Psalm 122 (Vulgate 121)

1. As impure love inflames the mind, and summons the soul destined to perish to lust for earthly things, and to follow what is perishable, and precipitates it into the lowest places, and sinks it into the abyss; so holy love raiseth us to heavenly things, and inflames us to what is eternal, and excites the soul to those things which do not pass away nor die, and from the abyss of hell raiseth it to heaven. Yet all love hath a power of its own, nor can love in the soul of the lover be idle; it must needs draw it on. But dost thou wish to know of what sort love is? See whither it leadeth. We warn you not then to love nothing; but that ye love not the world, that ye may freely love Him Who made the world. For the soul when bound by the love of earth, hath as it were birdlime on its wings; it cannot fly. But when purged from the sordid affections of the world, extending as it were its pair of wings, and freeing them from every obstacle, flieth upon them, that is, upon the two commandments of love unto God and our neighbour. Whither, save rising by-flight unto God? for it riseth by loving. Before it can do this, it groaneth on earth, if it hath in it now the desire for flight; and saith, O that I had wings as a dovey for then would I flee away, and be at rest! But whither will it fly, save from the midst of offences, where he also, whose cry I have here quoted, was groaning? From the midst of offences, then, from the medley of evil men, from the chaff mingled with the wheat, it longeth to fly, where it may not endure the society of any wicked one, but may live in the holy company of angels, the citizens of the everlasting Jerusalem.

2. Ver. 1. Therefore this Psalm, which we have this day undertaken to expound to you, holy brethren, longeth for Jerusalem herself; that is, he who ascendeth in this Psalm: for it is a Song of degrees; as we have often said to you, for these degrees1 are not of descent, but of ascent. HePs.38. therefore longeth to ascend. And whither doth he wish to ascend, save into heaven? What meaneth, into heaven? Doth he wish to ascend that he may be with the sun, moon, and stars? Far be it! But there is in heaven the eternal Jerusalemffwhere are our fellow-citizens, the Angels: we are wanderers on earth from these our fellow-citizens. We sigh in our pilgrimage; we shall rejoice in the city. But we find companions in this pilgrimage, who have already seen this city herself, and summon us to run towards her. At these he also rejoiceth, who saith, / rejoiced in them who said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord* Brethren, recall to mind, that when any festival of the Martyrs, or any holy spot is named, that on a certain day crowds may flock unto it to celebrate an anniversary; how those crowds encourage one another, how they exhort one another, and say, Let us go, let us go. People ask, whither are we to go? They reply, to that place, to the consecrated spot. They speak with one another by turns, and as it were set on fire one by one, make one flame; and this one flame, kindled from the conversation of those who take fire from one another, hurrieth them to the holy place, and holy thoughts sanctify them. If therefore holy love thus hurrieth them to a temporal spot; what love should that be which hurrieth men unanimously toward heaven, saying to each other, Let us go into the house of the Lord f Let us therefore run, let us run, for we will go into the Lord's house. Let us run, and not be wearied; for we shall arrive there, where we shall not be wearied. Let us run into the bouse of the Lord, let our soul be rejoiced in those who say these words unto us. For they who speak thus unto us, have seen before us that country, crying from a distant age unto their posterity, We will go into the house of the Lord: walk, run. The Apostles have seen it, and have said unto us, Run, walk, follow; we will go into the Lord's house. And what doth each of us reply? / am rejoiced in those who said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord. I am rejoiced in the Prophets, I am rejoiced in the Apostles.

