Psalm 76 (Vulgate 75)

1. The enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, known unto all men, the Jews, are wont to glory in this Psalm which we have sung, saying, Known in Judaea is God, in Israel great is the name of Him: and to revile the Gentiles to whom God is not known, and to say that to themselves alone God is known; seeing that the Prophet saith, Known in Judaea is God: in other places therefore He is unknown. But God is known in very deed in Judaea, if they understand what is Judaea. For indeed God is not known'except^in Judaea. Behold even we say this, that except a^person shall have been in Judaea, known to him God cannot be. But what saith the Apostle? He that in secret is a Jew,|he that is so in circumcision of the heart, not in letter but in spirit.29. There are therefore Jews in circumcision of the flesh, and there are Jews in circumcision of the heart. Many of our holy fathers had both the circumcision of the flesh, for a seal of the faith, and circumcision of the heart, for the faith itself. From these fathers these men degenerating, who now in the name do glory, and have lost their deeds; from these I say, degenerating, they have remained in flesh Jews, in heart Heathens. For these are Jews, who are out of Abraham, from whom Isaac was bom, and out of him Jacob, and out of Jacob the twelve Patriarchs, and out of the twelve Patriarchs the whole people of the Jews. But they Were generally called Jews for this reason, that Judas was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, a Patriarch among the twelve, and from his stock the Royalty came among the Jews. For all this people after the number of the twelve sons of Jacob, had twelve tribes. What we call tribes are as it were distinct houses and congregations of people. That people, I say, had twelve tribes, out of which twelve tribes one tribe was Judah, out of which were the kings; and there was another tribe, Levi, out of which were the priests. But because to the priests serving the temple no land was allotted, but it was necessary that among twelve tribes all the Land of promise should be shared: there having been therefore taken out one tribe of higher dignity, the tribe of Levi, which was of the priests, there would have remained eleven, unless by the adoption of the two sons of Joseph the number twelve were completed.

What this is, observe. One of the twelve sons of Jacob was Joseph. It is that Joseph whom his brethren sold into Egypt, and who there on account of his chastity was raised to an exalted station, and God was with him in all his work; and he received his brethren, by whom he had been sold, and his father, weighed down with famine and for the sake of bread going down into Egypt. This Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasse. Jacob, dying, as though by will, received those his grandsons into the number of sons, and to his son Joseph, The rest that are born shall be to thee; but these to me, and they shall divide the land with their brethren. As yet there had not been given nor divided the land of promise, but he was speaking in the Spirit prophesying. The two sons therefore of Joseph being added, there were made up nevertheless twelve tribes, since now there are thirteen. For instead of one tribe of Joseph, two were added, and there were made thirteen. There being taken out then the tribe of Levi, that tribe of priests which

The Jews forfeited their name in renouncing their King. 3 did serve the Temple, and lived by the tithes of all the rest unto whom the land was divided, there remain twelve. In these twelve was the tribe of Juda, whence the kings were. For at first from another tribe was given King Saul, and he was rejected as being an evil king; after there was given9'1, from the tribe of Judah King David, and out of him from the tribe of Judah were the Kings. But Jacob had spoken of this, when he blessed his sons, there shall not fail a prince out of Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there come™' He to Whom the promise hath been made. But from the tribe of Judah there came Our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is, as the Scripture saith, and as ye have but now heard, out of the seed of David born of Mary. But as regardeth the2'8' Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein He is equal with the Father, He is not only before the Jews, but also before Abraham himself j nor only before Abraham, but also before Adam; nor only before Adam, but also before Heaven and earth and before ages: for all things by Himself were made, and without^0111 Him there was made nothing. Because therefore in prophecy hath been said, there shall not fail a prince out of Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there come He for Whom the promise hath been made: former times are examined, and we find that the Jews always had their kings of the tribe of Judah, and had no foreign king before that Herod who was king when the Lord was born. Thence began foreign kings, from Herod. Before Herod all were of the tribe of Judah, but only until there should come He to Whom the promise had been made. Therefore when the Lord Himself came, the kingdom of the Jews was overthrown, and removed from the Jews. Now they have no king; because they will not acknowledge the true King. See now whether they must be called Jews. Now ye do see that they must not be called Jews. They have themselves with their own voice resigned that name, so that they are not worthy to be called Jews, except only in the flesh. When did they sever themselves from that name? They said — (they were raging against Christ, that is, the race of Judah was raging against the seed of David. And Pilate saith to them, Your King shall I crucify?) — they said, I say, We have no king15' but Ctesar. O ye who are called Jews and are not, if ye have no king but Caesar, there hath failed a Prince of Judah: there hath come then He to Whom the promise hath been made. They then are more truly Jews, who have been made Christians out of Jews: the rest of the Jews, who in Christ have not believed, have deserved to lose even the very name. The true Judaea, then, is the Church of Christ, believing in that King, Who hath come out of the tribe of Judah through the Virgin Mary; believing in Him of Whom the Apostle was just now speaking, in writing to Timothy, Be thou mindful that Jesus Christ hath risen from the dead, of the seed of David, after my Gospel. For of Judah is David, and out of David is the Lord Jesus Christ. We believing in Christ do belong to Judah: and we acknowledge Christ. We, that with eyes have not seen, in faith do keep Him. Let not therefore the Jews revile, who are no longer Jews. They themselves, We have no king hut Casar. For better were it for them that their king should be Christ, of the seed of David, of the tribe of Judah. Nevertheless because Christ Himself is of the seed of David after the flesh, but God above all things blessed for ever, He is Himself our King and our God; our King, inasmuch as born of the tribe of Judah, after the flesh, was Christ the Lord, the Saviour; but our God, Who is before Judah, and before Heaven and earth, by Whom were made all things, both spiritual and corporal. For if all things by Himself were made; even Mary herself, out of whom He was born, by Himself was made. How then could He have been bom like the rest of mankind, who made unto Himself a mother out of whom He might be born? Therefore He is Himself the Lord: the Apostle saying, when he was speaking of the Jews, of whom are the fathers, and out of whom is Christ after the flesh; Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Because then the Jews saw Christ and crucified Him, they saw not God: but the Gentiles because they saw not and believed, have perceived God. Therefore if there appeared to them God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and they crucified Him because they perceived not God hidden in flesh: begone that which is called Judaea and is not; and let there draw near the true Judaea, to whom is said, Draw ye near to Him and be ye enlightened, and your faces shall not tie is known as God to the true Judah and Israel 5 blush. The faces of the true Judaea shall not be put to confusion. For they have heard and have believed, and the Church hath become the true Judaea, where Christ is known, Who being Man of the seed of David, is God above David.

