Psalms 55–56 (Vulgate 54–55)

1. Of this Psalm the title is: At the end, in hymns, understanding to David himself. What the " end" is, we will briefly call to your recollection, because ye have known it For the end of the Law is Christ, for righteousness unto every man believing. Be the attention therefore directed4, unto the End, directed unto Christ. Wherefore is He called the end? Because whatever we do, to Him we refer it, and when to Him we shall have come home, more to ask we shall not have. For there is an end spoken of which doth consume, there is an end spoken of which doth make perfect. In one sense, for instance, we understand it, when disputing against the Donatists. we hear, there is ended the food which was in eating; and in another sense we understand it, when we hear, there is ended the vesture which was in weaving: in each case we hear, there is ended; but the food so that it no longer is, the vesture so that it is perfected. Our end therefore ought to be our perfection, our perfection Christ. For in Him we are made perfect, because of Himself the Head the Members are we. And He hath been spoken of as the End of the Law, because without Him no one doth make perfect the Law. When therefore ye hear in the Psalms, At the end: (for many Psalms are thus superscribed:) be not your thought upon consuming, but upon consummation.

2. In hymns: in praises. For whether we are troubled and are straitened, or whether we rejoice and exult, He is to be praised, Who both in tribulations doth instruct, and in gladness doth comfort. For the praise of God from the heart and mouth of a Christian man ought not to depart; not that he may be praising in prosperity, and speaking evil in adversity; but after the manner that this Psalm doth prescribe, / will speak good of the Lord in every time, alway the praise of Him is in my mouth. Thou dost rejoice; acknowledge a Father indulging: thou art troubled; acknowledge a Father chastening. Whether He indulge, or whether He chasten, He is instructing one for whom He is preparing an inheritance.

3. What then is, Understanding to David himself? David indeed was, as we know, a holy prophet, king of Israel, son of Jesse: but because out of his seed there came for our salvation after the flesh the Lord Jesus Christ, often under that name He is figured, and David instead of Christ is in a figure set down, because of the origin of the Flesh of the Same. For after some sort He is Son of David, after some sort the Lord He is of David; Son of David after the flesh, Lord of David after the divinity. For if by Him have been made all things, by Him also David himself hath been made, out of whose seed He came to men. Moreover, when the Lord had questioned the Jews, whose Son they affirmed Cnrist t0 be> tnev made answer, David's. (Where the Lord chides the Jews, when they said that He was the Son of in David1,) He saw that they had stayed at the flesh, and had lost sight of the divinity; and He reproveth them by propounding a question: How then doth David himself in spirit call Him Lord, The Lord hath said unto my Lord,43"46' Sit on My right hand, until I lay Thy foes beneath Thy feet? If then He in spirit calleth Him Lord, how is He his Son? A question He propounded; His being Son He denied not. Ye have heard Lord; say ye how He is his Son: ye have heard Son; say how He is Lord. This question the Catholic Faith solveth. How Lord? Because In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. How Son f Because The Word was made flesh, and'ti. dwelt among us. Because then David in a figure is Christ, but Christ, as we have often reminded your Love, is both Head and Body; neither ought we to speak of ourselves as alien from Christ, of Whom we are members, nor to count ourselves as if we were any other thing: because The two shall be in one flesh. This is a great Sacrament, saith the Apostle, but I Speak in regard of Christ and the Church. Because then whole Christ is Head and Body; when we hear, Understanding to David himself, understand we ourselves also in David. Let the members of Christ understand, and Christ in His members understand, and the members of Christ in Christ understand: because Head and Members are one Christ. The Head was in heaven, and was saying, Why dost thou persecute Me? We with Him are in heaven through hope, Himself is with us on earth through love.4. Therefore understanding to David himself. Be we admonished when we hear, and let the Church understand: for there belongeth to us great diligence to understand in what evil we now are, and from what evil we desire to be delivered, remembering the Prayer of the Lord, where at the end we say, Deliver us from evil. Therefore amid many tribulations of this world, this Psalm complaineth somewhat of understanding. He lamenteth not with it, who hath not understanding. But furthermore, dearly beloved, we ought to remember, that after the image of God we have been made, and that not in any other part than in the understanding itself. For in many things by beasts we are surpassed: but when a man knoweth himself to have been made after the image of God, therein something in himself animals. But on consideration of all those things which man hath, he findetli himself in this thing peculiarly distinguished from a dumb animal, in that he hath himself an understanding. Whence certain men despising in themselves that peculiar and especial thing which from their -r they had received> the Maker Himself reproveth, » saying, Do not become like horse and mule, in which there

Zn° understandin9- And in another place He speaketh of > Man m honour set. In what honour, except that he is made after the image of God? Therefore, In honour set, he understood not, He saith; he hath been compared unto brutes without sense, and hath been made like unto them. Let us acknowledge therefore our honour, and let us understand. rejoicing, but of groaning; not now of exulting, but as yet of lamenting. But even if certain exultation doth dwell in our hearts, not yet is it in substance, but in hope. Because of a thing promised we are glad, because we know He that prom.seth doth not deceive us. Nevertheless, as regardeth the present time, in what evil, in what straits we are, hear ye; and if to this way ye keep, that which ye hear in yourselves acknowledge ye. For whosoever doth not yet hold to the path of godliness, wondereth that the members of David make such groanings. For he seeth not in himself those things. So long as in himself too those things he bnd f T T k he th6re: he feeleth not lua* which the body feeleth; because he is beside the body; let him be embodied, and he shall feel. Let him speak then, and let us fiear> let "s hear and speak

4. Hear T7,ou, 0 God, my entreaty, and despise not my prayer: give heed unto me, and hearken unto me. Of one earnest, anxious, of one set in tribulation, are these 3,;' fl " ''J?*** SufferinS m™Y ^togs, from evil yearning to be delivered: it remaineth that we hear in what led J th ^ he begiDneth t0 SPeak> let - acknow-be1fK ilVU l° b °rder that the Nation ma2 tit: we may conjoin prayer- <Ver- 2> Ih»™ — "y^cise, and have been troubled. Where made sad, where troubled? /„ my exercise, he saith. Of evil men, whom he suffereth, he hath marie mention, and the same suffering of evil men he hath called his exercise. Think ye not that without profit there are evil men in this world, and that no good God maketh of them. Every evil man either on this account liveth that he may be corrected, or on this account livelh that through him a good man may be exercised. O that therefore they that do now exercise us would be converted, and together with us be exercised Nevertheless, so long as they are such as to exercise, let us not hate them: because in that wherein any one of them is evil, whether unto the end he is to persevere, we know not; and ofttimes when to thyself thou seemest to have been hating an enemy, thou hast been baling a brother, and knowest not. The devil and his angels in the holy Scriptures have been manifested to us, that for fire everlasting they have been destined. Of them only must amendment be despaired of: against whom we have a secret wrestling, for which wrestling the Apostle armeth us, saying, Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, that is, against men whom ye see, but against princes, and powers, and6'12' rulers of the world, of this darkness. Lest perchance when he had said, of the world^ thou shouldest understand demons to be rulers of heaven and earth: he bath said, of the world, of this darkness: of the world he hath spoken, of the lovers of the world; of the world he hath spoken, of ungodly and unrighteous men: of the world he hath spoken, whereof saith the Gospel, And the world knew Him not For if the world knew not Light, because Light0' shineth in darkness, and darkness comprehended It not; and this darkness itself, which comprehended not Light present, is called by the name of " the world;" then of this darkness they are the rulers. Concerning these same rulers therefore we have a definite sentence of Scripture, that from thence no return at all of any one of them is to be hoped for. But truly of the darknesses themselves of whom these are the rulers we are not sure, whether perchance they that were darkness may not be made light. For instance, to them that were lately made believers, saith the Apostle, Ye have been sometime darkness, but now light in the Ephes. Lord: darkness in yourselves, light in the Lord. There- 6>6' fore, brethren, all evil men, while they are evil men, do exercise good men. For, behold, hear ye briefly and understand. If thou art a good man, thou wilt have no enemy but a bad man. Moreover, before thee this rule of goodness hath been set, that thou shouldest imitate the goodness of thy Father, Who maketh His sun to rise on good men and on evil men, and rainelh on just men and unjust men. For thou hast not an enemy that God hath not. Thou indeed hast for enemy him that with thee hath been created: but He him that He hath created. Of enemies therefore of God, of evil men and unrighteous men, often in the Scriptures we read: and He spareth them, Who hath nothing that the enemy may lay to His charge, to Whom every enemy is ungrateful: for from Him he hath whatever of good he hath. For from Him he hath it in mercy, even whatever thing there is whereby he is troubled. For to this end he is troubled, that he be not proud; to this end he is troubled, in order that being humbled he may acknowledge the Highest. Thou therefore on thy enemy, whom hardly thou sufferest, hast bestowed what? If He hath him for enemy, That hath bestowed so great things on him, and maketh His sun to rise on good men and evil men, and raineth on just men and unjust men: thou that neither canst make the sun to rise, nor upon the lands make rain, canst thou not keep one thing for thine enemy, so that there may be to thee, Peace on earth to a man of good will? Therefore since this rule of Love for thee is fix^d, that imitating the Father thou shouldest Jove an enemy: for, He saith, Love your enemies: in this precept how wouldest thou be exercised, if thou hadst no enemy to suffer? Thou seest then that he profiteth thee somewhat: and let God sparing evil men profit thee, so that thou shew mercy: because perchance thou too, if thou art a good man, out of an evil man hast been made a good man: and if God spared not evil men, not even thou wouldest be found to return thanks. May He therefore spare others, That hath spared thee also. For it were not right, when thou hadst passed through, to close up the way of godliness.

5. Whence then doth this man pray, set among evil men, with whose enmities he was being exercised? Why saith he, / have been made sad in my exercise, and have been troubled? While he is extending his love so as to love — enemies, he hath been affected with disgust, being bayed at all around by the enmities of many men, by the phrenzy of many, and under a sort of human infirmity he hath sunk. He hath seen himself now begin to be pierced through with an evil suggestion of the devil, to bring on hatred against his enemies: wrestling against hatred in order to perfect love herself, in the very fight, and in the wrestling, he hath been troubled. For there is his voice also in another Psalm, Mine eye hath been troubled, because of anger. And what followeth there? / have waxen old among all mine enemies. As if in storm and waves he were beginning to sink, like Peter. For he doth trample the waves of this world, that30, loveth enemies. Christ on the sea was walking fearless, from Whose heart there could not by any means be taken away the love of an enemy; Who hanging on the Cross did say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Peter too would walk. He as Head, Peter as Body: because, Upon this rock, He saith. / will build My Church. He was bidden to walk, and he was walking by the Grace of18. Him bidding, not by his own strength. But when he saw the wind mighty, he feared; and then he began to sink, being troubled in his exercise. By what mighty wind? (Ver. 3.) By the voice of the enemy, and by the tribulation of the sinner. Therefore, in the same manner as he cried out on the waves, Lord, I perish, save me, a similar voice from this man hath preceded, Hearken Thou, O God, to my^ entreaty, and despise not my prayer: give heed unto me, and hearken unto me. Wherefore? For what sufferest thou? Of what dost thou groan? / have been made sad in my exercise. To be exercised indeed amid evil men Thou hast set me, but too much they have risen up, beyond my powers: calm Thou one troubled, stretch forth a hand to one sinking. / have been made sad in my exercise, and have been troubled by the voice of the enemy, and by the tribulation of the sinner; for they have brought down upon me iniquity, and in anger they were shadowing me. Ye have heard of waves and winds: one as it were humbled they were insulting, and he was praying: on every side against him with the roar of insult they were raging, but he within was calling upon Him whom they did not see.