For they all said unto us, We will go into the house of the

3. Ver. 2, Our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem. Behold, thou hast the Lord's house, if thou seekest it. In that house of the Lord, He Who built the house is praised; He is the delight of all who dwell in the house; He is their only hope here, and reality there. They that run thither, what should they think? Even %s if they were already there, and already stood there. For it is a great thing to stand there among the Angels, and not to fail. For he who fell thence, abode not in the truth. But all who have not fallen, abide in the truth: and he standeth, who enjoyeth God; but he who wisheth to enjoy himself, falleth. But who wisheth to enjoy himself? He who is proud. He therefore who wished alway to stand in the courts of Jerusalem, saith, In TJiy light shall we see light; not in any light; and, With Thee is the well of life; not with me. And what did he add? O let not the foot of pride come unto me: and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down. There fell all that work wickedness; they are cast down, and were not able to stand. If then they were not able to stand, because they were proud; do thou ascend humbly, that thou mayest be able to say, Our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem. Consider what thou wilt be there; and although thou art as yet on the road, place this before thine eyes, as if thou wert already standing, as if thou wert already rejoicing without ceasing among the Angels, and that which is written were realised in thee: " Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be alway praising Thee."—~-Our feet stood in the courts of Jerusalem. What Jerusalem? This earthly Jerusalem also is wont to be called by the name: though this Jerusalem is but the shadow of that. And what great thing is it to stand in this Jerusalem, since this Jerusalem hath not been able to stand, but hath been turned into a ruin? Doth then the Holy Spirit pronounce this, out of the kindled heart of the loving Psalmist, as a great thing, when he saith, Our feet standing in the courts of Jerusalem? Is not it that Jerusalem, unto whom the Lord said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that Lord. are sent unto theet What great thing then did he desire, to sta.nd among those who slew the Prophets, and stoned them that were sent unto them? God forbid that he should think of that Jerusalem, who so loveth, who so burneth, who so longeth to reach that Jerusalem, our Mother 9 of which the Apostle saith, that She is eternal in the Heavens.

4. Ver. 3. Hear for thyself: trust not me; hear what1- fol!oweth,#and what Jerusalem he is pointing out to our minds. For after saying, Our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem; as if he were asked, Of what Jerusalem speakest thou? he at once addeth, Jerusalem that is being built as a city. Brethren, when David was uttering these words, that city had been finished, it was not being built. It is some city he speaketh of, therefore, which is now being built, unto which living stones run in faith, of whom Peter saith, Ye alsoy as lively stones, are built up a spiritual^ house; that is, the holy temple of God. What meaneth, ye are built up as lively stones? Thou livest, if thou believest: but if thou believest, thou art made a temple of God; for the Apostle Paul saith, The temple of God wiCor.s, holy, which temple are ye. This city is therefore now in building; stones are cut down from the hills by the hands of those who preach truth, they are squared that they may enter into an everlasting structure. There are still many stones in the hands of the Builder: let them not fall from His hands, that they may be built perfect into the structure of the temple. This, then, is the Jerusalem that is being built as a city: Christ is its foundation. The Apostle Paul saith, Other foundation can no man lay thanib.ll. that is laid, which is Christ Jesus. When a foundation is laid on earth, the walls are built above, and the weight of the walls tends towards the lowest parts, because the foundation is laid at the bottom. But if our foundation be in heaven, let us be built towards heaven. Bodies have built the edifice of this basilica, the ample size of which ye see; and since bodies have built it, they placed the foundation lowest: but since we are spiritually built, our foundation is placed at the highest point. Let us therefore run thither, where we may be built; for it is said of Jerusalem herself, Our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem. But of what Jerusalem? Of Jerusalem which is being built as a He hath not said enough to describe Jerusalem, in saying, it is built as a city: that bodily Jerusalem may still be understood. For what if any one were to stand up and say, Even then, when these verses were being written and sung, in David's time, that city was finished; but he saw in the spirit that it would be destroyed, and would have to be built up a second time. For that city wa% stormed, and the captive people compelled to migrate to Babylon; an event called in Scripture, the transmigration to Babylon. And Jeremiah prophesied, that after seventy years of captivity tna* c*ty might be rebuilt, which had been destroyed by the conquering host. Perhaps some one saith: David saw this in the Spirit, that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed by its besiegers, and that it might again be rebuilt after seventy years: and he therefore said, Jerusalem which is being built as a city: think not then that that city is here mentioned which consisteth of Saints, as of living stones. What followeth, to remove all doubt? Why, he saith, our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem, But what Jerusalem do I speak of? Is it that, he asketh, which ye see standing, raised on the structure of its walls? No; but the Jerusalem which is being built as a city. Why not, a city, instead of, as a city; save because those walls, so built in Jerusalem, were a visible city, as it is by all called a city, literally; but this is being built as a city, for they who enter it, are like living stones; for they are not literally stones? Just as they are called stones, and yet are not so; so the city styled as a city, is not a city; for he said, is being built For by the word building, he meant to be understood the structure, and cohesion •of bodies and walls. For a city1 is properly understood of the men that inhabit there. But in saying ' is building,9 he shewed us that he meant a town. And since a spiritual building hath some resemblance to a bodily building, therefore it is building as a city,

