Psalm 57 (Vulgate 56)

1. We have heard in the Gospel just now, brethren, how loveth us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God with the Father, Man with us, 'out of our own selves, now at1 the right hand of the Father; ye have heard how much He loveth us. For the measure of His own love He hath even Himself prescribed, aud upon us hath laid it, saying that commandment is, that we should love one another. And that we should not inquire doubting and fretting how much we ought to love one another, and how much that perfect love is which is pleasing to God, (for that is perfect than which greater there cannot be,) He hath Himself expressed, hath taught, and He saith, Greater love than this no one hath, than that a man should lay down his life for his friends. He hath Himself done that which He taught; the Apostles have done that which from Him they learned, and by us that it be done they have preached. Let us also do thus; because even if we are not what He was, in respect of this, that He created us, what He was nevertheless we are, in respect of that which He was made because of us. And if He alone had done, perchance no one of us ought to dare to imitate Him: for in such sort He was Man, as that God also He was: but in that Man He was, servants have imitated Lord, and disciples Master; and they have done that have gone before us in His own Family, our fathers indeed, but nevertheless our fellow-servants; nor would God command that we should do this, if impossible He judged it, that this by man should be done. But considering thy weakness, dost thou faint under the command? be comforted in the example. But even the example for thee is a great thing. There is present He that furnished the example, to furnish also aid. Let us hear therefore in this Psalm; for opportunely it chanceth, even by His provision, that therewith doth harmonize the Gospel, which commendeth to us the love of Christ, Who His life hath laid down for us, in order that we also our life for the brethren should lay down.3' It hath accorded and harmonized with this Psalm, so that we may see in what manner our Lord Himself His life hath laid down for us. For this Psalm the Passion of the Same doth sing. And since whole Christ is Head and Body, which truth well ye know I doubt not: the Head is our Saviour Himself, Who suffered under Pontius Pilate; Who now after that He hath risen again from the dead, is sitting at the right hand of the Father: but the Body of Him is the Church, not this or that, but in the whole world spread abroad; nor that only which now is among men that are living in the present life, but in those also belonging to it, that have been before us, and in those that are to be after us, even unto the end of the world. For the whole Church consisting of all faithful men, because all faithful men are members of Christ, hath that Head established in the Heavens that governeth His Body: and if separated It is in sight, yet joined It is in love. Because therefore whole Christ is Head and Its Body, therefore in all the Psalms let us so hear the words of the Head, as that we hear also the words of the Body. For He would not speak separately, because He would not be separated, saying, Behold, with you / am even unto the consummation of the world. If with us He is, He speaketh in us, speaketh of us, speaketh through us; because we also speak in Him: and therefore the truth we speak, because in Him we speak. For whenever in ourselves and out of ourselves we shall have willed to speak, in a lie we shall remain.

2. Because then this Psalm is singing of the Passion of the Lord, see what is the title that it hath: at the end. The end is Christ. Why hath He been called end? Not as one that consumethj but one that consummateth. For to consume, is to destroy: to consummate, to perfect. For whatever we speak of as ended, from the word € end' we derive our expression. But in one sense we say, the bread hath been ended; in another sense we say, the coat hath been ended: there hath been ended the bread which was being eaten, there hath been ended the which was being woven: the bread then hath been so that it is consumed; the coat hath been ended so it is perfected; the end therefore of our purpose is: because however much we attempt, in Him we are perfect, and by Him are made perfect, and this is our perfection, that unto Him we come home: but when unto Him thou shalt have come home, more thou seekest not; thy end He is. For in like manner the end of thy life is the place whither thou art tending, to which when thou shalt have arrived, then thou wilt stay: so the end of thy study, of thy purpose, of thy attempt, of thy intention, is He to Whom thou art tending, unto Whom when thou shalt have come home, more thou wilt not desire, because nothing better thou wilt have. He therefore Himself both an example of living to us hath set forth in this life, and the reward of living He will give us in a future life.

