to accomplish that which he attempteth: what is he to take away? Gold, silver, cattle, men ser- vants, maid servants, estates, houses, let him take away all things: doth he by any means take away the vows, which are in me, which I may render of praise to God? The tempter was per- mitted to tempt a holy man, Job; 5 in one moment he took away all things: whatever of possessions he had had, he carried off: took away inherit- ance, slew heirs; and this not little by little, but in a crowd, at one blow, at one swoop, so that all things were on a sudden announced: when all was taken away, alone there remained Job, but in him were vows of praise, which he might ren- der to God, in him evidently there were: the coffer of his holy breast the thieving devil had not rifled, full he was of that wherefrom he might sacrifice. Hear what he had, hear what he brought forth: " The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away; as hath pleased the Lord, so hath been done: be the name of the Lord blessed." 6 O riches interior, whither thief doth not draw near! God Himself had given that where- of He was receiving; He had Himself enriched him with that whereof to Him he was offering that which He loved. Praise from thee God requireth, thy confession God requireth. But from thy field wilt thou give anything? He hath Himself rained in order that thou mayest have.
From thy coffer wilt thou give anything? He hath Himself put in that which thou art to give. What wilt thou give, which from Him thou hast not received? " For what hast thou which thou hast not received?"7 From the heart wilt thou give? He too hath given faith, hope, and charity: this thou must bring forth: this thou must sacri- fice. But evidently all the other things the enemy is able to take away against thy will; this to take away he is not able, unless thou be willing. These things a man will lose even against his will: and wishing to have gold, will lose gold; and wishing to have house, will lose house: faith no one will lose, except him that shall have despised her.
18. " Because Thou hast rescued my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from slip- ping: that I may be pleasing before God in the light of the living " (ver. 13). With reason he is not pleasing to alien sons, that are put afar off from holy men, because they have not the light of the living, whence they may see that which to God is pleasing. " Light of the living," is light of the immortal, light of holy men. He that is not in darkness, is pleasing in the light of the living. A man is observed, and the things which belong to him; no one knoweth of what sort he is: God seeth of what sort he is. Some- times even the devil himself he escapeth; except he tempt, he findeth not: just as concerning that man of whom just now I have made mention:..." Doth Job by any means worship God for nought? " 8 For this was true light, this the light of the living, that gratis he should worship God. God saw in the heart of His servant His gratui- tous worship. For that heart was pleasing in the sight of the Lord in the light of the living: the devil's sight he escaped, because in darkness he was. God admitted the tempter, not in order that He might Himself know that which He did know, but in order that to us to be known and imitated He might set it forth. Admitted was the tempter; he took away everything, there remained the man bereft of possessions, bereft of family, bereft of children, full of God. A wife certainly was left.9 Merciful do ye deem the devil, that he left him a wife? He knew through whom he had deceived Adam...With wound smitten from head even unto feet, whole never- theless within, he made answer to the woman tempting, out of the light of the living, out of the light of his heart: " thou hast spoken as though one of the unwise women," IO that is, as though one that hath not the light of the living. For the light of the living is wisdom, and the darkness of unwise men is folly. Thou hast spoken as though one of the unwise women: my flesh thou seest, the light of my heart thou seest not. For she then might more have loved her husband, if the inte- 8 Job i. 9.
9 Job ii. 9.
Psalm LVII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
225 rior beauty she had known, and had beheld the [ place where he was beautiful before the eyes of God: because in Him were vows which he might render of praise to God. How entirely the j enemy had forborne to invade that patrimony! j How whole was that which he was possessing, and that because of which yet more to be pos- sessed he hoped for, being to go on " from virtues unto virtue." ■ Therefore, brethren, to this end let all these things serve us, that God gratis we love, in Him hope always, neither man nor devil fear. Neither the one nor the other doeth any- thing, except when it is permitted: permitted for no other reason can it be, except because it doth profit us. Let us endure evil men, let us be good men: because even we have been evil. Even as nothing2 God shall save men, of whom we dare to despair. Therefore of no one let us despair, for all men whom we suffer let us pray, from God let us never depart. Our patrimony let Him be, our hope let Him be, our safety let Him be. He is Himself here a comforter, there a remunerator, everywhere Maker-alive, and of life the Giver, not of another life, but of that whereof hath been said, " I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life: " J in order that both here in the light of faith, and there in the light of sight, as it were in the light of the living, in the sight of the Lord we may be pleasing.
