Psalm 104 (Vulgate 103)

Part 1

I know that ye hold us debtors, not by necessity, but, what is stronger, by charity. But we owe this in the first place to the Lord our God, Who dwelling also in you. requireth these things of us, next to our Lord and Father who is present, and bids me, and prays for me; and then to your violence, by which ye extort it even from our insufficient strength. Yet, so much as the Lord may grant, Who I pray may grant strength to you "also as ye pray, since we have already treated of the first parts of this Psalm on the day lately past, what follows too must be taken up, and by His help in Whose name we began must be finished. Now we had set before you all, who were present, that the whole of this Psalm was inwoven with figured mysteries, whence that which is sought with more labour useth to be found with more pleasure. Nor think ye that these things are hidden from you by obscurity, but seasoned by difficulty, for this purpose, which we have often mentioned before, that it may be given to them that ask, and that they that seek may find, and they that knock have entrance. But we have need of somewhat more both of silence and of patience from you, that the few words we have to say may not, through the noise, take up too much time. For the straitness of the time eompels us to say but little, because your Love also knoweth that we owe the solemn attendance to the funeral of the body of a Believer. See then, let us not be compelled now to repeat what has. been said, and to expound the same again; if any were absent, there would not be wanting some who have not heard; but it is good perhaps for them that they do not hear now, what those heard who were present, that they also may learn to be here. Let us then read it cursorily.

2. Ver. 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul* Let the soul of us all, made one in Christ, say this. O Lord my God> Thou art magnified exceedingly! Where art Thou magnified? Confession and beauty Thou hast put on. Confess ye, that ye may be beautified, that He may put you on. (Ver. 2.) Clothed with light as a garment. Clothed with His Church, because she is made light in Hiin, who before was darkness in herself, as the Apostle saith; Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord.

Stretching out the heaven like a skin: either as easily as thou dost a skin, if it be 'as easily,' so that thou mayest take it after the letter; or let us understand the authority of the Scriptures, spread out over the whole world? under the name of a skin; because mortality is signified in a skin, but all the authority of the Divine Scriptures was dispensed unto us through mortal men, whose fame is still spreading abroad now they are dead.

3. Ver. 3. Who cover eth with waters the upper parts thereof. The upper parts of what? Of Heaven. What is Heaven? Figuratively only we said, the Divine Scripture. What are the upper parts of the Divine Scripture? The commandment of love, than which there is none more exalted. But wherefore is love compared to waters? Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who is given unto us. Whence is the Spirit Himself water? because Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Whence do we prove that it was said of the Spirit? Let the Evangelist himself declare, who followeth it up, and saith, But this spake He of the Spirit, which they were to receive, who should believe on Him.

Who walketh above the wings of the winds; that is, above the virtues of souls. What is the virtue of a soul? Love itself. But how doth He walk above it? Because the love of God toward us is greater than ours toward God.

4. Ver. 4. Who maketh spirits His angels, and flaming fire His ministers: that is, those who are already spirits, who are spiritual, not carnal, He maketh His Angels, by ending sthem to preach His Gospel. And flaming fire His ministers. For unless the minister that preacheth be on fire, he enflameth not him to whom he preacheth.

5. Ver. 5. He hath founded the earth upon its firmness. He hath founded the Church upon the firmness of the Church. What is the firmness of the Church, but the foundation of the Church. What is the foundation7 of the Church, but that of which the Apostle saith, Other foundation can no man lay but that is laid, which is Christ Jesus. And therefore, grounded on such a foundation, what hath she deserved to hear? " shall not be bowed for ever and ever." He hath founded the earth upon the firmness of it. That is, 1^ hath founded the Church upon Christ the foundation. The Church will totter if the foundation totter; but when shall Christ totter, before Whose coming unto us, and taking flesh on Him, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made; Who holdeth all things by His Majesty, and its by His goodness? Since Christ faileth not, she shall not be bowed for ever and ever. Where are they1 who say that the Church hath perished from the world, when she cannot even be bowed.

6. But whence did the Lord begin to maintain this Church, to reveal, to commence, to display, to spread her abroad? Whence did He begin this? What was in the first place? because He hath founded the earth on its firmness thereof it shall not be bowed for ever and ever.

Ver. 6. The deep, like a garment, is its clothing. Whose? Is it perchance God's? But he had already said of His clothing, Clothed with light as with a garment. I hearver. of God clothed in light, and that light, if we will, are we. What is, if we will? if we are no longer darkness. Therefore if God is clothed with light, whose clothing, again, is the deep? For an immense mass of waters is called the deep. All water, all the moist nature, and the substance every where shed abroad through the seas, and rivers, and hidden caves, is all together called by one name, the Deep. Therefore we understand the earth, of which he said, He hath founded the earth upon the firmness thereof it shall not be bowed for ever and ever. Of it I believe he said, The deep, like a garment is its clothing. For the water is as it were the clothing of the earth, surrounding it and covering it. But some time in the deluge this clothing of the earth so increased, that it quite covered over all things, and rose above the highest mountains, as the Scripture witnesseth, by about fifteen cubits. Perchance it was that very time this20. Psalm signified, when he said, The deep, like a garment is clothing. " 7. Above the mountains the waters shall stand: that is, the clothing of the earth, which is the deep, so increased, that the waters stood even above the mountains. We read of this taking place, as I said, in the deluge. Is the prophet speaking of that? Was he relating to us past eve/its, or foretelling future? But if he were relating the past, he would not say to us, Above the mountains the waters shall stand; but, 6 above the mountains the waters did stand.' For that the past tense useth to be put for the future in the Scriptures, the Spirit foreseeing things lhat are to come, in such wise as if they had already taken place, we are accustomed to read* Thence it is that we all know, that in another Psalm, where there is as it were a Gospel recited, They pierced My hands and My feet, they numbered all My bones, upon My vesture did they cast lots. All things are commemorated as already done, which in fact were foreseen as yet to come. But how much can our diligence effect? Nay, what can be done with so much occupation? or when are we so at leisure that we can say for certain it is so? We have observed the Prophets often express in the past tense things that were future, but that they express the past in the figure of the future doth not easily occur to one in reading. I dare not say there is no instance; but I would certainly point out to students in such learning what they may look for. If they shall have found it, and brought it to us, we busy old men shall congratulate the young on their studies, and shall learn something ourselves too from their ministering to us. For we do not disdain it, since Christ teaches from all. This therefore he saith: Above the mountains the waters shall stand. The Prophet minding to foretel future things, not to relate the past, therefore said it, because he would have it understood that the Church should be in a deluge of persecutions. For there was a time when the floods of persecutors had covered God's earth, God's Church, and had so covered it, that not even those great ones appeared, who are the mountains. For when they fled every where, how did they but cease to appear? And perchance of those waters is that saying, Save me, O God, for the water* are come in even unto my soul. Especially the waters which make the sea, stormy, unfruitful. For whatsoever earth the sea-water may have covered, it will not rather make it fruitful than bring it to barrenness. For there were also mountains beneath the waters, because above the mountains waters stood1. TheOxf. resisting n^ions had conquered the authority of all that^} every where boldly preached the word of God, the waters had covered them, and the waters stood over them; they said "Press," " Press," and they pressed: "Extinguish! Let them no more be seen!" They said these things, and they prevailed over the Martyrs, and the Christians fled every where, and in some sort of flight even the Apostles were hidden. Why were the Apostles hidden by flight? Because above the mountains the waters stood*. The power of the'Oxf. waters was great, but how long? Hear what followeth.

8. Ver. 7. From Thy rebuke they shall fly. And ih\stand was done, brethren; from God's rebuke the waters did fly; that is, they went back from pressing on the mountains. Now the mountains themselves stand forth, Peter and Paul: how do they tower! They who before were pressed down by persecutors, now are venerated by emperors. For the waters are fled from the rebuke of God; because the heart of kings is in the hand of God, He hath bent it whither He1' would; He commanded peace to be given by them to the Christians; the authority of the Apostles sprang up and towered high. Had the greatness of the mountains failed even when the waters were above? But yet, my brethren, that all might see the height of the mountains, through which mountains salvation was to come to the human race, because I hare lifted up mine eyes unto the hills, whence shall come help for me; the waters fled from the rebuke of1* God. From the voice of Thy thunder they shall be afraid. Now who is there that would not be afraid, from the voice of God through the Apostles, the voice of God through the Scriptures, through His clouds? The sea is quieted, the waters have been made afraid, the mountains have been laid bare, the emperor hath given the order. But who would have given the order, unless God had thundered? Because God willed, they commanded, and it was done. therefore let no one of men arrogate any thing to himself; the waters were afraid, but from the voice of Thy thunder. For behold, when God would, the waters fled, no longer to press the mountains. Before that was done, even under the waters the mountains were firm.

9. Ver. 8. TJie mountains ascend, and the plains go down, into the place which Thou hast foundqfl for them. He is still speaking of waters. Let us not here understand mountains as of earth; nor plains, as of earth: but waves so great that they may be compared to mountains. The sea did sometime toss, and its waves were as mountains, which could cover those mountains the Apostles. But how long do the mountains ascend and the plains go down? They raged, and they are appeased. When they raged they were mountains: now they are appeased they are become plains: for He hath founded a place for them. There is a certain channel11, as it were a deep place, into which all those lately raging hearts of mortals have retired. How many now are both salt and bitter, and yet quiet? How many are there who are unwilling to grow sweet? Who are they that will not grow sweet? They that still will not believe in Christ. And although there are many, who have not yet believed, what do they to the Church? They were mountains formerly, now they are plains: yet, my brethren, even a dead calm1 is sea. For wherefore are they not now violent? wherefore do they not rage? Wherefore do they not try, if they cannot overthrow our earth, at least to cover it? Wherefore not? Hear. (Ver. 9.) Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over, neither shall they turn again to cover the earth.

10. What then, because now the bitterest waves have received a measure, that we must be allowed to preach such things even with freedom; because they have had their due limit assigned, because they cannot pass over the bound that is set, nor shall they return to cover the earth; what is doing in the earth itself? What workings take place therein, now that the sea hath left it bare? Although at its beach slight waves do make their noise, although Pagans still true reading. murmur round; the sound of the shores I hear, a deluge I dread not. What then; what is doing in the earth? (Ver. 10.) Who sendeth out springs in the little valleys. Thou sendest out, he saith, springs in the little valleys. Ye know what little valleys are, lower places among the lands. For to hills and mountains, valleys and little valleys are opposed in contrary shape. Hills and mountains are swellings of the land: but valleys and little valleys, lownesses of the lands. Do not despise low places, th.ence flow springs. Thou sendest out springs in the little valleys. Hear a mountain. The Apostle saith, / laboured more than they all. A certain greatness is brought before us: yet immediately, that the waters may flow, he hath made himself a valley: Yet not I, but the grace of God with me. It is no contradiction that they who are mountains be also valleys: for as they are called mountains because of their spiritual greatness, so also valleys because of the humility of their spirit. Not I, he saith, but the grace of God with me. Not I, is the valley, and the grace of God with me is the spring. Who sendeth out springs in the little valleys. That which I just now quoted was said of the Spirit, // any man thirsleth, let him come to Me and drink: He that believeth3^' in Me, from his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said of the Spirit, which they that were to believe in Him should receive. Let us see if they be valleys, that springs may be sent forth in the valleys. Hear the Prophet: Upon whom shall My Spirit rest, save on the humble andu.66,2. quiet one, and him that feareth My word? What is, Upon whom shall My Spirit rest f Upon the humble and quiet one. Who shall have My spring? The little valley.

