Psalm 123 (Vulgate 122)

I. I have undertaken to treat of the songs of him who ascendeth in order with you, holy brethren; of one who ascendeth and loveth, and asccndeth because he loveth. All love either ascends or descends. For we are lifted up unto God by a good desire, and by an evil desire we are precipitated to the lowest depths. But since we have already fallen, through evil desire; it remaineth for us, if we know Who fell not, but descended unto us, to ascend by clinging to Him;^for we cannot do so of our own strength. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, No man hath ascended tip to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. He seemeth to have spoken of Himself alone. Did then the rest remain below, because He Who alone came down, alone ascended? What ought the rest to do? To be united with His Body, that Christ, Who came down and ascended, may be One. The Head came down, and ascended with the Body; clothed with His Church, which He presented to Himself, not having spot or wrinkle. He therefore alone ascended. But we also when we are so with Him, that we are His members in Him, and He with us is alone, and therefore One, and evermore One, unity bindeth us unto One; and they alone ascend not with Him, who have not chosen to be one with Him. Now since He Who was set in heaven, and immortal, since He had raised up the flesh, owing to which He was for a season mortal, and suffering no persecutions in heaven, no malice or reproaches, as on (his earth when He deigned to bear all things for our sakes; yet, sympathising with His Body suffering on earth, said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me* Though no one touched Him Himself, He yet cried from heaven that He was suffering persecution: we ought not to exclude the hope, nay, we ought rather confidently to trust, that, if through love He is Himself with us on earth, we also are with Him in heaven through the same love. But we have said in what sense He is Himself with us on earth; we have said it was His Voice which sounded from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Mef when Saul touched Him not at all, nor even saw Him; but how is it shewn that we are also with Him in heaven? By the words of the same Paul, If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on thiitga on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. He therefore is still below, and we are now above: He is below through the compassion of love, we are above through the hope of love. For we are saved by hope. But because our hope is sure; although it be to come, yet we are so spoken of as if it had already come to pass.

2. Ver. 1. Let therefore this singer ascend; anfl let this man sing from the heart of each of you, and let each of you be this man, for when each of you saith this, since ye are all one in Christ, one man saith this; and saith not, Unto 77iee9 0 Lord, have we lift up our eyes; but, Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up mine eyes* Ye ought indeed to imagine that every one of you is speaking; but that One in an especial sense speaketh, Who is also spread abroad over the whole world. That One speaketh, Who elsewhere From the ends of the earth did I cry unto Thee, when my heart was in heaviness* Who is it who crieth from the ends of the earth? Who is the one man spread abroad even unto the ends of the earth? Each man may cry forth in his own district; can he from the ends of the earth? But inheritance of Christ, whereof it is said, I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, itself crieth, From the ends of the earth did I cry unto Thee, when my heart was in heaviness. Suppose our heart to be in heaviness, and let us cry. Whence should our heart be in heaviness? Not in consequence of those things which even the wicked suffer here; for example's sake, if they suffer a loss: for if the heart is in heaviness on this account, it is ashes. Thou hast perhaps lost some one of thy relations by the will of God; if thine heart be in heaviness on this account, what great thing is this? The hearts of infidels also are in heaviness from this cause; those who have not as yet believed in Christ, suffer these things also. What maketh the heart of a Christian heavy? Because he is a pilgrim, and longeth for his country. If thy heart be heavy on this score, although thou hast been prosperous in the world, still thou dost groan: and if all things combine to render thee prosperous, and this world smile upon thee on every side, thou nevertheless groanest, because thou seest that thou art set in a pilgrimage; audfeelest that thou hast indeed happiness in the eyes of fools, but not as yet after the promise of Christ: this thou seekest with groans, this thou seekest with longings, and by longing ascendest, and while thou ascendest dost sing the Song of Degrees, saying, Unto Thee do I li/t up mine eyes, O Thou tfuit dwellest in heaven.

