Psalm 61 [MT 62]

From him truly is patience, true patience, holy patience, religious patience, right patience; Christian patience is a gift of God. For many robbers also suffer most patiently; and while not yielding and overcoming the torturer, afterwards are punished with eternal fire. The cause distinguishes the martyr from patience, or rather, from the hardness of the wicked. The punishment is the same, but the cause is different. We sang with the voice of the martyrs (for Vincent had said these things in his prayers): Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from an unholy nation. His cause is distinguished: because he fought for truth, for justice, for God, for Christ, for faith, for the unity of the Church, for indivisible charity. Who granted him this patience? Who? Let the Psalm tell us. For it is read there, it is sung there: Will not my soul be subject to God? From him indeed is my patience. Whoever thinks that Saint Vincent could do these things by his own strength is greatly mistaken. For whoever presumes that he can do this by his own strength, even if he seems to conquer through patience, is overcome by pride. To conquer well is to conquer all machines. When it offers allurements, it is conquered by continence: when it inflicts punishments and torments, it is conquered by patience: when it suggests errors, it is conquered by wisdom.

The title of it is, "Unto the end, in behalf of Idithun, a Psalm to David himself." I recollect that already to you hath been explained what Idithun is. ...Let us see how far he hath leaped over, and whom he hath "leaped over," and in what place, though he hath leaped over certain men, he is situate, whence as from a kind of spiritual and secure position he may behold what is below. ...He being set, I say, in a certain fortified place, doth say, "Shall not my soul be subject to God?" [Psalm 62:1]. For he had heard, "He that doth exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted:" and fearful lest by leaping over he should be proud, not elated by those things which were below, but humble because of Him that was above; to envious men, as it were threatening to him a fall, who were grieved that he had leaped over, he hath made answer, "Shall not my soul be subject to God?" ..."For from Himself is my salvation."

"For Himself is my God and my salvation, my taker up, I shall not be moved more" [Psalm 62:2]. I know who is above me, I know who stretcheth forth His mercy to men that know Him, I know under the coverings of whose wings I should hope: "I shall not be moved more."

"For he is my God and my savior; he is my protector, I shall be moved no more." The Son, who is from God, is our God. He is also Savior of the human race, who supports our weakness, who corrects the disturbance that springs up in our souls from temptations. "I shall be moved no more." Humanly he confesses his disturbance. "More." For it is impossible that there should not be some disturbance from temptations in the human soul. While we are committing small and few sins, we are in a way mildly disturbed, being tossed about like the leaves by a gentle breeze; but, when our vices are more and greater, in proportion to the increase of our sins the disturbance is apt to be intensified.

