Psalm 70 (Vulgate 69)

. L Thanks to the Corn of wheat, because He willed to die and to be multiplied: thanks to the only Sou of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who disdained not to undergo our death, in order that He might make us worthy of His life. Behold Him that was single until He went hence;

He said in another Psalm, Single lam until I go hence; for He was a single corn of wheat in such sort as that He had in Himself a great fruitfulness of increase; in how many corns imitating the Passion of Him do we exult, when we celebrate the nativities of the Martyrs! Many therefore members of Him, under one Head our Saviour Himself, being bound together in the bond of love and peace, (as ye judge it fit that ye know, for ye have often heard,) are one man: and of the same, as of one man, the voice is ofttimes heard, in the Psalms, and thus oue cri6th as though it were all, because all in one are one. Let us hear then how the Martyrs laboured, and were in peril themselves amid mighty tempests of hatred in this world, not so much for the body, which sometime they were to put off, but for the very Faith; lest they, fainting and perchance yielding to the sharp pains of persecutions, or to the love of this life, should lose that which God had promised: who not only by word but also by example had taken away all fear: by word, saying, Fear not them that kill the body, but the soul are not able to kill; by example, doing that which in word He commanded, so that He would shun neither the hands of them scourging, nor tho buffets of them smiting, nor the spittle of them spitting, nor the crown of thorns of them putting it on Him, nor the Cross of them slaying: none of these things He would shun, Who had no need of them, but for the sake of those to whom this was needful, making of Himself medicine for the sick: and unless He were alway present, Who saith, Behold I am with you1 even unto the end of the world, surely they had?Qxf. fainted.

2. There is then in this Psalm the voice of men troubled, and so indeed of Martyrs amid sufferings iu peril, but relying on their own Head. Let us hear them, and speak with them out of sympathy of heart, though it be uot with similarity of suffering. For they are already crowned, we are still in peril: not that such sort of persecutions do vex us as have vexed them, but worse perchance in the midst of all kinds of so great scandals. For our own times do more abound in that woe, which the Lord cried: Woe to the world because of scandals. And, Because iniquity hath abounded, the of man shall wax cold. For not even that holy Lot at Sodom suffered corporal persecution from any one, or had it been told him that he should not dwell there: the persecution of him were the evil doiugs of the Sodomites. Now then that Christ sitteth in Heaven, now that He is glorified, uow that necks of kings are made subject to His yoke, and their brows placed beneath His sign, now that not any one remaineth to dare openly to trample upon Christians, still, however, we groan amid instruments and singers, still those enemies of.the Martyrs, because with words and steel they have no power, with their own wantonness do persecute them. And O that we were sorrowing for Heathens alone: it would be some sort of comfort, to wait for those that not jet have been signed with the Cross of Christ; when they should be signed, and when, by His authority attached, they should cease to be mad. We see besides men wearing on their brow the sign of Him, at the same time on that same brow wearing the -shamelessness of wantonness, and on the days and celebrations of the Martyrs not exulting but insulting. And amid these things we groan, and this is our persecution, if there is in us the love which saith, Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I burn not? Not any servant of God, then, is without persecution: and that is a true saying which the Apostle saith, But even all men that will to live godly in Christ, shall suffer persecution. See whence, see how, that devil is two-formed. A lion he is in assault, a snake in lying in wait. If as a lion he menace, he is an enemy; if as a snake he lie in wait, he is an enemy. When are we secure? Behold, though all men be made Christians, will the Devil too be a Christian? To tempt therefore he ceaseth not, to lie in wait he ceaseth not. Bridled he is and bound in the hearts of ungodly men, that he may not rage against the Church, and do as much as he would. The teeth of ungodly men gnash at the majesty of the Church and the peace of Christians, and because they have nothing that they can do by raging; by dancing, by blaspheming, by wanton living, they vex not the bodies of Christians, but rend the souls of Christians. Let us cry then all with one voice these words,

Ver. 1. O God, to my aid make speed. For need we have for an everlasting aid in this world. But when have we not? Now however being in tribulation, let us especially say, 0 God, to my aid make speed.

