Psalm 61 (Vulgate 60)

1. The above Psalm with your Love we have undertaken to consider. Short it is, the Lord will be with us, to enable us to speak sufficiently and briefly upon it. As far as Himself shall have aided that biddeth us to speak, so will I be to the willing subservient, as that I be not to them that are dull, tedious, nor to (so) few, overmuch, nor to the engaged, burdensome. The title of it doth not detain us. For it is Unto the end, in hymns, to David himself. In hymns, to wit in praises. Unto the end, to wit unto Christ. For the end of the law is Christ, for righteousness to every one that believeth. And David himself as no other ought4, we to understand than the same Who came out of the seed of David, so that He might be Man among men, and might make men equal to angels. But the voice in this Psalm (if1' we are among the members of Him, and in the Body, eveu as npon His exhortation we have the boldness to trust) we ought to acknowledge to be our own, not that of any foreigner. Eut I have not so called it our own, as if it were of those only that are now in presence; but our own, as being of us that are throughout the whole world, that are from the East even unto the West. And in order that ye may know it thus to be our voice, He speaketh here as if one Man: but He is not One Man; but even as One, the Unity is speaking. But in Christ we all are one man: because of this One Man the Head is in Heaven, and the members are yet toiling on earth: and because they are toiling see what He saith1.

2. Ver. 1. Hearken, 0 God, to my supplication, give heed to my prayer. Who saith? He, as if One. See whether one: (ver. 1.) From the ends of the earth to Thee I have cried, while my heart was being vexed. Now therefore not one: but for this reason one, because Christ is One, of Whom all we are the members. For what one man crieth from the ends of the earth? There crieth not from the ends of the earth any but that inheritance, of which hath been said to the Son Himself, Demand of Me, and 1 will give to Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and for Thy possession the boundaries of the earth. This therefore Christ's possession, this Christ's inheritance, this Christ's Body, this Christ's one Church, this the Unity which we are, is crying from the ends of the earth. But is crying what? That whereof I have spoken above, Hearken, O God, to my supplication, give heed to my prayer: from the ends of the earth to Thee I have cried. That is, this thing to Thee I have cried: from the ends of the earth, that is, every where.

3. But wherefore have I cried this thing? While my heart was being vexed. He sheweth himself to be throughout all nations in the whole round world, in great glory, but in great tribulation. For our life in this sojourning cannot be without temptation: because our advance is made through our temptation, nor does a man become known to himself unless tempted, nor can he be crowned except he shall have conquered, nor can he conquer except he shall have striven, nor can he strive except he shall have experienced an enemy, and temptations. This Man therefore is being vexed, that from the ends of the earth is crying, but nevertheless He is not forsaken. For ourselves who are His Body He hath willed to prefigure also in that His Body wherein already He hath both died and hath risen again, and into Heaven hath ascended, in order that whither the Head hath gone before, thither the members may be assured that they shall follow. Therefore us He did transfer by a figure into Himself, when He willed to be tempted of Satan. But now there was being read in tho Gospel, how the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness was being tempted of the devil. Christ entirely was tempted of the devil. For in Christ thou wast being tempted, because Christ of thee had for1* Himself flesh, of Himself for thee salvation; of thee for Himself death, of Himself for thee life; of thee for Himself revilings, of Himself for thee honours; therefore of thee for Himself temptation, of Himself for thee victory. If in Him tempted we have been, in Him we overcome the devil. Dost thou observe that Christ was tempted, and dost thou not observe that He conquered? Acknowledge thyself in Him tempted, and in Him acknowledge thyself conquering. He was able from Himself to keep away the devil: but if He were not tempted, to thee that must be tempted the lesson of conquering He had failed to give. Therefore it is no wonder, if that Man being set amid temptations is crying from the ends of the earth. But wherefore is he not being conquered? On the Rock Thou hast exalted me. Now therefore here we perceive who is crying from the ends of the earth. Let us call to mind the Gospel: Upon <//&Mat.i6, Rock I will build My Church. Therefore She crieth from the ends of the earth, whom He hath willed to be builded upon a Rock. But in order that the Church might be builded upon the Rock, who was made the Rock? Hear Paul saying: But the Rock was Christ. On Him therefore builded we have been. For this reason that Rock whereon we have been builded, first hath been smitten with winds, flood, rain, when Christ of the devil was being tempted.24. Behold on what firmness He hath willed to stablish thee. With reason our voice is not in vain, but is hearkened unto: for on great hope we have been set: On the Rock Thou hast exalted me.

