Psalm 130 (Vulgate 129)

1. Ver. I — 3. Since we presume that ye are watchful not only with the eyes of the body, but also with the heart, we must sing with understanding: Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, 0 Lord: Lord, hear my voice. For this is the voice of one ascending, belonging to the ' Song of Degrees.' Each of us ought therefore to see in what deep he is, out of which he crieth unto the Lord. Jonas cried from the deep; from the whale's belly. He was not only beneath the waves, but also in the entrails of the beast; nevertheless, those waves and that body prevented not his prayer from reaching God, and the beast's belly could not contain the voice of his prayer. It penetrated all things, it burst through all things, it reached the ears of God: if indeed we ought to say that, bursting through all things, it reached the ears of God, since the ears of God were in the heart of him who prayed. For where hath not he God present, whose voice is faithful? Nevertheless, we also ought to understand from what deep we cry unto the Lord. For this mortal life is our deep. Whoever hath understood himself to be in the deep, crieth out, groaneth, sigheth, until he be delivered from the deep, and come unto Him Who sitteth above all the deeps and above Cherubim, above all things He hath created, not only bodily, but also spiritual things; until the soul come unto Him, until His own image be liberated by Him, that image which is man, which in this deep tossed by constant billows, hath thereby been worn away; and except it be renewed and repaired by God, Who impressed it when He formed man, (man could be equal to his own fall, he is not eclua^ *° n's own r^ng again,) he is always in the deep; unless, as I have said, he be freed, he is ever in the deep. But when he crieth from the deep, he riseth from the deep, and his very cry suffereth him not to be long at the bottom. For they are very deep in the deep, who do not even cry from the deep. The Scripture saith, When the wicked hath reached the depth, of evils, he despiseih. Now consider, brethren, what sort of deep that is, where God#is despised. When each man seeth himself overwhelmed with daily sins, pressed down by heaps and weights, so to speak, of iniquities: if it be said unto him, Pray unto God, he laughs. In what manner? He first saith, If crimes were displeasing unto God, should I live? If God regarded human affairs, considering the great crimes which I have committed, should I not only live, but be prosperous? For this is wont to happen to those, who are far in the deep, and are prosperous in their iniquities: and they are the more plunged in the deep, in proportion as they seem to be more happy; for a deceitful happiness is itself a greater unhappiness. Then men are also wont to say this: Since I have now committed many crimes, and condemnation is hanging over me, I lose by foregoing the opportunity of doing whatever I can; and, From henceforth I am lost, why do I not do whatever 1 have the power to do? What is the usual language of desperate robbers? The judge will put me to the same death for ten murders as for five, as for one: why then do I not take advantage of every fresh opportunity? This is, TJie wicked, when he hath reached the depth of evil deeds, despiseth. But our Lord Jesus Christ, Who despised not even our deeps, Who hath deigned to descend to this life, promising remission of all sins; He raised man even from the deep, that he might cry from the deep beneath the weight of his sins, and that the sinner's voice might reach unto God; crying whence, save from the depth of evils?

2. See also that the voice of the sinner crieth from the deep: Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint Whence doth he cry? From the deep. Who is it then who crieth? A sinner. And with Maris only hope is in the Sacrifice of Christ. 63 what hope doth he cry? Because He who came to absolve from sins, gave hope even to the sinner down in the deep. What therefore followeth after these wTords: // Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, 0 Lord, who may abide it? So, he hath disclosed from what deep he cried out. For he crieth beneath the weights and billows of his iniquities. He hath looked round about himself, he hath looked round upon his own life; he hath seen it every where covered with excesses and crimes: wherever he looketh round, he findeth nothing good in himself, noue of the calmness of righteousness can meet his gaze. And when he seeth so many and so great sins, and such troops of his own crimes, he crieth out, as if terror-struck, If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? He said not, I may not abide it: but, who may abide it? For he saw that nigh the whole of human life on every side was ever bayed at by its sins, that all consciences were accused by their thoughts, that a clean heart trusting in its own righteousness could not be found. If therefore a clean heart cannot be found, that can trust in its own righteousness; let the heart of all trust in the mercy of God, and say, If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, who, O Lord, may abide it?