2. Known in Judaea is Cod, in Israel great is the Name of Him. Concerning Israel also we ought so to take it as we have concerning Judaea: as they were not the true Jews, so neither was that the true Israel. For what is Israel said to be? One seeing God. And how have they seen God, among whom He walked in the flesh; and while they supposed Him to be man, they slew Him? Rising again He appeared as God to all to whom He willed to manifest Himself. They then are worthy to be called Israel, who merited to perceive Christ, as God clothed in flesh, so that they despised not that which they saw, but adored that which they saw not. For though not seen to the eyes, the Gentiles with humble mind have perceived Him Whom they saw not, and in faith have retained Him. Again, they that in hands held Him, slew Him; they that in faith held Him, adored. In Israel great is His Name. Wilt thou be Israel? Observe that man concerning whom the Lord saith, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom guile is not. If a true Israelite is he in whom guile47* is not, the guileful and lying are not true Israelites. Let them not say then, that with them is God, and great is His name in Israel. Let them prove themselves Israelites, and I grant that in Israel great is His Name.

3. Ver. 2. And there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His habitation is in Sion. Again, Sion is as it were the country of the Jews; the true Sion is the Church of Christians. But the interpretation of the Hebrew names is thus handed down to us: Judaea is interpreted confession, Israel, one seeing God. After Judaea is Israel: so it hath been placed here, Known in Judcea is God, in Israel great is His Name. Wilt thou see God? First do thou confess, and then in thyself there is made a place for God; because there hath been made in peace a place for Him. So long as then confessest not thy sins, in a manner thou art quarrelling God. For how art thou not disputing with Him, who praising that which displeascth Him? He puuisheth a thou dost praise theft: He doth punish a drunken man, 6 Inward peace GooVs dwelling. Beginning of confession* thou dost praise drunkenness. Thou art disputing with God, hast not made for Him a place in thy heart: because in peace is His place. And how dost thou begin to have peace with God? Thou beginnest with Him in confession* There is a voice of a Psalm, saying, Begin ye to the Lord in confession. What is, Begin ye to the Lord in confession? Begin ye to be joined to the Lord. In what manner? So that the same thing may displease you as displeaseth Him. There displeaseth Him thy evil life; if it please thyself, thou art disunited from Him; if it displease thee, through confession to Him thou art united. See in how great measure thou art unlike Him, since indeed on account of that very unlikeness thou art displeasing to Him. Thou hast been made, O man, after the image of God: but through thy life being perverse and evil thou hast disturbed in thee and hast banished in thee the image of thy Creator. Having become unlike, thou lookest unto thyself and thou displeasest thyself: now from this time thou beginnest to become like, because the same thing is displeasing to thee as is displeasing to God also.

