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זVII. Littera ZAIN

Sermon 7 · Ps 118:49–56 · CSEL 62, pp. 127–149

Textus Latinus

VII. LITTERA ZAIN.

1. Littera secundum Hebraeos 'Zain' significat Latine 'duc te'; alibi significat 'huc'. quid sibi uelit ista interpretatio, non satis liquet, nisi forte ut unusquisque se regat et ipse sui ductor sit; uel 'huc', id est: quo litterae huius uersiculi uocant, dirigat iter. meritoque in primo statim uersu requiem suam postulat, quia ipse litterae septimus numerus est quietis.1 quae autem maior requies quam ut in uerbo dei requiescat atque eius se gratia et consolatione demulceat?

2. Memento, inquit, domine, uerbi tui seruo tuo, in quo mihi spem dedisti.2 uerbum dei deiectos nos atque depressos ad caelestem gratiam prouocauit, ut desideremus aeternitatem, despiciamus praesentia, temporalium incuriosi futura et inuisibilia requiramus. uocat igitur nos ad se dei uerbum, sicut habes scriptum: uenite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego uos reficiam.3 ideoque sequamur uocantem dominum Iesum, ut a saecularibus ad perpetua transeamus nosque ipsos regere nouerimus.

3. Ergo Dauid, quoniam saepe responsis erat inuitatus caelestibus, quibus remunerationem fidei meritorumque speraret fore — sicut habes scriptum dicente deo per Nathan prophetam: accepi te de ouili ex uno grege, ut sis in principem in populum meum Israel, et eram tecum in omnibus quibus ingrediebaris et exterminaui omnes inimicos tuos a facie tua,4 et infra: et requiem tibi dabo ab omnibus inimicis tuis,5 quo responso accepto ait Dauid: quid sum ego, domine meus domine, et quae domus mea, quoniam dilexisti me in his? et memorata sunt minima in conspectu tuo, domine, et locutus es pro domo serui tui in longinquo,6 et infra ait: et nunc, domine meus domine, tu es deus et uerba tua sunt uera et locutus es pro seruo tuo bona haec. et nunc incipe benedicere domum serui tui, ut sim in aeternum in conspectu tuo, quoniam tu, domine meus domine, locutus es; a benedictione tua benedicetur domus serui tui in aeternum7 —, hoc igitur responso et aliis uocatus Dauid sperare non desinit et propheticae fidei auctoritate conuenit dominum, ut meminerit promissorum suorum quorum inmemor esse non soleat. sanctis enim quodcumque spoponderit implere consueuit, nostrarum inmemor iniquitatum, suarum non inmemor sponsionum. denique scriptum est: ego sum ego sum, qui deleo iniquitates tuas, et memor non ero; tu autem memor esto, et iudicemur.8 uult obliuisci quaecumque minitatus fuerit peccatoribus, si uias aliquando conuertant, uult etiam conueniri, ut, si quis, ut sunt proposita secutis uirtutibus praemia, bene certauerit, fructum remunerationis expectet, quin etiam exigat, sicut habes scriptum: certamen certaui, cursum consummaui; reposita est mihi corona iustitiae.9 non enim arrogans usurpatio, sed fidelis, quia uerum deum non posse fallere confitetur. ideoque admonet et Dauid dicens, ut meminerit dominus uerbi sui, quo nos ad sperandum prouocat, ut terrenis renuntiemus, inhaereamus caelestibus.

4. Dicit ergo Dauid: 'certamen certatus sum; brauium peto uerbi tui quod promisisti mihi. memor esto promissorum tuorum quae spopondisti seruo tuo. non usurpatorie speraui, quae ut sperarem ipse fecisti. seruus sum, expecto alimentum a domino; miles sum, exigo ab imperatore stipendium; uocatus sum, postulo ab inuitante promissum'. uerecunde autem auctoritatem suae fidei temperauit dicendo se seruum, quia oculi seruorum in manibus dominorum suorum.10 haec ex persona Dauid propria bene prompta sunt.

5. Ceterum si quis informationem cuiusque hominis considerat, potest leuitis communia promissa librare, sicut habes: date Leui uiros eius, date Leui manifestos eius;11 potest etiam populi credentis electis adloquium istud aptare, cui per typum Ioseph primo in tribum eius nominis, deinde per tribum in primae electionis heredes transfusa est diuina promissio, dicente Moyse: primogenitus tauri decus eius, cornua unicornui cornua eius; in ipsis gentes uentilabit simul usque ad summitatem terrae;12 unicum enim uerbum dei hoc prophetatur oraculo toto per gentes orbe fundendum. hoc ergo surrecturae ecclesiae promissum Dauid uerecundus sui, inpatiens uero communis profectus morantis exigere uidetur.

6. Et addidit: haec me consolata est in humilitate mea, quoniam uerbum tuum uiuificauit me.13 haec est spes, haec, quae uerbo tuo obuenit mihi, consolata est me, ut tolerarem acerba praesentium, dura facit et fidere futuris. quomodo nos consoletur, accipe: quis nos separabit, inquit, a dilectione Christi? tribulatio an angustia an persecutio an fames an periculum an gladius? sicut scriptum est, quia propter te morti tradimur tota die; aestimati sumus ut oues occisionis.14 et qua ratione illa patienter tolerari possint, addidit: sed in his omnibus superamus propter eum qui nos dilexit.15 ergo si quis uult aduersa superare, si est persecutio, si est periculum, si mors, si aegritudo grauis, si incursus latronum, si facultatum proscriptio, si quicquid eorum quae putantur in isto aduersa saeculo, facile superantur, si sit spes quae consoletur. nam etsi illa acciderint, tamen grauia esse non possunt dicenti: existimo enim quod indignae sint passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam.16 quisquis enim meliora sperat, numquam leuioribus frangitur.