3. WHTle ascending, whither was he to raise his eyes, save towards that heaven whereunto he was bound, and longed to ascend? For he ascendeth from earth to heaven. Behold the earth is below, which we tread with our feet; behold also the heaven above, which we see with our eyes; and as we ascend sing, Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in heaven! Where then are the ladders? For we behold so great an interval between heaven and earth, there is so wide a separation, and so great a space of regions between: we wish to climb thither, we see no ladder; <J° we deceive ourselves, because we sing the Song of Degrees, that is, the Song of ascent? We ascend unto heaven, if we think of God, Who bath made ascending steps in the heart. What is to ascend in heart? To advance towards God. As every man who faileth, doth not descend, but faileth: so every one who profiteth, doth ascend: but if he so profit, as to avoid pride: if he so ascend as not to fall: but if while he profiteth he become proud, in ascending he again faileth. But that he may not be proud, what ought he to do? Let him lift up his eyes unto Him Who dwelleth in heaven, let him not heed himself. For every proud man beedeth himself, and he who pleaseth himself seemeth to himself to be great. But he who pleaseth himself, pleaseth a fool; for he is himself a fool, when he pleaseth himself. He alone pleaseth without danger, who pleaseth God. And who is he who pleaseth God? He Whom God hath pleased. God cannot displease Himself; may He please thee also, that thou mayest please Him. But He cannot please thee, save thou hast displeased thyself. But if thou displeascst thyself, remove thine eyes from thyself. For why dost thou regard thyself? For if thou sincerely regard thyself, thou findest in thee what will displease thee; and thou sayest unto God, My sin is everv*&\fi. fyf0*6 me' ^et tny sm ^e Def°re thee, that it may not be before God; and refuse to be before thyself, that thou may est be before God. For as we wish that God may not turn away His face from us, so do we wish that He may turn His face from our sins: for both these prayers are found in the Psalms. 0 hide not Thou Thy face front me, are the words of the Psalm: and ours also; and see what he, who saith, O hide not Thou Thy face from %ie> saith elsewhere: Turn Thy face from my sins. If thou wouldest have Him turn His face from thy sins, do thou turn thy face from thyself, and turn not thy face from thy sins. For if thou turn not thy face from them, thou art thyself incensed with thy sins; but if thou turn not away thy face from thy sins, thou dost recognise them, and He forgetteth them.

4. But raise thine eyes from thyself unto Him, and say, Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in heaven. If, my brethren, we understand by heaven the firmament which we see with our bodily eyes, we shall indeed so err, as to imagine that we cannot ascend thither without ladders, or some scaling machines: but if we ascend spiritually, we ought to understand heaven spiritually: if the ascent be in affection, heaven is in righteousness. What is then the heaven of God? All holy souls, all righteous souls. For the Apostles also, although they were on earth in the flesh, were heaven; for the Lord, enthroned in them, traversed the whole world. He then dwelleth in heaven* How? In what sense doth he say in another Psalm, But Thou dwellest in holiness, 0 Thou praise of Israel* He who dwelleth in heaven, dwelleth in holiness: what is hoh> save His temple? For the temple of Qod is holy, which temple ye are. But all who are as yet weak, and walking according to faith, are according to faith the temple of God, and will be at one time in sight also the temple of God. How long are they the temple according to faith? As long as Christ dwelleth in them through faith; as the Apostle saith, That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. But they are already heaven in whom God already dwelleth visibly, who see Him face to face; all the holy Apostles, all the holy Virtues, Powers, Thrones, Lordships, that heavenly Jerusalem, wanderers from whence we groan, and for which we pray with longing; and there God dwelleth. Thither hath the Psalmist lifted up his faith, thither he riseth in affection, with louging hopes: and this very longing cause th the soul to purge off1 the filth of sins, and to be'detacleansed from every stain, that itself also may become heaven; dare because it hath lifted up its eyes unto Him Who dwelleth in heaven. For if we have determined that that heaven which we ibe with our bodily eyes is the dwelling of God, the dwelling of God will pass away; for heaven and earth*^124 fdll pass away* Then, before God created heaven and earth, where did He dwell? But some one saith: and before God made the Saints, where did He dwell? God dwelt in Himself, He dwelt with Himself, and God is with Himself. And when He deignetb to dwell in the Saints, the Saints are not the bouse of God in such wise, as that God should fall when it is withdrawn. For we dwell in a house in one way, in another way God dwelleth in the Saints. Thou dwellest in a house: if it be withdrawn, thou fallen: but God so dwelleth in the Saints, that if He should Himself depart, (hey fall. Whosoever then so beareth God as to be a temple of God, let him not think that God is so borne of him, that he may make God afraid if he withdraw himself. Woe to him if God withdraw Himself, for he falleth; since God abideth ever in Himself. The houses in which we live, themselves contain us: those in which God dwelleth, are themselves upheld by Him. Now consider how wide a difference there is between our dwelling and that of God: and let the soul thus speak, Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in heaven: that it may understand that God wanteth not even heaven to dwell in; but heaven is in need of Him, that it may be inhabited by Him.