3. Ver. 4 — 6. But wherefore is there hope? For there is propitiation with Thee. And what is this propitiation, except sacrifice? And what is sacrifice, save that which hath been offered for us? The pouring forth of. innocent blood blotted out all the sins of the guilty: so great a price paid down redeemed all captives from the hand of the enemy who captured them. With Thee, then, there is propitiation. For if there were not mercy with Thee, if Thou chosest to be Judge only, and didst refuse tp be merciful, Thou wouldest mark all our iniquities, and search after them. Who could abide this? Who could stand before Thee, and say, I am innocent? Who could stand in Thy judgment? There is therefore one hope: For tvith Thee there is propitiation: for the sake of Thy law have I borne Thee, O Lord. What law? That which made men guilty. For a law, holy, just, and good, was given to the Jews; but its effect was to make them guilty. A law was not given that could give life, but which might shew his sins to the sinner. For the sinner had forgotten himself, and saw not himself; the law was given him, that he might see himself. The law made him guilty, the Lawgiver freed him: for the Lawgiver is the Supreme Power1. A law was given that should terrify and bind unto guiltiness; and the law doth not release from sinsj but shevveth sins, and perchauce placed beneath this law, he observeth in the deep how great transgressions he hath been guilty of against the law, and crieth out thus,// Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, 0 Lord, who may abide it? There is therefore a law of the mercy of God, a law of the propitiation of God. The one was a law of fear, the other is a law of love. The law of love giveth forgiveness to sins, blotteth out the past, warneth concerning the future; forsaketh not its companion by the way, becometh a companion to him whom it leadeth on the way. But it is needful to agree with the adversary, whilst thou art with him in the way. For the Word of God is thine adversary, as long as thou dost not agree with it. But thou agreest, when it has begun to be thy delight to do what God's Word commandeth. Then he who was thine adversary becometh thy friend: so, when the way is finished, there will be none to deliver thee to the Judge. Therefore, For the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord, because thou hast condescended to bring in a law of mercy, to forgive me all my sins, to give me for the future warnings that I may not offend: if I perchance have slipped after these warnings, Thou hast given me a remedy, whereby I pray Thee, in these words, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Thou hast decreed this law for me, that, as I forgive, so I may be forgiven. For the sake, therefore, of this law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. I have waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not forsaken the law of mercy.

4. Hear what law he speaketh of, if thou hast not yet understood that he is now speaking of the law of love; hear the Apostle; Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Who bear one another's burdens, save they who have love? They who have not love, are offensive to Duty of bearing one another's burdens, 65 one another; but they who have love, bear with one another. Some one hath injured thee, he asketh thy pardon: if thou forgive him not, thou bearest not thy brother's burden; if thou dost forgive, thou bearest the weak: and if perchance thoq hast fallen into any infirmity, as a man, he also should bear with thee, as thou didst with him. Hear what went before: Brethren, if a man, be overtaken in any faulty ye that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. And lest perchance, since he had warned the spiritual, they might seem to themselves secure, he at once added, Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. He then subjoins what I have just quoted, Bear ye one another *s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ: whence saith David, For the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. Stags are said, when they cross straits to the nearest islands, for the sake of pasture, to lay their heads one upon the other; but one, who goes before, carries his head alone, and doth not lay it upon another: but when he himself also faints, he retreats from bis position in front and retires behind, that he also may rest upon another: and thus all bear their own burdens, and reach what they desire; and suffer not shipwreck, because love is as a ship unto them. Love therefore beareth burdens: but let it not fear lest it be overwhelmed by such burdens: let it heed, lest each man be overpowered by his own sins. For when thou bearest thy brother's infirmity, his sins do not burthen thee. Certainly if thou consent, then thine own sins overwhelm thee, not another's. For every man who hath consented to a sinner, is oppressed by another's sins, not his own. For consent to another's sin becometh thine own sin; and there is no room for thee to complain that another's sins weigh thee down. For it is said unto thee, Sins do weigh thee down, but thine own. When thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him. What is this? With thy feet thou didst walk to a theft; yea, thou didst join thyself in mind to the thief; what was his deed alone, has become thine too: because it pleased thee. But if it displeased thee, and thou didst pray for him, and when entreated freely forgavest, so that thou mayest with a free countenance say in thy prayers, which the heavenly Counsellor1 hath dictated to thee, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; thou hast learnt to bear thy brother's burdens: so that another also may bear any there may be of thine, and the words of the Apostle may be realised in you, Bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Thus thou securely singest the words we have just read, For the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. %

5. But he who keepeth not this law, neither doth he wait for the Lord; nor, if he should wish to wait for Him, is there a reason why he should wait; he waiteth fruitlessly. For the Lord will come, and will discover thy sins. But that thou hast lived in perfect righteousness1", — He will not perhaps discover murders, for these are heavy and extreme offences; He will not discover adultery, He will not discover thefts, He will not discover robbery, He will not discover enchantments, He will not discover idolatry; none of these will He perchance discover. Will He therefore discover nothing? Hear the words of the Gospel: He who sailh to his brother, Thou fool. Who abstaineth from these most minute sins of the tongue? But perhaps thou sayest, They are slight. He shall be in danger, saith our Lord, of hell fire. If it seemed but a slight or no very great thing to thee to say unto thy brother, Thou fool, at least let the fire of hell seem great to thee; if thou didst little regard the sin, at least be deterred by the magnitude of the punishment. But thou sayest, These things are slight, they are trivial: this life cannot be without them. Heap together slight things, and they constitute a great heap. For grains are minute, and yet they make a lump: and drops are minute, yet they fill rivers, and drag masses with them. He therefore considering how many minute sins man daily committeth, if nothing else, at least by his thoughts and his tongue, heeds how many they be; and if he heed how minute they be, he seeth that by many minute sins a great heap is produced; and, not thinking of

