16. "If I said, I shall declare thus; behold, the generation of Thy sons I have reprobated " (ver. 15): that is, I will teach thus. How wilt thou teach? that there is no knowledge in the Most High, that God doth not know? Wilt thou propound this opinion, that without cause men live justly who do live justly; that a just man hath lost his service, because God doth more show favour to evil men, or else He doth care for no one? Wilt thou tell this, declare this? He doth restrain himself by an authority repressing him. What authority? A man wisheth some time to break out in this sentiment: but he is recalled by the Scriptures directing us alway to live well, saying, that God doth care for things human, that He maketh a distinction between a godly man and an ungodly man. Therefore this man also wishing to put forth this sentiment, doth recollect himself. And what saith he? "I have reprobated the generation of Thy sons." If I shall declare thus, the generation of just men I shall reprobate. As also some copies have it, " Behold, the generation of thy sons with which I have been in concert: " that is, with which consisting of Thy sons I have been in concert; that is, with which I have agreed, to which I have been conformed: I have been out of time with all, if so I teach. For he doth sing in concert who giveth the tune together; but he that giveth not the tune together doth not sing in concert. Am I to say something different from that which Abraham said, from that which Isaac said, from that which Jacob said, from that which the Prophets said?
MSS. crtticam.
3 Fs. Ixxiii. 2.
Psalm LXXIII.]
For all they said that God doth care for things human, am I to say that He careth not? Is there greater wisdom in me than in them? Greater understanding in me than in them? A most wholesome authority hath called back his thought from ungodliness. And what followeth? That he might not reprobate, he did what? "And I undertook to know" (ver. 16). May God be with him in order that he may know. Meanwhile, brethren, from a great fall he is being withheld, when he doth not presume that he already knoweth, but hath undertaken to know that which he knew not. For but now he was willing to appear as if knowing, and to declare that God hath no care of things human. For this hath come to be a most naughty and ungodly doctrine of unrighteous men. Know, brethren, that many men dispute and say that God careth not for things human, that by chances all things are ruled, or that our wills have been made subject to the stars, that each one is not dealt with according to his deserts, but by the necessity of his stars, — an evil doctrine, an impious doctrine. Unto these thoughts was going that man whose feet were almost moved, and whose steps were all but overthrown, into this error he was going; but because he was not in tune with the generation of the sons of God, he undertook to know, and condemned the knowledge wherein with God's just men he agreed not. And what he saith let us hear; how that he undertook to know, and was helped, and learned something, and declared it to us.
" And I undertook," he saith, " to know." " In this labour is before me." Truly a great labour; to know in what manner both God doth care for things human, and it is well with evil men, and good men labour. Great is the importance of the question; therefore, " and this labour is before me." As it were there is standing in my face a sort of wall, but thou hast the voice of a Psalm, " In my God I shall pass over the wall." ' 17...And he hath done this; for he saith how long labour is before him; " until I enter into the sanctuary of God, and understand upon the last things" (ver. 17). A great thing it is, brethren: now for a long time I labour, he saith, and before my face I see a sort of insuperable labour, to know in what manner both God is just, and doth care for things human, and is not unjust because men sinning and doing wicked actions have happiness on this earth; but the godly and men serving God are wasted ofttimes in trials and in labours; a great difficulty it is to know this, but only " until I enter into the Sanctuary of God." For in the Sanctuary what is presented to thee, in order that « Ps.; thou mayest solve this question? "And I understand," he saith, " upon the last things: " not present things. I, he saith, from the Sanctuary of God stretch out mine eye unto the end, I pass over present things. All that which is called the human race, all that mass of mortality is to come to the balance, is to come to the scale, thereon will be weighed the works of men. All things now a cloud doth enfold: but to God are known the merits of each severally. " And I understand," he saith, " upon the last things: " but not of myself; for before me there is labour. Whence " may I understand upon the last things"? Let me enter into the Sanctuary of God. In that place then he understood also the reason why these men now are happy.