5. Ver. 2 — 4. What then followeth, since he hath said,

Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in Heaven? How hast thou lifted up thine eyes? Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, awl as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our Qod, until He have mercy upon us. We are both servants, and a handmaiden: He is both our Master and our Mistress. What do these words mean? What do these similitudes Lmean? Listen to me for a time, beloved brethren. It is not wonderful if we are servants, and He our Master; but it is wonderful if we are a maiden, and He our Mistress. But not even our being a maiden is wonderful; for we are the Church; nor is it wonderful that He is our Mistress; for He is the Power and the Wisdom of God. Hear the Apostle speaking: We preach Christ crucified? unto the Jews a stumbling -block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God: so that now both the people may be a servaut and the Church a handmaid, thou hast heard both: Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. When therefore thou hearest Christ, lift up thine eyes to the hands of thy Master; when thou hearest the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, lift up thine eyes to the hands of thy Mistress; for thou art both servant and handmaiden; servant, for thou art a people1; handmaiden3, for thou art the Church. But this maiden hath found great dignity with God; she hath been made a wife. But until she come unto those spiritual embraces, where she may without apprehension enjoy Him Whom she hath loved, and for whom she hath sighed in this tedious pilgrimage, she is betrothed: and hath received a mighty pledge, the blood of the Spouse for Whom she sigheth without fear. Nor is it said unto her, Do not love; as it is sometimes said to any betrothed virgin, not as yet married: and is justly said, Do not love; when thou hast become a wife, then love: it is rightly said, because it is a precipitate and preposterous thing, and not a chaste desire, to love one whom she knoweth not whether she shall marry. For it may happen that one man may be betrothed to her, and another man marry her. But as there is no one else who can be preferred to Christ, let her love without apprehension: and before she is joined unto Him, let her love, and sigh from a distance and from her far pilgrimage. He will alone marry her, for he alone hath given such a pledge. For who can so marry as to die for her whom he wishes to marry? For if he chooseth to die for her, he will be no more there to marry her. But He Who when He rose again was to marry His betrothed, died without apprehension for her. Nevertheless, brethren, let ns in the meanwhile be as servants and handmaiden. It is said indeed, I call you not servants, but friends: but perhaps our Lord said this to His disciples alone? Hear the Apostle Paul, saying, Tltou art no more a servant, but a son: and if a son, then an heir through God. He was speaking to the people, he was speaking to the faithful. Tiow therefore being redeemed in the Name of the Lord by His own blood, being washed in His layer, we are one in Him. What then is the reason that we still speak as servants? Can we deserve as much in the Church, although we are already made sons instead of servants, as the Apostle Paul? And yet what saith he in his Epistle? Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. If he, through whom the Gospel1, hath been preached unto us, still calleth himself a servant; how much more ought we to acknowledge our condition, in order that His grace may be greater in us? For He first made those whom He redeemed, servants. For His blood was a price for servants, a pledge for His spouse. Acknowledging therefore our condition, although even now sons through grace, yet as servants by creation, for the whole creation serveth God, let us say, As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her mistress; even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our Qod, until He have mercy upon us.

6. He hath also stated the reason, why our eyes should wait upon the Lord our God, even as the eyes of a servant look unto the hands of his master, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her mistress. And as though shouldest ask, Why? Until, he saith, He have mercy us. What sort of servants then, brethren, did he wish be understood, whose eyes look unto the hands of their; and what sort of maidens, whose eyes look unto hands of their mistress, until their mistress have mercy them? Who are these servants and handmaidens, eyes thus look unto the hands of their masters, save who are ordered to be beaten? Our eyes look unto

