou sheddest as it were tears: when thou relievest, thou wipest with hair. And if this to any one, how much more to the feet of the Lord? The feet of the Lord are what? The holy Evangelists, whereof is said, How beautiful are the feet of them that tell of peace, that tell of good things! Therefore like a razor let Doeg whet his tongue, let him whet deceit as much as he may: he will take away superfluous temporal things; will he necessary things everlasting?

10. Ver. 4. Thou hast loved malice above benignity. Before thee was benignity; herself thou shouldest have loved. For thou wast not going to expend any thing, nor wast thou going to fetch something to love by a distant voyage. Benignity is before thee, iniquity before thee: compare and choose. But perchance thou hast an eye wherewith thou seest maliguity, and hast no eye wherewith thou seest benignity. Woe to the iniquitous heart. What is worse, it doth turn away itself, that it may not see what it is able to For what of such bath been said in another place? He would not understand that he might do good. For it is not said, he could not: but he would not, he saith ^understand that he might do good, he closed his eyes from present light. And what folio weth? Of iniquity he hath meditated in his bed; that is, in the inner secresy of his heart. Some reproach of this kind is heaped upon this Doeg the Edomite, a malignant body, a motion of earthy not abiding, not heavenly. Thou hast loved malignity above benignity. For wilt thou know how an evil man doth see both, and the former he doth rather choose, from the other doth turn himself away? Wherefore doth he cry out when he suffereth any thing unjustly? Wherefore doth he then exaggerate as much as he can the iniquity, and praise benignity, censuring him that hath wrought in him malignity above benignity?" Be he then a rule to himself for seeing: out of himself he shall be judged. Moreover, if he do what is written, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself; and, Whatsoever good things ye will that mm should do unto you9 these also do ye do unto them: at home be hath means of knowing, because what on himself he will not have to be done, he ought not to do to another. Thou hast loved malice above benignity. Iniquitously, inordinately, perversely thou wouldest raise water above oil 1: the water will be sunk, the oil will remain above. Thou wouldest under darkness place a light: the darkness will beThew. put to flight, the light will remain. Above heaven thouHom#xi* wouldest place earth, by its weight the earth will fall into its place. Thou therefore wilt be sunk by loving malice above benignity. For never will malice overcome benignity. Thou hast loved malice above benignity: iniquity more than to speak of equity. Before thee is equity, before thee is iniquity: one tongue thou hast, whither thou wilt thou turnest it: wherefore theu rather to iniquity and not to equity? Food of bitterness dost thou not give to thy belly, and food of iniquity dost thou give to thy malignant tongue? As thou choosest whereon to live, so choose what thou mayest speak. Thou preferrest iniquity to equity, and preferrest malice to benignity; thou indeed preferrest, but above what can ever be but benignity and equity? But thou, by placing thyself in a manner upon those things which it is necessary should go beneath, wilt not make them to be above good things, but thou with them wilt be sunk unto evil things.

11. Ver. 5. Because of this there followeth in the Psalm,

Thou hast loved all words of sinking under. Rescue therefore thyself, if thou canst, from sinking under. From Shipwreck thou art fleeing, and dost embrace lead! If thou wilt not sink, catch at a plank, be borne on wood, let the Cross carry thee through. But now because thou art a Doeg the Edomite, a * motion,' and i of earth,' thou doest what? Thou hast loved all words of sinking-under, a tongue deceitful. This hath preceded, words of sinking-under have followed a tongue deceitful. What is a tongue deceitful? A minister of guile is a tongue deceitful, of men bearing one thing in heart, another thing from mouth bringing forth. But in these is overthrowing, in these sinking under,