6. When some such thing is a Christian's lot to suffer, he ought not lightly, as if in hatred, to proceed against that man by whom he is suffering, and to will to conquer the wind; but to turn himself to prayer, that he lose not love. For we must not fear that a human enemy can do any thing. For what is he to do? To say many evil things, to hurl reproaches, to rage with revilings: but to thee what? Bejoice, He saith, and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens. He on earth redoubleth reproaches, thou in heaven thy gains. But let him rage more, he might do yet something more: what is more secure than thou, to whom hath been said, Fear not them that kill the body, but the soul they cannot kill What then is to be feared when thou sufferest an enemy? Lest thy love be troubled wherewith thou lovest an enemy. For that human enemy, being flesh and blood, desireth that which he seeth in thee. But another hidden enemy, ruler of this darkness, which thou sufferest in flesh and blood, is seeking the other hidden thing of thine; thy inward treasures to plunder and waste he is striving. Two enemies, therefore, set thou before thine eyes, the one open, and the other hidden: the open, a man; the hidden, the devil. This man is the same as thou art after human nature, but after faith and love not yet that which thou art, but will be able to be that which thou art. Since therefore there are two, the one see thou, the other perceive thou; the one love thou, of the other beware. For even that enemy, whom thou seest, would humble that thing in thee wherein he is conquered. For instance, if by thy riches he is conquered, poor he would make thee; if by thy honour he is conquered, humble he would make thee; if by thy powers he is conquered, weak he would make thee: to these things therefore he giveth heed, in thee either to throw down or to take away the things whereby he is conquered. That hidden enemy also from thee would take away that thing wherein he is conquered. For being man thou conquerest a man in human felicity, but the devil thou conquerest in love of an enemy. In like manner then, as a man goeth about to take away from thee, and to cut short, or to overthrow the felicity wherein he is conquered: so also the devil conquers a man by taking away that wherein he is conquered. But take care in heart to hold fast the love of an enemy, wherewith the devil is conquered of thee. Let a man rage as much as he can, let him take whatever he can; if he is loved that is openly raging, he hath been conquered who is secretly raging.

7. But this man being troubled and made sad was praying, his eye being disturbed as it were on account of anger. But the anger of a brother if it shall have been inveterate is then hatred. Anger doth trouble the eye, hatred doth quench it: anger is a straw, hatred is a beam. Sometimes thou hatest and chidest an angry man: in thee is hatred, in him whom thou chidest anger: with reason to thee is said, Cast out first the beam from thine own eye, and so thou shalt see to5' cast out the straw from thy brother's eye. For that ye may know how much difference there is between anger and* hatred: day by day men are angry with their sons, shew me them that hate their 1 sons! This man being troubled was praying even when made sad, wrestling against all revilings of all revilers; not in order that he might conquer any one of them by giving back reviling, but that he might not hate any one of them. Hence he prayeth, hence asketh. From the voice of the enemy and from the tribulation of the sinner; for they have brought down upon me iniquity, and in anger they were shadowing me. (Ver. 4.) My heart hath been troubled in me. This is the same as elsewhere hath been said, Mine eye because of anger hath been troubled. And if eye hath been troubled, what followeth? And fear of death hath fallen upon me. Our life is love: if life is love, death is hatred. When a man hath begun to fear lest he should hate him that he was loving, it is death he is fearing; and a sharper death, and a more inward death, whereby soul is killed, not body. Thou didst mind a man raging against thee; what was he to do, against whom thine own Lord had given thee security, saying, Fear not them that kill the body? He by raging killeth body, thou by keeping hatred28, hast killed soul; and he the body of another, thou thine own soul. Fear, therefore, of death hath fallen upon me*

8. Ver. 5f Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and darkness have covered me. And I have said, —

He that hateth his brother, is in darkness until now. If love is light, hatred is darkness. And what saith to himself one set in that weakness and troubled in that exercise? {Ver. 6.) Who shall give me wings as to a dove, and I shall Jly and shall rest? Either for death he was wishing, or for solitude he was longing. So long, he saith, as this is the work with me, as this command is given me, that I should love enemies, the revilings of these men, increasing and shadowing me, do derange mine eye, perturb my sight, penetrate my heart, slay my soul. I could wish to depart, but 1 weak I am, lest by abiding 1 should add sins to sins: or at least may I be separated for a little space from mankind, lest my wound suffer from frequent blows, in order that when it hath been made whole it may be brought back to the exercise. This is what takes place, brethren, and there ariseth ofttimes in the mind of the servant of God a longing for solitude, for no other reason than because of the multitude of tribulations and scandals, and he saith, Who shall give me wings? Doth he find himself without wings, or rather with bound wings? If they are wanting, be they given; if bound, be they loosed; because even he that looseth a bird's wings, either giveth, or giveth back to it its wings. For it had not as though its own them, wherewith it could not fly. Bound wings make a burden. Who, he saith, shall give me wings as to a dove, and I shall Jly and shall rest? Shall rest, where? I have said there are t-wo senses here: either, as saith the Apostle, To be dissolved and to be with Christ, for it is by far the best thing. For he too, although strong, although great, although in heart most stout; although in Christ a soldier invincible, in his exercise, as we read, was troubled, and he saith, Henceforth let not any one be vexatious to me. As though he were saying out of that Psalm, Weariness hath gotten hold on me because of sinners forsaking Thy law. Therefore a man ofttimes endeavoureth to amend men perverted, crooked, belonging indeed to his care, but men in whom there is but failure for all human pains and vigilance; amend he cannot, suffer them he must. Even he that amended cannot be, is thine, either by the fellowship of the human race, or ofttimes by Church Communion; he is within, what wilt thou do? whither wilt go? whither separate thyself, in order that these things thou mayest not suffer? But go to him, speak, exhort, coax, threaten, reprove. I have done all things, whatever powers I had I have expended and have drained, nothing I see have I prevailed; all my labour hath been spent out, sorrow hath remained. How then shall my heart rest from such men, except I say> Who shall give me wings f As to a dove, however, not as to a raven. A dove seeketh a flying away from troubles, but she loseth not love. For a dove as a type of love is set forth, and in her the plaint is loved. Nothing is so fond of plaints as a dove-day and night she complaineth, as though she were set here where she ought to complain^ What then saith this lover? Revilings of men to bear t am unable, they roar, with phrensy are carried away, are inflamed with indignation, in anger they shadow 1 me; to do good to them I am unable; O that I might rest somewhere, being separated from them in body, not in love; lest in me there should be troubled love itself; with my words and my speech no good can I do them, by praying for them perchance I shall do good. These words men say, but ofttimes they are so bound, that to fly they are not able. For perchance they are not bound with any birdlime, but are bound by duty. But if they are bound with care and duty, and to leave it are unable, let them say, 1 was wishing to be dissolved and to be with Christy for it is by far the best thing: to abide tii1,9M4' the flesh is necessary because of yotu A dove bound back by affection, not by cupidity, to fly away was not able because of duty to be fulfilled, not because of little merit. Nevertheless a longing in heart must needs be; nor doth any man suffer this longing, but he that hath begun to walk in that narrow way: in order that he may know that there are not wanting to the Church persecutions, even in this14, time, when a calm is seen in the Church, at least with respect to those persecutions, which our Martyrs have suffered. But there are not wantiug persecutions, because a true saying is this, AU that will godly to live in Christ, shall suffer persecution. Thou sufferest not persecution: thou3'12, wiliest not godly to live in Christ. Dost thou will to prove that to be a true saying which hath been said? Begin godly to live in Christ. What is it, godly to live m Christ? So that this may belong to thy bowels, whereof the Apostle speaketh, Who is weak, and lam not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? Other men's infirmities, other men's offences, were to him persecutions. Are. they then wanting at this time? More do abound to them that mind these things. And ofttimes from afar a man is seen, and it is said of him, It is well with him; and he that saith it, is either tasting his own matters, and is not able to taste those of others; or of himself hath not whereof he may taste, and with another man tasting, nay devouring, he suffereth not. Let him begin therefore godly to live in Christ, and prove that which is said: he beginneth to long for wings, to go afar off, to flee and to abide in the desert.

9. For whence is it think ye, brethren, that the servants of God have thronged the deserts? If well with them it were amid men, would they withdraw from men? And yet what do even these same? Behold they go afar off fleeing, they abide in the desert: but do they one by one? There holdeth them love, so that with many they abide; and from these same many, there come forth some to exercise them. Because in every congregation of a multitude there must needs be found evil men. For God, that knoweth that we must be exercised, mingleth with us even men that are not to per* severe; or certainly so counterfeit, as that they have not so much as began that wherein they ought to persevere. For He knoweth that it is necessary for us that we bear evil men, and the good there is in what we are should advance; let us love enemies, rebuke, chastise, excommunicate, with love from us even separate them. For see what saith the Apostle; But if any one obey not our word through the epistle, him mark ye, and be not mingled together with him. But let there not steal upon thee because of this thing indignation, and trouble thine eye. Not, he saith, as an enemy esteem him, but rebuke him as a brother, that he may blush. From him from whom he proclaimeth separation, he cutteth not off love. That eye liveth, thy life liveth. For love lost is thy death. This he hath feared to lose that hath said, Fear of death hath fallen upon me. Accordingly, lest I should lose the life of love, Who shall give me wings as to a dove, and / shall fly and shall rest? Whither art thou to go? whither to fly? where to rest? (Ver. 7.) Behold I have gone afar fleeing, and have abode in the desert. In what desert? Wherever thou shalt be, there will gather them together other men, the desert with thee they will seek, will attach themselves to thy life, thou canst not thrust back the society of brethren: there are mingled with thee also evil men; still exercise is thy due portion, Behold I have gone afar, and have abode in the desert. In what desert? It is perchance in the conscience, whither no man entereth, where no one is with thee, where thou art and God. For if in the desert, in any place, what wilt thou do with men gathering themselves together? For thou wilt not be able to be separated from mankind, so long as among men thou livest. Observe rather that Comforter, our Lord and King, our Ruler and Creator, created also among us: observe that with His Twelve He joined one man whom He was to suffer.

10. He saith, Behold I have gone afar fleeing, and have abode in the desert. Perchance that man, as I have said, hath fled unto his conscience, there some little desert he will have found where he may rest. But that love doth trouble hira: alone he found himself in conscience, but not alone in charity: within he was comforted in conscience, but without tribulations left him not. Therefore in himself at peace, on others depending, when he was yet being troubled, he saith what?

Ver. 8. / was looking for him that should save me from weakness of mind and tempest. Sea there is, tempest there is: nothing for thee remaineth but to cry out, Lord, J perish. Let Him stretch forth hand, Who doth the waves30, tread fearlessly, let Him relieve thy dread, let Him confirm in Himself thy security, let Him speak to thee within, and say to thee, Give heed to Me, what I have borne: an evil brother perchance thou art suffering, or an enemy without art suffering; which of these have I not suffered? There roared without Jews, within a disciple was betraying. There rageth therefore tempest, but He doth save men from weakness <>f mind, and tempest. Perchance thy ship is being troubled, because He in thee is sleeping. The sea was raging, the bark wherein the disciples were sailing was being tossed; but Christ was sleeping: at length* it was seen by them that among them was sleeping the Ruler1 and Creator of winds; they drew near and awoke Christ; He commanded9 the winds, and there was a great calm. With reason then perchance thy heart is troubled, because thou hast forgotten Him on Whom thou hast believed: beyond endurance thou art suffering, because it hath not come into thy mind what for thee Christ hath borne. If unto thy mind cometh not Christ, He sleepeth: awake Christ, recall faith. For then in thee Christ is sleeping, if thou hast forgotten the sufferings of Christ: then in thee Christ is watching, if thou hast remembered the sufferings of Christ. But when with full heart thou shalt have considered what He hath suffered, wilt not thou too with equanimity endure? and perchance rejoicing, because thou hast been found in some likeness of the sufferings of thy King. When therefore on these things thinking thou hast begun to be comforted and to rejoice, He hath arisen, He hath commanded the winds; therefore there is a great calm. / was looking for Him that should save we from weakness of mind and tempest.

