Psalm 64 (Vulgate 63)

While keeping to-day the festival of the holy Martyrs' Passion, in the recollection of them let us rejoice, calling to mind what they suffered, and perceiving unto what they looked. For so great tribulations in the flesh they never would have endured, unless they had perceived with the mind a great rest. Over this Psalm, therefore, as beseemeth the aforesaid celebration, let us hastily pass. For yesterday many things your Love heard, and yet not even to-day have we been able to withhold our service from this festivity. Therefore though chiefly the Lord's Passion is noticed in this Psalm, neither could the Martyrs have been strong, unless they had beheld Him, That first suffered; nor such things would they have endured in suffering, as He did, unless they had hoped for such things in the Resurrection as He had shewed of Himself: but your Holiness knoweth that our Head is our Lord Jesus Christ, and that all that cleave unto Him are the members of Him the Head; and ye now have the voice of Him very well known to you, forasmuch as not from Head alone, but also from Body He speaketh, and the voices of Him either signify or foretel not only Himself the Lord Jesus Christ, that hath now ascended into Heaven, but also the members of Him about to follow their own Head: let us acknowledge here not only His voice, but also our own. And let no one say, that now-adays in tribulation of passions we are not. For alway ye have heard this fact, how in those times the whole Church together as it were was smitten against, but now through individuals she is tried. Bound indeed is the deviJ, that he may not do as much as he could, that he may not do as much as he would: nevertheless, he is permitted to tempt as much as is expedient to men advancing. It is not expedient for us to be without temptations: nor should we beseech God that we be not tempted, but that we be not c led into temptation.'

9. Ver. 1. Say we, therefore, ourselves also: Hearken, O13. God, to my prayer, while I am troubled; from fear of the enemy deliver my soul. Enemies have raged against the Martyrs: for what was that voice of Christ's Body praying? For this it was praying, to be delivered from enemies, and that enemies might not have power to slay them. Were they not therefore hearkened to, because they were slain; and hath God forsaken His servants of a contrite heart, and despised men hoping in Him? Far be it. For who AafAEcdus. called upon God, and hath been forsaken; who hath hoped in Him, and hath been deserted by Him? They were hearkened to therefore, and they were slain; and yet from enemies they were delivered. Others being afraid gave consent, and lived, and yet the same by enemies were swallowed up. The slain were delivered, the living were swallowed up. Thence is also that voice of thanksgiving, Perchance alive they would have swallowed us up. Many men were swallowed up, and alive they were swallowed up, many dead were swallowed up. They that thought the Christian faith to be vain, dead were swallowed up: but they who, knowing the preaching of the Gospel to be truth, knowing Christ to be the Son of God; and believing this, and holding this inwardly, nevertheless yielded to the pains, and to idols did sacrifice, alive were swallowed up. Those were swallowed up, because they were dead: but these because they were swallowed up are dead. For being swallowed up they could not live, although alive they were swallowed up. Therefore for this prayeth the voice of the Martyrs, From fear of the enemy deliver Thou my soul: not so that the enemy may not slay me, but that 1 may not fear an enemy slaying. For that to be fulfilled in the Psalm the servant prayeth, which but now in the Gospel the Lord was commanding. What but now was the Lord commanding? Fear not them that kill the body, but the soul are not able to kill; but Him rather fear ye, that hath power to kill both body and soul in the hell of fire. And He repeated, Yea, I say unto you, fear Him. Who are they that kill the body? Enemies. What was the Lord commanding? That they should not be feared. Be prayer offered, therefore, that He may grant what He hath commanded. From fear of the enemy deliver my soul. Deliver me from fear of.the enemy, and make me submit to the fear of Thee. I would not fear him that killeth the body, but I would fear Him that hath power to kill both body and soul in the hell of fire. For not from fear would I be free: but from fear of the enemy being free, under fear of the Lord a servant.

