Psalm 59 (Vulgate 58)

Part 1

1. As the Scripture is wont to set mysteries of the Psalms on the titles, and to deck the brow of a Psalm with the high announcement of a Mystery \ in order that we that are about to 1 go in may know (when as it were upon the door-post we have mentI read what within is doing) either of whom the house is, or who is the owner of that estate: so also in this Psalm there hath been written a title, of a title. For it hath, At the end, corrupt not for David himself unto the inscription of the title. This is that which 1 have spoken of, title of Title. For what the inscription of this title is, which to be he forbiddeth, the Gospel to us doth indicate. For when the Lord was being crucified, a title by Pilate was inscribed and set, King of the Jews, in three tongues, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: which tongues in the whole world mostly do prevail. Therefore, if the King of the Jews was crucified, the Jews their King crucified; by crucifying Him, King of the Gentiles also they made Him, rather than slew Him. And indeed as much as in them lay, they destroyed the Christ, but for themselves, not for us; and He died for us, and with His blood He redeemed us. And now the title is not corrupted: because He is King, not only of the Gentiles, but also of the same Jews. But why? Because they spake against Him, therefore were they able to overthrow the dominion of their King? King He is, and above them. For this King an iron rod doth bear, wherewith He both ruleth and breaketh. 7, He saith, have been set a King by Him over His holy Mount Sion, preaching the precept of the Lord. The Lord hath said to Me, My Son art Thou, to-day I have begotten Thee: ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and for Thy possession the ends of the earth; Thou shall rule them with an iron rod, and as it were a vessel of the potter Thou shalt break them in pieces. Whom shall He rule? whom shall He break in pieces? Shall rule men obeying, shall break in pieces men resisting. Therefore corrupt not is most proper and prophetic; since indeed even those Jews made suggestion at that time to Pilate, and said, Do not write King of the Jews, but write \ that Himself said that He was King of the Jews: for this title, say they, hath established Him King over us. And Pilate, What I have written, I have written. And there was fulfilled, corrupt not.

2. Nor is this the only Psalm which hath an inscription of such sort, that the Title be not corrupted. Several Psalms thus are marked on the face, but however in all the Passion of the Lord is foretold. Therefore here also let us perceive the Lord's Passion, and let there speak to us Christ, Head and Body. So always, or nearly always, let us hear the words of Christ from the Psalm, as that we look not only upon that Head, the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus: Who also after the Divine Nature in the beginning was the Word, God with God, which Word was made Flesh, and dwelled in us, flesh out of the seed of Abraham, out of the seed of David by Mary the Virgin: not therefore of Him alone, Who is our Head, let us think, when we hear Christ speak; but let us think of Christ, Head and whole Body, a sort of entire Man. For to us is said, But ye are the Body of Christ and members, by the Apostle Paul. And of Him is said by the same Apostle, that He is the Head of the Church. If therefore He is Head, we Body; whole Christ is Head and Body. For sometimes thou findest words which do not suit the Head, and unless thou shalt have attached them to the Body, thy understanding will waver: again thou findest words which are proper for the Body, and Christ nevertheless is speaking. In that place we must have no fear lest a man be mistaken: for quickly he proceedeth to adapt to the Head, that which he seeth is not proper for the Body. Himself in a word on the Cross hanging in the person of the Body spake, My God, My God, have regard unto Me, wherefore, hast Tliou forsaken For He had not forsaken Christ, by whom forsaken He had not been: nor m truth did He come to us in such sort as to have forsaken Him; or did He so send Him, as from Him to have departed. But because man was deserted by God, that sinning Adam, who though he was wont to rejoice before the face of God, being terrified by the consciousness of sin, fled from his joy: and God did truly forsake him, because himself left God: since out of this Adam Christ had received flesh, out of the person of the same flesh, this He saith: because then our old man was nailed together with Him to the Cross.

3. Let us hear therefore what followeth: Wlien Saul sent and guarded his house in order that he might kill him. This though not to the Cross of the Lord, yet to the Passion of the Lord doth belong. For Crucified was Christ, and dead, and buried. That sepulchre was therefore as it were the house: to guard which the government of the Jews sent, when guards were set to the sepulchre of Christ. There is66, indeed a story in the Scripture of the Reigns, of the occasion when Saul sent to guard the house in order that he might kill David: but as much as he that hath written the Psalm hath taken thence, so much we ought to examine when of the title of the Psalm we are treating. Did he wish to intimate this only to us, that they sent to the house in order that it might be guarded, and he might be killed? How then, if David figured Christ, to this end was the house guarded that Christ might be killed; since in the Tomb Christ was not laid, until after He had been slain on the Cross? Refer this therefore to the Body of Christ: that to kill Christ was to take away the name of Christ, in order that men might not believe in Christ, provided that the falsehood of the guards might gain credit, who were bribed to say, that while they slept His disciples came and took Him away. This is truly to will to slay Christ, to extinguish the name of His Resurrection, in order that falsehood might be preferred to the Gospel. But in like manner as Saul effected not his purpose of slaying David: so this could not the government of the Jews effect, that the testimony of guards sleeping should avail more than that of Apostles watching. For what were the guards instructed to say? We give to you, they say, as much money as ye please; and say ye, that while ye wrere sleeping there came His disciples, and took Him away. Behold what sort of witnesses of falsehood against truth and the Resurrection of Christ, His enemies, through Saul figured, did produce. Enquire, O unbelief, of sleeping witnesses, let them reply to thee of what was done in the Tomb. Who, if they were sleeping, whence knew it? If watching, wherefore detained they not the thieves? Let him say therefore what followeth.

4. Ver. 1. Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, redeem Thou me. There hath been done this thing in the flesh of Christ, it is being done in us also. For our enemies, to wit the devil and his angels, cease not to rise up upon us every day, and to wish to make sport of our weakness and our frailness, by deceptions, by suggestions, by temptations, and by snares of whatsoever sort to entangle us, while on earth we are still living. But let our voice watch unto God, and cry out in the of Christ, under the Head that is in heaven, v««. Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men up upon me, redeem Thou me. 5. Ver. 2. Deliver me from men working iniquity, and men of bloods, save Thou me. They indeed were men of bloods, who slew the Just One, in Whom no guilt they found: they were men of bloods, because when the foreigner washed his hands, and would have let go Christ, they cried, Crucify,Crucify, they were men of bloods, on whom when Mat.27, there was being charged the crime of the blood of Christ, they made answer, giving it to their posterity to dnnk, Hts Mat.27, blood be upon us and upon our sons. But neither against His Body did men of bloods cease to rise up; for even after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, the Church suffered persecutions, and she indeed first that grew out of the Jewish people, of which also our Apostles were. There at first Stephen was stoned, and received that of which he Act, had his name. For Stephanus doth signify a crown. Lowly stoned but highly crowned. Secondly, among the Gentiles rose up kingdoms of Gentiles, before that in them was fulfilled that which had been foretold, There shall adore Him all the kings of the earth, all nations shall serve Htm: and there roared the fierceness of that kingdom against the witnesses of Christ: there was shed largely and frequently the blood of Martyrs: wherewith when it had been shed, being as it were sown, the field of the Church more productively put forth, and filled the whole world as we now behold. From these therefore, men of bloods, is delivered Christ, not only Head, but also Body. From men of bloods is delivered Christ, both from them that have been, and from them that are, and from them that are to be; there is delivered Christ, both He that hath gone before, and