11. Ver. 9. Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them. He is referring to men troubling him and shadowing him, and he hath wished this thing not of anger, brethren. They that have wickedly lifted up themselves, for them it is expedient that they be sunk. They that have wickedly conspired, it is expedient for them that their tongues should be divided: to good let them consent, and let their tongues agree together. But if to one purpose1 there were whisper-mS against me, he saith, all mine enemies, let them lose their 'one purpose' in evil, divided be the tongues of them, let them not with themselves agree together. Sink,

0 Lord, and divide the tongues of them. Wherefore sink?

Because themselves they have lifted up. Wherefore divide?

Because for an evil thing they have united. Recollect that tower of proud men made after the deluge: what said the proud men? Lest we perish in a deluge, let us make a lofty tower. In pride they were thinking themselves to be fortified, they builded up a lofty tower, and the Lord divided the tongues of them. Then they began not to understand one another; hence arose the beginning of many tongues. For before, one tongue there was: but one tongue for men agreeing was good, one tongue for humble men was good: but when that gathering together did into a union of pride fall headlong, God spared them, even though He divided the tongues, lest by understanding one another they should make a destructive unity. Through proud men, divided were the tongues; through humble Apostles, united were the tongues. Spirit of pride dispersed tongues, Spirit Holy united tongues. For when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, with the tongues of all men they spake, by all men they were understood: tongues dispersed, into one were united. Therefore if still they rage and are Gentiles, it is expedient for them divided to have their tongues. They would have one tongue; let them come to the Church; because even among the diversity of tongues of flesh, one is the tongue in faith of heart.

Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them.

12. For I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city. With reason this man was seeking the desert, for he saw iniquity and contradiction in the city. There is a certain city turbulent: the same it was that was building a tower, the same was confounded and called Babylon, the same through innumerable nations dispersed: thence is gathered the Church into the desert of a good conscience. For he saw contradiction in the city. ' Christ cometh.' — ' What Christ?' thou contradictest.— ' Son of God.' — 'And hath God a Son?' thou contradictest. — ' He was born of a Virgin, suffered, rose again.' — 1 And whence is it possible for this to be done?' thou contradictest. — Give heed at least to the glory of the Cross itself. Now on the brow of kings that Cross hath been fixed, over which enemies insulted. bThe effect hath proved the virtue. It hath subdued the world, not with steel, but with wood. The wood of the Cross deserving of insults hath seemed to enemies, and before the wood itself standing they were wagging the head, and saying, If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross. He was stretching forth His hands to a people unbelieving and contradicting. For if just he is that of faith Hveth, unjust he is that hath not faith. By that which here he saith iniquity, I understand unbelief. The Lord therefore was seeing in the city iniquity and contradiction, and was stretching forth His hands to a people unbelieving and contradicting: and nevertheless waiting for these same, He was saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Even now indeed there rage the remnant of that city, even now they contradict. From the brows of all men now He is stretching forth hands to the remnant unbelieving and contradicting. For I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.

13. Ver. 10. Day and night there will compass it upon the walls thereof 'iniquity, and labour1. " Upon the walls there' °f i* uPon tne fortifications thereof, holding as it were the heads thereof, the noble men thereof. If that noble man were a Christian, not one would remain a pagan! Ofttimes men say, 'no one would remain a pagan, if he were a Christian.' Ofttimes men say, ' If he too were made a Christian, who would remain a pagan?•' Because therefore not yet they are made Christians, as if walls they are of that city unbelieving and contradicting. How long shall these walls stand? Not always shall they stand. The Ark is going around the walls of Jericho: there shall come a time at the seventh going round of the Ark, when all the walls of the city unbelieving and contradicting shall fall. Until it come to pass, this man is being troubled in his exercise; and enduring the remains of men contradicting, he would choose wings for flying away, would choose the rest of the desert. Yea let him continue amid men contradicting, let him endure menaces, drink revilings, and look for Him that will save him from weakness of mind and tempest: let him look upon the Head, the pattern for his 2life, let him be made calm in hope, even if he is troubled in fact. Day and night there will compass it upon the walls thereof iniquity; and labour in the midst thereof and injustice. And for this reason labour is there, because iniquity is there: because injustice is there, therefore also labour is there. But let them hear him stretching forth hands. Come unto Me, all ye that labour. Ye cry, ye contradict, ye revile: He on the contrary, Come unto Me, all ye that labour, in your pride, and ye shall rest in My humility. Learn of Me, He saith, for meek I am and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souk. For whence do they labour, but because they are not meek and humble in heart? God humble was made, let man blush to be proud.

14. Ver. 11. There hath not failed from t lie streets thereof usury and deceit. Usury and deceit are not hidden at least, because they are evil things, but in public they rage. For he that in his house doth any evil thing, however for his evil thing doth blush: In the streets thereof usury and deceit. Money-lending1 even hath a profession, Money-lending also is called a science; a corporation is spoken of, a corporation as if necessary to the state, and of its profession it payeth revenue; so entirely indeed in the streets is that which should have been hidden. There is also another usury worse, when thou forgivest not that which to thee is owed; and the eye is disturbed in that verse of the prayer, Forgive us our debts, (as we too forgive our debtors*). For what there wilt thou do, when thou art going to pray, and coining to that same verse f An insulting word thou hast heard: thou wouldest exact the punishment of condemnation. Do but consent to exact just so much as thou hast given, thou usurer of injuries! With the fist thou hast been smitten, slaying thou seekest. Evil usury! How wilt thou go to prayer? If thou shalt have left praying, which way wilt thou come round unto the Lord? Behold thou wilt say: Our Father, Which art in heaven, hallowed be Uiy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,9~12' as in heaven so on earth. Thou wilt say, Our daily bread give us to-day. Thou wilt come to, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Even in that evil city let there abound these usuries; let them not enter the walls where the breast is smitten! What wilt thou do? because there thou and that verse are* in the midst? Petitions for thee hath a heavenly Lawyer composed. He that knew what used there to be done, said to thee, " Otherwise thou shalt not obtain." Veiily, verily, I say unto you, that if ye shall have forgiven men sins, they shall be forgiven you; but if ye shall not14' have forgiven sins unto men, neither will your Father forgive you. Who saith this? He that knoweth what there is being done, in the place whereat thou art standing to make request. See how Himself hath willed to be thy Advocate; Himself thy Lawyer1, Himself the Assessor of the Father, Himself Judge hath gaidj « Otherwise thou shalt not receive." What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not receive, unless thou shalt speak; wilt not receive if falsely thou shalt speak. Therefore either thou must do and speak, or else what thou askest thou wilt not earn; because they that this do not do, are in the midst of those evil usuries. Be they engaged therein, that yet do idols either adore or desire: do not thou, O people of God, do not thou, O people of Christ, do not thou the Body of Him the Head I Give heed to the bond 2 of thy peace, give heed to the promise of thy life. For what doth it profit thee, that thou exactest for injuries which thou hast endured? doth vengeance refresh thee? Therefore, over the evil of another shalt thou rejoice? Thou suffered evil; pardon thou; be not ye two3.

And there faileth not from the streets thereof usury and deceit.

15. Therefore for this reason thou wast seeking solitude and wings, for this reason thou art complaining, these things to bear thou art not able, namely, the contradiction and iniquity of this city. Rest thou in those things which with thee are within, and do not seek solitude. Hear also of these very things what he saith.

Ver. 12. For if an enemy had upbraided me. And indeed above he was ' troubled in his exercise' by the voice of the enemy and by the tribulation of the sinner, perhaps being placed in that city, that proud city that was building a tower, which was " sunk c," that divided might be the tongues: give heed to his inward groaning because of perils from false brethren. For if an enemy had upbraided me, I would have undergone it assuredly, and if he that did hate me had over me great words spoken, that is, through pride had on me trampled, did magnify himself above me, did threaten me all in his power: / would hide myself assuredly from him.

From him that is abroad, thou wouldest hide thyself where? Amid those that are within. But now see whether any thing else remaineth, but that thou seek solitude. (Ver. 13.) But thou, he saith, man of one mind, my guide and my friend. Perchance sometimes good counsel thou hast given, perchance sometimes thou hast gone before me, and some wholesome advice thou hast given me: in the Church of God together we have been. But thou, man of one mind9 my guide and my friend, (ver. 14.) that together with me didst take sweet morsels. What are the sweet morsels? Not all they that are present know: but let them not be soured that do know, in order that they may be able to say to them that as yet know not: Taste ye and see, how sweet is the Lord,

Thou that together with me didst take sweet morsels. In the House of God we have walked with consent. Whence then dissention? Thou that wast within, hast become one without. He hath walked with me in the House of God with consent: another house hath he set up against the House of God. Wherefore hath that been forsaken, wherein we have walked with consent1? wherefore hath that been1 deserted, wherein together we did take sweet morsels?

16. Ver. 15. Let there come death upon them, and let them go down unto Hell living. How hath he cited and hath made us call to mind that first beginning of schism, when in that first people of the Jews certain proud men separated themselves, and would without have sacrificed? A new death upon them came: the earth opened herself, and swallowed them up alive. Let there come, he saith, death upon them, and let them go down into Hell living. What is living? knowing that they are perishing, and yet perishing. Hear of living men perishing and being swallowed up in a gulph of the earth, that is, being swallowed up in the voraciousness of earthly desires. Thou sayest to a man, What aileth thee, brother? Brethren we are, one God we invoke, in one Christ we believe, one Gospel we hear, one Psalm we sing, one Amen we respond, one Hallelujah we sound, one Easter we celebrate: why art thou without and I am within? Ofttimes one straitened, and perceiving how true are the charges which are made, saith, May God requite our ancestors! Therefore alive he perisheth. In the next place thou continuest and thus givest warning. At least let the evil of separation stand alone, why dost thou adjoin thereto of rebaptism? Acknowledge in rne what thou hast; and if thou hatest me, Christ in me spare thou. And this evil thing doth frequently and very greatly displease them* Truly, say they, it is ill done; O that it were possible not to have it done: but what have we to do with the statutes of our ancestors? Let them go down unto Hell living. If being dead thou shouldest go down, what thou wert doing thou wouldest not know; but when thou knowest that to be an evil thing which thou doest, and nevertheless doest it, dost thou not alive go down unto the lower places? And why is it that a gulf of the earth swallowed up alive the rulers themselves for the most part, but the people that with them consented, fire falling from heaven consumed? It is on this account that this Psalm referring to this punishment, with the people hath begun, and with the leaders hath concluded. Let there come death upon them, it hath said, because of them upon whom there came fire from Heaven; and immediately hath continued, Let them go down unto Hell living, because of the leaders whom a gulf of the earth swallowed up. For how should they have descended unto Hell living, of whom it had said, Let there come death upon them? If already upon them death had come, how alive unto the lower places did they descend? Therefore with the lesser ones he hath begun, with the greater he hath concluded. Let there come death upon them, that have consented and have followed. What of those leaders and princes? Let them go down unto Hell living; because they themselves have the Scriptures in their hands, and know well by daily reading how the Church Catholic through the whole world is so spread, that in a word all contradiction is void; and that there cannot be found any support for their schism they know well: therefore unto the lower places living they go down, because the evil which they do, evil to be they know. But the former a fire of divine indignation consumed. For being inflamed with desire of strife, from their evil leaders they would not depart. There came upon fire a fire, upon the heat of dissension the heat of consuming. Let there come death upon them and let them go down unto Hell living. For naughtiness is in their lodgings, in the midst of them. In* their lodgings1, wherein they tarry and pass away. For here they are not al way to be: and nevertheless in defence of temporal animosity they are fighting so fiercely. In their lodgings is iniquity; in the midst of them is iniquity: no part of them is so near the middle of them as their heart.

