Psalm 121 (Vulgate 120)

L This is the second Psalm of those whose title is, A song of degrees. For there are many, which signify, as ye have already heard in the first of them, our ascent, which goeth on in the heart unto God, from the vale of misery, that is, from the humble state of tribulation. For our ascent cannot be profitable unto us, save being first humbled, we remember that we must ascend from the vale: (for a vale is a lowly spot of land: as mountains and hills are lofty places of the earth, so is a vale a lowly place,) lest while we seek in too much haste, and before the proper season, to be exalted, we may not ascend, but fall. Now our Lord Himself taught us that we must ascend from the vale of misery, when He deigned to be humbled for us unto the death of the Cross, and to suffer. Let us not abandon His example: the Martyrs understood this vale of misery. Whence did they understand it? Whence? Because they themselves also ascended from the vale of misery, that they might be crowned. t>. This Psalm, A so?ig of degrees, suitelh this day also, it is said of them, They went on their way weeping, sowing their seed. This is the vale of misery, where seeds are sown in tears. But what are these seeds? Good works wrought in this earthly tribulation* He who worketh well in the vale of misery, is like unto a man who soweth seed through the winter. Is he deterred from his work by the cold? Thus we ought not to be deterred from a good work by the tribulation of the world j for thou seest what followeth: They went on their way weeping, sowing their seed. Very miserable, if they alway wept; very miserable, if they were never to be freed from tears. But consider what followeth: but they shall come again with joy, and bring their sheaves with them*

3, We are taught nothing else by these songs, brethren, than to ascend; but to ascend in heart, in good affections, in faith, in hope and charity, in the longing for perpetuity and for everlasting life. Thus we ascend. It is fitting for us to say in what manner we must ascend. How many more tenable words have ye heard, Beloved, read from the Gospel! Ye see, surely, that the hour of the Lord will come as a thief in th9 night. If the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not hate suffered his wall to be broken through. Do ye say now, Who then knoweth in what hour He will come, for the hour will be as a thief? Thou knowest not in what hour He will come, watch alway; that, since thou knowest not when He will come, He may find thee ready when He cometh. Perhaps, too, it is for this reason that thou knowest not when He will come, that thou mayest alway be prepared. For that hour will suddenly surprise that master of the house, who, by the term master of the house, is described as a proud man. Wish not to be a master of the house, and that hour will not come upon thee suddenly. And what shall I be, thou askest? Such as thou hast heard of in the Psalm, / am poor and in heaviness. For if thou art poor and in heaviness, thou wilt not30, be a master of a house, whom that hour will surprise, and suddenly crush. For the masters of houses are they that presume in their lusts, and swell with the abundance of this world's delights; and exalt themselves against the humble, and trample on the saints who understand the narrow way, which leadeth unto life. For to such that hour will come suddenly; for such were men in the days of Noah also, a description of which days ye have heard in the Gospel. AsMat.2i, the days of Noe were, so, He saith, shall also the coming ofs7~"4*' the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, they were planting, they were building, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away. What then? Shall all perish who do these things, who marry, who give in marriage, who plant vineyards, who build i No: but they who put their trust in these things, who prefer these things to God, who for the sake of these things are easily ready to offend God. But they who either use not these things at all, or who use them as though they used them uot, trusting more in Him Who gave them, than in the things given, and understanding in them His consolation and loving-kindness, and not taken up with the gifts, lest they may falLaway from the giver; they who are such, that hour will not find them unprepared as a thief. To such the Apostle said, Ye, brethren^ are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. The Lord therefore when He declared that the hour was to be dreaded as a thief, spoke of night; and so the Apostle saith, for the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Dost thou hope that it may not find thee? Be not in night. What meaneth, Be not in night? Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Who are the children of the night and of darkness? The wicked, the ungodly, the unbelieving.