Therefore, down from the higher place fortified and protected, he, to whom the Lord has been made a refuge, he, to whom is God Himself for a fortified place, has regard to those whom he has leaped over, and looking down upon them speaks as though from a lofty tower: for this also has been said of Him, "A Tower of strength from the face of the enemy:" he gives heed therefore to them, and says, "How long do ye lay upon a man?" [Psalm 62:3]. By insulting, by hurling reproaches, by laying wait, by persecuting, you lay upon a man burthens, you lay upon a man as much as a man can bear: but in order that a man may bear, under him is He that has made man. If to a man ye look, "slay ye, all of you." Behold, lay upon, rage, "slay ye, all of you." "As though a wall bowed down, and as a fence smitten against;" lean against, smite against, as if going to throw down. And where is, "I shall not be moved more"? But wherefore? "I shall not be moved more." Because Himself is God my Saving One, my taker up, therefore ye men are able to lay burdens upon a man; can you anywise lay upon God, who protects man? "Slay ye, all of you." What is that size of body in one man so great as that he may be slain by all? But we ought to perceive our person, the person of the Church, the person of the Body of Christ. For one Man with His Head and Body is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the Body and the Members of the Body: two in one Flesh, and in one voice, and in one passion, and, when iniquity shall have passed over, in one rest. The sufferings therefore of Christ are not in Christ alone; nay, there are not any save in Christ. For if Christ you understand to be Head and Body, the sufferings of Christ are not, save in Christ: but if Christ thou understand of Head alone, the sufferings of Christ are not in Christ alone. For if the sufferings of Christ are in Christ alone, to wit in the Head alone; whence says a certain member of Him, Paul the Apostle, "In order that I may supply what are wanting of the oppressions of Christ in my flesh"? [Colossians 1:24] If therefore in the members of Christ you are, whatsoever man you are that art hearing these words, whosoever you are that dost hear these words (but however, you hear, if in the members of Christ you are): whatsoever thing you suffer from those that are not in the members of Christ, was wanting to the sufferings of Christ. Therefore it is added because it was wanting; you fill up the measure, you cause it not to run over: you suffer so much as was to be contributed out of your sufferings to the whole suffering of Christ, that has suffered in our Head, and does suffer in His members, that is, in our own selves. Unto this our common republic, as it were each of us according to our measure pays that which we owe, and according to the powers which we have, as it were a quota of sufferings we contribute. The storehouse of all men's sufferings will not be completely made up, save when the world shall have been ended....That whole City therefore is speaking, from the blood of righteous Abel even to the blood of Zacharias. [Matthew 23:35] Thence also hereafter from the blood of John, through the blood of the Apostles, through the blood of Martyrs, through the blood of the faithful ones of Christ, one City speaks, one man says, "How long do ye lay upon a man? Slay ye, all of you." Let us see if you efface, let us see if you extinguish, let us see if you remove from the earth the name thereof, let us see if you peoples do not meditate of empty things, saying, "When shall She die, and when shall perish the name of Her?" "As though She were a wall bowed down, and a fence smitten against," lean ye against Her, smite against Her. Hear from above: "My taker up, I shall not be moved more:" for as though a heap of sand I have been smitten against that I might fall, and the Lord has taken me up.

"How long do you rush in upon a person? You all kill, as if you were tearing down a leaning wall and a tottering fence." Again the homily speaks out against the depraved ministers of the devil, charging them with a lack of moderation in the snares they lay. Certainly, people are weak animals; but you rush on, not content with the first attack, but you attack a second and a third time, until you subdue the soul that has fallen beside you to such an extent that it is very similar to a leaning wall and a tottering fence. Now, a wall, as long as it maintains an upright position, remains steadfast; but, when it leans, since it has been weakened, it is destined to fall. For if heavy bodies are joined together, they stand erect after leaning, but those which are composed of several parts no longer stand erect when pressure has been put on one part of them. The homily shows, therefore, that the nature of humankind, which is composite, was not susceptible to plots for a second fall. "You are God's tillage, God's building," it is said. The enemy has shattered this building; the Craftsman has repaired the rents made in it. Thus the fall was necessary because of sin, but the resurrection was great because it brings immortality.

"Nevertheless, mine honour they have thought to drive back" (ver. 4). Conquered while they slay men yielding, by the blood of the slain multiplying the faithful, yielding to these and no longer being able to kill; "Nevertheless, mine honour they have thought to drive back." Now because a Christian cannot be killed, pains are taken that a Christian should be dishonoured. For now by the honour of Christians the hearts of ungodly men are tortured: now that spiritual Joseph, after his selling by his brethren, after his removal from his home into Egypt as though into the Gentiles, after the humiliation of a prison, after the made-up tale of a false witness, after that there had come to pass that which of him was said, "Iron passed through the soul of him:" now he is honoured, now he is not made subject to brethren selling him, but corn he supplieth to them hungering. Conquered by his humility and chastity, uncorruptness, temptations, sufferings, now honoured they see him, and his honour they think to check. ...Is it all against one man, or one man against all; or all against all, or one against one? Meanwhile, when he saith, "ye lay upon a man," it is as it were upon one man: and when he saith, "Slay all ye," it is as if all men were against one man: but nevertheless it is also all against all, because also all are Christians, but in One. But why must those divers errors hostile to Christ be spoken of as all together? Are they also one? Truly them also as one I dare to speak of: because there is one City and one city, one People and one people, King and king. One City and one city is what? Babylon one, Jerusalem one. By whatsoever other mystical names besides She is called, yet One City there is and one city; over this the devil is king, over that Christ is King. ...