PSALM LVII.t 1. We have heard in the Gospel just now, brethren, how loveth us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God with the Father, Man with us, out of our own selves, now at 5 the right hand of the Father; ye have heard how much He loveth us...2. Because then this Psalm is singing of the Passion of the Lord, see what is the title that it hath: "at the end." The end is Christ.6 Why hath He been called end? Not as one that consumeth, but one that consummateth...3. " At the end, corrupt not, for David himself, for the inscription of the title; when he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern." We referring to holy Scripture, do find indeed how holy David, that king of Israel, from whom too the Psalter of David hath received the name thereof, had suffered for persecutor Saul the king of his own people, as many of you know that have either read or have heard the Scriptures. King David had then for persecutor Saul: and whereas the one was most gentle, the other most ferocious: the one mild, the other envi- ous; the one patient, the other cruel; the one beneficent, the other ungrateful: he endured 1 Ps. lxxxiv. 7. 2 Pro nihilo.
3 John xiv. 6. * Lat. I.VI. Sermon to the Commonalty.
him with so much mildness, that when he had gotten him into his hands, him he touched not, hurt not.7...What reference hath this to Christ? If all things which then were being done, were figures of things future, we find there Christ, and by far in the greatest degree. For this, " corrupt not for the inscription of the title," I see not how it belongeth to that David. For not any " title " was inscribed over David him- self which Saul would " corrupt." But we see in the Passion of the Lord that there had been written a title, " King of the Jews: " 8 in order that this title might put to the blush these very men, seeing that from their King they withheld not their hands. For in them Saul was, in Christ David was. For Christ, as saith the Apostolic Gospel, is, as we know, as we con- fess, of the seed of David after the flesh j » for after the Godhead He is above David, above all men, above heaven and earth, above angels, above all things visible and invisible...And because already it had been sung through the Holy Spirit, " Unto the end, corrupt not, for the inscription of the title: " Pilate answered them, " What I have written, I have written: " IO why do ye suggest to me falsehood? I corrupt not truth.
4. What therefore is, " When he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern"? Which thing in- deed the former David also did: but because in him we find not the inscription of the title, in the latter let us find the flight into the cavern. " For that cavern wherein David hid himself did figure somewhat. But wherefore hid he him- self? It was in order that he might be concealed and not be found. What is to be hidden in a cavern? To be hidden in earth. For he that fleeth into a cavern, with earth is covered so that he may not be seen. But Jesus did carry earth, flesh which He had received from earth: and in it He concealed Himself, in order that by Jews He might not be discovered as God. " For if they had known, never the Lord of glory would they have crucified." '2 Why therefore the Lord of glory found they not? Because in a cavern He had hidden Himself, that is, the flesh's weakness to their eyes He presented, but the Majesty of the Godhead in the body's clothing, as though in a hiding-place of the earth, He hid...But wherefore even unto death willed He to be patient? It was in order that He might flee from the face of Saul into a cavern. For a cavern may be understood as a lower part of the earth. And certainly, as is manifest and certain to all, His Body in a Tomb was laid, which was cut in a Rock. This Tomb therefore was the Cavern: thither He fled from the face of Saul.
8 Matt, xxvii. 37; John xix. 19. 10 John xix 22. 12 1 Cor. ii. 8.
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For so long the Jews did persecute Him, even until He was laid in a cavern. Whence prove we that so long they persecuted Him, until therein He was laid? Even when dead, and, on the Cross hanging, with lance they wounded Him.' But when shrouded, the funeral celebrat- ed, He was laid in a cavern, no longer had they anything which to the Flesh they might do. Rose therefore the Ix)rd again out of that cavern unhurt, uncorrupt, from that place whither He had fled from the face of Saul: con- cealing Himself from ungodly men, whom Saul prefigured, but showing Himself to His mem- bers. For the members of Him rising again by His members were handled: for the mem- bers of Him, the Apostles, touched Him rising again and believed; 2 and behold nothing profited the persecution of Saul. Hear we therefore now the Psalm; because concerning the title thereof enough we have spoken, as far as the Lord hath deigned to give.
5. " Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me, for in Thee hath trusted my Soul " (ver. 1). Christ in the Passion saith, " Have pity on Me, O God." To God, God saith, " Have pity on Me! " He that with the Father hath pity on thee, in thee crieth, " Have pity on Me." For that part of Him which is crying, " Have pity on Me," is thine: from thee this He received, for the sake of thee, that thou shouldest be delivered, with Flesh He was clothed. The flesh itself crieth: " Have pity on Me, O God, have pity on me: " Man himself, soul and flesh. For whole Man did the Word take upon Him, and whole Man the Word became. Let it not there- fore be thought that there Soul was not, because the Evangelist thus saith: " The Word was made flesh, and dwelled in us." ' For man is called flesh, as in another place saith the Scrip- ture, "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." 4 Shall anywise flesh alone see, and shall Soul not be there?...Thou hearest the Mas- ter praying, learn thou to pray. For to this end He prayed, in order that He might teach how to pray: because to this end He suffered, in or- der that He might teach how to suffer; to this end He rose again, in order that He might teach how to hope for rising again. " And in the shadow of Thy wings I will hope, until iniquicy pass over." This now evidently whole Christ doth say: here is also our voice. For not yet hath passed over, still rife is iniquity. And in the end our Lord Himself said there should be an abounding of iniquity: " And since iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold; but he that shall have persevered unto the end, the same shall be saved." ' But who shall persevere even unto the end, even until in- John xix. 34.
xl. 5, lu. 10; Luke iii. 6.