4. Ver. 1. But let these also hear before the hour come, and let the Apostle say unto them, Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, As this Psalm saith, let them awake. The hills are already lightened: why do they still sleep? Let them lift up their eyes to the hills, whence cometh their help. What meaneth, The hills have been lightened? The Sun of righteousness hath already risen, the Gospel hath been already preached by the Apostles, the Scriptures have been preached, all the mysteries have been laid open, the veil hath been rent, the secret place of the temple hath been revealed: let them now at length lift their eyes up to the hills, whence their help cometh. This the present Psalm — the second of those entitled, a song qf degrees — enjoineth. But let them not again trust in the hills; for the hills themselves shine not of their own light, but of His of Whom it is said, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. By hills may be understood, great or illustrious men. And who was greater than John the Baptist? What a hill was that, of whom the Lord Himself saith, Among them that are bom of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist? Ye now see this great hill shining: hear him now confessing. Confessing what? Of His fulness have all we received, he saith. Thy help therefore is from Him, of Whose fulness the hills received, not from the hills*; towards whichb, neverlheless, save thou lift thine eyes through the Scriptures, thou wilt not approach, so as to be lighted by Him.

5. Ver. 3. Sing therefore what followeth; if thou wish to hear how thou mayest most securely set thy feet on the steps, so that thofi mayest not be fatigued in that ascent, nor stumble and fall: pray in these words: Suffer not my foot to be moved! Whereby are feet moved; whereby was the foot of him who was in Paradise moved? But first consider whereby the feet of him who was among the Angels were moved: who when his feet were moved fell, and from an Angel became a devil: for when his feet were moved he fell. Seek whereby he fell: he fell through pride. Nothing then moveth the feet, save pride: nothing moveth the feet to a fall, save pride. Charity moveth them to walk and to improve and to ascend; pride moveth thein to fall. What then doth he say in the Psalm? The children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. I f beneath the shadow, they are ever humble, ever trusting in God, ever not presuming on themselves. Under the shadow of Thy wings shall they put their trust: for they are not sufficient for their own bliss. But what followeth? They shall be inebriated with the plenteousness of Thy house: and Thou shall give them drink of Thy pleasures as out of a river. Behold them thirsty, behold them satisfied: behold, they thirst, behold, they drink: but they do not drink of themselves: they are not a well unto themselves. But whereof do they drink? Under the shadow of Thy wings shall they put their trust. If beneath Thy wings, they are humble. Why? Because with Thee, he saith, is the well of life. The hills therefore are not watered by themselves, even as the hills are not lighted by themselves. For see what followeth: In Thy tight shall we see light. If 476 He that would not fall, must take God for his Keeper u then we shall see light in His light, who falleth from that light, save he unto whom He is not a light? And he who wisheth to be a light unto himself, himself falleth away from the light whereby he is lighted. Knowing therefore that none falleth save he who wisheth to shine unto himself, since he is by himself darkness; he addeth, Let not the foot of pride come unto me: and let not the hand of the ungodly move me: that is, let not the imitation of their sins move me, so that I fall from Thee. Wherefore hast thou feared, and hast said, Let not the foot of pride come against me? The next words answer: There are they fallen, all that work wicked* ness. Those whom thou but now sawest working wickedness, have been already condemned: the cause of their condemnation was their having fallen when the foot of pride came unto them. Rightly therefore the Psalmist, hearing how he may ascend and may not fall, prayeth unto God that he may profit from the vale of misery, and may not fail in the swelling of pride, in these words, Suffer not my feet to be moved! And He replieth unto him, Let him that keepeth thee nut sleep. Attend, my beloved. It is as if one thought were expressed in two sentences; the man while ascending and singing the song of degrees, saith, Suffer not my foot to be moved: and it is as if God answered, Thou sayest unto Me, Let not my feet be moved: say also, Let Him that keepeth thee not sleep, and thy foot shall not be moved.