3. Let them be confounded and fear that seek my soul. Christ is speaking: whether Head speak or whether Body speak; He is speaking that hath said, Why persecutest thou He is speaking that hath said. Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of Mine, to Me ye have done it. The voice then of this Man is known to be of the whole man, of Head and of Body: that need not often be mentioned, because it is known. Be they confounded, he saith, and fear that seek my soul. In another Psalm He saith, /p8. was looking unto the right and saw, and there was not one that would know Me: flight hath perished from Me, and there is not one to seek out My soul. There of persecutors He saith, that there was not one to seek out His soul: but here, let them be confounded and fear that seek My soul. He was grieving that He was not sought for imitation: was lamenting that He was sought for oppression. Thou seekest the soul of a just man when thou art thinking how to imitate him: thou art seeking the soul of a j ust man when thou art thinking how to kill him. Because in two ways is sought the soul of a just man, each is expressed in a different Psalm. In the one case He is lamenting that there is not one to seek His soul in order to imitate His passions: but here be they confounded and fear that seek My soul. They seek His soul not in order that they may have two. For they did not so seek His soul as a robber seeketh the coat of a traveller: he killeth to the end that he may strip, that he may have. But he that persecuteth in order to kill doth drive forth the soul, doth not clothe himself. They seek my soul, they will to kill me, what then dost thou desire for them? Let them be confounded and fear. And where is that which thou hast heard from thy Lord, Love ye your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you? Behold thou sufTerest persecution, and cursest them from whom thou sufferest: how dost thou imitate the Passions of thy Lord that have gone before, hanging on the cross and saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. To persons saying such things the Martyr replieth and saith, thou hast set before me the Lord, saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do: understand thou my voice also, in order that it may be thine too: for what have I said concerning mine enemies? Let them be confounded and fear. Already such veugeance hath been taken on the enemies of the Martyrs. That Saul that persecuted Stephen, he was^8c.t89rj confounded and feared. He was breathing out slaughters, was seeting some to drag and slay: a voice having been heard from above Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me, he was confounded and laid low, and he was raised up to obedience, that had been inflamed unto persecuting. This then the Martyrs desire for their enemies, Let them be confounded and fear. For so long as they are not confounded and fear, they must needs defend their actions: glorious they think themselves, because they hold, because they bind, because they scourge, because they kill, because they dance, because they insult, and because of all these doings they be sometime confounded and fearb. For if they be confounded, they will also be converted: because converted they cannot be, unless they shall have been confounded and shall have feared. Let us then wish these things to our enemies, let us wish them without fear. Behold I have said, and let me have said it with you, may all that still dance and sing and insult the Martyrs be confounded and fear: at last within these walls confounded may they beat their breasts!

