Psalm LIX.2217
| 2217 Lat. LVIII. Delivered after the discovery of the error of Pelagius.
|
The First Part.
1. As the Scripture is wont to set mysteries of the Psalms on the titles, and to deck the brow of a Psalm with the high announcement of a Mystery,2218
in order that we that are about to go in may know (when as it were upon the
door-post we have read what within is doing) either of whom the
house is, or who is the owner of that
estate: so also in this Psalm there hath been written a title, of a title. For it hath, “At the end,
corrupt not for
David himself unto the
inscription of the title.” This is that which I have spoken of, title of Title. For what the
inscription of this title is, which to be
corrupted he
forbiddeth, the
Gospel to us doth indicate. For when the
Lord was being crucified, a title by
Pilate was inscribed and set, “King of the
Jews,”
2219
in three
tongues, Hebrew,
Greek, and
Latin:
2220
which
tongues in the whole
world mostly do
prevail.…Therefore “
corrupt not” is most proper and prophetic; since indeed even those
Jews made suggestion at that time to
Pilate, and said, “Do not
write King of the
Jews, but
write, that Himself said that He was King of the
Jews:”
2221
for this title, say they, hath established Him King over us. And
Pilate, “What I have written, I have written.” And there was fulfilled, “
corrupt not.”
2. Nor is this the only Psalm which hath an inscription of such sort, that the Title be not corrupted. Several Psalms thus are marked on the face, but however in all the Passion of the Lord is foretold. Therefore here also let us perceive the Lord’s Passion, and let there speak to us Christ, Head and Body. So always, or nearly always, let us hear the words of Christ from the Psalm, as that we look not only upon that Head, the one mediator between God and
man, the Man Christ Jesus.2222
…But let us think of
Christ, Head and whole Body, a sort of entire Man. For to us is said, “But ye are the Body of
Christ and members,”
2223
by the
Apostle Paul. If therefore He is Head, we Body; whole
Christ is Head and Body. For sometimes thou findest words which do not suit the Head, and unless thou shalt have attached them to the Body, thy understanding will waver: again thou findest words which are proper for the Body, and
Christ nevertheless is speaking. In that place we must have no
fear lest a man be mistaken: for quickly he proceedeth to adapt to the Head, that which he seeth is not proper for
the Body.…
3. Let us hear, therefore, what followeth: “When Saul sent and guarded his house in order that he might kill him.” This though not to the Cross of the Lord, yet to the Passion of the Lord doth belong. For Crucified was Christ, and dead, and buried. That sepulchre was therefore as it were the house: to guard which the government of the Jews sent, when guards were set to the sepulchre of Christ.2224
There is indeed a
story in the Scripture of the
Reigns, of the occasion when
Saul sent to
guard the
house in order that he might
kill David.
2225
…But in like manner as
Saul effected not his purpose of slaying
David: so this could not the
government of the
Jews effect, that the
testimony of
guards sleeping should avail more than that of
Apostles watching. For what were the
guards instructed to say? We give to you, they say, as much
money as ye please; and say ye, that while ye were sleeping there came His
disciples, and took Him away. Behold what sort of witnesses of
falsehood against
truth and the
Resurrection of
Christ, His
enemies, through
Saul figured, did produce. Enquire, O
unbelief, of sleeping witnesses, let them reply to thee of what was done in the
tomb. Who, if they were sleeping, whence knew it? If watching, wherefore detained they not the
thieves? Let him say therefore what followeth.
4. “Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, redeem Thou me” (ver. 1). There hath been done this thing in the flesh of Christ, it is being done in us also. For our enemies, to wit the devil and his angels, cease not to rise up upon us every day, and to wish to make sport of our weakness and our frailness, by deceptions, by suggestions, by temptations, and by snares of whatsoever sort to
entangle us, while on earth we are still living. But let our voice watch unto God, and cry out in the members of Christ, under the Head that is in heaven, “Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, redeem Thou me.”
5. “Deliver me from men working iniquity, and from men of bloods, save Thou me” (ver. 2). They indeed were men of bloods, who slew the Just One, in whom no guilt they found: they were men of bloods, because when the foreigner washed his hands, and would have let go Christ, they cried, “Crucify, Crucify:”2226
they were men of bloods, on whom when there was being charged the
crime of the
blood of
Christ, they made answer, giving it to their posterity to drink, “His
blood be upon us and upon our sons.”