12. Ver. 6. Wherefore Qod shall destroy thee at the end: though now thou seemest to flourish like grass in the field before the heat of the sun. For, All flesh is grass* and the brightness qf man as the bloom of grass: the grass hath withered, and the bloom hath fallen down: but the word qf the Lord abideth for everlasting. Behold that to which thou mayest bind thyself, to what1 ' abideth for everlasting.' For ^ t° grass, and to the bloom of grass, thou shalt have bound thyself, since the grass shall wither, and the bloom shall fall down, Qod shall destroy thee at the end: and if not now, certainly at the end He shall destroy, when that winnowing shall have come, and the heap of chaff from the solid grain shall have been separated. Is not the soHd grain for the barns, and the chaff for the fire? Shall not the whole of that Doeg stand at the left hand, when the Lord is to say, Qo ye into fire everlasting, which hath been prepared for the devil and his angels? Therefore Qod shall destroy at the end: shall pluck thee out, and shall remove thee from thy dwelling. Now then this Doeg the Edomite is in a dwelling: But a servant abideth not in the house for ever. Even he worketh something of good, even if not with his doings, at least with the words of God, so that in the Church, When he seeketh his own, he would say, at least, those things which are of Christ.

But He shall remove thee from thy dwelling. " Verily, verily, 1 say unto you, they have received their reward." And thy root from the land of the living. Therefore in the land of the living we ought to have root. Be our root there. Oat of sight is the root: fruits may be seen, root cannot be seen. Our root is our love, our fruits are our works: it is needful that thy works proceed from love, then is thy root in the land of the living. Then shall be rooted up that Doeg, nor any wise shall he be able there to abide, because neither more deeply there hath he fixed a root: but it shall be with him in like manner as it is with those seeds on the rock, which6' even if a root they throw out, yet, because moisture they have not, with the risen sun forthwith do wither. But, on the other hand, they that fix a root more deeply, hear from the Apostle what? / bow my knees for you to the Father o/Epb. our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye may be in love rooted andlg]17"^ grounded. And because there now is root, That ye may be able, he saith, to comprehend what is the height, and breadth, and length, and depth: to know also the super eminent know ledge of the love of Christ, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. Of such fruits so great a root is worthy, being so single, so budding, for buddings so deeply grounded. But truly this man's root shall be rooted up from the land of the living.

13. Ver. 7. And the just shall see, and shall fear; and over him they shall laugh. Shall fear when? Shall laugh when? Let us therefore understand, and make a distinction between those two times of fearing and laughing, which have their several uses. For so long as we are in this world, not yet must we laugh, lest hereafter we mourn. We have read what is reserved at the end for this Doeg, we have read, and because we understand and believe, we see but fear. This, therefore, hath been said, The just shall see, and shall fear. So long as we see what will result at the end to evil men, wherefore do we fear? Because the Apostle hath said, In fear and trembling work out your own salvation: because it hath been said in a Psalm, Serve the Lord in fear, and exult unto Him with trembling. Wherefore with fear? " Wherefore let him that thinketh himself to stand, see that he fall not? Wherefore with trembling? Because he saith in another place: Brethren, if a man shall have been over-taken in any delinquency, ye that are spiritual instruct** such sort in the spirit of gentleness; heeding thyself, test thou also be tempted. Therefore, the just that are now, that live of faith, so see this Doeg, what to him is to result, that nevertheless they fear also for themselves: for what they are to-day, they know; what to-morrow they are to be, they know not. Now, therefore, The just shall see, and they shall fear. But when shall they laugh? When iniquity shall have passed over; when it shall have flown over; as now to a great degree bath flown over the time uncertain; when shall have been put to flight the darkness of this world, wherein now we walk not but by the lamp of the Scriptures, and therefore fear as though in night. For we walk by prophecy; whereof saith the Apostle Peter, We have a more sure prophetic word, to which giving heed ye do well, a* to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day shine, and the daystar arise in your hearts. So long then as by a lamp we walk, it is needful that with fear we should live. But when shall have come our day, that is, the manifestation of Christ, whereof the same Apostle saith, When Christ shall have appeared, your life, then ye also shall appear with Himself in glory, then the just shall laugh at that Doeg. For then is not the time for relieving: not as now, when thou seest a man unjustly living, thou desirest with him to strive that thou mayest amend him; because he that is unjust, being changed for the better, will be able to be just, in like manner as a just man, being changed for the worse, can be unjust. Therefore, neither for thyself presume, nor for him despair: and give diligence as much as thou canst, if thou art benign, if thou lovest not malice above benignity, that a man walking in evil way and erring thou mayest amend to the good way. But then, when shall have come the time of the Judgment, for amendment place there shall be none, but only for condemnation: and there shall be there penitence, but without fruit, because too late. Wilt thou that it be fruitful? be it not too late. To-day amend thee. Guilty thou art, He is Judge: amend the guilt, and thou shalt rejoice before the Judge. For to-day he exhorteth thee, lest He judge thee: and He that is to be thy Judge, is Himself to-day thy Advocate. Then, therefore, brethren, there reraaineth a time for laughing. For that same derision of the unrighteous which is to be on the part of the just, the Book of Wisdom hath pointed out For in her own, into whose souls wisdom doth transport herself, she is to do what she hath spoken of, / was reproving, and ye did not listen; I was speaking, and to my words ye attended not: and over your destruction I will laugh. This shall be done then by the just against this Doeg. But now let us see and fear, lest we be that which against him we say: and if that we were, that let us cease to be, in order that now fearing, hereafter we may laugh.