17. Ver. lb'. Tlierefore to the Lord I have cried out. The Body of Christ and the oneness of Christ in anguish, in weariuess, in uneasiness, in the tribulation of its exercise, that One Man, Oneness in One Body set, when He was wearying His soul in crying out from the ends of the earth; saith, From the ends of the earth to Thee I have cried out, whenYB.61,2. My heart was being vexed. Himself one. but a oneness3 that One! and Himself one, not in one place one, but from the ends of the earth is crying as one. How from the ends of the earth should there cry one, except in many there were one? / to the Lord have cried out. Rightly do thou cry out to the Lord, cry not to Donatus: lest for thee he be instead of the Lord a lord, that under the Lord would not be a fellow-servant. I to the Lord have cried out: and the Lord hath heard me.

18. Ver. 18. In evening, in morning, at noon-day I will recount and will tell forth, and He shall hearken to my voice. Do thou proclaim glad tidings, keep not secret that which thou hast received, in evening of things gone by, in morning of things to be, at noon-day of things ever to be. Therefore to that which he saith in evening belongeth that which he recounteth: to that which he saith, in morning, belongeth that which he telleth forth: to that which he saith at noon-day, belongeth that wherein his voice is hearkened to. For the end is at noon-day; that is to say, whence there is no going down unto setting. For at noon-day there is light full high, the splendour of wisdom, the fervour of love. In evening and in morning and at noon-day. In evening, the Lord on the Cross; in morning, in Resurrection; at noonday, in Ascension. I will recount in evening the patience of Him dying, 1 will tell forth in morning the life of Him rising, I will pray that He hearken at noon-day sitting at the right hand of the Father. He shall hearken to my voice, That Rom. intercedeth for us. How great is the security of this man? 34' How great the consolation, how great the refuge 'from weakness of mind and tempest,' against evil men, against ungodly men both without and within, and in the case of those that are without though they had been within.

19. Therefore, my Brethren, those that in the very congregation of these walls ye see to be rebellious men, proud, seeking their own, lifted up; not having a zeal for God that is chaste, sound, quiet, but ascribing to themselves much; ready for dissension, but not finding opportunity; are the very chaff of the Lord's floor. From hence these few men the wind of pride hath dislodged: the whole floor will not fly, save when He at the last shall winnow. But what shall we do, save with this man sing, with this man pray, with this man mourn and say securely, (ver. 18.) He shall redeem in peace my soul. Against them that love not peace: in peace He shall redeem my soul. " Because with those that peace I was peace-making:' He shall redeem in peace my soul, from those that draw near to me. For from those that are afar from me, it is an easy case: not so soon doth he deceive me that saith, Come, pray to an idol: he is very far from me. Art thou a Christian? A Christian, he saith. Out of a neighbouring place he is my adversary, he is at hand. He shall redeem in peace my soul, from those that draw near to me: for in many things they were with me. Wherefore have I said, draw near to me? Because in many things they were with me. In this verse two propositions occur. In many things they were with me. Baptism we had both of us, in that they were with me: the Gospel we both read, they were in that with me: the festivals of martyrs we celebrated, they were there with me Easter's solemnity we attended, they were there with me. But not entirely with me: in schism not with me, in heresy not with me. In many things with me, in few things not with me. But in these few things wherein not with me, there is no profit to them of the many things wherein they were with me. For see, brethren, how many things hath recounted the Apostle Paul: one thing, he hath said, if it shall have been wanting, in vain are those things. If with 3*tfie tongues of men and of angels I shall speak, he saith, if

I have all prophecy, and all faith, and all knowledge; if mountains I shall remove, if I shall bestow all my goods upon the poor, if I shall deliver my body even so that it be burned. How many things he hath enumerated! To all these many things let there be wanting one thing, charity; the former in number are more, the latter in weight is greater. Therefore in all Sacraments they are with me, in one charity not with me: In many things they were with me. Again, by a different expression: For in many things they were with me. They that themselves have separated from me, with me they were, not in few things, but in many things. For throughout the whole world few are the grains, many are the chaffs. Therefore he saith what? In chaff with me they were, in wheat with me they were not. And the chaff is nearly related to the wheat, from one seed it goeth forth, in one field is rooted, with one rain is nourished, the same reaper it suffereth, the same threshing sustain eth, the same winnowing awaiteth, not into one barn entereth. For in many things they were with me.

20. (Ver. 19.) God will hear me, and He shall humble them That is before ages. For they rely on some leader or other of theirs that hath begun but yesterday. He shall humble them That is be/ore ages. For even if with reference to time Christ is of Mary the Virgin, nevertheless before ages " In the beginning He is the Word, and the Word with God, and the Word God" He shall humble them, That is be/ore ages. For to them is no changing; of them I speak to whom is no changing. He knew of some to persevere, and in the perseverance of their own wickedness to die. For we see them, and to them is no changing: they that die in that same perverseness, iu that same schism, to them is no changing. God shall humble them, shall humble them in damnation, because they are exalted in dissension. To them is no changing, because they are not changed for the better, but for the worse: neither while they are here, nor in the resurrection. For all we shall rise again, but1 not all!E.V. shall be changed. Wherefore? Because To them is ttOicorTs, changing: and they have not feared God. My brethren,61* one remedy there is: let them fear God, let them forsake Bonatus. Thou sayest to him, Thou art perishing in schism; it must needs be that God should requite those evil things: thou wilt come unto damnation; flatter not thyself with thy follow not a blind guide: for a blind man leading a man, together into a ditch do they fall. What is that me? he saith: as I have lived yesterday, so also to-day: my parents were, the same also am I. Thou fearest not God: give fear to God: let him think that all these things are true which are read, that the faithfulness of Christ is that which cannot be broken: how in heresy shall he remain in the face of so great evidentness of the holy Catholic Church, which God hath diffused throughout the whole world; which before He diffused, He promised, foretold, hath so manifested as He promised? Therefore let them beware and mark that fear not God.

Ver. 20. He stretcheth forth His hand in requiting*

21. They have polluted His Testament. Read the testament which they have polluted: " In thy seed shall be blessed nations" They have polluted His Testament. Thou against these words of the Testator sayest what? The Africa of holy Donatus halh alone deserved this grace, in him hath remained the Church of Christ. Say at least the Church of Donatus. Wherefore addest thou, of Christ? Of whom it is said, In thy seed shall be blessed all nations. After Donatus wilt thou go? Set aside Christ, and then secede. See therefore what followeth: They have polluted His Testament. What Testament? To Abraham have been spoken the promises, and to his seed. The Apostle saith, Nevertheless, a man's testament confirmed no one maketh void, or superaddeth to: to Abraham have been spoken the promises, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as if in many; but as if in one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. In this Christ, therefore, what Testament hath been promised? In thy seed shall be blessed all nations. Thou that hast given up the unity of all nations, and in a part hast remained, hast polluted His Testament. That which therefore hath befallen thee, to be banished, to be from the inheritance separated, is of the anger of God. For attend to that which followeth: They have polluted His Testament; (they have been divided, because of the anger of His countenance1.) What do ye look for, by what clearer mark should heretics be pointed out? They have been divided, because of the anger of His countenance.

22. Ver. 22. And His heart hath drawn near. Of whom do we understand it, except of Him, £y the anger of whom they have been divided? How hath His heart drawn near f In such sort, that we may understand His will. For by heretics hath been vindicated the Catholic Church, and by those that evil think have been proved those that think well. For many things lay hid in the Scriptures i and when heretics had been cut off, with questions they troubled the Church of God: then those things were opened which lay hid, and the will of God was understood. Thence is said in another Psalm, A congregation of bulls amid the cows of?** the people, in order that they might be excluded that have been proved with silver. For let them be excluded, He hath said, let them come forth, let them appear. Whence even in silver-working men are called * excluders,' that is, pressers out of form from the sort of confusion of the lump. Therefore many men that very excellently could the Scriptures understand and expound, were hidden among the people of God: but they did not declare the solution of difficult questions, when no reviler again urged them. For was the Trinity perfectly treated of before the Arians snarled thereat? Was repentance perfectly treated of before the Novatians opposed? So not perfectly of Baptism was it treated, before rebaptizers set without contradicted; nor of the very oneness of Christ were the doctrines clearly stated which have been stated, save after that this separation began to press upon the weak: in order that they that knew how to treat of and solve these questions, (lest the weak should perish vexed with the questions of the ungodly,) by their discourses and disputations should bring out unto open day the dark things of the Law. Therefore they have been divided because of the anger of His countenance, and unto us for understanding His heart hath drawn near. Therefore perceive ye that which in another Psalm He hath mentioned, " Congregation of bulls," that is, of proud smiters with horns, " amid the cows of the people." What doth he speak of as cows? Souls easy to be led astray. Why this? " In order that those may be excluded," that is, may appear, that were lying hid, " that have been proved with silver." What is, "with silver?" With the saying of God. The sayings of God are sayings chaste, silver with fire tried, the thing approved of the earth, purged seven times so much. "This obscure sense see in what manner the Aposlle bringeth out into light; It is needful, he saith, that also heresies there be, in order that men proved may be made manifest among you. What is "men proved?" Proved with silver, proved with the word. What is, "may made manifest?" May be brought out1. Wherefore this? Because of heretics. What is, because of heretics? Because of the " congregation of bulls amid the cows of the people." So therefore these also have been divided because of the anger of His countenance, and His heart hath drawn near.

23. Ver. 21. His discourses have been softened above oil, and themselves are darts. For certain things in the Scriptures were seeming hard, while they were obscure; when explained, they have been softened. For even the first heresy in the disciples of Christ, as it were from the hardness of His discourse arose. For when He said, Except a man shall have eaten My flesh and shall have drunk My blood, he shall not have life in himself: they, not understanding, said to one another, Hard is this discourse, who can hear it f Saying that, Hard is this discourse, they separated from Him: He remained with the others, the twelve. When they had intimated to Him, that by His discourse they had been scandalized, Will ye also, He saith, choose to go? Then Peter, The Word of life eternal Thou hast: to whom shall we go? Attend, we beseech you, and ye little ones learn godliness. Did Peter by any means at that time understand the secret of that discourse of the Lord? Not yet he understood: but that good were the words which he understood not, godly he believed. Therefore if hard is a discourse, and not yet is understood, be it hard to an ungodly man, but to thee be it by godliness softened: for whenever it is solved, it both will become for thee oil, and even unto the bones it will penetrate.

24. Furthermore, just as Peter, after their having been scandalized by the hardness, as they thought, of the discourse of the Lord, even then said, The Word of life eternal

Thou hast: to whom shall we go? so he hath added, (ver. 22.)