3. At the end, corrupt not, for David himself, for the inscription of the title; when he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern. We referring to holy Scripture, do find indeed how holy David, that king of Israel, from whom too the Psalter of David hath received the name thereof, had suffered for persecutor Saul the king of his own people, as many of you know that have either read or have heard the Scriptures. King David had then for persecutor Saul: and whereas the one was most gentle, the other most ferocious: the one mild, the other envious; the one patient, the other cruel; the one beneficent, the other ungrateful: he endured him with so much mildness, that when he had gotten him jnto hands, him he touched not, hurt not. For David himself received power from the Lord God, so that if he would he might have killed Saul: and he chose to spare rather than to slay. But the other, not even by such a benefit was overcome, so as to cease to persecute. We find therefore at that time, when Saul was persecuting David, the king now rejected pursuing the future and predestinated king, that David himself fled from the face of Saul into a cavern. What reference hath this to Christ? If all things which then were being done, were figures of things future, we find there Christ, and by far in the greatest degree. For this, corrupt not for the inscription of the title, I see not how it belongeth to that David. For not any title was inscribed over David himself which Saul would corrupt. But we see in the Passion of the Lord that there had been written a title, King of the Jews: in order that this title might put to the blush these very men, seeing that from their King they withheld not their hands. For in them Saul was, in Christ David was. For Christ, as saith the Apostolic Gospel, is, as we know, as we confess, of the seed of David after the flesh; for after the Godhead He is above David, above all meu, above heaven and earth, above angels, above all things visible and invisible; because all things through Him were made, and without Him was not any thing made: nevertheless, having deigned to be made Man3, out of the seed of David, to us He came; because of the tribe of David He was bom, whence the Virgin Mary who27' bore Christ. The title therefore inscribed is this, King o^JohniD, the Jews. Saul, as we said, was the people of the Jews;21* David was Christ. The Jews were indignant, because there had been inscribed for title, King of the Jews: it shamed them Him to have for King Whom to crucify they were able. For they saw not that the very Cross, whereon they nailed Him, would be on the brows of kings. When therefore they were indignant because of that title, they went to Pilate the judge, to whom they had given up Christ to be slain; and they said to him, Write not so, King of the Jews, but write that He said Himself thai He was King of the Jews. And because already it had been sung through the Holy Spirit, Unto the end, corrupt not, for the inscription of the title: Pilate answered them, What I have written, 1 have written: why do ye suggest to me falsehood? I corrupt not truth.

4. We have heard what meaneth, corrupt not for the inscription of the title. What therefore is, When he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern? Which thing indeed the former David also did: but because in him we find not the inscription of the title, in the latter let us find the flight24' into the cavern. For that cavern wherein David hid himself did figure somewhat. But wherefore hid he himself? It was in order that he might be concealed and not be found. What is to be hidden in a cavern? To be hidden in earth. For he that fleeth into a cavern, with earth is covered so that he may not be seen. But Jesus did carry earth, flesh which He had received from earth: and in it He concealed Himself, in order that by Jews He might not be discovered as God. For if they had known, never the Lord of glory would they have crucified. Why therefore the Lord of glory found they not? Because in a cavern He had hidden Himself, that is, the flesh's weakness to their eyes He presented, but the Majesty of the Godhead in the body's clothing, as though in a hiding-place of the earth, He hid. They therefore, not knowing the God, crucified the Man. Neither die could He except in Man; nor be crucified could He except in Man; because not even held could He be except in Man. He offered to men wrongly seeking, earth; He kept for men rightly seeking, life. He fled therefore after the flesh into a cavern from the face of Saul. But if this also thou wouldest understand in this way; to wit, that the Lord fled from the face of Saul, because He suffered; even unto that point He concealed Himself from the Jews, as actually to die. For however much the Jews were raging against Him, until He died, they still were thinking that He might be delivered, and shew by some miracle that He was the Son of God. This thing foretold had been in the book of Wisdom: With death most shameful let us condemn Him; for there shall he respect to Him out of His discourse: for if truly Son of God He is, He will take Him up and trill deliver Him from the hands of adversaries. Because therefore He was being crucified, and was not delivered, they believed Him not to be Son of God. Wherefore reviling Him hanging on the Tree, and shaking their head, did say to Him, If Son of God Thou art, come down from the Cross. Other men He hath saved, Himself to save He is not able. These words they were saying as it is in the book of Wisdom, these things they thought and erred; for there blinded them their malice. For what great matter was it from the Cross to come down, to Him, for Whom an easy thing it was from the Tomb to rise again? But wherefore even unto death willed He to be patient? It was in order that He might flee from the face of Saul into a cavern. For a cavern may be understood as a lower part of the earth. And certainly, as is manifest and certain to all, His Body in a Tomb was laid, which was cut out in a Rock. This Tomb therefore was the Cavern; thither He fled from the face of Saul. For so long the Jews did persecute Him, even until He was laid in a cavern. Whence prove we that so long they persecuted Him, until therein He was laid? Even when dead, and, on the Cross hanging, with lance they wounded Him. But when shrouded,34, the funeral celebrated, He was laid in a cavern, no longer had they any thing which to the Flesh they might do* Rose therefore the Lord again out of that caveru unhurt, uncorrupt, from that place whither He had fled from the face of Saul: concealing Himself from ungodly men, whom Saul prefigured, but shewing Himself to His members. For the members of Him rising again by His members were handled: for the members of Him, the Apostles, touched Him rising again and believed; and behold nothing profited the persecution of Saul. Hear we therefore now the Psalm; because concerning the title thereof enough we have spoken, as far as the Lord hath deigned to give.