18. To wit, "because of deceitfulness Thou hast set upon them" (ver. 18). Because deceitful they are, that is fraudulent; because deceitful they are, they suffer deceits. What is this, because fraudulent they are they suffer a fraud? They desire to play a fraud upon mankind in all their naughtinesses, they themselves also suffer a frand, in choosing earthly good things, and in forsaking the eternal. Therefore, brethren, in their very playing off a fraud they suffer a fraud. In that which but now I said, brethren, " What manner of wit 2 hath he who to gain a garment doth lose his fidelity?" hath he whose garment he hath taken suffered a fraud, or he that is smitten with so great a loss? If a garment is more precious than fidelity, the former doth suffer the greater loss: but if incomparably good faith doth surpass the whole world, the latter shall seem to have sustained the loss of a garment; but to the former is said, " What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?"' Therefore what hath befallen them? " Because of deceitfulness Thou hast set for them: Thou didst throw them down while they were being exalted." He hath not said, Thou didst throw them down because they were lifted up: not as it were after that they were lifted up Thou didst throw them down; but in their very lifting up they were thrown down. For thus to be lifted up is already to fall.
19. " How have they become a desolation suddenly?" (ver. 19). He is wondering at them, understanding unto the last things. " They have vanished." Truly like smoke, which while it mounteth upward, doth vanish, so they have vanished. How doth he say, "They have vanished"? In the manner of one who understandeth the last things: " they have perished because of their iniquity." "Like as the dream of one rising up " (ver. 20). How have they vanished? As vanisheth the dream of one rising up.
* Cor.
3 Matt. xvi. 26.
34Q [Psalm LXXIII.
Fancy a man in sleep to have seen himself find treasures; he is a rich man, but only until he awaketh. " Like as the dream of one rising up: " so they have vanished, like the dream of one awaking. It is sought then and it is not: there is nothing in the hands, nothing in the bed. A poor man he went to sleep, a rich man in sleep he became: had he not awoke, he were a rich man: he woke up, he found the care which he had lost while sleeping. And these men shall find the misery which they had prepared for themselves. When they shall have awoke from this life, that thing doth pass away which was grasped as if in sleep. " Like as the dream of one rising up." And that there might not be said, "What then? a small thing doth their glory seem to thee, a small thing doth their state seem to thee, small things seem to thee inscriptions, images, statues, distinctions, troops of clients?" " O Lord," he saith, " in Thy city their image ' Thou shalt bring to nothing."...He hath taken away the pride of rich men, he giveth counsel.2 As if they 3 were saying, We are rich men, thou dost forbid us to be proud, dost prohibit us from boasting of the parade of our riches: what then are we to do with these riches? Is it come to this, that there is nothing which they may do therewith? " Be they rich," he saith, " in good works; let them readily distribute, communicate."4 And what doth this profit? " Let them treasure urito themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of true life." 5 Where ought they to lay up treasure for themselves? In that place whereunto he set his eye, when entering into the Sanctuary of God. Let there shudder all our rich brethren, abounding in money, gold, silver, household, honours, let them shudder at that which but now hath been said, " Thou shalt bring to nothing their image." Are they not worthy to suffer these things, to wit that God bring to nothing their image in His city, because also they have themselves brought to nothing the image of God in their earthly city?
20. " Because my heart was delighted " (ver. 2 1 ). He is saying with what things he is tempted: " because my heart was delighted," he saith, " my reins also were changed." When those temporal things delighted me, my reins were changed. It may also be understood thus: " because my heart was delighted " in God, " my reins also were changed, that is, my lusts were changed, and I became wholly chaste. " My reins were changed." And hear how. " And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not" (ver. 22). I, 1 Oxf. MSS. " images."
9 [He uses the word ferimus in the omitted paragraph. — C] He seems to mean, that such teaching, addressed to any one in common intercourse, would be " smiting."
' Oxf. mss. " the rich." < 1 Tim. vi. 18.
* 1 Tim. vi. 19.
the very man, who now say these things of rich men, once longed for such things: therefore " even I was brought to nothing " when my steps were almost overthrown. " And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not." We must not therefore despair even of them, against whom I was saying such things.
2 1. What is, " I knew not "? " As it were a beast I became to Thee, and I am alway with Thee "(ver. 23). There is a great difference between this man and others. He became as it were a beast in longing for earthly things, when being brought to nothing he knew not things eternal: but he departed not from his God, because he did not desire these things of demons, of the devil. For this I have already brought to your notice. The voice is from the Synagogue, that is, from that people which served not idols. A beast indeed I became, when desiring from my God things earthly: but I never departed from That my God.