2227
But neither against His Body did men of bloods cease to rise up; for even after the Resurrection and Ascension of
Christ, the
Church suffered persecutions, and she indeed first that grew out of the
Jewish people, of which also our
Apostles were. There at first
Stephen was stoned,
2228
and received that of which he had his name. For Stephanus doth signify a
crown. Lowly stoned but highly
crowned. Secondly, among the Gentiles rose up
kingdoms of Gentiles, before that in them was fulfilled that which had been foretold, “There shall adore Him all the kings of the
earth, all
nations shall serve Him:”
2229
and there
roared the fierceness of that
kingdom against the witnesses of
Christ: there was shed largely and frequently the
blood of Martyrs: wherewith when it had been shed, being as it were sown, the
field of the
Church more productively put forth, and filled the whole
world as we now behold. From these therefore, men of bloods, is
delivered Christ, not only Head, but also Body. From men of bloods is
delivered Christ, both from them that have been, and from them
that are, and from them that are to be; there is
delivered Christ, both He that hath gone before, and He that is, and He that is to come. For
Christ is the whole Body of
Christ; and whatsoever good
Christians that now are, and that have been before us, and that after us are to be, are an whole
Christ, who is
delivered from men of bloods; nor is this voice
void, “And from men of bloods
save Thou me.”
6. “For behold they have hunted my soul.…There have rushed upon me strong men” (ver. 3). We must not however pass on from these strong men: diligently we must trace who are the strong men rising up. Strong men, upon whom but upon weak men, upon powerless men, upon men not strong? And praised nevertheless are the weak men, and condemned are the strong men. If it would be perceived who are strong men, at
first the devil himself the Lord hath called a strong man: “No one,” He saith, “is able to go into the house of a strong man, and to carry off his vessels, unless first he shall have bound the strong man.”2230
He hath bound therefore the
strong man with the
chains of His
dominion: and his
vessels He hath carried off, and His own
vessels hath made them. For all
unrighteous men were
vessels of the
devil.…But there are among
mankind certain
strong men of a blameable and
damnable strength, that are confident indeed, but on temporal felicity. That man doth not
2231
| 2231 Perhaps “doth not that man.”
|
seem to you to have been
strong, of whom now from the
Gospel2232
hath been read: how his
estate brought forth
abundance of fruits, and he being
troubled, hit upon the design of rebuilding, so that, having pulled down his old
barns, he should construct new ones more capacious, and, these having been
finished, should say to his
soul, “Thou hast many good things,
soul,
feast, be merry, be filled.”…There are also other men
strong, not because of
riches, not because of the powers of the body, not because of any temporally pre-eminent
power of station, but relying on their
righteousness. This sort of
strong men must be
guarded against,
feared, repulsed, not
imitated: of men relying, I say, not on body, not on means, not on descent, not on honour; for all such things who would not see to be temporal, fleeting, falling, flying? but relying on their own
righteousness.…“Wherefore,” say they, doth your Master eat with
publicans and
sinners?
2233
O ye
strong men, to whom a
Physician is not needful! This
strength to soundness belongeth not, but to insanity. For even than men frenzied nothing can be stronger, more mighty they are than whole men: but by how much greater their powers are, by so much nearer is their
death. May
God therefore turn away from our imitation these
strong men.…The same are therefore the
strong men, that assailed
Christ, commending their own
justice. Hear ye these
strong men: when
certain men of
Jerusalem were speaking, having been sent by them to take
Christ, and not
daring to take Him (because when he would, then was He taken, that truly was
strong): Why therefore, say they, “could ye not take Him?” And they made answer, “No one of men did ever so speak as He.” And these
strong men, “Hath by any means any one of the
Pharisees believed on Him, or any one of the
Scribes, but this people knowing not the
Law?”