5. Ver. 1. Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me, for in Thee hath trusted my Soul. Christ in the Passion saith, Have pity on Me, O God. To God, God saith, Have pity on Me! He that with the Father hath pity on thee, in thee crieth, Have pity on Me. For that part of Him which is crying, Have pity on Me, is thine: from thee this He received, for the sake of thee, that thou shouldest be delivered, with Flesh He was clothed. The flesh itself crieth: Have pity on Me, O God, have pity on Me: Man himself, soul and flesh. For whole Man did the Word take upon Him, and whole Mau the Word became. Let it not therefore be thought that there Soul was not, because the Evangelist thus saith; The Word was made flesh, and dwelled in us. For man is called flesh, as in another place saith the Scripture, And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Shall anywise flesh alone see, and shall Soul not be there P^A^s Again saith our Lord Himself of men, As Thou hast given to^ Him power of all flesh. Had He anywise over flesh alone received power, and not most chiefly over souls, which in the first place He delivered? Therefore there was soul, there was flesh, there whole man; and whole man with the Word> ana the Word with Man, and Man the Word, one Man, and Word and Man one God. Let him say therefore, Have pity m me, 0 God, have pity on me. Let us not be afraid at the words of one asking pity>nd holding out pity. For this cause He asketh, because He holdeth it out: for this reason He became Man, because pitiful He was, not so as that He would be born by the necessity of His lot, but so that He might deliver us from the lot of our necessity. Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me; because in Thee hath trusted my soul. Thou nearest the Master praying, learn thou to pray. For to this end He prayed, in order that He might teach how to pray: because to this end He suffered, in order that He might teach how to suffer; to this end He rose again, in order that He might teach how to hope for rising again.

6. And in the shadow of Thy wings I will hope, until iniquity pass over. This now evidently whole Christ doth say: here is also our voice. For not yet hath passed over, still rife is iniquity. And in the end our Lord Himself said there should be an abounding of iniquity: And since iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold; but he that shall have persevered unto the end, the same shall be saved. But who shall persevere even unto the end, even until iniquity pass over? He that shall have been in the Body of Christ, he that shall have been in the members of Christ, and from the Head shall have learned the patience of persevering, Thou passest away, and behold passed are thy temptations; and thou goest into another life whither have gone holy men, if holy thou hast been. Into another life have gone Martyrs; if Martyr thou shalt have been, thou also goest into another life. Because thou hast passed away hence, hath by any means iniquity therefore passed away? There are born other unrighteous men, as there die some unrighteous men, In like manner therefore as some un-, righteous men die and others are born: so some just men go, and others are bom. Even unto the end of the world neither iniquity will be wanting to oppress, nor righteousness to suffer. And in the shadow of Thy wings I will hope% until iniquity pass over: that is, Thou shalt protect me, and in order that by the heat of iniquity I dry not up, Thou shalt afford a shelter for me.

7. Ver. 2. / will cry to God most high. If most high He is, how heareth He thee crying? Confidence hath been engendered by experience: to God, he saith, Who hath done good to me. If before that I was seeking Him, He did good to me, when I cry shall He not hearken to me? For good to us the Lord God hath done in sending to us our Saviour Jesus Christ, that He might die for our offences, and rise again for our justification. For what sort of men hath He willed His Son to die? For ungodly men. But ungodly men were not seeking God, and have been sought of God. For He is Most High in such sort, as that not far from Him is our misery and our groaning: because " near is the Lord to them that have bruised the heart." I will cry to God most high, God that hath done good to me.