11. Between the midst of the mountains the waters shall pass through. Thus far the Psalm was recited by the Reader. Thus far let it suffice your love. This we will say, and in the Name of God will end our discourse. What is, In the midst between the mountains the waters shallpass through? We have heard who are the mountains, the great Preachers of the word, the exalted Angels of God, though still in mortal flesh; lofty not by their own power, but by His grace; but as far as relates to themselves, they are valleys, in their humility they send forth springs. In the midst, he saitfa, between the mountains* the waters shall pass through. Let us suppose this said thus, "In the midst between the Apostles shall pass through the preachings of the Word of Truth." What is, in the midst between the mountains waters shall pass through1? What is, in the midst between the Apostles? What is called in the midst, Js common. A common property, from which alfr alike live, is in the midst, and belongs not to me, but neither belongs it to thee, nor yet to me. Therefore we speak thus also of some men. They have peace between themselves, they have good faith between themselves, they have love between themselves: so certainly we speak. What is, between themselves? In the midst of themselves. What is, in the midst of themselves? It is common to them. Hear the waters in the midst between the mountains. Because the faith was common to them, nor had each one the waters as if appropriated and his own. For if they are not in the midst, they are as it were private, they flow not for public use, and I have mine, and he has his own, it is not in the midst for both me and him to have it; but such is not the preaching of peace. But that in the midst between the mountains waters may flow, hear the voice of a mountain: The God of peace, he saith, grant you to be of one mind toward one another. And again, That ye may be all of one mind, and that there be no divisions among you. What I think, thou thinkest, the water floweth in the midst: I have it not as private of my own, nor thou private of thy own. Let the Truth be neither my private property nor thine, that it may be both thine and mine. In the midst between the mountains the waters shall pass through. Hear the Mountain himself, as I said, because in the midst between the mountains waters shall pass through. But whether it be I, or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Fearless he said, whether it be I, or they, so we preach, and so ye have believed; for in the midst between the mountains the waters flowed; there was no disagreement of the mountains about the waters, but the peace of consent, and the partnership of charity. But if any one wished to preach another thing, then he would be preaching of his own, not of that in the midst. And hear what is said of him even by Him Who sent forth springs in the little valleys: He that speaketh a lie, speaketh of his own. Therefore lest any mountain should be accepted sending forth a stream of his own, not from the midst, the Apostle saith, Whosoever shall have preached®**- unto you a Gospel other than ye have received, let him be anathema. And behold how he would not that there should be any presuming upon the mountain; lest perchance a mountain depart from the waters running through the midst, and choose to flow in with any thing of his own. Yea even if we — (and how great a mountain said this! How abundantly did water flow from his valley! Yet he would have this run in the midst between the mountains, and that there should be the certain faith of the nations, the same which the Apostles held amongst themselves in the midst.and in common) — Yea even if we, he said. And thou, Paul, canst thou preach any thing otherwise? The question is of Paul; hear what followeth: Yea even if we, or an Angel from Heaven, shall have declared unto you otherwise than ye have received, let him be anathema. If a mountain come preaching another Gospel, let him be anathematized: if any Angel come preaching another Gospel, let him be anathematized. Whence this? Because he hath chosen to give a stream of his own, not from the midst. And this, perchance a man hampered with the clouds of the flesh, and driven from the common fountain to his own falsehood, may do: can an Angel too? Truly, can an Angel too? If an Angel, streaming forth of his own, had not been listened to in Paradise, we had not been cast down into death. The water was placed in the midst for men, the commandment of God. The water in the midst, water in a manner public, was good without deceit, as we said to your Love, it flowed without taint, without mire. If that same water were always drunk, there were life for evermore. An angel came, fallen from Heaven, become a serpent, because he wished now insidiously to scatter his venom: he gave out his venom; he spake of the private stock, of his own; because he that speaketh a lie, speaketh of his own; and the unhappy creatures, by hearing him, lost what was common, what made them blessed; and they were reduced to what was their own, while wishing* perversely, to be like God, (for this he had said to them, Take, and ye shall be as 9°ds;) desiring what they were not, they lost what they had received. Therefore, brethren, let what we have said to your Love serve to this purpose, because of the springs: that they may flow from you, be ye valleys, and communicate with all that which ye have from God. Let the waters flow in the midst, envy ye no one, drink, be £lled, flow forth when ye are filled. Every where let the common water of God have the glory, not the private falsehoods of

Part 2

That for the treating of the remaining parts of this Psalm we are debtors, your Love remembereth. There is no need, then, that I should engage your attention by any preface. For I see that ye are in the suspense of full eagerness to understand the prophetic mysteries, nor is there any need for my discourse to make those attentive, whom the Spirit of God has already made so. This rather let us do, which is needful. Of the springs sent forth in the little valleys, and of the waters passing through in the midst of the mountains, we have already spoken: but thus far have we spoken, from this point forward let us begin.

2. Ver. 11. For it follows, All the beasts of the wood shall drink. What shall they drink? The waters passing through in the midst between the mountains. What shall they drink? Springs sent forth in the little valleys. And who shall drink? The beasts of the wood. We do indeed see this also in the visible creation, that the beasts of the wood drink of springs, and of streams that run between the mountains: but now since it hath pleased God to hide His own wisdom in the figures of such things, not to take it away from earnest seekers, but to close it to them that care not, and open it to them that knock; it hath also pleased our Lord God Himself to exhort you by us to this, that in all these things which are said as if of the bodily and visible creation, we may seek something spiritually hidden, in which when found we may rejoice. Tho beasts of the wood, we understand the Gentiles, and Holy Scripture witnesses this in many places. But yet two most evident proofs readily occur, namely, that in Noah's ark, by which no one of us doubts but the Church was prefigured, there would not have been included all sorts of animals, unless in that unity of structure all nations were signified: unless perchance we think that if all such things had been utterly destroyed by the deluge, God would have wanted the power to bid the earth produce them, as at His first word it had produced. Not therefore in vain, not by chance, not by any24' want in God, or lack of power, were those animals ordered to be shut up in the ark. For after that the time came; (for now we must add also another most evident testimony;) when, therefore, the time came for that which had been prefigured in the ark now to be fulfilled in the Church, Peter the Apostle, hesitating to give the Sacrament of the Gospel to uncircumcised Gentiles; nay, not doubting, but altogether thinking it was not to be given; on a certain day being hungry, when he wished to dine, went up to pray. This in the Acts of the Apostles is known to all that read well and hear well. He, then, praying, there came on him that transport of mind which the Greeks call ecstasis; that is, his mind was turned from corporeal usage to contemplate a certain vision, being transported out of present things. Then he saw a certain vessel, like a sheet, let down by four cords from Heaven, where were all animals, beasts of every kind; and a voice sounded to him, Peter 9 kill and eat. But he, who had been instructed in the Law, and had grown up in Jewish practice, and held the commandment given through Moses the servant of God, and had kept it faithfully all his life, answered, Far be it from me9 O Lord; never did any thing common enter into my mouth. But that * common' means unclean with the Jews and with the Law, they know well who have studied the learning of the Church. And the voice said to him, What God hath chosen, that call not thou unclean. But this was done thrice, and that circle1 was taken away, which was shewn thrice let down from Heaven. The circle that was held by four lines, is the round world, in its four parts. These four parts Scripture doth often mention, the East and the West, the North and the South. Therefore because the whole world was called by the Gospel, four Gospels were written. But the vessel thrice let down from Heaven signifies this, that it was said to the Apostles, Go ye, and baptize all nations, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost Thence is formed, as^e already know, also the number twelve, the number of the Disciples, For it was not without cause that He would have twelve: and so consecrated was that number, that in the place of one that fell there could not be but another ordained. Wherefore twelve Apostles? For because there are four parts of the world, and the whole world was called in the Gospel, whence four Gospels were written, and the whole world is called in the name of the Trinity, that the Church may be gathered; four taken thrice, make twelve. Let us not therefore wonder if of those waters passing in the midst between the mountains, in that teaching of the Apostles which flows in the midst, because of the agreement of communion, all beasts of the field drink. For all wTere in the ark, all in the round vessel; all doth Peter kill and eat; because Peter is the rock, the rock the Church. What is it to kill and eat? To kill in them that they were, and to take them into one's own bowels. Thou hast persuaded a pagan to leave his sacrileges, thou hast slain that he was: by giving him the Sacrament of Christ, thou hast taken him into the body of the Church, thou hast eaten him.

3. These beasts, then, drink those waters, but passing; not staying, but passing; for all that teaching which in all this time is dispensed passeth. Thence the Apostle saith, Both knowledge shall be done away, and prophecy shall be macie voidu Wherefore shall those things be made void f For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be made void. Unless perchance your Love thinketh that in that city to which it is said, Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem* praise thy God, O Sion; for He hath made strong the bars of thy gates; when the bars are now-strengthened and the city closed, whence, as we said some How we shall enjoy the Word of God hereafter. time since, no friend goeth out, no enemy eritereth; that there we shall have a book to read, or speech to be ex plained as it is now explained to you. Therefore is it now treated, that there it may be held fast: therefore is it now divided by syllables, that there it may be contemplated whole and entire. The Word of God will not be wanting there: bitf yet not by letters, not by sounds, not by books, not by a reader, not by an expositor. How then? As, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word uws with God, and the Word was God. For He did not so come to us as to depart from thence; because He was in this world, and the world was made by Him. Such a Word are we to contemplate. For the God of gods shall appear in Zion. But this when? After our pilgrimage, when the journey is done: if however after our journey is done we be not delivered to the Judge, that the Judge may send us to prison. But if when our journey is ended, as we hope, and wish, and endeavour, we shall have reached our Country, there shall we contemplate What we shall ever praise; nor shall That fail Which is present to us, nor we, who enjoy: nor shall he be cloyed that eateth, nor shall that fail which he eateth. Great and wonderful shall be that contemplation, and who speaketh worthily of it in this time, while the waters flow between the mountains? In the mean time, therefore, let the waters flow between the mountains, and pass: when the waters pass through, there is drink for us in our pilgrimage, lest for thirst on the way we faint. All the beasts of the wood shall drink. Thence ye came, from the wood ye were gathered. And what a wood? No man used to pass there, because no prophet had been sent thither. But to build the Ark, timbers of the wood were cut: thence were the timbers, thence the beasts, thence ye came. Therefore drink. All the beasts of the wood shall drink*

4. The onagers shall take for their thirst. By onagers he meaneth some great beasts. For who knoweth not that wild asses are called onagers? He meaneth, therefore, some great untrained ones. For the Gentiles had no yoke of the Law: many nations lived after their own customs, ranging in proud boastfulness as in a wilderness. And so indeed did all the beasts, but the wild asses are put to signify the greater sort. They too shall drink for their thirst, for for them too the waters flow. Thence drinks the hare, thence the wild ass: the hare little, the wild ass great; the hare timid, the wild ass fierce: either sort drinks thence, but each for his thirst. The water doth not say, ' I am enough for the hare,' and refuse the wild ass; nor doth it say, ' Let the wild ass come, the ha,re, if he cometh, shall be swept away.' So faithfully and gently doth it flow, as at once to satisfy the wild ass, and not to alarm the hare. The sound of Tully's voice rings out, Cicero is read, it is some book, it is a dialogue of his, whether his own, or Plato's, or by whatever such writer: some hear that are unlearned, weak ones of less mind; who dareth to aspire to such a thing? It is a sound of water, and that perchance turbid, but certainly flowing so violently, that a limid animal dare not draw near and drink. For whom hath sounded, In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth, and he hath not dared to drink? To whom soundeth a Psalm, and he saith, It is too much for me? Behold now what the Psalm soundeth; certainly they are hidden mysteries, yet so it soundeth, that even children are delighted to hear, and the unlearned come to drink, and when filled burst forth in singing. These drink, then, lesser hearts and greater; but the greater more largely, because the wild asses shall take for their thirst. Let the lesser drink that which is said, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ hath loved the Church. Let the women be subject to their own husbands. Let the lesser drink. It was said unto the Lord, Is it lawful to put away a wife for every cause? The Lord forbade, and said that it was not lawful. Know ye not, said He, that God from the beginning made them male and female? What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Then He added,

Whosoever shall have put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and if he shall have taken another, he committeth adultery.

He hath confirmed the word: this is expedient to him that is bound; he should have looked to it sooner not i0 be bound. Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. If thou art not yet a wild ass, and art free from a wife, thou hast there what thou mayest drink even as a hare: and if thou shall have taken a wife, thou hast not sinned. But when the Disciples heard it said by the Lord, that it was not lawful for marriages to be loosed in any wise except for the cause of fornication, If such,M*t\99 they said, is the case with a wife, it is not expedient to take one. But are only the wild asses to drink? Not all men receive this saying, many receive it not. And who are they that receive it? The wild asses shall take for their thirst, ib. What is, The wild asses shall take for their thirst? "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