10. Ver. 2. Thou hast protected me from the gathering together of malignants, and from the multitude of men working iniquity. Now upon Himself our Head let us look. Like things many Martyrs have suffered: but nothing doth shine out so brightly as the Head of Martyrs; in Him rather let us behold what they have gone through. Protected he was from the multitude of malignants, God protecting Himself, Son Himself and the Manhood 1 which He was carrying protecting His flesh: because Son of Man He is, and Son of q0(j ge is. gon 0f q0(j because of the form of God, Son of Man because of the form of a servant: having in His power to lay down His life: and to take it again. To Him what couJd enemies do? They killed body, soul they killed not. Observe. Too little therefore it were for the Lord to exhort the Martyrs with word, unless He had enforced it by example. Ye know what a gathering together there was of malignant Jews, and what a multitude there was of men working iniquity. What iniquity? That wherewith they willed to kill the Lord Jesus Christ. So many good works, He saith, I have shewn to you, for which of these willye to kill Me? He endured all their infirm2, He healed all their sick, He preached the Kingdom of Heaven, He held not His peace at their vices, so that these same should have been displeasing to them, rather than the Physician by whom they were being made whole: for all these His remedies being ungrateful, like men delirious in high fever raving at the physician, they devised the plan of destroying Him that had come to heal them; as though therein they would prove whether He were indeed a man, that could die, or were somewhat above men, and would not suffer Himself to die. The word of these same men we perceive the wisdom of Solomon: with death most vile, say they, let us condemn Him; let us question Him, for there will be regard in the discourses of Him; for if truly Son of God He is, let Him deliver Him. Let us see therefore what wag done.

11. Ver. 8. Jbr they have whet like a sword their tongues. 'Sons of men; their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword; which saith another Psalm also; so also here, They have whet like a sword their tongues. Let not the Jews say, we have not killed Christ. For to this end they gave Him to Pilate the judge, in order that they themselves might seem as it were guiltless of His death. For when Pilate had said to them, kill ye Him; they replied, For us it is not lawful to kill any one. The iniquity of their deed upon a human judge they wished to lay: but did they deceive God the Judge? With regard to what Pilate did, in the very fact that he did it, he was somewise an accomplice, but in comparison with them he is himself much less guilty. For he strove as far as he could to deliver Him out of their hands. For to this end he scourged Him, and led Him forth to them. Not in persecution he scourged the Lord, but1, wishing to satisfy their fury, that even so they might at length be appeased, and might cease to wish to kill, when they saw Him scourged. He did this also. But when they persisted, ye know how he washed his hands, and said, that he himself did it not l, that he was pure of the blood of that Man. He did it nevertheless. But if he is guilty because he did it though unwillingly, are they innocent who compelled him to do it? By no means. But he gave sentence against Him, and commanded Him to be crucified: and in a manner himself killed Him; ye also, O ye Jews, killed Him. Whence did ye kill Him? With the sword of the tongue: for ye did whet your tongues. And when did ye smite, except when ye cried out, Crucify, Crucify?

12. But on this account we must not pass over that which21, hath come into mind, lest perchance the reading of the Divine Scriptures should disquiet any one. One Evangelist saith that the Lord was crucified at the sixth hour, and another at the third hour: unless we understand it, we are disquieted. And when the sixth hour was already beginning, Pilate is said to have sat on the judgment-seat: and in reality when the Lord was lifted up upon the tree, it was the sixth hour. But another Evangelist, looking unto the mind "of the Jews, how they wished themselves to seem guiltless of the death of the Lord, by his account proveth them guilty, saying, that the Lord was crucified at the third hour. But considering all the circumstance of the history, how many things might have been done, when before Pilate the Lord was being accused, in order that He might be crucified; we find that it might have been the third hour, when they cried out, Crucify, Crucify. Therefore with more truth they killed at the time when they cried out. The ministers of the magistrate at the sixth hour crucified, the transgressors of the law at the third hour cried out: that which those did with hands at the sixth hour, these did with tongue at the third hour. More guilty are they that with crying out were raging, than they that in obedience were ministering. This is the whole of the Jews' sagacity, this is that which they sought as some great matter. Let us kill and let us not kill: so let us kill, as that we may not ourselves be judged to have killed. They have whetted like a sword their tongues.