4. Ver. 3. Thou hast led me down, because Thou hast been made my hope. If He had not been made our own hope, He would not have led us down. He leadeth down as being a Leader, and on Himself leadeth as being the Way, and to Himself leadeth home as being the Country. He leadeth us down therefore. Wherefore? Because He hath been made our hope. Whence hath been made our hope? Behold, in the same manner as ye have heard that He was tempted, that He suffered, that He rose again, even so He hath been made our hope. For what do we say to ourselves when we read of these things? God indeed will not destroy us for whose sake He hath sent His Sod, to be tempted, to be crucified, to die, to rise again: for truly God doth not despise us, for whose sake His own Son He hath not spared, but for us all hath delivered Him up. Thus therefore He hath been made our hope. In Him thou seest both thy labour and thy reward; labour in His Passion, reward in His resurrection. Thus therefore He hath been made our hope. For we have two lives; but one wherein we are, the other for which we hope. That wherein we are is known to us: that for which we hope is to us unknown. Endure that wherein thou art, and thou shalt have that which not yet thou hast. How dost thou endure? So that thou be not conquered by temptations. By His labours, temptations, sufferings, by His death, Christ hath pointed out to thee the life wherein thou art: by His Resurrection hath pointed out to thee the life wherein thou shalt be. For we had known man be born and die; man rising and living for everlasting we had not known: He took upon Him that which thou knewest, and shewed to thee that which thou knewest not. For this reason therefore He was made our hope in tribulain temptations. See the Apostle saying: Not this alone, but we glory also in tribulations, he saith, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, patience probation, probation hope, but hope confoundeth not: for the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been given to us. Therefore Himself Lath been made our hope That hath given to us the Holy Spirit, and we walk now by hope; for we should not walk, unless we hoped. The Apostle Himself saith what? For thai which a man seeth, why doth he hope for? But if that which we see not we hope for, by patience we wait for it. And again, For by hope we have been saved.

5. Tliou hast led me down, because Thou hast been made my hope: a tower of strength from the face of the enemy. My heart is vexed, saith that Unity from the ends of the earth, and I toil amid temptations and offences: the heathen envy, because they have been conquered; the heretics lie in wait, hidden in the cloak of the Christian name: within in the Church itself the wheat suffereth violence from the chaff: amid all these things when my heart is vexed, I will cry from the ends of the earth. But there forsaketh me not the Same that hath exalted me upon the Rock, in order to lead me down even unto Himself, because even if I labour, while the devil through so many places and times and occasions lieth in wait against me, He is to me a tower of strength, to whom when I shall have fled for refuge, not only I shall escape the weapons of the enemy, but even against him securely I shall myself hurl whatever darts I shall please. For Christ Himself is the tower, Himself for us hath been made a tower from the face of the enemy, who is also the Rock where- on hath been builded the Church. Art thou taking heed that thou be not smitten of the devil? Flee to the Tower; never to that Tower will the devil's darts follow thee: there thou wilt stand protected and fixed. But in what manner shalt thou flee to the Tower? Let not a man, set perchance in temptation, in body seek that Tower, and when he shall not have found it, be wearied, or faint in temptation. Before thee is the Tower: call to mind Christ, and go into the Tower. How dost thou call to mind Christ, in order that thou mayest go into the tower? Whatever thou sufferest, meditate how He first hath suffered, and meditate with what end He suffered, to wit, that He should die and should rise again. For such an end do thou also hope, as in Him hath gone before, and thou hast gone into the Tower by not assenting to the enemy. For if thou shalt have assented to the enemy, then unto thee hath reached the dart of him fighting against thee. Do thou rather against him hurl weapons, wherewith he may be smitten, wherewith he maybe conquered. These weapons are what? The words of God, thy faith, that same hope of thine, good works. I say not, so stay in that Tower as to be idle there, and let it suffice for thee that the enemy's weapons reach thee not: do there something, let not thy hands be at rest: good works of thine are swords that slay the enemy.

