Tractates on the Psalms 122.1–123.9

What is written in the title is brought about in fact: for by the steps of the song one climbs as from low things to high. For in the first Song of Ascents there was a cry to the Lord out of distress. Afterwards the eyes were lifted to the mountains, and it was asked from where help would come. Then, because the instruction of prophetic teaching is present to one who lifts his eyes and asks from where help comes, he rejoiced in the things said to him. But now, because he has come up to what the teaching had prepared, the prophet sings from a certain step, as it were, of his progress: "To you I have lifted my eyes, you who dwell in heaven," having the use of contemplating God by fitting increments, like one prepared, after long blindness, for the habit of the full light by small and measured intervals of light let in to him. For God, who was first called upon in distress, was sought from the prophets and gladdened them by the hearing of prophecy. But now he is to be contemplated with the eyes of the mind through the confidence of faith, dwelling in heaven.

But this heaven, which lies before our sight through its matter, which like solidified smoke received the nature and name of firmament, will pass away and will not be; but the Lord's seat remains for ever. And it is necessary that a dwelling be worthy of its dweller: and we enclose what is infinite and incorruptible in a corruptible place if we believe that God dwells in this heaven. Let us ask, then, what the dwelling of God is: surely he who said, "For the Father is in me, and I in the Father," and again, "I and the Father are one," and of whom it was said, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself": the Son being worthy and sufficient, in whom the Father dwells through the power of the same nature, while the Father does not separate from himself the Son whom he begot from himself by any difference of divinity. But we are not now speaking of the inseparable power of the Father and the Son. For God begotten from God is not absent by nature from him from whom he must be confessed to be begotten: and the unbegettable God, begetting the only-begotten God, remains in him whom he begot, by the property of begetting. And all our hope lies in knowing the only-begotten God. For as to the unbegettable God, no one is so mad as not to perceive, when he looks at the heaven, that there is a God. In this heaven, then, God dwells, a dwelling worthy of his majesty and divinity.

But there is also another dwelling pleasing to God and chosen, namely that of those of whom it was said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them, and they will be my people, and I will be their God"; of whom the apostle also says, "You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you." The same apostle also says: "As was the man of clay, such are those of clay; and as is the heavenly, such are the heavenly." So the second Adam is heavenly, and heavenly for this reason, that the Word became flesh, that is, a man born from the Spirit and from God. In this Word, then, not an empty sound of the voice, but in God the Word, not in a substance differing and diverse from himself, but in the Word of God, God dwells as in heaven, namely in that which is from him and his own, abiding there; and through him dwelling also in those who are heavenly, as he himself says to the Father: "That all may be one, I in them, and you in me." So if we, who were clay in Adam, are now heavenly in Christ, and Christ is our dweller, then through Christ dwelling in us he too is our dweller, whose dwelling is Christ who dwells in us.

And because, according to bodily understanding, this sense lies within us, that God is thought to dwell in the heaven which is beyond the nature of this firmament, we do not exclude that public opinion about God's seat, that the heaven of heaven is his throne, while believing also that the dwelling worthy of God is signified in his heavenly Adam. So God must be known to dwell in this heaven too, dwelling through him also in those whom he has made heavenly in him.

But those who have lifted the eyes of the mind to God must not twist them back and turn them aside, because, as was said in the gospels, no one who looks back and holds the plough is fit for the kingdom of heaven. For leaving temples, altars, desires, lusts, and the whole depth of vices, it is fitting to persist with an unwearying and unconquered gaze. For if the nations, blind in their error, are held in false religions with unchangeable obstinacy, so that they cannot be turned back from their superstitions by the reason of truth, serving different gods, as they call them, with persevering folly, and if the soul of sinners, captured by the allurements of vices, serves most devotedly the body as though it ruled over it, how much more fitting is it for us, who know God the founder of heaven and earth, who, as he was able to give life to man from lifeless earth, so is able to raise man, given life and having died, into the fellowship of eternity, to worship him without any swerving or straying religion, and not to turn aside anywhere the steadfastness of the faith we have entered?

And the prophet teaches that these eyes of his mind are always on God with an unchangeable gaze, saying: "Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of a maidservant on the hands of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until he has mercy on us." The prophet set forth examples and a comparison, so that, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, so the eyes of his faith might be intent on God: because a faithful servant is anxious for every obedience to his master's will and always directs unswerving eyes. But if the discourse were about bodily servants and masters, it would have said that the eyes of servants are on the eyes or tongue or face of their masters; for orders are given to them either by a nod or by the mouth. But Scripture often signifies works by hands. And there are those who are servants neither of men nor of God, but are servants of sin, as the Lord says: "Everyone who commits sin is a servant of sin." These servants of the spiritual powers of wickedness, then, are always intent with the eyes of their mind on their works as on the hands of their masters, fixed on them with desire and admiration of vices. And these are the works of the devil, that is, of the gentiles, which are signified by hands: belly, idleness, luxury, lust, pride, greed, ambition. On these works of the pleasures under whose dominion they lie, then, they direct the eyes of their sense, they who have many gods and countless masters, according as each one's pursuit and nature has chosen for himself the author of his religion.