He that is, and He that is to come. For Christ is the whole Body of Christ; and whatsoever good Christians that now are, and that have been before us, and that after us are to be, are an whole Christ, who is delivered from > men of bloods; nor is this voice void, And from men of bloods 6. Ver. 3. For behold they ham hunted my soul. They Have been able to hold, been able to slay, they have hunted my soul. But where is, Thou \ hast broken asunder my bonds? Where is, The trap is broken, and we are delivered? Where is that wherein we bless God, that hath not given us for a hunting to the teeth of them? They indeed have hunted, but in the hands of men hunting He leaveth not us, That guardeth Israel. For, behold, they have hunted my soul: there have rushed upon me strong men. We must not however pass on from these strong men: diligently we must trace who are the strong men rising up. Strong men, upon whom but upon weak men, upon powerless men, upon men not strong? And praised nevertheless are the weak men, and condemned are the strongmen. If it would be perceived who are strong men, at first the devil himself the Lord hath called a strong man: No one, He saith, is able to go into the house of a strong man, and to carry off his vessels, unless first he shall have bound the strong man. He hath bound therefore the strong man with the chains of His dominion: and his vessels He hath carried off, and His own vessels hath made them. For all unrighteous men were vessels of the devil, that believing have been made vessels of Christ: to whom the Apostle saith, For ye have been sometime darkness, but now fyht in Mie Lord: That maketh known His riches on the vessels of mercy. These men therefore may be understood as strong men. But there are among mankind certain strong men of a blameable and damnable strength, that are confident indeed, but on temporal felicity. That man doth not* seem to you to have been strong, of whom now from the Gospel hath been read: how his estate brought forth abundance of fruits, and he being troubled, hit upon the design of rebuilding, so that, having pulled down his old barns, he should construct new ones more capacious, and, these having been finished, should say to his soul, Thou hast many good things, soul, feast, be merry, be filled. What sort of strong man seest thou? Behold a man that hath not set God for his helper, but hath hoped in the multitude of his riches. See how stroug he is: And he hath prevailed, he saith, in his emptiness.

7. There are also other men strong, not because of riches, not because of the powers of the body, not because of any temporally preeminent power of station, but relying on their righteousness. This sort of strong men must be guarded against, feared, repulsed, not imitated: of men relying, 1 say, not on body, not on means, not on descent, not on honour; for all such things who would not see to be temporal, fleeting, falling, flying? but relying on their own righteousness. Such strength prevented the Jews from going in through the eye of the needle. For while on themselves they rely that24' just men they are, and think themselves to be as it were whole, the medicine they refused, and the Physician Himself they slew. Such strong men therefore, not weak, He came not to call, That said, They that are whole need not a Physician, but they that are sick: I am not come to call12' just men but sinners unto repentance. These were the strong men that reviled the disciples of Christ, because their Master was going in unto sick men, and was feasting with sick men. Wherefore, say they, doth your Master eat with publicans and sinners? O ye strong men, to whom a Physician is not11, needful! This strength to soundness belongeth not, but to insanity. For even than men phrensied nothing can be stronger, more mighty they are than whole men: but by how much greater their powers are, by so much nearer is their death. May God therefore turn away from our imitation these strong men. For we must fear lest a man should desire to imitate these men. But the Teacher of humility, Partaker of our infirmity, giving to partake of His own Divinity, for this purpose coming down, that He might teach the way and become the Way, deigned very much to recommend His own humility to us; and therefore by a servant to be baptized disdained not, in order that He might teach us to confess our sins, and to-be made weak in order that we may be strong; to have rather the Apostle's voice, saying, When I am made weak, then mighty lam. How therefore would he not be strong"? But these men that strong have desired to be, that is, that on their own virtue have desired to rely, as though being just, have stumbled upon the stone of stumbling: and the Lamb hath seemed to them to be a32- kid, and because as if He were a kid they slew Him, by the Lamb to be redeemed they deserved not. The same are

• Perhaps * qnomodo' may be taken then, He chose not to be strong.* therefore the strong men, that assailed Christ, commending their own justice. Hear ye these strong men: when certain men of Jerusalem were speaking, having been sent by them to take Christ, and not daring to take Him; (because when He would, then was He taken, That truly was strong:) Why therefore, say they, could ye not take Him? And they made answer, No one of men did ever so speak as He. And these strong men, Hath by any means any one of the Pharisees believed on Him, or any one of the Scribes, but this people knowing not the Law? They preferred themselves to the sick multitude, that was running to the Physician: whence but because they were themselves strong? and what is worse, by their strength, all the multitude also they brought over unto themselves, and slew the Physician of all. But He also because He was slain, of His blood made medicine for sick men; There have rushed upon Me strong men. To these mighty strong men give heed: and see whether a man should rely on any thing, when not even on righteousness he ought to rely. Now see where they lie that rely on riches, on strength of body, on nobility of family, on rank in the world, if whosoever on justice itself as if his own shall have relied, falleth. There have rushed upon me strong men. Out of these strong men was he that vaunted his powers. Thanks to Thee, he saith, J render, because I am not like the rest of men, unjust, robbers, adulterers, as also this Publican: I fast twice in a week, tithes I give of all things that I possess. Behold, a strong man vaunting his power, but on the other side observe a weak1 one afar off standing, and in humility drawing near. But the Publican, He saith, siooa* afar °ff> ana* not even n™ eyes unio Heaven dared to 3 raise, but smote his breast, saying, God be merciful to we a sinner. Verily 1 say unto you, that Publican went down justified rather than that Pharisee. And observe the justice. For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. There rushed on those strong men, that is, proud men, who knowing not God's righteousness, and their own righteousness wishing to set up, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.

8. Ver. 3. What next? Neither iniquity is mine, nor sin mine, O Lord. There have rushed on indeed strong men on their own righteousness relying, they have rushed on, but sin in me they have not found. For truly those strong men, that is, as it were righteous men, on what account would they be able to persecute Christ, unless it were as if a sinner? But, however, let them look to it how strong they be, in the raging of fever not in the vigour of soundness: let them look to it how strong they be, and how as though just against an unrighteous man they have raged \ But, however, neither iniquity is mine, nor sin mine, O Lord.

Without iniguity I did run, and I was guided. Those strong men therefore could not follow me running: therefore a sinner they have deemed me, because my steps they have

9. Ver. 4. Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see. To God is said, Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see. But why? If He meet not, is He unable to see? It is just as if thou wast walking in a road, and from afar by some one thou couldest not be recognised, thou wouldest call to him and wouldest say, Meet me, and see how I am walking; for when from afar thou espiest me, my steps thou art not able to see. So also unless God were to meet, would He not see how without iniquity he was guided, and how without sin he was running? This interpretation indeed we can also accept, namely, Rise up to meet me, as if t help me.' But that which he hath added, and see, must be understood as, make it to be seen that I run, make it to be seen that I am guided: according to that figure wherein this also hath been said to Abraham, Now I know that thou fearest God. God saith, Now I know: whence, but because I have made thee to know? For unknown to himself every one is before the questioning of temptation: just as of himself Peter in his confidence was ignorant, Mat. and by denying learned what kind of powers he had,35™69* in his very stumbling he perceived that it was falsely he had been confident: he wept, and in weeping he earned profitably to know what he was, and to be what he was not. Therefore Abraham when tried, became known to righteous and raging against one un- is scarcely grammatical, righteous,' (et quam justi contra inihimself: and it was said by God, Now I know9 that is, now I have made thee to know. In like manner as glad is the day because it raaketh men glad; and sad is bitterness because it maketh sad one tasting thereof: so God's seeing is making to see. Rise up, therefore, he saith, to meet me, and see. What is, and see? And help me, that is, in those men, in order that they may see my course, may follow me; let not that seem to them to be crooked which is straight, let not that seem to them to be curved which keepeth the rule of truth: For without iniquity I have run, and was guided: rise up to meet me, and see.