1 * Ju^i8peritus., He speaks of it lived in perfect righteousness, He will murders," &c. Trust in God for mercy, and blessedness to come. 67 his own former sins, but of human weakness itself, now rising saith, Out of the deep hare I called unto Thee. O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt he extreme to mark what is done amiss, 0 Lord, who may abide it? I can avoid murders, adulteries, robberies, perjuries, enchantments, idolatry; can I avoid sins of the tongue also? Can J avoid sins of the heart also? It is written, Sin is the transgression of the law. Who then may abide, if Thou wilt be extreme to mark transgressions? If Thou wilt deal with us as a severe judge, not as a merciful father, who shall stand before Thine eyes? But with Thee there is propitiation: for the sake of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. What is the nature of this law? Bear each other's burdens, and so shall ye fulfil the law of Christ. Who2, bear each other's burdens? They who say faithfully, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against

6~. Ver. 6. My soul hath waited for Thy word. No man waiteth, save he who hath not as yet received what hath* been promised; for what doth he, who hath already received, wait for? We have received remission of sins; but the kingdom of heaven is promised us; our debts have been blotted out; but our reward is still to come; we have received pardon, but we hold not as yet everlasting life. But He Who gave pardon, Himself promised also everlasting life. If it were our own word, we ought to fear: because it is the word of God, it deceiveth uot. We therefore trust (ver. 5.) without fear on the word of Him Who cannot deceive. My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night. What is that he saith? hath he hoped in the Lord for one day, and hath all his hope terminated? From the morning watch even unto night hath my soul trusted in the Ijord. This morning watch is the end of night; hence my soul hath trusted in the Lord even unto night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not suppose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren? The words, My soul hath trusted in the Lord from the morning watch unto night, mean this: that the Lord, through Whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead at the morning watch, so that we may hope that what went before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have been already forgiven: but we have not yet risen again: if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken. place in us whih went before in our Head. What went before in our Head? Because the flesh of that Head rose again; did the Spirit of that Head die? What had died in Him^ rose again. Now He arose on the third day; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.

7. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again; but must I hope on that account that I also may rise again? Certainly, on that account: for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? The flesh. What was He that came Himself? • The Word of God, Who was before all things, through Whom all things were made. But that He might receive something from thee, The Word became fleshy and dwelt among us. He received from thee, what He might offer for thee; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He received flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first-fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated: since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.

8. Since He then rose with the morning watch, our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? Even unto night; until we die; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep. Thou hast begun to hope since the Lord rose again, fail not to hope until thou goest forth from this life. For if thou hope not even unto night, all that thou hadst hoped is destroyed. For there are men who begin to hope, but persevere not unto night. They begin to suffer some tribulations, they begin to suffer temptations, they see wicked and unrighteous men flourish in temporal prosperity: and since they hoped for such things from the Lord, that they might here be happy, they observe that those who have committed crimes, possess what they desired to possess themselves; and their feet fail, and they cease to hope. Why? Because they began not to hope from the morning watch. They did not begin to hope this thing of the Lord, which went before in the Lord from that morning watch: but they hoped from the Lord, that if they were Christians, they might have a house full of corn, wine, oil, gold, silver: none of them would die prematurely; if any had uot children, he would obtain them; if he had not married a wife, he would marry one: not only no woman in his house, but not even his cattle would miscarry; his vats would not turn sour, his vineyard would not suffer from hail storms. He who thus trusted in the Lord, observed that they who worship not the Lord abound with these things, and his feet slipped, and he hoped not until night; because he commenced not to hope from the morning watch.

9. Who then beginneth thus to hope from the morning watch? He who hopeth that from the Lord, which He began to shew from the morning watch in which He rose again. For before uo man had arisen to live for ever. Listen, my beloved- The dead were raised again before our Lord's advent: for Elias also raised a dead man, andj^^S8 Elisseus, but they rose again doomed to die again. They whom the Lord Himself raised, rose to die again; whether that youth the widow's son, or the girl of twelve years ofkuke7, age, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, or Lazarus: they were raised by different ways, but all doomed to die;j°'hnl] once they were born, but twice they died. No man had risen again never to die, except the Lord. But when did the Lord rise again never to die? Front the morning watch. Do thou also hope this from the Lord, that thou wilt rise again, not as Lazarus rose, not as the widow's sou and the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue rose, not as they rose whom the Prophets of old raised; but hope that thou wilt rise again as the Lord rose, so that after thy resurrection thou mayest no more fear that thou wilt die: and thou hast begun to hope from the morning watch.