"But they have thought to cast away my price; they ran in thirst: they blessed with their mouth but cursed with their heart." The price of [humanity's redemption] is the blood of Christ: "You have been bought," it is said, "with a price; do not become the slaves of people." The soldiers of Satan planned, therefore, to make this price useless to us, leading again into slavery those who had once been freed. "They ran in thirst." He is speaking of the eager plots of the demons, because they run against us, thirsting for our destruction. "They blessed with their mouth but cursed with their heart." There are many who approve evil deeds and say that the witty person is charming; the foulmouthed, statesmanlike; the bitter and irascible they name as one not to be despised; the miserly and selfish they praise as thrifty; the spendthrift, as bountiful; the fornicator and lewd, as one devoted to enjoyment and ease; and, in general, they gloss over every evil with the name of the proximate virtue. Such people bless with their mouth but curse with their heart. For by the auspiciousness of the words, they bring every curse on their life, making themselves liable to condemnation on the day of judgment because of those things that they approved.

Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, "This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." [Isaiah 29:13] And again: "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." [Psalm 62:4] And again it saith, "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant." [Psalm 78:36-37] "Let the deceitful lips become silent," [and "let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, ] and the boastful tongue of those who have said, Let us magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise, saith the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him." [Psalm 12:3-5]

What dost Thou, O Idithun, Body of Christ, leaping over them? What dost Thou amid all these things? What wilt Thou? wilt faint wilt Thou not persevere even unto the end? wilt Thou not hearken, "He that shall have persevered even unto the end, the same shall be saved," though for that iniquity aboundeth, the love of many shall wax cold? And where is it that Thou hast leaped over them? where is it that Thy conversation is in Heaven? But they cleave unto earthly things, as though earthborn they mind the earth, and are earth, the serpent's food. What dost thou amid these things? ..."Nevertheless, to God my soul shall be made subject" (ver. 5). And who would endure so great things, either open wars, or secret lyings-in-wait? Who would endure so great things amid open enemies, amid false brethren? Who would endure so great things? Would a man? and if a man would, would a man of himself? I have not so leaped over that I should be lifted up, and fall: "To God my soul shall be made subject: for from Himself is my patience." What patience is there amid so great scandals, except that "if for that which we do not see we hope, through patience we look for it"? There cometh my pain, there will come my rest also; there cometh my tribulation, there will come my cleansing also. For doth gold glitter in the furnace of the refiner? In a necklace it will glitter, in an ornament it will glitter: let it suffer however the furnace, in order that being cleansed from dross it may come into light. This is the furnace, there is there chaff, there gold, there fire, into this bloweth the refiner: in the furnace burneth the chaff, and the gold is cleansed; the one into ashes is turned, of dross the other is cleansed. The furnace is the world, the chaff unrighteous men, the gold just men; the fire tribulation, the refiner God: that which therefore the refiner willeth I do; wherever the Maker setteth me I endure it. I am commanded to endure, He knoweth how to cleanse. Though there burn the chaff to set me on fire, and as if to consume me; that into ashes is burned, I of dross am cleansed. Wherefore? Because "to God my soul shall be made subject: for from Himself is my patience."

Let us so admire the fortitude of the holy martyrs in their suffering, as to proclaim the grace of the Lord. For they did not want to be praised in themselves, but in Him of whom it is said: "In the Lord my soul shall be praised." Those who understand this do not become proud: they ask with trembling, they receive with joy: they persevere, they no longer lose. Because they are not proud, they are meek. And therefore, after he said: "In the Lord my soul shall be praised," he added: "The meek shall hear and be glad." For what would weak flesh, what a worm and decay be, unless what we sang were true: "My soul shall be subject to God, for my patience is from Him"? Indeed, so that the martyrs could endure all evils for the sake of faith, their virtue is called patience.