4. Ver. 2. Let them be turned away backward and blush that think evil things to me. At first there was the assault of them persecuting, now there hath remained the malice of them thinking. In fact, there are in the Church distinct seasons of persecutions following one another0. There was made an assault on the Church when kings were persecuting: and because kings had been foretold as to persecute and as lo believe, when one had been fulfilled the other was to follow. There came to pass also that which was consequent; kings believed, peace was given to the Church, the Church began to be set in the highest place of dignity, even on this earth, even in this life: but there is not wanting the roar of persecutors, they have turned their assaults into thoughts. In these thoughts, as in a bottomless pit, the devil hath been bound, he roareth and breaketh not forth. For it hatb been said concerning these times of the Church, The sinner shall see, and shall be angry. And shall do what? That which he did at first? Drag, bind, smite? He doeth not this. b Oxf. Mas. 'and no more defend in Ben. is probably a mistake for 'seque,' their doings. which jg fonnd Jt 0xford< Qr H ]Sj What then? With his teeth he shall gnash, and shall pine away. And with these men the Martyr is, as it were, angry, and yet for these men the Martyr prayeth. For in like manner as he hath wished well to those men concerning whom he hath said, (ver. 2.) Let them be confounded and fear that seek my soul: so also uow, Let them be turned backward, and blush, that think evil things to me. Wherefore? In order that they may not go before, but follow. For he that censureth the Christian religion, and on his own system willeth to live, willeth as it were to go before Christ, as though He indeed had erred and had been weak and infirm, because He either willed to suffer or could suffer in the hands of the Jews; but that he is a clever man for guarding against all these things; in shunning death, even in basely lying to escape death, and slaying his soul that he may live in body, he thinketh himself a man of singular and prudent measures. He goeth before in censuring Christ, in a manner he outstrippeth Christ: let him believe in Christ, and follow Christ. For that which had been desired but now for persecutors thinking evil things, the same the Lord Himself said to Peter. Now in a certain place Peter willed to go before the Lord. For the Saviour was speaking of His Passion, which if He had not undergone, we should not have been saved,: and Peter that a little before had confessed the Son of God, and in that confession had been called the Rock, whereon the Church was to be builded, a little afterwards as the Lord is speaking of His future Passion, he saith, Far be it, O Lord, merciful be Thou to Thyself, there shall not be done this thing. A little before, Blessed art22' thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to Thee, but My Father which is in Heaven: now in a moment, Go back behind Me. Satan. What is, Go foic&Mat.ic, behind Me? Follow Me. Thou wiliest to go before Me," thou wiliest to give Me counsel, it is better that thou follow My counsel: this is, 6 go back,' go back behind Me. He is silencing one outstripping, in order that he may go backward; and He is calling him Satan, because he willeth to go before the Lord. A little before, blessed, now; Satan. Whence a little before, blessed? Because, to thee, He saith, flesh and blood hath not revealed it, but My Father Which is in Heaven. Whence now, Satan? Because thou savourest not, He saith, the things which are of God, but the things which are of men. Let us then that would duly celebrate the nativities of the Martyrs, long for the imitation of the Martyrs; let us not wish to go before the Martyrs, and think ourselves to be of better understanding than they, because we shun sufferings in behalf of righteousness and faith which they shunned not. Therefore be they that think evil things, and in wantonness feed their hearts, turned backward and blush. Let them hear from the Apostle afterwards saying, But what fruit had ye sometime in those things at which ye now blush?

5. What followeth? (Ver. 3.) Let them be turned away forthwith blushing, that say to me, Well, well. Two are the kinds of persecutors, revilers and flatterers. The tongue of the flatterer doth more persecute than the hand of the slayer: for this also the Scripture hath called a furnace. Truly the Scripture was speaking of persecution, it said, Like gold in a furnace it hath proved them, (speaking of Martyrs being slain,) and as the holocaust's victim it hath received them. Hear how even the tongue of flatterers is of such sort: The Provin9i ne saith, of silver and of gold is fire; but a man is proved by the tongue of men praising him. That is fire, this also is fire: out of both thou oughtest to go forth safe. The censurer hath broken thee, thou hast been broken in the furnace like an earthen vessel. The Word hath moulded thee, and there hath come the trial of tribulation: that which hath been formed, must needs be seasoned; if it hath been well moulded, there hath come the fire to strengthen. Whence He said in the Passion, Dried up like a potsherd hath been My virtue. For Passion and the furnace of tribulation had made Him stronger. Again, if thou be praised by men flattering and paying deference to thee, being like one buying oil, and not taking it with thee, like the five foolish virgins; the furnace of thy breaking will be the mouth of men praising tbee" But if 1 witnout these things we cannot be; we must needs both enter into these things, and go forth from thence: enter into the reviling of evil and wicked men, enter also into some men's paying deference to us as flatterers, but we must go forth from thence. Let us ask it of Him concerning Whom hath been said, The Lord keep thy going in and thy going out; in order that going in whole, so thou raayest go out whole. For the Apostle also saith, Faithful is God, that will nots?'12*' suffer you to be tried above that ye are able. Behold thou hast a < going in,' He hath not said, Be not tried. For he that is not tried is not proved, and he that is not proved, profiteth not. What then hath he wished? Faithful is God, That will not suffer you to be tried above that ye are able. Thou hast heard the going in, hear also the going out. But He shall make with the trial a going out also, so that ye may be able to endure it. Therefore, let them be also turned away forthwith blushing, that say to me, Well, well. For why do they praise me? Let them praise God. For who am I that I should be praised in myself? Or what have I done? What have I which I have not received? " If thou hast received," he saith, " why dost thou boast as if thou hast not received?"7' Let them be turned away, then, forthwith blushing, that say to me, Well, well. With such oil the head of heretics is madeps. fat when they say, It is I it is 1: and it is said to them, It is Thou2, my Lord! They have received the, Well, well; they have followed the, Well, well: have become blind leaders of blind followers. In the plainest words to Donatus are said these words which have been sung3, "Well, well! goodsti. leader! excellent leader!" And he hath not said to them, Be they turned away forthwith and blush, thai say to me, Well, well: and he hath not wished to correct them so that they should say to Christ, Good leader, excellent leader! But the Apostle, dreading the c weir of men, in order that he might be truly praised in Christ, would not have himself to be praised instead of Christ; and when certain said, I am ofi Paul, he replied in the liberty of the Lord, Hath Paul been crucified for you, or in the name of Paul have ye been baptized? Therefore let the Martyrs in the persecutions even of men flattering, say, Let them be turned away forthwith blushing, that say to me, Well, well.