4. But how am I like, sayest thou, when I am still displeasing to myself? Therefore there hath been said, begin. Begin thou to the Lord in confession: thou wilt be made perfect in peace. For as yet thou hast war against thee. There is enjoined then a war, not only against the suggestions of the devil, against the prince of the power of this air, who worketh in the sons of unbelief, against the devil and his angels, the spiritual things of naughtiness; not only therefore against them war is enjoined thee, but against thyself. How against thyself? Against thy evil habit, against the oldness of thy evil life, which draweth thee to thy wonted life, and withholdeth thee from the new. For there is enjoined upon thee a kind of new life, and thou art old. By the joy of that newness thou art held aloft, by the burden of the oldness thou art weighed down: there beginneth to be war for thee against thyself. But by the part wherein thou art displeased with thyself thou art being united to God; and by that part whereby thou art now being joined to God, thou wilt be meet to conquer thyself; because He is with thee Who overcometh all things. Observe what the Apostle saith: With the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. How with mind? Because thy evil life is displeasing to thee. How with flesh? Because there are not wanting evil suggestions and affections of pleasure; but in that with mind thou art united with God, thou art conquering in thyself that which in thyself is not willing to follow. For thou hast gone before in part, and in part thou art held back. Draw thyself to Him, Who is raising thee upward. With a sort of weight of oldness thou art being weighed down: cry out and say, Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Who shall deliver me from that wherewith I am being weighed down? For the body which is corrupted doth weigh down the soul. Who, I say, shall deliver me? The grace of^m God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But why doth He suffer thee long time to contend with thyself, until there be swallowed up all evil desires? In order that thou mayest perceive in thyself thy penance. In thee from thyself is thy rod: let thy strife be with thyself. Thus vengeance is taken upon a rebel against God, in such sort that he is himself a war unto himself, who would not have peace with God. But keep thy members against thy evil desires. There hath sprung up wrath, refrain thy hand, taking part with God. It might have arisen, but it hath found no weapons. In thy wrath is the onset, in thyself are the weapons: be the onset without weapons, and it learneth no longer to rise, which hath risen in vain.

5. But this I say, dearly beloved, lest perchance because we have said, But with flesh to the law of sin, ye may think that ye ought to consent to your carnal desires.25. Though there cannot now but be carnal desires, we must not consent to them. Therefore the Apostle hath not said, Be there not sin in your mortal body. For he knoweth that so long as it is mortal, there is there sin. But he saith what? Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. What is, Let it not reign? He hath himself explained: to obey, he saith, the desires thereof. There are desires, there arise desires, thou dost not obey thy desires, dost not follow the same desires, dost not consent to them: there is in thee sin, but it hath lost its reign, now that in thee there reigneth not sin, hereafter the last enemy shall be destroyed, death. But what is promised to us? For it hath been said, With mind 1 serve the law of God, but with flesh the law of Hear the promise, that there will not always be in the flesh unlawful desires. For it will rise again, and it will be changed: and when this mortal flesh shall have been changed into a spiritual body, then no more with any earthly delights shall it allure the soul, nor shall divert it from the contemplation of God. There is then done in her that whereof the speaketh, The body indeed is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if He that hath raised up Jesus from the dead doth dwell in you; He that hath raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall bring to life also your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit Which dwelleth in you. When our bodies then have been brought to life, there will be true peace, where there is a place for God: but let confession go before. Known in Judtea is God: confess thou therefore first. In Israel great is His Name: not yet thou seest in form, see thou by faith; and there shall be made in thee that which followeth: and there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion. Sion is interpreted contemplation". What is contemplation? For we shall contemplate God face to face. jje.g promjse<j t0 USj -m whom now not seeing we believe. How shall we rejoice when we shall have seen Him! Brethren, if now so great joy the promise doth work in us, how great joy will the performance work f For there will be rendered to us that which He hath promised? And what hath He promised? Himself, so that in His face and in the contemplation of Him we may rejoice: and not any other object will delight us, because nothing is better than He that hath made all things which delight. There hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion: that is, in a kind of contemplation and speculation, there hath been made a dwelling for Him, in Sion, b\ Ver. 3. There He hath broken the strength of bows, and the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Where hath He broken? Iu that eternal peace, in that perfect peace. And said it already yesterday, and some day heard, what is contemplation.' now, my brethren, they that hare rightly believed see that they ought not to rely on themselves: and all the might of their own menaces, and whatsoever is in them whetted for mischief, this they break in pieces; and whatsoever they deem of great virtue wherewith to protect themselves tempo* rally, and the war which they were waging against God by defending their sins, all these things He hath broken there.

6. Ver. 4. Thou enlightening marvellously from the eternal mountains. What are the eternal mountains? Those which He hath Himself made eternal; which are the great mountains, the preachers of truth. Thou dost enlighten, but from the eternal mountains: the great mountains are first to receive Thy light, and from Thy light which the mountains receive, the earth also is clothed. But those great mountains the Apostles have received, the Apostles have received as it were the first streaks of the risinglight. Did they by any means keep to themselves that which they received? No. Lest there should be said to them, Servant naughty and slothful, thou shouldest have given my money to the usurers. Since then that which they received they kept not to themselves, but they preached it to all the round world; Thau enlightening marvellously from the eternal mountains. By those which Thou hast made eternal, by the same Thou hast promised life eternal to the rest also. Thou enlightening marvellously from the eternal mountains. Admirably with force hath been said Thou: that no one may suppose that the mountains enlighten him. For many thinking that they were enlightened by the mere mountains, made to themselves parties from the mountains; and the very mountains have fallen downb, and they have been themselves broken in pieces. Some have made for themselves a Donatus, some have made for themselves a Maximianus, some have made foreti^~ themselves this or that teacher. Why do they count their salvation to be in men, not in God? O man, there hath come to thee light through the mountains: but God doth enlighten thee, not the mountains. Thou enlightening^ he saith: Thou, not the mountains. Thou enlightening: from the ccnciderunt,, the very mountains they eternal mountains indeed; but, Thou enlightening Wherefore also, in another place, a Psalm saith what? / have lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come kelp to me. What then, in the mountains is thy hope, and from thence to thee shall there come help? Hast thou stayed at the mountains? Take heed what thou doest There is something above the mountains: above the mountains is He at Whom the mountains tremble. / have lifted up, he saith, mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come help to me. But what followeth? My help, he saith, is from the Lord, who hath made Heaven and earth. Unto the mountains indeed I have lifted up eyes, because through the mountains to me the Scriptures were displayed: but I have my heart in Him that doth enlighten all mountains.