5. Then the Psalm goes on in its text, (ver. 12.) Upon them1 the fowls of the heaven shall inhabit. Upon which? Upon the wild asses, or rather upon the mountains? For from them the sense runs, In the midst between the mountains the waters shall pass through; all the beasts of the wood shall drink; the wild asses shall take for their thirst: upon them the fowls of the air shall have their habitation. We more suitably understand it, upon the mountains, because this is also like this creation. Upon the mountains fowls may inhabit, not upon wild asses: this we should understand, if necessity compelled. Upon the mountains, then, the fowls of the air shall have their habitation. We see these birds dwell upon the mountains, but many of them dwell in plains, many in valleys, many in groves, many in gardens, not all upon mountains. There are some fowls that dwell not save on the mountains. Some spiritual souls doth this name denote. Fowls are spiritual hearts, which enjoy the free air. In the clearness of heaven these birds delight, yet their feeding is on the mountains, there will they dwell. Ye know the mountains, they have been already treated of. Mountains are Prophets, mountains are Apostles, mountains are all preachers of the truth. Whosoever would be spiritual, there let him dwell: let him not wander away in his own heart; let him inhabit, let him carry by flying. We have birds that signify something spiritual. It is not in vain that it is said, Thy youth sliall be renewed like the eagle's. Not in vain is it said oi#ejiA6t Abraham, But the birds he divided not. Abraham, in that very mystical sacrifice, took three animals,, a ram of three years old, a heifer of three years old, a she goat of three years old, and a turtle dove and a pigeon. The ram was divided, and the parts placed opposite each other; the she goat was divided, and equally the parts were placed opposite one another; the heifer was divided, and it was done in like manner with its flesh: and the Scripture hath added, but the birds he divided not. Then it is said, a ram of three years old, a heifer of three years old, a she goat of three years old; of the age of the birds there is no mention. Whence, I pray you, but that in the birds are denoted some spiritual ones, whose temporal age is therefore not named, because they meditate on eternal things, and in longing and understanding go beyond all temporal things? Spiritual men are they that judge of all things, and are judged of no man: therefore they alone are not divided into heresies and schisms. In the ram are understood they that are set over others, for they lead the flocks. In the cow is understood the common people of the Jews, for it had the yoke of the Law, under which it laboured. In the she goat is understood the Church from the Gentiles; for it used to leap with a kind of free springings, and to feed on the bitter wild olive. These animals were said to be of three years old, because in the third period grace was revealed. For the first was before the Law; the second from the time the Law was given; the third, that which now is, since the kingdom of Heaven hath been preached. What then do we say, that the ram is not divided? Have not bishops been authors of schisms and heresies? Then, however, if the people themselves had not been divided, that is, if the cow were not divided, they might perchance have been put to shame in their divisions, and returned to the bond of unity. The leaders are divided, the peoples are also divided, that the blind may follow the blind, and they may fall together into the ditch; they are placed opposite one another. But the birds he divided not: spiritual men have no division, they do not think of schisms: there is peace in them, they keep it in others as much as they can; when they fail in others, they keep it in themselves. If there shall be there, He saith, a son of peace, your peace shall rest upon him: if not, it shall return unto you. He is not a son of peace, he hath chosen The carnal divided, and judged by the furnace. 105 to be divided, thy peace shall return unto thee; because the birds he divided not. The furnace also shall come, for Abraham sat there until the evening, and the great terror of the Day of Judgment came. For that evening is the end of the world, and that furnace that came the Day of Judgment. The furnace also divided between the midst of those things thaj were divided. If the furnace passed between the midst of them, it separated some to the right, others to the left. There are therefore some that are carnal, and yet are held in the bosom of the Church, living after a certaiu manner of their own, for whom we fear lest they be seduced by heretics. For as long as they are carnal, they are liable to division. The birds, that is, he divided not: the carnal are divided. / could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. And how is it proved that carnal ones come to be divided? He addeth, for when each one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? I ask you, brethren, listen, and improve; shake yourselves out of the carnal place, go to the turtle dove and the pigeou; for the birds he divided not. But whosoever shall have remained such, and after a certain manner of life suited to the carnal, and not departed from the bosom of the Church, and not been led away by heretics, so as to be divided on the contrary part, the furnace shall come, and he will not be able to be put on the right side without the furnace. But if he would not suffer the furnace, let him go to the turtle dove and the pigeon. He that can receive it, let him receive it. But if it shall not be so, and he shall have built on the foundation wood, hay, stubble, that is, hath built worldly attachments on the foundation of his faith; yet if Christ be in the foundation, so that He have the first place in the heart, and nothing absolutely is preferred to Him; even such are borne, even such are tolerated. The furnace shall come, it shall burn the wood, the hay, the stubble: But himself, he saith, shall be saved, yet so as by fire. This shall the furnace do, some it shall sever to the left, others it shall in a manner melt out to the right. But the birds he divided not. But let the birds see whether they are such birds as dwell upon those mountains: they must not follow the height of their own heart, like those of which it is said, They have set their mouth unto heaven. Lest they be taken up by the winds, let them rest on the mountains. They have the authority of the Saints, let them rest on the mountains, on the Apostles, on the Prophets: there let such birds dwell, because in the mountains they find rocks, certain firm places of commandments. For as that One Rock is Christ, the WorcU>f God, so are many words of God, many rocks, and those rocks in the mountains. Behold, the birds there dwelling: upon them the fowls of heaven shall have their habitation.

6. But think not that those fowls of heaven follow their own authority; see what the Psalm saith: From the midst of the rocks they shall give their voice. Now, if I shall say to you, Believe, for this said Cicero, this said Plato, this said Pythagoras: which of you will not laugh at me? For I shall be a bird that shall send forth my voice not from the rock. What ought each one of you to say to me? what ought he who is thus instructed to say? If any one shall have preached unto you a gospel other than that ye have received, let him be anathema. What dost thou tell me of Plato, and of Cicero, and of Virgil? Thou hast before thee the rocks of the mountains, from the midst of the rocks give me thy voice. From the midst of the rocks they shall give their voice. Let them be heard, who hear from the rock: let them be heard, because also in those many rocks the One Rock is heard: for the Rock was Christ. Let them therefore be willingly heard, giving their voice from the midst of the rocks. Nothing is sweeter than such a voice of birds. They sound, and the rocks resound: they sound; spiritual men discuss: the rocks resound, testimonies of Scripture give answer. Lo! thence the fowls give their voice from the midst of the rocks, for they dwell on the mountains.

7. The mountains themselves, and those rocks, whence have they a voice? For that we may be watered with the Scriptures, we fly to the Apostle Paul. Whence hath he them? We fly to Isaiah. Isaiah whence? Hear whence. (Ver. 13.) Watering the mountains from the higher places. Now if a Gentile uncircumcised man comes to us, about to believe in Christ, we give him baptism, and do not call him back to those works of the Law. And if a Jew asks us why we do that, we sound from the rock, we say, This Peter did, this Paul did: from the midst of the rocks we give our voice. Rut that rock, Peter himself, that great mountain, when he prayed and saw that vision, was watered from above. Paul the Apostle saith to the Gentiles, If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Paul saith this as a mountain: ^hence we say it, sounding from the rock. Let the Lord water the rock itself from His higher places. For when that rock was yet rough in unbelief, willing to bedew it from His higher places, that water might flow in the valley, He cried, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? He did not read to him a Prophet, He did not read to him another Apostle; for the great mountain would despise all those things: He watered him from his higher places; and immediately, when watered, and willing to flow, Lord, heib. said, what biddest Thou me to do f Take that mountain or rock, whence thou mayest be able to give thy voice; take him, and see him watered from above, and flowing out below. Hear this also in one place. Whether, he saith, we be out of our minds unto God, or whether we be sober unto5' you. What he saith, we be out of our minds, ye cannot understand. For we have gone out of all those carnal things, ye are yet carnal. To God, therefore, we have gone out of our minds, and what we see when we are out of our minds, we cannot utter. For there he heard unutterable words, which it is not permitted a man to speak. What12' then, say those carnal ones, those hares, are we not to be watered? shall nothing come to us? And how doth He send out springs in the little vallies? and how in the midst between the mountains shall the waters pass? To this therefore belongs, whether we be sober unto you. Whence is this? Whom do we imitate? The love of Christ, he saith, compelleth us. Thou a partaker of the word, although today spiritual, yesterday carnal, disdain est thou to descend to the carual, when the Word Itself was made Jlesh, to dwell among us.

8. Let us therefore bless the Lord, and praise Him Who watereth the mountains from the higher places. Thence shall come watering for the earth, thence also the low places shall be satisfied. For He proceedeth,

From the fruit °f Thy works shall the earth be satisfied. What is, From the fruit of Thy works f Let no man glory in his own works: but he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. With Thy grace he is satisfied, when he is satisfied: let him not say that grace was given for his own merits. If it is called grace, it is gratuitously given; if it is returned for works, wages are paid. Freely therefore recede, because ungodly thou art justified. From the fruit of Thy works the earth shall be satisfied.

9. Ver. 14. Bringing forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. This is true, I perceive; I recognise the creation: the earth doth bring forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. But I perceive other cattle of the Lord also, which are signified by the words, Tliou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn: for one of these very cattle saith, Doth God take care for oxen? For our sakes therefore the Scripture saith it. How then doth the earth bring forth grass for the cattle? Because the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. He preachers, saying unto them, Eat such things as are set before you of them: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. For when He had said, Eat such things as are set before you; that they might not say, Shall we be importunate beggars at other men's tables when we are in want, wilt Thou have us so shameless? No, He replieth, it is not their gift, but your wages. Wages for what? What do they give, and what do they receive? They give spiritual, they receive carnal things; they give gold, they receive grass. For, All is grass; and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. All the temporal things whereof thou hast abundance and superfluity are the grass of the cattle. Why? Because they are carnal? Hear unto what cattle the grass doth belong. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? This the Apostle said, a preacher so laborious, so indefatigable, so well tried, that he giveth this very grass to the earth. Nevertheless, he saith, we have not used this power. He sheweth that it is due to him, yet he received it not; nor hath he condemned those who have received what was due. For those were to be condemned who exact what is not due, not they who accept their recompense: yet he gave up even his own recompense. Thou dost not cease to owe to another, because one hath given up his dues, otherwise thou wilt not be the watered earth which bringeth forth grass for the cattle. Ttie earth, he saith, shall be filled with the fruit of Thy works, bringing forth grass for the cattle. Be not thou barren, bring forth grass for the cattle: if the cattle decline thy grass, nevertheless let them not find thee barren. Thou receivest spiritual things, give carnal things in return: to the soldier they are due, to the soldier thou returnest them; thou art the paymaster6 of Christ. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth9'7m&c' a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the fiock? lib. speak not thus, that it should be so done unto me. There has been such a soldier as gave up his rations of food even to the paymaster: yet let the paymaster pay the rations. But to use the figure of this Psalm, I will call them cattle: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn. Bringing forth, he saith, grass for the cattle;25* and as if in exposition of this he addeth, and green herb for the service of men: lest thou shouldest not understand the words, it bringeth forth grass for the cattle, he hath by the repetition explained what he placed first. For the word green herb answereth to grass: and for the cattle findeth its equivalent in for the service of men. For the service then, and not for freedom. What meaneth then, ye haveGxVs, been called unto liberty? But hear the very same Apostle; though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To whom7"""19, said he, Ye have been called unto liberty? and what hath he added? Only use not liberty for an occasion to the fiesh, but by love serve one another. Those whom he had called1**" free, he maketh servants; not by their condition, but by Christ's redemption; not by necessity, but by love; By love, he saith, serve one another. But, he saith, we serve Christ mutually: not the people, not the carnal, not the weak. Thou servest Christ well, if thou servest those whom Christ hath served. Was it not said of Him, well serving many? It is a Prophet we read: it is usually understood of none save Christ. Nevertheless, let us hear actua* words in the Gospel: Whosoever, He saith, will be chief among you, let him be your servant. He hath made thee my servant, who made thee free with His own blood. Say this to us, for ye say the tr^h. Hear Him in another passage: but ourselves your servants for Jesus* sake. Love well your servants, but in your Lord. May He enable us to serve well! For whether we will or no, we are servants: and, nevertheless, if we are willing, we serve not by compulsion, but from love. The servant's pride seemed in some measure offended, when our Lord said, Whosoever shall be great among you, let him be your minister. For the sons of Zebedee were already seeking the highest seats; one wished to sit on the right hand, the other on the left, expressing through their mother their own desires. The Lord did not grudge them those seats, but first He shewed the valley of lamentation, as much as if He said, Ye wish to reach unto where I am? Come by the same path as I. What is, Come by the same path as I? By humility. I descended from on high, and having been humbled, I ascend: I found you on earth, and ye wish to fly before ye be fed; first be reared, brought up, bear to be in the nest. For what said He? How did He recal those to humility, who were already seeking exaltation? Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink oft They, proud even in this, reply, We are able. Just as Peter said, / will go with Ihee, even unto death. Valiant man he was, until a woman said, This man also was with them. Thus they also: We are able. Are ye able? We are able t And He then Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, although ye cannot now, ye shall drink indeed; as He said unto Peter, Thou canst not follow Me now; but thou shalt follow Me afterwards. Ye shall indeed drink of My cup; but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give. What meaneth, Is not Mine to give i It is not Mine to give to the proud. At present ye to whom I speak are proud; on this account I said, It is not Mine to give. But perhaps they might say, We will be humble. In that case ye will not be The reward of giving to those who work for Him. Ill yourselves: I said, to you. I said not, I will not give to the humble, but I will not give to the proud. But he who from having been proud hath become humble, is not the man he