2234
They preferred themselves to the
sick multitude, that was running to the
Physician: whence but because they were themselves
strong? and what is worse, by their
strength, all the multitude also they brought over unto themselves, and slew the
Physician of all.…
7. What next? “Neither iniquity is mine, nor sin mine, O Lord” (ver. 4). There have rushed on indeed strong men on their own righteousness relying, they have rushed on, but sin in me they have not found. For truly those strong men, that is, as it were righteous men, on what account would they be able to persecute Christ, unless it were as if a sinner? But, however, let them look to it how strong they be, in the raging of fever not in the vigour of soundness: let them look to it how strong they be, and how as though just
against an unrighteous man they have raged.2235
| 2235 Oxf. mss. “and how far they were righteous and raging against one unrighteous” (et quam justi contra iniquum sævierint). The common reading is scarcely grammatical.
|
But, however, “neither
iniquity is mine, nor
sin mine, O
Lord. Without
iniquity I did
run, and I was
guided.” Those
strong men therefore could not follow me running: therefore a
sinner they have deemed me, because my steps they have not seen.
8. “Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see.” To God is said this. But why? If He meet not, is He unable to see? It is just as if thou wast walking in a road, and from afar by some one thou couldest not be recognised, thou wouldest call to him and wouldest say, Meet me, and see how I am walking; for when from afar thou espiest me, my steps thou art not able to see. So also unless God were to meet, would He
not see how without iniquity he was guided, and how without sin he was running? This interpretation indeed we can also accept, namely, “Rise up to meet me,” as if “help me.” But that which he hath added, “and see,” must be understood as, make it to be seen that I run, make it to be seen that I am guided: according to that figure wherein this also hath been said to Abraham, “Now I know that thou fearest God.”2236
God saith, “Now I know:” whence, but because I have made thee to know? For unknown to himself every one is before the questioning of
temptation: just as of himself Peter
2237
in his
confidence was ignorant, and by denying
learned what
kind of powers he had, in his very stumbling he perceived that it was falsely he had been confident: he wept, and in weeping he earned profitably to know what he was, and to be what he was not. Therefore
Abraham when tried, became known to himself: and it was said by
God, “Now I know,” that is, now I have made thee to know. In like manner as
glad is the day because it maketh men
glad; and
sad is
bitterness because it maketh
sad one tasting thereof: so
God’s seeing is making to see. “Rise up, therefore,” he saith, “to meet me, and see” (
ver. 5). What is, “and see”? And help me, that is, in those men, in order that they may see my course, may follow me; let not that seem to them to be
crooked which is straight, let not that seem to them to be curved which keepeth the rule of
truth.
9. Something else I am admonished to say in this place of the loftiness of our Head Himself: for He was made weak even unto death, and He took on Him the weakness of flesh, in order that the chickens of Jerusalem He might gather under His wings, like a hen showing herself weak with her little ones.2238
For have we not observed this thing in some
bird at some time or other, even in those which build
nests before our
eyes, as the
house-
sparrows, as swallows, so to speak, our annual
guests, as storks, as various sorts of
birds, which before our
eyes build
nests, and hatch eggs,
feed chickens, as the very
doves which
daily we see; and some
bird to become
weak with her
chickens, have we not known, have we not looked upon, have we not seen? In what way doth a hen experience
this
weakness? Surely a known fact I am speaking of, which in our sight is
daily taking place. How her voice groweth hoarse, how her whole body is made languid? The
wings droop, the feathers are loosened, and thou seest around the
chickens some
sick thing, and this is maternal
love which is found as
weakness. Why was it therefore, but for this reason, that the
Lord willed to be as a Hen, saying in the Holy Scripture, “
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, how often have I willed
to
gather thy sons, even as a hen her
chickens under her
wings, and thou hast not been willing.” But He hath gathered all
nations, like as a hen her
chickens.…
10. “And Thou, Lord God of virtues, God of Israel.” Thou God of Israel, that art thought to be but God of one nation, which worshippeth Thee, when all nations worship idols, Thou God of Israel, “Give heed unto the visiting all nations.” Fulfilled be that prophecy wherein Isaiah in Thy person speaketh to Thy Church, Thy holy City, that barren one of whom many more are the sons of Her forsaken than of her that hath a husband. To Her indeed hath been
said, “Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not,”2239
etc., more than of the
Jewish nation which hath a
Husband, which hath received the
Law, more than of that
nation which had a visible king. For thy king is hidden, and more sons to thee there are by a hidden Bridegroom.…The
Prophet addeth, “
Enlarge the place of Thy
tabernacle, and Thy
2240
| 2240 “Hangings” some mss.
|
courts fix thou: there is no cause for thee to spare, extend further thy cords, and
strong stakes set thou again and again on the right and on the left.”