10. Something else I am admonished to say in this place by the loftiness of our Head Himself: for He was made weak even unto death, and He took on Him the weakness of flesh, in order that the chickens of Jerusalem He might gather under His wings, like a hen shewing herself weak with her little ones. For have we not observed this thing in some bird at some time or other, even in those which build nests before our eyes, as the house- sparrows, as swallows, so to speak, our annual guests, as storks, as various sorts of birds, which before our eyes build nests, and hatch eggs, feed chickens, as the very doves which daily we see; and some bird to become weak with her chickens, have we not known, have we not looked upon, have we not seen? In what way doth a hen experience this weakness? Surely a known fact I am speaking pf, which in our sight is daily taking place. How her voice groweth hoarse, how her whole body is made languid? The wings droop, the feathers are loosened, and thou seest around the chickens some sick thing, and this is maternal love which is found as weakness. Why was it therefore, but for this reason, that the Lord willed to be a Hen, saying in the Holy Scripture, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often have I willed to gather thy sons, even as a hen her chickens under her wings, and thou hast not been willing? But He hath gathered all nations, like as a hen her chickens, He That hath been made weak for our sakes, receiving flesh from us, that is, from mankind, crucified, despised, with buffets smitten, scourged, hanged on the Tree, wounded with the spear. Therefore this belongeth to maternal weakness, not to Majesty lost. Whereas therefore such was Christ, and therefore despised, and therefore a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, and therefore many men have stumbled against Him: whereas such therefore He was, and nevertheless flesh without sin had taken upon Him, He was made partaker of our own weakness, not of our own iniquity; in order that even hereby, that with us He shared weakness, He might undo our iniquity. Therefore without iniquity I did run, and I was guided. Why, therefore, is He not to be acknowledged according to His Godhead, and why is that alone in Him to be considered, which for our sakes He was made, and not That whereby He made us? Evidently That also is to be considered: because a great proof of loving-kindness it is to know Who it was that for thee hath suffered, and what. No small one it was, it was not in behalf of thee some great one, but in behalf of thee weak, He the Highest. What? He having been made a little one: He humbled Himself, having been made obedient even unto death. Who? Hear from above: Who when in the form of God He was, thought it no robbery to be equal with God. Therefore being equal with God, His own Self He emptied, taking the form of a servant, after the similitude of men having been made, and in shape having been found as a man: and He emptied Himself in such wise, that He took unto Him that which He was not, not so as to lose what He was. In what manner therefore emptied? Because to thee of such sort He appeared, because to thee the dignity which with the Father He hath, He shewed not, because to thee now He presented weakness, reserved for the purged hereafter brightness. He therefore that is equal to the Father of such sort was made: and nevertheless in the very weakness He must be acknowledged, not by sight, but by faith: iu order that what to see we are not yet able, at least we may believe, and by believing that which we do not see, even to see we may earn. With reason, after that He rose again, He saith to Mary Magdalene, to whom He deigned first to appear: Touch Me not; for not yet I have ascended to the Father. What is this? A little after, the women touched Him. For returning from the tomb, as He met them, they worshipped Him, and held His feet: the disciples also felt His scars. What is therefore, Touch Me not, for not yet have I9' ascended to the Father: but, do not believe Me to be this alone which thou seest, lest here also should abide thy seeing even as thy touching? For humble to thee I seem, not yet I have ascended to the Father. Whence also to you I have come down, and thence I have not departed: not yet thither I have ascended, since you I have not deserted. He came without departing, He ascended without deserting. But what is it that He ascendeth to the Father? When to us He is known as equal with the Father. For we ascend by making progress, so that we may be strong enough to see this, to perceive this, to receive this however it be. For this reason therefore He deferred touching. He put it not away, He repelled not, He refused not. For not yet, He saitb, have I ascended to the Father. i From the highest Heaven is the going forth of Him? saith another Psalm, ' and the meeting of Him even unto the highest of Heaven? The highest of Heaven, that is, the highest in all spiritual things, the Father is: thence the running forth of Him, and the meeting even unto the highest of Heaven. He meeteth even unto the highest, is not said but of one equal. Lastly, when some things unequal we compare, and something short to something long we apply, to see how it is length to length, if unequal we shall have found it, then we are wont to say, It meeteth not; but if equal it be, it meeteth. Therefore the meeting of Him is even unto the highest of Heaven, because equal He is with the Father, as such an One He would have Himself be known to His faithful, Who said, Touch Me not. This thing He would have to be granted by the Father to His faithful, Who was saying, Rise up unto meeting Me, and see: make it known, that with Thee I am equal. And see: what is, And see? Make it to be seen that with Thee I am e,qual. How long doth Philip say to Me, Shew to us the Father, and it is sufficient for us? How long shall 1 say, So long a time am I with you, and the Father know ye not: Philip, he that hath seen Me hath seen also the Father: dost thou not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? And as yet perchance he believed not Him to be equal. Rise up to meet Me, and see. Make Me to be seen, make Thyself to be seen, make known to men Our equality. Let not the Jews think themselves to have crucified a man. Though in Him there was crucified, only so much as of Man there was: nevertheless they knew not-Whom they crucified. For if they had known, the Lord qf^ Glory they never would have crucified. This Lord of glory in order that My faithful ones may know, Rise up to meet me and see.

11. And Thou, Lord God of virtues, God of Israel. Thou God of Israel, that art thought to be but God of one nation, which worshippeth Thee, when all nations worship idols, Thou God of Israel, Give heed unto the visiting all nations. Fulfilled be that prophecy wherein Isaiah in Thy person speaketh to Thy Church, Thy holy City, that barren one of whom many more are the sons of Her forsaken than of her that hath a husband. To Her indeed hath been said, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry out, thou that travailest not: for many more are the sons of Her forsaken than of her that hath a husband; more than of the Jewish nation which hath an Husband, which hath received the Law, more than of that nation which had a visible king. For thy king is hidden, and more sons to thee there are by a hidden Bridegroom. Therefore to Her is said, Many more are the children of thee forsaken than of Her which hath an Husband. Secondly, the Prophet addeth, Enlarge the place of Thy tabernacle, and Thy 1 courts fix thou: there is no oause'han^ for thee to spare, extend further thy cords, and strong stakes setings thou again and again on the right and on the left. Upon the right keep good men, on the left keep evil men, until there come the fan: occupy nevertheless all nations; bidden to^att the marriage be good men and evil men, filled be the marriage with guests; it is the office of servants to bid, of the Lord to sever. Again and again on the right hand and 0^ the left stretch forth. For Thy seed shall inherit the nations; and cities which had been forsaken Thou shalt inhabit: forsaken of God, forsaken of Prophets, forsaken of Apostles, forsaken of the Gospel, full of demons. Cities which had been forsaken Thou shalt inhabit, there is nothing for thee to fear. For Thou shalt prevail; and blush not because abominable Thou hast been. Therefore though there have risen up upon thee strong men, blush not: when against the name of Christ laws were enacted, when iguominy and infamy it was to be a Christian. Blush not because abominable Thou hast been: for confusion for everlasting Thou shalt forget, of the ignominy of Thy widowhood Thou shalt not be mindful. For I am the Lord that make Thee, The Lord is His name: and He that rescueth Thee, the Same, the God of Israel, shall be called the Lord of the whole earth. And Thou, Lord God of Virtues, God of Israel, give heed unto visiting all nations: give heed, I say, unto visiting all nations.