13. They have bended the bow, a bitter tiling. The bow he calleth lyings in wait. For he that with sword fighteth hand to hand, openly fighteth: he that shooteth an arrow deceiveth, in order to strike. For the arrow smitetb, before it is foreseen to come to wound. But whom could the lyings in wait of the human heart escape? Would they escape our Lord Jesus Christ, Who had no need that any one should bear witness to Him of man? For Himself knew what was in man, as the Evangelist testified). Nevertheless, let us hear them, and look upon them in their doings as if the Lord knew not what they devise. They have bended the bow, a deadly thing, (ver. 4..) in order that they may shoot in secret One unspotted. The expression he used, they have bended the bow, is the same as, in secret: as if they were deceiving by lyings in wait. For ye know by what artifices they did this, how with money bribed a disciple that clave to Him, in order that He might be betrayed to them, how they procured false witnesses; with what lyings in wait and artifices they wrought, in order that they might shoot in secret one unspotted. Great iniquity! Behold from a secret place there cometh an arrow, which striketh One unspotted, who had not even so much of spot as could be pierced with an arrow. A Lamb indeed He is unspotted, wholly unspotted, alway unspotted; not one from whom spots have been removed, but that hath contracted not any spots. For He hath made many unspotted by forgiving sins, being Himself unspotted by not having sins. That they may shoot in secret One unspotted.

14. Suddenly they shall shoot Him, and shall not fear. O heart hardened, to wish to kill a Man that did raise the dead! Suddenly; that is, insidiously, as if unexpectedly, as if not foreseen. For the Lord was like to one knowing not, being amongmen knowing not what He knew not and what He knew: yea,knowing not that there was nothing that He knew not, and that He knew all things, and to this end had come in order that they might do that which they thought they did by their own power. Suddenly they shall shoot Him, and shall not fear.

15. Ver. 5. They have confirmed to themselves malignant discourse. 'Have confirmed/* there were done so great miracles, they were not moved, they persisted in the design of the evil discourse. He was given up to the judge: trembleth the judge, and they tremble not that to the judge have given Him up: trembleth power, and ferocity trembleth not: he would wash his hands, and they stain their tongues. But wherefore this? They have confirmed to themselves malignant discourse. How many things did Pilate, how many things that they might be restrained! What said he? what did he? But they have confirmed to themselves malignant discourse: " Crucify crucify" The repetition is the con-Urination of the malignant discourse. Let us see in what21, manner they have confirmedto themselves malignant discourse. " Your King shall I crucify F9 They said, " We have no king but Cmar alone? They have confirmed to themselves malignant discourse. He was offering for King the Son of God: to a man they betook themselves: worthy were they to have the one, and not have the Other. Further hear, in what manner they confirmed malignant discourse. u I find not any thing in this Man? saith the judge, " where/ore He is worthy °f^^jj®* death? And they that confirmed malignant discourse, said, " His blood be upon us and upon our sons? They confirmed^-27* to themselves malignant discourse. Confirmed malignant discourse, not to the Lord, but to themselves. For how not to themselves, when they say, Upon us and upon our sons? w}]j[c]1 therefore they confirmed, to themselves they confirmed: because the same voice is elsewhere, They dug before my face a ditch, and fell into it. Death killed not the Lord, but He death: but them iniquity killed, because they would not kill iniquity.

16. Doubtless, brethren, certain it is, that either thou killest iniquity, or art killed of iniquity. But do not seek to kill iniquity as though it were something without thee. To thyself look, see what fighteth with thee, and take heed lest it defeat thee: thy iniquity, thy enemy will not be slain: for it is without thyself, and against thyself thy soul rebelleth, not any other thing. With some part thou adherest to God, with some part thou pleasest thyself in the world. That wherewith thou pleasest thyself in the world fighteth against the mind which adhereth to God. Let it adhere, let it adhere, let it not faint, let it not give way, great help it hath. It conquereth that which in it rebelleth against itself, if it persevereth in fighting. There is sin in thy body, but let it not reign. Let not therefore, he saith, sin reign in your mortal body, to obey the lusts thereof. But if thou shalt not have obeyed; even if there be that which may persuade, that which may allure unto evil, by not obeying thou bringest it about that there reign not that which is, and thus it will come to pass hereafter that there be not that which was. When? When death shall be swallowed up into victory, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, in that case there shall not be that which may fight against thee, there shall not be any other thing which may delight thee but God. Therefore also those Jews hated the Lord, sovereignty did delight them. Certain men saw that by Him sovereignty was being taken away from them, and because of their delight they rebelled against the Lord: whereas, if they had rebelled against their evil delight, the very hatred they would have conquered, and they would not have been conquered by it, and the Lord would have been to them a Saviour, Who had come to make them whole. But now they fostered the fever: they fought against the Physician: whatsoever the fever suggested, they did: whatsoever on the other hand the Physician commanded they neglected. Therefore they rather were killed, not the Lord: for in the Lord death was killed, in them iniquity lived: but because iniquity lived in them, they were dead.

