The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^23. But see what follows, my brethren. For now some one or other, because God had said to him, “Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise,” and had enjoined in a manner this tribute, did meditate to himself and said, I will rise daily, I will proceed to Church, I will say one hymn at matins, another at vespers, a third or fourth in my house, daily I do sacrifice the sacrifice of praise, and immolate to my God. Well you do indeed, if you do this: but take heed, lest now thou be careless, because now you do this: and perchance your tongue bless God, and your life curse God. O my people, says to you the God of gods, the Lord that spoke, “calling the earth from the rising of the sun unto the setting,” though yet you are placed amid the tares, “Immolate the sacrifice of praise to your God, and render to Him your prayers:” but take heed lest you live ill, and chant well. Wherefore this? For, “Unto the sinner, says God, why do you tell out My judgments, and takest My Covenant in your mouth?”. You see, brethren, with what trembling we say these words. We take the Covenant of God in our mouth, and we say these words. We take the Covenant of God in our mouth, and we preach to you the instruction and judgment of God. And what says God to the sinner? “Why do you?” Does He then forbid preachers that be sinners? And where is that, “What they say do, but what they do, do not”? Where is that, “Whether in truth or on occasion Christ be preached”? But these words were said, lest they should fear that hear, from whomsoever it be that they hear: not that they should be without care that speak good words, and do evil deeds. Now therefore, brethren, you are without care: if you hear good words ye hear God, through whomsoever it be that you may hear. But God would not dismiss without reproof them that speak: lest with their speaking alone, without care for themselves they should slumber in evil life, and say to themselves, “For God will not consign us to perdition, through whose mouth He has willed that so many good words should be spoken to His people.” Nay, but hear what you speak, whoever you are that speakest: and thou that writ be heard yourself, first hear yourself; and speak what a certain man does speak in another Psalm, “I will hear what in me speaks the Lord God, for He shall speak peace to His people.” What am I then, that hear not what in me He speaks, and will that other hear what through me He speaks? I will hear first, will hear, and chiefly I will hear what speaks in me the Lord God, for He shall speak peace to His people. Let me hear, and “chasten my body, and to servitude subject it, lest perchance to others preaching, myself be found a cast-away.” “Why do you tell out my judgments?” Wherefore to you what profits not you? He admonishes him to hear: not to lay down preaching, but to take up obedience. “But you, why do you take My Covenant in they mouth?”

24. “But you hate instruction”. Thou hatest discipline. When I spare, you sing and praisest: when I chasten, you murmur, as though, when I spare, I am your God: and, when I chasten, I am not your God. “I rebuke and chasten those whom I love.” “But you hate instruction: and hast thrown My sayings behind you.” The words that are said through you, you throw behind you. “And you have thrown My sayings behind you:” to a place where they may not be seen by you, but may load you. “And you have thrown My sayings behind you.”

25. “If you saw a thief, you consented unto him, and with adulterers you made your portion”. Lest perchance you should say, I have not committed theft, I have not committed adultery. What if he pleased you that has committed? Have you not with the very pleasing consented? Have you not by approval made your portion with him that has committed? For this is, brethren, to consent with a thief, and to make with an adulterer your portion: for even if you commit not, and approvest what is committed, you are an accessory in the deed: for “the sinner is praised in the longings of his soul, and he that does iniquity shall be blessed.” You do not do evil things, you praise evil-doers. For is this a small evil? “Thou made your portion with adulterers.”

26. “Your mouth has abounded in malice, and your tongue has embraced deceit”. Of the malevolence and deceit, brethren, of certain men he speaks, who by adulation, though they know what they hear to be evil, yet lest they offend those from whom they hear, not only by not reproving but by holding their peace do consent. Too little is it, that they do not say, You have done evil: but they even say, You have done even well: and they know it to be evil: but their mouth abounds in malice, and their tongue embraces deceit. Deceit is a sort of guile in words, of uttering one thing, thinking another. He says not, your tongue has committed deceit or perpetrated deceit, but in order to point out to you a kind of pleasure taken in the very evil doing, He has said, “Hath embraced.” It is too little that you do it, you are delighted too; you praise openly, you laugh to yourself. Thou dost push to destruction a man heedlessly putting forth his faults, and knowing not whether they be faults: thou that know it to be a fault, sayest not, “Whither are you rushing?” If you were to see him heedlessly walk in the dark, where you knew a well to be, and were to hold your peace, of what sort would you be? Would you not be set down for an enemy of his life? And yet if he were to fall into a well, not in soul but in body he would die. He does fall headlong into his vices, he does expose before you his evil doings: you know them to be evil, and praisest and laughest to yourself. Oh that at length he were to be turned to God at whom you laugh, and whom you would not reprove, and that he were to say, “Let them be confounded that say to me, Well, well.”