Psalm 129 (Vulgate 128)

1. The Psalm which we have sung is short: but as it is written in the Gospel of Zacchaeus that he was little <jfLukei9, stature, but mighty in works; as it is written of that widow who cast two mites into the treasury, little was the money, but great was her charity; thus also this Psalm, if thou count the words, is short; if thou weigh the sentiments, is 'great. It will not therefore detaiu us long unto weariness. Wherefore? Let your wisdom attend, and let Christian zeal aid you: let the word of God sound to you whether willing or unwilling, in season or out of season h. It hath found itself a place, it hath found hearts where it may rest, it hath found a soil where it may blossom and bear fruit. For it is clear that there are many evil and godless men whom the Church beareth even unto the end; and there are they to whom God's Word is superfluous: and it either falleth among them, as the seed by the way-side is trodden under foot, and gathered up by the birds; or as the seed on rocky places, where it hath not much earth, and withereth under the hot sun as soon as the blade is above ground, because it hath no root; or as the seed that falleth among thorns, which although it sprout and endeavour to rise into the air, is stifled by the multitude of thorns. Such are they who trample on the Word of God as on the seed on the way-side, or they who rejoice for an hour, and when tribulation cometh, wither, as by the sun's heat; or they who stifle what had begun to germinate in them, by the anxieties and cares of this world, as it were by the thorns of avarice. But there is also good earth, where when the seed falleth it Dearet^ frinfc> some thirty-fold, other sixty-fold, some a hundred-fold; whether little or much, all shall be in the barn. Such therefore are these: and for their sakes* we speak. On account of these the Scripture speaketh, on account of these the Gospel is not silent. But let those too hear, if haply they may be one thing to-day, another to-morrow: if haply they may be changed by hearing, or plough up the way, or clear away the stones, or pluck up the thorns. Let the Spirit of God speak, let It speak to us, let It sing to us;,whether we wish or wish not to dance, let

It sing. For as he who danceth, moveth his limbs to the time; so they who dance according to the commandment of God, in their works obey the sound. What therefore saith the Lord in the Gospel to those who refused to do We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we hare mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. Let Him therefore sing; we trust in God's mercy, for there will be those by whom He consoleth us. For they who are obstinate, continuing in wickedness, although they hear the Word of God, by their offences daily disturb the Church. Of such this Psalm speaketh; for thus it commenceth;

2. Ver. 1 — 3. Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up* The Church speakeih of those whom S|je endureth: and as if it were asked, " Is it now?* The Church is of ancient birth: since saints have been so called, the Church hath been on earth. At one time the Church was in Abel only, and he was fought against by his wicked and lost brother Cain. At one time the Church was in Enoch alone: and he was translated from the unrighteous. At one time the Church was in the house of Noah alone, and endured all who perished by the flood, and the ark alone swam upon the waves, and escaped to shore. At one time the Church was in Abraham alone, and we know what he endured from the wicked. The Church was in his brother's son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom, and he endured the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed him from amidst them..The Church also began to exist in the people of Israel: She endured. Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The number of the saints began to be also in the Church, that is, in the people of Israel; Moses and the rest of the saints endured the wicked Jews, the people of Israel. We come unto our Lord Jesus Christ: the Gospel was preached, as it was said in the Psalms: / have preached and have spoken: they have been multiplied above number. What meaneth, above number? Not only have they believed who belong to the number of the saints, but some have entered above number: many righteous, but also more unrighteous; and the righteous have endured the unrighteous. When? In the Church. Is it now only, since he counte^th, since he roentioneth them? For this reason, lest the Church wonder now, or lest any one wonder in the Church, who wisheth to be a good member of the Church, let. him hear the Church herself his Mother saying to him, Marvel not at these things, my son: Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up.