Let the martyr turn his back to the unfaithful and ungrateful flatterer: let him turn his face to the most kind giver, and attribute his suffering to God, not as if he had offered this to God of his own; but rather say: My soul will praise the Lord, let the meek hear and be glad. And when you say to him, What does it mean: My soul will praise the Lord? Is it praised in you then? He responds: Will not my soul be subject to God? For my patience is from him. Why then is it mine? I opened my bosom, and willingly accepted; from him is mine. And from him, and mine; and because it is from him, therefore it is more securely mine. It is mine, but it is not from me to me. To have my gift, I acknowledge the giver God. For if I do not acknowledge the giver God, God takes away his good, and my evil remains, through my will.

And now, my child, if you take God as your hope, he will be your help in the time of your anguish; "for anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who search for him." These words were written for us, that we may believe in God and do battle, great and little, by fastings, prayers and other religious practices. God will not forget even the saliva that has dried in your mouth as a result of fasting. On the contrary, everything will be returned to you at the moment of your anguish. Only humble yourself in all things, hold back your word even if you understand the whole affair. Do not quietly acquire the habit of abusing; on the contrary, joyfully put up with every trial. For if you knew the honor that results from trials you would not pray to be delivered from them, because it is preferable for you to pray, to weep and to sigh until you are saved, rather than to relax and be led off a captive. O man, what are you doing in Babylon? "You have grown old in an alien land" because you did not submit to the test and because your relations with God are not proper. Therefore, brother, you must not relax.

"For Himself is my God and My Saving One, my Taker up, I will not remove hence" [Psalm 62:6]. Because "Himself is my God," therefore He calls me: "and my Saving One," therefore He justifies me: "and my Taker up," therefore He glorifies me. For here I am called and am justified, but there I am glorified; and from thence where I am glorified, "I will not remove." For a sojourner I am with You on earth as all my fathers were. Therefore from my lodging I shall remove, from my Heavenly home I shall not remove.

Aliens properly so called are those who have been despoiled by some enemies or adversaries, and have then become wanderers; a thing which we indeed also endured formerly at the hand of the demons. But from the time that Christ took us up by faith in Him, we are no longer alleges from the true country-the Jerusalem which is above-nor have we to bear alienation in error from the truth.

"In God is my salvation and my glory" (ver. 7). Saved I shall be in God, glorious I shall be in God: for not only saved, but also glorious, saved, because a just man I have been made out of an ungodly man, by Him justified; but glorious, because not only justified, but also honoured. For "those whom He hath predestined, those also He hath called." Calling them, what hath He done here? "Whom He hath called, the same also He hath justified; but whom He hath justified, the same also He hath glorified." Justification therefore to salvation belongeth, glorifying to honour. How glorifying to honour belongeth, it is not needful to discuss. How justification belongeth to salvation, let us seek some proof. Behold there cometh to mind out of the Gospel: there were some who to themselves were seeming to be just men, and they were finding fault with the Lord because He admitted to the feast sinners, and with publicans and sinners was eating; to such men therefore priding themselves, strong men of earth very much lifted up, much glorying of their own soundness, such as they counted it, not such as they had, the Lord answered what? "They that are whole need not a Physician, but they that are sick." Whom calleth He whole, whom calleth He sick? He continueth and saith, "I have not come to call just men, but sinners unto repentance." He hath called therefore "the whole" just men, not because the Pharisees were so, but because themselves they thought so to be; and for this reason were proud, and grudged sick men a physician, and being more sick than those, they slew the Physician. He hath called whole, however, righteous men, sick, the sinners. My being justified therefore, saith that man that leapeth over, from Himself I have: my being glorified, from Himself I have: "For God is my salvation and my glory." "My salvation," so that saved I am: "my glory," so that honoured I am. This thing hereafter: now what? "God of my help, and my hope is in God;" until I attain unto perfect justification and salvation. "For by hope we are saved: but hope which is seen, is not hope." ...

