But He shall remove you from your dwelling. Verily, verily, I say unto you, they have received their reward. And your root from the land of the living. Therefore in the land of the living we ought to have root. Be our root there. Out of sight is the root: fruits may be seen, root cannot be seen. Our root is our love, our fruits are our works: it is needful that your works proceed from love, then is your root in the land of the living. Then shall be rooted up that Doeg, nor any wise shall he be able there to abide, because neither more deeply there has he fixed a root: but it shall be with him in like manner as it is with those seeds on the rock, which even if a root they throw out, yet, because moisture they have not, with the risen sun immediately do wither. But, on the other hand, they that fix a root more deeply, hear from the Apostle what? I bow my knees for you to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may be in love rooted and grounded. And because there now is root, That ye may be able, he says, to comprehend what is the height, and breadth, and length, and depth: to know also the supereminent knowledge of the love of Christ, that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God. Of such fruits so great a root is worthy, being so single, so budding, for buddings so deeply grounded. But truly this man’s root shall be rooted up from the land of the living.

9. And the just shall see, and shall fear; and over him they shall laugh. Shall fear when? Shall laugh when? Let us therefore understand, and make a distinction between those two times of fearing and laughing, which have their several uses. For so long as we are in this world, not yet must we laugh, lest hereafter we mourn. We have read what is reserved at the end for this Doeg, we have read and because we understand and believe, we see but fear. This, therefore, has been said, The just shall see, and shall fear. So long as we see what will result at the end to evil men, wherefore do we fear? Because the Apostle has said, In fear and trembling work out your own salvation: because it has been said in a Psalm, Serve the Lord in fear, and exult unto Him with trembling. Wherefore with fear? Wherefore let him that thinks himself to stand, see that he fall not. Wherefore with trembling? Because he says in another place: Brethren, if a man shall have been overtaken in any delinquency, you that are spiritual instruct such sort in the spirit of gentleness; heeding yourself, lest you also be tempted. Therefore, the just that are now, that live of faith, so see this Doeg, what to him is to result, that nevertheless they fear also for themselves: for what they are today, they know; what tomorrow they are to be, they know not. Now, therefore, The just shall see, and they shall fear. But when shall they laugh? When iniquity shall have passed over; when it shall have flown over; as now to a great degree has flown over the time uncertain; when shall have been put to flight the darkness of this world, wherein now we walk not but by the lamp of the Scriptures, and therefore fear as though in night. For we walk by prophecy; whereof says the Apostle Peter, We have a more sure prophetic word, to which giving heed ye do well, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day shine, and the day-star arise in your hearts. So long then as by a lamp we walk, it is needful that with fear we should live. But when shall have come our day, that is, the manifestation of Christ, whereof the same Apostle says, When Christ shall have appeared, your life, then ye also shall appear with Himself in glory, then the just shall laugh at that Doeg…

10. But what shall they then say that shall laugh? And over him they shall laugh; and shall say, Behold a man that has not set God for his helper. See ye the body earthly! As much as you shall have, so great shall you be, is a proverb of covetous men, of grasping men, of men oppressing the innocent, of men seizing upon other men’s goods, of men denying things entrusted to their care. Of what sort is this proverb? As much as you shall have, so great shall you be; that is, as much as you shall have had of money, as much as you shall have gotten, by so much the more mighty shall you be. Behold a man that has not set God for his helper, but has trusted in the multitude of his riches. Let not a poor man, one perchance that is evil, say, I am not of this body. For he has heard the Prophet saying, He has trusted in the multitude of his riches: immediately if he is poor, he heeds his rags, he has observed near him perchance a rich man among the people of God more richly apparelled, and he says in his heart, Of this man he speaks; does he speak of me? Do not thence except yourself, do not separate yourself, unless you shall have seen and feared, in order that you may hereafter laugh. For what does it profit you, if you dost want means, and you burn with cupidity? When our Lord Jesus Christ to that rich man that was grieved, and that was departing from Him, had said, Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come follow Me: and great hopelessness for rich men foretold, so that He said, more easily could a camel pass through the eye of a needle, than a rich man enter into the kingdom of Heaven, were not immediately the disciples grieved, saying with themselves, Who shall be able to be saved? Therefore when they were saying, Who shall be able to be saved? did they think of the few rich men, did there escape them so great a multitude of poor men? Could they not say to themselves, If it is hard, aye an impossible thing, that rich men should enter into the kingdom of heaven, as it is impossible that a camel should enter through the eye of a needle, let all poor men enter into the kingdom of heaven, be the rich alone shut out? For how few are the rich men? But of poor men are thousands innumerable. For not the coats are we to look upon in the kingdom of heaven; but for every one’s garment shall be reckoned the effulgence of righteousness: there shall be therefore poor men equal to Angels of God, clothed with the stoles of immortality, they shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: what reason is there for us about a few rich men to be concerned, or distressed? This thought not the Apostles; but when the Lord had spoken this, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven: they saying to themselves, Who shall be able to be saved, meant what? Not means, but desires; for they saw even poor men themselves, even if not having money, yet to have covetousness. And that you may know, that not money in a rich man, but covetousness is condemned, attend to what I say; Thou observest that rich man standing near you, and perchance in him is money, and is not covetousness; in you is not money, and is covetousness. A poor man full of sores, full of woe, licked by dogs, having no help, having no morsel, not having perchance a mere garment, was borne by the Angels unto Abraham’s bosom. Ho! Being a poor man, are you glad now; for are even sores by you to be desired? Is not your patrimony soundness? There is not in this Lazarus the merit of poverty, but that of godliness. For you see who was borne up, you see not whither he was borne up. Who was borne up by Angels? A poor man, full of woe, full of sores. Whither was he borne up? Unto Abraham’s bosom. Read the Scriptures, and you shall find Abraham to have been a rich man. In order that you may know, that not riches are blamed; Abraham had much gold, silver, cattle, household, was a rich man, and unto his bosom Lazarus, a poor man, was borne up. Unto bosom of rich man, poor man: are not rather both unto God rich men, both in cupidity poor men?…