10. The preachers of the word then are both cattle and servants. Let the earth, if it hath been watered, bring forth grass Jor the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. For this is the fruit, that what was said in the Gospel may happen, That they may receive you into everlasting Ao«-Luke bitations. Beware what thou dost with the grass, beware what thou buyest for this poor stuff. That they may receive you, He saith, into everlasting habitations: where they will be themselves, there they will receive you. Wherefore this? Because, he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous maris reward; and4*' he that receiveth a Prophet in the name qf a Prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one qf these little ones a cup of cold water, only in the name qf a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. What reward shall he not lose? u They shall receive you into everlasting habitations." Who would not hasten? who would not run more eagerly? If ye are earth, be watered with the fruit of God's works: say not, There are none with whom we may deal thus; our preachers, the cattle who tread out the corn, the men who serve, have no need of us. Make enquiry nevertheless, whether there be no man that wanteth: lastly, let him who wanteth not, find in thee what he may not wish to receive. For he receiveth good 'will, while thou receivest peace; for though he desireth not a gift, yet he require th a return of fruit. Enquire, however, lest there be any that may want: and say not, if he ask, I will give. Dost thou then wait for him to ask? Dost thou feed God's cattle, as a passing beggar? Thou givest him when he asketh, because it is written, Give to every man that asketh of thee. What is written of this man? Blessed is the man that consider 'eth^ the poor and needy. Seek for some one unto whom to give: for, blessed is the man that comidereth the poor and needy, who doth anticipate the words of him who is about to beg. If the soldiers of Christ are so poor among you, that they even beg: beware lest they judge you, before they beg. How, thou sayest, am I to enquire? Be inquisitive, provident; look before thyself, mark whence each man liveth, whence his subsistence, whence his means; this inquisitiveness of thine will not be blamed; thou wilt be earth that bringelh forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. Be inquisitive, and consider the poor a^nd needy. One man cometh to thee to beg; anticipate another, that he may not beg. For as it is said respecting him who seeketh thee, Give to every man that asketh of thee; so is it said of him whom thou shouldest search for: let alms toil in thy hand, until thou find a righteous man to give them to. For since thou must give to these poor also when they beg; for God hath not withheld alms from them, since Christ saith of them, When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the lame, the maimed, the blind; who have no means to recompense thee; and thou shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just: invite these even, feed these even; feast, when they feast; be delighted when they are being satisfied; they with thy bread, thou with the righteousness of God. Let no man tell you: Christ commanded that it be given to the servant of God, not given to the beggar. God forbid; such are the words of a very wicked man. Give to the one, but much more to the other. For the one doth beg, and at the sound of his begging thou dost recognise one unto whom thou mayest give: but the less the other doth beg, the more must thou watch to anticipate his begging: or perhaps he will not beg now, and at a future time will condemn thee. Be therefore, my brethren, inquisitive respecting these things; ye will find want in many servants of God, only if ye have the will to find. But ye find not, because ye are pleased with the excuse, in which ye like to -say, we knew not of any.

11. Our Lord Himself had money bags, in which what was needful was put, and money was possessed for the uses of those who were with Him and His: for the Evangelist when he said, He was an hungred, spake no untruth. He chose to be hungry on thy account, that thou mightest not be hungry in Him, Who became poor, when He was rich, that by His poverty we might be enriched. He had money-bags; and it is said of certain religious women, that they walked on the track of His evangelizing feet, and min istered unto Him of their own §ubstance. These women are mentioned by name in the Gospel; among them was also one the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward. Consider what^ul[e8» was the reason of this. Paul was to come after, who never sought any such aid, and who granted all to the paymasters1. But sincemany weak ones were doomed to seek this relief, Christ preferred to represent the weak. Paul was very exalted in his conduct; was he more so than Christ? Christ was the more exalted, for His act was more merciful. For since He saw that Paul would not seek this aid, He provided that he who should seek ft should not be condemned, and gave an example to the weak; just as, when He saw many would eagerly and joyfully go to the Martyrdom of suffering, would exult in the suffering, itself, brave ones, men of a hundred-fold fruit ripe for (he barn; yet He chose to represent those weak ones in His Passion, who He saw might be disturbed by their destined Martyrdom, that they might not faint, but rather join their human will to the will of the Creator; saying, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death; and again, 0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me! He hath taught us what the weak one would say, but in the following verse He hath shewn what the weak man should do: nevertheless, not as /Mat.26, will, but as Thou wilt, Father. As therefore in His38,39, Passion He sustained the person of the weak, which was prefigured in His body, since these too are His limbs; for it was not said without meaning, Thine eyes did see #iyPs-i39, substance, yet being imperfect: and in Thy book shall they all be written: thus in keeping money-bags, and exacting in a certain manner provision, not to be sought 2, but rather paid as due, He took on Him indigence. Zacchaeus received Him, and with joyfulness. To whom was this a blessing? To Christ, or to Zacchaeus? Verily, if Zacchaeus received Him not, would there be no place where the Creator of the**?' world might remain? or if Zacchaeus fed Him not, would He be in want, who filled so many thousands of men with five loaves? When therefore any man receiveth a saint, it is not bestowed upon the person who is received* but upon him who receiveth. Was not Elias fed in that famine? did not tne raven bring bread and meat, the creature serving the servant of God? Yet he was sent to the widow to be fed; not that aught might be bestowed upon the soldier, but upon thte paymaster.

12. Since then, brethren, we were speaking of feeding the poor; although our Lord had money-bags, yet when He said to Judas who was about to betray Him, what thou dost, do quickly; the rest, who did not understand what He had said, imagined that He had ordered him to prepare somewhat to be given to the poor. For he had the moneybags; this is written in the Gospel. Could they have supposed thus, had it not been usual with our Lord? But of what then was given, and put into the bags, charity was bestowed on those poor, who God taught were not to be despised. But if thou despisest not the poor man, how much less wilt thou despise the ox by whom this floor is threshed? how much less wilt thou despise thine own servant? He is not in want of meat; perhaps he is of clothes. He wanteth not clothes, perhaps he wanteth a roof, perhaps he is building a church, perhaps he is designing somewhat useful in the house of God; he expecteth that thou wilt heed, and consider the poor and needy. Thou, on the contrary, hard, stony earth, unwatered, or watered in vain, dost reserve this excuse to thyself. I was not aware of it, I knew it not: no man told me. No man told thee! Christ ceaseth not to tell thee: the Prophet ceaseth not to tell thee: Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy. Thou seest not the empty chest of thy spiritual master: yet thou surely seest the rising fabric, into which thou art to enter and to pray. Is not this brought before thine eyesm? Unless, perhaps, ye imagine that your pastors are laying up treasures: yet we have known many who lay not up treasure, in want of daily necessaries, of whom no one believes this; whom ye also might find, if ye were zealous, if ye would look round, if ye would watch for occasion of yielding fruit. I have said what I could, in what measure I could. But I suppose ye are well aware, that, as the Apostle saith, we What is a fruitful soil. The cup of God. 115 are not speaking thus, that ye may deal thus towards us. May God grant that I may not have spoken this in vain! May God grant that ye may be a watered soil, not a stony one, like that of the Jews, whence they deserved to receive tables of stone; but a fruitful soil, a soil which when watered, may yield return to the farmer! Even they with that^stony heart, an emblem of which were their tablets of stone, gave a tenth. Ye even groan, and yet there is no issue. If ye groan, travail: if ye travail, bring forth. Why are your groans in vain? why are they barren? Your bowels are wrung: is there nothing within to come forth? He watereth the hills from His higher places: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of Thy works. Blessed are they who do so; blessed are they who hear these words and bear fruit; blessed are they who cry not out in vain. The earth shall be filled with the fruit of Thy works: it bringeth forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. Why so? Tliat it may bring forth bread out of the earth. What bread? Christ. Out of what earth? From Peter, from Paul, from the other stewards of the truth. Hear that it is from the earth: We have, saith St. Paul, this treasure *V&-2Cor.4, earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be qf^' Odd, and not of us. He is the bread Who descended from heaven, that He might be brought forth out of the earth, when He is preached through the flesh of His servants. The earth bringeth forth grass, that it may bring forth bread from the earth. What earth bringeth forth grass? Pious,41, holy nations. That bread may be brought forth out of what earth? The word of God out of the Apostles, out of the stewards of God's Sacraments, who still walk upon the earth, who still carry an earthly body.

13. Ver. 15. And wine maketh glad the heart of man. Let no man prepare himself for intoxication; nay, let every man prepare him for intoxication. How excellent is Thy cup which maketh drunk I We choose not to say, Let no man be drunk. Be intoxicated; yet beware, from what source. If the excellent cup of the Lord doth intoxicate you, your intoxication shall be seen in your works, it shall be seen in the holy love of righteousness, it shall, lastly, be seen in the estrangement of your mind, but from things earthly to heavenly. To make him a cheerful countenance with oil. I see wn&t land it is, and how much fruit it beareth, if it bear grass for the cattle. Those servants sell not what they give; for they are not sellers of the Gospel; freely they give, since freely they have received. They rejoice in your good works; for this is profitable for you; for they seek not a gift, but desire fruit. What is the making the countenance cheerful with oil? The grace of God; a sort of stiining for manifestation; as the Apostle saith, The Spirit is given to every man for manifestation. A certain grace which men can clearly see in men, to conciliate holy love, is termed oil, for its divine splendour; and since it appeared most excellent in Christ, the whole world loveth Him; Who though while here He was scorned, is now worshipped by every nation: For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall he Governor among the people. For such is His grace, that many, who do not believe on Him, praise Him, and declare that they are unwilling to believe on Him, because no man can fulfil what He doth command. They who with reproaches once raged against Him, are hindered by His very praises. Yet by all is He loved, by all is He preached; because He is excellently anointed, therefore He is Christ: for He is called Christ from the Chrism or anointing which He had. Messiah in the Hebrew, Christ in the Greek, Unctus in the Latin: but He anointeth over His whole Body. All therefore who come, receive grace, that their countenances may be made glad with oil.

14. And bread strengthened man9s heart. What is this, brethren? As it were, he hath forced us to understand what bread he was speaking of. For while that visible bread strengthen eth the stomach, feedeth the belly, there is another bread which strengtheneth the heart, in that it is the bread of the heart. For he had said of the bread above, to bring forth bread out of the earth, but he had not said what sort of bread that was. And wine maketh glad the heart of man. Seemingly he here speaketh of spiritual wine; for that maketh glad the heart of man. But let it as yet be thought to mean this wine, because the drunken seem as it were to appear glad in heart. Would that they would rejoice, and not quarrel! Thou sayest to me, What is more joyful than Bread for the heart. Cedars of God. 117 an intoxicated man? vea, what is more insane than a drunken man? what usually is more irritable? There is therefore a wine that truly maketh glad the heart, and knoweth not to do aught else than to gladden the heart. But that thou mayest not imagine that this indeed should be taken of the spiritual wine, but not of that spiritual bread; He hath shewn this very point, that it is also spiritual: and bread, he saith, strengtheneth man's heart. So understand it therefore of the bread as thou dost understand it of the wine; hunger inwardly, thirst inwardly: Blessed are they, saith our Lord, who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. That bread is righteousness, that wine is righteousness: it is truth, Christ is truth. I am, He said, the living bread, Who came down from heaven; and, I am the Vine, and ye are the branches. And bread strengthened man's heart. »

15. Ver. 16. The trees of the plain shall be satisfied: but with this grace, brought forth out of the earth. The trees of the plain, are the lower orders of the nations. And the cedars of Libanus which He hath planted. The cedars of Libanus, the powerful in the world, shall themselves be filled. The bread, and wine, and oil of Christ hath reached senators, nobles, kings; the trees of the plain are filled. First the humble are filled; next also the cedars of Libanus, yet those which He hath planted; pious cedars, religious faithful; for such hath He planted. For the ungodly also are cedars of Libanus; for, The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus. For Libanus is a mountain: there are those trees, even according to the letter most long-lived and most excellent. But Libanus is interpreted, as we read in those who have written of these things, a brightness; and this brightness seemeth to belong to this world, which at present shine th and is refulgent with its pomps. There are the cedars of Libanus, which the Lord hath planted; those which the Lord hath planted shall be filled. For, saith our Lord, Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

And the cedars of Libanus which He hath planted.