12. Ver. 5. Have not pity upon all men that work iniquity. Here evidently He is terrifying. Whom would He not terrify? What man falling back upon his own conscience would not tremble? Which even if to itself it is conscious of godliness, strange if it be not in some sort conscious of iniquity. For whosoever doeth sin, also doeth iniquity. For if Thou shalt have marked iniquities, O Lord, what man shall abide it? And nevertheless a true saying it is, and not said to no purpose, and neither is nor will it be possible to be void, Have not pity upon all men that work iniquity. But He had pity even upon Paul, who at first as Saul wrought iniquity. For what good thing did he, whence he might deserve of God? Did he not hate His Saints unto death? did he not bear letters from the chief of the priests, to the end that wheresoever he might find Christians, to punishment he should hurry them? When bent upon this, when thither proceeding, breathing and panting slaughter, as the Scripture testified of him, was he not from Heaven with a mighty voice summoned, thrown down, raised up; blinded, lightened; slain, made alive; destroyed, restored? In return for what merit? Let us say nothing; himself rather us hear: / that before have been, he saitb, a blasphemer, and persecutor; and injurious, but mercy I have obtained. Surely Tliou wouldest not have pity upon all wen that work iniquity: this in two ways may be understood: either that in fact not any sins doth God leave unpunished; or that there is a sort of iniquity, on the workers whereof God hath indeed no pity. On these two heads briefly, as much as the time sufficeth for, something we would speak to your Love.

13. All iniquity, be it little or great, punished must needs be, either by man himself repenting, or by God avenging. For even he that repenteth punisheth himself. Therefore, brethren, let us punish ouv own sins, if we seek the mercy of God. God cannot have mercy on all men working iniquity as if pandering to sins, or not rooting out sins. In a word, either thou punishest, or He punisheth. Wilt thou that He punish not? Punish thou. For even that thing thou hast done which unpunished cannot be: but by thyself be it punished rather, in order that thou mayest do that which in the Psalm hath been written, Let us come before1 the face of Him in confession. What is, Let us come before the face of Him? Before that Himself giveth heed to punish, do thou come before Him in confession, aud punish. Let not Him find any thing which He may punish. Because when thou punishest iniquity, thou doest equity. And therefore on thee God shall have pity, because God doth find thee now working equity. What is working equity? Because this thing in thyself thou hatest, which He also hateth: so that thou mayest begin to please God, because that thing in thyself thou punishest which displeaseth God. For it is not possible for sin to be left unpunished: for true is, Have Thou not pity on all men that work iniquity.

14. But let us see now another way in which this sentence may be understood. There is a certain iniquity, on the worker whereof it cannot be that God have mercy. Ye enquire, perchance, what that is? It is the defending of sins. When a man defendeth his sins, great iniquity he worketh: that thing he is defending which God hateth. And see how perversely, how iniquitously. Whatever of good he hath done, to himself he would have it to be ascribed; whatever of evil, to God. For in this manner men defend sins in the person of God, which is a worse sin. What is this? No one there is that would dare to say, good is adultery, good is manslaying, good guile, good falseswearing; no one surely among men. For even they that do these things, make an outcry when they suffer them. By no means therefore canst thou find a soul so perverse, so alien from the society of mankind and from sharing in the common blood of Adam, as that to him appeareth adultery to be a good thing, as I have said, or guile, robbery, false swearing. But how do they defend these things? If God had not willed it, I should not have done this thing. Wilt thou have me do any thing against my fate? Then thou enquirest, what is fate: thou flees t to the stars. Thou inquirest who made and ordered the stars: God it is. Therefore thou defendest thy sin in such sort, that thou layest blame on God. So the guilty is excused, so that the Judge may be charged. However on men working iniquity God hath no pity at all. Have Thou no pity on all men that work iniquity.

15. Ver. 6. Let them be converted at the evening. Of certain men he is speaking that were once workers of iniquity, and once darkness, being converted in the evening. What is, in the evening? Afterward. What is, at the evening? Later. For before, before that they crucified Christ, they ought to have acknowledged their Physician. Wherefore, when He had been crucified — rising again, into Heaven ascending — after that He sent His Holy Spirit, wherewith were fulfilled they that were in one house, and they began to speak with the tongues of all nations, there feared the crucifiers of Christ: they were pricked through with their consciences, counsel of safety from the Apostles they besought, they heard, do penance, and be baptized each one of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be remitted unto you. After the slaying of Christ, after the shedding of the blood of Christ, remitted are your sins. He so willed to die, that with His blood even the shedders of the same blood He redeemed. Ye have shed raging, drink ye confessing. With reason, let them be converted at evening, and suffer hunger as dogs. Dogs the Jews called the Gentiles, as if being unclean. For even the Lord Himself, when after Him there cried a certain woman of Canaan, not of Judaea, unto the healing of her daughter desiring to prevail with His mercy — He foreseeing all things — knowing all things— yet since her faith He willed to shew, deferred the blessing, and kept her in suspense. And how deferred? Iam not, He saith, sent but to the sheep which have been lost of the house of Israel. Israel, sheep: Gentiles, what? It is not good to throw the bread of sons to dogs. The Gentiles therefore dogs He called, because of uncleanness. But what of that wom^n hungering? This moreover she disdained not: humbly she received reproach, and earned a blessing. But this must not be called a reproach, which by the Lord had been said. If a servant say any such thing to his master, a reproach it is. When the Lord saith even any such thing to his servant, it may rather be called a condescension. Even so, she saith, Lord. What is even so? A true thing thou sayest, surely a true thing thou sayest, a dog I am. But even dogs, she saith, eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. And immediately the Lord, 0 woman, great is thy faith. But lately a dog, now a woman. Whence now a woman, she that a little before was a dog? By confessing humbly, by not disdaining that which by the Lord had been spoken. Therefore the nations are dogs, and for this reason they are hungry. It is a good thing for Jews also to acknowledge themselves sinners; and though it be at evening, to be converted; and to suffer hunger like dogs. For in ill sort had he been filled that was saying, I fast twice in a week. But that publican was a dog, suffering hunger; and thence for the blessing of the Lord was hungering he that was saying, * Merciful be TIiou to me, a sinner? Let these be converted, therefore, they also at evening, and suffer hunger as dogs. Let them yearn for the grace of God, perceive themselves to be sinners; let those strong men be made weak, those rich men be made poor, those just men acknowledge themselves sinners, those lions be made dogs. Let them be converted at evening, and suffer hunger as dogs. And they shall go around the city. What city? That world, which in certain places the Scripture calleth ' the city of standing round 1 that is, because in all nations every where the world had encompassed the one nation of Jews, where such words were being spoken, and it was called ' the city of standing round/ Around this city shall go those men, now having become hungry dogs. In what manner shall they go around? By preaching. Saul out of a wolf was made a dog at evening, that is, being late converted by the crumbs of his Lord, in His grace he ran, and went around the city.