But for us there is one God; yet not denying to our Lord Jesus Christ, through the oneness of God, that he is God, but following the law, the prophets, the gospels, and the apostles, we profess with faith and truth the unity of divinity in the unbegettable God and in the only-begotten God, according to property and nature. For nowhere has the prophetic word named gods or lords in the plural, but each in his own order. For Genesis says: "And the Lord rained sulphur and fire from the Lord"; and the prophet: "God, your God, has anointed you"; and again: "The Lord said to my Lord"; and the gospels: "And the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; and the apostle: "One God, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus, through whom are all things"; and again: "of whom is Christ, who is God over all." This, then, was said on account of "Lord," so that we might understand that because there is one unbegettable God, it cannot be taken from the only-begotten God that he is God. For each is one God: not because one is divided into two, or each is the same one, so that the naming alone made Father and Son, not the nature of begetting; but therefore one God, because there are neither two unbegettables nor two only-begottens, but one from one and both one, the substance of divinity in each being neither unlike nor different from itself.

Then follows: "And as the eyes of a maidservant on the hands of her mistress." The prophet kept the same order, mentioning as an example of comparison that the eyes of a maidservant too are intent on the hands of her mistress, so as to teach that these desires of servants are intent rather on the effects of works. But since many servants of many masters were set as an example, we must ask why one maidservant of one mistress was mentioned. For many servants, as we said above, belong to many gods. But now there is one maidservant and one mistress: because the nature of the human soul is one, just as the nature of the earthly flesh is one. And because the discourse is now about sinners, who are servants of sin, this maidservant, the soul, is given over to the flesh, her mistress, and subjected through the allurements of bodily vices, and has the dominion of her inferior through the kindling of enticements, looking to the fruits of its works. So, as unchangeable vices hold these servants and this maidservant, so that they persist in them with a kind of devout intent of their folly, so faith must be not temporary and changeable, nor wearied when temptations are sent, but remain unmoved and unchanged until the completion of God's mercy.

And therefore the prophet shows the steadfastness of his hope until the end, when mercy is received, saying: "So our eyes are on the Lord our God until he has mercy on us." He does not fall away, he does not give up. Though the Lord delay his mercy to test faith, faith must show a constant expectation of its confidence, and all despair is a confession of distrust. But the prophet is not uncertain of God's mercy; for his eyes are intent on him until he has mercy, and intent so much that a doubled prayer is added to their intent. For he says after this: "Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us." He is both intent and prays intently: with that perseverance with which the servants of vices linger in the vices that rule them, he perseveres in the most certain hope of eternal goods and confidence in God's perfect mercy toward him.

But there follows, as we have often learned, the heavy disparagement of the wicked and the troublesome persecution of the malicious against this hope of the faithful. For the unjust man hates that righteousness is preached by us; if we praise chastity, the unchaste is offended; drunkenness curses fasts in us. And when we exhort to generosity, the greedy man accuses our folly. When we preach Christ crucified as God, the Jew and every persecutor from the nations reproach our religion. When we await God's judgment, the kings of the world are offended and refuse God as judge of the life each has led. When we announce the resurrection, the bodies of unbelievers, dead with their vices, contradict. All the falsehoods of the heretics also attack our faith, received from the law, the prophets, the gospels, and the apostles. We are beaten, cursed, put to flight, killed by sword, flames, the deep; there is raging against our modesty, raging against our bodies; there is grief for us from our injuries. And because our injuries are death to those who inflict them, our grief is from pity for those who perish. And therefore after the doubled prayer in which he had said, "Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us," he added: "For we are greatly filled with contempt, for our soul is greatly filled": God alone being able to help against these things, so as to rescue from contempt and scorn one always intent on him until the end of mercy. And therefore he is intent until God has mercy on him, therefore he prays for God's mercy with a doubled prayer, because he and his soul are greatly filled with contempt, God alone, as we said, being able to have mercy in much contempt: and not only able to do that, but able also to turn all things to the contrary and to grant a kind of reversal of suffering.