10. But hope even until night, until this life be finished, until the night of the whole human race come on at the sunset of the world. Why is this, until? Because after this night, there will no longer be hope, but reality. For the hope that is seen is not hope, saith the Apostle: for what B man seeih, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. If therefore we ought patiently to wait for that we see not, let us hope even unto night, that is, even to the end of this life or of the world. But when this night shall have passed over, that will come at last, which we hoped for; and we shall no longer hope, nor shall we be in despair. For we blame men who despair, and sometimes we detest a man, and say, He hath no hope. It is not always an evil not to have hope. When we are in this life, it is an evil not to have hope: for he who bath not hope now, will not have the reality afterwards. We ought therefore to have hope now. But when the reality is come, will there be hope? For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? The Lord our God will come, first to shew to the human race that form wherein He was crucified and rose again, that the godly and the ungodly may see: let those see, and be thankful that they have discovered what they believed before they saw; and let these blush not to have believed what they will see. They who are ashamed will be condemned, and they who are thankful will be crowned. It will be said to them that are confounded, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: it will be said to them that rejoice, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, which when they shall have received, hope will be no longer, because the reality will be theirs. When hope therefore is done, that night will pass by; but until this happen, let our soul hope in the Lord from the morning watch.

11. And he returns to this, From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. From the morning natch even unto night hath my soul hoped in the Lord. But what hath it hoped? From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. Not only let Israel hope in the Lord, but from the morning watch let Israel hope. Do I then blame the hope of the world, when it is placed in the Lord? No; but there is another hope belonging to Israel. Let not Israel hope for riches as his highest good, not for health of body, not for abundance of earthly things: he will indeed have to suffer tribulation here, if it should be his lot to suffer any troubles for the sake of the truth. For the Martyrs lacked hot hope in God, and yet they suffered such things as do robbers, as do wicked men: cast before beasts, burnt with fires, stricken with the sword, mangled with instruments of torture, bound in chains, worn to death with prisons, suffering all these evils, did they not hope in the Lord? or was their hope this, that they should be freed from these evils, and enjoy this life? Certainly not: because they hoped from the morning watch. What meaneth this? They considered that morning watch, wherein their Lord arose, and they saw that before He rose again, He Himself also had suffered such things, as they were now suffering, and they despaired not that they also should rise again after such sufferings unto life eternal. Israel hath trusted in the 'Lord, from the morning even unto night.

12. Ver. 7. 8. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. Admirable! This could not have been better said in its own place, on account of the words, From the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord. Wherefore? Because the Lord rose again from the morning watch; and the body ought to hope for that which went before in the Head. But, lest this thought should be suggested: The Head might rise again, because It was not weighed down with sins, there was no sin in Him; what shall we do? Shall we hope for such a resurrection, as went before in the Lord, whilst we are weighed down by our sins? But see what followeth: For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins. Though therefore he was weighed down with his sins, the mercy of God is present to him. For this reason, He went before without sin, that He may blot out the sins of thope that follow Him. Trust not in yourselves, but trust from the morning watch. See that }rour Head hath risen again, and hath ascended into heaven. In Him there was no fault, but through Him your faults will be blotted out; He shall redeem Israel from all his sins. Because Israel could sell himself, and become a bondsman under sin; he cannot redeem himself from his sins. He could redeem, Who could not sell Himself: He Who committed no sin, He is the Redeemer from sin. He will redeem Israel. From what will He redeem him? From this sin, or from that? From all his sins. Let him not therefore, when about to come before God, fear any of his sins: let him only come with a full heart, and cease to do auy more what he before did, and not say, That sin is not forgiven me. For if he saith this, on account of that very sin which he supposeth not to be forgiven him, he converteth not himself, and by doing the rest, not even that which he feared not is forgiven him. As I have committed, he saith, a great crime, aud it cannot be forgiven me; I will now do the rest also: for I lose this which I do not do. Fear not: thou art in the deep, scorn not to cry unto God from the depths, and to say, If Thou9 O Lord9 wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? Think of Him, and wait for Him, and endure on account of His law. What law hath He given thee? Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Hope that thou wilt rise again, and that thou wilt be there altogether without sin, since He rose again Who first was without sin. Hope from the morning watch. Say not, I am not worthy on account of my sins. Thou art not worthy: but, with Him there is plenteous redemption: and He will redeem Israel from all his sins.

13. In this Psalm, the humility of one that is a servant of God and faithful is commended unto us, by whose voice it