2241
Upon the right keep good men, on the left keep
evil men,
2242
until there come the
fan:
2243
occupy nevertheless all
nations; bidden to the
marriage be good men and
evil men, filled be the
marriage with
guests;
2244
it is the
office of
servants to bid, of the
Lord to sever. “Cities which had been forsaken Thou shall inhabit:”
2245
forsaken of
God, forsaken of
Prophets, forsaken of
Apostles, forsaken of the
Gospel, full of
demons. For Thou shalt
prevail; and blush not because
abominable Thou hast been. Therefore though there have risen up upon thee
strong men, blush not: when against the name of
Christ laws were enacted, when ignominy and infamy it was to be a
Christian. “Blush not because
abominable Thou hast been: for confusion for
everlasting Thou shalt
forget, of the ignominy of Thy
widowhood Thou shall not be mindful.”…
11. “Have not pity upon all men that work iniquity.” Here evidently He is terrifying. Whom would He not terrify? What man falling back upon his own conscience would not tremble? Which even if to itself it is conscious of godliness, strange if it be not in some sort conscious of iniquity. For whosoever doeth sin, also doeth iniquity.2246
“For if Thou shalt have marked
iniquities, O
Lord, what man shall
abide it?”
2247
And nevertheless a true saying it is, and not said to no purpose, and neither is nor will it be possible to be
void, “Have not pity upon all men that
work iniquity.” But He had pity even upon
Paul, who at first as
Saul wrought iniquity. For what good thing did he, whence he might deserve of
God? Did he not
hate His
Saints unto
death?
2248
did he not bear letters from the
chief of the
priests, to the end that wheresoever he might find
Christians, to
punishment he should hurry them? When bent upon this, when thither proceeding, breathing and panting
slaughter, as the Scripture testified of him, was he not from
Heaven with a mighty voice summoned, thrown down,
raised up;
blinded, lightened; slain, made alive;
destroyed, restored? In return for what merit? Let us say nothing; himself rather let us hear:
“I that before have been,” he saith, “a blasphemer, and persecutor; and injurious, but
mercy I have obtained.”
2249
Surely “Thou wouldest not have pity upon all men that
work iniquity:” this in two ways may be understood: either that in fact not any
sins doth
God leave unpunished; or that there is a sort of
iniquity, on the workers whereof
God hath indeed no pity.
12. All iniquity, be it little or great, punished must needs be, either by man himself repenting, or by God avenging. For even he that repenteth punisheth himself. Therefore, brethren, let us punish our own sins, if we seek the mercy of God. God cannot have mercy on all men working iniquity as if pandering to sins, or not rooting out sins. In a word, either thou punishest, or He punisheth.…
13. But let us see now another way in which this sentence may be understood. There is a certain iniquity, on the worker whereof it cannot be that God have mercy. Ye enquire, perchance, what that is? It is the defending of sins. When a man defendeth his sins, great iniquity he worketh: that thing he is defending which God hateth. And see how perversely, how iniquitously. Whatever of good he hath done, to himself he would have it to be ascribed; whatever
of evil, to God. For in this manner men defend sins in the person of God, which is a worse sin.…Therefore thou defendest thy sin in such sort, that thou layest blame on God. So the guilty is excused, so that the Judge may be charged. However on men working iniquity God hath no pity at all.