3. There is great feeling in this commencement of the Psalm: Marty a time have they reared me from my youth Up ghe now seemeth to be speaking of herself: for she seemed not to have commenced herself, but to have answered. But to whom hath she replied? To them that think and sa/, How great evils do we endure, how great are the scandals that every day thicken, as the wicked enter into the Church, and we have to endure them? But let the Church reply through some, that is, through the voice of t^ie stronger, let her reply to the complaints of the weak, and let the stable conBrm the unstable, and the fullgrown the infant, and let the Church say, Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up. Now may Israel say, (ver. 2.) Many a time have they vexed me from my youth up. Let the Church say this: let her not fear it. For what is the meaning of this addition, From my youth up, after the words, Many a time have they fought against me? At present the old age of the Church is assailed: but let her not fear: let her say, Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up. Hath she then failed to arrive at old age, because they have not ceased to fight against her from her youth up? have they been able to blot her out? Now may Israel say; and let Israel comfort herself, let the Church console herself with past examples, and say, Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up.

4. Why have they fought against me? For they could not prevail against me. (Ver. 3.) Upon my hack have sinners built; they have done their iniquity afar off. Why have they fought against me? Because they could not prevail upon me. What is this? They could not build upon me. 1 consented not with them unto sin. For every wicked man persecuteth the good on this account, because the good man consenteth not with him to evil. Suppose he do some evil, and the Bishop censure him not, the Bishop is a good man: suppose the Bishop censure him, the Bishop is a bad man. Suppose he carry off any thing, let the man robbed be silent, he is a good man: let him only speak and rebuke, even though he doth not reclaim his goods, he is every thing bad. He is bad then who blameth the robber, and he is good who robbeth! Let him go on \ Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow u e S^ia^ die. On the contrary the Apostle saith, Evil comMen hate God's Word, and blame those who speak it 53 munications corrupt good manners. Be ye sober, righteous, and sin not. The word soundeth, the discourse soundeth that gainsayeth lust: but he, the lover of his own lust, and the enemy of the discourse that gainsayeth his mistress, is34, hostile, and hateth the word of God. Lust is become his beloved, God his enemy. For God opposeth avarice, and wisheth nothing to be possessed by avarice. Let Me be possessed, He saith. Why wishest thou to be possessed by avarice? It commandeth hard things, 1 command light things: its load is heavy, My burden is light; its yoke is hard, Mine is gentle. Wish not to be possessed by avarice. Avarice commands thee to cross the sea, and thou obeyest: it commands thee to trust thyself to the winds and waves; I command thee to give before thy door out of what thou hast to the poor: thou art slothful in doing a good work before thy door, and thou art strenuous to pass over the sea. Because avarice commands, thou obeyest: because God commands, thou hatest. And why? When he beginneth to hate, he beginneth to wish to accuse those from whom he heareth good precepts, and to wish to seek out charges against the servants of God through his suspicions. Do not those who tell us these things, do such things themselves? These things, whether done or undone, are said to be done: and what are done well, are said to be done ill: and what we endure, are ascribed to us as a fault. What do we answer? Heed not me: heed this word: it speaketh to thee through any channel; thou art its enemy. Agree with thine adversary, while thou art with him in the way: thou hast made the word of God thine adversary. Heed not that such an one speaketh to thee: it is a wicked man through whom It speaketh to thee; but the word of God, that speaketh to thee, is not wicked1. Accuse God: accuse Him, if thou canst!

5. Do ye believe, brethren, that they of whom it is said, Many a time have they fought against me from my youth tip, reached such a pitch as even not to hesitate to accuse God? Thou accusest a man of avarice, and he accuseth God on the ground that He made gold. Be not covetous. And God, thou repliest, should not make cold. This now because thou canst not restrain thine evil deeds, thou accusest the good works of God: the Creator and Architect of the world displeaseth thee. He ought not to make the sun either; for many contend concerning the lights of their windows, and drag each other before courts of law. 0 if we could restrain our vices! for all things are gdod, because a good God made all things: and His works praise Him, when their goodness is considered by him who hfth the spirit of considering them, the spirit of piety and wisdom. God is on every side praised by His works. How do His works praise Him through the mouth of the Three Children? What is passed over? The heavens praise Him, the Angels Praise Him, the stars, the sun and moon, praise Him, the days and the nights praise Him, whatever blossoms on earth praises Him, whatever swims upon the sea praises Him, whatever flies in the air praises Him, all the mountains and hills praise Him, the cold and the heat praise Him; and all things else that God hath made, ye have heard, praise God: heard ye there that avarice praiseth God, that luxury praiseth God? These things praise Him not, for He made them not. There, men praise God: God is man's creator. Avarice is the work of a wicked man: man himself is the work of God. And what doth God wish? To kill in thee what thou hast thyself made, and to save what He hath Himself made.