7. Therefore, brethren, for this purpose it hath been said, that no one of you should will to set his hope on man. Man is something, so long as he adhereth to Him by Whom man was made. For departing from Him, man is nothing, even when he adhereth to those (mountains). Do thou so take counsel through man, as that thou mayest consider Him that doth enlighten man. For even thou art able to draw near to Him, that doth speak to thee through man: for it is not so, that He hath made him to draw near unto Himself, and rejecteth thee. And he that hath truly so drawn near unto God, that God dwelleth in him, is displeased with all those that do not set their hope on Him. Therefore there hath been given a sort of example. When men divided among themselves the very Apostles, and they fell unto schisms who were saying, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas, that is, of Peter — over these the Apostle doth mourn, and he saith to them, Is Christ divided? and he singled out himself to make light of among them; Hath Paul been crucified for you, or in the name of Paul have ye been baptized? Behold a good mountain, seeking glory, not for himself, but for Him by Whom the mountains are enlightened. He was not willing to rely on himself; but upon Him on Whom he had over himself relied. Whosoever therefore shall have willed so to recommend himself to the people, as that if there shall have chanced for him any tumult, he breaketh up the people to follow after him9 and divideth the Church Catholic for his own sake, is not of those mountains which the Most High doth enlighten. But what is such an one? One darkened by himself, not enlightened by the Lord. But how are these mountains proved? If there shall perchance have fallen out any tumult against the mountains in the Church, either by means of the popular seditions of carnal men, or by means of any false suspicions of men, a good mountain doth drive away from itself all them that for its own sake will to withdraw from unity. For thus it will remain in unity, if for its own sake unity herself shall not have been divided. But they have been divided6; when the people withdrew from the whole world and followed after their name, they rejoiced, were elated, and were thrown down. They should have been humbled, and they would have been exalted: in like manner as the Apostle was humbled, saying, Hath Paul been crucified for you? And in another place, I planted, Apollos watered, but God hath given the increase. There/ore, neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that waterelh, but God that giveth the increase. Such mountains in themselves were humble, in God were exalted. But they that in themselves are exalted, by God are humbled. For he that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Therefore11* such men as regard their own pride are bitterly hostile to 1 peaceful men in the Church. These are willing to cement peace, those stir up dissension among themselves. And what saith another Psalm regarding them? They that are bitter shall not be exalted in themselves. Thou enlightening, (observe this,) Thou marvellously from the eternal mountains.

8. Ver. 5. There have been troubled all the unwise in heart. There hath been preached the truth, there hath been declared life eternal; it hath been declared that there is another life, which is not of this earth: men have despised the present life, and have loved the future life when enlightened by the enlightened mountains. But the unwise in heart have been troubled. How have they been troubled? When the Gospel is preached. And what is life eternal? And who is He that hath risen from the dead? The Athec 4 Ms*, ap. Ben. (and Oxf.) have rejoiced* nians wondered, when the Apostle Paul spake of the resurrection of the dead, and thought that he spake but fables. gut Decause he said that there was another life which neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it gone up into the heart of man, therefore the unwise in heart were troubled. But what hath befallen them? They have slept their sleep9 and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands. They have loved things present, and have gone to sleep in the midst of things present: and so these very present things have become to them delightful: just as he that seeth in a dream himself to have found treasure, is so long rich as he waketh not. The dream hath made him rich, waking hath made him poor. Sleep perchance hath held him slumbering on the earth, and lying on the hard ground, poor and perchance a beggar; in sleep he hath seen himself to lie on an ivory or golden bed, and on feathers heaped up; so long as he is sleeping, he is sleeping well, waking he hath found himself on the hard ground, whereon sleep had taken him. Such men also are these too: they have come into this life, and through temporal desires, they have as it were slumbered here; and them riches, and vain pomps that fly away, have taken, and they have passed away: they have not understood how much of good might be done therewith. For if they had known of another life, there they would have laid up unto themselves the treasure which here was doomed to perish: like as Zacchaeus, the chief of the Publicans, saw that good1 when he received the Lord Jesus in his house, and he saith, Tlte half of my goods I give to the poor, and if i0 any man j jiave done any wrong, fourfold 1 restore. This man was not in the emptiness of men dreaming, but in the faith of men awake. Therefore because the Lord had come in as a Physician to a sick man, He hath proclaimed salvation, and saith, To-day salvation to this house hath come, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. In order that ye might know how we by imitating his faith are the sons of Abraham: but the Jews who glory because of the flesh from the faith have degenerated. Therefore the men of riches have slept their sleep, and they have found nothing in their hands. They have slept in their desires, there delighteth them and passed) away that sleep, there passeth They that e mount horses in pride, ' sleep9 through judgment. 13 away this life, and they find nothing in their hands, because they have put nothing in the hand of Christ. Wilt thou find any thing in thy hands hereafter? Despise not now the hand of the poor man; and have regard to empty hands, if thou wilt have full hands. For the Lord hath said, / was hungry 9 and ye gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; 1 was a stranger, and ye took Me in, and the like. And they, When saw we Thee hungry, thirsty, or a stranger*? And He saith to them, Inasmuch as to one of My least ones ye have done it, to Me ye have done it. To hunger in the poor He hath willed, That is rich in Heaven; and thou a man to man dost hesitate to give, although thou knowest that thou art giving to Christ that which thou givest, from Whom thou hast received whatever thou givest? But they have slept their sleep, and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands.