8. Ver. 3. He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me. Now the Man Himself, now the Flesh Itself, now the Son of God after His partaking of ourselves, of Him it is manifest, how He was saved, and sent hath from heaven the Father and hath saved Him, hath sent from heaven, and hath raised Him again: but in order that ye may know, that also the Lord Himself hath raised again Himself; both truths are written in Scripture, both that the Father hath raised Him again, and that Himself Himself hath raised again. Hear ye how the Father hath raised Him again: the Apostle saith, He hath been made, he saith, obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: wherefore God also hath8'9' exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above every name. Ye have heard of the Father raising again and exalting the Son; hear ye how that He too Himself His flesh. hath raised again. Under the figure of a temple He saith ta the Jews, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will John raise it up. But the Evangelist hath explained to us what 19' it was that He said: But this, he saith, He spake of the Temple of His Body. Now therefore out of the person of one praying, out of the person of a man, out of the person of the flesh, He saith, He hath sent from heaven, and hath saved

&• He hath given unto reproach those that trampled on me. Them that have trampled on Him, that over Him dead have insulted, that Him as though man have crucified, because God they perceived not, them He hath given unto reproach. See ye whether it has not been so done. The thing we do not believe as yet to come, but fulfilled we acknowledge it. The Jews raged against Christ, they were overbearing against Christ. Where? In the city of Jerusalem. For where they reigned, there they were puffed up, there their necks they lifted up. After the Passion of the Lord thence they were rooted out; and they lost the kingdom, wherein Christ for King they would not acknowledge. In what manner they have been given unto reproach, see ye: dispersed they have been throughout all nations, no where having a settlement, no where a sure abode. But for this reason still Jews they are, in order that our books they may carry to their confusion. For whenever we wish to shew Christ prophesied of, we produce to the heathen these writings. And lest perchance men hard of belief should say that we Christians have composed these books, so that together with the Gospel which we have preached we have forged the Prophet, through whom there might seem to be foretold that which we preach: by this we convince them; namely, that all the very writings wherein Christ hath been prophesied are with the Jews, all these very writings the Jews have. We produce documents from enemies, to confound other enemies. In what sort of reproach therefore are the Jews? A document the Jew carrieth, wherefrom a Christian may believe. Our librarians they have become, just as slaves are wont behind their masters to carry documents, in such sort that these faint in carrying, those profit by reading. Unto such a reproach have been given the Jews: and there hath been fulfilled that which so long before hath been foretold, He hath given unto reproach those that trampled on me. But how great a reproach it is, brethren, that this verse they should read, and themselves being blind should look upon their mirror! For in the same manner the Jews appear in the holy Scripture which they carry, as appeareth the face of a blind man in a mirror: by other men it is seen, by himself not seen. He hath given unto reproach those that trampled on me.

10. Thou wast inquiring perhaps when he said, He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me. What hath He sent from heaven? Whom hath He sent from heaven? An Angel hath He sent, to save Christ, and through a servant is the Lord saved? For all Angels are creatures1 serving Christ. For obedience there might have been sent Angels, for service they might have been sent, not for succour: as is written, Angels ministered unto Him, not like men merciful to one indigent, but like subjects to One Omnipotent. What therefore hath He sent from heaven, and hath saved me f Now we hear in another verse what from heaven He hath sent. He hath sent from heaven His mercy and His truth. For what purpose? And hath drawn out my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps. Hath sent, he sa\th, from heaven His mercy and His truth: and Christ Himself saith, / am Truth. There was sent therefore Truth, that it should draw out my soul hence from the midst of the lions' whelps: there was sent mercy. Christ Himself we find to be both mercy and truth; mercy in sufferiug with us, and truth in requiting us. This is the same that a little before I said, namely, that He Himself Himself did raise again. For if Truth raised again Christ, and if Truth did draw forth the Soul of Christ from the midst of the lions' whelps; in like manner as merciful He was in dying for us, so true He was in rising again to justify us. For He had said that He was about to rise again, and the Truth could not lie, and being Truth and truth speakiug, therefore true scars He shewed, because true wouuds He eudured. These scars the disciples held, handled, made evident to them^ selves: he cried out who thrust fingers into the pierced side, and saith, My Lord and my God. In mercy for him Hejohn20, had died, and in truth unto him had risen again. He hath28' sent from Heaven His mercy and His truth: and hath drawn out my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps. Who are the lions' whelps? That lesser' people, unto evil2minudeceived, unto evil led away by the chiefs of the Jews: so that these are lions, those lions' whelps, All roared, all slew. For we are to hear even here the slaying of these very men, presently in the following verses of this Psalm.