16. Ver. 17. There shall the sparrows build their nests: their leader is the house of the coot. Where shall the sparrows build? In the cedars of Libanus. We have already heard what the cedars of Libanus are, nobles of the world, exalted in race, in power, in honours r and the cedars themselves are rilled, those which He Himself hath planted. In these cedars the sparrows build their nests. Who are the sparrows? Sparrows are birds indeed, and fowls of the air, but small fowls are wont to be called sparrows. There are therefore some spiritual ^)nes that build in the cedars of Libanus: that is, there are certain servants of God who hear in the Gospel, Sell all that thou hasty and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me. And not only have the great beard this, but the humble have also heard, and the humble have chosen to do this also, and to be spiritual; not to be connected with wives, and tormented with the care of sons; not to have habitations of their own to bind them down, but to betake themselves to a sort of common life. But what have these sparrows resigned? For the little ones of this world are like sparrows. What have they resigned? what great thing have they resigned? One man hath turned himself, hath left the poor hut of his father, hardly one bed and one chest, yet he hath turned himself, he hath become a sparrow, he hath sought spiritual things. Well, very well; let us not mock him, let us not say, thou hast resigned nothing. Let him who hath resigned many things, not be proud. We know that Peter was a fisherman: what then could he give up, to follow our Lord? Or his brother Andrew, or John and James the sons of Zebedee, themselves also fishermen; and yet what <jid tney sav p Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee. Our Lord said not to him, Thou hast forgotten thy poverty; what hast thou resigned, that thou should est receive the: whole world? He, my brethren, who resigned not only what he had, but also what he longed to have, resigned much. For what poor man doth not swell with hope of this life? Who doth not daily desire to increase what he hath? That desire was cut off: it was exceeding all bounds, it received a limit, and yet was nothing resigned? Peter did indeed resign the whole world: and Peter did indeed receive the whole world. They were like men who had nothing, aud yet possessed all things* Many do this; Cedars give the sparrows rest, but do not rule them. 119 men who have little act thus, and come and become useful sparrows. They seem small: because they have not the loftiness of secular dignity: they build their nests in the cedars of Li ban us. For the cedars of Libanus also, the noble, and rich, and exalted of this world, since they hear with awe the words, Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy; take thought on their own possessions, their villas, and all their superfluous wealth, by which they seem exalted, and they give them to the servants of God; they give lands, they give gardens, they build churches, monas-teries, collect sparrows, that the sparrows may build in the cedars of Libanus. Therefore the cedars of Libanus which the Lord hath planted are filled, and therein shall the sparrows build their nests. Observe the whole earth, and see whether it be not thus. That I might speak these things, I have not only believed, but I have also seen; I have learned by my experience to understand. Ye who know, ask over the broadest lands, and see in how many cedars of Libanus those sparrows, of whom I have spoken, build.

17. But nevertheless, my brethren, if these sparrows are spiritual, although they may build their nests in the cedars of Libanus, they ought not to esteem at too high a rate the cedars of Libanus, and to think those above them by whom their necessaries are supplied. For they are sparrows; but those are cedars of Libanus. Therefore the cootsy house is the leader of the sparrows. Although the sparrows may build in the cedars of Libanus, yet the cedars of Libanus are not the chiefs of the sparrows. Behold the trees of the plain, all nations shall be filled; and the cedars of Libanus, planted by the Lord, all the noble and exalted ones who are faithful, shall be filled. There, that is, in the cedars of Libanus, shall the sparrows build. They shall devote the branches of their wealth to gathering together the little spiritual ones. They bestow these things, the cedars of Libanus which the Lord hath planted do these things; they do so, and they do so willingly; they know what they are doing, and they know what they receive. But although the sparrows will build in the cedars of Libanus, the house of the coot is their leader. What is the house of the coot? The coot, as we all know, is a water bird, dwelling either among the marshes, or on the 8ea# I* haxh rarely or never a home on the shore; but in places in the midst of the waters, and thus usually in rocky islets, surrounded by the waves. We therefore understand that the rock is the fit home of the coot, it never dwelleth more securely than on the rock. On what sort of rock? One placed in the sea. And if it is beaten by the waves, yet it breaketh the waves, is not broken by them: this is the excellency of the rock in the sea. How great waves beat on our Lord Jesus Christ? The Jews dashed against Him; they were broken, He remained whole. And let every one who doth imitate Christ, so dwell in this world, that is, in this sea, where he cannot but feel storms and tempests, that he may yield to no wind, to no wave, but remain whole, while he meets them all. The home of the coot, therefore, is both strong and weak. The coot hath not a home on lofty spots; nothing is more firm and nothing more humble than that home. Sparrows build indeed in cedars, on account of actual need: but they hold that rock as their leader, which is beaten by the waves, and yet not broken; for they imitate the sufferings of Christ. And if perchance the cedars of Libanus shall be angry, and have caused any trouble or scandal to God's servants in their boughs, the sparrows indeed will fly from thence; but woe to the cedar that abideth without the nests of the sparrows. For the sparrows shall not suffer shipwreck, they shall not perish; because the house of the coot is their leader.

18. Ver. 18. What then folio weth? The loftiest hills are for the stags. The stags are mighty, spiritual, passing in their course over all the thorny places of the thickets and woods. He maketh my feet like harts* feet, and setteth me up on high. Let them hold to the lofjy hills, the lofty commandments of God; let them think on sublime subjects, let them hold those which stand forth most in the Scriptures, let them be justified in the highest: for those loftiest hills are for the stags. What of the humble beasts? what of the hare? what of the hedgehog? The hare is a small and weak animal: the hedgehog is also prickly: the one is a timid animal, the other is covered with prickles. What do the prickles signify, except sinners? He who sinneth daily, The hedgehogs and hares. The Spiritual Moon. 121 although not great sins, is covered over with the smallest prickles. In his timidity he is a hare: in his being covered with the minutest sins, he is a hedgehog: and he cannot hold those lofty and perfect commandments. For the loftiest hills are for the stags. What then? do these perish; No. For as the highest hills are for the slags, so is the rock the refuge formthe hedgehogs and the hares. For the Lord is a refuge for the poor. Place that rock upon the land, it is a refuge for hedgehogs, and for hares: place it on the sea, it is the home of the coot. Every where the rock is useful. Even in the hills it is useful: for the hills without the rock's foundation would fall into the deep. Was it not above said of the hills, There shall the fowls of Heaven have their habitation; from the midst of the rocks shall they give forth their voices? Every where therefore the rock is our refuge: whether it be raised aloft on the hills, or whether it be beaten with the waves upon the sea, it is not broken, or whether it be fixed firm upon the ground; to it the stags, to it the coot, to it the hare and the hedgehog fly. Let the hares beat their breasts, and let the hedgehogs confess their sins; although they be covered over with certain minute and daily sins, yet the Rock, which taught them to say, Forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that sin against us, is not wanting to them. The rock is the refuge for hedgehogs and hares.

19. Ver. 19. He appointed the Moon for certain seasons. We understand spiritually the Church increasing from the smallest size, and growing old as it were from the mortality of this life; yet so, that it draweth nearer unto the Sun. I speak not of this moon visible to the eye, but of that which is signified by this name. Wrhile the Church was in the dark, while she as yet appeared not, shone not forth as yet, men were led astray, and it was said, This is the Church, here is Christ; so that while the Moon was dark, they shot**'11*2' their arrows at the righteous in heart. How blind is he who now, when the Moon is full, wandereth astray? He appointed the Moon for certain seasons. For here the Church temporarily is passing away: for this subjection to death will not remain for ever: there will some time be an end of waxing and waning; it is appointed for certain seasons. And the sun knoweth his going down. And what sun is this, but that Sun of righteousness, whom the ungodly will lament on the day of judgment never having risen for them; they who will say on that day, Therefore we wandered from the way of truths and the light of righteousness shone not on us, and the sun did not arise upon us. That sun riseth for him, who understandeth Christ. But Christ doth recede from the comprehension of him, who shall have been so^angry with his brother, as to retain his ill will. Be angry, therefore, and sin not. Although charity is sometimes angry that she may chasten, she is not held guilty; since anger hath not grown so old, as to be changed into hatred. But if anger hath been changed into hatred, the sun hath gone down upon your anger. Let not the sun, therefore, go down upon your

20. Nor think, brethren, that the sun ought to be worshipped by some men, because the sun doth sometimes in the Scriptures signify Christ. For such is the madness of men; as if we said that a creature should be worshipped, when it is said, the sun is an emblem of Christ. Then worship the rock also, for it also is a type of Christ. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter: worship the lamb also, since it is a type of Christ. The Lion of the tribe °f Judah hath prevailed; worship the lion also, since it signifieth Christ. Observe how numerous are the types of Christ: all these are Christ in similitude, not in essence. Dost thou seek the essence of Christ? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Behold the essence of Christ, by which thou wast made. Wouldest thou have also that essence of His through which thou wast new made? And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The rest are similitudes. Understand, know how to hold Scripture, so that thou mayest see one thing put before thine eyes, another hinted to thy heart.

21. That Sun, therefore, we now say it without apprehension, that Sun of Righteousness, doth not without cause refuse to rise to the ungodly, even though they wish: for Wisdom herself saith, The wicked shall seek me, but they shall not me; they shall seek, and shall not find. And wherefore? For they hate wisdom. Wisdom herself speaketh, and saith, The wicked shall seek me, but they shall not find me; for wrath. How the Sun knew, L e. chose, His going down. 123 that Ihey hated wisdom. If they hate it, then, why do they seek it? They seek it, not that they may use it, but that they may be puffed up; they seek it in their discourses, but they hate it in their conduct: for the Holy Spirit of discipline will free from the hypocrite, and will withdraw Itself from6, the thoughts that are without understanding. That sun then riseth not^for the ungodly, riseth not for the wicked. But what is said of the (visible) sun? He maketh the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Concerning therefore the Sun of righteousness doth this Psalm signify somewhat mystically, for we see that these things happen in the creation even according to the appearance of things visible. The sun knoweth his going down. What meaneth this? Christ knew His Passion: the going down of Christ is the Passion of Christ. But hath the Sun gone down, so that it will not rise again? Shall notPa.41,8. He who sleepeth rise also? Hath He not said, / slept undisturbed? and is it not said of Him, Set thyself up, O Qod,P*&1fi. above the heavens? Therefore, the sun knoweth his going down: what means, Knoweth f He hath approved, it hath pleased Him. And whence do we shew that He knew it, that is, that it pleased Him? For what doth not God know? what doth not Christ know? and yet He will say unto some in the end, I know you not. As there, * I know you not,9 means not, ye are unknown to Me, but, ye please Me not; so here also, He23' knoweth His going down, meaneth His going down pleaseth Him. For if not, how would He suffer? For although a man be not pleased with his suffering, yet, since he is not that Sun, he suffers what he wishes not. But He would not suffer, unless it pleased Him; that is, unless He knew His going down, He would not go down; forasmuch as He Himself saith: / have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again; no man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. Therefore, He knoweth His going down.

22. Ver. 20, 21. What then, when the sun went down, when our Lord suffered? There was a sort of darkness with the Apostles, hope failed, in those to whom He at first seemed great, and theRedeemer of all men. How so? Thoudidstmake darkness, and it became night; wherein all the beasts of the forest shall move. The lion's whelps roaring after their prey, do seek their meat fronn God. What shall I spiritually understand by lion's whelps, save spiritual powers of wickedness? What am I to understand, save the evil demons. which demons feed upon the errors of men? For there are princes of the evil spirits, and there are some evil spirits that are contemptible. These demons seek to seduce souls, but when the Sun hath not risen; for they are^ darkness. And while the darkness is, the lion's whelps seek whom they may devour. What is said of the greater lion himself, the prince of all such lions? Know ye not that your adversary the devil goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? Therefore, seeking their meat from God; since no man can even be tempted by the devil, unless by God's permission. Holy Job was before the devil, and yet he was far from him: in aspect before him, in power removed from him. When would he have dared even to assail his flesh, or the wealth which he possessed, had he not received power? But why is power given? Either to condemn the ungodly, or to prove the pious. The Lord doth all this justly; and the devil hath not power over any man, or over aught of his, unless by His permission, whose Power is chief aud above all things. Thus neither the devil nor man hath any power over man, unless it be given from above. The Judge of the quick and the dead stood before a human judge, and that human judge prided himself when he saw Christ before him, saying, lowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and that I have power to release Thee? To which He, Who had come to teach even His judge, replied, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it icere given thee from above. Both man and the devil only injure when they have received power, and all devils also whatsoever; but they hurt not those who1 live well. To the wicked they are as nre to tne nay > to tne g°°d* as nre t0 gold. Judas was devoured as hay; Job was tried as gold. Thou didst make darkness, and it became night; wherein all the leasts of the forest shall move. Here the beasts of the forest are used in different ways: for these things are always understood in varying senses; as our Lord Himself is at one time termed a lion, at another a lamb. What is so different as Judgment in interpreting. Night the time of temptation. 125 a lion and a lamb? But what sort of lamb? One that could overcome the wolf, overcome the lion. He is the Rock, He the Shepherd, He the Gate. The Shepherd entereth by the gate: and He saith, I am the good Shepherd: and,JohniO, I am the Door of the Sheep. The term lion signifleth the3''11" Lord: as, the Lion of the tribe of Judah prevailed; andKev.5, also the devil; The young lion and the adder shcdt ThoUp8 tread unSer Thy feet. Learn thus to understand, when these things are spoken figuratively; lest perchance when ye have read that the Rock signifieth Christ, ye may understand it to mean Him in every passage. In one place it meaneth one thing, another in another, just as we can only understand the meaning of a letter by seeing its position. If thou hast heard the first letter in the word Deus, and thinkest it must always belong to it alone, thou wilt blot it out in the word Diabolus. For the word Deus beginneth with the same letter as the word Diabolus; and nothing is so far apart, as God from the devil. Consider how utterly ignorant of things both human and divine he must be, who shall say of the letter D, it ought not to be used in the beginning of the word devil; and when thou hast asked the reason, replieth, I read that letter in the name of God. Such a man is laughed at: for he is not worthy of an argument. Do not then so childishly interpret these divine things, as if any of you were to think, from my having said above that the beasts of the forest signify the Gentiles, while I now say that they signify devils and the angels of disobedience, that I am contradicting what I said before. For they are only figures, and wherever they occur, are explained by the context they havea. Wherein shall all the beasts of the forest move. Where? In the night which the Lord hath made, for the sun knoweth his going down. The lion's whelps roaring after their prey, do seek their meat from God. Justly then our Lord, when nigh unto His going down, the very Sun of Righteousness recognising His going down, said to His disciples, as if darkness being about to come, the lion would roam about to seek whom he might devour, that that lion could devour no man, unless with leave: Simon, said He, this night SatanLukeM, hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. Btti I J*ave prayed/or thee, that thy faith fail not. When Peter thrice denied, was he not already between the lion's teeth? 77ie lion's whelps roaring after their prey, do seek their meat from God.