9. Ver. 6. By Thy chiding, O God of Jacob, there have slept all men that have mounted horses. Who are they that have mounted horses? They that would not be humble. To sit on horseback is no sin; but it is a sin to lift up the neck of power against God, and to deem one's self to be in some distinction. Because thou art rich, thou hast mounted; God doth chide, and thou sleepest. Great is the anger of Him chiding, great the anger. Let your Love observe the terrible thing. Chiding hath noise, the noise is wont to make men wake. So great is the force of God chiding, that he said, By Thy chiding, O Ood of Jacob, there have slept all men that have mounted horses. Behold what a sleep that Pharaoh slept who mounted horses. For he was not awake in heart, because agaiust chiding he had his heart hardened. For hardness of heart is slumber. Y ask you, my brethren, how they sleep, who, while the Gospel is sounding, and the Amen, and the Hallelujah, throughout the whole world, yet will not condemn their old life, and wake up unto a new life. There was the Scripture of God in Judaea only, now throughout the whole world it is sung. In that one nation one God Who made all things was spoken of, as to be adored and worshipped; now where is He unsaid? Christ hath risen again, though derided on the Cross; that very Cross whereon He was derided, He hath now imprinted Qp ^ |5rows Qf tiugg. and men sieep# Better have we heard Him that saith, Arise thou that art sleeping, and rise up from the dead, and there shall enlighten thee Christ. But who do hear Him? They that do not mount horses. Who are they that do not mount horses? They that do not boast and exalt themselves, as if on their honours aud powers. By Thy chiding, O God of Jacob, there have slumbered they that have mounted horses.

10. Ver. 7. Thou art terrible, and who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger f Now they sleep, and perceive not Thee angry; but for cause that they should sleep, He was angry. Now that which sleeping they perceived not, at the end they shall perceive. For there shall appear the Judge of quick and dead. And who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger? For now they speak that which they will, and they dispute against God and say, who are the Christians? or who is Christ? or what fools are they that believe that which they see not, and relinquish the pleasures which they see, and follow the faith of things which not displayed to their eyes! Ye sleep and snore1, ye speak against God, as much as ye are able. How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners glory, they answer and will speak iniquity? But when doth no one answer and no one speak, except when he turneth himself8 against himself? When shall they turn their teeth against themselves, wherewith now they bite us, wherewith now they tear us by deriding Christians, and by censuring the life of holy men? They shall turn themselves against themselves at that time, when there shall happen to them that which is spoken of in the Book of Wisdom; they shall say within themselves, doing penance, and through anguish of spirit groan ing: when they shall have seen the glory of holy men, then they shall say, These are they whom sometime we had in derision. O ye that slumbered much, now indeed ye are awake, and in your own hands ye find nothing. Ye see how they have hands full of the glory of God, whom as if poor ye derided. Speak then to yourselves, inasmuch as ye do not withstand the anger of God, neither with hand, nor with tongue, nor with word, nor with thought. For He shall appear manifest you, Whom ye thought worthy to be derided, when He was proclaimed to you as to come* And what shall they say? Therefore we have strayed from the way of truth, and Ibld,T'6, the light of righteousness hath not shined upon us, and the sun hath not risen upon us. How should the Sun of righteousness have risen to them sleeping? But by His anger and chiding they sleep. This perchance one will say, and ' I would not have mounted horse:' and then they shall themselves blame their horses. Hear them blaming their horses, whereon they have slept: therefore we have erred, saith the Scripture^rowi the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined upon us, and the sun hath not risen upon us. What hath pride profited us, and the boasting ©/"Ibid. riches hath bestowed upon us what f All things have passed away like a shadow. Therefore thou hast awoke at length. But better were it that thou hadst not mounted horse, when thou oughtest to have been awake; and thou wouldest have heard the voice of Christ, and Christ would have enlightened thee. Thou art terrible, and who shall withstand Thee at that time, by Thine anger f For what shall there be at that time?

11. Ver. 8. From Heaven Thou hast hurled judgment: the earth hath trembled, and hath rested* She which now doth trouble herself, she which now speaketh, hath to fear at the end and to rest. Better had she now rested, that at the end she might have rejoiced.