14. But what shall they then say that shall laugh? (Ver. 8.) And over him they shall laugh; and shall say, Behold a man that hath not set God for his helper. See ye the body earthly! As much as thou shall have, so great shall thou be, is a proverb of covetous men, of grasping men, of men oppressing the innocent, of men seizing upon other men's goods, of men denying things entrusted to their care. Of what sort is this proverb? As much as thou shall have, so great shall thou be; that is, as much as thou shalt have had of money, as much as thou shalt have gotten, by so much the more mighty shalt thou be. Behold a man that hath not set God for his helper. But hath trusted in the multitude of his riches. Let not a poor man, one perchance that is evil, say, I am not of this body. For he hath heard the Prophet saying, He hath trusted in the multitude of his riches: forthwith if he is poor, he heedeth his rags, he hath observed near him perchance a rich man among the people of God more richly apparelled, and he saith in his heart, Of this man be speaketh; doth he speak of me? Do not thence except thyself, do not separate thyself, unless thou shalt have seen and feared, in order that thou mayest hereafter laugh. For what doth it profit thee, if thou dost want means, and thou burnest with cupidity? When our Lord Jesus Christ to that rich man that was grieved, and that was departing from Him, had said, Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven,21 and come follow Me: and great hopelessness for rich men foretold, so that He said, more easily could a camel pass through the eye of a needle, than a rich man enter into the kingdom of Heaven, were not forthwith the disciples grieved, saying with themselves, Who shall be able to be saved? Therefore when they were saying, Who shall be able to be saved? did they think of the few rich men, did there escape them so great a multitude of poor men? Could they not say to themselves, If it is hard, aye an impossible thing, that rich men should enter into the kingdom of heaven, as it is impossible that a camel should enter through the eye of a needle, let all poor men enter into the kingdom of heaven, be the rich alone shut out? For how few are the rich men? But of poor men are thousands innumerable. For not the coats are we to look upon in the kingdom of heaven; but for every one's garment shall be reckoned the effulgence of righteousness; there shall be therefore poor men equal to Angels of God, clothed with the stoles of immortality, they shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: what reason is there for us about a few rich men to be concerned, or distressed? This thought not the Apostles; but when the Lord had spoken this, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven: they saying to themselves, Who shall be able to be saved> meant what? Not means, but desires; for they saw even poor men themselves, even if not having money, yet to have covetousness. And that ye may know, that not money in a rich man, but covetousness is condemned, attend to what I say; Thou observest that rich man standing near thee, and perchance in him is money, and is not covetousness; in thee is not money, and is covetousness. A poor man full of sores, full of woe, licked by dogs, having no help, having no morsel, not having perchance a mere garment, was borne by the Angels unto Abraham's bosom. Ho! being a poor man, art thou glad now; for are even sores by thee to be desired? Is not thy patrimony soundness? There is not in this Lazarus the merit of poverty, but that of godliness* For thou seest who was borne up, thou seest not whither he was borne up. Who was borne up by Angels? A poor man, full of woe, full of sores. Whither was he borne up? Unto Abraham's bosom. Read the Scriptures, and thou shalt fin(j Abraham to have been a rich man. In rfrder that thou mayest know, that not riches are blamed; Abraham had much gold, silver, cattle, household, was a rich man, and unto his bosom Lazarus, a poor man, was borne up. Unto bosom of rich man, poor man: are not rather both unto God rich