16. Ver. 7. Behold, themselves shall speak in their mouth, and a sword is on the lips of them. Here is that sword twice whetted, whereof the Apostle saith, And the sword ofE^h. the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Wherefore twice whetted? Wherefore, but because smiting out of both Testaments? With this sword were slain those whereof it was said to Peter, ' Slay, and eaV And a sword is on the lips of them. For who hath heard? They shall speak in their mouth, Who hath heard? That is, they shall be wroth with men that are slow to believe. They that a little before were even themselves unwilling to believe, do feel disgust from men not believing. And truly, brethren, so it is. Thou seest a man slow before he is made a Christian; thou criest to him daily, hardly he is converted: suppose him to be converted, and then he would have all men to be Christians, and wondereth that not yet they are. It hath chanced out to him at evening to have been converted: but because he hath been made hungering like a dog, he hath also on his lips a sword; he saith, Who hath heard? What is, Who heard? 6 Who hath believed our hearing, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? For who hath heard?' The Jews believe not: they have turned them to the nations, and have preached. The Jews did not believe; and nevertheless through believing Jews the Gospel went around the city, and they said, For who hath heard?

17. Ver. 8. And Thou, Lord, shalt deride them. 6 Who hath heard?9 All nations are to be Christian, and ye say, Who hath heard? What is, ' shalt deride them?* As nothing Thou shalt esteem all nations. Nothing for Thee it shall be; because a most easy thing it will be for all nations to believe in Thee.

18. Ver. 9. My strength to Thee I will keep. For those strong men have fallen for this reason; because their strength to Thee they have not kept: that is, they that upon me have risen up and rushed, on themselves have relied. But I my strength to Thee will keep: because if I withdraw, I fall; if I draw near, stronger 1 am made. For see, brethren, what there is in a human soul. It hath not of itself light, hath not of itself powers: but all that is fair in a soul, is virtue and wisdom: but it neither is wise for itself, nor strong for itself, nor itself is light to itself, nor itself is virtue to itself. There is a certain origin and fountain of virtue, there is a certain root of wisdom, there is a certain, so to speak, if this also must be said, region of unchangeable truth: from this the soul withdrawing is made dark, drawing near is made light. Draw near to Him, and be made light: because by withdrawing ye are made dark. Therefore, my strength, I will keep to Tltee: not from Thee will I withdraw, not on myself will I rely. My strength, to ^ Thee I wiU keep: became, 0 God, my lifter up1 Thou art.1™'**" For where was I, aud where am I? Whence hast Thou taken me up? What iniquities of mine hast Thou remitted? Where was I lying? To what have 1 been raised up? I ought to have remembered these things: because in another Psalm is said, « For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord hath taken me unto Him: My strength, to Thee I will keep: for, O God, my taker up Thou art

19. Ver. 10. My God, the mercy of Him shall come before^" me. Behold what is, My strength, to Thee I will keep: onven myself I will no ways at all rely. For what good thing have I brought, that thou shouldest have mercy on me, and shouldest justify me. What in me hast Thou found, save sins alone? Of Thine there is nothing else but the nature which Thou hast created; the other things are mine own evil things which Thou hast blotted out. I have not first risen up to Thee, but to awake me Thou hast come: for His mercy shall come before me. Before that any thing of good I shall do, His mercy shall come before me. What answer here shall the unhappy Pelagius make?

20. My God hath shewn to me among mine enemies. What saith he? How great mercy He hath put forth concerning me, among mine enemies He hath shewed. Let one gathered compare himself with men forsaken, and one elect with men rejected: let the vessel of mercy compare itself with the vessels of wrath; and let it see how out of one lump God hath made one vessel unto honour, another unto dishonour. What is, hath shewed to me among mine enemies? For so^m. God, willing to shew wrath, and to manifest His power, hath brought in, in much patience, the vessels of wrath, which have been perfected unto perdition. And wherefore this? In order that He might make known His riches upon the vessels of mercy. If therefore vessels of wrath He hath brought in, wherein He might make known His riches upon the vessels of mercy, most rightly hath been said, His mercy shall come before me: My God hath shewed to me among mine enemies: that is, however great mercy He hath had concerning me, to me He hath shewed it among those men, concerning whom He hath not had mercy. For unless the debtor be in suspense, he is less grateful to him by whom the debt hath been forgiven. My God hath shewed to me among mine enemies.

2]. Ver. 1 1. But of the enemies themselves what? Slay them not, lest sometime they forget Thy law. He is making request for his enemies, he is fulfilling the commandment. What is, Do not Thou have mercy upon all men that work iniquity; and, Slay them not, lest sometime they forget Thy law. In what manner hath He not mercy upon all men that work iniquity; and in what manner doth He not slay them? Lest they forget Thy law. But here of His enemies he is speaking. What then? Do His enemies work equity? If any that are enemies to Him work equity, then He doth Himself work iniquity. But because He doth Himself work equity, and moreover He that worketh equity doth in fact suffer iniquity from enemies; it is evident that they that are enemies to a just man, do work iniquity. Whence therefore a little above, Have not Thou mercy upon all men that work iniquity; and now of his enemies, He saith, Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law. 6 Do not Thou,' therefore, * have mercy on them,' that Thou mayest slay their sins. Slay not them of whom the sins Thou slayest. But what is it to be slain? To forget the law of the Lord. It is real death, to go into the pit of sin: this indeed may be also understood of the Jews. Why of the Jews, Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law? Those very enemies of mine, that have slain me, do not Thou slay. Let the nation of the Jews remain: certes conquered it hath been by the Romans, certes effaced is the city of them, Jews are not admitted into their city, and yet Jews there are. For all those provinces by the Romans have been subjugated. Who now can distinguish the nations in the Roman empire the one from the other, in as much as all have become Romans and all are called Romans? The Jews nevertheless remain with a mark; nor in such sort conquered have they been, as that by the conquerors they have been swallowed up. Not without reason is there that Cain, on whom, when he had slain his brother, God set a mark in order that no one should slay him. This is the mark which the Jews have: they hold fast by the remnant of their law, they are circumcised, they keep Sabbaths, they sacrifice the Passover; they eat unleavened bread. These are therefore Jews, they have not been slain, they are necessary to believing nations. Why so? In order that He may shew to us among our enemies His mercy. My God hath shewn to me in mine enemies. He sheweth His mercy to the wild-olive grafted on branches that have been cut off because of pride. Behold where they lie, that were proud, behold where thou hast been grafted, that didst lie: and be not thou proud, lest thou shouldest deserve to be cut off My God, slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law.