4 ha.
Luke: 3 John i. 14.
5 Malt. xxiv. 13.
iquity pass over? He that shall have been in the Body of Christ, he that shall have been in the members of Christ, and from the Head shall have learned the patience of persevering. Thou passest away, and behold passed are thy temp- tations; and thou goest into another life whither have gone holy men, if holy thou hast been. Into another life have gone Martyrs; if Martyr thou shalt have been, thou also goest into another life. Because " thou " hast passed away hence, hath by any means iniquity therefore passed away? There are born other unrighteous men, as there die some unrighteous men. In like manner therefore as some unrighteous men die and others are born: so some just men go, and others are born. Even unto the end of the world neither iniquity will be wanting to oppress, nor righteousness to suffer...
6. "I will cry to God most high" (ver. 2). If most high He is, how heareth He thee crying? Confidence hath been engendered by experi- ence: "to God," he saith, "who had done good to me." If before that I was seeking Him, He did good to me, when I cry shall He not hearken to me? For good to us the Lord God hath done in sending to us our Saviour Jesus Christ, that He might die for our offences, and rise again for our justification.6 For what sort of men hath He willed His Son to die? For ungodly men. But ungodly men were not seek- ing God, and have been sought of God. For He is Most High in such sort, as that not far from Him is our misery and our groaning: be- cause " near is the Lord to them that have bruised the heart." 7 " God that hath done good to me."
7. " He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me" (ver. 3). Now the Man Himself, now the Flesh Itself, now the Son of God after His partaking of ourselves, of Him it is manifest, how He was saved, and hath sent from heaven the Father and hath saved Him, hath sent from heaven, and hath raised Him again: but in or- der that ye may know, that also the Lord Him- self hath raised again Himself; both truths are written in Scripture, both that the Father hath raised Him again, and that Himself Himself hath raised again. Hear ye how the Father hath raised Him again: the Apostle saith, " He hath been made," he saith, " obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above every name."8 Ye have heard of the Father raising again and exalting the Son; hear ye how that He too Himself His flesh hath raised again. Under the figure of a temple He saith to the Jews, " Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up."' But the Evangelist hath explained to us what it 7 Ps. xxxiv. 18.
» Phil. ii. 8, 9.
Psalm LVII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
227 was that He said: "But this," he saith, "He spake of the Temple of His Body." Now there- fore out of the person of one praying, out of the person of a man, out of the person of the flesh, He saith, " He hath saved me. He hath given unto reproach those that trampled on me." Them that have trampled on Him, that over Him dead have insulted, that Him as though man have crucified, because God they perceived not, them He hath given unto reproach. See ye whether it has not been so done. The thing we do not believe as yet to come, but fulfilled we acknowledge it. The Jews raged against Christ, they were overbearing against Christ. Where? In the city of Jerusalem. For where they reigned, there they were puffed up, there their necks they lifted up. After the Passion of the Lord thence they were rooted out; and they lost the kingdom, wherein Christ for King they would not acknowledge. In what manner they have been given unto reproach, see ye: dispersed they have been throughout all nations, nowhere having a settlement, nowhere a sure abode. But for this reason still Jews they are, in order that our books they may carry to their confusion. For whenever we wish to show Christ prophesied of, we produce to the heathen these writings. And lest perchance men hard of belief should say that we Christians have com- posed these books, so that together with the Gospel which we have preached we have forged the Prophet, through whom there might seem to be foretold that which we preach: by this we convince them; namely, that all the very writings wherein Christ hath been prophesied are with the Jews, all these very writings the Jews have. We produce documents from enemies, to con- found other enemies. In what sort of reproach therefore are the Jews? A document the Jew carrieth, wherefrom a Christian may believe. Our librarians they have become, just as slaves are wont behind their masters to carry docu- ments, in such sort that these faint in carrying, those profit by reading.1 Unto such a reproach have been given the Jews: and there hath been fulfilled that which so long before hath been foretold, " He hath given unto reproach those that trampled on me." But how great a re- proach it is, brethren, that this verse they should read, and themselves being blind should look upon their mirror! For in the same manner the Jews appear in the holy Scripture which they carry, as appeareth the face of a blind man in a mirror: by other men it is seen, by him- self not seen.
8. Thou wast inquiring perhaps when he said, " He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me." What hath He sent from heaven?