"In God is my salvation and my glory; he is the God of my help, and my hope is in God." Blessed is one who exults in none of the lofty things of life but regards God as his glory: who holds Christ as his boast; who is able to say, according to the apostle, "But as for me, God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of Christ." Many are glorified in body, who devote their time to gymnastic contests, or, on the whole, who are vigorous in the flower of their age; and many, because of their valor in the wars, who consider the murdering of those of the same race bravery. In fact, rewards in wars and the trophies raised by a general and by cities, are according to the magnitude of the slaughter. Others are glorified because they put walls around cities; and others, because of the structures of the aquaducts and the buildings of the great gymnasia. That person who has spent his wealth in fighting wild beasts and who exults in vain words of the people is puffed up with the praises and thinks himself something great, having his glory in his shame. He even shows his sin inscribed on tablets in conspicuous places of the city. Another is extolled for his wealth; another, because he is a skillful and invincible orator, or he is acquainted with the wisdom of the world. It is proper to pity the glory of all these and to deem happy those who make God their glory. For if a certain one thinks he is something great because he is the servant of a king and is held in great honor by him, how much ought you to exalt yourself, because you are a servant of the great King and are called by him to the closest intimacy, having received the Spirit of the promise, so that, sealed with his approval, you are shown to be a child of God?

"Hope ye in Him all the council of the people" (ver. 8). Imitate ye Idithun, leap over your enemies; men fighting against you, stopping up your way, men hating you, leap ye over: "Hope in Him all the council of the people: pour out before Him your hearts:" ...By imploring, by confessing, by hoping. Do not keep back your hearts within your hearts: "Pour out before Him your hearts." That perisheth not which ye pour out. For He is my Taker up. If He taketh up, why fearest thou to pour out? "Cast upon the Lord thy care, and hope in Him." What fear ye amid whisperers, slanderers hateful to God, where they are able openly assailing, where they are unable secretly lying in wait, falsely praising, truly at enmity, amid them what fear ye? "God is our Helper." Do they anywise equal God? Are they anywise stronger than He? "God is our Helper," be ye without care. "If God is for us, who is against us?" "Pour out before Him your hearts," by leaping over unto Him, by lifting up your souls: "God is our helper."

Therefore no one is self-sufficient except by God's gift. You have a gift against pleasures: "For this itself," he says, "was wisdom, to know whose gift it was: no one is self-sufficient except by God's gift." You have a gift against pains: "For from him," he says, "is my patience." Therefore, hope in him, all the assembly of the people. Hope in him, do not trust in your own strength. Confess your misdeeds to him, expect your good from him. Without his help, you will be nothing, no matter how proud you are. Therefore, to be able to be humble, pour out your hearts before him. And so that you do not remain in evil within yourselves, say what follows: "God is our helper."

Since the psalmist is conscious of the use of sincere hope in God, he invites the people to a zeal equal to his own, saying, "Trust in him, all you people; pour out your hearts before him." It is impossible for us to become capable of divine grace unless we have driven out the evil passions that have preoccupied our souls. I know doctors who do not give the salutary medicines before they have drained out by means of an emetic the matter that was causing the sickness, which the intemperate had stored up in themselves through a bad diet. Perfume should not be poured into a vessel that had previously been filled with some foul-smelling liquid, unless it is washed out first. Therefore, it is necessary that its initial contents be poured out, in order that it may be able to contain that which is being brought in.

"Nevertheless, vain are the sons of men, and liars are the sons of men in the balances, in order that they may deceive, being at one because of vanity" [Psalm 62:9]. Certainly many men there are: behold there is that one man, that one man that was cast forth from the multitude of guests. [Matthew 22:11] They conspire, they all seek things temporal, and they that are carnal things carnal, and for the future they hope them, whosoever do hope: even if because of variety of opinions they are in division, nevertheless because of vanity they are at one. Divers indeed are errors and of many forms, and the kingdom against itself divided shall not stand: [Matthew 12:25] but alike in all is the will vain and lying, belonging to one king, with whom into fire everlasting it is to be thrown headlong [Matthew 25:41] — "these men because of vanity are at one." And for them see how He thirsts, see how He runs in thirst.

"But foolish are the sons of people." The psalmist knew that not all follow his instruction or permit themselves to hope in God, but that they have their hope in the follies of life. Therefore, he says, "But vain are the sons of people, the sons of people are liars." Why vain? Because they are liars. Where, especially, is their deceit proved? "In the balances used for defrauding," he says. In what sort of balances does he mean? All people do not weigh in the balance, do they? All people are not wool sellers or butchers, are they? Or do not handle gold or silver, or in general themselves deal with these materials that the merchants are accustomed to exchange by means of scales and weights, do they? But there is a large class of artisans, which does not need scales at all for its work; and there are many sailors and many who are always engaged about courts of justice and the duty of ruling, among whom there is deceit, but the deceit is not practiced through scales. What, then, does he mean? That there is a certain balance constructed in the interior of each of us by our Creator, on which it is possible to judge the nature of things. "I have set before you life and death, good and evil," two natures contrary to each other; balance them against each other in your own tribunal; weigh accurately which is more profitable to you: to choose a temporary pleasure and through it to receive eternal death, or having chosen suffering in the practice of virtue, to use it to attain everlasting delights.

Thus, no one is able to see the perilous traps before he falls into them. In the same way, Satan, hostile to us from the beginning, sneaks into the shadows of worldly pleasures that grow thickly enough about the road of life to hide the brigand while he plots against us. There he lurks in secret and spreads his nets for our destruction. If, then, we would safely traverse the road of life lying before us, and offer to Christ our body and soul alike free from the shame of wounds and receive the crown for this victory, we must always and everywhere keep the eyes of our soul wide open, holding in suspicion everything that gives pleasure. We must unhesitatingly pass by such things, without allowing our thoughts to rest in them, even if we think that we see gold lying before us in heaps, ready to be picked up by any who so desire. "If riches abound," says the Scripture, "set not your heart on them." We must pay no heed, even if the earth buds forth every kind of delicacy and offers luxurious dwellings to our gaze, for "our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ." Nor should we take notice when dancing and merrymaking and reveling and banquets ringing with the sound of the flute are offered for our enjoyment, for the Scripture says, "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity."

Then he brings up a decision for all that was said, not now from his own words but one that he heard from God. "God has spoken once, these two things have I heard," he says. And let it not disturb anyone that what was said is, as it were, incredible, namely, that God spoke once and the prophet heard two things. For it is possible for someone to speak once but for the things spoken on the one occasion to be many. In fact, when a certain person met someone once, he discussed many things. The one who heard his words is able to say, "He talked with me once, but he spoke about many things." This is what was meant on the present occasion, the manifestation of God occurred to me once, but there are two matters about which he talked. He did not say, "God spoke of one thing, but I heard these two." If he had, the statement would seem to have some discrepancy in it. What were the two things that he heard? "That power belongs to God, and mercy to you, O Lord." God is powerful, he says, in judgment, and likewise merciful. Therefore do not trust in iniquity, and do not hand yourself over to riches. Do not choose vanity; do not carry around the corrupt lawcourt of your soul. Knowing that our Lord is mighty, fear his strength and do not despair of his kindness. Now, in order that we may not do wrong, fear is good; and in order that he who has once slipped into sin may not throw himself away through despair, the hope of mercy is good. For power belongs to God, and mercy is from him.

Thus to those who wish to have happiness in the goods of present things, the psalm says, "How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?" And in another text, "Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them." The blessed James does not cease to reprove such people, saying, "Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter." He commanded that the laughter and the joy of such people be turned to mourning and dejection, saying, "Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

He turneth therefore Himself to them, thirsting for them: "Do not hope in iniquity" [Psalm 62:10]. For my hope is in God. Ye that will not draw near and pass over, "do not hope in iniquity." For I that have leapt over, my hope is in God; and is there anywise iniquity with God? This thing let us do, that thing let us do, of that thing let us think, thus let us adjust our lyings in wait; "Because of vanity being at one." Thou thirstest: they that think of those things against thee are given up by those whom thou drinkest, "Do not hope in vanity." Vain is iniquity, nought is iniquity, mighty is nothing save righteousness. Truth may be hidden for a time, conquered it cannot be. Iniquity may flourish for a time, abide it cannot. "Do not hope upon iniquity: and for robbery be not covetous." Thou art not rich, and wilt thou rob? What findest thou? What losest thou? O losing gains! Thou findest money, thou losest righteousness. "For robbery be not covetous." ...Therefore, vain sons of men, lying sons of men, neither rob, nor, if there flow riches, set heart upon them: no longer love vanity, and seek lying. For "blessed is the man who hath the Lord God for his hope, and who hath not had regard unto vanities, and lying follies." Ye would deceive, ye would commit a fraud, what bring ye in order that ye may cheat. Deceitful balances. For "lying," he saith, "are the sons of men in the balances," in order that they may cheat by bringing forth deceitful balances. By a false balance ye beguile men looking on: know ye not that one is he that weigheth, Another He that judgeth of the weight? He seeth not, for whom thou weighest, but He seeth that weigheth thee and him. Therefore neither fraud nor robbery covet ye any longer, nor on those things which ye have set your hope: I have admonished, have foretold, saith this Idithun.

I speak, therefore, to Your Charity. Do not love the happiness of this world, and those of you who might have it, do not place your hope in it. It is deceitful, it deceives, it is not possessed. And if it is possessed, it should not be loved, it should not be hoped in, and it will not be a trap. The Apostle says, "Command the rich of this world, command the rich to be." But the rich of this world are Christians, they are faithful. Command them. What? Not to be proud, nor to place their hope in the uncertainty of riches. As the psalm also says: "If riches flow, do not set your heart on them." If it flows, it makes a river: you set your heart on it, and it carries you away.

Wherefore, until that consolation come, remember, in order to your "continuing in prayers and supplications night and day," that, however great the temporal prosperity may be which flows around you, you are desolate. For the apostle does not ascribe this gift to every widow, but to her who, being a widow indeed, and desolate, "trusteth in God, and continueth in supplication night and day." Observe, however, most vigilantly the warning which follows: "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth;" for a person lives in those things which he loves, which he greatly desires, and in which he believes himself to be blessed. Wherefore, what Scripture has said of riches: "If riches increase, set not your heart upon them," I say to you concerning pleasures: "If pleasures increase, set not your heart upon them." Do not, therefore, think highly of yourself because these things are not wanting, but are yours abundantly, flowing, as it were, from a most copious fountain of earthly felicity. By all means look upon your possession of these things with indifference and contempt, and seek nothing from them beyond health of body. For this is a blessing not to be despised, because of its being necessary to the work of life until "this mortal shall have put on immortality," in other words, the true, perfect, and everlasting health, which is neither reduced by earthly infirmities nor repaired by corruptible gratification, but, enduring with celestial rigour, is animated with a life eternally incorruptible. For the apostle himself says, "Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," because we must take care of the flesh, but only in so far as is necessary for health; "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh," as he himself likewise says. Hence, also, he admonished Timothy, who was, as it appears, too severe upon his body, that he should "use a little wine for his stomach's sake, and for his often infirmities."