G. Ver. 4. But suppose he hath replied: Is it in my power that he who keepeth me may not slumber f I wish he may not sleep, or slumber. Therefore choose for thyself Him, who will neither sleep nor slumber, and thy foot shall not be moved. God is never asleep: if thou dost wish to have a keeper who never sleepeth, choose God for thy keeper. Suffer not my feet to be moved, thou sayest: well, very well: but He also saith unto thee, Let not him that keepeth thee slumber. Thou perhaps wast about to turn thyself unto men as thy keepers, and to say, whom shall I find who will not sleep? what man will not slumber? whom do I find? whither shall I go? whither shall I return? The Psalmist telleth thee: He thai keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep. Dost thou wish to have a keeper who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth? Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep: for Christ keepeth Israel. Be thou then Israel. What meaneth Israel? It is interpreted, Seeing God. And how is God seen? First by faith: afterwards by sight. If thou canst not as yet see Him by sight, see Him by faith. Jf thou canst not see His face, since that is sight1, see His back parts. This was said unto Moses by the Lord: Thou canst not see My face, but thou shall see My back parts, when I pass by. Thou perhaps art waiting His passing by: He hath already passed: do thou see His back parts. Where hath He passed? Hear John: When the hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath already kept the Passover: for the meaning of the word Pascha is Passing Oyer. For it is a Hebrew word: though men imagine it to be a Greek word, signifying Passion: but it is not so. By the more diligent and learned, it hath been discovered that Pascha is a Hebrew word; and they do not interpret it as Suffering, but as Passing over. For by His Passion our Lord passed from death unto life; and made a way for us who believe in His resurrection, that we also may pass from death unto life. It is not a great thing to believe that Christ died: thfe the Pagans also, and the Jews, and all the wicked believe. This all believe^ that He died: the resurrection of Christ is the faith of Christians: this we hold a great thing, that we believe that He rose from the dead. Therefore He wished Himself to be seen then, when He was passing away, that is, when He had risen from the dead. He wished us to believe on Him, when He was passing: because He was delivered up for our sins, and was raised again for our justification. The Apostle also hath chiefly enjoined this very faith in Christ's resurrection: If thou believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. He said not, If thou hast believed that Christ died, which the Pagans, Jews, and all His enemies believe: but, if thou believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. To believe this, is to be Israel, this is to see God: although thou as yet seest only His back parts, yet, when thou believes.t in His back parts, thou wilt come to the sight of His face. What meaneth this? When thou hast believed in that which Christ became afterwards for thee; when thou hast believed in that which Christ took upon Him afterwards. For what is His Countenance in the beginning? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word wax God. What are His back parts? and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. When therefore thou believest in this, that the Word was made flesh for thy sake, and that the Word rose again in the Flesh, that thou mightest not despair of thy flesh, thou art made Israel. But when thou hast been made Israel, He that keepeth thee will not slumber nor sleep; because thou art now Israel, and hast heard in the Psalm, He that keepeth Israel shall not slumber nor sleep. For Christ Himself slept, but He rose again. For what saith He Himself in the Psalm? / laid me down and slept. Did He continue in sleep? / rose again, He saith, for the Lord shall take me up. If then He hath already risen, He hath already passed over; if He hath already passed over, see His back parts. What meaneth, see His back parts? Believe in His resurrection. And since the Apostle saith, For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God: and again saith, Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over Him: he justly singeth unto thee, Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Perhaps thou still seekest in thy carnal sense, Who is there, who will neither slumber nor sleep? and when thou seekest among men, thou art deceived; thou wilt never find one. Trust not then in any man: every man slumbereth, and will sleep. When doth he slumber? When he beareth the flesh of weakness. When will he sleep? When he is dead. Trust not then in man. A mortal may slumber, he sleepeth in death. Seek not a keeper among men.

7. Ver. 5. And who, thou askest, shall help me, save He Who slumbereth not, nor sleepeth? Hear what followeth: The Lord Himself is thy keeper. It is not therefore man, that slumbereth and sleepeth, but the Lord, that keepeth thee. How doth He keep thee? The Lord is thy defence upon the hand of thy right hand. Let us, my brethren, with the Lord's help, understand what is the meaning of, Tfie Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand. For it seemeth to me to have a hidden sense: otherwise he would have simply said, without qualification, The Lord will keep thee, without adding, on thy right hand. For how? Doth God keep our right hand, and not our left? Did He not create the. whole of us? Did not He Who made our right hand, make our left hand also? Finally, if it pleased Him to speak of the right hand alone, why said He, on the hand of thy rigffi hand, aud not at once vpon thy right hand? Why should He say this, unless He were keeping somewhat here hidden for us to arrive at by knocking? For He would either say, The Lord shall keep thee, and add no more; or if He would add the right hand, The Lord shall keep thee upon thy right hand; or at least, as He added hand, He would say, Hie Lord shall keep thee upon thy hand, even thy right hand1, not upon the hand of thy right hand. What1 the Lord Himself deigneth to suggest, I will lay before you;J}eiteHe who dwelleth in you, without doubt causeth you toram* approve of that which I say, as true. For ye know not what 1 am about to say; but when we shall have said it, we shall not shew of ourselves that what we say is true, but ye yourselves shall recognise the truth of what we say. But whence shall ye recognise it, save He sheweth Who dwelleth in you, as far as ye are of that number, who say, Suffer not my feet to be moved; and unto whom it is said, Let not Him that keepeth thee slumber. For Christ must not sleep in you, and ye will presently understand that what we say is true. How, thou wilt ask? Because if your faith sleep, Christ sleepeth in you. For Christ in your heart is the faith of Christ. The Apostle saith, That Christ may dwell «/? your hearts through faith. In whom faith sleepeth not, in3' him Christ watcheth. And if perchance thy faith slept, and thou didst therefore waver when thou didst ask that question, as that vessel that encountered the tempest, when Christ slept; arouse Christ, and the tempests will be appeased.

8. I ask therefore your faith, most beloved; since ye are sons of the Church, and have profited in the Church, and ye who have not as yet profited tu the Church will profit in the Church, and ye who have already profited have to profit further in the Church; I ask you, how ye interpret what is said in the Gospel, Let not your left hand know what your r*9^ doeth? For if ye understand this, ye will discover what is your right hand, and what is your left: at the same time ye will also understand that God made both hands, the left and the right; yet the left ought not to know what the right doeth. By our left hand is meant all that we have in a temporal way; by our right hand is meant, whatever our Lord promiseth us that is immutable and eternal. But if He Who will give everlasting life, Himself also consoleth our present life by these temporal blessings, He hath Himself made our right hand and our left. The Psalm speaks of some, Whose mouth talketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity. He therefore found some whom he blamed, who held their true right hand for their left, and their real left hand for their right: he explaineth in order who these are. Every man who doth not think that happiness is man's, except only in these temporal resources and delights, and in the affluence and abundance of this world: he is a foolish and perverse man, who maketh his left hand his right: such were they of whom the Psalm speaketh; not that they had not received from God what they possessed temporally, but because they supposed this alone to be a happy life, and sought for nought else. Hear what he presently after saith of them: Whose mouth talketh vanity, and (fejr fight hand is a right hand of iniquity. He goeth on thus: Whose sons grow up as the young plants, and whose daughters are adorned after the likeness of a temple: whose garners are full and bursting with store: whose sheep bring forth abundantly, multiplying in their streets: their oxen are strong to labour; there is no fall of their fence, nor of their way; nor any complaining in their streets. He hath described the great prosperity of some man; yet any righteous man might enjoy the same prosperity: as did Job: but Job held it for his left hand, not for his right; for he had no other right hand than his perpetual and everlasting happiness with God. His left hand therefore was given up to be stricken: and his right sufficed for him. In what manner was his left hand stricken? By the temptations of the devil. The devil suddenly robbed him of all things, by GodV permission indeed, that the righteous might be approved, the ungodly punished; he took away all: but Job, who knew that his left hand was his left hand, and that his right was indeed his right hand; how did he hold unto his right hand? He rejoiced in the Lord, he was consoled for his losses, for he had not suffered loss of his inner riches; he had a heart full of God. The Lord, he said, hath given, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be (he name of the Lord. This was his right hand, the Lord Himself; eternal life itself, that possession of light, the well of life; the light in light. They shall he filled with the plenteousness of Thy house: this was his right band. But his left was as an aid of consolation: not as the foundation of his happiness. For God was his true and genuine happiness. But those of whom David saith, that 'their mouth talked vanity, and their right band was a right hand of iniquity; he doth not blame them on the ground that they abounded with all these things, but because their mouth talked vanity. For what followeth? After he had mentioned their abundance, he addeth, Happy they have called the people who are in such a case. This is the vanity which their mouth has spoken, when they declared the people happy who are in such a case. What sayest thou, who knowest what is the left hand, and what is the right? He goeth on to say: Blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.