Cast upon the Lord thy care, and He shall Himself nourish thee up. A little one thou art, not yet thou understandest the secret things of words: perchance from thee the bread is hidden, and as yet with milk thou must be fed: be not angry with the breasts: they will make thee fit for the table, for which now little fitted thou art. Behold by the division of heretics many hard things have been softened: His discourses that were hard have been softened above oil, and they are themselves darts. They have armed men preaching the Gospel: and the very discourses are aimed at the breast of every one that heareth, by men instant in season aud out of season: by those discourses, by those words, as though by arrows, hearts of men unto the love of peace are smitten. Hard they were, and soft they have been made. Being softened they have not lost their virtue, but into darts have been converted. His discourses have been softened above oil: and themselves, the softened discourses, themselves are darts. But thou not yet perchance art fitted to be armed with these darts, and not yet for thee hath shone out that which in discourse perchance is obscure and hard. Cast upon the Lord thy care, and Himself shall nourish thee up. Upon the Lord cast thyself. Behold thou wilt cast thyself upon the Lord, let no one put himself in the place of the Lord. Cast upon the Lord thy care. See in what manner that great soldier of Christ would not that upon himself the care of little ones should be cast: Hath by any means Paul for you been crucified, or in the name of Paul have ye been baptized? What did he say to them after that, Cast upon the Lord your care, and Himself shall nourish you up? But now a litde one would cast his care upon the Lord, and some one or other meeteth him and saith, I will take thee in. He meeteth as it were a ship tossed by the waves, and he saith, I will take her in. Do thou also make answer, A harbour I seek, not a rock. Cast upon the Lord thy care, and Himself shall nourish thee up. And see, a harbour doth take thee in: He shall not give for everlasting tossing to the Just man. Thou art seeming to toss in that sea, but a harbour taketh thee in. Do thou only before that thou enter into the harbour break not away from the anchor. The ship is tossing at anchor, but not afar from the land is she driven, nor for everlasting will she toss, even if for a time she toss. For to 'the words above: I have been made sad in and have been troubled. I was looking for should make me safe from weakness of mind and Tossing he speaketh, but not for everlasting he for to an anchor he is bound, the anchor is his shall not give for everlasting tossing to the just to the others what?

But Thou, 0 God, shall bring them down unto corruption. The pit of corruption is the darkness under. Thou shall bring them down, he saith, pit of corruption: because, when blind leadeth both fall into a ditch. God bringeth them down pit of corruption, not because He is the author of guilt, but because He is Himself the judge of their

For God hath delivered them unto the desires of For they have loved darkness, and not light; loved blindness, and not seeing. For behold the hath shone out to the whole world, let them sing with the whole world: For there is not one that himself from the heat of Him. But they passiug the whole to a part, from the body to a wound, to a limb cut off, shall meet with what, but going pit of corruption? of bloods and of deceilfulness. Men of bloods, of slayings he calleth them: and O that they and not spiritual slayings. For blood from going forth, is seen and shuddered at: who blood of the heart in a man rebaptized? Those require other eyes. Although even about these deaths Circumcelliones armed every where remain And if of these visible deaths we think, there are bloods. Give heed to the aimed man, whether he is of peace and not of blood. If at least a club only he carry, well; but he carrieth a sling, carrieth an axe, stones, carrieth lances: and carrying these weapons, they may they scour, for the blood of innocent men Therefore even with regard to these visible there are men of bloods. But even of them let us that such deaths alone they perpetrated, and souls they slew not. These that are men of bloods and of deceit, let them not suppose that we thus wrongly understand men of bloods, of them that kill souls: they themselves of their Maximianists1 have so understood it. For when they cor.-1 demned them, in the very sentence of their Council they have set down these words: Swift are the feet of them to shed the blood (of the proclaimed), tribulation and calamity are in the ways of them, and the way of peace they have not known. This of the Maximianists they have said. But I ask of them, when have the Maximianists shed the body's blood; not because they too would not shed, if there were so great a multitude as could shed, but because of the fear in their minority rather they have suffered somewhat from others, than have themselves at any time done any such thing. Therefore I question the Donatist and say: In thy Council thou hast set down of the Maximianists, Swift are the feet of them to shed blood. Shew me one of whom the Maximiauists have hurt so much as a finger! What other thing to me is he to answer, than that which I say? They that have separated themselves from unity, and who slay souls by leading astray, spiritually, not carnally, do shed blood. Very well thou hast expounded, but in thy exposition acknowledge their own deeds. Men of bloods and of deceitfulness. In guile is deceitfulness, in dissimulation, in seduction. What therefore of those very men that have been divided because of the anger of His countenance? They are themselves men of bloods and of deceit.

27. But of them he saith what? They, shall not halve their days. What is, They shall not halve their days? They shall not make progress as much as they think: within the time which they expect, they shall perish. For he is that partridge, whereof hath been said, In the half of hisjer, days they shall leave him, and in his last days he shall be an unwise one. They make progress, but for a time. For what saith the Apostle? But evil men and seducers shall make progress for the worse, themselves erring, and other men3'13' into error driving. But a blind man leading a blind man, sentence of the synod of Bagai, as they fall Deservedly they Ml into What therefore saith he? They for the worse: not however for long. he hath said, But further they shall not is, shall not halve their days. Let the and tell wherefore: For the madness of to all men, as also was that of the and of deceit shall not halve their days. ivill hope, 0 Lord. But deservedly they their days, because in man they have days temporal have reached unto day

? Because in Thee I have hoped, 0 psalm lvl discourse to the people of Carthage. we are going to enter into any house, we to see whose it is and to whom it belongeth, we burst into a place where-not; and again, in order that we may not withdraw from that which we ought to word we were to read, These estates belong or to such an one: so on the lintel of this inscribed, At the end, for the people that were put afar off, to David himself, at the

Title, when the Allophyli held him in therefore take knowledge of the people that were put afar off at the inscription of the doth belong to that David whom now ye spiritually. For there is here comnotice no other than He of Whom hath been of the Law is Christ for righteousness to Therefore when thou hearest at the the title, Incipit Bestituta, Feria V. de Psalmo LV. end, unto Christ give heed, lest tarrying in the way thou arrive not at the end. For whatever that place is where beneath thou shalt have stood, before that thou shalt have come home unto Christ, the divine discourse saith to thee nothing but, draw near, not yet is the place where there is security. There is one place where a most sure standing-ground is established; there is a rock whereon a House doth stand up so secure as that it feareth not the rain of the tempest. For the floods have heat against that House, and it hath not25' fallen, for it had been founded upon a Rock: but the Rock was Christ. Under the name of David Christ is figured: because of Him hath been said, He that hath been made of the seed of David after the flesh.

2. Who are then the people that from holy men were put afar off at the inscription of the Title? Let the Title itself declare to us that people. For there was written a certain title at the Passion of the Lord, when the Lord was crucified: there was in that place a Title inscribed in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin, The King of the Jews; in three tongues as though by three witnesses the Title was confirmed: because in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall stand every word. When the Jews had read this Title, they were indignant, and they said to Pilate, Write not, King of the Jews, but that He said Himself that He was King of the Jews. Write thou that He said Himself, they said; not that the thing was which He said. But because in another Psalm it is truly saidb, For the Inscription of the Title corrupt thou not, Pilate answered, What I have written I have written: as John though he were saying, I corrupt not truth, even if ye love22* falsehood. Because therefore in that cursed one c the Jews had indignation, saying, We have no king but C<esar alone; from offence at the Title they were put afar off from holy men. Let them draw near to holy men, and cleave unto the holy One that confess and desire to have Christ for King: be they put afar off from holy men that gainsaying the Title repudiated God for King, and chose man for king. Every people therefore that with human kingdom is pleased, rejecting the Lord from being King over them — to whom reigning every man is subject in such sort that he too may himself reign over his passions — every such people, I say, is put afar 0ff from holy men. Do not, therefore, brethren, in the Jews alone remark this thing. There were given in them as it were primitive examples, to the end that in that same people might shine forth that thing whereof every man should beware. There is indeed also a Caesar, a human king, for men in things human, but another King there is for things divine: one king for life temporal, another King for life eternal; one king earthly, another King heavenly: king earthly under King heavenly, King heavenly over all things. It is not therefore because they said they had Caesar for king, that they sinned; but because Christ for King they would not have. And now many men Christ for King, in Heaven sitting, and every where reigning, will not have: and these are they that trouble us. Against such men this Psalm strengtheneth us. For it must needs be that such men we suffer even unto the end: whom we should not suffer, unless for us it were expedient. For every temptation is probation, and the effect of every probation hath its fruit. Because a man for the most part even to his own self is unknown: what he may bear, or what he may not bear, he knoweth not: and sometimes presumeth that he may bear that which he is not able, and sometimes despaireth of himself to be able to bear that which he is able: there cometh up temptation like a sort of inquisition, and a man is found out by himself; because he lay hid even to himself, but to his Maker he lay not hid. Furthermore, Peter presumed of something which in him was not yet, that unto death he with the Lord Jesus Christ would persevere: his own powers Peter knew not, but the Lord knew. That he was not fitted replied He that had formed him, He that even to him that had been formed by Himself meet powers would give, what not yet He had given, knew: that not yet had received knew not: there came on " temptation; he denied, wept, received. Since therefore we know not what we should ask, as though not having, and for what we should give thanks as if receiving, need there is alway that with temptations and tribulations we be educated in this world: but troubled we cannot be, except by those that have been put afar off from holy men. This farness, brethren, understand ye to be of heart, not of the body* For ofttimes it cometh to pass that he that in body afar is estranged from thee, is joined to thee, because he loveth that which thou lovest; and ofttimes it cometh to pass that one standing beside thee is joined to thee, because he loveth that which thou lovest: and ofttimes it cometh to pass that one standing beside thee, because that he loveth the world, while thou lovest God, is afar from thee.

3. What therefore meaneth, that which to the title itself still belongeth, namely, that the Allophyli held him in Geth? Geth was a certain city of the Allophylid, that is, of strangers, to wit, of people afar from holy men. All they that refuse Christ for King become strangers. Wherefore strangers are they made? Because even that vine, though by Him planted, when it had become sour what heard it? Wherefore hast thou been turned into sourness, O alien vine? It hath not been said, My vine: because if Mine, sweet; if sour, not Mine; if not Mine, surely alien. TJiere held him, then, Allophyli in Geth. We find indeed, brethren,' David himself, son of Jesse, king of Israel, to have been in a strange land among the Allophyli, when he was being sought by Saul, and was in that city and with the king of that city, but that there he was detained we read not. Therefore our21' David, the Lord Jesus Christ out of the seed of that David, not alone they held, but there hold Him still Allophyli in Geth. Of Geth we have said that it is a city. But the interpretation of this name, if asked for, signifieth ' press.' Christ inasmuch as He is the Head, the Saviour of the Body, He that was born of a Virgin, crucified, that now to us displayeth the pattern of our resurrection in the resurrection of His flesh, that sitteth at the right hand of the Father, and for us intercedeth, is also here, but in His Body which is the Church. The Body is conjoined to the Head thereof, the Head for the Body is crying, Saul, Saul, why persecuiest thou Me? And the Head in the Body thereof4' after the Apostle's saying, And together hath raised us again, and together hath made us to sit in heavenly places. And we there are sitting, and Himself is here labouring; we there are sitting after hope, and He here is with us after charity. This bond as it were of one man maketh two to be in one flesh, Bride and Bridegroom. Whence also the Lord Himself saith, Therefore now not two, but one flesh. How therefore here is He held in Geth? Held in a winepress is His Body, that is, His Church. What is, in a winepress? In pressings. But in a winepress fruitful is the pressing. A grape on the vine sustaineth no pressing, whole it seemeth, but nothing thence floweth: it is thrown into a winepress, is trodden, is pressed; harm seemeth to be done to the grape, but this harm is not barren; nay, if no harm had been applied, barren it would have remained.