15. What then in this Doeg doth the Scripture blame? It hath not said, Behold a man that was rich; but, Behold a man that hath not set Oodfor his Helper, but hath trusted in the multitude of his riches. Not because he hath had riches, but because in them he hath trusted, and in God hath not trusted, therefore he is condemned, therefore is punished, therefore is moved from his dwelling, like that 'motion of earth,' as dust which the wind driveth from the face of earth, therefore is rooted out the root of him from the land of the living. Are the rich men like this, of whom Paul speaketh; Charge the rich men of this world not proudly to be wise, as Doeg, nor to trust in uncertainty17' of riches, as himself hath ' trusted in the multitude of his riches? but in the living God; not in the same manner as he did, That hath not set Ood for his Helper? Lastly, for them he doth charge what? Be they rich in good works, readily distribute, communicate. And what if they shall readily have distributed, if they shall have communicated to him that hath not? Shall they enter through the eye of a needle? They shall enter, evidently: for also for them already He hath Himself a camel entered. For HeMat.i9, hath Himself first entered, Whom, like a camel, no man with the burden of the Passion had loaded, except Himself had laid Him down unto the earth. Because He hath also Himself said this, That which to men is impossible, to Gorfib-26. is an easy thing. Be therefore this Doeg condemned, let just men fear for him now, let just men laugh over him hereafter. For deservedly is he condemned, that hath not set God for his helper; as thou dost, who perchance hast money, but on God art relying, not on money. And hath trusted in the multitude of his riches: hath been made like to them, who when they said, Blessed the people to whom these things qre; that is, these things of earth, there rejoined forthwith he that derideth this Doeg, Blessed the people of whom is the Lord for their own God. For those things wherein they called the people blessed, the Psalm enumerateth. For they spake like strange children, like men, both in cupidity poor men? that Doeg the Edomite, that is, one earthly: Their mouth spoken vanity, their right hand is a right hand of iniquity. Whose own sons are as young plants firmly rooted in their youth: their daughters adorned, and decked a* the similitude of a temple: their garners fully breaking forth from this unto this: their sheep fruitful, multiplying in their goings forth; their oxen fat; there w no falling of enclosure, nor going forth, nor cry in their streets. As it were great felicity they seem to have of earthly peace. But he that is earthly, is also a motion, that is, dust which the wiod driveth from the face of earth. Lastly, what in them is censured? Not that they hare bad these things; for even good men have these things: but what? To this attend: lest every where ye should censure rich men; and again, lest ye should rely on poverty and on indigence. For if we must not rely on riches, how much more we must not rely on poverty, but on the living God? Wherein then are these men noted? Because blessed they called the people to whom these things are. Therefore are they strange children, therefore their mouth hath spoken vanity, and their right band is a right hand of iniquity. But thou, what? Blessed the people qf whom is the Lord their own God.