11. And hath drawn out, he saith, my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps. Why sayest thou, And hath drawn out my soul? For what hadst thou suffered, that thy soul should be drawn out? i" have slept troubled. Christ hath intimated His death. Assuredly of old David we read that he fled into a cavern, nevertheless not that he slept in a cavern. Another David is in a cavern, another David there is that saith, / have slept troubled. We see the perturbation of Him, not that He was troubled, but that they were troubling. For ' troubled* He called Himself, after the notion of the men that were raging, not after the conscience of Him That gave way. They thought that they had disturbed Him, thought they had overcome, but He ' slept troubled.' So calm had been this disturbed one, that when He willed He slept. No one sleepeth disturbed: all men that are perturbed either from sleep are roused, or else are not suffered to go off to sleep. But He disturbed was, and slept. Great is the humility of Him disturbed, great the power of Him sleeping. By what power came it that He slept? From that whereof He speaketh Himself, Power I have of laying down My life, and pott er of taking it: no one taketh it from Me; but I do it lay down, and again I take it. They disturbed, and He slept. The type of which thing Adam bore, when God sent upon him a slumber, in order that out Q£ side He might make a help-mate for him. For was it that He could not make a wife for the first man even out of the side of one awake? Or did He for this reason will him to sleep, that he might not feel when a rib was being taken away from him? In a word, who doth sleep so soundly, as that when a bone is plucked from him he would not awake? He that could without pain take away a rib from one sleeping, could do so from one awake also. But why willed he to do it to one sleeping? Because to Christ sleeping on the Cross there was made a wife out of His side. For smitten was His side as He hung, with a lance, and there flowed forth the Sacraments of the Church. / have slept, he saith, troubled. And in another Psalm he manifesteth this thing, in the place where he saith, i" Myself1 have slept; and, sleep I have taken. There He expresseth His power. He might even there have said, 1 have slept: as He hath said here. But what is, / Myself have slept? It is, Because I have willed, I have slept. They have not driven me unwilling unto sleep but of mine own will I have slept, after the saying above quoted, Power I have of laying down My life, and power / have of taking it again. Wherefore there He continueth and saith, i" have slept, and sleep I have taken, and have risen up, because the Lord shall sustain me.

12. J have slept troubled. Whence troubled? Who troubling? Let us see in what manner He brandeth an evil conscience upon the Jews, wishing to excuse themselves of the slaying of the Lord. For to this end, as the Gospel speaketh, to the judge they delivered Him, that they might not themselves seem to have killed Him. For when at that time Pilate the judge had said to them, Take ye Him, a/?dJohni8, after your Law judge Him: they made answer, For us it is31' not lawful to kill any man. To kill is not lawful, is it lawful to deliver to be killed? For which doth slay? He that hath yielded on hearing an outcry, or he that by outcry hath extorted that He should be slain? Let the Lord Himself give testimony by whom He was slain, whether by that Pilate who unwillingly slew Him, whence also he scourged Him, and with garment of shame clothed Him, and when scourged brought Him forth before their eyes, in order that at all events being satiated with the puuishment of His stripes, that He should be slain they should not extort. Therefore also when he saw them persevere, as we read, he washed his hands, and said, Innocent I am of the blood ofM&L27, this Just One. Consider whether he was innocent, that did24, so much as yield to men clamouring; nevertheless, much more guilty they were that by clamour willed to slay Him. But let us question and hear the Lord, to whom He doth ascribe His death, for that He hath said, / have slept troubled. Let us question Him, and say, since Thou hast slept troubled, who have persecuted Thee? who have slain Thee? was it perchance Pilate, who to soldiers gave Thee, on the Tree to be hanged, with nails to be pierced? Hear who they were, (ver. 5.) Sons of men. Of them He speaketh, whom for persecutors He suffered. But how did they slay, that steel bare not? They that sword drew not, that made no assault upon Him to slay; whence slew they? Their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Po not consider the unarmed hands, but the mouth armed: from thence the sword proceeded, wherewith Christ was to be slain: in like manner also as from the mouth of Christ, that wherewith the Jews were to be slain. For He hath sword twice whetted: and rising again He hath smitten them, and hath severed from them those whom He would make His faithful people. They an evil sword, He a good sword: they evil arrows, He good arrows. For He hath Himself also arrows good, words good, whence He pierceth the faithful heart, in order that He may be loved. Therefore of one kind are their arrows, and of another kind their sword. Sons of men, their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sabre. Tongue of sons of men is a sharp sabre, and their teeth arms and arrows. When therefore did smite, save when they clamoured, Crucify, crucify?