22. Ver. 11. Scatter them abroad in Thy virtue. Now this thing hath been done: throughout all nations there have been scattered abroad the Jews, witnesses of their own iniquity and our truth. They have themselves writings, out of which hath been prophesied Christ, and we hold Christ. And if sometime perchance any heathen man shall have doubted, when we have told him the prophecies of Christ, at the clearness whereof he is amazed, and wondering hath supposed that they were written by ourselves, then out of the copies of the Jews we prove, how this thing so long time before had been foretold. See after what sort by means of our enemies we confound other enemies. Scatter them abroad in Thy virtue: take away from them * virtue,' take away from them their strength. And bring them down, my protector, O Lord. (Ver. 12.) The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride: and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations, in the anger of consummation, and they shall not be. Obscure words these are, and I fear lest they be not well instilled. Now ye are tired of hearing: therefore if it please your Love; what remaineth let us defer until to-morrow. The Lord will aid us to pay to you our debt: for on His part we promise rather than from ourselves.

Sermon Ii

1. Yesterday's sermon, though protracted, hath left me a debtor against to-day; accordingly because the Lord hath willed, the time for paying hath come. But in proportion as we are earnest to repay, so ought ye to be covetous to require: that is, in such sort that what He giveth and we render, (for He is Lord, we are servants,) ye should so accept, as that there may be fruit through your hearing from your life. For a cultivated field, rendering no fruit, and ungrateful to the husbandman, instead of fruits bringing forth thorns, requireth not barn but fire. But the Lord our God, as ye see Him visit this earth with wonted rains, in like manner deigneth to visit with His Word our heart, as it were His field; and from our heart requireth fruits, because He knoweth both what there He soweth, and how much rain He giveth. And because in truth without Him we are nothing, because also before we were, we were nothing, and whosoever is now a man, and willeth to be without Him, will be nothing else but a sinful one: and that is true which here hath been said, My strength, to Thee will I keep: since whatever we can do, unless with Him and to Him we keep it, by withdrawing we lose: our mind ought alway to watch not from Him to withdraw, but rather if afar it was, more and more to approach and draw near; not with the step of the feet, not in the conveyance of carriages, not with the speed of animals, not with the lifting up of wings, but with purity of affections, and the integrity of holy morals.

2. Let us see therefore what remaineth of this Psalm. For we had left off at the point, when he had begun to speak of his enemies, saying to God, (ver. 11.) Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Ttty law. Although he had called them his enemies, nevertheless he asked of God that He would not slay them, and that they should not forget His law. To hold the law however, that is, not to forget the law, is not at once perfection, and, as it were, security about recompense, and no anxiety about punishment. For there are they that hold the law in memory, and fulfil it not in life: but they that fulfil it in life, cannot but hold it in memory. Therefore he that in morals doeth the commandments of God, and in a manner by his living taketh pains that that be not wiped out which he holdeth in his heart, and by living calleth to his mind what in his heart hath been written of the law of God, the same doth fruitfully hold the law of God, he shall not be counted an enemy. For, behold, the Jews are enemies, whom this Psalm seemeth to imply; the law of God they hold, and therefore of them hath been said, Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law: in order that the nation of Jews might remain, and by it remaining the number of Christians might increase. Throughout all nations they remain certainly, and Jews they are, nor have they ceased to be what they were: that is, this nation hath not so yielded to Roman institutions, as to have lost the form of Jews; but hath been subjected to the Romans so as that it still retaineth its own laws; which are the laws of God. But what in their case hath been done? Ye tithe mint awtf cummin, and ham forsaken the weightier matters of the23'24' law, mercy, and judgment, straining a gnat, but swallowing a camel. This to them the Lord saith. And in truth so they are; they hold the law, hold the Prophets; read all things, sing all things: the Light of the Prophets therein they see not, which is Christ Jesus. Not only Him now they see not, when He is sitting in Heaven: but not even at that time saw they Him, when among them humble He was walking, and they were made guilty by shedding the blood of the Same; but not all. This even to day we commend to the notice of your Love. Not all: because many of them were turned to Him Whom they slew, and by believing on Him, they obtained pardon even for the shedding of His blood: and they have given an example for men; how they ought not to despair that sin of whatsoever kind would be remitted to them, since even the killing of Christ was remitted to them confessing. Thence therefore hath been said, (ver. 9.) Because, O God, my taker up Thou art, my God, His mercy shall prevent me: that is, before any good deservings of mine, there preventeth me the mercy of the same; and if nothing in me of good He shall have found, He doth Himself make me good, and He doth Himself justify one converted, and doth Himself admonish that one averted should be converted. (Ver. 10.) My God, He saith again, hath shewn to me among mine enemies: that is, how much He loveth me, and how much on me He bestoweth of His goodness, by comparison of mine enemies to me He; because while out of one lump are the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy, through the vessels of wrath the vessels of mercy learn how much of good on them God doth bestow. And secondly, (ver. 11.) Stay not them9 lest sometime they forget Thy law: this hath been said of Jews. But what to them wilt Thou do? Scatter them abroad in Thy virtue. Shew to them, that Thou art strong, not themselves, who, by relying on their own virtue, have not known Thy truth: not such as those strong men are, of whom hath been said, There have rushed upon me strong men: but such as Thou art, strong to scatter them abroad. And bring them down, my protector, O Lord: that is, scatter them abroad, in such sort that Thou forsake them not* lest sometime they forget Thy law: and in that very thing protect me, so that in the scattering abroad of the same, I may have the evidence of Thy mercy.

3. And there followeth, (ver. 12.) The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips. To what is joined, to what is connected this sentence? The transgressions, he saith, of their mouth, the discourse of their lips. The following words are not so connected as to teach us to what is joined this sentence. The transgressions, he saith, of their mouth, the discourse of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride, and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations, in anger of consummation, and they shall not be. This to be obscure even yesterday we had declared, and accordingly we had deferred the exposition for your minds when more fresh. Now then, since not yet fatigued ye are with hearing, lift up your hearts to assist me with attention, lest perchance on account of the seeming obscurity and perplexity thereof, our discourse may not be sufficient to win your attention: and ye ought from yourselves also to contribute something, in order that what we have not filled up by our word, ye may supply by intelligence. Well then, this sentence hath been set in such wise in the middle, that we do not readily see to what it is joined: The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips. Let us go back then to words higher up. Because he had said, Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law, them to wit whom he had called enemies; he added two verses, scatter them abroad in TJiy virtue, and bring them down, my protector, 0 Lord: and immediately he hath introduced, The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips, that is, slay this, not themselves. Therefore, slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law; but there is something in them for Thee to slay, in order that thou mayest fulfil that which above hath been said, Do not Thou have mercy on all men that work iniquity. Scatter them abroad therefore, and lead them down: that is, do not forsake, when Thou scatterest abroad; because in not forsaking thou ha*1 something in them for Thee to do, though themselves Thou slayest not What therefore wilt Thou slay? The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips. What in them wilt Thou slay? The Crucify, Crucify, which they cried out, not them that cried out. For they willed to blot out, cut off, destroy Christ: but Thou, by raising to life Christ, Whom they willed to destroy, dost slay the transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips. For in that He whom they cried out should be destroyed, Hveth, they are taken with dread: and that He whom on earth they despised, in heaven is adored by all nations, they wonder: thus are there slain the transgressions of them, and the discourse of their lips. i. And let them be taken in their pride. What is, let them be taken in their pride? Because to no purpose have strong men rushed on, and it hath fallen out to them as it were to think themselves to have done somewhat, and they have prevailed against the Lord. They were able to crucify a man, weakness might prevail and 1 virtue be slain; and they1 thought themselves somewhat, as it were strong men, as it8treDgth were mighty men, as it were prevailing, as it were a lion prepared for prey, as it were fat bulls, as of them in another place he maketh mention: Fat bulls have beset me. But what have they done in the case of Christ? Not life, but death they have slain. That is, death in Him dying having been effaced, and life rising again from death in Him living — for He did even of Himself raise again Himself to life — because there was in Him even that which could not die, they have done what? Hear what they have done: they pulled down the Temple. But Himself did what? In three days He raised to life again the same. By this means, therefore, were slain the transgressions of their mouth, and the discourse of their lips. And what now hath come to pass in those men that have been converted? And let them be taken in their pride. For it was told to them, that He Whom they slew rose again. They believed Him to have risen again, because they saw that He, being in Heaven, thence sent the Holy Spirit, and filled those that on Him believed; and they found themselves to have condemned nought, and to have done nought. Their doing issued in emptiness, the sin remained. Because therefore the doing was made void, but the sin remained upon the doers; they were taken in their pride, they saw themselves under their iniquity. It remained therefore for them to confess the sin, and for Him to pardon, That had given Himself up to sinners, and to forgive His death, having been slain by men dead, and making alive men dead. They were taken therefore in their pride.