9. Attend then, beloved. We have seen the left band, we have seen also the right. Hear this confirmed in the Song of Songs: His left hand, it is said, is beneath my head. The spouse saith this of her husband, the Church saith it of Christ in the embrace of piety and love. What doth she say? His left hand is beneath my head, and His right hand doth embrace me. But how, because His right6* hand was above, His left hand below, and thus the Husband embraced the Spouse, supporting her with the consolation of His left hand, and laying upon her His right hand for her protection? His left hand, she saith, is beueath my head. God giveth that left band: therefore it is His left hand, because God giveth all these temporal blessings. How vain they are, how impious, who seek these things from idols, from devils! How many seek these things from devils, and have them not? and again, they who seek them not from devils, have them; but they are not given by devils. Also many seek them of God, and have them not. For He knovveth how to dispense the left hand, who calleth unto the right. If therefore it be the left hand, be it so: but let it be beneath thy head: let thy head be above it, that is, let thy faith be above it, where Christ dwelleth. Prefer not temporal things to thy faith; and the left hand will not be above thy head: but place all temporal things beneath thy faith, and prefer thy faith to all tempoVal things; and the left hand will be beneath thy head, and His right hand will rightly embrace thee.

10. Hear this very thing expounded in the Proverbs: what is the left hand, what is the right: when he saith of Wisdom, Length of days and years of life are in her right hand: and in her left hand riches and honour. That length of days is eternity. For Scripture calleth that long which is eternal, with much propriety: for whatever hath an end, is short. In another passage it is said, With long life will I satisfy him. And would it otherwise be said as a greal thing, Honour thy father- and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land? In what land, save that whereof ne saith, Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of Hie living. What meaneth length of days there, save to live there for ever f For what meaneth length of days here, save to reach old age? Although age seem long, when it hath passed, it is proved to be short, in that it cometh to an end. And many who curse their parents, grow old in this world; while many who obey their parents, soon go to the Lord. Is this therefore fulfilled by length of days in this world? No: length of dajs is there used for eternity. Length of days is in His right hand: but riches and honour, that is, the sufficiency of this life, what are considered good things by men, are in His left hand. Somebody cometh, and wisheth to strike thee on the right, that is, to rob thee of thy faith: thou hast received a blow on the right, offer him the left, that is, let him take that which is temporal, and not thy everlasting possessions. Hear the Apostle Paul doing this. Men persecuted him for being a Christian: his, right is smitten, he offered the left, saying, I am a Roman. They scorned his right hand, and he affrighted them with his left: for they could not fear his right hand; as they The * Hand,1 in Holy Scripture, means i poioer? 483 had not yet believed in Christ. What then, if the right hand embrace, the left is under thy head; what meaneth, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth? That is, after thou doest a good work, do it for eternal life. For if thou doest a good work on earth, that earthly things may abound to thee; thy left hand knoweth what thy right hand doeth, thou hast mingled thy right hand with thy left. Act not, save^br everlasting life. Act for this reason, and thou wilt work without fear: for this God hath commanded. If thou doest what thou doest for human interest alone and this life aloue, thy left haud alone worketh: but if thou work for life eternal, thy right hand alone worketh; but if thou bast earnest hope for eternal life, but still the lusts of this temporal life creep upon thee, so that thou heedest this even when thou doest a good work, hoping thou mayest have some reward here, thy left hand mingleth itself with the works of thy right hand: this God forbiddeth.