17. Ver. 5. They told, in order that they might hide traps: they said, Who shall see them? They thought they would escape Him, Whom they were killing, that they would escape God. Behold, suppose Christ was a man, like the rest of men, and knew not what was being contrived for Him: doth God also know not? O heart of man! wherefore hast thou said to thyself, Who seeth me? when He seeth That hath made thee? They said, Who shall see them1? God did see, Christ also was seeing: because Christ is also God. But wherefore did they think that He saw not? Hear the words following.

18. Ver. 6. They have searched out iniquity, they have failed, searching searchings: that is, deadly and acute designs. Let Him not be betrayed by us, but by His disciple: let Him not be killed by us, but by the judge: let us do all, and let us seem to have done nothing. And where is the cry of the tongue, Crucify, Crucify? So blind ye are, as deaf also to be. Feigned innocence is not innocence; pretended equity is not equity, but double iniquity; because both iniquity it is and pretence. Therein therefore those men failed searching searchings. By how much the more acutely they seemed to think it out for themselves, so much the more they failed; because from the light of truth and equity into the depths of evil designs they were sunk. Justice hath a certain light of its own, it bedeweth and lighteneth a soul adhering to itself: but a soul turning away itself from the light of justice by how much the more it seeketh what it may find against justice, by so much the more from light it is thrust back, and in darkness it is sunk down. With reason therefore those men also, while searching out what they designed against the Just One, from justice were departing: and by how much the more from justice they were departing, by so much the more they were failing in searching searchings. Deep is their counsel for innocence: when Judas himself repented that he had betrayed Christ, and he threw down before them the money which they had given, they would not cast it into the treasury, and said, Money of blood it is, Mat. let us not cast it into the treasury. What is the treasury? The chest of God into which were gathered those things which were cast for the need of the servants of God. O man, let thy heart be rather the chest of God, where may dwell the riches of God, where may be the coin of God, thy mind, I say, having the image of thy Emperor. If it be so, what a pretence of innocence was that, not to cast into the chest the money of blood; and the blood itself to cast upon the conscience!

19. But what befel them? They failed searching searchings. Whence? Because he saith, Who shall see them? that is, that no one saw 1 them. This they were saying, this among themselves they thought, that no one saw them. See what befalleth an evil soul: it departeth from the light of truth, and because itself seeth not God, it thinketh that itself is not seen by God. So also those men by departing went into darkness, in order that themselves might not see God: and they said, Who seeth us? He also saw whom they were crucifying: they in their failing neither saw that Son nor the Father. If therefore He also saw, why did He suffer Himself to be held by them, to be killed by them? Wherefore, if He saw, willed He that their counsels should prevail against Him? Wherefore? Because man He was for the sake of man, and being God hid in man, that had come to give an example of patience to men knowing not, therefore Himself knowing He endured all things.

20. For what followeth? Ver. 6. There shall draw near a man and a deep heart, and God shall be exalted. They said, Who shall see us? They failed in searching searchings, evil counsels. There drew near a man to those same counsels, He suffered Himself to be held as a man. For He would not have been held except He were man, or have been seen except He were man, or have been smitten except He were man, or have been crucified or have died except He were man. There drew near a man therefore to all those sufferings, which in Him would have been of no avail except He were Man. But if He were not Man, there would not have been deliverance for man. There hath drawn near a Man and a deep heart, that is, a secret heart: presenting before human faces Man, keeping within God: concealing the form of God, wherein He is equal with the Father, and presenting the form of a servant, wherein He is less than the Father. For Himself hath spoken of both: but one thing there is which He saith in the form of God, another thing in the form of a servant. He hath said in the form of God, land the Father are owe He hath said in the form of a servant, For the Father m greater than I. Whence in the form of God saith He, /28. and the Father are one? Because when He was in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Whence in the form of a servant saith He, For the Father is greater than I? Because He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. There drew near therefore a Man, and a2' deep heart, and God was exalted. Slain is the Man, and exalted is God. For His being slain was of human weakness, His rising again and ascending was of power divine. Wiere shall draw near a Man and a deep heart, heart secret, heart hidden: not shewing that which it knew, not shewing what it was. They thinking that it was the whole which was seen, kill a Man in deep heart, and there is exalted God in heart divine: for by the power of His Majesty exalted He was. And whither went He exalted? To that place from whence He withdrew not humbled.

21. There shall draw near a Man and a deep heart, and God shall be exalted. For this reason now attend ye, my brethren, to the deep heart of the Man. Of what Man? Mother Sion, a Man shall say; and Man He was made in Her, and Himself the Most Highest hath founded her. In that very city He was made Man, which He founded Himself, the same Most Highest that in Her was made Man. Therefore there hath drawn near a man and a deep heart. Behold Man in a deep heart: see, as much as thou art able, if thou art able, God also in a deep heart. There drew near a Man: and because God He was, and because He was about to suffer willingly, and because He was about to give an example to the weak, as though God were about to suffer, but in man but m the flesh, there followeth what? (Ver. 7.) Arrows of infants have been made the strokes of them. Where is that savageness? where is that roar of the lion, of the people 'oaring and saying, Crucify, Crucify? Where are the lyings Luke23, m wait of men bending the bow i Have not the strokes of?AnlQ them been made the arrows of infants? Ye know in what manner infants make to themselves arrows of little canes. What do they strike, or whence do they strike? What is the hand, or what the weapon? what are the arms, or what the limbs? Arrows of infants have been made the strokes of them.

22. Ver. 8. And the tongues of them have been made weak upon them. Let them whet now their tongues like a sword, let them confirm to themselves malignant discourse, Deservedly to themselves they have confirmed1 it, because the tongues of them have been made weak upon them. Could this be strong against God? ' Iniquity,' he saith, ' hath lied t° itself:' their tongues have been made weak upon them. Behold, the Lord hath risen, That was killed. They were passing by before the Cross, or were standing and were looking upon Him, as so long before a Psalm had foretold: They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have told all My bones, but themselves have beheld and have looked upon Me. Then the head they wagged, saying, If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross. They made trial in a manner whether He was Son of God; and as it were they found out that He was not, because, on their reviling Him, from the Cross He came not down: if He had come down from the Cross, Son of God He would have been. What thinkest thou of Him Who from the cross came not down, and from the tomb rose again? What therefore did they effect? But even if the Lord had not risen again, what would they have effected, except what the persecutors of the Martyrs have also effected? For the Martyrs have not yet risen again, and nevertheless they have effected nothing; of them not yet rising again we are now celebrating the nativities. Where is the madness of their raging? Arrows of infants have the strokes of them been made, and the tongues of them have been made weak upon them. To what did they bring those their searchings, in which searchings they failed, so that even, when the Lord was dead and buried, they set guards at the tomb? For they said to Pilate, That deceiver; (by this name the Lord Jesus Christ was called, for the comfort of His servants when they are called deceivers;) they say therefore to Pilate, That deceiver said when yet living9 After three days I will rise again: command therefore that the sepulchre be guarded even unto the third day, lest perchance there come His disciples, and steal Him, and say to the people, He hath risen from the dead, and the last error shall be worse*than the former. Pilate saith to them, Ye have a guard, go ye, keep it as ye know how. But they departing made fast the sepulchre, sealing the stone, and setting the guards. They set for guards soldiers at the sepulchre. At the earth quaking, the Lord rose again: such miracles were done about the sepulchre, that even the very soldiers that had come for guards were made witnesses, if they chose to tell the truth: but the same covetousness which had led captive a disciple, the companion of Christ, led captive also the soldier that was guard of the sepulchre. We give you, they say, money; and say ye, while yourselves were sleeping there came His disciples, and took Him away. Truly they failed searching searchings.

What is it that thou hast said, O unhappy guile? Dost thou so far forsake the light of the counsel of godliness, and sinkest into the depths of craftiness, as to say this, Say ye that while yourselves were sleeping, there came His disciples and took Him away? Sleeping witnesses ye adduce: truly thou thyself hast fallen asleep, that in searching such devices hast failed. If they were sleeping, what could they see? if nothing they saw, how are they witnesses? But they failed in searching searchings: failed of the light of God, failed in the very completion of their designs: when that which they willed, nowise they were able to complete, surely they failed. Wherefore this? Because there drew near a Man and a deep heart, and God was exalted. For this reason afterwards when the resurrection of Christ had been made known, and the Holy Spirit came and filled with boldness certain disciples that feared, so that no longer fearing death,4, they dared to preach what they had seen, after God had been exalted in His Majesty, Who for our weakness* sake humble was judged; and when the heavenly trumpets began to sound forth Him to come as Judge, Whom at first they had seen judged, then were troubled all men that saw them. God being exalted, as I have said, Christ being preached, Jews were seen by certain Jews, were seen failing in their searchings. ^or tnose men saw, n tne name of Him that had been crucified and killed by their hands, so great miracles performed: they withdrew in heart from those that continued in ungodliness: the hard-heartedness of the others was displeasing to them, they sought counsel for their own salvation, and they said to the Apostles, * What shall we do f There were troubled, therefore, all men that saw them: that is, they that perceived how their tongues were made weak upon them, they that perceived how in all their evil searchings of designs every where they failed. Those men were troubled.

16. Ver. 9. And every man feared. They that feared not, were not even men. Every man feared; that is, every one using reason to perceive the things which were done. Whence they that feared not, must rather be called cattle, rather beasts savage and cruel. A lion ramping and roaring is that people as yet. But in truth every man feared: that is, they that would believe, that trembled at the judgment to come. And every man feared: and they declared the works of God. He that said, From fear of the enemy deliver my soul, was the every man that feared. From fear of the enemy he was being delivered, but to the fear of God was being made subject. He did not fear those that kill the body, but Him That hath power to cast both body and soul into Hell. They preached the Lord: for at first Peter feared, and feared the enemy, not yet was his soul delivered from the enemy. Having been questioned by the maid because he had been among His disciples, he denied the Lord thrice. The Lord rose again, confirmed the Pillar: now Peter preacheth without fear and with fear; without fear of them that kill the body, with fear

Him that both body and soul hath power of killing in the Hell of fire. Every man feared; and they declared the works of God. For those Apostles declaring the works of God the chief priests brought before them, and threatened them, saying, that in the name of Jesus they should not preach. And they said, " Tell us, whom it behoveth us rather to obey, God or men?" What would they say? men rather than God? Without doubt they would answer nothing but, God rather. But they knew what things God commanded', and they despised the threatening priests. Because therefore every man feared, man terrified not: and they declared the works of God. If man feareth, let not man terrify: for a man ought to fear Him by Whom man was made. That which is above men fear thou, and men shall not terrify thee. Death everlast- ing fear thou, and for that which is present thou wilt not care. That pleasure uncorrupt, and the rest without spot, desire thou: and one promising those gifts temporal, and the whole world, thou wilt deride. Love therefore and fear: love that which God promiseth, fear that which God threateneth: thou wilt neither be corrupted by that which man promiseth, nor wilt be frightened by that which he threateneth. And every man hath feared: and they have declared the works of God9 and His doings they have perceived. What is, His doings they have perceived? Was it, O Lord Jesu Christ, that Thou wast silent, and like a sheep for a victim wast being led, and didst not open before the shearer Thy mouth, and we thought Thee to be set in smiting and in grief, and knowing how toib. bear weakness? Was it that Thou wast hiding Thy beauty, 0 Thou beautiful in form before the sons of men? Was it that Thou didst not seem to have beauty nor grace? Thou didst bear on the Cross men reviling and saying, If Son qfMat.27, God He is, let Him come down from the Cross. What40, servant of Thine and beloved of Thine, perchance knowing Thy power, cried not out and said, O that now He would come down, and all these that revile would be confounded! But it was not so: He must needs have died for the sake of men to die, and must rise again for the sake of men alway to live. This thing they, that would have had Him come down from the Cross, perceived not: but when He rose again, and being glorified ascended into Heaven, they perceived the works of God. They declared the works of Qod9 and His doings they perceived.

17. Ver. 10. The just man shall rejoice in the Lord, Now the just man is not sad. For sad were the disciples at the Lord's being crucified; overcome with sadness, sorrowing they departed, they thought they had lost hope. He rose again, even when appearing to them He found themLuke24, sad. He held the eyes of two men that walked in the way, so that by them he was not known, and He found them groaning and sighing, and He held them until He had expounded the Scriptures, and by the same Scriptures had shewn that so it ought to have been done as it was done. ^or snewe(* m tne Scriptures, how after the third day it behoved the Lord to rise again. And how on the third day would He have risen again, if from the Cross He had come down? Now ye that are sad in the way, if at the Jews reviling ye had seen the Lord come down from the Cross, how much would ye have been elated? Ye would have rejoiced that the mouths of the Jews He had so stopped. Await the design of the Physician: in that He descended^ in that He willeth to be killed, He is compounding an antidote. Behold now He hath risen again, behold now He speaketh, not yet is He known, in order that the more joyfully He may be known. Afterwards He opened the eyes of them iu the breaking of bread: they know Him, rejoice, cry out, The just man shall rejoice in the Lord. It was told one that was more hard-hearted, The Lord hath been seen, the Lord hath risen again. As yet he is sad, he believeth not. Except I shall have put forth, he saith, my hand, and shall have touched the scars of the nails, I will not believe. There is presented even the Body to be touched, he thrusteth the hand, handleth, crieth out, " My Lord and my God? The just man shall rejoice in the Lord. Those just men therefore rejoiced in the Lord, that saw, touched, and believed: what of the just that now are? because they see not, because they touch not, rejoice they not in the Lord? And where is that voice of the Lord to Thomas himself, Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed? Therefore let us all rejoice in the Lord, let us all after the faith be One Just Man, and let us all in one Body hold One Head, and let us rejoice in the Lord, not in ourselves: because our Good is not ourselves to ourselves, but He that hath made us. Himself is our good to make us glad. And let no one rejoice in himself, no one rely on himself, no one despair of himself: let no one rely on any man, whom he ought to bring in to be the partner of his own hope, not the giver of the hope.

18. Ver. 10. The just man shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in Him; and all men shall be praised that are right in heart. Now because the Lord hath risen again, now because He hath ascended into Heaven, now because He hath shewed that there is another life, now because it is evident that His counsels, wherein He lay concealed in deep heart, were not empty, because to this end That Blood was shed to be the price of the redeemed; now because all things are evident, because all things have been preached, because all things have been believed, under the whole of Heaven, the just man shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in Him; and all men shall be praised that are right in heart. Who are the right in heart? Ah! my brethren, we are always saying1, and good it is for you to know, who are the1 right in heart? They that all those things whatsoever in?^e this life they suffer, do ascribe not to any ignorance, but to the counsel of God for their healing; and rely not on their own justice, so as to thiuk that they unjustly suffer what they suffer, or that God is unjust, because he that sinneth more suffereth no more. See, brethren, these things we often speak of. Something thou feelest, either affecting the body, or the expenditure of thy property, or it is some bereavement of those most dear to thee: do not regard those whom thou knowest to be more wicked than thyself, (for perchance thou darest not to call thyself righteous, but thou knowest men worse than thyself,) both how they prosper in those respects, and are not chastised, so that the counsel of God should be displeasing to thee, and thou shouldest say, Grant I am a sinner, and for that reason 1 am chastened, why is he not chastened, in whom very great outrages I know? Whatsoever of evil I have done, have I by any means done so much as he? Perverted is thy heart. How good is the God of Israel, but to men right in heart. But1' thy feet are slipping, because thou art jealous of sinners, beholding the peace of sinners. Allow Him to heal: He knoweth what He doeth, that knoweth the wound. The other is not lanced. What if he is despaired of? what if thou art being lanced, because thou art not despaired of? Suffer therefore whatever thou sufferest, with right heart. God knoweth what to give to thee, what to withhold from thee. Let that which He giveth thee serve for comfort, not for corruption: and let what He withholdeth from thee serve for patience, not for blasphemy. But if thou blasphemest, and God is displeasing to thee, and thou art pleasing to thyself, of perverted and crooked heart thou art: and this is the worse, that the heart of God thou wouldest correct by thy heart, to make Him do what thou wilt have, whereas thou oughtest to do what He willeth. What then? Thou wouldest make crooked the heart of God which alway is right, according to the depravity of thy own heart? How much better to correct thy heart by the rectitude of God? Hath not thy Lord taught thee this, of Whose Passion but now we were speaking? Was He not bearing thy weakness, when He said, Sad is My soul even unto death? Was He not figuring thyself in Himself, when He was saying, Father, if it be possible, let there pass from Me this cup? For the hearts of the Father and of the Son were not two and different: but in the form of a servant He carried thy heart, that He might teach it by His example. Now behold trouble found out as it were another heart of thine, which willed that there should pass away that which was impending: but God would not. God consenteth not to thy heart, do thou consent to the heart of God. Hear the voice of Himself: Yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt, Father.