22. Because then, though having become a beast, I departed not from my God, there followeth, "Thou hast held the hand of my right hand." He hath not said my right hand, but " the hand of my right hand." If the hand of the right hand it is, a hand hath a hand. " The hand Thou hast held of my right hand," in order that Thou mightest conduct me. For what hath he put hand? For power. For we say that a man hath that in his hand which he hath in his power: just as the devil said to God concerning Job, " Lay to Thine hand, and take away the things which he hath." 6 What is, lay to Thine hand? Put ' forth power. The hand of God he hath called the power of God: as hath been written in another place, " death and life are in the hands of the tongue." 8 Hath the tongue hands? But what is, in the hands of the tongue? In the power of the tongue. What is, in the power of the tongue? "Out of thy mouth thou shalt be justified, and out of thy mouth thou shalt be condemned." 9 " Thou hast held," therefore, " the hand of my right hand," the power of my right hand. What was my right hand? That I was alway with Thee. Unto the left I was holding, because I became a beast, that is, because there was an earthly concupiscence in me: but the right was mine, because I was alway with thee. Of this my right hand Thou hast held the hand, that is, hast directed the power. What power? " He gave them power to become sons of God." '° He is beginning now to be among the sons of God, belonging to the New Testament. See in what manner the hand of his right hand was held. " In Thy will Thou hast conducted me." What is, "in thy will "? Not in my merits. What is, " in Thy 8 Prov. xviii. 31.
Psalm LXXIII.]
will "? Hear the apostle, who was at first a beast longing for things earthly, and living after the Old Testament. He saith what? " I that at first was a blasphemer, and persecutor, and injurious: but mercy I obtained." ' What is, "in Thy will"? "By the grace of God I am what I am." 2 " And in 3 glory Thou hast taken me up." Now to what glory he was taken up, and in what glory, who can explain, who can say? Let us await it, because in the Resurrection it will be, in the last things it will be.
23. And he is beginning to think of that same Heavenly felicity, and to reprove himself, because he hath been a beast, and hath longed for things earthly. " For what have I in Heaven, and from Thee what have I willed upon earth? " (ver. 25). By your voice I see that ye have understood.4 He compared with his earthly will the heavenly reward which he is to receive; he saw what was there being reserved for him; and while thinking and burning at the thought of some ineffable thing, which neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor into the heart of man hath ascended,5 he hath not said, this or that I have in Heaven, but, " what have I in Heaven?" What is that thing which I have in Heaven? What is it? How great is it? Of what sort is it? "And," since that which I have in heaven doth not pass away, "from Thee what have I willed upon earth?" 6...Thou reservest, he saith, for me in Heaven riches immortal, even Thyself, and I have willed from Thee on earth that which even ungodly men have, which even evil men have, which even abandoned men have, money, gold, silver, jewels, households, which even many, wicked men have: which even many profligate women have, many profligate men: these things as a great matter I have desired of my God upon earth: though my God reserveth Himself for me in Heaven!
24. " My heart and my flesh hath failed, O God of my heart " (ver. 26). This then for me in Heaven hath been reserved, " God of my heart, and my portion is my God." What is it, brethren? Let us find out our riches, let mankind choose their parts. Let us see men torn with diversity of desires: let some choose warservice, some advocacy, some divers and sundry offices of teaching, some merchandise, some farming, let them take their portions in human affairs: let the people of God cry, " my portion is my God." Not for a time "my portion;" but " my portion is my God for everlasting." Even if I alway have gold, what have I? Even if I 3 So mss.: Ben. " with."
4 [Here there were voluntary " amens," or the like, from the people. See p. 207, supra. — O] 5 1 Cor. ii. 0.
6 [Here he interpolates: " I will speak as I am able, but forgive me; accept my endeavour, mine earnestness to attempt; for to explain it 1 have not power." — C] did not alway have God, how great a good should I have? To this is added, that He promiseth Himself to me, and He promiseth that I shall have this for everlasting. So great a thing I have, and never have it not. Great felicity: "my portion is God!" How long? " For everlasting." For behold and see after what sort He hath loved him; He hath made his heart chaste; " God of my heart, and my portion is God for everlasting." His heart hath become chaste, for nought now God is loved, from Him is not sought any other reward. He that doth seek any other reward from God, and therefore is willing to serve God, more precious doth make that which he willeth to receive, than Him from whom he willeth to receive. What then, is there no reward belonging to God? None except Himself. The reward belonging to God, is God Himself. This he loveth, this he esteemeth; if any other thing he shall have loved, the love will not be. chaste. Thou art receding from the Fire immortal, thou wilt grow cold, wilt be corrupted. Do not recede. Recede not, it will be thy corruption, it will be thy fornication. Now he is returning, now he is repenting, now he is choosing repentance, now he is saying, " my portion is God." And after what sort is he delighted with that Same, whom he hath chosen for his portion.