5. But let the following words remove all doubt that we ought not to understand carnally the words, Jerusalem that is building as a city, whose partaking is in the same 9. £jow^ therefore, brethren, let every one who raiseth the eye of bis mind, who layeth aside the mist of the flesh, who cleanseth the eye of the heart, lift up his mind to contemplate, the same. What raeaneth, the same? How am I to say, save by repeating the word, the same? Brethren, if ye can, understand the same. For whatever else I shall say, I shall not say, the same. Let us, however, endeavour by some neighbouring phrases and senses to lead the weakness of th% mind to consider this word, the same. What meanetb, the same? What is ever in the same state; not what is now in one state, now in another. What then is, the same, save that which is? What is that which is f That which is everlasting. For what is always different at different times, is not, because it abideth not: not altogether is not, but is not in the highest sense. And what is, that which is, save He Who when He sent Moses, said unto him, I Am That I Am? What is this, save He, Who, when His servant said, Behold, Thou sendest me, and if the people shall say unto me, Who sent thee? what shall I say unto them? would not give His Name any otherwise than this, I Am That I Am; and replied, Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Behold The Same: I Am That I Am,/ AM hath sent me unto you. Thou canst not understand; it is much to understand, it is much to apprehend. Remember what He, Whom thou canst not comprehend, became for thee. Remember the flesh of Christ, towards which thou wast raised when sick, and when left half dead from the wounds of robbers, that thou mightest be brought to the Inn, and there mightest be cured. Let us therefore run unto the Lord's house, and30,34, reach the city where our feet may stand; the city that is budding as a city: whose partaking is in The Same. For what oughtcst thou to bold? That which Christ became for thee, for He is Christ; and Christ Himself is rightly understood in the words, 1 Am That I Am, as He is in the form of God, where He hath not thought it robbery to be equal with God, there He is The Same. But that thou mayest be a partaker2' in The Same, He first partook of thy nature; and the Word became flesh, that the flesh might partake of the Word. But in that the Word became Flesh, and dwelt among us, He came from the seed of Abraham; but it was promised14* Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that in their seed all nations snQu^ De hlessed; and we find in consequence that the 'Church hath been spread over the whole world: God speaketh to the weak. He sought for firmness of heart, when He said, I Am That I Am: He sought for firmness of heart, and an elevated gaze of contemplation, when He said, / AM sent me unto you. But perhaps thou hast not as yet this power of contemplation: faint not, despair not. I AM wified to be a man as thou art: and therefore presently telleth Moses, when as it were terrified, His Nkme. What Name? That Is, Is. And the Lord said unto Moses, I am the God of Abraham, ^ oj> jsaac^ anci ffe QQft Qf jacoo: tfrig is My Name for ever. Despair not of thyself, because He hath said, I Am That I Am, and, / AM hath sent me unto you: because thou at present waverest, and through the mutability of things, and the variety of mortal affairs, canst not perceive the meaning of The Same. I come down, because thou canst not come. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. In the seed of Abraham hope somewhat, that thou mayest be strengthened to see Him Who came unto thee in the seed of Abraham.

6. This then is The Same, of Whom it is said, Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail. Behold The Same, Whose years shall not fail. Brethren, do not our years daily fail, and abide not at all? For those which have those have already failed, and others, destined to fail, are to come. In this one day, brethren, behold what we are now saying is at one moment of time. Past hours have gone by, future hours have not as yet come; and when they shall have come, they also will themselves go by and fail. What are those years that will not fail, save they that abide? If therefore the years stand there, the very years also that stand are one year, and the very year which standeth is one day; for this one day hath neither rise or setting, nor is it commenced from a yesterday, nor closed by a tomorrow, but that day abide th for ever: and thou callest that day what thou pleasest; if thou choose, they are years; if thou choose, it is a day; whatever light thou regardest it in, it nevertheless standeth: that city which partaketh in the same, partaketh in its stability: justly therefore, since be is made a sharer in its stability, saith he who runneth thither, Our feet were standing in the courts of Jerusalem. For all things there stand where nought passeth by. Dost thou too wish to stand there and not to pass by? Run thither. Nobody hath the same from himself. Attend, brethren. # The body that he hath is not the same; for it standeth not in itself. It is changed through seasons, it is changed through changes of places and times, it is changed through diseases and wastings of flesh: it standeth not therefore in itself. Celestial bodies stand not in themselves, they have certain changes of their own, although hidden ones; they are certainly changed from place to place, they ascend from the east to the west, and again go round unto the east; they therefore stand not, they are not the same. Even the human soul standeth not. For with how many changes and imaginations is it altered? by how many pleasures is it changed? by what powerful lusts is it lacerated and torn asunder? Man's mind itself, which is called rational, is changeable, it is not the same. At one time, it wisheth, at another it wisheth not; at one time it knoweth, at another it knoweth not; at one time it remembered), at another it forgetteth: therefore no one hath the same from himself. He who wished to have the same from himself, so that he might in some sort be the same unto himself, fell: the angel hath fallen, and bath become a deviL The devil hath pledged the man in the cup of pride, be hath, in envy, thrown down together with himself him who was standing. These have wished to be the same unto themselves: they have wished to be princes and lords over themselves; they have been unwilling to recognise the true Lord, who truly is The Same, unto Whom it is said, Thou shall change them, <nd?» they shall be changed; but Thou art ever the same. Let therefore the humbled soul, after so much weariness, so many diseases, difficulties, toils, return unto itself; and let it be in that city whose partaking is in the same.

7. Ver. 4. For thither the tribes went up. We were asking whither he ascendeth who hath fallen; for we said, it is the voice of a man who is ascending, of the Church rising. Can we tell whither it ascendeth? whither it goeth? whither it is raised? Thither, he saith, the tribes went up. Whither the tribes go up? To a city whose partaking is the same. Therefore they ascend to Jerusalem. But the man who descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among robbers. If he did not descend, he would not fall among robbers. But since by descending he fell among robbers, let him by ascending come unto Angels. Let hinf therefore ascend, because the tribes have ascended. But what are the tribes? Many know, many know not. But let us who know, descend unto them that know not the tribes, that they may ascend with us whither the tribes have ascended. The tribes may be termed * curies' under another name, but not in the primary sense of the word. What are called tribes under one name cannot be called in the same sense by another: but they are called * curies' in a kindred sense. For if we use the word ' curies' in its proper sense, we understand nothing, save the ' curies' which exist in each particular city, whence the terms ' cnriales' and ' decuriones,' that is, the citizens of a curia or a decuria; and ye know that each city hath such curies. But there are, or were at one time, curies of the people in those cities, and one city hath many curies, as Rome hath thirty-five curies of the people. These are called tribes. The people of Israel had twelve of these, according to the sons of Jacob.

8. There were twelve tribes of the people of Israel: but ere were £ooc> an<* tnere were Da(* am<>ng them. For how evil were those tribes which crucified our Lord! How good those who recognised the Lord! Those tribes then who crucified the Lord, were tribes of* the devil. When therefore he here said, For thither the tribes go up; that thou migh*est not understand all the tribes, he added, even the tribes of the Lord. What meaneth, tribes of the Lord? which knew the Lord. For out of those twelve evil tr^es» tnere were g00^ roen there, of the good tribes, who recognised the Builder of the City; and these were the grains °^ wneat among those tribes, mingled with the chaff. For they went up, not with the chaff, but tribes winnowed, chosen, as the tribes of the Lord. Thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord. What are the tribes of the Lord? A testimony unto Israel, Hear, brethren, what this meaneth. A testimony to Israel: that is, whereby it may be known that it is truly Israel. For what meaneth Israel? The meaning of this word has already often been declared, and let it often be declared; for perchance, though it hath recently been declared, it hath slipped from you. In repeating it, let us effect that it may not slip even from those who know not^or refuse, to read: let us be their dictionary. Israel is interpreted to mean, * Seeing God:' indeed, if more carefully rendered, Israel will be found to mean, 'is seeing God:9 both meanings; is, and, seeing God. For man is not in himself; for he is changed and altered, if he share not in Him Who is The Same. Then he w, when he seeth God. For then he is, when he seeth Him Who is; and by seeing Him Who is, he also according to his measure beginneth to be. He is then Israel, and Israel is seeing God. The proud man therefore is not Israel; for he hath no share in The Same; because he<jhooseth to be the same unto himself. He who wisheth to be the beginning to himself is not Israel. Every false one therefore is not Israel, for every proud man must needs be a false one. This I say, brethren: it needs must be that every proud man wish to seem what be is not; otherwise, my brethren, it cannot be. And I wish the proud man wished to seem what he is not in the same way as, for example's sake, to seem a fluteplayer, when not really a flute-player. For it would soon be tested: it would be said to him, Play; let us see if thou art a fluteplayer. He would not be able; he would be discovered to have wished falsely to seem what he was not. If he called himself eloquent, it would be said to him, Speak: and prove thyself. If he should speak, he would be found not to be that which he had professed. The proud man (and this is worse) wishes himself to appear righteous, though he be not so; and as it is difficult to comprehend righteousness, it is difficult to detect the proud. The proud therefore wish to appear what they are not: for this reason, they have no share in The Same; they belong not to Israel, which meaneth, Seeing God. Who then belongeth to Israel? He who shareth in The Same. Who is he? He who confesses that he is not what God is, and that he hath from Him all the good he is capable of having; and that there is nought save sin flowing from himself, that righteousness cometh unto him from God? He is such in whom there is no guile. And what did the Lord say, when He saw Nathanael? Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. If therefore he is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile, those tribes go up to Jerusalem, in whom there is no guile. And these are the testimony of Israel: that is, owing to these it^s acknowledged that there were grains among that chaff, since when the floor was looked upon, all was thought to be chaff. There were therefore grains there: but when they have ascended into that glory above, when the floor shall have been, winnowed, then will there be a testimony of Israel; then will all the wicked say, Truly there were here righteous men among the wicked, when all seemed to us wicked, and when we thought all such as we ourselves were, a testimony of Israel, Whither do they go up? Wherefore do they go up? To confess unto Thy Name, 0 Lord, It could not be more nobly expressed. As pride presumeth, so doth humility confess. As he is a presumer, who wishes to appear what he is not, so is he a confessor, who does not wish that to be seen which himself is, and loves That which He is. To this therefore do Israelites go up, in whom is no guile, because they are truly Israelites, because in them is the testimony of Israel. To this do they go up, to confess unto Thy Name, O Lord.

9. Ver. 5. For there were seated seats for judgment. This is a wonderful riddle, a wonderful question, if it be not understood. He calleth those seats, which the Greeks call thrones. The Greeks call chairs thrones, as a term of honour. Therefore, my brethren, it is not wonderful if even we should sit on seats, or chairs; but that these seats themselves should sit, when shall we be able to understand this? As if some one should say: let stools or chairs sit here. We sit on chairs, we sit on seats, we sit on stools; the seats themselves sit not. What then meaneth this, For there were sealed seats for judgment? Ye are indeed wont to hear these words of God, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. But in Latin the whole is expressed thus, The heaven is My seat. Who are these, save the righteous? Who are the heavens, save the righteous? They who are heaven, are heavens themselves: for they which are the Church, are themselves Churches; they are many in such a way as to be one: so therefore are the righteous also; the righteous are heaven in such a way as that they are heavens. Now God sitteth in them, and judgeth from them: uor is it said without a deep meaning, that 77*ePs.i9,i. heavens declare the glory of God. For the Apostles have become a heaven. Whence have they become heaven? Because they have been justified. As the sinner hath become earth, for unto him it is said. Dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return; so have the justified become heaven. They bore God: and from them God lightened forth His wonders, thundered terrors, rained consolations. They were therefore, they were heaven, and they declared the glory of God. For that ye may know that they were called heaven, he saith in the same Psalm, Their sound is gone out into fl//P». the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Thou askest, whose? and thou wilt find, of these heavens. If therefore heaven be the seat of God, and the Apostles are heaven; they themselves are become the seat of God, the throne of God. It is said in another passage: The soul of the righteous is the throne of wisdom. A great truth, a great truth, is declared; the throne of wisdom is the soul of the righteous; that is, wisdom sitteth in the soul of the righteous as it were in her chair, in her throne, and thence judgeth whatsoever she judgeth. There were therefore thrones of wisdom, and therefore the Lord said unto them, Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So they also shall sit upon twelve seats, and they are themselves the seats of God; for of them it is said, For there were sealed seals. Who sat? Seals. And who are the seats? They of whom it is said, The soul of the righteous is the seat of wisdom. Who are the seats? The heavens. Who are the heavens? Heaveu. What is heaven? That of which the Lord saith, Heaven is My seat. The righteous then themselves are the seats; and have seats; and seats shall be seated in that Jerusalem. For what purpose? For judgment. Ye shall sit, He saith, on twelve throues, O ye thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Judging whom? Those who are below on earth. Who judge? They who have become heaven. But they who shall be judged, will be divided into two bodies: one will be on the right hand, the other on the left. For the Lord will come to judgment with the ancients of His people, saith Isaiah. There are then some who will judge with Him; others who will be judged by Him, and by those who will judge with Him. These therefore will be divided into two parts: one will he set on the right, to whom will be enumerated the merciful deeds they have wrought; the other will be set on the left, unto whom will be enumerated their cruelty and barrenness of mercy. And to those placed on right it will be said, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inforn ifre kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Wherefore? / was an hungred, He replieth, and ye gave me meat. They answer: Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred? He answereth: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me. What, then, my brethren? They shall judge, of whom it is said that men should make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that they also. He saith, may receive you into everlasting habitations. The Saints will sit with the Lord to mark those who have wrought mercy, and will bring them, set apart on the right, into the kingdom of heaven: and this is the peace of Jerusalem. What is the peace of Jerusalem? That bodily works of mercy may be joined with spiritual works of preaching, and that peace may result from giving and receiving. For the Apostle, who hath declared that this almsgiving is a balance of giving and receiving, saith, If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? And concerning the same thing he elsewhere saith: He that had gathered much, had nothing over: and he that had gathered little, had no lack. Why had he nothing over, who had gathered much? Because what he had over, he gave to the needy. And what meaneth, he that had gathered little, had no lack? Because he received from the other's abundance, that there might be equality, as he saiih. This is the peace, whereof it is said, Peace be in thy strength.