13. And what have they done to Thee, O Lord? Let the Prophet here exult! For above, all those verses the Lord was speaking: a Prophet indeed, but in the person of the Lord, because in the Prophet is the Lord. And whenever there speaketh the Prophet in his own person, the Lord Himself speaketh through Him, That to him dictateth the truth which he speaketh. Now therefore in the person of the Prophet, hear ye, my brethren. This Prophet hath in spirit seen the Lord humbled, slain, scourged, with buffets smitten, beaten with palms of hands, with spittle defiled, with thorns crowned, on the tree hanged: them raging, Him bearing; them exulting, Him as if conquered, he hath seen in spirit: and then after all that humiliation, and their fury, Him to have risen again, and all those things which the raging Jews had done to have been made void; and elated with joy, as though he were seeing it come to pass, (ver. 6.) Be exalted, he saith, above the Heavens, O God. Man on the Cross, and above the Heavens, God. Let them continue on the earth raging, Thou in Heaven be judging. Where are they that were raging? where are their teeth, the arms and arrows? Have not " the stripes of them been made the arrows of infants?" For in another place a Psalm this saith, desiring to prove them vainly to have raged, and vainly unto phrensies to have been driven headlong: for nothing they were able to do to Christ when for the time crucified, and afterwards when He was rising again, and in Heaven was sitting: the arrows of infants have the stripes of them been made. How do infants make to themselves arrows? Of reeds1? But what arrows? or what powers? orlcg/|*g^ what bows? or what wound? Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, 0 God, and above all the earth Thy glory. Wherefore exalted above the Heavens, O God? Brethren, God exalted above the Heavens we see not, but we believe: but above all the earth His glory to be not only we believe, but also see. But what kind of madness heretics are afflicted with, I pray you observe. They being cut off from the bond of the Church of Christ, and to a part holding, the whole losing, will not communicate with the whole earth, where is spread abroad the glory of Christ But we Catholics are in all the earth, because with all the world we communicate, wherever the Glory of Christ is spread abroad. For we see that which then was sung, now fulfilled. There hath been exalted above the Heavens our God, and above all the earth the Glory of the Same. O heretical insanity! That which thou seest not thou believest with me, that which thou seest thou deniest: thou believest with me in Christ exalted above the Heavens, a thing which we see not; and deniest His Glory over all the earth, a thing which we see. Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy Glory.

