Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PsaLm CXXVI.] ON THE PSALMS. 605 brethren, what this meaneth. . . . As torrents are turned in the south, so turn our captivity. Ina certain passage Scripture saith, in admonishing us concerning good works, " Thy sins also shall melt away, even as the ice in fair warm weather." ! Our sins therefore bound us. How? As the cold bindeth the water that it run not. Bound with the frost of our sins, we have frozen. But the south wind is a warm wind: when the south wind blows, the ice melts, and the torrents are filled. Now winter streams are called torrents ; for filled with sudden rains they run with great force. We had therefore become frozen in captivity; our sins bound us: the south wind the bestow upon one another. God hath not so forsaken them, but that they have wherein they may be tried by their bestowing of alms. This man cannot walk ; he who can walk, Jendeth his feet to the lame ; he who seeth, lendeth his eyes to the blind; and he who is young and sound, lendeth his strength to the old or the infirm, he carrieth him: the one is poor, the other is rich.
g. Sometimes also the rich man is found to be poor, and something is bestowed upon him by the poor. Somebody cometh to a river, so much the more delicate as he is more rich; he cannot pass over: if he were to pass over with bare limbs, he would catch cold, would be ill, would die: a poor man more active in body cometh up: he carries the rich man over; he giveth alms unto the rich. Think not therefore those only poor, who have not money. . . . Thus love ye, thus be ye affectioned unto one another. Attend not solely to yourselves : but to those who are in want around you. But because these things take place in this life with troubles and cares, faint not. Ye sow in tears, ye shall reap in joy.
Holy Spirit hath blown: our sins are forgiven us, we are released from the frost of iniquity; as the ice in fair weather, our sins are melted. Let us run unto our country, as the torrents in the southy wu
8. For the next words are, "They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy" (ver. 5). In this life, which is full of tears, let us sow. What shall we sow? Good works. Works of mercy are our seeds : of which seeds the Apostle saith, "Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."'? Speaking therefore of almsgiving itself, what saith he? "This I say ; he that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly."3 He therefore who soweth plentifully, shall reap plentifully.: he who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly: and he that soweth nothing, shall reap nothing. Why do ye long for ample estates, where ye may sow plentifully? There is not a wider field on which ye can sow than Christ, who hath willed that we should sow in Himself. Your soil is the Church ; sow as much as ye can. But thou hast not enough to do this. Hast thou the will?# As what thou hadst would be nothing, if thou hadst not a good will; so do not despond, because thou hast not, if thou hast a good will. For what dost thou sow? Mercy. And what wilt thou reap? Peace. Said the Angels, Peace on earth unto rich men? No, but, '" Peace on earth unto men of a good will."5 Zacchzeus had a strong will, Zacchzeus had great charity.°... Did then that widow who cast her two farthings into the treasury, sow little? Nay, as much as Zaccheus. For she had narrower means, but an equal will. She gave her two mites" with as good a will as Zaccheeus gave the half of his patrimony. If thou consider what they gave, thou wilt find their gifts different ; if thou look to the source, thou wilt find them equal; she gave whatever she had, and he gave what he had... . But if they are beggars whose profession is asking alms, in trouble they also have what to
10. How, my brethren? When the farmer goeth forth with the plough, carrying seed, is not the wind sometimes keen, and doth not the shower sometimes deter him? He looketh to the sky, seeth it lowering, shivers with cold, nevertheless goeth forth, and soweth. For he feareth lest while he is observing the foul weather, and awaiting sunshine, the time may pass away, and he may not find anything to reap. Put not off, my brethren; sow in wintry weather, sow good works, even while ye weep; for, 'They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy." They sow their seed, good will, and good works. 'They went on their way and wept, casting their seed"
(ver. 6). Why did they weep? Because they were among the miserable, and were themselves miserable. It is better, my brethren, that no man should be miserable, than that thou shouldest do alms. . . . Nevertheless, as long as there are objects for its exercise, let us not fail amid those troubles to sow our seed. Although we sow in tears, yet shall we reap in joy. For in that resurrection of the dead, each man shall receive his own sheaves, that is, the produce of his seed, the crown of joys and of delight. Then will there be a joyous triumph, when we shall laugh at death, wherein we groaned before: then shall they say to death, ""O death, where is thy strife? O death, where is thy sting?" ® But why do they now rejoice? Because " they bring their sheaves with them."
11. In this Psalm we have chiefly exhorted you to do deeds of alms, because it is thence that we ascend; and ye see that he who ascend-
2 Gal. vi. 9. 1 Ecclus iii, 17. 3 2 Cor, ix. 6. 4 Oxf. mss. '' have a good will." _ 5 Luke ii. 14. © Luke xix. 8, 7 Luke xxi. 1-4.
8 x Cor, xv. 55+