6. And what cometh to pass when they are all turned back and blush, whether it be they that seek my soul, or they that think evil things to me, or they that with perverse and feigned bcnevoleuce with tongue would soften the stroke which they inflict, when they shall have been themselves turned away and confounded; there shall come to pass what? Let them - exult and be joyous in Thee: not in me, not in this man or in that man; but in whom they have been made light that were darkness. (Ver. 4.) Let them exult and be joyous in Thee, all that seek Thee. One thing it is to seek God, another thing to seek man. Let them be joyous that seek Thee. They shall not be joyous then that seek 1 themselves, Thou hast first sought before they sought Thee. Not yet did that slieeP seet tne Shepherd, it had strayed from the flock, and He went down to it; He sought it, and carried back upQn jj.g ghouj^g ^-j] jje deSpise t^ee, 0 sheep, seeking Him, Who hath first sought thee despising Him and not seeking Him? Now then begin thou to seek Him that first hath sought thee, and hath carried thee back on His shoulders. Do thou that which He speaketh of, They that are My sheep hear My voice, and follow Me. If then thou seekest Him that first hath sought thee, and hast become a sheep of His, and thou nearest the voice of thy Shepherd, and folio west Him; see what He sheweth to thee of Himself, what of His Body, in order that as to Himself thou mayest not err, as to the Church thou mayest not err, that no one may say to thee, that is Christ which is not Christ, or that is the Church which is not the Church. For many men have said that Christ had no flesh, and that Christ hath not risen in His Body: do not thou follow the voices of them. Hear thou the voice of Himself the Shepherd, that was clothed with flesh, in order that He might seek lost flesh. He hath risen again, and He saith, Handle ye and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have. He sheweth Himself to thee, the voice of Him follow thou. He sheweth also the Church, that no one may deceive thee by the name of Church. It behoved, He saith, Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and that there should be preached repentance and remission of sins through all nations, beginning with Jerusalem. Thou hast voice of Thy Shepherd, do not thou follow the voice of strangers: and a thief thou shalt not fear, if thou shalt have followed the voice of the Shepherd. But how shalt thou follow? If thou shalt neither have said to any man, as if it were by his own merit, Well, well: nor shalt have heard the same with joy, so that thy head be not made fat with the oil of a sinner. Let all them exult and be joyous in Thee, that seek Jliee; and let them say — let them say what, that exult? Be the Lord alway magnified! Let all them say this, that exult and seek Thee. What? Be the Lord alway magnified; yea, they that love Tfry salvation. Not only, Be the Lord magnified; but also, alway. Behold, thou wast straying, and wast turned away from Him; He hath called thee, Be the Lord magnified. Behold, He hath inspired thee with confession of sins, thou hast confessed, He hath given pardon, be the Lord magnified. Now thou hast begun to live justly: now I think it to be as it were a just thing, that thou also be magnified. For when He called thee straying, the Lord was to be magnified; when to thee confessing He forgave sins, the Lord was to be magnified: but now hearing the words of Him; thou hast begun to advance, thou hast been justified, thou hast arrived at a sort of excellence of virtue; it is a seemly thing that thou also sometime be magnified. Let them say, Be the Lord alway magnified. A sinner thou art, be He magnified in order that He may call; thou confessest, be He magnified in order that He may forgive: now thou livest justly, be He magnified in order that He may direct: thou perseverest even unto the end, be He magnified in order that He may glorify. Be the Lord, then, alway magnified. Let just men say this, let them say this that seek Him. Whosoever saith not this, doth not seek Him. Behold, Be the Lord magnified. Let them exult and be joyous, all that seek Him, and let them say, Be the Lord alway magnified, yea they that love His saving health. For from Him they have salvation, not from themselves. The saving health of the Lord our God, is the Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ: who-soever loveth the Saviour, confesseth himself to have been made whole; whosoever confesseth himself to have been made whole, confesseth himself to have been sick. Let them say then, Be the Lord alway magnified; yea, they that love Thy saving health*, not their own saving health, as if they could save themselves of themselves: not as it were the saving health of a man, as though by him they could be saved. Do not, he saith, confide in princes, and in the sons of men, in whom there is no safety. Why so? Of the Lord \ ™ safety> an& ujpon Thy people is Thy blessing. Therefore, Be the Lord alway magnified: who are saying this? They that love Thy saving health.