10. Ver. 6. For after saying, For there were seated seats for Jwigment, seats over the house of David, that is, over the family of Christ, to whom they gave meat in season; he at once addeth, as unto the seats themselves, Enquire ye the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem. O ye seats, who now sit unto judgment, and are made the seats of the Lord Who judgeth, (since they who judge, enquire; they who are judged, ar% enquired of,) Enquire ye, he saith, the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem. What will they find by asking? That some have done deeds of charity, that others have not Those whom they shall find to have done deeds of charity, they will summon them unto Jerusalem; for these deeds are for the peace qf Jerusalem. Love is a powerful thing, my brethren, love is a powerful thing. Do ye wish to see how powerful a thing love is? Whosoever through some insurmountable obstacle can not fulfil what God commandeth, let him love him who fulfil leth it, aud he fulfilleth it in him. I pray your attention, my brethren. For example's sake, he hath a wife, whom be may not divorce; he must obey the Apostle who saith, Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and, Art thou bound unto af^ wife* seek not to be loosed. It cometh into his mind that that life is better, whereof the Apostle saith, / would that a//ib. men were even as myself. He observeth those who have done this; he loveth them, and fulfilleth in them what he cannot in himself. Love is a powerful thing. This is our strength; for if we be not in it, whatever else we have profitetb nothing. Though I speak with l/te tongues of men and o/iCor.ia, angels, saith the Apostle, and have not charity, lam become1'3' as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. He addeth yet another great thing: and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. But if charity be destitute of means, so that it cannot find what to bestow upon the poor, let it love: let it give one cup of cold water; as much shall be laid to its account, as to Zaccheus who gave half his patrimony to the poor. Wherefore this? The one gave so little, the other so much, and shall so much be imputed to the former? Just so much. For though bis resources are unequal, his charity is not unequal.