14. He returneth to the words of the Lord: and the Lord Himself beginneth to recount to us, as though speaking to us, the Prophet also exulting and saying, Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy Glory. Himself also strengthened us, as though saying to us, What could they do to Me, that have persecuted Me? But wherefore doth He speak to us? Because they do so to us too. But they do nothing who in like manner may persecute us. For let your Love see the Lord speaking to us, and exhorting us by His example; A trap2 they haveMusdprepared for My feet, and have bowed down My Soul.pulam' They wished to bring It down as if from Heaven, and to the lower places to weigh It down: They have bowed My Soul: they have digged before My face a pit and themselves have fallen into it. Me have they hurt or themselves? Behold He hath been exalted above the Heavens, God, and behold above all the earth the Glory of the Same: the kingdom of Christ we see, where is the kingdom of the Jews I Since therefore they did that which to have done they ought not, there hath been done in their case that which to have suffered they ought: themselves have dug a ditch, and themselves have fallen into it. For their persecuting Christ, to Christ did no hurt, but to themselves did hurt. And do not suppose, brethren, that themselves alone hath this befallen. Every one that prepareth a pit for his brother, it must needs be that himself fall into it. Take heed, my brethren, have Christian eyes, be not deceived with things visible. For perchance to some one of you, because I have said this, there hath come to mind some man that hath chosen to play a cheat upon his brother, and hath chosen to contrive some snares for him, and he hath contrived, and succeeded, and. the brother hath fallen into his snares, and he hath been spoiled, or hath been oppressed, either by prison, or by false witness, or overreached by some wicked accusation: but in this case is seen the one oppressed, the other to have oppressed: the one overcome, the other to have overcome: and a false thing is thought that which we have said, namely, that whosoever shall have prepared a pit for his brother, doth himself fall into it. I call upon you, as being Christians, that ye take an example from things which we have already experienced. Heathens have persecuted Martyrs, and Martyrs have been taken, have been bound, into prison have been thrust, to beasts given over, some with steel smitten, others with fire consumed; have they conquered that were persecuting, and conquered have been the Martyrs? Far be it. Look for the glory of the Martyrs with God, look for the pit of the heathen in a delved conscience: for there is the pit wherein falleth an ungodly man, even an evil conscience. For supposest thou him into no pit to have fallen, who the light of Christ hath lost, and with blindness hath been smitten? If he fell not into a pit, he would see before him: he knoweth not where he goeth, in like manner as when he that walketh in a road hath fallen into a pit, he hath lost the road. Ye see, then, all evil-doers to have lost the way, having been involved in misdeed. But now thee he hath betrayed perchance into the hands of a robber, or into the hands of some unjust man, or of a judge imposed upon by him, and thou art in oppression, he is Tejoicing, he exulting. Do not, I have already said, do not have the eyes of heathens: Christian eyes have thou. Thou seest him that exulteth; that very exultation is the pit of him. For better is the heaviness of one suffering unjust things, than the rejoicing of one doing unjust things. The very rejoicing of one doing unjust things, is that same pit; into it when a man shall have fallen, eyes he loseth. For thyself thou grievest, because thou hast lost a garment; and for him thou grievest not, because he hath lost faith. Which of you with more grievous loss hath been smitten? Behold he slayeth, thou art slain: he liveth, thou art dead. Far be it! Where is the faith of Christians? where is he that dieth for a time? Let him hear his Lord: He that believeth t/»j0lraii, Me, though he die, is living. Therefore, he that believeth25 not, though he live, is dead. They have dug before my face a pit, and themselves have fallen into it. All evil men it must needs be that this befal.

15. But the patience of good men with preparation of heart accepteth the will of God: and glorieth in tribulations, saying that which followeth: (ver. 7.) Prepared is my heart, 0 God, I will sing and play. What hath he done to me? He hath prepared a pit, my heart is prepared. He hath prepared pit to deceive, shall I not prepare heart to suffer? He hath prepared pit to oppress, shall I not prepare heart to endure? Therefore he shall fall into it, but I will sing and play. Hear the heart prepared in an Apostle, because he hath imitated his Lord: We glory, he saith, in tribulations: because tribulation worketh patience: patience probation, probation hope, but hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Which hath been given to us. He was in oppressions, in chains, in prisons, in stripes, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in every wasting11'27' of toils and pains, and he was saying, We glory in tribulations. Whence, but that prepared was his heart? Therefore he was singing and playing. Prepared is my heart, O God, prepared my heart; I will sing and play.