11. Let us now come to this verse of the Psalm: The Lord is thy defence upon the hand of thy right hand. By hand he meaneth power. How do we prove this? Because the power of God also is styled the hand of God. For the devil who tempted Job, saith this to God; Put forth TAyjobi, Hand now, and touch all that he hath; and see if he willunot curse Thee to Thy face. What meaneth, Put forth nine Hand, save, give Thy power? Hear this more clearly proved, my brother, that thou mayest not in thy carnal sense still think God hath distinct members: hear more clearly in what sense hand is called power. Scripture saith in one passage, Death and life are in the hands of the tongue. We know tongues as certain slices of flesh; they18'21, wove in the mouth, and by striking the palate and the teeth, make distinct the sounds by which we speak: let the hands of the tongue be shewn me. The tongue therefore hath not hands, and yet it hatb hands. What are the bands of the tongue? The power of the tongue. What meaneth, " Death and life are in the hands of the tongue?9' By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shall be37' condemned. If therefore the hand is power, what meaneth the hand of the right hand? I think no more consistent sense can be put upon the meaning, than that hand signifieth the power which God hath given thee, that if thou art willing, thou mayest be, by God's gift, on the right hand. For all the ungodly will be on the left hand; but all the good sons will be on the right, unto whom shall be said, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. But thou hast received power to be on the right hand, that is, to be a son of God. What power? That whereof jfchn saith, He gave unto them power to become the sons of God. Whence hast thou received this power? To them, he saith, that believe in His Name. If then thou believest, this very power is given thee, to be among the sons of God. But to be among the sons of God, is to belong to the right hand. Thy faith therefore is the hand of thy right hand: that is, the power that is given thee, to be among the sons of God, is the hand of thy right hand. But what availeth this very power which man hath received, save the Lord protect him? Behold, he hath believed: he now walketh in faith: he is weal^ he is buffeted amidst temptations, among troubles, amid carnal corruptions, amid the suggestions of lust, and amid the cunning and the snares of a foe. What availeth it then, that he hath power, and hath believed in Christ, that he may be among the sons of God? Woe unto that man, except the Lord shield his faith also: that is, suffer thee not to be tempted beyond thy power to resist; as the Apostle saith, God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. He, therefore, Who suffereth us not to be tempted above that we are able, although we are already faithful, although we have already the hand of our right hand, shieldeth us upon the hand of our right hand. It sufficeth us not to have the hand of the right hand, unless He also defend the hand of the right hand.