4. And out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations, in anger of consummation, and they shall not be. This too with difficulty is understood, to what is joined the and they shall not be. What shall they not be? Let us therefore examine the context above: when they shall have been taken in their pride, there shall be declared out of cursing and lying consummations. What are consummations? Perfections: for to be consummated, is to be perfected. One thing it is to be consummated, another thing to be consumed. For a thing is consummated which is so finished as that it is perfected: a thing is consumed, which is so finished that it is not. Pride would not suffer a man to be perfected, nothing so much hindereth perfection. For let your Love attend a little to what I am saying; and see an evil very pernicious, very much to be guarded against. What sort of evil do ye think it is? How long could I enlarge upon how much evil there is in pride? The devil on that account alone is to be punished. Certes he is the chief of all sinners: certes he is the tempter to sin: to him is not ascribed adultery, not wine-bibbing, not fornication, not the robbing of others' goods: by pride alone he fell. And since pride's companion is envy, it must needs be that a proud man should envy: because of this vice, which doth necessarily follow pride, having fallen he also envied him that stood, and was at pains to lead man astray, lest he should be exalted to that place whence himself had been cast down. And therefore he earnestly endeavours to allure us to real sins, because we have a Judge of such sort as that before Him he cannot lay to our charge unreal sins. For if before a human judge our cause were to be pleaded, whom he might beguile with false accusations, he would not have to busy much in order to make us to sin: because by beguiling the judge he might both oppress the innocent, and bring over to himself them when overreached by him, and make them to be condemned together with himself; but now because he knoweth of such a Judge as cannot be deceived, and because he knoweth that He is just, and cannot accept persons; he desireth to bring before Him persons so guilty, as that it must needs be that He condemn them, because Just He is. He is therefore at pains to make us sin, of mere envy, which envy must needs accompany pride. Such an evil then is pride, which doth hinder perfection. If therefore a man vaunt himself of riches, vaunt himself of the beauty and of the powers of his body; all these things are but mortal: they are to be laughed at that vaunt themselves of things mortal, by which things ofttimes either while living they are forsaken, or when dead they must needs forsake them: it is a capital sin, when a man hath well advanced, that with pride he is tempted, so as to lose all wherein he made progress. In a word, all vices in evil-doings are to be feared, pride in well-doings is more to be feared. It is no wonder then, that so humble is the Apostle, as to say, When 1 am made weak, then J am strong. For lest he should himself be tempted by this sin, what sort of medicine doth he say was applied to him against swelling by the Physician, who knew what He was healing? Lest by the greatness, he saith, of the revelations I should be exalted, there was given to me a thorn of my flesh, the angel of Satan, to buffet me: wherefore thrice the Lord I besought, thai it should depart from me: and He said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee, far virtue in weakness is made perfect. See what the consummations are. An Apostle, the teacher of Gentiles, father of the faithful through the Gospel, received a thorn of the flesh whereby he might be buffetted. Which of us would dare to say this, unless he had not been ashamed to confess this? For if we shall have said that Paul had not suffered this; while to him as it were honour we give, a liar we make him. But because truthful he is, and truth he hath spoken; it behoveth us to believe that there was given to him an angel of Satan, lest by the greatness of the revelations he should be exalted. Behold how much to be feared is the serpent of pride. What therefore hath been done to those men? In their sin they have been taken, for that they slew Christ, and by the very greatness of the sin they were the more humbled, and in their greater humility they merited to be raised up: this is, Let them be taken in their pride. And out of cursing and lying there shall be declared consummations: that is, for this reason they shall be made the more perfect, because in cursing and lying they have been overtaken. For pride did not allow them to be made perfect; evil-doing took away pride through their confession, pardon effaced evil-doing through the mercy of God, and out of cursing and lying there were declared consummations; that is, it hath been said to man, thou hast seen what thou art, thou hast felt what thou art, thou hast strayed, made blind thou hast been, thou hast sinned and hast fallen, thou hast acknowledged thy weakness, beseech the Physician, do not think thyself whole; where is thy phrenzy? Behold the Physician thou hast slain, Whom by slaying thou couldest not destroy; nevertheless, as much as in thee lay, thou hast slain; Out of curs*nff and tyin9 shall be declared consummations. Ye have done what belonged to cursing, O Jews: for cursed is every one tnat hangetn m a tree ye have crucified Christ, as though accursed ye have deemed Him. Add to cursing: g^rds at the sepulchre ye placed: in order that they might lie, ye gave money. Behold, Christ hath risen again: where is the curse of the Cross which ye have made? where is the lying of the guards whom ye have bribed?

5. Ver. 12. Out of cursing and lying shall be declared (ver. 13.) consummations in the anger of consummation, and they shall not be. What is, in the anger of consummation shall be declared consummations? There is an anger of consummation, and there is an anger of consuming. For every vengeance of God is called anger: sometimes God avengeth, to the end that He may make perfect; sometimes He avengeth, to the end that He may condemn. How doth He avenge, to the end that He may make perfect? £feHeb.l2, scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. How doth He avenge, to the end that He may condemn? When He shall have set ungodly men on the left hand, and shall have said to them, Go ye into fire everlasting that Jiath been preparedM.L25, for the devil and his angels. This is the anger of con-41, suraing, not that of consummation. But there shall be declared consummations in the anger of consummation; it shall be preached by the Apostles, that where sin hathB.om,5, abounded, grace shall much more abound, and the weakness20, of man hath belonged to the healing of humility. Those men thinking of this, and finding out and confessing their iniquities, shall not be. i Shall not be what? In their pride. For above he had said, Let them be taken in their pride, and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations in the anger of consummation, and they shall not be, to wit in their pride, wherein they have been taken.