14. “Let them be converted at the evening” (ver. 6). Of certain men he is speaking that were once workers of iniquity, and once darkness, being converted in the evening. What is, “in the evening”? Afterward. What is “at the evening”? Later. For before, before that they crucified Christ, they ought to have acknowledged their Physician. Wherefore, when He had been crucified—rising
again, into Heaven ascending—after that He sent His Holy Spirit, wherewith were fulfilled they that were in one house, and they began to speak with the tongues of all nations, there feared the crucifiers of Christ; they were pricked through with their consciences, they besought counsel of safety from the Apostles, they heard, “Repent, and be baptized each one of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be remitted unto you.”2250
After the slaying of
Christ, after the shedding of the
blood of
Christ, remitted are your
sins.…“Let these be
converted,” therefore, they also “at evening.” Let them yearn for the
grace of
God, perceive themselves to be
sinners; let those
strong men be made
weak, those
rich men be made
poor, those just men acknowledge themselves
sinners, those
lions be made
dogs. “Let them be
converted at evening, and
suffer hunger as
dogs. And they shall go around the
city.” What city? That
world, which in certain places the Scripture calleth “the city of standing round:”
2251
| 2251 E.V. “strong city.” Ps. xxxi. 21, lx. 9, cviii. 10.
|
that is, because in all
nations everywhere the
world had encompassed the one
nation of
Jews, where such words were being spoken, and it was called “the city of standing round.” Around this city shall go those men, now having become hungry
dogs. In what manner shall they go around? By
preaching.
Saul out of a
wolf was made a
dog at evening, that is, being late
converted by the
crumbs of his
Lord, in His
grace he
ran, and went around the city.
2252
15. “Behold, themselves shall speak in their mouth, and a sword is on the lips of them” (ver. 7). Here is that sword twice whetted, whereof the Apostle saith, “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”2253
Wherefore twice whetted? Wherefore, but because smiting out of both Testaments? With this
sword were slain those whereof it was said to Peter, “
Slay, and eat.”
2254
“And a
sword is on the
lips of them. For who hath heard?” They all speak in their mouth, “Who hath heard?” That is, they shall be
wroth with men that are slow to believe. They that a little before were even themselves
unwilling to believe, do feel disgust from men not believing. And truly,
brethren, so it is. Thou seest a man slow before he is made a
Christian; thou criest to him
daily, hardly he is
converted: suppose him to be
converted, and then he
would have all men to be
Christians, and wondereth that not yet they are. It hath chanced out to him at evening to have been
converted: but because he hath been made hungering like a
dog, he hath also on his
lips a
sword; he saith, “Who hath heard?” What is, “Who hath heard?” “Who hath believed our hearing, and to whom hath the
arm of the
Lord been
revealed?”
2255
“For who hath heard?” The
Jews believe not: they have turned them to the
nations, and have
preached. The
Jews did not believe; and nevertheless through believing
Jews the
Gospel went around the city, and they said, “For who hath heard?” “And Thou,
Lord, shall
deride them” (
ver. 8). All
nations are to be
Christian, and ye say, “Who hath heard?” What is, “shall
deride them”? “As nothing Thou
shalt esteem all
nations.” Nothing for Thee it shall be; because a most easy thing it will be for all
nations to believe in Thee.
16. “My strength to Thee I will keep” (ver. 9). For those strong men have fallen for this reason; because their strength to Thee they have not kept: that is, they that upon me have risen up and rushed, on themselves have relied. But I “my strength to Thee will keep:” because if I withdraw, I fall; if I draw near, stronger I am made. For see, brethren, what there is in a human soul. It hath not of
itself light, hath not of itself powers: but all that is fair in a soul, is virtue and wisdom: but it neither is wise for itself, nor strong for itself, nor itself is light to itself, nor itself is virtue to itself. There is a certain origin and fountain of virtue, there is a certain root of wisdom, there is a certain, so to speak, if this also must be said, region of unchangeable truth: from this the soul withdrawing is made dark, drawing near is made light.
2256
“Draw near to Him, and be made
light:” because by withdrawing ye are made
dark. Therefore, “my
strength, I will keep to Thee:” not from Thee will I withdraw, not on myself will I rely. “My
strength, to Thee I will keep: because, O
God, my lifter up
2257
Thou art.” For where was I, and where am I? Whence hast Thou taken me up? What
iniquities of mine hast Thou remitted? Where was I
lying? To what have I been
raised up? I ought to have remembered these things: because in another Psalm is said, “For my
father and my mother have forsaken me, but the
Lord hath taken me unto Him.”