11. They therefore eu quire: do ye reflect upon what ye are jfc been a]reaf)y gaid un(0 us> jfre wm g0 info house of the Lord. We took delight in those who said unto us, We will go into the house of the Lord. Consider therefore whether we really go. For we go not with our feet, but with our affections. Consider if we go, let each of you ask himself what he is towards a poor saint, towards an indigent brother, what he is towards an indigent beggar, lei him see whether his bowels are not narrow. For the Seats which will sit for judgment will have to enquire of thee, and otight to discover things that are for the peace of Jerusalem. And how do they enquire? As the seats of God. God asketh. If any thing escape God, something may escape those seats also who enquire* Enquire ye the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem. But what are for the peace of Jerusalem? And plenteousness, he addeth, for them that love thee. He addresses Jerusalem herself, They have plenteousness who love her* Plenteousness after want: here they are destitute, there they are affluent; here they are weak, there they are strong; here they want, there they are rich. How have they become rich? Because they gave here what they received from God for a season, and received there what God will afterwards pay back for evermore. Here, my brethren, even rich men are poor. It is a good thing for a rich man to acknowledge himself poor: for if he think himself full, that is mere puffing, not plenteousness. Let him own himself empty, that he may be filled. What hath he? Gold. What hath he not yet r Everlasting life. Let him consider what he hath, and see what he hath not. Brethren, of that which he hath, let him give, that he may receive what he hath not; let him purchase out of that which he hath, that which he hath not, and plenteousness for them that love thee% 12. Ver. 7. Peace be in thy strength. O Jerusalem,

O city, who art being built as a city, whose partakipg is in

The Same: Peace be in thy strength? peace be in thy love; 8, for thy strength is thy love. Hear the Song of songs: Love is strong as death. A great saying that, brethren, Love is strong as death. The strength of charity could not be expressed in grander terms than these, Love is strong as death. For who resistetb death. i»v brethren? Consider, my brethren. Fire, waves, the sword, are resisted: we resist principalities, we resist kings; death cometh alone, who resisteth it? There is nought more powerful than it Charity therefore is compared with its strength, in the words, Love is strong as death. And since this love slayeth what we have been, that we may be what we were not; love createth a#sort of death in us. This death he had died who said, The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.-Gal. this death they had died unto whom he said, Ye are dead™^^ and your life is hid with Christ in Ood. Love is strong as death. If therefore it is strong, it is courageous, and of great power, and is strength itself, and through it the weak are ruled by the firm, earth by heaven, peoples by the seats; therefore, Peace be in thy strength, meanetb, Peace be in thy love. And through this strength, through this love, through this peace, let there be plenteousness in thy towers: that is, in thy exalted ones. For few will sit in judgment, but many set on the right hand will constitute the people of that city. For many will belong severally to each exalted one, by whom they will be received into their everlasting habitations; and there will be plenteousness in his towers. But God Himself is the fulness of delight, and the sufficiency of riches, Himself The Same, Himself in Whom the partaking of the city is in 'The Same:' this will be our plenteousness also. But whence? Through charity, that is, through strength. But in whom is charity, my brethren? In him who seeketh not his own in this life. Hear the Apostle's charity: Give none offence$ he saith, even as 1 please all men in all things. Where then is what thou hast said: I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ? and dost thou at one time say that thou pleasest, at another, exhort them also to please? But he did not lay down as the end, that any man should please on his own account, and not for the sake of charity* He who seeketh his own glory, seeketh uot the salvation of others. For he saith, Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit^ but the profit of many, that they may be10*33' saved.

13. Ver. 8. Thus as he was here speaking of charity, he addeth, For my brethren and companions' sake, I spoke 'peace of thee. O Jerusalem, thou city whose partaking is in The Same, I in this life and on this earth, I poor, he saith, I a stranger and groaning, not as yet enjoying to the full thy peace, and preaching thy peace; preach it not for my own sake, as the heretics, who seeking their own glory, say, Peace be with you: and have not the peace which they preach to the people. For if they had peace, tffey would not tear asunder unity. /, he saith, spoke peace of thee. But wherefore? For my brethren and companions' sake: not for my own honour, not for ray own money, not for my I spoke peace of thee, for my brethren and companions' sakes. For he wished to depart, and to be with Christ: but, since he must preach these things to his companions and his brethren, to abide in the flesh, he addeth, is more needful for you. For my brethren and companions9 sakes I spoke peace of thee.

14. Ver. 9. Because of the house of the Lord my God, I have sought good things for thee. Not on my own account have sought good things, for then I should not seek for thee, but for myself; and so should I not have them, because I should not seek them for thee; but, Because of the house of the Lord my God9 because of the Church, because of the Saints, because of the pilgrims; because of the poor, that they may go up; because we say to them, we will go into the bouse of the Lord: because of the house of the Lord my God itself, I have sought good things for Thee. These long and needful words gather ye, brethren, eat them, drink them, and grow strong, run, and seize.