You are troubled, you hoard, you think, you labor, you stay awake. By day you are vexed with labors, by night you are agitated with fears. So that your purse may be filled with coins, your soul burns with cares. I see, I grieve: you are troubled, and as He who is incapable of deceit says, you are troubled in vain. You hoard wealth. Even supposing that everything you do turns out well, let us not speak of losses, of so many dangers, where each gain brings a particular death (I speak not of bodily deaths, but of evil thoughts; as gold increases, faith perishes; as you are clothed outwardly, you are stripped inwardly), therefore let us omit these things, let us be silent about other matters, let us pass over adversities, let us only consider prosperity, behold you are hoarding, behold wealth flows from all sides, and like streams, coins rush; everywhere poverty burns, from every side abundance flows. Have you not heard: If riches increase, do not set your heart on them? Behold you acquire, you are not troubled without profit, yet you are troubled in vain. Why, you ask, am I troubled in vain? Behold, I fill sacks, my walls can scarcely hold what I acquire: why am I troubled in vain? Because you hoard and do not know for whom you gather. Or if you know for whom, I beg you, tell me too. I will hear you. For whom? If you are not troubled in vain, tell for whom you hoard. For myself, you say. Do you dare to say this as one who will die? For my children, you say. Do you dare to say this about those who will die? Great piety: a father hoards for his children; but rather great vanity: one who will die hoards for those who will die. If not for yourself, because you will leave behind whatever you gather, then this is also true of your children; they will succeed, not endure. I refrain from saying for which children, lest what greed gathered, luxury may waste. One person loses through excess what you gathered through labor. But I omit this. Perhaps your children will be good, they will not be luxurious; they will keep what you left behind, increase what you kept, they will not waste what you gathered. Your children are equally vain if they do this, if they imitate you in this. I say to them what I said to you, I say to your child for whom you keep these things, I say to him: You hoard and do not know for whom you gather these. Just as you did not know, so he does not know. If vanity remained in him, did truth ever fail in itself concerning him?

What follows? "Once has God spoken, these two things I have heard, that power is of God [Psalm 62:11], and to You, O Lord, is mercy, for You shall render to each one after his works" [Psalm 62:12]...."Once has God spoken." What do you say, Idithun? If you that had leapt over them art saying, "Once He has spoken;" I turn to another Scripture and it says to me, "In many quarters and in many ways formerly God has spoken to the fathers in the prophets." [Hebrews 1:1] What is, "Once has God spoken"? Is He not the God that in the beginning of mankind spoke to Adam? [Genesis 3:17] Did not the Selfsame speak to Cain, to Noe, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to all the Prophets, and to Moses? One man Moses was, and how often to him spoke God? Behold even to one man, not once but ofttimes God has spoken. Secondly, He has spoken to the Son when standing here, "You are My beloved Son." [Matthew 3:17] God has spoken to the Apostles, He has spoken to all the Saints, even though not with voice sounding through the cloud, nevertheless in the heart where He is Himself Teacher. What is therefore, "Once has God spoken"? Much has that man leapt over in order to arrive at that place, where once God has spoken. Behold briefly I have spoken to your Love. Here among men, to men ofttimes, in many ways, in many quarters, through creatures of many forms God has spoken: by Himself once God has spoken, because One Word God has begotten....For it could not be but that God did Himself know that which by the Word He made: [John 1:3] but if that which He made He knew, in Him there was that which was made before it was made. For if in Him was not that which was made before it was made, how knew He that which He made? For you can not say that God made things He knew not. God therefore has known that which He has made. And how knew He before He made, if there cannot be known any but things made? But by things made there cannot be known any but things previously made, by you, to wit, who art a man made in a lower place, and set in a lower place: but before that all these things were made, they were known by Him by whom they were made, and that which He knew He made. Therefore in that Word by which He made all things, before that they were made, were all things; and after they have been made there are all things; but in one way here, in another there, in one way in their own nature wherein they have been made, in another in the art by which they have been made. Who could explain this? We may endeavour: go ye with Idithun, and see.

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: [Psalms 62:12] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.