19. There shall be praised, therefore, all men right in heart. What followeth? If there shall be praised all men right in heart, there shall be condemned the crooked in heart. Two things are set before thee now, choose while there is time. If of right heart thou shalt have been, at the right hand thou wilt be, and thou wilt be praised. In what manner? Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom which for you hath been prepared from the beginning of the world. But if of crooked heart thou shalt have been, if thou shalt have mocked God, if His Providence thou shalt have derided, if thou shalt have said in thy mind, truly God careth not for things human: if He did care for things human, would that robber have so much, and I innocent be in want? of crooked heart thou hast become, there will come that Judgment, there will appear all the reasons on account of which God doeth all these things: and thou, that wouldest not in this life correct thy heart by the rectitude of God, and prepare thyself for the right hand, where there shall be praised all men right in heart, wilt be on the left, where at that time thou shalt hear, Go ye into fire everlasting, that hath been prepared for the devil and his angels. And will there be then time to correct the heart? Now therefore correct, brethren, now correct. Who doth hinder? Psalm is chanted, Gospel is read, Reader crieth, Preacher crieth; long-suffering is the Lord; thousinnest, and Hespareth; still thou sinnest, still He spare th, and still thou addest sin to sin. How long is God long-suffering? Thou wilt find God just also. We terrify because we fear; teach us not to fear, and we terrify no more. But better it is that God teach us to fear, than that any man teach us not to fear. For every man hath feared, and they have declared the works qf God. May God count us among those that have feared and have declared. Because we fear, we declare to you, brethren. We see your eagerness to hear the word, and we see your wishes to 'demand it, we see your yearnings. The soil is well watered with rain, may it bear grain, not thorns: for grain the barn is prepared, fire for thorns. Dost thou know what to do with thy land, and doth not God know what to do with His servant? That which raineth upon a fruitful field is sweet, and that which raineth upon a thorny field is sweet. Doth it find fault with the rain, because it hath borne thorns? Will not that rain be witness in the Judgment of God, and say, sweet I have come upon all? Do thou therefore take heed what thou bringest forth, that thou mayest attend to what is being prepared for thee. Thou bringest forth grain, barn expect thou; bringest forth thorns, fire expect thou. But not yet hath come either the time of the barn or the time of the fire: now let there be preparation, and there will not be fear. In the name of Christ both we who speak are living, and ye to whom we speak are living: for amending our plan, and changing evil life into a good life, is there no place, is there no time? Can it not, if thou wilt, be done to-day? Can it not, if thou wilt, be now done? What must thou buy in order to do it, what specifics* must thou seek? To what Indies must thou sail? What ship prepare? Lo, while I am speaking, change the heart; and there is done what so often and so long while is cried out for, that it be done, and which bringeth forth everlasting punishment if it be not done.

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