16. Therefore that man having been condemned, that hath trusted in the multitude of his riches, and hath prevailed in his vanity: for what more vain, that he that thinketh coin more to avail than God? Therefore that man having been condemned that said, blessed of the people to whom these things are: thou that sayest, Blessed the people of whom is the Lord their own God, dost think of thyself what? dost hope for thyself what? But /; now at length hear that body; (ver.9.) But 1 am like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God. Not one man speaketh, but that olive fruit-bearing, whence have been pruned the proud branches, and the humble wild olive graffed in. like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God, I have trusted in the mercy of God. He did what? In the multitude of his riches: there* fore his root shall be plucked out from the land of the living. But /, because like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God, the root whereof is nourished, is not rooted out, hate trusted in the mercy of God. But perchance now? For even herein men err sometimes. God indeed they worship, and are not now like to that Doeg: but though on God they rely, it is for temporal things nevertheless; so that they say to themselves, I worship my God, who will make me rich upon earth, who to me will give sons, who to me will give a wife. Such things indeed giveth noue but God, but God would not have Himself for the sake of such things to be loved. For to this end oftentimes those things He giveth even to evil men, in order that some other thing good men of Him may learn to seek. In what manner then sayest thou, / fiace trusted in the mercy of God? Perchance for obtaining temporal things? Nay but, For everlasting and world without end. The expression, For everlasting, he willed to repeat by adding, world without end, in order that by there repeating he might affirm bow rooted be was in the love of the kingdom of heaven, and in the hope of everlasting felicity.

17. Ver. 10. J will confess to Thee for ever, because Thou hast done. Hast done what? Doeg Thou hast condemned, David Thou hast crowned. / will confess to Thee for ever, because Ttiou hast done. Great confession, Because Thou hast done! Hast done what? except these very things which above have been spoken of, that like an olive fruit-bearing in the house of God, I should trust in the mercy of God for everlasting and world without end? Thou hast done: an ungodly man cannot justify himself. But who is He that justi fie th? Believing, he saith, on Him thatRom. justifieth the ungodly. Far what hast thou which thou not received? But if thou hast received, why dost thou glory as if thou hast not received, as if of thyself thou hast? Be it far from me that I should so glory, saith he, that is opposed against Doeg, that beareth with Doeg upon earth, until he remove from his dwelling, and be rooted up from the land of the living. I glory not as if I have not received, bat in God 1 glory. And I unit confess to TJiee because Thou hast done, that is, because Thou hast done not according to my merits, but according to Thy mercy. But I have done what? If thou recollectesl, Before, I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. But thou, what hast thou done? " But mercy I have obtained, because ignorant I did it." I will confess to thee for ever, because Thou hast done.

18. And I will look for Thy name, for it is pleasant. Bitter is the world, but Thy name is pleasant. Even if certain sweet things are in the world, yet with bitterness they are digested. Thy name is preferred, not only for greatness but also for pleasantness. For unjust men have told to me their delights, but it is not as Thy law, O Lord. For if there were nothing sweet to the Martyrs, they would not have suffered with equanimity so great bitterness of tribulations. Their bitterness by any one was experienced, their sweetness easily could no one taste. The name of God therefore is pleasant to men loving God above all pleasantnesses. / will look for Thy name, for it is pleasant. And to what dost Thou prove that it is pleasant? Give me a palate to which it is pleaS&nt. Praise honey as much as thou art able, exaggerate the sweetness thereof with what words thou shalt have power: a man knowing not what honey is, unless he shall have tasted, what thou sayest knoweth not. Therefore the rather to the proof the Psalm inviting thee saith what? Taste and see that sweet is the Lord. Taste thou wilt not, and thou sayest, Is it pleasant? What is pleasant? If thou hast tasted, in thy fruit be it found, not in words alone, as it were only in leaves, lest by curse of the Lord, to wither like that fig-tree thou shouldest deserve. Taste, he saith, and see, that sweet is the Lord. Taste and see: then ye shall see, if ye shall have tasted. But to a man not tasting, how provest thou? By praising the pleasantness of the name of God, whatsoever things thou shalt have said are words: something else is taste. The words of His praise there hear even the ungodly, but none taste how sweet it is, but the Saints. Further, a roan discerning the sweetness of the name of God, and wishing to unfold and wishing to shew the same, and not finding persons to whom he may unfold it; for to the Saints there is no need that he shew it, because they even of themselves taste and know, but the ungodly cannot discern what they will not taste: doth, I say, what, because of the sweetness of the name of God? He hath borne him forthwith away from the crowds of the ungodly. And Itcill look, he saith, for Thy name9for it is pleasant, in the sight of 77iy Saints. Pleasant is Thy name, but not in the sight of the ungodly? I know how sweet a thing it is, but it is to them that have tasted. ERRATA AND CORRIGENDA. Vol. I. p. vii. for * the Rev. J. Tweed, Rev. J. E. Tweed, M.A. Chaplain of p. 177 margin, for * capsar' read