4. Let whatsoever holy men therefore that are suffering pressing from those that have been put afar off from the saints, give heed to this Psalm, let them perceive here themselves, let them speak what here is spoken, that suffer what here is spoken of. Surely let him that suffereth not, speak not; I bind not to the speaking, him that I see out of suffering. But let him beware, that when he would be afar from suffering, he be not put afar off from holy men. Let each one therefore think of his enemy; if Christian he is, the world to him is an enemy. Private enmities therefore let no one think of, when about to hear the words of this Psalm: Know ye thai for us the wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against princes and powers, and spiritual things of wickedness, that is, against the devil and his angels; because even when we suffer men that annoy us, he is instigating, he is inflaming, as it were his vessels he is moving. Let us give heed therefore to two enemies, him whom we see, and him whom we see not; man we see, the devil we see not; man let us love, of the devil beware; for man pray, against the devil pray, and let us say to God,

Ver. I. Have pity on me, O Lord, for man hath trodden me down. Fear not because man hath trodden thee down: have thou wine, a grape thou hast become in order that thou shouldest be trodden. Have pity on me, O Lord, for man hath trodden me down: all day long warring he hath troubled me, every one that hath been put afar off from the saints. But why should not here be understood even the devil himself? Is it because mention is made of 4 man6.?' doth therefore the Gospel err, because it hath said, A man that is an enemy hath done this? But by a kind of figure may he also be called a man, and yet not be a man. Whether therefore it was him whom he that said these words was beholding, or whether it was the people and each one that was put afar off from holy men, through which kind the devil troubleth the people of God, who cleave to holy men, who cleave to the Holy One, who cleave to the King, at the title of which King being indignant they were as though beaten back, and put afar off: let him say, Have pity on me, O Lord, for man hath trodden me down: and let him faint not in this treading down, knowing Him on Whom he is calling, and by Whose example he hath been made strong. The first cluster in the winefat pressed is Christ. When that cluster by passion was pressed out, there flowed that whence the cup inebriating is how passing beautiful! Let His Body likewise say, looking upon its Head, Have pity on me, O Lord, for man hath trodden me down: all day long warring he hath troubled me. All day long, at all times. Let no one say to himself, There have been troubles in our fathers' time, in our time there are not. If thou supposest thyself not to have troubles, not yet hast thou begun to be a Christian. And where is the voice of the Apostle, But even all that will live godly in Christ, persecutions shall suffer. If therefore thou sufferest not any persecution for Christ, take heed lest not yet thou hast begun godly to live in Christ. But when thou hast begun godly to live in Christ, thou hast entered into the winepress; make ready thyself for pressings: but be not thou dry, lest from the pressing nothing go forth.

5. Ver. 2. Mine enemies have trodden me down all day long. They that have been put afar off from holy men, these are mine enemies. All day long: already it hath been said, From the height1 of the day. What meanetb,ior from the height of the day? Perchance it is a high thing to understand. And no wonder, because the height of the day it is. For perchance they for this reason have been put afar off from holy men, because they were not able to penetrate the height of the day, whereof the Apostles are twelve shining hours. Therefore they that crucified Him, as if man, in the day have erred. But why have they suffered darkness, so that they should be put afar off from holy men? Because on high the day was shining, Him in the height hidden they knew not. For if they had known, never the Lord of Glory would they have crucified. Therefore from this height of day starting back and put afar off from holy men, they have been made enemies, that trouble and tread down as it were a grape in a winepress. There is also another sense. From the height of the day mine enemies have trodden me down all day long, that is, at all times. From the height of the day, that is, from pride temporal. For when they tread down, high they are: humble are they that are trodden down, high are they that tread down. But fear not the height of men treading down: of the day the height is, temporal it is, not eternal.

6. Ver. 3. For many men that war against me, shall fear. Shall fear when? When the day shall have passed away, wherein they are high. For for a time high they are, when the time of their height is finished they will fear. But I in Thee will hope, 0 Lord. He saith not, But I will not fear: but, Many men, that war against me, shall fear. When there shall have come that day of Judgment, then shall mourn for themselves all the tribes of the earth. When there shall have appeared the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, then secure shall be all holy men. For that thing shall come which they hoped for, which they longed for, the coming whereof they prayed for: but to those men no place for repentance shall remain, because in that time wherein fruitful might have been repentance, their heart they hardened against a warning Lord. Shall they too raise up a wall against a judging God? The godliness of this man do thou indeed acknowledge, and if in that Body thou art, imitate him. When he had said, Many men, that war against me, shall fear: he did not continue, 4 But 1 will not fear:' lest to his own powers ascribing his not fearing, he too should be amid high temporal things, and through pride temporal he should not deserve to come to rest everlasting: rather he hath made thee to perceive whence he shall not fear. But

I, he saith, in thee will hope, O Lord: he hath not spoken of his confidence: but of the cause of his confidence. For if

I shall not fear, I may also by hardness of heart not fear, for many men by too much pride fear nothing. Let your love attend. One thing is soundness of body, another thing is — torpor of body, another thing is immortality of body. Perfect soundness indeed is immortality: but by a sort of mode of speaking, that is called soundness which we have in this life. When he is not sick, a man is called sound; and when the physician hath made examination, sound he pronounceth him: and when any one hath begun to be sick, that same soundness is disturbed; and when it is healed, to the same soundness he returneth. To three states as it were of the body give heed and examine, soundness, torpor, immortality. Soundness hath no sickness, but nevertheless, when it is touched and molested, it feeleth pain. But torpor hath no pain, hath lost sense of pain, by so much the more insensible as it is worse. Again, immortality hath no pain, for swallowed up is all corruption, and this corruptible hath put on incorruption, and this mortal hath put on immortality. There is therefore no pain in a body immortal, no pain in a body torpid. Let not a torpid man deem himself forthwith immortal: nearer immortality is the soundness of a man in pain, than the torpor of a man not feeling. Thou findest therefore a man proud in the most excessive vapouring, that hath persuaded himself to fear nothing: mightier dost thou deem him than that man, that saith, Without fightings, within fears: mightier than the Head Himself our Lord God, Who said, Sorrowful is My Soul even unto death? This man is not more mighty: be38* not thou pleased with his torpor: not with immortality hath he been clothed, but of feeling stripped. But do thou keep thy soul not without affection; for they have been blamed that are without affection: and say thou with the feeling of soundness, Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If to this man there reached not offence, to wit the perdition of every weak man, while being as it were stiff and without pain would he seem to be the better? Far be it: torpor there would be, not calmness. Evidently, brethren, when we shall have come to that place, to that seat, to that blessedness, to an heavenly country, where our soul may be filled with security, be filled with rest and everlasting felicity, no pain there shall be; because cause for pain there shall not be. Many men, he saith, that war against me, shall fear. And those very torpid men that now nothing do fear, shall fear sometime. For there shall come so great terror as shall break and crush all hardness. Many men that war against me, shall fear. But I in Thee will hope, 0 Lord.

7. Ver. 4. In God I will praise my discourses, in Qod I have1 hoped: I will not fear what flesh doeth to me. Wherefore? Because in God I will praise my discourses. If in thyself thou praisest thy discourses: I say not that thou art not to fear; it is impossible that thou have not to fear. For thy discourses either false thou wilt have, and therefore thine own, because false: or if thy discourses shall be true, and thou shalt deem thyself not to have them from God, but of thyself to speak; true they will be, but thou wilt be false: but if thou shalt have known that thou canst say nothing true in the wisdom of God, in the faith of the Truth, save that which from Him thou hast received, of Whom is said, For what hast thou, which thou hast not received? Then in God thou art praising thy discourses, in order that in God thou mayest be praised by the discourses of God. For if whatever in thee is of God, is honoured by thee; thou also, having been made by God, wilt be honoured in God: but if whatever in thee is of God, thou shalt have honoured as though thine own, not of God; in like manner as that people was put afar off from holy men, so thou wilt be put afar off from the Holy One. Therefore, In God I will praise my discourses: if in God, wherefore mine? Both in God, and mine. In God, because from Himself: mine, because I have received. Himself hath willed them to be mine, Who hath given, by loving Him of Whom they are: because from Him to me they are, mine they have been made. For whence, Our daily bread give us this day? How ours? How give? By asking from Him thou wilt not be empty, by confessing it to be thine, thou wilt not be ungrateful. For if thou say not thine, thou hast not received: again, if thou say thine, so as if from thee be that which thou callest thine, thou losest that which thou hadst received, because ungrateful thou art to Him from Whom thou hadst received. In God, therefore, I will praise discourses,becaase there He is Himself the fountain of true discourses: Mine. because, thirsting, I have drawu near and have drunk. In God I will praise my discourses, in God I have hoped, I will not fear what flesh doeth to me. Wast thou not the same that a little before wast saying, Have pity on me, 0 Lord, for man hath trodden me down; all day long warring he hath troubled me? How therefore here, / will not fear what flesh doeth to me? What ^hall he do to thee? Thou thyself a little before hast said, Hath trodden me down, hath troubled me. Nothing shall he do, when these things he shall do? He hath had regard to the wine which floweth from treading, and hath made answer, Evidently he hath trodden down, evidently hath troubled; but what to me shall he do? A grape I was, wine I shall be: In God I have hoped, I will not fear what flesh doeth to me.

8. Ver. 5. All day long my v:ords they abhorred. Thus they are, ye know. Speak truth, preach truth, proclaim Christ to the heathen, proclaim the Church to heretics, proclaim to all men salvation: they contradict, they abhor my words. But when my words they abhor, whom think ye they abhor, save Him in Whom I shall praise my discourses? All day long my words they abhorred. Let this at least suffice, let them abhor words, no farther let them proceed, censure, reject! Be it far from them! Why should I say this? When words they reject, when words they hate, those words which from the fount of truth flow forth, what would they do to him through whom the very words are spoken? what but that which followeth, Against me all the counsels of them are for evil f If the bread itself they hate, how spare they the basket wherein it is ministered? Against me all the counsels of them are for evil. If so even against the Lord Himself, let not the Body disdain that which hath gone before in the Head, to the end that the Body may cleave to the Head. Despised hath been thy Lord, and wilt thou have thyself be honoured by those men that have been put afar off from holy men? Do not for thyself wish to claim that which in Him hath not gone before. The disciple is not greater than his Master; the servant is not greater2*'25' than his Lord. If the Master of the family they have called Beelzebub, how much more them of His household? Against me all the counsels of them are for evil.