12. Ver. 6. Behold, this I have said concerning temptations: listen to what folioweth. May the Lord shield thee upon the hand of thy right hand. I have said, and I believe ye have recognised it. For had ye not recognised it, and that from the Scriptures, ye would not signify your understanding of it by your voices. Since then ye have understood, brethren, consider what folioweth; wherefore the Lord shieldeth thee upon the hand of thy right hand, that is, in thy faith, wherein we have received power to become the sons of God, and to be on His right hand: wherefore should God shield us? On account of offences. Whence come offences? Offences are to be feared from two quarters, for there are two precepts upon which the whole Law hangeth and the Prophets, the love of God and of our neighbour. The Church is loved for the sake of our3^ neighbour, but God for the sake of God. Of God, is understood the sun figuratively: of the Church, is understood the moon figuratively. Whoever can err, so as to think otherwise of God than he ought, believing not the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost to be of one Substance, has been deceived by the cunning of heretics, chiefly of the Arians. If he hath believed any thing less in the Son or in the Holy Spirit than in the Father, he hath suffered an offence in God; he is scorched by the sun. Whoever again believeth that the Church existeth in one province only, and not that she is diffused over the whole world, and whoso believeth them that say, Lo here, and Lo there, is Christ, as ye but now heard when the Gospel was being read; since He Who23, gave so great a price, purchased the whole world: he is offended, so to speak, in his neighbour, and is burnt by the moon. Whoever therefore erreth in the very Substance of Truth, is burnt by the sun, and is burnt through the day; because be erreth in Wisdom itself, of which it is said, O/ie day telleth another: whence also the Apostle saith, Comparing spiritual with spiritual things. — One day telleth another: — comparing spiritual things with spiritual. — One day telleth another: — we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. What meaneth, and one night certifieth another f The humility of Christ is preached unto infante, and the* flesh of Christ, and the crucifixion of Christ; for this is the milk which sufficeth infants, and therefore infants are not forsaken duriug the night, since the moon shineth during the night; that is, the Church is preached through the Flesh of Christ, for the Flesh of Christ itself is the Head of the Church. Whoever therefore is not offended there, in the Church and flesh of Christ itself, is not burnt by the moon. Whosoever shall not have been offended in that immutable and uncontami liable Truth, is not burnt by the sun: it is not by that sun that he is not burnt, which flies and cattle see as well as we; but by that Sun of which the ungodly say in the end, What hath pride profited us? or what hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All those things ave passed over like a shadow. And after they had said these things: Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shone upon us, and the sun rose not upon us. Doth not this sun rise upon all the ungodly, by the institution of Him of Whom it hath been said, He causeth His sun to rise upon the good and the evil? God therefore hath made one sun, which riseth upon the good and the evil, that sun which the good and the evil see; but that Sun is another one, not created, not born, through Whom all things were made, where is the intelligence of the Immutable Truth: of this the ungodly say, the Sun rose not upon us*. Whosoever erreth not in Wisdom itself, is not burnt by the sun. Whosoever erreth not in the Church, and in. the Lord's Flesh, and in those things which were done for us in time, is not burnt by the moon. But every man although he telieveth in Christ, erreth either in this or that respect, unless what is here prayed for, The Lord is thy defence upon the hand of thy right hand, is realized in him. For when he had said, Tire Lord is thy defence upon the hand of thy right hand: as if he had enquired and replied, Lo, here is the hand of my right hand, I have already chosen to believe in Christ, I have received power to be among the sons of God, why is it that God is still my defence upon the hand of my right hand? he goeth on to say, (ver, 6.) So that the sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night Thy defence, therefore is upon the hand of thy right hand for this reason, thaf the sun may not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night. Understand hence, brethren, that it is spoken figuratively. For, in truth, if we think of the visible sun, it burneth by day: doth the moon burn by night? But what is burning? Offence. Hear the Apostle's words: Who is weak, and am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

13. Ver. 7. By day, then, the sun shall not burn thee: nor the moon by night. Wherefore? For the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. From offences in the sun, from offences in the moon, from all evil shall He preserve thee, Who is thy defence upon the band of thy right hand, who will not sleep nor slumber. And for what reason? Because we are amid temptations: The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. The Lord preserve thy soul: even thy very soul. The Lord preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore. Not thy body; for the Martyrs were consumed in the body; but the Lord preserve thy soul; for the Martyrs yielded not up their souls. The persecutors raged against Crispina, whose birthday we ares* to-day celebrating; they were raging against a rich andpma# delicate woman: but she was strong, for the Lord was her defence upon the hand of her right hand, He Who kept her. Is there any one in Africa, my brethren, who knoweth her not? For she was most illustrious, noble in birth, abounding in wealth: but all these things were in her left hand, beneath her head. An enemy advanced to strike her head, and the left hand was presented to him, which was under her head. Her head was above, the right hand embraced her from above. What could the persecutor do, although to a delicate woman? She was indeed weak by sex, and perhaps feebler still through her riches, and the habits of her life; but what was this against such a defence? What to that Husband Who placed His left hand beneath her head, and embraced her with His right? When could the enemy strike her thus defended? Yet he did strike her, but her body. But what saith the Psalm? The Lord preserve thy soul. Her soul yielded not, her body was smitten. And her body was smitten but for a season: for it will rise again in the end. For He also, Who deigned to be the Head of the Church, gave up His body to be smitten for a season; but He quickened His flesh again in three da^&; He wiU quicken our flesh in the eod. The Head was raised again, that the. Body might heed its resurrection, and thus might not faint. The Lord preserve thy soul. Let it not yield, let it not be broken down by offences; let it not yield by giving way in persecutions and in tribueven as the Lord saith: Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both body and sotfl in hell. This soul of thine then the Lord shall keep, that thou yield not to the evil persuader, that thou yield not to him that promiseth falsely, that thou yield not to him that threateneth temporal harm, and the Lord shall keep thy soul.