23. Ver. 22. The Sun hath arisen. He Who said, / have power to lay down My life, and I have power £o take it again; knew His going down, and laid down His life: the Sun arose, and He took it again. The Sun arose, because the Sun went down, but the Sun was not extinguished. Still unto those who understand not Christ it is night. Still to them the Sun hath not risen: let them press on, that they may understand, lest they fall a prey to the roaring lion. For behold, the lion's whelps dare not assail those unto whom He hath risen. For it goeth on; The Sun hath arisen, and they get them away together, and lay them down in their dens. More and more as the Sun riseth, so that Christ is recognised by the round world, and glorified therein, do the lion's whelps get them away together; those devils recede from the persecution of the Church, who instigated men to persecute the house of God, by working in the sons of unbelief. For it is said, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Now that none of them dareth persecute the Church, the Sun hath arisen, and they get them away together. And where are they? And they lay them down in their dens. Their dens are the hearts of the unbelieving. How many carry lions crouching in their hearts? They burst not forth thence, they make no assault upon the pilgrim Jerusalem. Wherefore do they not so? Because the Sun is already risen, and is shining over the whole world.

24. Ver. 23. See therefore what followeth, for the Sun hath arisen, and they get them away together, and lay them down in their dens. What art thou doing, O man of God? thou, O Church of God? what art thou, O body of Christ, whose Head is in Heaven? what art thou doing, O man, His unity? Man, he saith, shall go forth to his work. Let therefore this man work good works in the security of the peace of the Church, let him work unto the end. For God's great spiritual works wrought in Christ. 127 sometime there will be a sort of general darkening, and a sort of assault will be made, but in the evening, that is, in the end of the world: but now the Church doth work in peace and tranquillity; for man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour, unto the evening.

25. Ver, 24. O Lord, how great are made Thy works! Justly great, justly sublime! where were those works made, that are so1 great? what was that station where God stood, or that seat whereupon He sat, when He did those works? what was the place where He worked thus? whence did those so beautiful works proceed at the first? To take it word for word, every ordained creation, running by ordinance, beautiful by ordinance, rising by ordinance, setting by ordinance, going through all seasons by ordinance, whence hath it proceeded? whence hath the Church herself received her rise, her growth, her perfection? In what manner is she destined to a consummation in immortality? with what heralding is she preached? by what mysteries is she recommended? by what types is she concealed? by what preaching is she revealed? where hath God done these things? T see great works. How great are made Thy works, O Lord! I ask where He hath made them: I find not the place: but 1 see what followeth: In Wisdom hast TJwu made them all. All therefore Thou hast made in Christ. He Who was despised, Who was buffeted, He Who was spit upon, He Who was crowned with thorns, He Who was crucified, all things Thou hast made in Him. I hear, I hear, what Thou dost announce to men by this Thy Soldier; what Thou dost preach unto the Gentiles by that holy Preacher, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. Let the Jews laugh at Christ crucified, because unto them He is a stumbling-block: let the heathen laugh at Christ crucified, for to them He is foolishness. But we, he saith, preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the23'24' Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. In wisdom Thou hast made them all.

26. The earth is full of Thy creation. The earth is full of the creation of Christ. And how so? We discern how: for what was not made by the Father through the Son? Whatever walketh and doth crawl on earth, whatever doth sw^m m tne waters, whatever flieth in the air, whatever doth revolve in heaven, how much more then the earth, the whole universe, is the work of God. But he seems to me to speak of some new creation, of which the Apostle saith, If any man be in Christy he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God. All who believe in ChriSt, who put off the old man, and put on the new, are a new creature. The earth is full of Thy works. On one spot of the earth He was crucified, in one small spot that seed fell into the earth, and died; but brought forth great fruit. Alone Thou wast, Lord Jesus, until Thou hadst passed away: in another Psalm I recognise Thy voice, saying, / am alone, until I pass away. Alone then Thou wast, until Thou hadst passed away: alone, when Thou didst know Thy going down; but from Thy going down Thou didst pass to a rising. Thou didst arise, shinedst, wast glorified, when Thou didst ascend into heaven, and the whole earth was with Thy creation. We have not yet finished the Psalm, my brethren: but some of it let us defer in Christ's name unto the Lord's day.

Ye remember, beloved, that although there be one language of God spread abroad in all the Scriptures, and though one Word doth sound through many mouths of the saints, Which, since It is God with God in the beginning, hath not in that respect syllables, because It hath not times; and though we ought not to wonder, that on account of our infirmity It hath descended to the particles of our sounds, since It hath descended to assume the infirmity of our body: nevertheless, this Psalm hath already occasioned us many discourses, and the opening, unto those who knock, the mysteries which are herein concealed hath caused no slight delays for some days, while they were being declared, praised, shewn to be concealed, opened,

Part 3

All creatures made in wisdom, though not all zvise. 129 drawn forth, displayed; you remember, beloved, as I said, that we could not on this account on the former day either arrive at the end of this Psalm, and that we put it off unto this day. The Lord hath willed both to shew us a day of payment of our promise, and that I the debtor should discharge my debt, and thus make my creditors more secure: may He, ^herefore, give us good to return, Who hath not returned unto us whatever evil we have done.

2. Ver. 24, 25. Our inmost hearts, as ye know, as ye remember with piety and joy, cried out with the Psalm, cried out and said, O Lord, how great are made Tliy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Ttty creation. Whatever hath been made by God, hath been made in Wisdom, and hath been made by Wisdom. Whatever knoweth Wisdom, and whatever knoweth not Wisdom, and yet is in the creation of God, is made in Wisdom, and is made by Wisdom. They who know wisdom, have Wisdom for their light; they who know It not, have yet Wisdom for their Creator, although they be themselves held down by folly: and they who have It for their light, have It also for their Creator; I do not say all who have Wisdom for their Creator, have It also for their light. And indeed there are many among men who are made sharers of it, and are called wise; many void of it, are called fools. They are therefore called fools, a term implying fault, because if they study wisdom, if they seek it, if they look for it, if they knock at the door, they may reach to the sharing of it: for it is not denied to their nature, but to their negligence. But there are other creatures, which cannot become partakers in wisdom; as all beasts, all cattle, all trees, which have not even any understanding. Because they cannot share in Wisdom, is that any reason that they were not made in Wisdom, and by Wisdom? God doth not then exact understanding in the horse and the mule; but unto men He saith, Be not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding. What is nature to the horse, is a reproach unto man. God then saith this: I do not exact a share of My wisdom from those whom I have not made in My image; but where I have made, there I exact, and demand the using of that thing which I have given. Men, therefore, who render unlo God the things that are God's, if unto Caesar they render the things that are Caesar's; that is, rendering unto Caesar his image, unto God His Image, raise their mind, not unto themselves, but to their Creator, and to the light whence they are, and to that spiritual fervour whence they glow, removed from whence they grow cold, receding whence they are darkened, returning whither they are enlightened: and, as they said piously, Thou, O Lord, shall light my candle: Thou, my God, shall make my darkness to be light. Having flung aside the darkness of earthly folly, opening their mouth, and drawing in breath, they raise up, as I said, the faithful eye of the heart; and in their mind see the whole universe, the earth, the sea, and the heavens, and seeing all things beautifully disposed, travelling in a course ordained, distributed in species, maintained by seeds, changed in successions, running in seasons, the Creator doth so please them in this way, that they themselves become pleasing unto their Creator in His creation: and exclaim in their great joy, because truly nothing can be compared with this pleasure, O Lord, how great and many are Thy works: in wisdom hast Thou made them all! Where is that Wisdom in which Thou hast made all things? by what understanding is It reached? by what eye is It discerned? by what exertion is It sought? by what merit is It gained? How, do you imagine, but by His grace? He Who granted us to be, granteth us to be good. He granteth it to the converted: and did not He seek them before they were converted, and when turned aside from Him, they were going after ways of their own? did He not come down? did not The Word become flesh, and dwell in us? did He not light the lamp Q£ fleg|^ wmie He was hanging on the Cross, and seek lost piece of silver? He sought, and found it: His neighbours rejoicing with Him, that is, every spiritual creature which doth approach nearly unto God. To the joy of the neighbours the piece of silver was found; to the joy of the angels the human soul was found. It was found, let it therefore rejoice, and say, O Lord, how great are made Thy works: in Wisdom hast Thou made them all!

3. The earth is full of Thy creation. Of what creation The earth how full of His new Creation in Christ. 131 of Thine is the earth full? Of all trees and shrubs, of all animals and flocks, and of the whole of the human race; the earth is full of the creation of God. We see, know, read, recognise, praise, and in these we preach of Him; yet we are not able to praise respecting these things, as fully as our heart doth abound with praise after the beautiful contemplation of them. But we ought rather to heed that creation, ol" which the Apostle saith, If any man be iw Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. What old things have passed away? In the Gentiles, all idolatry; in the Jews themselves, all that servitude unto the Law, all those sacrifices that were harbingers of the present Sacrifice. The oldness of man was then abundant; One came to renovate His own work, to melt His silver, to form His coin, and we now see the earth full of Christians believing in God, turning themselves away from their former uncleanness and idolatry, from a past hope to the hope of a new age: and behold it is not yet realised, but is already possessed in hope, and through that very hope we now sing, and say, The earth is fall of Thy creation. We do not as yet sing this in our country, nor yet in that rest which is promised, the bars of the gates of Jerusalem not being as yet made fast; but still in our pilgrimage gazing upon the whole of this world, upon men who on every side are13, running unto the faith, fearing hell, despising death, loving eternal life, scorning the present, and filled with joy at such a spectacle, we say, The earth is full of Thy creation.

4. But this world is as yet tossed by the waves of temptation, is as yet disturbed by the tempests and storms of tribulations and heavings: yet this is our road. Let the sea threaten, and swell with waves, and be pregnant with storms; this is our road, the Wood is granted us to sail in: The earth is full of Thy creation. But we are not yet in the land of the living, this is as yet the land of the dying; but we cry out, and say, Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living. My hope in the land of the6, dying, my portion in the land of the living. Behold this earth which is full of the creation of God. He who is as yet in this land of the dying, not as yet in the living, how doth he pass over? Hear the following: So is the great and wide sea also; wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. He 6peaketh of the sea as terrible; therein are things creeping innumerable. Snares creep in this world, and surprise the careless suddenly; for who numbereth the temptations that creep? They creep, but beware, lest they snatch us away. Let us keej^ watch on the Wood; even in the water b, even on the waves, we are safe: let not Christ sleep, let not faith sleep; if He hath slept, let Him be awakened; He will command the winds; He will calm the sea; the voyage will be ended, and we skau rej0jce in our country. Wherein are creeping things innumerable, both small beasts and great. For I see in this terrible sea unbelievers still; for they dwell in barren and bitter waters: but they are both small and great. We know this: many little men of this world are still unbelievers, many great men of this world are so: there are living creatures, both small and great, in this sea. They hate the Church: the name of Christ is a burden to them: they rage not, because they are not permitted; the cruelty which cannot burst forth in deeds, is shut up within the heart. For all, whether small or great, creeping things, both small and great, who at present grieve at the temples being shut, the altars overthrown, the images broken, the laws which make it a capital crime to sacrifice to idols; all who mourn on this account, are still in the sea. What then of us? And by what road then are we to journey unto our country? Through this very sea, but on the Wood. Fear not the danger; that wood which holdeth together the world doth bear thee up. Listen therefore: the great and wide sea: wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. Fear not, be not terrified; long for thy country, understand this as thy pilgrimage.

5. Ver. 26. There shall go the ships. Lo, ships float upon that which alarmed you, and sink not. By ships we understand churches; they go among the storms, among the tempests of temptations, among the waves of the world, among the beasts, both small and great. Christ on the wood of His cross is the Pilot. There shall go the ships. Let not the With Christy we are safe even from Leviathan. 133 ships fear, let them not much mind where they float, [but by Whom they are steered. There shall go the ships. What voyage do they find tedious, when they feel that Christ is their Pilot? They will sail safely, let them sail diligently, they will reach their promised haven, they will be led to the land of rest.