The poor man resting in Abraham's bosom and the rich man burned in punishment are our witnesses. For the former had sat on a heap of dung before the rich man's door, wasting with hunger, flowing with the pus of sores, while dogs licked his open wounds. But this was the warfare of the body, this the fight against the world; yet within, his soul through faith was invulnerable to every dart and impassable to the vices of pleasure: and therefore after the dissolution of the flesh it is carried, blessed, by angels into Abraham's bosom. But the other, whose whole clothing was in purple, whom the nobility of the whole city served, subjected to his heavy rule, for whom the riches of air, earth, and sea were gathered for the use of his banquet, the services of all the elements serving his one belly, who had shut his door to this poor man, had denied him the crumbs falling from the table, and had reproached his presence as an insult to himself, leaving the body he had misused, is separated from the saints by an impassable chasm, is received by every ministry of punishment, grieves, is tormented, is burned, and begs to be moistened and cooled by the little finger of the poor man resting in Abraham's bosom. To him Abraham answers: "Son, remember that you received good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are tormented." A reversal takes place: joy is changed into sorrow, and sorrow into joy. And let us see whether the prophet now signifies the very thing the gospel set forth.

For he says: "Reproach to the abundant and contempt to the proud." After the persecutions we mentioned above, by kings, nations, Jews, heretics, and often even our own, here too the gospel reversal has taken place, so that there is reproach to the abundant and contempt to the proud. Pride is changed into contempt and plenty into want; and again contempt is changed into pride and want into plenty, the prophet showing both by the same words. When he says, "Reproach to the abundant and contempt to the proud," either it means that those now bear reproach who will afterwards abound in the Lord's kingdom, and that those are now in contempt who will afterwards be proud through the confidence of faith; or that at the time of judgment reproach and contempt will turn back upon those who now abound and are proud in the world.

Paul glories in his weaknesses and distresses. He also commands that a judge of the powerful be chosen from the despised of the church. He and Peter set a mutual law for themselves, to remember the poor and take care of them diligently. The angels of the least see God daily; the humble will be exalted; and the best sacrifice to God is a contrite heart. So let us not cast off the humble, let us not despise the poor, let us not pass by the needy, lest we be separated from them by a deep chasm, lest they disdain to cool us with their little finger, because there is reproach to the abundant and contempt to the proud. This reversal is a change and a fitting exchange for good and bad, which he shows in the gospels, saying, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," and again, "Woe to you who laugh, for you will weep," our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen.

The previous psalm has given us a great shortcut; for from it one climbs into this one. For the eyes of our mind were intent on God until the end of mercy, with many contempts and reproaches surrounding us on every side. After which, the prophet shows what we, having obtained mercy and been placed from reproach into abundance and from contempt into pride, ought to do and say, saying: "Had not the Lord been among us, let Israel now say; had not the Lord been among us when men rose up against us, perhaps they would have swallowed us alive." And indeed the wording itself is such that it is understood to be the prophet's, instructing what others should say. For first the thing itself is said; then it is shown how it is to be said. And this was the order, that what was to be done should be shown, and then how far it was to be done. "Had not the Lord been among us, let Israel now say." So it was said what Israel ought to say. Of Israel we have often noted that he is to be thought one who has contemplated God with the eyes of the mind. So now, having learned according to the prophecy what he should say, Israel will speak: "Had not the Lord been among us when men rose up against us, perhaps they would have swallowed us alive." This, then, Israel will say, taking the example from the prophet, because he heard: "Had not the Lord been among us, let Israel now say."

That command is not a light one, which had to be shown by a kind of herald's announcement of the prophet going before. For in difficult matters an example is desired. For all human nature is insolent toward prosperity and, forgetful of its weakness, rejoices thoughtlessly in good fortune; which ought to be absent from a man trained in God's teaching. For what room for boasting is left to us who remember that all things are from God? If we have implanted life in ourselves, let us also owe to ourselves the form of our bodies; if we ourselves govern the rains and heats, let us boast that the yield of crops is from us; if God's mercy is not needed in all things, let us also claim all things for ourselves as if they were from us. Will the strong man boast of his strength, whom sickness of body will make weak? Will the rich man boast in his wealth, from whom perhaps a thief, a robber, a tyrant will snatch all this? Will nobility boast, made sometimes a weak and pitiable slavery? Will the wise man boast, uncertain what may befall him in a moment? But if we enjoy any of these without the interruption of some trouble, we rejoice, we are carried away. And if we return from some sadness to joy, unable to bear this very joy barely gained, we are lifted beyond the sense of human weakness, forgetful of this saying: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows that I am the Lord." So the prophet formed us, insolent from the vice of our habit, by a kind of prescribed confession, and taught us by the example of his admonition to give honor to God and to boast in him, saying: "Had not the Lord been among us, let Israel now say."