Lord our God, until He have mercy upon us. How? As eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eves of a maiden unto the hands of her mistress. Both servants and maidens then look thus, until their master or mistress have mercy upon them. Suppose then that some master hath commanded his servant to be beaten. The servant is beaten: he feels the pain of the strokes; he looketh upon the hands of his master, until he say, Enough. For by the hand is meant the master's power. What then shall we say, brethren? Our Lord hath commanded us to be beaten, and our mistress the wisdom of God hath ordered us to be beaten; and in this life we are beaten, and the whole4 of this mortal life is a chastisement. Listen to the words of the Psalm: Thou hast chastened man for sin, and hast made my soul to consume away like as it were a spider. Remember, brethren, how frail a spider is, and that with a slight touch it is shattered and dieth. And, that we might not imagine that we have a flesh alone which consumeth easily from the weakness of our mortal nature, he said not, Thou hast made me to consume away; lest we should understand it of the flesh; but, Thou hast made my soul to consume away like as it were a spider. For there is nothing weaker than our soul placed among the temptations of the world, in the midst of groans and travailing of sorrows; there is nothing weaker than it, until it clings to the firmness of heaven, and is in the temple of God, whence it may no longer fall: since it was made weak as a spider at first, so that it came into this weakness and perishable nature, and was expelled from Paradise. Then was the servant ordered to be beaten. My brethren, consider, from what point of time we have been beaten. In all who have been born from the origin of the human race, in all who are now, in all who will hereafter be born, Adam is beaten. Adam is beaten, that is, the human race; and many have grown so hardened that they feel not their own bruises. But they who out of this race Irave been made sons, have received back the sense of pain: they feel that they are beaten, and they know Who commanded them to be beaten; and they have lifted up their eyes unto Him Who dwelleth in heaven; and thus their eyes are looking unto the hands of their Lord, until He Lave mercy upon them, even as the eyes of servants unto the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of the maiden unto the hands of her mistress. Thou seest some fortunate men smiling in this world, boasting themselves; they are not beaten; nay, they are worse beaten; in this very point they are the worse beaten, in that they have lost feeling. Let them awake, and be beaten; let them feel that they are beaten, let them know that they are beaten, and let them grieve that they are beaten. For he that increase th knowledge*, increase th sorrow, as Scripture saitb. So also1'18' the Lord in the Gospel: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

7. Let us bear the words of the man who is beaten, and let these be the words of each of us, even when it is well with us. For who cannot understand that he is beaten when he is sick, when he is in prison, when perchance in bonds, when perchance he suffered) robbery? When troubles are inflicted upon him by any wicked men, he feeleth that he is beaten. This is an excellent sensibility, to perceive that he is beaten even when it is well with him. For the Scripture saith not in Job, Human life is full of temptations, but it sailh, WhatJohl,. is the life of man upon earth, save a temptation? He hath pronounced the whole of this life a temptation. The whole therefore of thy life on earth, is thy stripes. Mourn as long as thou livest upon earth: whether thou livest happily, or whether thou art placed in any trouble, cry, Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in Heaven. Look unto the hands of the Lord, Who ordered thee to be beaten, unto Whom thou sayest in another Psalm, Thou hast chastened man for sin, and hast made my soul to consume away like as a spider; cry unto the hands of Him Who beateth thee, and say, Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Are not these the words of one who is being beaten, Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us?

8. Ver. 3. 4. For we have been much filled with contempt* Our soul hath been filled to the utmost, a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud. All that will live piously according to Christ, must needs suffer reproof, must2Tim.3, needs be despised by those who do not choose to live piously, all whose happiness is earthly. They are derided who call that happiness which they canuot see with their eyes, and it is said lo them, What believest thou, madman? Dost thou see what thou believest? Hath any one returned from the world below, and reported to thee what is going on there? Behold I see and enjoy what I love. Thou art scorned, because thou dost hope for what thou seest not; and he who seemeth to hold what he seeth, scorneth thee. Consider well if he doth really hold it: be not disturbed; see whether he holdeth it himself, and let him not mock thee; fest, when thou thinkest him happy in the present, thou mayest lose true happiness in future: be not, I say, disturbed: consider whether he holdeth it. What he holdeth slippeth from his hands, or he slippeth away from what he holdeth; either he must needs pass through his property, or it through him. Through whom do his possessions pass? Through him who is ruined while living. Who passeth through his property? He who dieth in his riches; for when he dieth, he carrieth them not away with him to the world below. I have my house, he hath boasted himself. Thou askest, what house of his own? That which my father left me. And whence did he derive this house? My grandfather left it him. Go back even to his great grandfather, then lo his great grandfather's father, and he can no longer tell their names. Art thou not rather terrified by this thought, that thou seest many have passed through this house, and that none of them hath carried it away with him to his everlasting home? Thy father left it: he passed through it: thus thou also wilt pass by. If therefore thou hast a mere passing stay in thy house, it is an inn for passing guests, not an habitation for permanent abode. Yet since we hope for those things which are to come, and sigh for future happiness, and since it hath not yet appeared what we shall be, although we are already " sons

God;" for "our life is hidden with Christ in God:" we are utterly despised, by those who seek or enjoy happiness in this world.

9. Our soul is Jilted exceedingly; a reproach to the wealthy^ and a contempt to the proud. We were asking who were the wealthy: he hath expounded to thee, in that he hath said, the proud. Reproach and contempt are the same: and wealthy is the same with proud. It is a repetition of the sentence, a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud. Why are the proud wealthy? Because they wish to be happy here. Why? since they themselves too are miserable, are they wealthy? But perhaps when they are miserable, they do not mock us. Listen, my beloved. Then perchance they mock when they are happy, when they boast themselves in the pomp of their riches! when they boast themselves in the inflated state of false honours: then they mock us, and seem to say, Behold, it is well with me: I enjoy the good things before me: let those who promise what they cannot shew depart from me: what I see, I bold; what I see, I enjoy; may I fare well in this life. Be thou more secure; for Christ hath risen again, and hath taught thee what He will give in another life: be assured that He giveth it. But that man mocketh thee, because he holdeth what he hath. Bear with his mockeries, and thou wilt laugh at his groans: for afterwards there will come a season when these very persons will say, This was he whom we had sometimes in derision. These are the3* words of the Book of Wisdom; for the Scripture hath handed down to us what they shall say who now scorn us, and who laugh at us, and by whom we are filled with reproach and contempt: what words they will then utter, when they shall be despised by the Truth. For they shall see those, whom they had scorned when mingled with themselves, shine on the right hand, when that which the Apostle hath described hath been fulfilled in them: when Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory; and they shall say, This was he whom we had sometimes in derision, and a byword of reproach. We fools accounted*"**' his life madness, and his end to be without honour. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the Saints! And they pursue this discourse, and add, Therefore we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness shone not unto us, and the sun rose not on us. What hath pride profited us? and what hare riches with our vaunting brought us? There thou dost not mock them, for they mock themselves. Until this come to pass, brethren, let us raise our eyes unto Him that dwelleth in heaven: and let us not take away our eyes from Him, until He have mercy upon us, and free us from all temptation and reproach and contempt.

10. To this we must add, that sometimes those also who are beneath the scourge of temporal unbappiness, mock us. Thou findest some one, after the deserving of his iniquities, whether by the hidden judgment of God, or by an open condemnation, sent to prison, dragging a chain: and even he mocketh thee. And when he is addressed, ^hy didst thou not live well? behold to what thou hast come by living evilly: he answereth, Wherefore do they who live well, suffer these things? But they suffer for this reason, that they may be proved, that they may be exercised by temptations, that may profit by scourging: for God scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. And if He scourged His only Son without sin, and delivered Him up for us all, how ought we to be scourged, who have done things on account of which we are scourged? When we speak thus, they still pride themselves even in their woe, and afflicted, not humbled, they reply, These are the words of idle Christians, who believe what they see not. If even these mock us, why should we imagine, brethren, that they are not mentioned in this Psalm, in the words, A reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud; since even they who are not wealthy mock at Christians: and when in want and troubles, do not even then cease to mock? Surely then, we are a reproach unto the wealthy: or is no one found to mock us even when vexed with some calamity? Did not the robber mock, who was crucified with our crucified Lord? If therefore they who are not wealthy mock us, why doth the Psalm say, A reproach to the wealthy? If we carefully sift the matter, even these (the unfortunate) are wealthy. How are they wealthy? Yea; for if they were not wealthy, they would not be proud. For one man is wealthy in money, and proud on that score: another is wealthy in honours, and is proud on that account: another imagines himself wealthy in righteousness, and hence his pride, which is worse. They who seem not to be wealthy in money, seem to themselves to be wealthy in righteousness towards God; and when calamity overtakes them, they justify themselves, accuse God, and say, What wrong have I been guilty of, or, what have I done? Thou repliest: Look back, call to mind thy sins, see if thou hast done nothing. He is somewhat touched in conscience, and returneth to himself, and thinketh of his evil deeds; and when he hath thought of his evil deeds, not even then doth he choose to confess that he deserves his sufferings: but saith, Behold, 1 have clearly done many things; out 1 see that many have done worse, and suffer no evil. He is righteous against God* He also therefore is wealthy: he hath his breast puffed out with righteousness; since God seemeih to him to do ill, and he seemeth to himself to suffer unjustly. And if thou gavest him a vessel to pilot, he would be shipwrecked with it: yet he wishes to deprive God of the government of this world, and himself to hold the helm of Creation, and to distribute among all men pains and pleasures, punishments and rewards. Miserable soul! yet why do ye wonder? He is wealthy, but wealthy in iniquity, wealthy in malignity; but is more wealthy in iniquity, in proportion as be seemeth to himself to be wealthy in righteousness.