9. Ver. 6. They shall sojourn, and shall hide. To sojourn is to be in a strange land. Sojourners is a term used of those then that live in a country not their own. Every man in this life is a foreigner: in which life ye see that with flesh we are covered round, through which flesh the heart cannot be seen. Therefore the Apostle saith, Do not before the time judge any thing, until the Lord come, and He shall enlighten the hidden things of darkness, and shall manifest the thoughts of the heart; and then praise shall be to each one from Qod. Before that this be done, in this sojourning of fleshly life every one carrieth his own heart, and every heart to every other heart is shut. Furthermore, those men of whom the counsels are against this man for evil, shall sojourn, and shall hide: because in this foreign abode they are, and carry flesh, they hide guile in heart; whatsoever of evil they think, they hide. Wherefore? Because as yet this life is a foreign one. Let them hide; that shall appear which they hide, and they too will not be hidden. There is also in this hidden thing another interpretation, which perchance will be more approved of. For out of those men that have been put afar off from holy men, there creep in certain false brethren, and they cause worse tribulations to the Body of Christ; because they are not altogether avoided as if entirely aliens. From these same men the Apostle, calling to mind weightier perils, when he was enumerating many sufferings of his, and was saying, By perils of rivers, by perils of robbers, by perils from mine own people, by perils from the nations, by perils in the city, by perils in the desert, by perils in the sea: by perils, he saith, in false brethren. These men are exceeding dangerous, of whom said in another Psalm, And they were entering in, in order that they might see. They were entering in, in order that they might see, and no one saith, Go not in to see. For he goeth in as though thine, he is not guarded against as an alien. Those men, therefore, shall sojourn and shall hide. For thus they go into the great house, not there to abide; therefore they shall sojourn. For such sinners the Lord willing to be considered as servants, after that Gospel interpretation, whereby Evert/ one that doeth sin is the John' servant of sin, saith, The servant abideth not in the house 34. for ever: but the Son abideth for ever. He that goeth in as a son, will not sojourn, because he shall continue even unto Mat the end: he that goeth in as a servant, deceitful, sinful, tOjg' the eye giving heed, seeking what he may carry off, seeking what he may accuse, or what he may find fault with, in order to sojourn goeth in, not to inhabit and continue. Not even those men nevertheless let us fear, brethren: (ver. 4.) In God I have hoped, I will not fear what flesh doeth to me. Even if they sojourn, even if they go in, even if they feign, even if they hide, flesh they are: do thou in the Lord hope, nothing to thee shall flesh do. But he bringeth in tribulation, bringeth in treading down. There is added wine, because the grape is pressed: thy tribulation will not be unfruitful: another seeth thee, imitateth thee: because thou also in order that thou mightest learn to bear such a man, to thy Head hast looked up, that first cluster, unto whom there hath come in a man that he might see, hath sojourned, and hath hidden, to wit, the traitor Judas. All men, therefore, that with false heart go in, sojourning and hiding, do not thou fear: the father of these same men, Judas, with thy Lord hath been: and He indeed knew him; although Judas the traitor was sojourning and hiding, nevertheless, the heart of him was open to the Lord of all f: knowingly He chose one man, whereby He might give comfort to thee that wouldest not know whom thou shouldest avoid. For He might have not chosen Judas, because He knew Judas: for He saith to His disciples, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one out of you is a devil? Therefore even a devil was chosen. Or if chosen he was not, how is it that He hath chosen twelve and not rather eleven? Chosen even he is, but for another purpose. Chosen were eleven for the work of probation, chosen one for the work of temptation. Whence could He give an example to thee, that wouldest not know what men thou shouldest avoid as evil, of what men thou shouldest beware as false and artificial, sojourning and hiding, except He say to thee, Behold, I have had one of those very men! There hath an example, I have borne, to suffer I have which I knew, in order that to thee knowing not consolation. That which to Me he hath done, will do to thee also-, in order that he may be much, in order that he may make much havoc, false charges he will allege. Suppose false-shall they any wise against thee prevail,

Me not have prevailed? Against Me surely prevailed, but heaven from Me they have not flesh when buried had false witnesses to endure: was to suffer then in the judgment, He suffered tomb. They received money to speak talsely, When we were sleeping, there came His disciples away. Furthermore, so blind were the Jews, believed a saying altogether incredible: they sleeping. Either it was false that they lying men they should not have believed: or it they slept, and that which was done they knew shall sojourn and shall hide. Let them sojourn to do what? In God I have hoped, I will not fear doeth to me.

6. These same men shall mark my heel, for sojourn and hide in such sort, that they may a man slippeth. Intent they are upon the heel, a slip may chance to be made; in order that detain the foot for a fall, or trip up the foot for a certes that they may find that which they may And what man so walketh, that no where he shppeth f how speedily is a slip made even in tongue, written, Whosoever in tongue stumbleth not, the a perfect man. What man I pray would dare call or deem perfect? Therefore it must needs be one slip in tongue. But let them that shall so- shall hide, carp at all words, seeking somewhere to and knotty false accusations, wherein they are entangled before those whom they strive to: in order that they may themselves be taken and that they catch other men in order to destroy For a man runneth back unto his heart, and thence runneth back to God, and knoweth how to say, In Qod I will praise my discourses. Whatever good thing I have said, whatever true thing I have said, of God I have said it, and from God have said it: whatever other thing perchance I have said, which to have said I ought not, as a man I have said, but under God I have said. He that strengtheneth one walking, doth menace one straying, forgive one acknowledging, recalleth the tongue, recalleth him that slipped. For aProv.24, just man seven times shall fall, and shall rise again; but ungodly men shall be made weak in evil things. Let not therefore any one of us fear cunning pursuers, carpers at words, tellers almost of syllables, and breakers of command? ments. He is minding what in thee he may convict; in order to believe in Christ through thee, he is not minding. Attend thou unto the discourses of him whom thou blamest, whether perchance he may teach thee something to thy health. And what, he saith, shall he be able to teach to my health, that hath so slipped in word? This very thing perchance he is teaching thee to thy health, that thou be not a carper at words, but a gatherer of precepts. Themselves shall mark my heel.

7. As my soul hath undergone. I speak of that which I have undergone. He was speaking as one experienced: As my soul hath undergone. They shall sojourn and hide. Let my soul undergo all men, men without barking, men within hiding, let it undergo. From without coming, like a river cometh temptation: on the Rock let it find thee, let it strike against, not throw thee down; the house hath been founded upon a Rock. Within he is, he shall sojourn and hide: suppose chaff is near thee, let there come in the treading of oxen, let there come in the roller of temptations; thou art cleansed, the other is crushed.

8. As my soul hath undergone: (ver. 7.) for nothing Thou shalt save them. He hath taught us even for these very men to pray. However they shall sojourn and hide, however deceitful they be, however dissemblers and liers in wait they be; do thou pray for them, and do not say, Shall ftod amend even such a man, so evil, so perverse? Do not despair: give heed to Him Whom thou askest, not him for whom thou askest. The greatness of the disease seest thou, the might of the Physician seest thou not? They shall sojourn and hide! as my soul hath undergone. Undergo, pray: and there is done what? For nothing TJtou shalt save them. Thou shalt make them safe so as that nothing to Thee it may be, that is, so that no labour to Thee it may be. With men they are despaired of, but Thou with a word dost heal; Thou wilt not toil in healing, though we are astounded in looking on. There is another sense in this verse, For nothing Thou shalt save them: with not any merits of their going before Thou shalt save them. I that before was a blasphemer, he saith, and a persecutor, and injurious; he received letters in order that wherever he might find Christians, he might bind and lead away. Certes in order that he might bind and lead away, at first he was sojourning and was hiding. Therefore of this man not any good merits had gone before, nay, such things had gone before on account of which he would be condemned: nothing of good he brought in, and saved was he. For nothing Thou shalt save them. They shall not bring to Thee he-goats, rams, bulls, not gifts and spices shall they bring Thee in Thy temple, not any thing of the drink-offering of a good conscience do they pour thereon; all in them is rough, all foul, all to be detested: and though they to Thee bring nothing whereby they may be saved; For nothing Thou shalt save them, that is, with the free gift of Thy Grace. had that robber brought to the cross? From the lurking place1 to the judgment, from the judgment unto the tree> fr°m tree ullto Paradise* 6 He believed, wherefore he spake.' But even that very faith who did give, but He that beside him hung? For nothing TJiou shalt save 'them.

9. In anger the peoples Thou shalt bring down. Thou art angry and dost bring down, dost rage and save, dost terrify and call. For what is, In anger the peoples Thou shalt bring down? Thou fillest with tribulations all things, in order that being set in tribulations men may fly to Thee, lest by pleasures and a wrong security they be seduced. From Thee anger is seen, but that of a father. A father is angry with a son, the despiser of his injunctions: being angry with him he boxeth him, striketh, pulleth the ear, with hand draggeth,to school leadeth. In anger the peoples Thou shall bring down. How many men have entered, how many men have filled the House of the Lord, in the anger of Him brought down, that is, by tribulations terrified and with faith filled? For to this end tribulation stirreth up; in order to empty the vessel which is full of wickedness, so as that it may be filled with grace. In anger the peoples Tlwu shalt bring down.

10. Ver. 8. O God, my life I have told out to Thee. For that I live hath been Thy doing, and for this reason I tell out my life to Thee. But did not God know that which He had given? What is that which thou tellest out to Him? Wilt thou teach God? Fdr be it. Therefore why saith he, / have told out to Thee? Is it perchance because it profiteth Thee that I have told out my life? And what doth it profit God? To the advantage of God it doth profit. I have told out to God my life, because that life hath been God's doing. In like -manner as his life Paul the Apostle did tell out, saying, / that before was a blasphemer and ai persecutor and injurious, he shall tell out his life. But1'13' mercy I have obtained. He hath told out his life, not for himself but for Him: because he hath told it out in such sort, that in Him men believe, not for his own advantages, but for the advantages of Him. For what saith that same Paul? Therefore Christ hath died, and hath risen, in order that he that liveth, no more for himself may live, but for Him that for all men hath died. If therefore thou livest, and**0™- livest not by thyself, because that thou shouldest live He hath granted: tell out thy life, not for thyself, but for Him; not thine own things seeking, not for thyself living, but for Him That for all men hath died. For of certain reprobate men what saith the same Apostle? For all men seek their own things, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. If for this reason thou tellest out thy life, in order that it may profit thee, and other men it may not profit; for thyself thou tellest it out, not for God; but if so thou tellest out thy life, in order that other men also thou mayest invite to receive life, which thou too hast received, thou tellest out thy life to Him from Whom thou hast received, and thou shalt have a reward more ample, because even out of that which thou. hast received, not ungrateful thou hast shewn thyself. O God, my life I have told out to Thee. Thou hast put my tears in Thy sight. Thou hast hearkened to me imploring Thee. As also in Thy promise. Because as Thou hadst promised this thing, so Thou hast done. Thou hast said Thou wouldest hearken to one weeping. I have believed, I have wept, I have been hearkened unto; I have found Thee merciful in promising, true in repaying. As also in Thy promise.

11. Ver. 9. Turned he mine enemies backward. This thing to these very men is profitable, no ill to these men he is wishing. For to go before they are willing, therefore to be amended they are not willing. Thou warnest thine enemy to live well, that he amend himself: he scorneth, he rejecteth thy word: " Behold him that adviseth me; behold him from whom I am to hear the commandments whereby 1 shall live!" To go before thee he willeth, and in going before is not amended. He mindeth not that thy words are not thine, he mindeth not that thy life to God thou tellest out, not to thyself. In going before therefore he is not amended: it is a good thing for him that he be turned backward, and follow him whom to go before he willed. The Lord to His disciples was speaking of His Passion that was to be. Peter shuddered, and saith, Far he it, O Lord, there shall not he done this thing: he that a little before had said, Thou art the Christ, Son of the living God, having confessed God, feared for Him to die, as if but a man. But the Lord Who so came that He might suffer, (for we could not otherwise be saved unless with His blood we were redeemed,) a little before had praised the confession of Peter, and had said, Because to thee Jlesh and blood hath not revealed this thing, but My Father Which is in the heavens; therefore thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not overcome Her: and to thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. See ye after what sort He followed up a confession true, godly, full of confidence, because he said, Thou art the Christ, Son of the living God. But immediately when the Lord beginneth to speak of His Passion, he feared lest He should perish by death, whereas we ourselves should perish unless He died; and he saith, Far be it, O Lord, this thing shall not be done. And the Lord, to him to whom a little before He had said, Blessed thou art, and upon this Bock I will build My Church, saith, Go back behind, Satan, an offence thou art to Me. Why therefore Satan is he, that23, a little before was blessed, and a Mock? For thou savourest not the things which are of God, He saith, but those things which are of man. A little before [he savoured] the things which are of God: " because not flesh and blood hath revealed to thee, but My Father Which is in the Heavens." When in God he was praising his discourse, not Satan but Peter, from pelra: but when of himself and out of human infirmity, carnal love of man, which would be for an impediment to his own salvation, and that of the rest, Satan he is called. Why? Because to go before the Lord he willed, and to the Leader heavenly, earthly counsel to give. Far be it^ O Lord, this thing shall not be done. Thou sayest, Far be iU and thou sayest, 0 Lord: surely if Lord He is, in power He doeth: if Master He is, He knoweth what He doeth, He knoweth what He teacheth: but thou wiliest to lead thy Leader, teach thy Master, command thy Lord, choose for God: much thou goest before, go back behind. Did not this too profit these enemies? Turned be Mine enemies backward; but let them not remain backward. For this reason let them be turned backward, lest they go before; but so that they follow, not so that they remain. Turned be Mine enemies backward.