12. Ttte earth hath trembled and hath rested. When? (Ver. 9.) When God arose unto judgment, that He might save all the meek in heart. Who are the meek in heart? They that on snorting horses have not mounted, but in their humility have confessed their own sins. That He might save all the meek in heart.

13. Ver. J 0. For the thought of a man shall confess to Tliee, and the remnants of the thought shall celebrate solemnities to Thee. The first is the thought, the latter are the remnants of the thought. What is the first thought? That from whence we begin, that good thought whence thou wilt begin to confess. Confession uniteth us to Christ. But now the confession itself, that is, the first thought, doth produce in us the remnants of the thought: and those very remnants of thought shall celebrate solemnities to Thee. The thought of a man shall confess to Thee, and the remnants of the thought shall celebrate solemnities to Thee. What is th6 thought which shall confess? That which condemneth the former life, that whereunto that which it was is displeasing, in order that it may be that which it was not, is itself the first thought. But because thus thou oughtest to withdraw from sins, with the first thought after having confessed to God, that it may not escape thy memory that thou hast been a sinner; in that thou hast been a sinner, thou dost celebrate solemnities to God. Furthermore it is to be understood as followeth. The first thought hath confession, and departure from the old life. But if thou shalt have forgotten from what sins thou hast been delivered, thou dost not render thanks to the Deliverer, and dost not celebrate solemnities to thy God. Behold the first confessing thought of Saul the Apostle, now Paul, who at first was Saul, when he heard a voice from Heaven! While he was persecuting Christ, and was frantic against the Christians, and was willing to bring them to be slaughtered wheresoever he might find them, he heard a voice from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And being shined upon round about with the light, blindness having smitten his eyes, that he might inwardly see, he put forth the first thought of obedience: when he heard, " / am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou persecutest," " 0 Lord," he saith, " what dost Thou bid me to do?" This is a thought confessing: now he is calling upon the Lord Whom he persecuted. In what manner the remnants of the thought shall celebrate solemnities, in the case of Paul ye have heard, when the Apostle himself was being read; Be thou mindful that Christ Jesus hath risen from the dead, of the seed of David, after my Gospel. What is, be thou mindful?? Though effaced from thy memory be the thought, whereby at first thou hast confessed: be the remnant of the thought in the memory. And see after what sort the same Apostle Paul doth repeat in another place that which was bestowed upon him. / that before, he saith, have been a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. He that saith, before I have been a blasphemer, is he yet a blasphemer? In order that he might not be a blasphemer was the first thought confessing: but in order that he might commemorate what was forgiven him, there were the remnants of tfoe thought, and through those same remnants of the thought he was celebrating solemnities.

14. For, my brethren, behold Christ hath renewed us, hath forgiven us all sins, and. we have been converted: if we forget what hath been forgiven us, and by Whom it hath been for-given, we forget the gift of the Saviour: but when we do not forget the gift of the Saviour, is not Christ daily sacrificed for us? Even once was Christ sacrificed for0 us, when we believed; then was thought; but now there are the remnants of thought, when we remember Who hath come to us, and what He hath forgiven us; by means of those very remnants of thought, that is, by means of the memory herself, He is daily so sacrificed for us1, as if He were daily renewing us, i That hath renewed us by His first grace. For now the Lord 8™0™~ hath renewed us in Baptism, and we have become new mentor." in hope indeed rejoicing, in order that in tribulation we may Rom.l*, be patient: nevertheless, there ought not to escape from our12, memory that which hath been bestowed upon us. And if now thy thought is not what it was: (for the first thought was to depart from sin: but now thou dost not depart, but at that time didst depart:) be there remnants of thought, lest He escape from memory Who hath made whole. If thou shalt have forgotten that thou hast had a wound, thou wilt have no remnants of thought. For what think ye that David said? Behold, he speaketh in the person of all! Holy David sinned grievously, Nathan the Prophet was sent to him, and rebuked him: and he confessed and said, / have sinned. This was 2 the first thought of him confessing. The thought of a man shall confess to Thee. What were the remnants of thought? When he saith, And my sin is before me ever. What then was the first thought? That he should depart from sin. And if he hath already departed from sin, how is the sin of him before him ever, except that that thought passed away, but the remnants of thought do celebrate solemnities? Let us remember therefore, most dearly beloved brethren, we ask you: let whosoever shall have been delivered from sin, remember what he was; be there in him the remnants of thought. For then he beareth another man to be healed, if ^ gkan remember himself was healed. Therefore let each call to mind what he was, and whether he is no longer so: and then he will succour him that still is what he is no longer. But if he vaunteth himself as it were of his own merits, and driveth from him sinners as though they were unworthy, and rageth without mercy; he hath mounted a horse, let him look that he sleep not. For, they have slept that have mounted horses; At that time he relinquished his horse, he humbled himself: let him not again mount a horse, that is, let him not again lift himself up unto pride. How is this to be done by him? Provided that the remnants of thought celebrate solemnities to God.