Whom hath He sent from heaven? An Angel hath He sent, to save Christ, and through a servant is the Lord saved? For all Angels are creatures 2 serving Christ. For obedience there might have been sent Angels, for service they might have been sent, not for succour: as is written, "Angels ministered unto Him,"3 not like men merciful to one indigent, but like subjects to One Omnipotent. What therefore " hath He sent from heaven, and hath saved me "? Now we hear in another verse what from heaven He hath sent. " He hath sent from heaven His mercy and His truth."4 For what purpose? "And hath drawn out my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps." 5 " Hath sent," he saith, " from heaven His mercy and His truth: " and Christ Himself saith, " I am Truth." There was sent therefore Truth, that it should draw out my soul hence from the midst of the lions' whelps: there was sent mercy. Christ Himself we find to be both mercy and truth; mercy in suffering with us, and truth in requiting us...Who are the lions' whelps? That lesser6 people, unto evil deceived, unto evil led away by the chiefs of the Jews: so that these are lions, those lions' whelps. All roared, all slew. For we are to hear even here the slaying of these very men, presently in the following verses of this Psalm.
9. " And hath drawn out," he saith, " my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps" (ver. 4). Why sayest thou, "And hath drawn out my soul "? For what hadst thou suffered, that thy soul should be drawn out? "I have slept troubled." Christ hath intimated His death...
10. Whence "troubled "? Whotroubling? Let us see in what manner he brandeth an evil con- science upon the Jews, wishing to excuse them- selves of the slaying of the Lord. For to this end, as the Gospel speaketh, to the judge they delivered Him, that they might not themselves seem to have killed Him...Let us question Him, and say, since Thou hast slept troubled, who have persecuted Thee? who have slain Thee? was it perchance Pilate, who to soldiers gave Thee, on the Tree to be hanged, with nails to be pierced? Hear who they were, " Sons of men" (ver. 5). Of them He speaketh, whom for persecutors He suffered. But how did they slay, that steel bare not? They that sword drew not, that made no assault upon Him to slay; whence slew they? " Their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." Do not consider the unarmed hands, but the mouth armed: from thence the sword proceeded, where- with Christ was to be slain: in like manner also as from the mouth of Christ, that wherewith the Jews were to be slain. For He hath a sword twice whetted: 7 and rising again He hath smit- 3 Matt. iv. 1 6 Minutus.
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ten them, and hath severed from them those whom He would make His faithful people. They an evil sword, He a good sword: they evil arrows, He good arrows. For He hath Himself also arrows good, words good, whence He pierceth the faith- ful heart, in order that He may be loved. Therefore of one kind are their arrows, and of another kind their sword. " Sons of men, their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sabre." Tongue of sons of men is a sharp sabre, and their teeth arms and arrows. When therefore did they smite, save when they clam- oured, " Crucify, crucify "? ' ii. And what have they done to Thee, O Lord? Let the Prophet here exult! For above, all those verses the Lord was speaking: a Prophet indeed, but in the person of the Lord, because in the Prophet is the Lord..." Be exalted," he saith, " above the Heavens, O God " Man on the Cross, and above the Heavens, God. Let them continue on the earth raging, Thou in Heaven be judging. Where are they that were raging? where are their teeth, the arms and arrows? Have not "the stripes of them been made the arrows of infants "? For in another place a Psalm 2 this saith, desiring to prove them vainly to have raged, and vainly unto frenzies to have been driven headlong: for nothing they were able to do to Christ when for the time crucified, and afterwards when He was rising again, and in Heaven was sitting. How do infants make to themselves arrows? Of reeds?3 But what arrows? or what powers? or what bows? or what wound? "Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory " (ver. 6). Wherefore exalted above the Heavens, O God? Brethren, God exalted above the Heavens we see not, but we believe: but above all the earth His glory to be not only we believe, but also see. But what kind of madness heretics are afflicted with, I pray you observe. They being cut off from the bond of the Church of Christ, and to a part holding, the whole losing, will not communicate with the whole earth, where is spread abroad the glory of Christ.4 But we Catholics are in all the earth, because with all the world we communicate, wherever the Glory of Christ is spread abroad. s For we see that which then was sung, now ful- filled. There hath been exalted above the Heav- ens our God, and above all the earth the Glory of the Same. O heretical insanity! That which thou seest not thou believest with me, that which thou seest thou deniest: thou believest with me in Christ exalted above the Heavens, a thing 1 Matt, xxvii. 23; John xix. 6.
3 Cnnntr. * Against the Donatists.
S f This comes bonre with terrible import to that portion of the Church which has made itself the whole Church with a novel creed, and broken communion with the Easterns. — C] which we see not; and deniest His Glory over all the earth, a thing which we see.