6. And they shall know how God shall have dominion of Jacob, and of the ends of the earth. For before they thought themselves just men, because the Jewish nation had received the Law, because it had kept the commandments of God: it is proved to them that it hath not kept them, since in the very commandments of God Christ it perceived not, because blindness in part has happened to Israel. Even the Jews themselves see that they ought not to despise the Gentiles, of11'26, whom they deemed as of dogs and sinners. For just as alike they have been found in iniquity, so alike they will attain unto salvation. Not only to Jews, saith the Apostle, but also even to Gentiles. For to this end the Stone which the builders set at nought, hath even been made for the Head of the comer, in order that two in Itself It might join: for a corner doth two walls. The Jews thought themselves exalted and great: of the Gentiles they thought as weak, as sinners, as the servants of demons, as the worshippers of idols, and yet in both was there iniquity. Even the Jews have been proved sinners; because there is none that doeth good, there is not even so much as one: they have laid down their pride, and have not envied the salvation of the Gentiles, because they have known their own and their weakness to be alike: and in the Comer Stone being united, they have together worshipped the Lord. And they shall know that God shall have dominion of Jacob, and of the ends of the earth. Not only of Jews He shall have dominion, but also of the earth: which thing they had not known, if they had continued in their pride; but in their pride they would be, if they still thought themselves righteous: but in order that they should not think themselves righteous, there were ' preached to them out of cursing and lying consummations in anger of consummation because they were taken in their pride, out of the curse which they made when Christ they slew. Behold what our Lord Jesus Christ hath done. He hath died at the hands of the Jews, and hath redeemed the multitude of the Gentiles: here was shed the blood, there it profited; but it hath profited all men that have been converted; because even they have acknowledged Him Whom they slew, and through Him for that very slaying, and for their great sin, they have obtained pardon.

7. What now then of the men themselves? The thing which hath been spoken of above: (ver. 14.) They shall be converted at evening: that is, even if late, that is, after the slaying of our Lord Jesus Christ: They shall be converted at evening: and hereafter they shall suffer hunger as dogs. But as dogs, not as sheep, or calves: as dogs, as Gentiles, as sinners; because they too have known their sin that thought themselves righteous. Of those of whom hath been said in another Psalm, After this they made haste: the same hath been said herein, at evening. For in that place it is thus: Multiplied were the weaknesses of them, after this they made haste, Whence have they made haste after this? Because multiplied were the weaknesses of them: for if still they thought themselves whole, they never would have made haste. The thing which therefore hath been implied in, * multiplied were the weaknesses of them:' the same hath been said here, Let them be taken in their pride, and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations in the anger of consummation. And that which there hath been said in, after this they made haste: the same hath been said here, And they shall not be, in their pride. And they shall know that God shall have dominion of Jacob, and of the ends of the world: and they shall be converted at evening. It is a good thing therefore for a sinner to be humbled; and no one is more incurable than he that thinketh himself whole. And they shall go around the city. Already, to wit yesterday, we have explained city; it is the ' city of standing round all nations.

8. Ver. 15. They shall be scattered abroad in order that they may eat; that is, in order that they may gain others, in order that into their Body they may change believers. But if they shall not be filled, they shall murmur. Because above also he had spoken of the murmur of them, saying, For who hath heard? And Thou, O Lord, he saith, shaltv.7. deride them, saying, Who hath heard? Wherefore? Because, as nothing Thou shalt count all nations. So also here, But if they shall not be filled, they shall murmur.

9. Let the Psalm be concluded. See ye the Corner exulting, now with both walls rejoicing. The Jews were2'20, proud, humbled they have been; Gentiles were despairing, raised up they have been: let them come to the Corner, there let them meet, there run together, there find the kiss of peace; from different parts let them come, but with differing not come, those of Circumcision, these of uucircumcision. Far apart were the walls, but before that to the Corner they came: but in the Corner let them hold themselves, and now let the whole Church from both walls, say what? (ver. 16.) But I will sing of Thy power, and I will exult in the morning of Thy mercy. In the morning when temptations have been overcome, in the morning when the night of this world shall have passed away; in the morning when no longer the lyings in wait of robbers and of the devil and of his angels we dread, in the morning when no longer by the lamp of prophecy we walk, but Himself the Word of God as it were a Sun we contemplate. And I will exult in the morning of Thy mercy. With reason in another Psalm is said, In the morning I will stand by Thee, and I mil meditate. With reason also of the Lord Himself the Resurrection was at dawn, that there should be fulfilled that which hath been said in another Psalm, In the evening shall tarry weeping, and in the morning exultation. For at even the disciples mourned our Lord Jesus Christ as dead, at dawn at Him rising again they exulted. / will exult in the morning of Thy mercy.

10. For Thou hast become my taker up, and my refuge in the day of my tribulation. (Ver. 17.) My Helper, to Thee I will play, because Thou, O God, art my taker up. What was I, unless Thou didst succour? How much despaired of was I, unless Thou didst heal? Where was I lying, unless Thou didst come to me? Certes with a huge wound I was endangered, but that wound of mine did call for an Almighty Physician. To an Almighty Physician nothing is incurable. He taketh not leave of any one: it is needful that thou shouldest wish to be healed, it is needful that from His hands thou flee not. But even if thou wouldest not be healed, He admonisheth of thy wound that thou mayest be healed: and calleth thee back when turned away, and when fleeing as it were compelleth thee, and enticeth thee to return to Himself. In all things He fulfilleth that which hath been said, His mercy shall prevent me. Think of that which hath been said, shall prevent me. If any thing of thine thou hast first brought, and by any good thing of thine hast merited the mercy of God, then He hath not prevented thee. But when dost thou even perceive that prevented thou hast been, except thou perceive that which the Apostle saith, For what hast thou, which thou hast not received. But if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as though thou hast not received? That is, His mercy shall prevent me. Lastly, thinking of all good things whatsoever we may have, either in nature or in purpose, or in conversion itself, in faith, in hope, in charity, in good morals, in justice, in fear of God; all these to be only by His gifts, he hath thus concluded: My God is my mercy. He being filled with the good things of God hath not found what he might call his God, save his mercy. O name, under which no one must despair! My God, he saith, is my mercy. What is, my mercy? If thou say, my salvation, I perceive that He giveth salvation; if thou say, my refuge, I perceive that thou takest refuge in Him; if thou say, my strength, I perceive that He giveth to thee strength: my mercy, is what? All that I am is of Thy mercy. But have I merited of Thee, by calling upon Thee? That I should be, what have I done? That I should be one to call upon Thee, what have I performed? For if I have done any thing that I should be, then I was, before I was. Moreover if nothing I was before I was, no wise I have deserved of Thee, that I should be. Thou hast caused that I should be, and hast Thou not caused that good I should be? Thou hast granted to me to be, and could any one else grant to me that good I should be? If Thou to me hast granted that I should be, and another to me hath granted that good I should be; better is he that to me hath granted that good I should be, than He that to me hath granted that I should be. Moreover because than Thou no one is better, no one than Thou more mighty, no one than Thou in mercy more abundant; from Whom I have received that I should be, from the Same I have received that good I should be. My God is my mercy.