The plan of publishing some at the least of the originals of the Fathers, whose works were translated in the " Library," has beeu steadily kept in view from the first, and Collations have now been obtained, at considerable expense, at Rome, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Florence, Venice, and the Editors have materials for the principal works of S. Chrysostom, for S. Cyril of Jerusalem, S. Macarius, Tertullian, and S. Augustine's Homilies on the Psalms. Collations are also being made for S. Gregory of Nyssa.

Of these, they have begun with S. Chrysostom on St. Paul, the Rev. F. Field, M.A. Trin. Coll. Cambridge, having united with them in this great task. He has already edited the Homilies on the Epistles to the Corinthians, and is now carrying through the press those on the Epistle to the Romans.

All the best MSS. known in Europe have been collated for this edition, and the text has been considerably improved, as that of the Homilies on S. Matthew had already been by the same Editor *. There is then every prospect that the English Edition of S. Chrysostom will be again the best

All the extant European MSS. have likewise been collated for S. Cyril of Jerusalem and Tertullian. Of these S. Cyril is nearly ready for the press.

The publication of Tertullian has been delayed, because it was discovered that the result of the collations would be to make the text more genuine, yet more difficult than before. M. Heyse, who was collating for the Editors at Rome, being requested to search for the MS. or MSS. which F. Ursinus alleged that he had used, discovered the original papers of Ursinus, in which it appeared that the readings which Rigaltius adopted from him, were in fact only ingenious conjectures by Ursinus himself, which he gave oot as collations of MSS. The Editor of the treatises of Tertullian already translated, being thus thrown back upon the older text, found reason to think that in those cases the readings, which Ursinus had corrected, although at first sight obscurer, were (he believes with one exception) the more

With regard to S. Augustine, there seemed reason to think that there was very little or nothing left to be done for the improvement of the text after the admirable labours of the Benedictines. Some collations which the Editors obtained, through their laborious Collator, from very ancient MSS. of his Epistles at Monte-Cassino, conBrmed this impression. And this is again renewed by some Collations on the Psalms, which the same Scholar has made for them from a very ancient Codex rescriptus in the

• Mr. Field's edition of the Homilies on S. Matthew is supplied to Subscribers to the Library at the same reduced rate as the other volumes'. [Publisher.'} genuine. Vatican. Still, besides the improvement of the text of any Father, if possible, the Editors had the distinct object of making single valuable works accessible to Clergy who could not afford to purchase his whole works. They, therefore, propose to publish S. Augustine's Homilies on the Psalms, since they are not only a deep and valuable Commentary on a portion of Holy Scripture, which forms so large a part of our public devotions, but contain, perhaps, more of his practical theology and hints as to the inward spiritual life, than most of his works. Besides the abore Vatican MS, Collations are being made of some of the Bodleian MSS,which have not been used, since even an occasional improvement of the collocation, or still more occasional of the text itself, is not without interest in a work of such exceeding value.

Large Collations had been made for S. Macarius, and it seemed almost ready for publication, when their indefatigable Collator, M. Heyse, discovered in the Vatican an entirely different recension. In accordance with the rules of the Vatican, access was, upon this, denied them to all MSS. whatever of S. Macarius, and the edition has consequently been, for the time, suspended.

For S. Gregory of Nyssa considerable preparations have been made, although nothing is yet ready for the press.

For these undertakings, the Editors have only their private resources, (any profits from the translations having been much more than absorbed by the Collations.) The present number of Subscribers to the original texts is only 421. Works printed in England have, owing to the expense of labour here, but a limited circulation abroad. If then it is wished that the publication of the originals should proceed more rapidly, there must be additional Subscribers.