7. Behold, Be the Lord magnified: wilt thou never, wilt thou no where? In Him was something, in me nothing: but if in Him is whatsoever I am, be He, not I. But thou then what? (Ver. 5.) But lam needy and poor. He is rich, He abounding, He needing nothing. Behold my light, behold whence I am illumined; for I cry, Thou shalt illumine my candle, OLord; God, Thou shalt illumine my darkness. The Lord doth loose men fettered, the Lord raiseth up men crushed, the Lord maketh wise the blind men, the Lord keepeth the proselytes. What then of thee? But I am needy and poor. I am like an orphan, my soul is like a widow destitute and desolate: help I seek, alway mine infirmity I confess. But I am needy and poor. There have been forgiven me my sins, now 1 have begun to follow the commandments of God: still, however, I am needy and poor. Why still needy and poor? Because 1 see another law in my members fighting against the law of wind' Why needy and poor? Because, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Still I hunger, still I thirst: my fulness hath been put off, not taken away. But I am needy and poor; O God, aid Thou me. Most suitably also Lazarus is said to be interpreted, one aided: that needy and poor man, that was transported into the bosom of Abraham; and beareth the type of the Church, which ought alway to confess that she hath need of aid. This is true, this is godly. J have said to the Lord, My God Thou art. Why? For my goods Thou needest not. He needeth not us, we need Him: therefore He is truly Lord. For thou art not the very true Lord of thy servant: both are men, both needing God. But if thou supposest thy servant to need thee, in order that thou mayest give him bread; thou also needest thy servant, in order that he may aid thy labours. Each one of you doth need the other. Therefore neither of you is truly lord, and neither of you truly servant. Hear thou the true Lord, of Whom thou art the true servant: / have said to the Lord, My God Thou art. Why art Thou? Because my goods Thou needest not? But what of thee? But I am needy and poor. Behold the needy and poor; may God feed, may God alleviate, may God aid: O God, he saith, aid Thou me.