15. Ver. 11. Vow ye, and pay to the Lord our God. Let each man vow what he is able, and pay it. Do not vow and not pay: but let every man vow, and pay what he can. Be ye not slow to vow: for ye will accomplish the vows by powers not your own. Ye will fail, if on yourselves ye rely: but if on Him to Whom ye vow ye rely, ye will be safe to pay. Vow ye, and pay to the Lord our God. What ought we all in common to vow? To believe in Him, to hope from Him for life eternal, to live godly according to a measure common to all. For there is a certain measure common to all men. To commit no theft is not a thing enjoined upon one devoted to continence and not enjoined upon the married woman: to commit no adultery is enjoined upon all men: not to love wine-bibbing, whereby the soul is swallowed up, and doth corrupt in herself the Temple of God, is enjoined to all alike: not to be proud, is enjoined to all men alike: not to slay man, not to hate a brother, not to lay a plot to destroy any one, is enjoined to all in common. The whole of this we all ought to vow. There are also vows proper for individuals: one voweth to God conjugal chastity, that he will know no other woman besides his wife': so also the woman, that she will know no other man besides her husband. Other men also vow, even though they have used such a marriage, that beyond this they will have no such thing, that they will neither desire nor admit the like: and these men have vowed a posing he may survive. The following widower. greater vow than the former. Others vow even virginity from the beginning of life, that they will even know no such thing as those who having experienced have relinquished: and these men have vowed the greatest vow. Others vow that their house shall be a place of entertainment for all the Saints that may come: a great vow they vow. Another voweth to relinquish all his goods to be distributed to the poor, and go into a community, into a society of the Saints: a great vow he doth vow. Vow ye, and pay to the Lord our God. Let each one vow what he shall have willed to vow; let him give heed to this, that he pay what he hath vowed. If any man doth look back with regard to what he hath vowed to God, it is an evil. Some woman or other devoted to continence hath willed to marry: what hath she willed? The same as any virgin. What hath she willed? The same as her own mother. Hath she willed any evil thing? Evil certainly. Why? Because already she had vowed to the Lord her God. For what hath the Apostle Paul said concerning such? Though he saith that young widows may marry if they will: nevertheless he saith in a certain passage, but more blessed she will be9if so she shall have remained, after my judgment. He sheweth that she is more blessed, if so she shall have remained; but nevertheless that she is not to be condemned, if she shall have willed to marry. But what saith he concerning certain who have vowed and have not paid? Having, he saith, damnation, because the first faith they have made5* void. What is, the first faith they have made void? They have vowed, and have not paid. Let no brother therefore, when placed in a monastery, say, I shall depart from the monastery: for neither are they alone that are in a monastery to attain unto the kingdom of Heaven, nor do those that.are not there not belong unto God. We answer him, but they have not vowed; thou hast vowed, thou hast looked back. When the Lord was threatening them with the day of judgment, He saith what? Remember LoVs wife. To allLuke men He spake. For what did Lot's wife? She was delivered from Sodom, and being in the way she looked back. In the place where she looked back, there she remained. For she became a statue of salt, in order that by considering her men might be seasoned, might have sense, might not be26, infatuated, might not look back, lest by giving a bad example they should themselves remain and season others. For even now we are saying this to certain of our brethren, whom perchance we may have seen as it were weak in the good they have purposed. And wilt thou be such an one as he was? We put before them certain who have looked back. They are savourless 1 in th emselves, but they season others, inasm uch as they are mentioned, in order that fearing their example they may not look back. Vow ye, and pay to the Lord our God. For that wife of Lot to all doth belong. A married woman hath had the will to commit adultery; from her place whither she had arrived she looked back. A widow who had vowed so to remain hath willed to marry, she hath willed the thing which was lawful to her who hath married, but to herself was not lawful, because from her place she hath looked back. There is a virgin devoted to continence, already dedicated to God; let her have1 also the other gifts which truly do adorn virginity itself, and without which that virginity is unclean. For what if she be uncorrupt in body and corrupt in mind? What is it that he hath said? What if no one hath touched the body, but if perchance she be drunken, be proud, be contentious, be talkative? All these things God doth condemn. If before she had vowed, she had married, she would not have been condemned: she hath chosen something better, hath overcome that which was lawful for her; she is proHd, and doth commit so many things unlawful. This I say, it is lawful for her to marry before that she voweth, to be proud is never lawful. O thou virgin of God, thou hast willed not to marry, which is lawful: thou dost exalt thyself, which is not lawful. Better is a virgin humble, than a married woman humble: but better is a married woman humble, than a virgin proud. But she that looked back upon marriage is condemned, not because she hath willed to marry; but because she had already gone before, and is become the wife of Lot by looking back. Be ye not slow, that are able, whom God doth inspire to seize upon higher callings: for we do not say these things in order that ye may not vow, but in order that ye may vow and may pay: Vote ye, and pay to the Lord our God. Now because we have treated of these matters, thou perchance