14. Ver. 8. The Lord preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore. Heed thy coming in for a season. The Lord preserve thy coming in and thy going out from this time forth for evermore. May He preserve thy going out also. What mean, coming in, and, going out t When we are tempted, we come in: when we overcome temptation, we go out. Listen to, the coming in: listen to, the going out. — The furnace proveth the potter's vessels, saith Scripture, and the trial of tribulation the righteous man. If righteous men are like a potter's vessels, the potter's vessels must needs enter the furnace, and the potter is not free from anxiety when they enter in, but when they have come out. But the Lord is without care, for He knoweth who are His, and He knoweth who do not crack in the furnace. They crack not, who have not the wind of pride. Humility therefore is our guardian in every temptation: for we rise from the vale of misery, chaunting the song of degrees; and the Lord preserveth our coming in, that we may come in safe. Let us be of sound faith when temptation happeneth; and He preserveth our going out from now for evermore. For when we have gone out from all temptation, henceforth for evermore no temptation will alarm us, no lust will even solicit us. Hear the Apostle declaring what 1 nave but Jusl declared: God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. Behold, thy coming in is guarded; when God suffereth not a temptation which thou canst not bear to befall thee, He preserveth thy coming in: see whether He also preserve thy going out. But will make, he addeth, with the temptation a way to-escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Cau we, my brethren, interpret otherwise than the Apostle's very words have taught? Preserve yourselves then, but not by yourselves, for the Lord is your defence, Who preserveth you, Who will neither slumber nor sleep. Once hath He slept for us; He hath risen again; He will never more. Let no man presume i# Himself. We are going up from the vale of misery; let us not tarry in the way. Steps in the road remain: we ought not to remain loitering, we ought not through pride to fall: let us say unto God, Let not our Jbotver.% be moved. He who keepeth us will not sleep. It is in our power, by God's gift, if we make Him our keeper, Who slumbereth not, nor sleepeth, Who keepeth Israel. What Israel? Him that seetb God. Thus will thy aid be from the Lord, thus will thy defence be upon the hand of thy right hand; thus is thy coming in and thy going out preserved from now for evermore. For if thou trust in thyself, thy foot hath been moved; if thy foot hath been moved, thou already thickest thyself to be on some advanced step; thence thou fallest, if thou art proud; for the humble one in the vale of misery saith, Suffer not my foot to be moved.

15. Although the Psalm is short, yet our exposition and discourse on it hath been long. Imagine, my brethren, that owing to the birthday of the blessed Crispina I have invited you, and have been immoderate in protracting the banquet. Might not this have happened to you, if any military officer were to invite you, and eompel you to drink at his table without measure? May it be lawful for us to do this in a sacred exposition, that ye may be inebriated and satisfied to the full, even as the Lord hath deigned to water the earth with His temporal rain, that He might suffer us to go to the abode of the Martyrs with the greater joy, as we had promised yesterday! For those Martyrs are here with us without toil.