25. "Behold, they that put themselves afar from Thee shall perish " (ver. 27). He therefore departed from God, but not far: for " I have become as it were a beast," he saith, and " I am alway with Thee." 1 But they have departed afar, because not only things earthly they have desired, but have sought them from demons and the Devil. " They that put themselves afar from Thee shall perish." And what is it, to become afar from God? " Thou hast destroyed every man that committeth fornication away from Thee." To this fornication is opposed chaste love. What is chaste love? Now the soul doth love her Bridegroom: what doth she require of Him, from Her Bridegroom whom she loveth? Perchance in like manner as women choose for themselves men either as sons-in-law or as bridegrooms: she perchance chooseth riches, and loveth his gold, and estates, and silver and cattle and horses, and household, and the like. Far be it. He doth love Him alone, for nought he doth love Him: because in Him he hath all things, for " by Him were made all things." 8 26. But thou doest what? "But for me to cleave to God is a good thing" (ver. 28). This is whole good. Will ye have more? I grieve at your willing. Brethren, what will ye have more? Than to cleave to God nothing is better, when we shall see Him face to face.' But now 7 Ps. lxxiii. 21.
8 John*!. 3.
9 x Cor. xiii. xa.
[Psalm LXXIV.
what? For yet as a stranger I am speaking: " to cleave," he saith, " to God is a good thing: " but now in my sojourning (for not yet hath come the substance), I have " to put in God my hope." So long therefore as thou hast not yet cloven, therein put thy hope. Thou art wavering, cast forward an anchor to the land.1 Not yet dost thou cleave by presence, cleave fast by hope. " To put in God my hope." And by doing what here wilt thou put in God thy hope? What will be thy business, but to praise Him whom thou lovest, and to make others to be fellow-lovers of Him with thee? Lo, if thou shouldest love a charioteer, wouldest thou not carry along other men to love him with thee? A lover of a charioteer whithersoever he goeth doth speak of him, in order that as well as he others also may love him. For nought are loved abandoned men, and from God is reward required in order that He may be loved? Love thou. God for nought, grudge God to no one...For what followed? " In order that I may tell forth all Thy praises in the courts of the daughter of Sion." " In the courts: " for the preaching of God beside the Church is vain. A small thing it is to praise God and to tell forth all His praise. In the courts of the daughter of Sion tell thou forth. Make for unity, do not divide the people; but draw them unto one, and make them one. I have forgotten how long I have been speaking. Now the Psalm being ended, even judging by this closeness,2 1 suppose I have held a long discourse: but it doth not suffice for your zeal; ye are too impetuous.3 O that with this impetuosity ye would seize upon the kingdom of Heaven.
PSALM LXXIV.* i. This Psalm's Title is, "Of the Understanding of Asaph." Asaph in Latin is translated congregation, in Greek Synagogue. Let us see what this Synagogue hath understood. But let us understand firstly Synagogue: from thence we shall understand what the Synagogue hath understood. Every congregation is spoken of under the general name of Synagogue: one both of beasts and of men may be called a congregation; but here there is no congregation of beasts when we heard " understanding."...For this the Psalm's Title doth prescribe, saying, " Of the understanding of Asaph." It is therefore a certain understanding congregation whereof we are about to hear the voice. But since properly Synagogue is said of the congregation of the people of Israel, so that wheresoever we may have heard Synagogue, we are no longer 1 Oxf. MSS. " Wavering, from the earth cast an anchor before thee upward."