16. Ver. 8. Rise up, my glory. He that had fled from the face of Saul into a cavern, saith, Rise up, my glory glorified be Jesus after His Passion. Rise up, psaltery and harp. He calletb upon what to rise? Two organs I see: but Body of Christ one I see, one flesh hath risen again, and two organs have risen. The one organ then is the psaltery, the other the harp. Organs is the word used for all instruments of musicians. Not only is that called an organ, which is great, and blown into with bellows; but whatsoever is adapted to playing and is corporeal, whereof for an instrument the player maketh use, is said to be an organ. But distinguished from one another are these organs; and I would, as far as the Lord granteth me, point out to you, both in what manner they are distinguished, and wherefore distinguished, and wherefore to both is said, Rise up. Already we have said, one flesh of the Lord hath risen again; and there is said, Rise up psaltery and harp. The psaltery is an organ, which indeed is carried in the hands of one that striketh it, and hath strings stretched, but that place whence the strings receive sound, that hollow wood which hangeth suspended, and when touched resoundeth because it is filled with air, this the psaltery hath in the upper part. But the harp hath this sort of wood hollow and sounding on the lower part Therefore in a psaltery the strings receive their sound from above, but in a harp the strings receive sound from a lower part: this difference there is between psaltery and harp. What therefore do these two organs figure to us? For Christ the Lord our God is waking up His psaltery and His harp; and He saith, / will rise up at the dawn. I suppose that here ye now perceive the Lord rising. We have read thereof in the Gospel: see the hour of the Resurrection. How long through shadows was Christ being sought? He hath shone, be He acknowledged; at the dawn He rose again. But what is psaltery? what is harp? Through His flesh two kinds of deeds the Lord hath wrought, miracles and sufferings: miracles from above have been, sufferings from below have been. But those miracles which He did were divine; but through Body He did them, through flesh He did them. The flesh therefore working things divine, is the psaltery: the flesh suffering things human is the harp. Let the psaltery sound, let the blind be enlightened, let the deaf hear, let the paralytics be braced to strength, the lame walk, the sick rise up, the dead rise again; this is the sound of the Psaltery. Let there sound also the harp, let Him hunger, thirst, sleep, be held, scourged, derided, crucified, buried. When therefore thou seest in that Flesh certain things to have sounded from above, certain things from the lower part, one flesh hath risen again, and in one flesh we acknowledge both psaltery and harp. And these two kinds of things done have fulfilled the Gospel, and it is preached in the nations: for both the miracles and the sufferings of the Lord are preached.

17. Therefore there hath risen psaltery and harp in the dawn, and he confesseth to the Lord; and saith what? (ver. 9.) I will confess to Thee among the peoples, O Lord, and will play to Thee among the nations: (ver. 10.) for magnified even unto the Heavens hath been Thy mercy, and even unto the clouds Thy truth. Heavens above clouds, and clouds below heavens: and nevertheless to this nearest heaven belong clouds. But sometimes clouds rest upon the mountains, even so far in the nearest air are they rolled. But a Heaven above there is, the habitations of Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers. This therefore may perchance seem to be what should have been said; "Magnified even unto the Heavens Tliy truth, and even unto the clouds Tfiy mercy" For in Heaven Angels praise God, seeing the very form of truth, without any darkness of vision, without any admixture of unreality: they see, love, praise, are not wearied. There is truth: but here in our own misery surely there is mercy. For to a miserable one must be rendered mercy. For there is no need of mercy above, where is no miserable one. I have said this because that it seemeth as though it might have been more fittingly said, Magnified even unto the Heavens hath been Thy truth, and even unto the clouds Thy mercy. For 6 clouds' we understand to be preachers of truth, men bearing that flesh in a manner dark, whence God both gleameth in miracles, and thundereth in precepts: and themselves are those clouds of whom speaketh Isaias in the person of the Lord, rebuking a certain vineyard, evil, barren, thorny, J will command My clouds, that they rain not upon it a shower: that is, / will command My Apostles, that they forsake the Jews, and to them preach not the Gospel, but preach the Gospel in the good land of the nations, whence not thorns but grapes come forth. We know therefore the clouds of God to be the preachers of truth, Prophets, Apostles, all men that rightly expound the Word of truth, and have in themselves a light hidden, as clouds have that in them whereby they lighten: men therefore are clouds. What meaneth therefore, O Lord, For magnified even unlo the Heavens hath been Thy mercy, and even unto the clouds Thy truth? Truth is mighty above all among the Angels: but Thou hast given it to men also, and brought it down even to the clouds. Above, mercy the Angels seem not to need: but because to miserable men Thou shewest mercy, and by rendering to them mercy makest them Angels by partaking of the Resurrection, even unto the Heavens is Thy mercy. Glory to our Lord, and to the Mercy of the Same, and to the Truth of the Same, because neither hath He forsaken by mercy to make us blessed through His Grace, nor defrauded us of truth: because first Truth veiled in flesh came to us and healed through His flesh the interior eye of our heart, in order that hereafter face to face we may be able to see It. Giving therefore to Him thanks, let us say with the same Psalm the last verses, which sometime since too I have said, (ver. 11.) Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory. For this to Him the Prophet said so many years before; this now we see; this therefore let us also say.