Having heard from the prophet, then, what we ought to say, let us too say: "Had not the Lord been among us when men rose up against us, perhaps they would have swallowed us alive." For having endured the persecutions of men, the impious decrees of kings, the enticing exhortations of counselors, since we remain in faith, since we abide in the fear of God, since we stay in the hope of eternal goods, helped by God's mercy, knowing that he is faithful who said, "Behold, I am with you all days until the consummation of the age," let us refer our joys to him who dwells in us, let us owe to him whatever is in us; taught by blessed Paul to think nothing our own, when he says: "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"; learning the modesty of giving thanks from the holy patriarch Jacob, when he says: "God, who has fed me from my youth, and the angel who rescued me from all evils."

But it is not the custom of men to devour others alive, nor does hatred go so far as to swallow flesh. Nor is the joy now about a body rescued from death, but about a soul preserved from sin and freed from the fellowship of sinners. Therefore he says that we would perhaps have been swallowed alive, that is, while still placed in the body, overrun by death and eaten by sin. For this is the death of the living: to live for luxury, sleep, sacrileges, adulteries, murders. So thanks must be given to God abiding in us, that, living by his faith and teaching, we are not swallowed by these. So the order here in thanksgiving is the same as in the iniquities. For because we shall not be swallowed by those who first rise against us, neither afterwards, when their minds are angry, shall we be engulfed by the water, the Lord protecting us.

For he says: "When their anger was kindled against us, perhaps the water would have engulfed us." But what is this? The minds of men are angry, and the water engulfs us? Do avenging waters stand ready at the movement of excited minds, or are they living things, to engulf? Those who are submerged can be drowned in water; but what is lifeless cannot engulf. So we must ask what is to be understood here. And it is necessary to remember those places in which mention of water is made. And indeed at the beginning of the book of Genesis it is written thus: "And darkness was over the abyss, and the Spirit of God was borne over the waters"; and again: "God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it divide between the water that is under the firmament and the water that is above the firmament"; and again: "And let the water that is above the heavens praise the Lord"; and again: "The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and were afraid." So since the law is spiritual and the faith of history is not endangered if we think that a meaning connected from outside is present in things done, we see that there are waters over which is the Spirit of God, and waters above the heavens, and waters on the earth, and waters that praise, and waters that fear. By which we rightly understand that peoples are signified by the waters, among whom some are spiritual, some dark; some heavenly, some earthly; some who will praise the glorious coming of the Lord, some who fear. These, then, are the trembling, earthly, dark waters, wishing to engulf us with minds roused to anger and moved by the whole onrush of diabolical fury, like torrents in the storm of deepest winter rushing headlong.

And so in the order of our confession to the Lord the prophet added: "Our soul has passed through the torrent; perhaps our soul would have passed through an immense water." Behold the rushing assaults of the devil and his own, their onslaughts roused and raging from turbulent movements, and the torrents of a temporary storm; but this unbearable water does not pass over the soul in which God dwells. It is unbearable to those empty of God; but to those in whom God is, it is a sudden torrent, and after a little dry and exhausted, so that it can be crossed.

And so that no sense about waters should be here, there follows: "Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth." And what are the teeth of these torrents? They are surely violent for tearing and seizing: anger, desire, lust, hatred, gluttony, greed. These are evil and tenacious teeth. For through these they rule over us, captured and torn, while they make us either ministers or partners of their vices: by which not our flesh but our soul would be devoured, if God were not in us.

For he says: "Our soul has been rescued like a sparrow from the snare of the fowlers." Those who hunt set out snares secretly and deceitfully, either hidden in valleys or covered with grass or concealed with food or colored like the clouds. And these indeed are against beasts and other birds; but against us they are prepared against the soul. For there is a snare for us in leisure, money, ambition, lust. These are set out, these flatter, these deceive; but our will must be drawn back from all these. For these snares are set out for all, as it is written: "For not unjustly are nets set out for birds." For it is perfect glory to fly away from these snares that have been set out.

Then the psalm says thus: "Our soul has been rescued like a sparrow from the snare of the fowlers": certainly not of those who hunt, but of those for whose hunting the snares have been set. For it is not when one falls into the snare that he becomes a sinner, but, while they are set for all, the one who is already a sinner is in the snare; as it is written: "The eye of a harlot is the snare of the sinner." So we must abstain from all sins, lest we fall into the snare. For we are spiritual and fly away like sparrows. The sparrow is a domestic bird and a dweller in buildings, not passing nor seasonal, but staying without any change or regard to season. So let us, dwelling in the church without change of seasons, abstain from sins, so that we may fly away from the snares. For the snare is broken through God who dwells in us; because it follows thus: "The snare is broken, and we are set free. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." By this help the snare is broken, by this help we are set free in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth: which is namely the name above every name, at which every knee will bend, of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that the Lord Jesus is in the glory of God the Father, who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen.