Psalm 128 (Vulgate 127)

1. Ver. 1 — 4. As the Apostle saith, dearest brethren, Corn* paring spiritual things with spiritual; but the natural man receive th not the things that are of the Spirit of Qod; we must be on our guard lest natural men, not receiving the things that are of the Spirit of God, may rather be scandalized than edified by this Psalm. For briefly (though we heard it in the singing) I am running through it, since it is brief, not expounding, but reading it. Now consider that if every man hath desired such things as a great gift from God, as this Psalm mentioueth; and perhaps, not because he is forsaken by God, but because he is more loved, hath not received them; and seeth that what he hath here heard described as the rewards of them that fear God, abound unto those who fear not God: his steps totter, and his footsteps slip, and he saith in his heart, that he hath feared God without a cause, since he hath not received those rewards which God hath promised to them that fear Him; while they have received over and above, who not only have not feared, but have even blasphemed Him. Consider what he saith, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways. For thou shall eat the labours of thy hands. O well is thee9 and happy shall thou be. We may, as far as this, though we be natural men, think of the bliss of a future life: but consider what followeth: Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine upon the v;alls of thine house. Thy children like the olive-branches, round about thy table* Lo> thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord. How? In that his wife shall be as the fruitful vine, upon the walls of his "house: and his children like the olive-branches, round about his table. Have they then, who for God's sake have even refused to marry, lost their reward? No: he who Something beyond this life must be understood. refusetb to marry saith; God will bless me in other ways. Nay truly: either He will bless thee thus, or He will not bless thee at all; the language of the Psalm is plain, Loy thus, shall the man be blessed, that fearelh the Lord.

2. What then, brethren, is the meaning of this? That we may not, by desiring temporal and earthly blessings, lose our heavenly happiness, the Prophet setteth before us a sort of veil, this veil hath I know not what within. You remember, beloved, when I was expounding the preceding Psalm to you, which goeth before this, we met with a certain obscure verse, where it was said, Like as the arrows in the hand of a_Ps. mighty one9 so are the sons of them that are shaken out; and when we enquired who the, sons of them that are shaken out were, it seemed to us, that the Apostles (the Lord suggesting this, as we believe) were termed the sons of them that were shaken out, the sons of the Prophets: because the Prophets spoke in enigmas, and under figures as with the veil of mysteries covered their meaning; which meaning could not issue forth unto men, unless these veils were shaken out; whence they were called the sons of those that are shaken out, who gained spiritual profit by the opening out the Prophets. Let us too, therefore, shake out this one, that we may not be deceived through the coverings, lest touching what is within and not seeing it, we may perchance say wood for gold, and tiles for silver. Let us shake it out, if it seem good unto you, beloved; the Lord will aid, that what is within may come forth; especially, my brethren, as we are celebrating the birthdays of the Martyrs. How great evils have the Martyrs endured, what deaths, what terrible tortures, what filthy prisons, pinching of chains, fury of wild beasts, heat of flames, stings of insults! Would they have endured all these things, unless they saw somewhat, whither they were tending, not belonging to the happiness of this world? Now it is shameful for us to celebrate the birthdays of the Martyrs, that is, of those servants of God who despised this world for the sake of everlasting bliss, and understand what is here written in the sense of present happiness; so that we should say of any faithful man of God, citizen of that Jerusalem, to whom marriage may have brought no issue, This man feareth not the Lord; for if he feared the Lord, his wife would be as the fruitful vine upon the walls of his house, not frarrep> go lnat sne could g\ve bjrtn t0 none; and if this man feared the Lord, his sons would surround his table, like olive-branches. For if we should speak thus, we are natural men, not receiving the things that are of the Spirit of God. Let us also begin to shake them out, that we also may be the sons of them that are shaken out. For if we shall be the sons of them that are shaken out, we shall be like as the arrows in the hand of the giant, and He will dart us from His commandment into the hearts of men who do not as yet love Him, that, struck by the arrows of God's words, they may love. For if we begin to preach to them such words as these, My sons, or my brethren, fear ye the Lord, that ye may have children and grandchildren, that your house may be joyful; we are not leading them to love that everlasting Jerusalem; they will remain in the love of earthly things, and seeing these things abound to the ungodly, though they dare not speak so to us, they will say in their heart, Why hath he who feareth not God, his house full of children? And if perchance another say to him, As yet thou knowest not what may happen; what if he shall have to bury them, because he feareth not God; what if many sons were born unto him for this reason, that he might suffer greater pain from their death? But if thou speak thus, he will answer thee: I know of a man who was ungodly, a heathen, sacrilegious, a worshipper of idols, (and perhaps he doth know, and saith the truth, and knoweth not one only, nor even two or three only,) whom numerous sons and grandsons have carried to the grave, an old man, bowed down with years, who had died in his bed. Lo, he feared not the Lord, and yet a most numerous offspring of his house hath closed his eyes. What shall we say to this? Nothing evil can happen to him, for he can never, in his lifetime, bury his children, since he hath already died, and been borne to an honourable tomb by his children.

3. Let us shake this out then, let us shake it out, if we wish to be the sons of them that are shaken out: let some meaning be educed from it. For there is a certain Man who is thus blessed: and no one feareth the Lord, except he be in the members of this Man: and there are many men, The Promise is to the Church, as one in Christ 35 and there is one Man; for there are many Christians, and there is One Christ. The Christians themselves with their Head, Who hath ascended into heaven, are one Christ. He is not One, and we many, but we many are one in That One. Christ then is one Man, the Head of the Body. What is His Body? His Church, as the Apostle saith: We areEphee* members of His Body; and, ye are the body of Christ, and^Q®' His members in particular. Let us therefore understand the words of this Man, in whose body we are one man; and we shall there see the true good things of Jerusalem. For thus he saith at the end: That thou mayest see the good things that are of Jerusalem. But if thou hast looked for these good things with an earthly eye, the abundance of children and grandchildren, and the fecundity and fruitful-ness of his wife, are not the good things of that Jerusalem; for these good things are in the land of the dying, that is the land of the living. Hold it not as a very great thing, if thou hast sons who will die, although not before thee, yet certainly after thee. Dost thou wish to have children who will never die, and who will ever live with thee? Be thou in His Body, of Whom it hath been said, Ye are the Body of Christ, and His members in particular.

4. That this Psalm also might shew this, since it is so far obscure that it admonisheth us to knock at it, so far covered that it doth wish to be shaken out, it beginneth with speaking of many: Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways. He speaketh to many; but since these many are one in Christ, in the next words he speaketh in the singular: For thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits. He had said above, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways; why doth he now say, Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits: and not, ye shall eat? and why, the labours of thy fruits, and not the labours of your fruits. Hath he forgotten that so lately as in the preceding verse he was speaking of more than one? If thou hast already shaken it out, what doth he answer thee? When I speak of Christians in the plural, L understand one in the One Christ. Ye are therefore many, and ye are one; we are many, and we are one. How are we many, and yet one? Because we cling unto Him Whose members we are; an<J since our Head is in heaven, that His members may follow.

5. Let him therefore now go on with his description: for it is now clear Whom he is describing. Thus will all that followeth be open: only do ye fear the Lord, and walk in His ways, and do not envy those who walk not in His ways, when ye shall see them happy without happiness. For men of the world are happy without happiness; but the Martyrs were unhappy with happiness. For they were unhappy tor a season, but happy for evermore; and herein that they were unhappy for a season, they were thought to be more unhappy than they were. For what saith the Apostle? As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing. Why, alway? Both here and there: altogether both here and there. For whence do we rejoice here? In hope. Whence shall we rejoice there? In fulfilment. The hope of one rejoicing hath great joy, and if rejoicing in hope, see what followeth, patient in tribulation. The Martyrs were therefore patient in tribulation, because they rejoiced in hope. But because that which is promised did not yet exist, what saith the Apostle? For hope which is seen is not hope: but if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Behold the reason why the Martyrs endured all things, because they waited patiently for what they saw not. They who slew them, loved what they saw: they who were slain, sighed for those things which they saw not, and hastened to reach those things which they saw not; and in that, they were put to a lingering death, thought they were delayed, ^ 6. Therefore, brethren, Felix the Martyr f, truly Felix1 both in his name and his crown, whose birthday this is, despised the world. Was he, because he feared the Lord, thence happy, thence blessed, because his wife was as a fruitful vine upon the earth, and his children stood around his table? All these blessings he hath perfectly, but in the Body of Him Who is here described; and, because he understood them in this sense, he scorned things present, that he might receive things future. Ye are aware, brethren, Fear of punishment is not a pure fear of God. 37 that he suffered not the death that other martyrs suffered. For he confessed, and was set aside for torments; on another day his body was discovered lifeless. They had closed the prison to his body, not to his spirit. The executioners found him goue; when they were preparing to torture, they spent their rage for nought. He was lying dead, without sense to them, that he might not be tortured; with sense with God, that he might be crowned. Whence was he also happy, brethren, not only in name, but in the reward of everlasting life, if he loved these things.

6. Let us therefore so hear this Psalm, as considering it to be spoken of Christ: and all of us who cling uuto the Body of Christ, and have been made members of Christ, walk in the ways of the Lord; and let us fear the Lord with a chaste fear, with a fear that abideth for ever. For it is another fear which charity excludeth, as St. John saith, Tliere is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear. He saith not of every fear that it is cast out by love; for thou findest the Psalm saying, The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever. One fear therefore endureth, the9, other is cast out. The fear which is cast out, is not clean: but that which endureth, is clean. What is the fear which is cast out? Deign to consider. Some fear only for this reason, lest they suffer some evil on earth, — lest sickness befall them, lest loss, lest bereavement of children, lest the loss of any that is dear, test exile, lest condemnation, lest prison*, lest any tribulation; for these reasons they fear and tremble: still this fear is not a chaste one. Still hear. Another feareth not on this earth, but feareth hell, whereby the Lord also alarmed men. Ye have heard when the Gospel was being read, Where their worm dieth not, awd the fire is not quenched. Men hear these words; and because they will really happen to the ungodly, they fear, and restrain themselves from sin. They have fear, and through fear restrain themselves from sin. They fear indeed, but love not righteousness. But when through fear they restrain themselves from sin, righteousness becometh a habit, and what was hard beginneth to be loved, and good becometh sweet: and man now beginneth to live righteously for this reason, not because he feareth punishments. but because he loveth eternity. Fear therefore is cast out by love; but a clean fear hath succeeded.

7. What is this clean fear? According to which we ought, my brethren, to understand what is said, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways. If I shall be enabled to speak worthily of this clean fear, by the help of the Lord our God, many will perchance be inflamed by this clean fear unto a clean love. Nor can I perhaps explain, unless by putting forward some similitude. Suppose some chaste woman, fearing her husband: suppose another an adulterous woman; she also feareth her husband. The chaste woman feareth lest her husband depart: the adulterous wife feareth him, lest he come. What if both be absent? The one feareth lest he come: the latter, lest he delay. He is in a certain sense absent unto Whom we have been betrothed; He is absent, Who gave unto us as a pledge His Holy Spirit; He is absent, Who redeemed us with His blood; that Husband than Whom nothing is more beautiful, Who seemed as it were deformed among the hands of His persecutors, of Whom a little before Isaiah said, He hath no form or comeliness. Is then our Bridegroom deformed? God forbid! for how would the virgins love Him, who have not sought husbands on earth? He therefore seemed deformed to His persecutors: if they thought Him not such, they would not insult Him, they would not strike Him with whips, would not crown Him with thorns, would not defile Him with spittle; but because He seemed such unto them, they did these things unto Him; for they had not eyes whereby Christ could seem beautiful. To what sort of eyes did Christ seem beautiful? To such as Christ Himself sought, when He said unto Philip, Have I been so long with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip f These eyes must be cleansed, that they may see that light; and, though slightly touched with the splendour, they are kindled with love, that they may wish to be healed, and may become enlightened. For that ye may know that Christ, Who is loved, is beautiful, the Prophet saith, Fairer in beauty than the children oj men. His beauty surpasseth all men. What is it we love in How to prove whether our fear of God is pure. 39 Christ? His crucified members, His transfixed side, or His love? When we hear that He suffered for us, what do we love? Love is loved. He loved us, that we might in turn love Him; and that we might return His love, He hath visited us with His Spirit. He is beautiful, and is absent. Let the spouse ask herself if she be chaste. We are all among His members, my brethren; we are among His members, we are for this reason one Man. Let each man see what sort of fear he hath, whether that which love casteth out, or that clean fear which eudureth for evermore. He hath lately proved this; I say unto you, He will also prove it. Our Bridegroom is afar: ask thy conscience; dost thou wish that He come, or dost thou still wish that He delay? Consider, brethren: I have knocked at the doors of your hearts; He hath heard the voice of them that dwell therein. What the consciences of each of you may have answered, could not reach my ears, since I am but a man: He Who is afar in respect of bodily presence, but is present in the strength of His Majesty, hath heard you. How many, if it be said unto them, Lo, here is Christ, to-morrow is the day of judgment; say not, Would that He may come! They who speak thus, love much; and if they are told, He will delay, they fear lest He delay, because their fear is clean. And as His delaying is now feared: so, after His coming, His leaving us will be feared. That will be a clean fear, for it is tranquil and secure. For we shall not be forsaken of Him, when He hath found us, since He sought us before we sought Him: a chaste fear therefore, my brethren, hath this source: it cometh from love. But that fear which is not yet chaste, feareth His Presence, and its punishment. From fear it doeth whatever of good it doeth: not from fear of losing that good, but from fear of suffering that evil. He feareth not lest he lose the embrace of his most comely bridegroom, but lest he be cast into hell: This fear is good, is useful; it will not indeed remain for evermore: but it is not as yet of that clean sort, that abideth for evermore.

8. In whom is it clean? I am now asking a question for the second time, which ye may ask of yourselves. If God should come aud speak unto us with His Own Voice, (although He ceaseth not to speak through His Scriptures,) and should say unto man, Thou wishest to sin: sin; do whatsoever pleaseth thee; whatever thou loveston the earth, let it be thine: whoever thou art angry with, let him perish whomsoever thou wishest to seize upon, let him be seized; whomsoever to kill, let him be killed; whomsoever to condemn, let him be condemned; whomsoever thou wishest to possess, possess him: let no man resist thee, let no man say unto thee, What art thou doing? No man, Do it not; no man, Why hast thou done it? Let all those earthly things which thou hast desired abound unto thee, and live in them, not for a season, but for evermore: only thou shalt never see My Face. My brethren, wherefore did ye groan, save because that already a clean fear, enduring alway, hath been born? Why is your heart stricken? If God should say, Thou shalt never see My Face: lo, thou wilt abound in all that earthly felicity; temporal goods will surround thee: thou losest them not, thou forsakest them not; what dost thou wish more? Clean fear would weep indeed and would groan, and would say, Nay, let all things be taken away, and let me see Thy Face. Clean fear would cry out from the Psalm, and would say, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts: shew us the light of Thy countenance, and we4 shall be whole. Clean fear would cry forth from the Psalm, and would say, One thing have I desired of the Lord, which 1 will require. See how ardent is that clean fear, that true love, unmixed love. One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require. What is this? Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. What if he desire this for the sake of earthly happiness? Hear what followeth: to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to be protected; that is, to be His Temple, and to be protected by Him, this one thing have I desired of the Lord. If ye ask this one thing, if ye train1 y°ur nearts toward this one thing, and fear to lose" this one thing only, ye will not envy earthly delights, and ye will hope for that true happiness, and will be in His Body to Whom it is sung, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways.

9. Ver. 2. Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits. And The very labours of Godliness are food. 4 1 ye, O thou, ye many who^ are One, Thou shall eat of the labours of thy fruits. He seemeth to speak perversely to those who understand not: for he should have said, thou shalt eat the fruit of thy labours. For many eat the fruit of their labours. They labour in the vineyard; they eat not the toil itself; but what ariseth from their labour they eat. They labour about trees that bear fruit: who would eat labours? But the fruit of these labours, the produce of these trees; it is this that delighteth the husbandman. What meaneth, Thou shalt eat the labours of thy fruits? At present we have toils: the fruits will come afterwards. But since their labours themselves are not without joy, on account of the hope whereof we have a little before spoken, Rejoicing in hope* patient in tribulation; at present those very labours delight us, and make us joyful in hope. If12, therefore our toil has been what could be eaten, and could also delight us; what will be the fruit of our labour when eaten? They who went weeping on their way, scattering their seed, did eat their labours; with how much greater pleasure will they eat the fruits of their labours, who shall come again with joy, bearing their sheaves with them? And that ye may know, brethren, that this labour is eaten, in the former Psalm ye have heard it said to the proud, who wished to rise before light, that is, before Christ, not through humility, whereby Christ rose; it was said unto them, Rise after ye have sat down; that is, be humbled, and thence rise; since He also, Who hath been exalted on2, account of you, came to be humbled. And what is said? Who eat the bread of grief This is the labour of fruits, the bread of grief For unless it were eaten, it would not be called bread; unless this bread had some sweetness, no one would eat it. With how much sweetness doth he weep in his groanings, who prayeth? The tears of the praying are sweeter than the joys of theatres. And hear the flame of longing, wherewith this bread is eaten, of which he saith here, Ye who eat the bread of grief. In another passage this lover saith, whose voice we usually recognise in the Psalm, My tears have been my meat day and night. How have tears become meat? While they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God? For before we see Him Who loved us, Who hath given us a pledge, to Whom we are betrothed, 'the Heathen insult us, and say, Where is that which Christians worship? Let them shew us Him Whom they adore. Behold, 1 shew them my deity, and let them shew me their Deity. When the Heathen speaketh thus to thee, thou findest not what to shew unto him; for thou hast no man to shew it unto. Thou returnest therefore, and weepest before God; for thou sighest for Him, before thou seest Him; and groanest from longing for Him; and because thou weepest in thy longing for Him, tears themselves are even sweet, and will be as meat unto thee, since they have been made unto thee as meat day and night, while it is said to thee, Where is thy God? But thy God, concerning Whom it is asked, Where is He? will come, and will wipe away thy tears, and will Himself be in stead of the bread of tears unto thee, and will feed thee for evermore; because the word of God, upon which Angels feed, will be with us. Meanwhile, now are the labours of our fruits, afterwards will come the fruit of our labours. Thou shall eat the labours of thy fruits. Blessed art thou, and well shall it be with thee. Blessed art thou, is of the present: well shall it be icith thee, is of the future. When thou eatest the labours of thy fruits, blessed art thoU; when thou hast reached the fruit of thy labours, well shall it be with thee. What hath he said? For if it be well with thee, thou wilt be happy: and if thou wilt be happy, thou wilt also have all well with thee. But there is a difference between hope and attainment. If hope be so sweet, how much sweeter will reality

10. Let us now come to the words, Thy wife: it is said unto Christ. His wife, therefore, is the Church: His Church, His wife, we ourselves are. As a fruitful vineyard. But in whom is the vineyard fruitful? For we see many barren ones entering those walls; we see that many intemperate, usurious persons, slave dealers, enter these walls, and such as resort to fortune-tellers, go to enchanters and enchantresses when they have a headache. Is this the fruitful-ness of the vine? Is this the fecundity of the wife? It is not. These are thorns, but the vineyard is not every where thorny. It hath a certain fruitfulness, and is a fruitful vine; but in whom? Upon the sides of thy house. Not all are called the sides of the house. For I ask what are the sides. What shall I say? Are they walls, strong stones, as it were? If he were speaking of. this bodily tenement, we should perhaps understand this by sides. We mean by the sides of the house, those who cling unto Christ. For we do not say without reason of any person in daily discourse, who perchance is faring ill, owing to the counsels of bad friends, " fte hath bad sides." What is, " He hath bad sides?" Bad men cling to him. It is therefore said of another also, He hath good sides: he liveth according to good counsels. What meaneth this? He is ruled by good counsels. They therefore who cling to Christ are the sides of the house. Nor hath His wife been created from His side without a cause. When her spouse slept, Eve was created: when Christ died, the Church was created; she was born of her21,22, husband's side, whence a rib had been withdrawn; and the Church was born of the side of Her spouse, when His side was transfixed with a lance, and the Sacraments flowed forth. Therefore thy wife shall be fruitful as a vine. But upon34, what? Upon the sides of thine house. Among others, who cling not unto Christ, it is barren. But I will not even reckon them in the vine. ' 12. Thy children. The wife and the children are the same. In these carnal marriages and wedlocks, the wife is one, the children other: in the Church, she who is the wife, is the children also. For the Apostles belonged to the Church, and were among the members of the Church- They were therefore in His wife, and were His wife according to their own portion which they held in His members- Why then it is said concerning them, Wlien the Bridegroom shall be taken from them9 then shall the children of the Bridegroom fast? She who is the wife, then, is the children also. 1 speak a wonderful thing, my brethren. In the words of the Lord, we find the Church to be both His brethren, and His sisters, and His mother. For when His mother and46'&0* His brethren were announced to Him to be standing without; in that they stood without, they were a figure. Who is the type of His mother? The Synagogue. Who is the type of carnal brethren? The Jews who stood without. And the Synagogue also standeth without. For Mary was among:the sides of His House, and His relatives coming of the kindred of the Virgin Mary, who believed on Him, were amoug the sides of His House; not in respect of their carnal consanguinity, but inasmuch as they heard the Word of God, and obeyed it. For the Lord answered thus: Who is My mother* and who are My brethren? Whence some have attempted to say that Christ had not a mother, because He said, Who is My mother? Why? Had not then Peter and John and James, and the other Apostles, fathers upon earth? And yet what saith He unto them? Call no man your father upon earth: for One is your Father* Who is in Heaven. What, therefore, He taught His disciples in the case of their father, this He Himself shewed them in that of His mother. For our Lord's will is that we prefer God to our earthly connections. Respect thy father, because he is thy father: reverence God, because He is God. Thy father begot thee by lending his flesh; God created thee by an exertion of His Power. Let not the father be angry when God is preferred to him: let him rather rejoice that so much respect is paid him, that He alone is found to be preferred to him. What then thall I say? What saith the Lord? Who is My mother? and who are My brethren? And he stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said* Behold My mother and My brethren. They were His brethren; how were they His mother? He added: For whosoever shall do the will of My Father Which is in heaven* the same is My brother* and sister* and mother. Brother* perhaps, on account of the male sex whom the Church hath: sister* on account of the women whom Christ hath here in His members. How mother* save that Christ Himself is in those Christians, whom the Church daily bringeth forth Christians through baptism? In those therefore in whom thou understandest the wife, in them thou understandest the mother, in them the children.

11. Let us therefore say what should the character of these children be. Peacemakers they should be. Why peacemakers? Because, Blessed are the peacemakers* for they shall he called the children of God. Since therefore in the olive is the fruit of peace: for oil signifieth peace, because it signifieth love; without1 love there is no peace: and it is clear that they who have rent asunder peace, will not have love. I have already explained to you, beloved, on this principle, why the dove carried the leaves with fruit unta the ark: to signify that they also who have been"' baptized without, as those branches were baptized without the ark, if they have not leaves alone, that is, words only, but have fruit also, which is love, are borne by the dove to the ark, and come unto unity*. Such children ought therefor to be around the Lord's table, like olive-branches, A complete Vine it is, a great bliss: who would now refuse to be there? When thou seest any blasphemer have a wife, children, grandchildren, and thyself perchance without them, envy them not; discern that the promise hath been fulfilled in thee also, but spiritually. Perchance thou art not in His members? If thou art not there, lament that thou art neither here nor there. But if thou be there, be secure; for although thy reward be there and not here, it is a more fruitful one there than here.

12. Ver. 4. If therefore we have, why have we? Because we fear the Lord. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that fearelh the Lord. He is the man, who is also the men; and the men are one man; because many are one, because Christ is One.

13. Ver. 5, 6. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. For thou hadst begun to heed the words, Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that fearelh the Lord: already perchance thine eyes were ranging through those who fear not the Lord, and saw there fruitful wives, children in abundance arouud their father's table: I know not whither thou wast going: The Lord from out of Sion bless thee. Seek not those blessings which are not out of Sion. Hath not the Lord blessed such, my brethren? This is the Lord's blessing: or if it be not from the Lord, who will marry a wife, if the Lord be unwilling? who can be in sound health, if the Lord deny him? or who can be rich, if the Lord refuse? He giveth these things: but seest thou not that He hath also given them to cattle? This blessing is not therefore from Sion. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee: thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem. For these good things are not those of Jerusalem. Dost thou wish to see that they are not the good things of Jerusalem? Even to the birds was it said, Be fruitful and multiply. Dost thou wish to hold as a great blessing what was given unto birds? Who can be ignorant, that it was given indeed by the voice of God? But use these goods, if thou receive them; and rather think how thou mayest nourish those who have been born, than that others may be born. For it is not happiness to have children, but to have good ones. Labour in the task of nourishing them, if they be born; but if they be not born, give thanks unto God. Perchance thou wilt be less anxious, and yet thou hast not remained barren in that Mother. Perhaps through thee are spiritually born of that Mother, they who are as olive branches around the Lord's table. May the Lord therefore console thee, that thou mayest see the goods of Jerusalem. For these goods indeed are. Why are they? Because they are everlasting. Why are they? Because the King is there, I am That I am. But these goods are and are not: for they stand not; they slip away, they flow. Thy children are infants: thou dost caress the infants: the infants caress thee: do they abide thus? But thou wishest they may grow, thou wishest that their age may increase. But consider that when one age cometh, another dieth. When boyhood cometh, infancy dieth; when youth cometh, boyhood dieth: when manhood cometh, youth dieth; when old age cometh, manhood dieth: when death cometh, all age dieth. As many successions of ages as thou wishest for, so many deaths of ages dost thou wish for. These things therefore are not. Finally, are children born unto thee to share life with thee on earth, or rather to shut thee out and to succeed thee? Rejoicest thou in those born to exclude thee? Boys when born speak somewhat like this to their parents: " Now then, begin to think of removing hence, let us too play our parts on the stage." For the whole life of temptation in the human race is a stage play; for it is said, Every man living is altogether vanity. Nevertheless, if we rejoice in children who will succeed us; how much must we rejoice in children with whom we shall remain, and in that Father for Whom we are born, Who will not die, but that we may evermore live with Him? These are the good things of Jerusalem: for they are. The Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and may est thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem. For thou seest as one blind those goods, which thou heedest. May est thou see: but those goods which are seen by the heart. And how long shall 1 see the good things of Jerusalem? All thy life long. If thy life be for ever, thou wilt see the good things of Jerusalem for evermore. But if, my brethren, these goods are, yet thou seest them not all the days of thy life: for thou diest not, when thou goest forth from the body. Thy life continueth: thy body dieth, but the life of the spirit coqtinueth. The eyes see not, for he who saw through the eyes hath departed. Wheresoever he be, who saw through the eyes, he seeth something. For the rich man, who when on earth «;asLukei6, clothed with purple and fine linen, was not dead; if he was dead, he would not have been tormented in hell. It would have been desirable for him to die, but he lived in hell to his hurt. For he was tormented, and saw not those goods which he had left on earth: behold, such was his life, and he saw not those goods. Do thou therefore desire such goods as thou may est see all thy life long, that is, that thou mayest live with these goods for evermore.