6. Lend not money at interest. Thou accusest Scripture which saith, He that hath not given his money upon usury. 1 wrote not this: it went not forth first from my mouth: hear God. He replieth: let not the clergy lend upon usury. Perchance he who speaketh to thee, lendeth not at interest: but if he do so lend; suppose that he doth so lend; doth He Who speaketh through him lend at interest? If he doth what he enjoineth thee, and thou dost it not; thou wilt go into the flame, he into the kingdom. If he doth not what he enjoineth thee, and equally with thee doth evil deeds, and preaches duties which he doth not; ye will both equally go into the flames. The hay will burn; but word of the Lord abideth for evermore. Doth the word which hath spoken to thee through him burn? Either Moses speaketh to thee, that is, a good and righteous The Church must endure many whose deeds are evil. servant of God; or a Pharisee sitting in the seat of Moses, Ye have heard concerning these too: all whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: but do not ye after their works. Thou hast no means whereby to excuse thyself, when the word of God speaketh unto thee. Because thou couldest not slay the word of God, thou seekest to accuse those through whom the word of God speaketh unto thee. Seek as far as thou wilt, speak as far as thou wilt, blaspheme £s far as thou wilt. Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up, now may Israel say, many a time have they fought against me from my youth up. Usurers even dare to say: I have no other means of livelihood. This a robber might also say, when caught in a hollow way; this a housebreaker might say, caught about another man's wall; this a pander might tell me, in the act of buying girls for prostitution; this an enchanter uttering curses, and selliug his iniquity, might say: whatsoever of this sort we should endeavour to prohibit, all might answer that they had no other means of life, and that they lived on this resource; as if this very thing were not a chief cause for punishment in them, that they chose a wicked trade to support their life by, and that they choose to feed themselves by means offensive to Him by Whom all are fed.

7. But when thou hast cried and spoken thus, they answer, If it be thus, we come not hither; if it be thus, we enter not into the Church. Let them come, let them enter, let them hear. Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up. But they could not prevail against me. upon my back have sinners built; that is, they could not prevail upon me to consent; they have given me somewhat to bear. How admirably is it said, how excellently hath he signified this: They could not prevail against me; upon my back have the sinners built. They endeavour to prevail with us, first to consent unto them to do evil deeds: if we consent not, suffer us, they say. Since therefore thou hast not prevailed against me, mount upon my back: 1 can carry thee until the end come: for thus it is commanded me, to bring forth fruit with patience. I chasten thee not, I suffer thee: or perchance, when 1 suffer thee, thou chastenest thyself. If thou chastenest not thyself unto the end, I suffer thee unto the end: and unto the end thou sbalt be upon my back, even to the time. Wilt thou ever be upon my back? No: one will come who will shake thee off: harvest season will come, the end of the world will come; God will send in the reapers. The reapers are (he angels: they separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, as the tares from the wheat; they will store the corn in the barn, but the chaff they will burn with unquenchable fire. I have carried as far as I could, now with joy do I pass into tlfe Lord's barn, and securely sing, Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up.

8. What could they do unto me, in that they have fought against me from my youth up? They have exercised me, they have not crushed me. They have been to me what fire is to gold, not what fire is to hay. For fire when it approacheth gold, removeth dross: when it approacheth hay, turneth it into ashes. For they could not prevail against me; for I consented not, for they have not made me what they are themselves. The sinners have built upon my back; they have made their iniquity afar off. They have given me what to endure, and have not prevailed upon me to consent to them. Their injustice therefore is afar from me. The evil are mingled with the good, not only in the world, but withiu the Church herself the evil are mingled with the good. Ye know, and ye have proved this: and ye will still further prove it, if ye are good. For when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. There seem to be none evil in the Church, save unto the good man. Ye know therefore that they are mingled, and always and every where Scripture saith they shall not be separated, except in the end. Thus, as they are mingled, they are afar from one another. Lest then any man should suppose, that because evil are mingled among good men, therefore wickedness is near unto righteousness, he saith, They could not prevail against me; that is, they said, and wickedly said, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. Evil communications corrupted not good manners: in that which I heard from God, I have not yielded to the discourses of men. Sinners have given me what to carry, not what I must mingle with, and their Likeness of character is the real neighbourhood. 57 iniquity hath been made afar from me. For what is so near, as two men in one Church? what is so distant, as iniquity from righteousness r For where there is consent there is neighbourhood. Two men are handcuffed together, and brought before a judge; one is a robber, one is merely^ in bonds: the one wicked, the other innocent, bound with one chain, and far from one another. How far are they from one another? * As far as wickedness is from innocence. Benold these are far from one another. One robber perpetrates his crimes in Spain, his next neighbour is the robber who doth the same in Africa. How near? As near as crime and crime are joined, as near as robbery is to robbery* Let no man fear therefore evil men mingled with him in the body. Let him be afar from them in heart, and he beareth safely what he feareth not: They have made their iniquity afar off.

9. What is the result? They who reign unjustly flourish, and, to use the vulgar phrase, the unrighteous thunder, and are puffed up unto vain airs and calumnies. What then? \yill this be alway? No. Hear what followeth: (ver. 4.) Tfie righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners. Listen, my beloved. The righteous Lord, he saith, shall hew the necks of the sinners. Who would not tremble? For who hath not sinned? The righteous Lord will hew the necks of the sinners. In all that hear, there entereth a trembling of heart, if they believe God's Scripture. For if men beat their breasts without cause, they lie in that they beat their breasts; if they be righteous, even in that they lie unto God, they become, sinners. If therefore they truly beat their breasts, they are sinners. And which of us doth not beat his breast? And which of us doth not fix his eyes upon the earth, like the Publican, and say, Lord, be merciful unto me a sinner? If therefore all are sinners,13, and none is found without sin; all must fear the sword that hangs above their neck, because the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners. I do not imagine, my brethren, of all sinners; but in the member which He striketh, He marks what sinners He striketh. For it is not said, The righteous Lord will hew the hands of the sinners; or their feet; but because proud sinners were meant to be understood, and all proud men carry lofty necks, and not 'only do evil deeds, but even refuse to acknowledge them to be such, and when ihey are, rebuked, justify themselves k: (Behold thou hast done this; at least acknowledge thine act: God hateth a sinner, do thou also hate one; join thyself unto God: persecute with Him thy sin. No, he replieth: I have done well, God hath done ill. What is this? I, he saith, have done no evil; for Saturn did this, Mars did it, Venus did it; 1 have done nothing, the sfars have done it. Thou justifiest thyself, thou accusest God Who made the stars, Who adorned the heaven:) therefore since thou justifiest thy sin, and art proud against God, because thou placest thyself out of fault, and God in fault, and hast only raised thy neck, and hast run against God, as it is written in Job, (he was speaking of an ungodly sinner,) he runneth against God, even upon his neck, upon the thick bodges of his bucklers; aud he here nameth the neck, because it is thus thou exaltest thyself, and dost not fix thine eyes upon the ground, and beat thy breast, and say, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner, but boastest thyself in thy deserts, and wishest, saith God, to plead with Me, to enter into judgment with Me; while thou shouldest in thy guilty state atone unto God, and cry unto Him, as it is cried iu another Psalm, If Thou, Lord, art extreme to mark what is amiss, who may abide it? shouldest cry unto Him, as it is cried in another Psalm, / said, Lord, be merciful unto me, for I have sinned against Thee: since thou dost not choose to say this, but justifiest thy deeds against the Word of God; what followeth in Scripture cometh upon thee*: the righteous Lord shall hew the necks of sinners.

10. Ver« 5. Let them be confounded and turned backward, as many as have evil will at Sion. They who hate Sion, hate the Church: Sion is the Church. And they who hypocritically enter into the Church, hate the Church. They who refuse to keep the Word of God, hate the Church: Upon my back have they built: what will the Church do, save endure the burden even unto the end?

11. Ver. 6. 7. But what saith he of them? The next words are, Let them be even as the grass of the house tops: The work of the wicked is withered and unblest. 59 that withereth before it be plucked up. The grass of the house tops is that which groweth on house tops, on a tiled roof: it is seen on high, and hath not a root. How much better would it be if it grew lower, and how much more joyfully would it bloom? As it is, it riseth higher to a quicker withering. It hath not yet been plucked up, yet hath it withered: not yet have they received sentence from the judgment of God, and already they have not the sap of* bloom. Observe their works, and see that they have withered. But they live, and are here: not as yet therefore have thry been plucked up. They have withered, but have not as yet been plucked up: they hare become as the grass of the house tops: which wit Iter eth afore it be plucked up.

12. But the reapers will come, but they fill not their shea\es from these. For the reapers will come, and will gather the wheat into the barn, and will bind the tares together, and cast them into the fire. Thus also is the grass of the house tops cleared off, and whatever is plucked from it, is thrown into the fire; because it had withered even before it was plucked up. The reaper filleth not his hands thence. His next words are, (ver. 7.) Whereof the reaper filleth not his hand; neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. And, the reapers are the angels, theM*t.l3, Lord saith.

• 13. Ver. 8. So that they who go by say not so much as, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord. For ye know, brethren, when men pass by others' at work, it is customary to address them, The blessing of the Lord be upon you. And this was especially the custom in the Jewish nation. No one passed by and saw any one doing any work in the field, or in the vineyard, or in harvest, or any thing of the sort; it was not lawful to pass by without a blessing. They who bind the sheaves, are different from the passers by on the way. They who gather the sheaves, do not fill their hands with them; because the grass of the house tops is not gathered for the barn. Who are they who gather together the sheaves? The reapers. Who are the reapers? The Lord hath said, The reapers are the angels. Who, are the passers by? who have already passed hence to their country tnrQUg]1 tnjs ro8i({9 tnat is, through this life: the Apostles were passers by in this life, the Prophets were passers by. Whom did the Prophets and Apostles bless? Those in whom they saw the root of charity. But those whom they found lifted on high on their house tops, and proud in the bosses of their bucklers, they declared against these what they were doomed to become, but they gave them no blessing. Ye therefore who read in the Scriptures, find all thole wicked men whom the Church beareth, who are declared cursed, pertain unto Antichrist, pertain unto the devil, pertain to the chaff, pertain to the tares. Innumerable things are said through figures of them: for not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Ye find no passage of Scripture which speaketh well of them, because they who passed by on the way blessed them not. The Prophets who passed by said all evil things of them. Behold, he also whom we hold in our David, passed along the way; ye have heard what he said of them: The righteous Lord shall hew the necks of the sinners. Let them be confounded, and turned back' ward, as many as have evil will at Sion. Let them be even as the grass of the house tops, which withereth afore it be plucked up; whereof the mower fillet h not his hand, neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. Thus he hath spoken of them. David then, when he passed by, blessed not these, and even through him was fulfilled what he himself said, So that they who go by say not so much as, We have blessed you in the name of the Lord. These men, when they passed by, whether Prophets, or Patriarchs, or Apostles, whoever passed by, if we live well, brethren, have blessed us in the name of the Lord. When, thou askest, did Paul bless me? When did Peter bless me? Observe in the Scriptures, see if thou livest well, and see that thou hast therein been pronounced blessed. They have blessed all who live well. And how have they blessed? In the name of the Lord; not in their own names, as heretics, por wnQ ga^ what we give, this is holy; wish to bless in their own name, not in the name of the Lord. But they What is the ' deep' from which we cry unto God, 61 who say, None save God sanctifieth, nor is any man good save by the gift of God; they bless in the name of the Lord, not in their own name: because they are the friends of the bridegroom, they refuse to be adulterers of the bride.