11. But a Christian ought not to be wealthy, but ought to acknowledge himself poor; and if he hath riches, he ought to kuovv that they are not true riches, so that he may desire others. For he who desireth false riches, seeketh not the true riches: while he who seeketh the true riches, is as yet poor; and justly doth he say, / am poor and in heaviness. Agaiu, iu what sense is he, who is both poor29' and full of iniquity, said to be wealthy? Because it displeaseth him that he is poor, and in righteousness itself he seemeth wealthy iu his own heart against the righteousness of God. Aud what is the wealth of our righteousness? How much soever righteousness there may be in us, it is a sort of dew compared to that fountain: compared to that plenteousness it is as a few drops, which may soften our life, and relax our hard iniquity. Let us only desire to be filled with the full fountain of righteousness, let us loug to be filled with that abundant richness, of which it is said in the Psalm, They shall be satisfied with I he plenteousness of Thy house: and Thou shalt give them drink out of the torrent of Thy pleasure. But while we are here, let us understand ourselves to be destitute and in want; not only in respect of those riches which are not the true riches, but of salvation itself. And when we are whole, let us understand that we are weak. For as long as this body hungers and thirsts, as long as this body is weary with watching, weary with standing, weary with walking, weary with sitting, weary with eating; whithersoever it turneth itself for a relief from weariness, there it discovered another source of fatigue: there is therefore no perfect soundness, not even in the body itself. Those riches are then not riches, but beggary; for the more they abound, the more doth destitution and avarice increase. This is not the health of the body, but weakness. We are every day refreshed with cordials from God, in that we eat and drink: these things which are set before us, are medicines. Brethren, if ye wish to see what sort of a disease is upon us; he who fasts for seven days, dieth of hunger. That hunger therefore is here; but thou feelest it not, because every day thou givest it medicine: not even health then is to us perfect.

J 2, Consider, my brethren, in what sense we should understand ourselves to be poor, that we may rejoice in Him, and may lift up our eyes towards Him Who dwelleth in heaven. These are not true riches; they increase in a greater degree the coveting of those who possess them. This is not true health of body; because we carry about with us weakness that faileth every way: wherever it may turn, it faileth. In the very relief, thou wilt not find permanence; he is tired with standing: he wishes to sit: will he even in sitting last? What he hath adopted as a remedy against fatigue, in that he findeth failing. He is tired with watching: he is about to sleep; doth he never grow weary again, because he hath slept? He is tired with fasting: he is about to refresh himself: if he exceed in refreshment, thence he becometh weak. This our weakness cannot persevere in any thing. What is our righteousness? How much righteousness is there among so great temptations? We are able to refrain from homicide, from adultery, from thefts, from perjuries, from frauds; but are we able to refrain from unrighteous thoughts? are we able to refrain from the suggestions of evil desires? What then is our righteousness? Let then our whole hunger, our whole thirst, be for true riches, and true health, and true righteousness. What are true riches i That heavenly abode in Jerusalem. For who is called rich on this earth? When a rich man is praised, what is meant? He is very rich: nothing is wanting to him. That surely is the praise of him that praiseth the other: for it is not this, when it is said, He wants nothing. Consider if he really wanf nothing. 1 f he desires nothing, he wants nothing: but if he still desires more than what he hath, his riches have increased in such wise, that his wants have increased also. But in that City there will be true riches, because there will be nothing wanting to us there; for we shall not be* in need of any thing, and there will be true health. What is true health? when death shall hare been swallowed up in victory, and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall hare put on immortality; then there will be true health, then there will be true and perfect righteousness, so that we shall not only be incapable of doing, but even of thinking any thing evil. But at present, destitute, poor, wanting, in heaviness we sigh, we groan, we pray, we lift up our eyes unto God: since they who are happy in this world, scorn us; for they are wealthy: and they who are unhappy in this world, despise us; for they too are wealthy: and there is a righteousness in their hearts, but a false one. For this reason they do not arrive at a true righteousness, because they are filled with a false one. But do thou, that thou may est arrive at the true righteousness, be poor and a beggar as to righteousness itself; and hear the Gospel, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

1. Ver. 1 — 5. Ye already well know, dearest brethren, that a Song oj Degrees, is a song of our ascent: and that this ascent is not effected by the feet of the body, but by