6. Ver. 4. A sojourner 1 will be in Thy tabernacle even unto ages. Ye see how he, of whom we have spoken, is he that crieth. Which of us is a sojourner even unto ages? ^or a ^ew s ^ere we ^ve> an(* we Pass away: *°r sojourners here we are, inhabitants in Heaven we shall be. Thou art a sojourner in that place where thou art to hear the voice of the Lord thy God, " Remove." For from that Home everlasting in the Heavens no one will bid thee to remove. Here therefore a sojourner thou art. Whence also is said in another Psalm, A sojourner I am with Thee and a stranger, as all my fathers were. Here therefore sojourners we are; there the Lord shall give to us mansions everlasting: Many are, He saith, the mansions in My Father's house. Those mansions not as though to sojourners He will give, but as though to citizens to abide for everlasting. Here however, brethren, because for no small time the Church was to be on this earth, but because here shall be the Church even unto end of the world1: therefore here He hath said, A dweller I will be in Thy tabernacle even unto agesK Let the enemy rage, as he will, let him fight against me, lyings in wait for me let him make ready, with offences let him beset me, and make my heart to be vexed; A sojourner I will be in Thy tabernacle even unto ages. The Church shall not be conquered, she shall not be rooted up, nor yield to temptations of whatever sort, until there come this world's end, and from this temporal habitation that everlasting one receive us, whereunto He shall lead us home That hath been made our hope. A sojourner I will be in Thy tabernacle even for ages. If for a long time thou art to be a sojourner, (suppose to Him we were saying this,) thou must then toil on earth amid so great temptations: for if a few days were the Church's time here, speedily there would be an end to the tempter's lyings in wait. Well, of a few days thou wouldest choose that the temptations should be: but how would She gather together all Her sons, unless for a long time She were to be here, unless even unto the end She were to be prolonged? Do not envy the rest of mankind that hereafter shall be: do not, because thou hast already passed over, wish cut down the bridge of mercy3: be it here even for ever. And what of temptations, which needs must abound, by how much the more offences come? For Himself saith, because iniquity hath abounded, the love of many shall wax cold. But that Church, which crieth from the ends of the earth, is in these circumstances whereof he speaketh in continuation. But he that shall have persevered even unto the end, the same shall he saved. But whence shalt thou persevere? What are thy powers amid so great offences, amid so great temptatious, amid so great fightings? With what powers dost thou conquer an enemy, whom thou seest not? Canst thou anywise with thine own? Nay, and inasmuch as even unto ages that sojourner shall be here, what hope hath he that he may endure? (Ver. 4.) / shall he covered up in the veiling of Thy wings. Behold the reason why we are in safety amid so great temptations, until there come the end of the world, and ages everlasting receive us; namely, because we are covered up in the veiling of His Wings. There is heat in the world, but there is a great shade under the wings of God. / shall he covered up in the veiling of Thy wings.

7. Ver. 5. For Thou, 0 God, hast hearkened to my prayer. What prayer? That wherewith he beginneth: Hearken, 0 God, to my supplication, give heed unto my prayer: from the ends of the earth to Thee I have cried. This to Thee 1 have cried from the ends of the earth. Therefore I shall be covered up in the veiling of Thy wings, because Thon hast hearkened to my supplication. We are admonished therefore, brethren, not to cease praying, so long as it is the time of temptations. Thou hast given inheritance to men fearing Thy name. Let us continue therefore in the fear of God's name: the eternal Father deceiveth us not. Sons labour, that they may receive the inheritance of their parents, to whom when dead they are to succeed: are we not labour- ing to receive an inheritance from that Father, to whom not dying we succeed; but together with Him in the very inheritance for everlasting are to live? Thou hast given inheritance to men fearing Tliy name.

