The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^10. How should we will that to us He come? By living well, by doing well. Let not things past please us; things present not hold us; let us not “close the ear” as it were with tail, let us not press down the ear on the ground; lest by things past we be kept back from hearing, lest by things present we be entangled and prevented from meditating on things future; let us reach forth unto those things which are before, let us forget things past. And that for which now we toil, for which now we groan, for which now we sigh, of which now we speak, which in part, however small soever, we perceive, and to receive are not able, we shall receive, we shall thoroughly enjoy in the resurrection of the just. Our youth shall be renewed as an eagle's, if only our old man we break against the Rock of Christ. Whether those things be true, brethren, which are said of the serpent, or those which are said of the eagle, or whether it be rather a tale of men than truth, truth is nevertheless in the Scriptures, and not without reason the Scriptures have spoken of this: let us do whatever it signifies, and not toil to discover how far that is true. Be thou such an one, as that your youth may be able to be renewed as an eagle's. And know thou that it cannot be renewed, except your old man on the Rock shall have been broken off: that is, except by the aid of the Rock, except by the aid of Christ, you will not be able to be renewed. Do not thou because of the pleasantness of the past life be deaf to the word of God: do not by things present be so held and entangled, as to say, I have no leisure to read, I have no leisure to hear. This is to press down the ear upon the ground. Do thou therefore not be such an one: but be such an one as on the other side you find, that is, so that thou forget things past, unto things before reach yourself out, in order that your old man on the Rock you may break off. And if any comparisons shall have been made for you, if you have found them in the Scriptures, believe: if you shall not have found them spoken of except by report, do not very much believe them. The thing itself perchance is so, perchance is not so. Do thou profit by it, let that comparison avail for your salvation. You are unwilling to profit by this comparison, by some other profit, it matters not provided thou do it: and, being secure, wait for the Kingdom of God, lest your prayer quarrel with you. For, O Christian man, when you say, Your Kingdom come, how do you say, “Your kingdom come”? Examine your heart: see, behold, “Your kingdom come:” He cries out to you, “I come:” do you not fear? Often we have told Your Love: both to preach the truth is nothing, if heart from tongue dissent: and to hear the truth is nothing, if fruit follow not hearing. From this place exalted as it were we are speaking to you: but how much we are beneath your feet in fear, God knows, who is gracious to the humble; for the voices of men praising do not give us so much pleasure as the devotion of men confessing, and the deeds of men now righteous. And how we have no pleasure but in your advances, but by those praises how much we are endangered, He knows, whom we pray to deliver us from all dangers, and to deign to know and crown us together with you, saved from every trial, in His Kingdom.