2258
17. “My God, the mercy of Him shall2259
come before me” (
ver. 10). Behold what is, “My
strength, to Thee I will keep:” on myself I will in no ways at all rely. For what good thing have I brought, that thou shouldest have
mercy on me, and shouldest
justify me? What in me hast Thou found,
save sins alone? Of Thine there is nothing else but the
nature which Thou hast
created: the other things are mine own
evil things which Thou hast
blotted out. I have not first risen up to Thee, but to
awake me Thou hast
come: for “His
mercy shall come before me.” Before that anything of good I shall do, “His
mercy shall come before me.” What answer here shall the unhappy Pelagius make? “My
God hath shown to me among mine
enemies” (
ver. 11). How great
mercy He hath put forth concerning me, among mine
enemies He hath showed. Let one gathered compare himself with men forsaken, and one
elect with men
rejected: let the
vessel of
mercy compare
itself with the
vessels of
wrath; and let it see how out of one lump
God hath made one
vessel unto honour, another unto dishonour.
“For so God, willing to show wrath, and to manifest His power, hath brought in, in much patience, the vessels of wrath, which have been perfected unto perdition.”2260
And wherefore this? “In order that He might make known His
riches upon the
vessels of
mercy.” If therefore
vessels of
wrath He hath brought in, wherein He might make known His
riches upon the
vessels of
mercy, most rightly hath been said, “His
mercy shall come before me: My
God hath showed to me among mine
enemies:” that is however great
mercy He hath had concerning me, to me He hath showed it among these men concerning whom He hath not had
mercy. For
unless the
debtor be in
suspense, he is less
grateful to him by whom the
debt hath been
forgiven. “My
God hath showed to me among mine
enemies.”
18. But of the enemies themselves what? “Slay them not, lest sometime they forget Thy law.” He is making request for his enemies, he is fulfilling the commandment.…Slay not them of whom the sins Thou slayest. But what is it to be slain? To forget the law of the Lord. It is real death, to go into the pit of sin; this indeed may be also understood of the Jews. Why of the Jews, “Slay not them, lest sometime they forget Thy law”? Those very
enemies of mine, that have slain me, do not Thou slay. Let the nation of the Jews remain: certes conquered it hath been by the Romans, certes effaced is the city of them, Jews are not admitted into their city, and yet Jews there are. For all those provinces by the Romans have been subjugated. Who now can distinguish the nations in the Roman empire the one from the other, inasmuch as all have become Romans and all are called Romans? The Jews nevertheless remain with a mark; nor in such
sort conquered have they been, as that by the conquerors they have been swallowed up. Not without reason is there that Cain, on whom, when he had slain his brother, God set a mark in order that no one should slay him.2261
This is the mark which the
Jews have: they hold fast by the
remnant of their
law, they are circumcised, they keep Sabbaths, they
sacrifice the
Passover; they eat
unleavened bread. These are therefore
Jews, they have not been slain, they are necessary to believing
nations. Why so? In order that He may show to us among our
enemies His
mercy. “My
God hath shown to me in mine
enemies.” He showeth His
mercy to the
wild-olive grafted on
branches that have been
cut off because of
pride. Behold where they
lie, that were
proud, behold where thou hast been grafted, that didst
lie: and be not thou
proud, lest thou shouldest deserve to be
cut off.
19. “Scatter them abroad in Thy virtue” (ver. 11). Now this thing hath been done: throughout all nations there have been scattered abroad the Jews, witnesses of their own iniquity and our truth. They have themselves writings, out of which hath been prophesied Christ, and we hold Christ. And if sometime perchance any heathen man shall have doubted, when we have told him the prophecies of Christ, at the clearness
whereof he is amazed, and wondering hath supposed that they were written by ourselves, then out of the copies of the Jews we prove, how this thing so long time before had been foretold. See after what sort by means of our enemies we confound other enemies. “Scatter them abroad in Thy virtue:” take away from them “virtue,” take away from them their strength. “And bring them down, my protector, O Lord.” “The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips: and
let them be taken in their pride: and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations, in the anger of consummation, and they shall not be” (ver. 12). Obscure words these are, and I fear lest they be not well instilled.…
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