6. Theje is also in that sea somewhat which transcends all creatures, great and small. What is this? Let us hear the Psalm: There is that Leviathan, whom Thou hast formed to make sport of him. There are creeping things innumerable, both small and great beasts; there shall the ships go, and shall not fear, not only the creeping things innumerable, and beasts both small and great, but not even the serpent which is there; whom Thou, he speaketh unto God, hast made to make sport of him. This is a great mystery; and yet 1 am about to utter what ye already know. Ye know that a certain serpent is the enemy of the Church: ye have not seen him with the eyes of the flesh, but ye see him with the eyes of faith. It is he who is also styled a lion: of him the Scripture saith, The lion and the dragon shalt Thou tread under Thy feet. He is made subject to thy Head, he shall be made subject also to His body: only let the members still cling to their Head, so that they be His members. It is said of the first woman, whom this serpent led astray; viz. that Eve unto whom he gave counsel of death, and by his cunning persuasion crept like a serpent into her female heart. That was done which we well know, which even we ourselves did there; which we deplore. For the whole human race is in those two persons: thence sprang the offspring of death, thence even in children, debts, trespasses. For who is clean, saith the Scripture, in Thy*0^14 sight? Not even the child, who hath but the life of one day upon the earth. The transmission of sin is a transmission of death from the first sin. For ye know what was said to the woman, or rather to the serpent, when God heard the sin of the first man: She shall watch for thy head, and thou shalt watch for her heel. These words are a great mystery, spoken in figure of the future Church, which was made from the side of Her Husband, and that while He slept. But Adam was the figure of Him that was to come; as the Apostle saith, who is the figure of Him that was to come. That was prefigured which should come to pass afterwards, the Church was made out of the side of the Lord sleeping on tne Cross. For from the stricken side of Him Who was crucified, the Sacraments of the Church flowed forth. What then is said unto the Church? Now hear at once, understand, and beware: She shall watch for thy heac^ and thou for her heel. O Church, watch for the head of the serpent. What is the serpent's head? The first suggestion of sin. Something unlawful hath come into thy mind; keep not thy mind there, consent not. What hath come into thy mind is the serpent's head; trample upon his head, and thou shalt escape the rest of his efforts. What is, Tread upon his head? Spurn the very suggestion. But he suggested gain: there is great gain there, much gold; commit this fraud, and thou shalt be rich. It is the serpent's head, trample upon it. What is, trample upon it? Spurn what he hath suggested. But he suggested much gold. And what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Let the world's gain perish, that it become not the loss of the soul. In speaking thus, thou hast watched the serpent's head, and trampled on him. But the devil watcheth for thy heel. What meaneth this? He watcheth when thou mayest slip from the path of God. Thou dost watch the first suggestion, he watcheth thy slip; for if thou hast slipped, thou shalt fall; if thou hast fallen, he will gain thee. But that thou mayest not fall, go not out of the way. God hath made for thee a narrow path; whatever is beyond it, is slippery. On this account Christ is the light, and Christ is the way: That was the true light, that lighteth every man *nat cometh into the world; and, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Through Me thou comest, unto Me thou comest. If therefore He is the light, and He is the way: if thou depart from Him, thou wilt neither be in the light nor in the way. And what followeth thee? That which one of the Psalms saith of the wicked; Let their way he dark and slippery.

7. This serpent then, our ancient enemy, glowing with rage, cunning in his wiles, is in the mighty sea. Here is that Leviathan, whom Thou hast formed to make sport of Satan, duly watched, is not allowed to hurt. 135 him. Do thou now make sport of the serpent: for for this end was this serpent made. He falling by his own sin from the sublime realms of the heavens, and made devil instead of angel, received a certain region of his own in this mighty and spacious sea. What thou thinkest his kingdom, is his prison. For many say: wherefore hath the devil received so great jDower, that he may rule in this world, and prevailed) so much, can do so much? How much prevaileth he? How much can he do? Unless by permission, he can do nothing. Do thou so act, that he may not be allowed to attack thee; or if he be allowed to tempt thee, he may depart vanquished, and may not gain thee. For he hath been allowed to tempt some holy men, servants of God: they overcame him, because they departed not from the way, they whose heel he watched, fell not. That holy Job sat upon a heap of dung, and was running on his way: consider how he watched the devil's head, and how the devil watched his heel. The one repelled the tempter, the other hoped he would fall: he attacked his wife also; he carried away all he had, he left only as his own assistant one who was not the consoler, but rather the tempter, of her husband; he took her as his prey while she watched not his head. For she was still Eve; though he was no longer Adam. When all had been taken away, Job remained with his wife, through whom he was tempted; and with God, by Whom he was governed. If thou lookest to his home, what ever became suddenly more destitute? what richer than he, if thou regardest his heart? Consider the poverty of his house, with every thing swept away. Consider the riches of his heart: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord. " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away:" he knew his ruler and his tempter; he knew Him Who allowed the tempter to assail him. Let the devil, he saith, take nothing to himself;. he hath the will to hurt, but unless he received the power, he would not have it; I suffer just in proportion as he hath received power: I suffer not from him then, but from Him Who gave the power; let the pride of my tempter be despised, the rod of my Father be endured. The tempter was repelled, his head was watched, he could not penetrate into the heart He besieged from without a walled city, but reduced it not. Another temptation was added: the devil was allowed to assault his body, and smote him with a severe wound from head to foot: he wasted away with sore boils, he was full of worms, leaving his home he sat on a dung-heap. There Eve taken captive, set on by the devil not to help her husband, but to cause him to fall, suggests to him to blasplyjme God. She first suggested in Paradise to despise God: now to blaspheme God. She then prevailed over one in full strength, she is now beaten by one covered with boils; the devil was the conqueror in Paradise, and conquered on the dung-heap. But that serpent watched whether Job would slip with his tongue; for every man setteth foot in that which he doeth: wherein he moveth, there as it were he walketh. He said many things; how many were Job's words, they who read, know: in these so numerous words the serpent watched the heel for the fall of the man. But he, who kept watch on the serpent's head, repelled every suggestion. He also answered the woman, as she deserved answering: Thou speakest, he saith, as one of the foolish women speaketh. What! shall we receive good at the hands of God, and shall we not receive evil? And in all this that he said, Job did not slip, which many persons do not understand in these words, and take some of -them in such a sense, as if Job had said something hard against God.

8. For among many things he said this also, as if indignant against God, as it seemed to those who understood it not: but Job was bearing the high character of an exalted prophecy: Would that, he saith,, speaking unto God, there were some days-man between us I What meaneth this; Would that there were some days-man between us? One who might judge between us, and under whose judgment my cause might conquer. Thus it is understood at the first sound: but examine thyself, that thou slip not; for that serpent is ever on the watch for thy heel. What did Job seem to have said? Would that there were some days-man between us! Would that there were some umpire to judge between me and Thee! This the speech of a man unto God, of a man sitting on a dung-heap! This the speech even of an angel in heaven unto God! Would that we had a days-man between Job, seeking a 'Dayman,' enquired after Christ. 137 us! But what did he foresee? what did he wish? Many, saith the Lord, prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them. He desired an umpire. What is an umpire? One who goeth between to settle a cause. Were we not enemies of God, and had we not a bad cause against God? Who could settle this bad cause, except that intervening Mediator, without Whose advent the path of mercy had been lost? Of Whom the Apostle speaketh: For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. If2' He be not a Man, He is not a Mediator, for He is God coequal with the Father. He saith in another passage: Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. A mediator is between two: Christ therefore is Mediator20, between man and God. Not because He is God, but because He is Man: for in that He is God, He is coequal with the Father; but one coequal with the Father is not a mediator °. To become a mediator, let Him descend from the higher to the lower, from equality with the Father; let Him do what the Apostle saith: He made Himself of no reputation, but took upon Himself the form of a servant,? and was made in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man. Let Him pour forth His blood, let Him blot out the handwriting that was against us, let Himcolos.2, mediate between God and us; correcting our will unto14' righteousness, bending His sentence unto mercy. Since therefore we have explained this one point, as far as the Lord hath allowed, which seemed to have been hardly spoken by Job; so also the other words which there seem hard and blasphemous, have a sense of their own; which we should imagine to be otherwise, unless God gave His testimony, both before Job spoke, and after he had spoken the whole. God in the first place gave His testimony, in these words: A perfect and upright man, one that truly serveth God. God spoke thus, and that before his temptation. But lest any one from misrepresentation by chance might stumble in these words, and might think that Job was indeed a righteous man before his temptation, but that he sank under heavy temptation, and fell into sacrilegious blasphemy; after all the discourses were concluded, both of Job himself, and of his friends by whom consolation was offered to him, the Lord giveth His testimony, that they spoke not the truth, like His servant Job. Ye have not spoken, He saith, of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. He then ordereth that Jorj offer up sacrifices for them, by which their sins may be atoned for.

9. He then, my brethren, who doth wish to watch the serpent's head, and safely to pass this sea; for it must be that this serpent dwelleth here, and, as I had commenced saying, the devil when he fell from heaven received this region; let him watch his head, on the part of the fear of the world, and of the lusts of the world. For it is hence that he suggesteth some object of fear or of desire; he trieth thy love, or thy fear. If thou fearest hell, and lovest the kingdom of God, thou wilt watch his head. The head avoided, thou wilt be safe; nor will he gain thy fall, or rejoice in thy ruin. But let no man say, as I said; he hath great power. For men see how much power he hath received; what he lost, they see not. That holy Job in his mystical and deeply hidden words, speaking of that power which the devil is said to have, and describing it in many ways in the forms of similitudes, while he explaineth what he is, and what power he hath, addeth this also: Upon earth there is not his like created, for the mocking of him by My angels. (God there speaketh in the Book of Job.) Upon earth there is not his like created, for the mocking of him by My angels. He seeth all the deep: and is himself king over all that are in the waters. With which testimony this passage in the Psalm agreeth. For while he was speaking of the mighty and spacious sea, where are beasts great and small, where are creeping things without number, where the ships sail safe in their wood; he saith, there is that Leviathan, whom Thou hast made to make sport of him. If to make sport of him, how doth God make sport of him? Did He give him up to be mocked? We might imagine that God made sport of him, had not the Scripture of Job solved the question; for it is there said, for the making sport of Satan, though powerful, is already cast down. 139 him by My angels. Dost thou wish to mock the serpent? become an angel of God. But thou art not as yet an angel of God. Until thou art, if thou holdest on that course that thou mayest be so, there are angels to mock the serpent, that he may not injure thee. For there are angels of heaven set over the powers of the air; and this is the source of the expression in the text. For they look upon a law fixed, a law eternal, that commandeth without writing, without syllables, without sound, ever fixed and permanent; the angels look upon it with a pure heart, and according to it do all that is done here, and powers from the highest to the lowest are ordered by it. And if the powers of the highest heavens are ruled by the Word of God, how much more the lower and earthly powers? In the wicked, therefore, nothing but the wish to do harm remaineth. This wish to injure, this will to work ruin, a man hath in his power. But if he hath succeeded in injuring any one, let him not boast; he did not injure of his own power: the power was given him. It hath once been said, and it remaineth sure: There is no power but of God. What then fearest thou? Let the dragon be in the waters, let the dragon be in the sea: thou art to pass through it* He is made so as to be made sport of, he is ordained to inhabit this place, this region is given him. Thou thinkest that this habitation is a great thing for him, because thou knowest not the dwellings of the angels whence he fell d: what seemeth to thee his glory, is his damnation.

10. Hear a similitude in a few words: for indeed it is a great thing to know and understand this. Imagine the whole of this government of creation to be a large houses this large house hath a master, hath slaves, and among those slaves those nearest the master provided with ampler stores of garments, treasures, barns, great possessions; it hath also slaves engaged in the lowest offices, powers being so subject to one another, that it hath some even for cleaning the sewers: how many gradations are there from the highest officers to these the lowest of employments. Suppose then some high officer offend, and, by the punishment of his lord, for example's sake, become a doorkeeper in some very low station; if, in the exercise of the power entrusted him, he harass those who wish to enter or depart, according to the measure of authority which he hath received from his master, while they know not that he once was a high officer; they imagine that his power is great, because they know not what he hath lost. And yet, my brethren, this ^oorkeeper of whom I spoke, according to the image of this great earthly house, may do something without the knowledge of his lord, and harass some one without his command: but that other one is not placed at that door, by which we enter unto God. For Christ is that Door, and through Christ we enter into life eternal. But there is a certain door, through which we enter into this life, a sort of gate of mortality: among the things in which this infirm flesh hath its waste and refuse, at this gate there is, as it were, a doorkeeper; he hath power in this sea, where the ships come and go, but not such power as that he can do any thing without the knowledge or without the will of his Lord. So that no man may say, He has indeed lost the great power of the higher services; but I am among these lowest officers, he may hold me in his power, I must needs serve him. Be not deceived: thy Lord knoweth thee, and so knoweth thee, that He hath the hairs of thy head numbered. What then fearest thou? Perhaps he is about to try thy flesh: it is the scourge of thy Lord, not the power of thy tempten His wish is to injure that salvation which is promised: but he is not allowed: but that he may not be allowed, have Christ for thy Head; repel the serpent's head: consent not unto his suggestion, slip not from thy path. There is that Leviathan, whom Thou hast made to make sport of him.