12. Ver. 9. In whatsoever day I shall have called upon Thee, behold I have known that my God art Thou. A great knowledge. He saith not, / have known that God Thou art: but, That my God art Thou. For thine He is, when thee He succoureth: thine He is, when thou to Him art not an alien. Whence is said, Blessed the people of whom is the Lord the God of the same. Wherefore of whom is? For of16, whom is He not? Of all things indeed God He is: but of those men the God peculiarly He is said to be, that love Him, that hold Him, that possess Him, that worship Him, as though belonging to His own House: the great family of Him are they, redeemed by the great blood of the Only Son. How great a thing hath God given to us, that His own we should be, and He should be ours! But in truth foreigners afar have been put from holy men, sons alien they are. See what of them is said in another Psalm: O Lord, deliver me, he saith,/rofli the hand of alien sons, of whom the mouth hath spoken vanity, and the right hand of them is a right hand of iniquity. And^see the height of these saine; but it is 'the height of the day,' that is, pride temporal.. Of whom their sons, he saith, are as young plants firmly rooted, the daughters of them adorned as the similitude of a temple. The felicity of the present world he is describing, wherein men erring, and counting it as some great matter, the felicity true and everlasting seek not. Thence therefore these are sons alien, not sons of God: Of whom their sons, he saith, are as young plants firmly rooted, their daughters adorned as the similitude of a temple: their garners full, belching forth out of this unto this: their oxen fat, their sheep fruitful, multiplying in their goings out: there is not falling of wall, nor going oner, nor cry in the streets of them. And what folio weth? Blessed they have called the people to whom these things are. But who have called them? Sons alien, of whom the mouth hath spoken vanity. Thou, what say est thou? Blessed the people, of whom the Lord is the God of the same. He hath taken from among them all other things which God giveth, and hath given God Himself. For all those things, brethren, of which the sons alien have made mention, God giveth; but even to aliens He giveth, but even to evil men giveth, but even to blasphemers giveth, He that maketh His sun to rise upon good men and upon evil men, and raineth upon just men and upon unjust men. Sometimes these things to good men He giveth, sometimes giveth not: and to evil men sometimes giveth, sometimes giveth not: for good men however He keepeth Himself, but for evil men fire everlasting. There is therefore an evil thing which He giveth not to good men, and there is a good thing which He giveth not to evil men: there are certain middle things, both good things and evil things, which He giveth both to good men and to evil men.

13. Let us therefore love God, brethren, purely and chastely. There is not a chaste heart, if God for reward it worshippeth. How so? Reward of the worship of God shall not we have? We shall have evidently, but it is God Himself Whom we worship. Himself for us a reward shall be, because tee shall see Him as He is. Observe that a reward1 thou shalt obtain. To His lovers our Lord Jesus Christ saith what? He that loveth Me, keepeth My com- 3, mandments; and he that loveth Me, shall be loved of My1^^ Father, and I will love him. What therefore wilt Thou give him? And I will manifest Myself to him. If thou lovest not, too little it is: if thou lovest, if thou sighest, if freely thou worshippest Him, by Whom freely thou hast been bought; for thou hadst not deserved of Him that He should redeem thee; if upon consideration of His benefits towards thee thou sighest, and unquiet hast thy heart with longing for Him; do not beside Him ask any thing from Him, He is Himself sufficient for thee. Howsoever covetous thou art, sufficient for thee is God. For avarice sought to possess the whole earth, add also Heaven: more is He that hath made heaven and earth. I will tell you, brethren: in these human alliances consider a chaste heart, of what sort it is towards God: certainly human alliances are of such sort, that a man doth not love his wife, that loveth her because of her portion: a woman her husband doth not chastely love, that for these reasons loveth him, because something he hath given, or because much he hath given. Both a rich man is a husband, and one that hath become a poor man is a husband. How many men proscribed, by chaste wives have been the more beloved! Proved have been many chaste marriages by the misfortunes of husbands: that the wives might not be supposed to love any other object more than their husband, not only have they not forsaken, but the more have they obeyed. If therefore a husband of flesh freely is loved, if chastely he is loved; and a wife of flesh freely is loved, if chastely she is loved; in what manner must God be loved, the true and truth-speaking Husband of the soul, making fruitful unto the offspring of everlasting life, and not suffering us to be barren? Him, therefore, so let us love, as that any other thing besides Himself be not loved: and there takes place in us that which we have spoken of, that which we have sung, because even here the voice is ours: In whatsoever day I shall have called upon Thee, behold, I have known that my God art Thou. This is to call upon God, freely to call upon Him. Furthermore^ of certain men hath been said what? Upon the Lord they have not called. The Lord they seemed as it were to call unto themselves; and they besought Him about inheritances, about increasing money, about lengthening this life, about the rest of temporal things: and concerning them the Scripture saith what? Upon the Lord they have not called. Therefore there followeth what? There they have feared with fear, where there ivas no fear. What is, where there was no fear? Lest money should be stolen from them, lest any thing in their house should be made less; lastly, lest they should have less of years in this life, than they hoped for themselves: but there have they trembled with fear, where there no fear. Such men they are as were those Jews: If we shall have let Him live, there will come the Romans, and will take away from us both place and nation. There they have feared a fear, where there was no fear. Behold, I have known that my God art Thou. Great riches of heart, great light of the eye interior, great confidence of security! Behold, I have known that my God art Thou.

14. Ver. 10. In God I will praise the word, in the Lord I will praise the discourse: (ver. 11.) in God I have hoped, I will not fear what man doeth unto me. Now this is the very sense which above1 hath been repeated.

15. Ver. 12. In me, O God, are Thy vows, which 1 will render of praise to Thee. " Vow ye, and render to the Lord your God." What vow, what render? Perchance those animals which were offered at the altars aforetime? No such thing offer thou: in thyself is what thou may est vow and render. From the heart's coffer bring forth the incense of praise; from the store of a good conscience bring forth the sacrifice of faith. Whatsoever thing thou bringest forth, kindle with love. In thyself be the vows, which thou mayest render of praise to God. Of what praise? For what hath He granted thee? (Ver. 13.) For Thou hast rescued my soul from death. This is that very life which he telleth out to Him: O God, my life I have told out to Thee. For I was what? Dead. Through myself I was dead: through Thee I am what? Alive. Therefore in me, O God, are Thy vows, which I will render of praise to Thee. Behold I love my God: no one doth tear Him from me: that which to Him I may give, no one doth tear from me, because in the heart it is shut up. With reason is said with that former confidence, What should man do unto mefvLet man rage, let him be permitted to rage, be permitted to accomplish that which he attempteth: what is he to take away? Gold, silver, cattle, men servants, maid servants, estates, houses, let him take away all things: doth he by any means take away the vows, which are in me, which I may render of praise to God? The tempter was permitted Job to tempt a holy man, Job; in one moment of time he took away all things: whatever of possessions he had had, he carried off: took away inheritance, slew heirs; and this not little by little, but in a crowd, at one blow, at one swoop, so that all things were on a sudden announced: when all was taken away, alone there remained Job, but in him were vows of praise, which he might render to God, in him evidently there were: the coffer of his holy breast the thieving devil had not rifled, full he was of that wherefrom he might sacrifice. Hear what he had, hear what he brought forth: The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away; as hath pleased the Lord, so hath been done: be2lt the name of the Lord blessed. O riches interior, whither thief doth not draw near! God Himself had given that whereof He was receiving; He had Himself enriched him with that whereof to Him he was offering that which He loved. Praise from thee God requireth, thy confession God requireth. But from thy field wilt thou give any thing? He hath Himself rained in order that thou mayest have. From thy coffer wilt thou give any thing? He hath Himself put in that which thou art to give. What wilt thou give, which from Him thou hast not received? For what hast thou which thou hast not received? From the heart wilt thou give? He too hath given faith, hope, and charity: this thou must hring forth: this thou must sacrifice. But evidently all the other things the enemy is able to take away against thy will; this to take away he is not able, unless thou be willing. These things a man will lose even against his will: and wishing to have gold, will lose gold; and wishing to have house, will lose house: faith no one will lose, except him that shall have despised her.

16. In me, O God, are Thy vows, which I will render of praise to Thee: (ver. 13.) because Thou hast rescued my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from slipping: that I may be pleasing before God in the light of the living. With reason he is not pleasing to alien sons, that are put afar off from holy men, because they have not the light of the living, whence they may see that which to God is pleasing. Light of the living, is light of the immortal, light of holy men. He that is not in darkness, is pleasing in the light of the living. A man is observed, and the things which belong to him; no one knoweth of what sort he is: God seeth of what sort he is. Sometimes even the devil himself he escapeth; except he tempt, he fin'deth not: just as concerning that man of whom just now I have made mention. God knew him, and bore witness to him: the devil knew him not, and therefore had said, Doth Job by any means worship God for nought? See to what a proof the enemy challengeth: there is perfection. See what the enemy throweth out for reproach: he saw a man serving God, in all things obeying, all things doing well; and because a rich man he was, and his house most prosperous, this thing he throweth out for reproach, that for this reason he worshippeth God, because He had given to him all these things: Doth Job by any means worship God for nought? For this was true light, this the light of the living, that gratis he should worship God. God saw in the heart of His servant His gratuitous worship. For that heart was pleasing in the sight of the Lord in the light of the living: the devil's sight he escaped, because in darkness he was. God admitted the tempter, not in order that He might Himself know that which He did know, but in order that to us to be known and imitated He might set it forth. Admitted was the tempter; he took away every thing, there remained the man bereft of possessions, bereft of family, bereft of children, full of God. A wife certainly was left. Merciful do ye deem the devil, that he left him a wife? He knew through whom he had deceived Adam. He had left a help-mate for himself, not a comforter for the husband. He, therefore, being full of God, in whom vows there were, which he might render of praise, in order that he might shew that gratis he did worship God, not because so great things he had received; even with the loss of all things was a man of such sort, because Him that had given all things, he lost not: The Lord hath given, he saith, (he Lord hath taken away; as hath pleased the Lord, so21* hath been done: be the Name of the Lord blessed. Moreover, with wound smitten from head even unto feet, whole nevertheless within, he made answer to the woman tempting, out of the light of the living, out of the light of his heart: thou hast spoken as though one of the unwise women, that is, as though one that hath not the light of the living. For10, the light of the living is wisdom, and the darkness of unwise men is folly; Thou hast spoken as though one of the unwise women: my flesh thou seest, the light of my heart thou seest not. For she then might more have loved her husband, if the interior beauty she had known, and had beheld the place where he was beautiful before the eyes of God: because iu Him were vows which he might render of praise to God. How entirely the enemy had forborne to invade that patrimony! How whole was that which he was possessing, and that because of which yet more to be possessed he hoped for, being to go on from virtues unto virtue. Therefore, brethren, to this end let all these things serve us, that God gratis we love, in Him hope always, neither man nor devil fear. Neither the one nor the other doeth any thing, except when it is permitted: permitted for no other reason can it be, except because it doth profit us. Let us endure evil men, let us be good men: because even we have been evil. Even as nothing1 God shall save men, of whom we dare to despair. Therefore of no one let us despair, for all men whom we suffer let us pray, from God let us never depart. Our patrimony let Him be, our hope let Him be, our safety let Him be. He is Himself here a comforter, there a remunerator, every where Maker-alive, and of life the Giver, not of another life, but of that whereof hath been said, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life: in order that both6, here in the light of faith, and there in the light of sight, as it were in the light of the living, in the sight of the Lord we may be pleasing.