Vow in God's strength. Who are "in circuit of Him." 21 wast willing to vow, and now art not willing to vow. But observe what the Psalm hath said to thee. It hath not said, Vow not; but, Vow and pay. Because thou hast heard, pay, wilt thou not vow? Therefore wast thou willing to vow, and not to pay? Nay, do both. One thing is done by thy profession, another thing will be perfected by the aid of God. Look to Him Who doth guide thee, and thou wilt not look back to the place whence He is leading thee forth. He that guideth thee is walking before thee; the place from whence He is guiding thee is behind thee. Love Him guiding, and He doth not condemn thee looking back: Vow ye, and pay to the Lord our God. 17. All they that are in the circuit of Him shall offer gifts. Who are in the circuit of Him? For where is He that He saith, All they that are in the circuit of Him? If of God the Father thou think, where is He not That is every where present? If of the Son thou think after the form of the Divinity, He too with the Father is every where: for He is Himself the Wisdom of God, whereof hath been said, But she reacheth everywhere because of her own pureness. But if the Son ye understand, in that He took upon Himself24, flesh, and was seen among men, and was crucified, and rose again, we know that He hath ascended into Heaven. Who are in the circuit of Him? Angels. Therefore do not we offer gifts? For all they that are in the circuit of Him, he hath said, shall offer gifts. If our Lord were buried here upon earth, and His body were lying, like that of any Martyr or Apostle, we might observe in them that should be in the circuit of Him, either whatever nations might be about the very spot on all sides, or men resorting to the burial place with gifts: but now He hath ascended, He is above. What is this, All they that are in the circuit qf Him shall offer gifts? Meanwhile I will say to you what God doth admonish, what he may Himself have deigned to inspire in me out of these words: if any thing better shall have hereafter appeared, this also is yours; for the truth is common to all. It is neither mine, nor thine: it is not of this man or of that man: to all it is common. And perchance it is in the midst, in such sort that in the circuit thereof may be all they that love the truth. For whatever is common to all is in the midst. Why is it said to be in the midst? Because it is at the same distance from all, and at the same proximity to all. That which is not in the middle, is as it were private. That which is public is set in the middle, in order that all they that come may use the same, may be enlightened. Let no one say, it is mine: lest he should be wanting to make his own share of that which is in the midst for all. What then is, All they that are in the circuit qf Him shall offer gifts? All they that understand truth to be common to all, and who do not make it as it were their own by being proud concerning it, they shall offer gifts; because they have humility: but they that make as it were their own that which is common to all, as though it were set in the middle, are endeavouring to lead men astray to a party, these shall not offer gifts; for, all they that are in the circuit of Him shall offer gifts, to Him terrible: they shall offer gifts to Him terrible. Let therefore all men fear that are in the circuit of Him. For therefore they shall fear, and with trembling they shall praise; because they are in the circuit of Him, to the end that all men may attain unto Him, and He may openly meet all, and openly enlighten all. This is, to stand in awe with others!. When thou hast made Him as it were thine own, and no longer common, thou art exalted unto pride; though it is written, Serve ye the Lord in fear, and exult unto Him with trembling. Therefore they shall offer gifts, who are in the circuit of Him. For they are humble who know truth to be common to all.

18. To whom shall they offer gifts? (Ver. 12.) To Him terrible, and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes. For the spirits of princes are proud spirits. They then are not His Spirits; for if they know any thing, their own they will it to be, not public; but, that Which setteth Himself forth as equal toward all men, that setteth Himself in the midst, in order that all men may take as much as they can, whatever they can; not of what is any man's, but of what is God's, and therefore of their own because they have become His. Therefore they must needs be humble: they have lost their own spirit, and they have the Spirit of God. By whom have they lost their spirit? By Him that doth take away the spirit of princes. Inasmuch as to Him is said in another place, Thou shalt take away the spirit of them, and they shall fail9 and shall be turned into their dust. Thou shall send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created: and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Some one hath understood something, his own he willeth it to be, as yet he hath his own spirit; it is good for him that he lose his spirit, and have the Spirit of God: as yet among the princes he is proud; it is good that he return to his dust, and say, Remember, O Lord, that dust we are. For if thou shalt have confessed thyself dust, God out of dust doth makeh man. All they that are in the circuit of Him do offer gifts. All humble men do confess to Him, and do adore Him. To Him terrible they offer gifts. Whence to Him terrible exult ye with trembling: and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes: that is, that taketh away the haughtiness of proud men. To Him terrible among the kings of the earth. Terrible are the kings of the earth, but He is above all, that doth terrify the kings of the earth. Be thou a king of the earth, and God will be to thee terrible. How, wilt thou say, shall I be a king of the earth?, Rule the earth, and thou wilt be a king of the earth. Do not therefore with desire of empire set before thine eyes exceeding wide provinces, where thou mayest spread abroad thy kingdoms; rule thou the earth which thou bearest. Hear the Apostle ruling the earth: / do not so fight as if beating air, but I chasten my body, and bring it into captivity, lest26' perchance preaching to other men, I myself become a reprobate. Therefore, my brethren, be ye in the circuit of Him, so that by whomsoever the truth shall have sounded to you, ye may not ascribe it to him through whom it soundeth; but it may be in the midst for all, because it is equally present to all. And be ye humble, lest even ye yourselves take unto your own use whatever of His good ye shall have understood. For as for us too, that which we have understood the better is yours; and that which ye have understood the better is ours: in order that in the circuit of Him we may be, and may be humble. And so losing our own spirit, let us offer gifts to Him terrible above all the kings of the earth, that is, above all men ruling their flesh, but subject to their Creator.