11. Therefore that man having been condemned that has trusted in the multitude of his riches, and has prevailed in his vanity: for what more vain, than he that thinks coin more to avail than God? Therefore that man having been condemned that said, blessed of the people to whom these things are: thou that sayest, Blessed the people of whom is the Lord their own God, dost think of yourself what? dost hope for yourself what? But I; now at length hear that body: But I am like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God. Not one man speaks, but that olive fruit-bearing, whence have been pruned the proud branches, and the humble wild olive graffed in. Like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God, I have trusted in the mercy of God. He did what? In the multitude of his riches: therefore his root shall be plucked out from the land of the living. But I, because like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God, the root whereof is nourished, is not rooted out, have trusted in the mercy of God. But perchance now? For even herein men err sometimes. God indeed they worship, and are not now like to that Doeg: but though on God they rely, it is for temporal things nevertheless; so that they say to themselves, I worship my God, who will make me rich upon earth, who to me will give sons, who to me will give a wife. Such things indeed gives none but God, but God would not have Himself for the sake of such things to be loved. For to this end oftentimes those things He gives even to evil men, in order that some other thing good men of Him may learn to seek. In what manner then do you say, I have trusted in the mercy of God? Perchance for obtaining temporal things? Nay but, For everlasting and world without end. The expression, For everlasting, he willed to repeat by adding, world without end, in order that by there repeating he might affirm how rooted he was in the love of the kingdom of heaven, and in the hope of everlasting felicity.

12. I will confess to You for ever, because You have done. Have done what? Doeg You have condemned, David You have crowned. I will confess to You for ever, because You have done. Great confession, Because you have done! Have done what? Except these very things which above have been spoken of, that like an olive fruit-bearing in the house of God, I should trust in the mercy of God for everlasting and world without end? You have done: an ungodly man cannot justify himself. But who is He that justifies? Believing, he says, on Him that justifies the ungodly. For what have you which you have not received? But if you have received, why do you glory as if you have not received, as if of yourself you have? Be it far from me that I should so glory, says he, that is opposed against Doeg, that bears with Doeg upon earth, until he remove from his dwelling, and be rooted up from the land of the living. I glory not as if I have not received, but in God I glory. And I will confess to You because You have done, that is, because You have done not according to my merits, but according to Your mercy. But I have done what? If you recollect, Before, I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. But you, what have you done? But mercy I have obtained, because ignorant I did it. I will confess to You for ever, because You have done.

13. And I will look for Your name, for it is pleasant. Bitter is the world, but Your name is pleasant. Even if certain sweet things are in the world, yet with bitterness they are digested. Your name is preferred, not only for greatness but also for pleasantness. For unjust men have told to me their delights, but it is not as Your law, O Lord. For if there were nothing sweet to the Martyrs, they would not have suffered with equanimity so great bitterness of tribulations. Their bitterness by any one was experienced, their sweetness easily could no one taste. The name of God therefore is pleasant to men loving God above all pleasantnesses. I will look for Your name, for it is pleasant. And to what do You prove that it is pleasant? Give me a palate to which it is pleasant. Praise honey as much as you are able, exaggerate the sweetness thereof with what words you shall have the power: a man knowing not what honey is, unless he shall have tasted, what you say knows not. Therefore the rather to the proof the Psalm inviting you says what? Taste and see that sweet is the Lord. Taste you will not, and you say, Is it pleasant? What is pleasant? If you have tasted, in your fruit be it found, not in words alone, as it were only in leaves, lest by the curse of the Lord, to wither like that fig-tree you should deserve. Taste, he says, and see, that sweet is the Lord. Taste and see: then you shall see, if you shall have tasted. But to a man not tasting, how do you prove? By praising the pleasantness of the name of God, whatsoever things you shall have said are words: something else is taste. The words of His praise there hear even the ungodly, but none taste how sweet it is, but the Saints. Further, a man discerning the sweetness of the name of God, and wishing to unfold and wishing to show the same, and not finding persons to whom he may unfold it; for to the Saints there is no need that he show it, because they even of themselves taste and know, but the ungodly cannot discern what they will not taste: does, I say, what, because of the sweetness of the name of God? He has borne him immediately away from the crowds of the ungodly. And I will look, he says, for Your name, for it is pleasant, in the sight of Your Saints. Pleasant is Your name, but not in the sight of the ungodly. I know how sweet a thing it is, but it is to them that have tasted.