14. Consider therefore, brethren, what those goods are. Can these be called goods? Is it gold; is it silver; is it a pleasant estate; is it walls of marble; is it fretted ceilings? God forbid! The poor have these goods more abundantly than the rich in this life: for it is more to a poor man to see the starry heaven, than to a rich man to see a gilded ceiling. What then, brethren, is that good, whereby we are inflamed, for which we sigh, whereby we are kindled, for the attainment of which good we endure so many toils, as ye have heard when the Apostle was read, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution? For it doth not follow that, because the devil rageth not through kings, Christians do not at this hour suffer persecution. If the devil be dead, our persecutions are dead; but if he our adversary liveth, when6e doth he not suggest temptations? Whence doth he not rage? whence doth he not procure threats or offences? O if thou wouldest begin to live godly, thou wilt see that every one who will live godly in Christ jesug^ gj^jj S]1ffer persecution. For the sake of what, then, do we suffer so great persecutions? For, if in this life only, saith the Apostle, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. For what reason were the Martyrs condemned to beasts? What is that good? Can it be declared? by what means, or what tongue can tell it? or what ears can hear it? That indeed, Neither ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into man's heart: only let us love, only let us gtow in grace: ye see, then, that battles are not wanting, and that we fight with our lusts. We fight outwardly with unbelieving and disobedient men; we fight inwardly with carnal suggestions and perturbations: we every where as yet fight, because the corruptible body weigheth down the soul; we fight as yet, since if the spirit be life, yet is the body dead through sin. But what will be the issue? But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. When therefore our mortal members shall have been quickened, nothing will then resist our spirit. There will be no hunger, no thirst, because these arise from the corruption of the body. Thou refreshest thyself, because something departeth from thee. The lusts of carnal delights fight against us. We carry with us death in the infirmity of the body: but when death itself shall have been changed into unchangeableness, and this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,— what will then be said unto death? O death, where is thy sting f O death, where is thy sting? Perchance, he dieth, and it will be said, do any enemies remain? No; death is the last enemy. When this shall have been destroyed, immortality will succeed. If there shall be no enemy, as 'the last9 will death be destroyed. Our good, for which we sigh, will be peace. Behold, brethren, peace is called a good, a great good. Ye were seeking what was called a good: whether it were gold, or.silver, or an estate, or raiment? It is peace: not such a peace as the unstable, treacherous, mutable, uncertain peace which prevails among men; nor such peace as the individual hath with himself.

Children, good works; Children's Children their reward. 49 For I have said that a man contendeth also with himself; until he subdue all his lusts, he still fighteth. What sort of peace then is this? One that the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard of. What sort of peace? One from Jerusalem, for Jerusalem is interpreted, A vision of Peace. Thus then the Lord from out of Sion bless thee: and mayest thou see the good things that are of Jerusalem, and that, all thy life long — and mayest thou see, not only thy children, but, tlfy children's children. What meaneth, Thy childreu? Thy works which thou here dost. Who are thy children's children? The fruits of thy works. Thou givest alms: these are thy children: for the sake of thine alms thou receivest everlasting life, these are thy children's children. Mayest thou see thy children's children; and there shall be peace upon Israel, the last words of the Psalm. This peace is preached unto you by us: it is loved by us, we wish that it may be loved by you. Unto this peace they come who have been here also peacemakers. They who are peacemakers there, are here such also; who stand around the Lord's table like olive branches, so that the tree is not barren as was that fig-tree, where the Lord when hungry found no fruit. Ye see what happened unto it. It had leaves only, it had not fruit: thus are they who have words, and have18, not deeds. The Lord when He came unto it hungry found not there what to eat; for the Lord hungereth for faith and for good works on our part. Let us feed Him by living well, and He will feed us for evermore by giving us everlasting life.