8. My helper and deliverer art Thou; O Lord, delay not. Thou art the helper and deliverer: I need succour, help Thou; entangled I am, deliver Thou. For no one will deliver from entanglings except Thee* There stand round about us the nooses of divers cares, on this side and on that we are torn as it were with thorns and brambles, we walk a narrow way, perchance we have stuck fast in the brambles: let us say to God, Thou art my deliverer. He that shewed us the narrow way, hath taught us to follow it. May this voice continue in us, brethren. However we shall have lived here,14, however we shall have profited here, let no one say, It is sufficient for me, I am a just man. He that shall have so said, hath stopped on the way, he knoweth not how to attain to the end. Where he hath said, It is sufficient, there hath he stuck fast Observe the Apostle, to whom there was no sufficiency; see in what manner he willeth himself to be aided, until he may attain. Brethren, he saith, / count ho* myself to have apprehended: lest they should think them-13' selves to have apprehended, to whom again he saith, He thati thinketh himself to know any thing, not yet knoweth as he8*2' ought to know. What saith he then? Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. Above he had said, Not that now I have received, or now have been made perfect: and in this place he continueth, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. If not yet he hath received, needy and poor he is: if not yet he is perfect, needy and poor he is. Well, he saith, O God, aid Thou me. But he is perceiving something, even something more exalted he is perceiving. See, however, what he saith; But to him that is able to do above all things more abundantly than we ask and perceive. See then, because he hath not yet attained, he hath not yet apprehended. What then saith he? Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but me thing I do, the things which are behind forgetting, unto the things which are before reaching forth, with earnestness I follow unto the prize of the high calling. He then runneth on, thou hast stuck fast He speaketh of himself as not yet perfected, and dost thou already boast of perfection? Be they confounded that say to themselves, Well, well. Be thou also confounded among them, because thou say est to thyself, Well, well. For he that praiseth himself, saith to himself, Well well: he that by others is praised and consenteth, doth not carry oil with him: the lights go out, He will shut the door.

9. This truth then this Psalm hath briefly taught us, dearly beloved, that, by being reminded of the festival of Martyrs, we may perceive how the Martyrs here have suffered corporal tribulation; and we in whatsoever peace we be, must needs suffer spiritual tribulation: and the Church and the ' heap* must needs groan amid offences, and tares, and chaff, until the harvest come, until the fan, until there come the last winnowing, so that the chaff be severed from the grain, until it be stored in the garner. Until which come to pass, let us cry, But I am needy and poor; O God, aid Thou me: my helper art Thou, O Lord, delay not. What is, delay not? Because many men say, it is a long time till Christ comes. What then: because we say, delay not, will He come before He hath determined to come? What meaneth this prayer, delay not? May not Thy coming seem to me to be too long delayed. For to thee it seemeth a long time, to God it seemeth not long, to Whom a thousand years are one day, or the three hours of a watch. But if thou shalt not have had endurance, late for thee it will be: and when to thee it shall be late, thou wilt be diverted from Him, and wilt be like unto those that were wearied in the desert, and hastened to ask of God the pleasant things which He was reserving for them in the Land; and when there were not given on their journey the pleasant things, whereby perchance they would nave heen corrupted, they murmured against God, and went back in heart unto Egypt: to that place whence in body they had been severed, in heart they went back. Do not thou, then, so, do not so: fear the word of the Lord, saying, Remember Lofs tvife. She too being on the way, but now delivered from the Sodomites, looked back; in the place where she looked back, there she remained: she became a statue of salt, in order to season thee. For to thee she hath been given for an example, in order that thou mayest have sense, mayest not stop infatuated on the way. Observe her stopping and pass on: observe her looking back, and do thou be reaching forth unto the things before, as Paul was. Whal is it, not to look back. Of the things behind forgetful.^, he saith. Therefore thou followest, being called to the heavenly reward, whereof hereafter thou wilt glory. For the same Apostle saith, There remaineth for me a crown of* righteousness which in that day the Lord, the just Judge, shall render to me.