* Odon, lit. " imell:" one MS. ardon, "heat;" Ben. conj. tudort. 3 [P. 34i, note 4, supra. — C.J * Let. LXXIII. Sermon to the people.
wont to understand any but the people of the Jews; let us see whether perchance the voice in this Psalm be not of that same people. But of what sort of Jews and of what sort of people of Israel? For they are not of the chaff, but perchance of the grain; 5 not of the broken branches, but perchance of those that are strengthened. " For not all that are of Israel are Israelites." 6...There are therefore certain Israelites, of whom was he concerning whom was said, " Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom guile is not." 7 I do not say in the same manner as we are Israelites, for we also are the seed of Abraham. For to the Gentiles the Apostle was speaking, when he said, " Therefore the seed of Abraham ye are, heirs according to promise." s According to this therefore all we are Israelites, that follow the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham. But let us understand here the voice of the Israelites in the same manner as the Apostle saith, " For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." 9 Here therefore let us understand that whereof the Prophets have spoken, " a remnant shall be saved." '° Of the remnant therefore saved let us hear in this place the voice; in order that there may speak that Synagogue which had received the Old Testament, and was intent upon carnal promises; and by this means it came to pass that their feet were shaken. For in another Psalm, where too the title hath Asaph, there is said what? "How good is the God of Israel to men right in heart. But my feet were almost moved." " And as if we were saying, whence were thy feet moved? "Well nigh," he saith, " my steps were overthrown, because I was jealous in the case of sinners, looking on the peace of sinners." " For while according to the promises of God belonging to the Old Testament he was looking for earthly felicity, he observed it to abound with ungodly men; that they who worshipped not God were enriched with those things which he was looking for from God: and as though without cause he had served God, his feet tottered...But opportunely it hath chanced not by our own but by God's dispensation, that just now we heard out of the Gospel, that " the Law was given by Moses, Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ." 'I For if we distinguish between the two Testaments, Old and New, there are not the same Sacraments •* nor the same promises; '5 nevertheless, the same commandments'6 for the most part...
When examined they are either all found to be the same, or there are scarce any in the Gospel which have not been spoken by the Prophets.
5 Matt. iii. 19.
6 Rom. ix. 6.
9 Rom. xi. 1. 12 Ps. Ixxiii. 2. *3 Promissa, Psalm LXXIV.]
The Commandments are the same, the Sacraments are not the same, the Promises are not the same. Let us see wherefore the commandments are the same; because according to these we ought to serve God. The Sacraments are not the same, for some Sacraments there are giving Salvation, others promising a Saviour. The Sacraments of the New Testament give Salvation, the Sacraments of the Old Testament did promise a Saviour.1 When therefore thou hast now the things promised, why dost thou seek the things promising, having now the Saviour?...God through the New Testament hath taken out of the hands of His sons those things which are like the playthings of boys, in order that He might give something more useful to them growing up, on that account must He be supposed not to have given those former things Himself. He gave both Himself. But the Law itself through Moses was given, Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ: 2 Grace because there is fulfilled through love that which by the letter was being enjoined, Truth because there is being rendered that which was promised. This thing therefore this Asaph hath understood. In a word, all things which to the Jews had been promised have been taken away. Where is their kingdom? Where the Temple? Where the Anointing? Where is Priest? Where are now the Prophets among them? From what time there came He that by the Prophets was foretold, in that nation there is now nothing of these things; now she hath lost things earthly, and not yet doth seek things Heavenly.
2. Thou shouldest not therefore hold fast to things earthly, although God doth bestow them...See ye how that in fearing to lose things earthly, the Jews slew the King of Heaven. And what was done to them? They lost even those very things earthly: and in the place where they slew Christ, there they were slain: and when, being unwilling to lose the land, they slew the Giver of life, that same land being slain they lost; and at that very time when they slew Him, in order that by that very time they might be admonished of the reason wherefore they suffered these things. For when the city of the Jews was overthrown, they were celebrating the Passover, and with many thousands of men the whole nation itself had met together for the celebration of that festivals In that place God (through evil men indeed, but yet Himself good; through unjust men, but Himself just and justly) did so take vengeance upon them, that there were slain many thousands of men, and the city itself was ' [Note this i 2 John i. 17.
3 See Joseph use of the word " Sacrament." — C] —, book vi. c. 9, § 3, whence the whole number of the besieged is stated at 1,197^000, of whom 1,100,000 perished. [The coincidence of the Passover with this day of retribution is noteworthy. On Good Friday accordingly occurs a prayer for the Jews, in the Anglican Liturgy. — C]