8. Ver. 6. Days upon days of the King Thou shalt add to the years of Him. This is therefore the King of whom we are the members. A King Christ is, our Head, our King. Thou hast given to Him days upon days; not only those days in that time that hath end, but days upon those days without end. / will -dwell, he saith, in the house of the Lord, for length of days. Wherefore for length of days, but because now is the shortness of days? For every thing which hath an end, is short: but of this King are days upon days, so that not only while these days pass away, Christ reigneth in His Church, but the Saints shall reign together with Him in those days which have no end. There one day there is, and many days there are. Inasmuch as there are many days, I have said just now, For length of days: inasmuch as there is one day, thus is understood, My Son Thou arty I this day have begotten Tliee. Of one day He hath spoken as this day: but that day is not set in the middle between yesterday and to-morrow, nor is the beginning thereof the end of yesterday, nor the end thereof the beginning of to-morrow. For years of God have been also spoken of: But Thou art the very Same*, and Thy years shall not fail. In the same manner as years, so days, so one day. Whatsoever thou wilt thou sayest of eternity. Whatever thou wilt thou sayest for this reason, because whatever thou shalt have said, it is too little that thou hast said. For thou must needs say somewhat, to the end that there may be something whereby thou may est meditate on that which cannot be told. Days upon days of the King Thou shalt add to the years of Him, even unto the day of generation and of generation. Of this generation and of the generation that shall be: of this generation which is compared to the moon, because as the moon is new, waxeth, is full, waneth, and vanisheth, so are these mortal generations; and of the generation wherein we are born anew by rising again, and shall abide for everlasting with God, when now no longer we are like the moon, but like that of which saith the Lord, Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. For the moon by a figure in the Scriptures is put for the mutability of this mortal state. Thereto Jericho was he going down that fell among robbers: because the city Jericho is a Hebrew name, and is interpreted in Latin by moon. He was going down therefore as though from immortality to mortality; and fittingly in the journey was he wounded by robbers and left half dead, even that Adam out of whom is the whole human race. Therefore days upon days of the King Thou shalt add to the years of Him, even unto the day of generation, of generation mortal I take it: of what other generation hath he made mention? Hear, of what.

9. Ver. 7. He shall abide for everlasting in the sight of God; according to what, or because of what? His mercy and truth who shall seek for Him? He saith also in auother place, All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, men seeking His testament and His testimonies. Large is the discourse of truth and mercy, but shortness we have promised. Briefly hear ye what is truth and mercy: because no small thing is that which hath been said, All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth. Mercy is spoken of, because our merits God regarded not, but His own goodness, in order that He might forgive us all our sins, and might promise life everlasting: but truth is spoken of, because He faileth not to render those things which He hath promised. Let us acknowledge it here, and let us do it; so that, just as to us God hath shewn forth His mercy and His truth, mercy in forgiving our sins, truth in shewing forth His promises; so also, I say, let us execute mercy and truth, mercy concerning the weak, concerning the needy, concerning even our enemies; truth in not sinning, and in not adding sin upon sin. For he that counteth much on the mercy of God, hath suffered to steal into his mind the making God unjust, and the thinking that if he shall have continued a sinner, and shall have chosen not to depart from his iniquities, He will come, and will set him in that place, where He setteth His servants that to Him are obedient. And will it be just, that He should set thee, continuing in sins, in that place where He is to set them that have departed from sius? Wilt thou be unjust in such sort as to make God also unjust? Why wilt thou then turn God unto thy will? Do thou be turned unto the will of God. Who is therefore he that doeth this, save one out of those few, of whom is said, He that shall have continued unto the end, the same shall be saved? With reason here also His mercy and truth who shall seek for Him? Why is there 6 for Him T Who shall seek, would be sufficient. Why hath he added, for Him, but because many men seek to learn His mercy and truth in His books? And when theysjcor.s, nave learned, for themselves they live, not for Him; their own things they seek, not the things which are of Jesus ^"s*- s they preach mercy and truth, and do not mercy and truth. But by preaching it, they know it: for they would not preach it, unless they knew it. But he that loveth God and Christ, in preaching the mercy and truth of the Same, doth himself seek her for Him, not for himself: that is, not in order that himself may have by this preaching temporal advantages, but in order that he may do good to His members, that is, His faithful ones, by ministering with truth of that which he: in order that he that liveth no longer for himself may live, but for Him that for all men hath died. His mercy and truth who will seek for Him?

10. Ver. 8. So I will play music to Thy name, that J may render my vows from day unto day. If thou play est music to the name of God, play not for a time. Wilt thou for ever play? wilt thou for everlasting play? Render to Him thy vows from day unto day. What is, render to Him thy vows from day unto day? From this day unto that day. Continue to render vows in this day, until thou come to that day: that is, He that shall have continued even unto the end, the same shall be saved.