11. Ver. 27 — 29. Dost thou wish to see how incapable he is of hurting thee, unless permitted? These, he saith, wait all upon Thee, that Thou mayest give them meat in due season. And this serpent wisheth to devour, but he devoureth not whom he wisheth. All wait upon Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest give them meat in due season; both the creeping things innumerable, and small and great beasts, and the serpent himself, and all Thy creation with which Thou hast filled the earth; These wait all upon Only men of earthly affections, dust for the serpent. 141 Thee, that Thou may est give them meat- in due season, to each his own meat. Thou hast thine own meat: the serpent also hath his own meat. If thou live well, thou wilt have Christ for thy food; if thou depart from Christ, thou wilt be food for the serpent. These all wait upon Thee, that Thou mayest give them meat in due season. What is said unto the serpent himself? Dust thou shall eat. It is said to the serpent; Dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life. Thou hast heard what the serpent's meat is. Thou dost not wish that God give thee to be devoured by the serpent; become not the serpent's food: i. e. forsake not the Word of God. For where it is said to the serpent, Dust thou shall eat, it is said to the transgressor, Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. Thou dost not wish to be the serpent's food? be not dust. How, thou repliest, shall I not be dust? If thou hast not a taste for earthly things. Hear the Apostle, that thou mayest not be dust. For the body which thou wearest is earth: but do thou refuse to be earth. What meaneth this? If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ1*2' sitteth on the right hand of God: set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. If thou dost not set thy affections on earthly things, thou art not earth: if thou art not earth, thou art not devoured by the serpent, whose appointed food is earth. The Lord giveth the serpent his food when He will, what He will: but He judgeth rightly, He cannot be deceived, He giveth him not gold for earth. These wait all upon Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest give them meat in due season. When Thou hast given it them, they gather it. It is before them: but they will not gather, unless when Thou hast given leave. Job was before the devil; and indeed he devoured not Job, but dared not even tempt him, unless when the Lord had given leave. They wait all upon Thee: when Thou hast given it them, they shall gather it; if Thou hast not given it them, they shall not gather.

12. And what of us? What meat have we, brethren? What followeth is concerning our meat. When thou openest Thy hand, they shall all be filled with good. What is it, O Lord, that Thou openest Thy hand? Christ is Thy hand. 2bls.53,i. whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? To whom it is revealed, unto him it is opened: for revelation is opening. When Thou openest Thy hand, they shall all be Jilted with good. When Thou revealest Thy Christ, they shall all be Jilted with good. But they have not good from themselves mr this is oftentimes proved unto them. When Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled. Many filled with good have attributed to themselves what they had, and have wished to boast as in their own righteousnesses, and have said to themselves, I am righteous; I am great: and have become self-complacent. Unto these the Apostle speaketh: What hast thou, that thou didst not receive? But God, wishing to prove unto man that whatever he hath he hath from Him, so that with good he may gain humility also, sometimes troubleth him; He turneth away His face from him, and he falleth into temptation; and He sheweth him that his righteousness, and his walking aright, was only under His government. When Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled. Consider what he saith in another Psalm also: In my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed. He presumed upon himself; he was filled with blessings; all of which he thought came from himself, and said, / shall never be removed. But since he was now aware that he had received the grace of God, for that which he had experienced, he returned thanks: O Lord, in Thy good pleasure Thou hast granted strength to my glory. Thou didst turn Thy face from me: and I was troubled. And here also, When Thou openest Thy hand; Thou shalt open Thy hand, and they shall all be filled with good; not by their own hand, but by Thy hand opened. But when Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled.

13. But wherefore dost Thou do this? wherefore dost Thou hide Thy face, that they may be troubled? Thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail. Their breath was their pride; they boast, they attribute things to themselves, they justify themselves. Hide, therefore, Thy face, that they may be troubled: take away their breath, and let them fail; let them cry unto Thee, Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint: hide not Thy face from me. Thou shalt take away their breath, and

God's Spirit, taking place of man's, renews the earth. 143 they shall fail, and shall be turned to their dust. The man who repenteth of his sin discovereth himself, that he had not strength of himself; and doth confess unto God, saying, that he is earth and ashes. O proud one, thou art turned to thine own dust, thy breath hath been taken away; no longer dost thou boast thyself, no longer extol thyself, no longer justify thyself; thou seest that thou art made of dust, and when the Lord turneth away His face, thou hast fallen back into thine own dust. Pray, therefore, confess thy dust and thy weakness.

14. Ver. 30. And see what followeth: Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit l, and they shall be made. Thou shalt take away their spirit, and send forth Thine own: Thou shalt take away their spirit: they shall have no spirit of their own. Are they then forsaken? Blessed are the poor in spirit: but they are not forsaken: for theirs is the3* kingdom of heaven. They refused to have a spirit of their own: they shall have the Spirit of God. Such were our Lord's words to the future martyrs: When they take yowMatio, and deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Attribute not your courage to yourselves. If it is yours, He saith, and not Mine, it is obstinacy, not courage. Thou shalt take away their spirit, and they shall fail; Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be made. For we are His workmanship, saith the Apostle, created unto good works. From His Spirit we10, have received grace, that we may live unto righteousness: for it is He that justifieth the ungodly. Thou shalt take away their spirit, and they shall fail; Thou shalt send6' forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be made: and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth: that is, with new men, confessing themselves to have been justified, not righteous of their own power, so that the grace of God is in them. Consider what manner of men they are, by whom the face of the earth hath been renewed. Paul saith, / laboured more abundantly than they all. What is this, Paul? Give heed, whether it be thyself, whether thy spirit. Yet not I, he saith, but the grace of God which was with me.

15. Ver. 31. What then? When He hath taken away our spirit, we shall be turned again to our dust, beholding to our edification our weakness, that when we receive His gp.^. ^ we ke refreshed. See what followeth: Be the glory of the Lord for ever. Not thine, not mine, not his, or his; Be the glory of the Lord, not for a season, but for ever. The Lord shall rejoice in His works. Not in thine, as if they were thine: because if thy works are^ evil, it is through thy iniquity; if good, it is through the grace of God. The Lord shall rejoice in His works.

16. Ver. 32. Who looketh on the earth, and maketh it tremble; Who toucheth the hills, and they shall smoke. O earth, thou wast exulting in thy good, to thyself thou didst ascribe thy fulness and opulence; behold, the Lord looketh on thee, and causeth thee to tremble. May He look on thee, and make thee tremble: for the trembling of humility is better than the confidence of pride. Consider how the Lord beholdeth the earth, and causeth it to tremble. The Apostle speaketh to the earth as if it trusted and exulted in itself: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. " With fear and trembling;" for it is God Which worketh in you. Thou sayest, O Paul, Work: thou commandest us to work: wherefore with trembling? For it is God, he saith, Which worketh in you. For this reason then with trembling, because God worketh in you. Because He gave, because what thou hast cometh not from thee, thou shalt work with fear and trembling, for if thou fearest not Him, He will take away what He gave. Work, therewith trembling. Hear another Psalm: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto Him with trembling. If we must rejoice with trembling, God beholdeth us, there cometh an earthquake; when God looketh upon us, let our hearts tremble; then will God rest there. Hear Him in another passage: Upon whom shall My Spirit rest? Even on him that is lowly and quiet, and who trembleth at My Word.

Who looketh on the earth, and maketh it tremble; Who toucheth the hills, and they shall smoke. The hills were proud, and boastful of themselves, God had not touched them: He toucheth them, and they shall smoke. What meaneth the smoking of the hills? That they pray unto the Lord. Behold great hills, proud hills, vast hills, prayed

How man, touched by God, speaks to Him in his life. 145 not to God: they wished themselves to be entreated, and entreated not Him Who was above them. For what powerful, arrogant, proud man is there upon earth, who deigneth humbly to entreat God? I speak of the ungodly, not of the cedars qf Libanps, which the Lord hath planted. Every ungodly man, unhappy soul, knoweth not how to entreat God, while he wisheth himself to be entreated by men. He is a Sill; it is needful that God touch him, that he may smoke: when he hath begun to smoke, he will offer prayers unto God, as it were the sacrifice of his heart. He smoketh unto God, he then beateth his breast: he beginneth to weep, for smoke doth elicit tears. He toucheth the hills, and they shall smoke.

17. Ver. 33. I will sing unto the Lord in my life. What will sing? Every thing that is willing. Let us sing unto the Lord in our life. Our life at present is only hope; our life will be eternity hereafter: the life of mortal life, is the hope of an everlasting life. / will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will praise my Ood while I have my being. Since I am in Him for ever and ever, while I have my being, I will praise my God. Let us not imagine that, when we have commenced praising God in that state, we shall have any other work: our whole life will be for the praises of God. If we become weary of Him Whom we praise, we may also become weary of praising. If He is ever loved, He is ever praised by us: / will praise my Ood while I have my being.

18. Ver. 34. Let my discourse be pleasing to Him: my joy shall be in the Lord, Let my discourse be pleasing to Him: what is the discourse of man unto God, save the confession of sins? Confess unto God what thou art, and thou hast discoursed with Him. Discourse unto Him, do good works, and discourse. Wash you9 make you clean, saith Isaiah; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. And come, and let us discourse together. What is it to discourse unto God? Unfold thyself to Him Who knoweth thee, that He may unfold Himself to thee who knowest not Him? Let my discourse be pleasing to Him. Behold, it is thy discourse that pleaseth the Lord; the offering of thy humility, the tribulation of thy heart, the holocaust of thy life, this pleaseth God. But what is pleasing to thyself? My joy shall be in the Lord. This is that discoursing which I meant between God and thyself: shew thyself to Him Who knoweth thee, and He sheweth Himself unto thee who knowest not Him. Pleasing unto Him is thy confession: sweet unto thee is His grace. He hath spoken Himself unto thee. How? By the Word. What Word? Christ. It was unto thee that He spake, and Himself that He spake. In that He sent Christ, He spake Himself. So, clearly, let us hear the Word Himself: He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father.

But my joy shall be in the Lord.

19. Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth. He seemeth angry! O holy soul, which here doth sing and groan! Would that our soul were with that very soul! Would that it were coupled with it, associated, conjoined with it! It shall behold also his lovingkindness when he is angry. For who, but he who is filled with charity, understandeth this? Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth. Thou tremblest, because he curseth. And who doth curse? A saint. Without doubt he is listened to. But it is said unto the saints, Bless, and curse not. What is then the sense of the words, Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth? Let them utterly be consumed; let their spirit be taken away, that He may send forth His own Spirit, and they may be restored. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the ungodly, so that they be no more. In what that they be no more, save as wicked men? Let them therefore be justified, that they may no longer be ungodly. The Psalmist saw this, and was filled with joy, and repeateth the first verse of the Psalm: Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Let our soul bless the Lord, brethren, since He hath deigned to give unto us both understanding and the power of language, and unto you attention and earnestness in hearing. Let each, as he can recall to mind what he hath heard, by mutual conversation stir up the food ye have received, ruminate on what ye have heard, let it not descend in you into the bowels of forgetful n ess. Let the treasure to Confession, in the sense of praise. be desired rest upon your lips. These matters have been sought out and discovered with great labour, with great labour have they been anuoanced and discoursed of; may our toil be fruitful unto you, and may our soul bless the Lord.

I. Ver. 1. The 104th Psalm is the first of those to which is prefixed the word Allelujah; the meaning of which word, or rather two words, is, Praise the Lord. For this reason he beginneth with praises: O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name; for this confession is to be understood as praise, just as these words of our Lord, I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. For after commencing26, with praise, calling upon God is wont to follow, whereunto he that prayeth doth next adde his longings: whence the Lord's Prayer itself hath at the commencement a very brief praise, in these words, Our Father, Which art in Heaven, The things prayed for, then follow. Thus it is said elsewhere in a Psalm: Unto Thee, O God, will we confess, and will call upon Thy Name. And this is elsewhere more clearly said: I will call upon the Lord with praises: soPs-18,2. shall I he safe from my enemies; so in the text, O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name; which is the same as if he were to say, Praise the Lord, and call upon His Name. For He heareth him when he calleth, whom He seeth praising Him: He seeth him praise Him, whom He hath proved to love Him. And in what way did the Lord will the love of a good servant towards Himself to be shewn chiefly, save in this command which He giveth him, Feed My sheep; whence this also followeth, Tell the John people what things He hath done; or rather, to translate literally from the Greek, as other Latin copies too have it;