7. In tempore igitur humilitatis nostrae spes consolatoria est quae non confundit;17 tempus autem temptationum tempus humilitatis animae nostrae arbitror. humiliatur enim nostra anima, dum traditur temptatori duris examinanda laboribus, ut luctetur et certet, congressum contrariae experiens potestatis. sed in his temptationibus uiuificatur alloquio dei: haec est enim animae nostrae uitalis substantia, qua alitur et pascitur et gubernatur, nec quicquam est aliud quod uiuere faciat rationabilem animam quam alloquium dei. sicut enim augetur sermo dei in anima nostra, dum suscipitur, dum intellegitur, dum conprehenditur, ita etiam uita eius augetur, et quemadmodum e contrario alloquium dei deficit in anima nostra, ita et incurrit eius uita defectum. itaque ut conexio ista animae et corporis nostri spiritu uitali animatur atque alitur et tenetur, ita uerbo dei et spiritali gratia anima nostra uiuificatur. unde omni genere studere debemus, ut reliqua omnia posthabentes congregemus nobis alloquia dei et congeramus in principale nostrum, in sensus, in sollicitudines, considerationes actusque nostros, ut alloquiis scripturarum facta nostra conueniant nec a serie praeceptorum caelestium actus noster discordare uideatur, quo possimus et nos dicere, quoniam eloquium tuum uiuificauit nos.18

8. Tertius uersus est: superbi inique agebant nimis, a lege autem tua non declinaui.19 maximum peccatum in homine superbia est, quandoquidem inde manauit nostri origo delicti. hoc telo nos primum diabolus uulnerauit et perculit. nam nisi homo serpentis persuasione deceptus sicut deus esse uoluisset et uerum falsumque cognoscere,20 quod penitus discernere humana fragilitate non poterat ideoque quid sequeretur acceperat, ne temeraria usurpatione de illa paradisi sede decideret, nisi, inquam, homo suis non contentus finibus interdicta temerasset, numquam feralis culpae ad nos transisset hereditas. et quid de homine dicam? ipse diabolus per superbiam naturae suae amisit gratiam. denique dum dicit: ponam thronum meum super nubes et ero similis altissimo,21 consortiis excidit angelorum; cuius criminis digna mercede damnatus hominem sibi participem requisiuit, in quem consortium suae transfunderetur offensae.

9. Quid igitur hoc peccato potest esse deterius, quod a dei coepit iniuria? ideoque et scriptura dicit: dominus superbis resistit.22 tamquam suae contumeliae propulsator ueluti quoddam suscipit aduersus superbiam speciale certamen, tamquam dicat: 'meus iste aduersarius est, qui me lacessit; mihi debetur ista congressio'. unde et apostolus multiplicis culpae materiam esse superbiam declarauit dicens de haeretico, quia ei quae secundum pietatem est doctrinae non adquiescit, superbit nihil sciens, sed languescens circa quaestiones et pugnas uerborum, ex quibus oriuntur inuidiae, contentiones, sacrilegia, suspiciones malae, conflictationes hominum mente corruptorum et a ueritate alienorum, existimantium quaestum esse pietatem.23 quantorum itaque expressit causam esse delictorum superbiam! unde Dauid commendare uolens deuotionem suam nulla superborum iniquitate adtemptatam ait: superbi inique agebant nimis.24 non solum iniquitatem agentium, sed etiam nimiam iniquitatem pariter declarauit, quae conueniret superbis. quorum ne aliquo temptaretur contagio, audi alibi dicentem: superbo oculo et insatiabili corde, cum hoc non edebam.25

10. Itaque quoniam, quanta uis mali in superbia esset, expresserat, quemadmodum uinceretur debuit nos docere meritoque quasi bonus doctor demonstrat remedium qui exaggerauit uenenum. audi ergo, quomodo excludas uirus superbiae: a lege, inquit, tua non declinaui.26 lex igitur dei sola potest superbiae uirus hebetare, quae informauit uirum deuotioni deditum, quali se regere debeat cautione. multi enim non solum alieni a fide, sed etiam qui uidentur non mediocria scripturarum praecepta gustasse, temptari solent prosperis superborum processibus, uidentes eos, qui praeuaricantur legem, impietatis arbitros, adrogantes, contemptores fidelium, extollentes se aduersus eos, qui humiliant cor suum secundum timorem dei et praecepta caelestia, abundare in hoc saeculo diuitiis praeconio honoribus potestatibus eisque, quo grauiora commiserint, eo affluentiores successus commodorum saecularium secundare, contra autem iustos uiros plerumque laborare inopia, amissionibus filiorum, sterilitatibus coniugum, quo exagitati atque turbati sensum mentis inclinent, ut putent dei in hoc quoddam errare iudicium,27 non tenentes caput ueritatis,28 quo euidentissime conprehenditur non in hoc saeculo, sed in futuro repositam nostrorum remunerationem esse meritorum.

11. Sed paucorum est istud aduertere. denique in principiis etiam Dauid ipse temptatus est, sicut habes scriptum: ecce ipsi peccatores et abundantes in saeculo obtinuerunt diuitias. et dixi: numquid sine causa iustificaui cor meum et laui inter innocentes manus meas et fui flagellatus tota die?29 igitur et nostrum unusquisque, qui perfecti non sumus, haec uidens dicit: 'ubi est prouidentia dei, ubi iustitia? superbus iste abundat, adrogans iste locupletatur, impius iste beatus et potens est, iustus autem ille uides quemadmodum iacet deiectus atque defectus, quemadmodum ipso uictu indiget; adficitur contumeliis ab isto impio, ab isto insolente conculcatur, excluditur'. non mediocris utique ista temptatio est, nisi ad ea quae sunt uentura prospicias, nisi praeceptis plenius caelestibus instruaris.

12. Denique et Dauid putabat se ante haec cognoscere, sed nesciebat et ideo anxius fluctuanti animo laborabat. unde ait: et aestimabam me scire hoc; labor est ante me, donec ingrediar in sanctuarium dei et intellegam in nouissimis,30 in quibus per id, quod se extulerunt superbi, uidit prophetico spiritu deiectiores fore et ait: quomodo facti sunt in desolationem? subito defecerunt et exterminati sunt propter iniquitatem suam sicut somnium exsurgentis.31 cognouit igitur impiorum successus in hoc saeculo somnii esse similes, non ueritatis, quorum emolumenta tamdiu uidentur esse dum dormiunt. ubi edormierint somnium suum, qui uidebantur sibi potare iam sitiunt, qui epulabantur esuriunt, nihil solidum ex isto somnio perfectumque referentes. et bene somnium dormiunt saeculares uiri, qui, licet saeculo uigilent, deo dormiunt, de quibus bene sanctus Iob, qui eorum ante affluentiam mirabatur, ait, quia sicut paleae iactantur a uento et sicut puluis turbine dissipantur; moriuntur autem cum amaritudine animae suae, nihil manducantes nihilque boni habentes.32 iustus autem habens bonae fiduciam conscientiae in suis magis nouissimis gratulatur et se uitae huius exitu a laboribus intellegit liberari mercedemque boni operis et factorum requirit dicens: reposita est mihi iustitiae corona, quam reddet mihi dominus in illa die, iustus iudex, non solum autem mihi, sed etiam his qui diligunt aduentum eius.33

13. Sed hoc ille ait, qui poterat dicere: a lege autem tua non declinaui,34 in quo non solum boni operis elucet gratia, sed etiam intimae puritas conscientiae. lex enim non solum agendi munus informat, uerum etiam secretae mundat mentis affectum. non enim solum in operibus, sed etiam in ipsis occultis secundum legem domino militamus, quia lex dicit: non fiat uerbum iniustitia occulta in corde tuo,35 ut non solum nihil opere factisque delinquas, cum superbos uideris gloriari, nec sermone labaris, sed ne in corde quidem intimo, dum de dei iudicio disceptas, contrahas iniquitatis offensam, quae quo putatur occultior eo frequentior esse consueuit, quia tuto putat unusquisque quod huiusmodi disceptationes uelut saeptus uisceribus suis conscientiae suae credat, cum ipse sui accusator die iudicii sit futurus,36 qua reuelantur cordis abscondita, testimonium perhibente conscientia accusationibus nostris.

14. Cuiusmodi igitur sit propositum uiri sancti, hoc euidentius loco exponitur. primum enim memor esse debet promissorum caelestium, secundum quae uiuentibus merces statuta debetur. deinde aliud propositum uiri sancti est, ut, etiamsi in periculis et aduersis positus sit, spe tamen, quam hausit ex serie scripturarum, se debeat consolari. tertium propositum, ut, etsi impios et sacrilegos uideat et superbos inique agentes abundare diuitiis in hoc saeculo, non quasi incredulus declinet a lege, sed in eius semitis perseueret et effugiat superborum contagia. contaminat enim omnis inmundus, inmundus autem superbus, de quo scriptum est: inmunda ante deum omnis tumiditas cordis.37

15. Quartum propositum uiri, ut memor sit iudiciorum caelestium, sicut Dauid adserit, qui dicebat: memor fui iudiciorum tuorum quae a saeculo sunt et me consolatus sum.38 nisi enim unusquisque legis instructus et formatus exemplis credat semper uera esse dei iudicia, cito declinat a lege. qui autem praeterita repetit exempla et colligit seriem uetustatis, cognoscit, quod neque peccator poenam suae improbitatis euadat neque iustus aequitatis suae praemiis defraudetur. retexit enim animo, quod ab initio Adam propter mandati caelestis praeuaricationem de paradisi eiectus sit incolatu39 et Cain parricidalis sceleris pretium diuinae sententiae auctoritate damnatus exsoluerit,40 quod Enoch propter deuotionem raptus ad caelum terrenae malitiae uirus euaserit,41 quod Noe propter iustitiam diluuii uictor generis factus superstes humani sit,42 quod Abraham propter fidem seminarium posteritatis suae toto orbe diffuderit,43 quod Israel propter laborum tolerantiam populum credentium proprii nominis signaculo consecrauerit,44 quod ipse Dauid propter mansuetudinem regali honore donatus senioribus fratribus antelatus sit,45 quod Helias propter zelum dei curru eleuatus in aerem caelestis sedis hospitium noui generis adquisierit incolatu.46

16. Haec qui nouit retexere, habet unde gratiam suae consolationis adquirat, et contra qui non nouit, non habet unde consoletur. quapropter custodiamus iudicia dei, quia iudicia dei uera sunt, sicut habes: iudicia dei uera, iustificata in semet ipsa, desiderabilia super aurum et lapidem pretiosum et dulciora super mel et fauum. etenim seruus tuus custodit ea.47 custodienti igitur dulcia sunt diuina iudicia, neglegenti autem ea amara esse non dubium est, quia aduertit in obprobrii turpitudine peccatorum propositum sibi diuinae euentum esse sententiae. qui autem bene sibi conscius est, non turbatur utique dicens: heredes sumus dei, coheredes autem Christi, si tamen conpatiamur ut et simul glorificemur.48

17. Sed quis nostrum huiusmodi, ut se diuinorum iudiciorum serie consoletur? terribilia sunt peccatoribus etiam humana iudicia; quanto magis diuina formidini sunt! denique ut hoc illa quae aeterna sunt colligamus exemplo, uidemus in hoc saeculo innocentes laetos ad iudicium festinare, odisse moras, celeritatem affectare iudicii, reos autem refugere et pauere, differre, uitare, maestificari denique, cum diem iudicii audierint constitutum. beatus itaque ille qui illud caeleste iudicium laetus expectat; scit enim sibi regnum caelorum, angelorum consortium, coronam quoque bonorum repositam esse meritorum.

18. Consideremus nunc, quod sit aliud propositum uiri sancti, et ex sequentibus aestimemus. pusillanimitas, inquit, detinuit me a peccatoribus derelinquentibus legem tuam.49 non est hoc commune cum multis. nam plurimorum est contristari, si quam ab aliquo patiantur iniuriam, si laesi, si adpetiti, si decolorati sint; nostra enim causa nos infirmiores, fraudi nobis aliquos dolemus fuisse. at uero qui fortior est, non propriam contumeliam dolet, sed aliena peccata et in sua iniuria lapsum alterius ingemescit et causam se fuisse deplorat laedentis erroris. exemplum accipe apostolicum. Paulus enim in peccato flebat alieno, sicut ait ipse: nam ex multa tribulatione et angustia cordis scripsi uobis per multas lacrimas,50 et cum ipse contristaretur, eos ipsos quos arguebat contristari nolebat. denique addidit: non ut contristemini, sed ut sciatis quam caritatem habeo in uobis abundantius.51 contristari enim uolebat usque ad paenitentiam lapsos, non usque ad maestitiam profundiorem, tantum ut eorum qui arguebantur maestitia gaudium fieret arguenti. unde ait: si enim ego contristo uos, quis est qui me laetificet nisi qui contristatur ex me?52 arguit itaque, ut alleuet diuturnitatem maestitiae, quo paenitentia fieret in salutem; damnat ut absoluat, excludit ut recipiat, non ignoscit ut liberet. ideo talis Paulus, qui bene peritus in lege cognouerat praeceptum dicentis: pusillanimitas detinuit me a peccatoribus derelinquentibus legem tuam.53

19. Dolebat Dauid, non quia contemnebatur, non quia adpetebatur ipse, sed quia lex dei relinquebatur, et eorum qui hoc faciebant damnum dolebat, quod perirent deo. sicut bonus pater in frenesi constituti filii, cum ab eo maledicatur, uerberetur, adficiatur iniuriis, non suam, sed aegroti deflet aerumnam et contumeliam dolet, non quo sibi sit inrogata, sed quia per furorem quid faciat aeger ignorat, ita uir bonus, cum uidet peccatorem non reuereri, non honorare etiam canos senioris, quo praesente aliquid faciat indignum, non agnoscere quadam peccandi insania, quam indecora et inhonesta committat, quasi moriturum dolet, quasi desperatum a medicis ingemescit et ut bonus medicus primo monet, deinde, etiamsi grauia patiatur, tamen, tamquam ille aegrum, etsi caedatur, sustinet, etsi maledicatur, non relinquit et quicquid potest medicinae adhibere, non denegat nec tamquam contumacem deserit, sed tamquam bene de se meritum omni studio sanare contendit, exercens non solum artis peritiam, sed etiam mentis benignitatem.

20. Ita ergo etiam iustus et cum contemnitur a peccatore, non auertitur, et cum laeditur, furoris illud putat esse, non inprobitatis, magisque uulneri eius medicinam adferre desiderat et conpatitur et dolet non propter se, sed propter illum, qui desperato laborat incommodo, et dicit hunc unum ex fratribus sic laborare, sic adfici, ut faciat mihi iniuriam, qui si agnosceret me honoraret utique, certe non laederet. quid enim laesus est meo facto, ut habeat laedentis affectum? quoniam ergo non subpetit causa laedendi, non potest culpa esse propositi. ergo, si iustus sum, adficior propter caritatem, propter dilectionem, propter ecclesiae damnum, propter corporis detrimentum. possum etiam illud dolere, quod, etiamsi ego laedentem non laeserim et non sim mihi conscius, quod eum in me aliquibus iniuriis excitauerim, tamen causa illi fuerim lapsus eius, quod innocentem laedendo delinquat, quod factus sim ei materia peccati.

21. Hoc ergo dolet Dauid et ideo dolet, quia, cum unum membrum patitur, et cetera membra conpatiuntur.54 ideo forte et illud positum est: iustus in exordio sermonis accusator est sui.55 nam etsi possit iustus habere in se quod accuset et iustus esse, quia nemo sine peccato praeter unum deum, et possit etiam peccator hoc ipso iustus esse, quia accusator est sui secundum illud: dic iniquitates tuas, ut iustificeris,56 attamen forsitan etiam aliquibus non uideatur absurdum, ut etiam de illo dictum sit, quod iustus sit qui se accusat pro alio, etiamsi in se nihil habeat quod accuset.

22. Quam igitur in his omnibus sancto Dauid uiri iusti prima persona conueniat, consideremus. accusauit se nullo accusante, peccatum confessus est proprium, quando percussus est corde, eo quod numerauerit plebem.57 qui et dixit ad dominum: peccaui, domine, quod fecerim hoc uerbum. et nunc, domine, aufer iniquitatem serui tui, quod deliqui uehementer.58 itaque quamuis scriptura habeat, quod adposita est ira dei, ut irasceretur in Israel,59 quo regis prolapsio excusari uideretur, tamen, cum uidisset angelum qui stragem plebis efficiebat, percutientis ictui se ipsum obiecit dicens: ecce ego peccaui et ego pastor malignum feci, et hic grex quid fecit? fiat manus tua in me et in domo patris mei.60 quasi iustus ergo accusator sui in ipso sermonis exordio61 et peccatum suum agnouit et iniquitatem propriam confitendo iustificatus est in semet ipso. alibi quoque de Uriae morte coargutus a propheta ait: peccaui domino;62 cui responsum est propter paenitentiam ablatum a domino eius esse peccatum.

23. Item alio loco, cum Semei malediceret ei et lapidaret eum saeptum bellatoribus, per quos uindicare se posset, patienter ferebat, ne uerbo quidem referens contumeliam. quin etiam cum Abisai dux eius caput maledicentis uellet auferre, ait rex: quid mihi et tibi est, fili Saruiae? quod maledicit mihi, dominus dixit ei maledicere Dauid.63 primum igitur culpam eius excusauit et causam ad domini retulit uoluntatem, secundo in suum meritum retorsit, ut non illum errasse, sed se meruisse significaret, tertio maledictionem illius sibi non solum non nocere, sed etiam prodesse memorauit, sicut scriptum est: et dixit Dauid ad Abisai et ad omnes pueros eius: ecce filius meus, qui exiuit de semine meo, quaerit animam meam; quanto magis filius Iemini!64 granditer impetum infregit ultoris; quomodo enim maledictum extranei pro regis iniuria uindicaret, cum filii adhuc parricidium inultum maneret? non utique extranei maledictum et filii parricidium aequa esset lance pensandum.65 et addidit: sine illum maledicere, quoniam dixit illi dominus, donec uideat humilitatem meam et retribuat mihi dominus bona pro maledicto.66 est et aliud iusti propositum longe omnibus perfectius et potentius, interuenire pro persequentibus, excusare peccantes, quod legimus in euangelio dicente domino Iesu, cum crucifixus esset a perfidis: pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciunt quid faciunt.67

24. Liquet igitur his magisteriis doctrinae caelestis, quod iustus se accusare malit quam alium deformare. denique de Ioseph, cui desponsata erat Maria mater domini, scriptum est quod, cum eam grauem utero uidisset, cum esset iustus, noluit eam traducere,68 et utique nullum adhuc audierat oraculum. ita non solum ab ultionis atrocitate, sed etiam ab accusationis seueritate iusti aliena persona est potiusque ducit suam remissionem accusari, quod non uindicauerit, quam alienum crimen urgere. sed dices: 'quomodo dixit ipse Dauid: laetabitur iustus, cum uiderit uindictam impiorum?'69 mihi uidetur, quia laetetur quod ipse euaserit, non quia impii puniantur. quaeramus aliud iusti propositum ex sequentibus.

25. Itaque dicit: cantabiles mihi erant iustificationes tuae in loco peregrinationis meae.70 merito peregrinationibus non frangebatur, superbos declinabat eorumque prosperis successibus non mouebatur, consolabatur se in iudiciis caelestibus,71 angebatur in alienis peccatis, quia cantabiles habebat iustificationes dei. quae enim bene tenemus cantare consueuimus et quae cantantur melius nostris adhaerent sensibus. non enim perfunctorie transeamus quae legimus, ut tunc tantum, cum legimus ea, in memoriam eorum redire uideamur, sed etiam, cum abest codex manibus, tamquam animantia, quae probantur et munda habentur in lege,72 etiam quando non pascuntur ruminare consuerunt, ex semet ipsis alimenta sibi recondita proferentia, ita et nos de nostrae memoriae thesauro, de interioribus nostris ruminandum nobis pabulum spiritale promamus. hymni nobis, canticum nobis, psalmi nobis73 iustificationes domini sint. psallamus spiritu, psallamus et mente,74 ne, si obliti fuerimus, in tempore necessitatis dicatur unicuique nostrum: abiecisti sermones meos post te.75

26. Ideoque, ut expelleretur et eliminaretur obliuio a domo sancta sua, cantatores sibi fecit uerus Salomon, qui toto spiritu inquirendae cognitioni diuinitatis intenderent, ne psallentes deessent ecclesiae suae,76 quorum cantu nequam spiritus fugaretur, sicut Dauid sancti docemur exemplo, quo psallente malus ille spiritus expellebatur, qui Saul regis corda uexabat.77 prophetae quoque, ut prophetarent, psallendi peritum iubebant psallere, quo suaui inuitata dulcedine spiritalis infunderetur gratia.78 et in euangelio legimus in domo patris illius filium recuperantis percrepuisse symphoniam,79 qua epulantes delectabantur fideles, perfidus autem inpatienter audiebat. dulcis igitur est cantilena quae non corpus effeminat, sed mentem animumque confirmat. ideoque canticum dicitur domini testamentum, quia remissionem omnium peccatorum dominique iustitias in scripturis euangelii suaui mentis exultatione concinimus. ipse quoque dominus non dedignatus est dicere: cantauimus uobis et non saltastis.80 cantauit nobis in euangelio ueniam delictorum, debuerunt Iudaei mentem adtollere non histrionico corporis motu, sed sancto spiritu, non fecerunt; ideo reprehenduntur.

27. Sed etiam et corporis saltatio in honore dei laudabilis habetur. denique saltauit Dauid ante arcam domini81 et uidit eum Melchol filia Saul saltantem et percutientem in organis harmonizatis in conspectu domini et ait ad eum, posteaquam se domum recepit: quid utique honorificatus est rex Israel, quia denudatus est hodie in oculis puellarum suarum ancillarum sicut unus ex saltatoribus? et dixit Dauid ad Melchol in conspectu domini: benedictus dominus qui elegit me super patrem tuum et super omnem domum illius constituere in principem super plebem suam Israel; et ludam in conspectu domini et denudabor adhuc sic et ero nugas in conspectu tuo et cum puellis cum quibus dixisti me nudatum glorificabor. et Melchol, inquit, filiae Saul non erat filius usque in diem mortis eius.82 euidens itaque exemplum, quod et propheta, qui et percutiebat in organis et saltauit ante arcam domini, iustificatus est et illa, quae reprehendit eum, sterilitate damnata est.

28. Sed non satis est ut aliquis cantabiles habeat iustificationes dei, nisi terrenarum exeat seruitio sollicitudinum. ideoque addidit: in loco peregrinationis meae.83 conuenit sibi, siquidem et alibi ait: aduena ego sum in terra hac.84 unde et apostolus non uult nos in domo dei fideique uocatione aduenas esse atque peregrinos, sed ciues sanctorum et domesticos dei.85 qui enim domesticus est dei, exul est mundo, qui conuersatur in caelestibus, peregrinus est terris. peregrinabantur in hoc mundo Hebraei,86 naturam incendii non sentientes; cantabiles habebant iustificationes dei,87 cum hymnum deo de creaturarum laudatione cantarent.

29. Denique qui cantat uacuus est et diuersarum cogitationum curas relegat, sequestrat auaritiam et non solum corporis uoce, sed etiam mentis uiuacitate se mulcet. non enim tamquam maestus inopiae sollicitudine, sed tamquam liber ab omnibus corporalium affectibus passionum canebat idem propheta: psallam tibi, deus, in cithara, sanctus Israel. gaudebunt labia mea cum cantauero tibi, et anima mea quam redemisti.88 cantabat haec laetus, tamquam his melioribus epulis pasceretur; epulabatur enim animus piae deuotionis alimento. non solum itaque hymni et psalmi, sed etiam legis praecepta cantabilia sanctis sunt. denique cantabat Moyses, qui legem accepit, cum praetergressus pedibus mare seruati populi ductor iustificationes domini praedicaret.89

30. Superest adhuc propositum egregium uiri iusti, quia omni tempore circa dei laudes esse debet intentus, non solum die, sed etiam nocte. ideo addidit: memor fui nocte nominis tui, domine, et custodiui legem tuam.90 uideamus, si et ille memor est, qui uocat dominum uerbo, non custodit autem mandata diuina. de quo satis dictum est, quia non quicumque dicit 'domine domine' acceptus est Christo,91 sed qui operibus bonis fidelem suum probare potuerit affectum. fides ergo, probitas, innocentia memorem probant. quod autem ait: memor fui nominis tui, plena deuotio est, quia nemo dicit dominum Iesum nisi in spiritu sancto.92 hoc nomen inuocetur diebus et noctibus, nullum tempus precandi uacuum sinat sancta deuotio praeterire.

31. Si studentes igitur doctrinis saecularibus perparum somno indulgent, quanto magis, qui deum cupiunt cognoscere, non debent somno corporis inpediri, nisi quantum naturae satis est! Dauid per singulas noctes lectum suum lacrimis diluebat,93 surgebat etiam noctis medio, ut domino confiteretur,94 et tu totam noctem sopori existimas deputandam? tunc magis tibi orandus est dominus, tunc praesidia postulanda, culpa cauenda, quando uidetur habere secretum; tunc maxime, quando tenebrae in circuitu meo et parietes me operiunt,95 considerandum, quia deus omnia intuetur abscondita. ne dixeris ergo: 'circumfusus sum tenebris; quis me uidet et quem uereor saeptus parietibus et inclusus?',96 quia uultus domini super facientes mala.97 deinde, si arbitrum non uides, te ipsum non uides, tuae conscientiae testimonium non uereris? nescis illam caliginem noctis non opertorium, sed incentiuum esse peccati? cum somno et cibo feruent corpora, tunc etiam mentis uigor sopore laxatur, somno resoluitur, tunc inrepit inpuri libido concubitus, tunc perturbatur cor, squalor inmunditiae non ueretur, castitatis puritas non consideratur, pudicitiae gloria non recensetur. nox erat, quando Iudas prodidit, quando Petrus negauit.

32. Illo igitur praecipue tempore iustificationes dei animo retexendae sunt, relegenda mandata hortatoria, illa de castitate praecepta non absint, ut his occupata mens flagrantiam libidinis, carnis restinguat ardorem. tene illud animo: lauabo per singulas noctes lectum meum.98 qui enim stupris deditus, flagitiis inuolutus est, non lauat per singulas noctes lectum suum, nescit flere qui flenda committit et, cum sit ipse lacrimabilis, non habet poenae lacrimas suae. at ille, qui castigat corpus suum99 et sui sollicitus gubernator est atque ingemescens et dolens lapsus superioris offensam quaerit quomodo abluat fletibus paenitentiae, hic lauat per singulas noctes lectum suum. non dormiamus ergo totis noctibus, sed maximam partem earum lectioni et orationibus deputemus.

33. Audi ecclesiae uocem quaerentis etiam in noctibus Christum: in cubili, inquit, meo in noctibus quaesiui quem dilexit anima mea.100 accipe secundum litteram. quaesiuit in noctibus orando, deprecando, etiam lacrimis deplorando. quaesiuit in noctibus, quia posuit tenebras latibulum suum,101 ut quaerere eum sollicitius disceremus. quaesiuit igitur in prophetis ecclesia ex gentibus congregata, et ideo credidit. denique aduentus dominici testimonia de prophetis euangelistae Paulusque posuerunt, unde scriptum est, quia nox nocti indicat scientiam.102 quaesiuit in noctibus, in persecutionibus et aduersis, in tribulationibus et laboribus duris. nox est omnibus quibus non est perfecta securitas. unde ait dominus: ueniet nox, quando nemo potest operari. cum in hoc mundo sum, lux huius mundi sum.103 non ergo operemur in tenebris. si enim lucent opera nostra,104 non operamur in tenebris, sed in lumine dei; in lumine dei est cui adest Christus.

34. Non magnum igitur, si tunc domino gratias agas, quando in prosperis et secundis es, sed si tunc adhaereas Christo, quando te persecutor exagitat, quando aliqua procella perturbat. amisisti filium: in illo dolore, in illa nocte, in illa destitutione memento domini dei tui, ne quasi non exauditus ingratus sis et in tua praeuariceris aerumna. pulsus es in exilium: memento domini dei tui, ne patriae interdictae tibi caritatem deo praeferas. alicuius diuitis oppressus potentia amisisti proprias facultates, indiges sumptu: memento domini dei tui, ne nox te egestatis abducat a deuotionis affectu. hoc est enim mandatum legis, ut in nocte magis quaeras, ut, quando magis exaudiaris a domino, et possis dicere: in tribulatione inuocaui dominum et exaudiuit me in latitudine.105

35. Sed nec quaerere perfunctorie abundat ad gratiam, sed ut insistas et intendas muneri. denique ista uel ecclesia uel anima quae requisiuit in cubili, quaesiuit in noctibus,106 primo non inuenit, quia fortasse in cubili quaesiuit, sed posteaquam surrexit et abiit in ciuitatem — uide ne in illam ciuitatem, in quam dominus celebraturus pascha discipulos destinauit: ite in ciuitatem ad quendam107 —, posteaquam in foro, ut dixi, quaesiuit, ubi oleum uenditur, quod expectantes sponsum emere consuerunt,108 ubi ius, ubi leges. si lex spiritalis,109 et forum est utique spiritale, ubi disputant periti legis aeternae, quod forum non litibus tumultuosum est, sed Christi tribunalibus gloriosum. ubi quaesiuit, inquam, in foro et post quaesiuit in plateis — de quibus hi, qui ad patris familias euangelici prandium conuenirent, colligebantur, qui uocati excusandum ab huiusmodi epulis non putarunt110 —, posteaquam in foro, inquam, et plateis quaesiuit, incidit in eos, qui circumeunt ciuitatem,111 et tunc demum potuit inuenire quod quaesiuit, fortasse quod in tribulatione et metu posita magis inuenit gratiam. denique in posterioribus ait: inuenerunt me qui circumeunt ciuitatem, tulerunt mihi pallium.112 habuit ergo certamen; sed qua ratione supra non tulerint pallium, haereo reperire, nisi forte quia ibi interrogasse se dixit: numquid quem dilexit anima mea uidistis?113 quae Christum loquebatur, nec exuta est pallio et quem quaerebat inuenit.

36. Disce, quemadmodum Christus quaeratur ab his utique, qui non perfunctorie quaerunt, uiolenter retinent, sicut ista, quae ait: tenui eum et non dimisi eum,114 fide inuenit, meditatione constrinxit. si bonos custodes accipimus, utique angeli sunt.115 qui ergo angelos transit, uerbum inuenit. ideo non multum interualli fuit, cum transiuit ab his et inuenit Iesum. quomodo ergo infra tulerunt pallium, nisi forte quia processu operosae fidei ecclesia dum nudatur, a domino plus amatur, expolians se ueterem hominem, ut nouum induat,116 quem non operiunt indumenta, sed mentis secreta clarificant, aut quia amictum sapientiae saecularis ad Christum uentura deposuit? et Noe exutus est pallium, posteaquam coepit esse perfectior.117

37. Simus ergo memores iustificationum caelestium, ut, dum eas secreta mentis uoce cantamus, memores simus in nocte nominis domini et dicamus, ut scriptum est: haec facta est mihi, quoniam iustificationes tuas exquisiui,118 hoc est: haec memoria facta est mihi, ut memor essem et in nocte nominis tui, non ebrietate sopitus, non epulis resolutus in somnium, non curis saecularibus occupatus, ut obliuia mihi tuae uenerationis inreperent, sed cotidiana meditatione membra castigans et intentionem mentis exercens, ut adsiduitate fiat nobis cursus iste sollemnis, ut dominum Iesum etiam in noctibus toto ueneremur affectu, cui est gloria, laus, perpetuitas a saeculis et nunc et semper et in omnia saecula saeculorum.

English Translation

VII. LITTERA ZAIN.

1. The letter, according to the Hebrews, Zain signifies in Latin lead thyself; elsewhere it means hither. What this interpretation may intend is not altogether clear, unless perhaps that each man should govern himself and be his own guide; or hither, that is: let him direct his journey whither this letter's verses summon. And rightly, in the very first verse, he asks for his own rest, because the seventh is the very number of rest in this letter's order.1 But what greater rest than that he should rest in the word of God, and soothe himself with its grace and consolation?

2. Remember, O Lord, thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast given me hope.2 The word of God has called us, cast down and pressed low, to heavenly grace — that we may long for eternity, look down upon things present, careless of things temporal, and seek the things to come and the unseen. The word of God, then, calls us to himself, as you have it written: Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.3 And so let us follow the Lord Jesus who calls, that we may pass over from things worldly to things everlasting, and that we may know how to govern ourselves.

3. David, then, since he had often been invited by heavenly responses through which he might hope for the recompense of his faith and his merits — as you have it written, when God said through Nathan the prophet: I took thee out of the sheepfold, from one flock, that thou mightest be prince over my people Israel, and I was with thee in all the things in which thou didst go forth, and I exterminated all thine enemies from before thy face,4 and below: and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies5 — and David, having received this response, said: What am I, my Lord, my Lord, and what is my house, since thou hast loved me in these things? And the least things have been remembered in thy sight, O Lord, and thou hast spoken concerning the house of thy servant a long way off,6 and below he says: And now, my Lord, my Lord, thou art God, and thy words are true, and thou hast spoken these good things for thy servant. And now begin to bless the house of thy servant, that I may be in thy sight forever, since thou, my Lord, my Lord, hast spoken; from thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed forever7 — David, then, summoned by this and other responses, does not cease to hope, and on the authority of prophetic faith petitions the Lord that he should remember his promises, of which he is not wont to be unmindful. For with the saints he is wont to fulfill whatsoever he has pledged, unmindful of our iniquities, not unmindful of his own pledges. Indeed it is written: I am, I am he that blotteth out thy iniquities, and I will not remember; but do thou remember, and let us be judged.8 He wishes to forget whatever he had threatened against sinners, if at any time they convert their ways; he wishes also to be petitioned, that, if anyone — as the rewards proposed are awarded to those who pursue the virtues — has fought a good fight, he should expect the fruit of his recompense, nay, even demand it, as you have it written: I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course; there is laid up for me a crown of justice.9 For this is not arrogant usurpation but faithful, since he professes that the true God cannot deceive. And so David also admonishes, saying that the Lord should remember his word, by which he calls us forth to hope, that we may renounce earthly things and cleave to heavenly.

4. David says, therefore: 'I have fought the fight; I seek the prize of thy word which thou hast promised me. Be mindful of the promises which thou hast pledged to thy servant. Not by usurpation have I hoped for the things which thou thyself hast caused me to hope. I am thy servant, I expect sustenance from my Lord; I am thy soldier, I demand my pay from my commander; I have been called, I ask the promise of him who invites.' Yet modestly he tempered the authority of his faith by calling himself a servant, since the eyes of servants are upon the hands of their masters.10 These things are well brought forth from David's own person.

5. But further, if anyone considers the formation of any man whatsoever, he can weigh out promises common to the Levites, as you have it: Give to Levi his men, give to Levi his manifest ones;11 one can also fit this address to the elect of the believing people, to whom, through the type of Joseph — first into the tribe of his name, then through the tribe into the heirs of the first election — divine promise has been transferred, when Moses said: The firstborn of the bull, his beauty; the horns of the unicorn his horns; with them shall he winnow the Gentiles together unto the ends of the earth;12 for by this oracle it is prophesied that the only Word of God shall be poured out through the Gentiles over the whole world. This promise of the Church about to rise up, then, modest of himself but impatient of the common progress, David seems to demand for the one who delays.

6. And he added: This hath consoled me in my humiliation, because thy word hath quickened me.13 This is the hope which, coming to me through thy word, hath consoled me, that I might endure the bitter things of present things; it makes hard things, and to trust in things to come. How it consoles us, hear: Who shall separate us, he says, from the love of Christ? Tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or peril? or the sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.14 And by what reason those things can be patiently borne, he added: but in all these things we overcome, because of him who hath loved us.15 If anyone, therefore, wishes to overcome adversities — whether persecution, or peril, or death, or grave sickness, or assault of robbers, or proscription of property, or whatever of those things are reckoned adverse in this world — they are easily overcome, if there be hope to console. For even if those things should befall, yet they cannot be grave to him who says: I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.16 For whoever hopes for better things is never broken by lighter ones.

7. In the time, then, of our humiliation, hope is the consolation that does not confound;17 but the time of temptations I judge to be the time of our soul's humiliation. For our soul is humbled when she is delivered to the tempter to be tested by hard labors, that she may wrestle and contend, undergoing the encounter of an opposing power. But in these temptations she is quickened by the address of God: for this is the vital substance of our soul, by which she is nourished and fed and governed, nor is there anything else that makes the rational soul live except the address of God. For just as the word of God is increased in our soul, while it is received, while it is understood, while it is grasped, so also her life is increased; and just as, on the contrary, the address of God fails in our soul, so also does her life run into failure. Just as, therefore, this conjunction of our soul and body is animated and nourished and held together by the vital spirit, so by the word of God and by spiritual grace our soul is quickened. Whence we ought to strive in every way, that, putting all other things behind us, we may gather to ourselves the addresses of God and store them up in our principal part, in our senses, our solicitudes, our considerations and our acts, that our deeds may agree with the addresses of the Scriptures, nor may our act seem to discord from the sequence of the heavenly precepts, that we too may be able to say: thy speech hath quickened us.18

8. The third verse is: The proud have done iniquitously above measure, but I have not declined from thy law.19 The greatest sin in man is pride, since from it the origin of our offense flowed. With this dart the devil first wounded and struck us. For unless man, deceived by the serpent's persuasion, had wished to be as God and to know the true and the false20 — which by human frailty he could not perfectly discern, and so had received what would follow lest by rash usurpation he should fall from that seat of paradise — unless, I say, man, not content with his own bounds, had broken the prohibitions, never would the inheritance of that deadly fault have passed to us. And what shall I say of man? The devil himself, by pride, lost the grace of his nature. Indeed, when he says: I will set my throne above the clouds, and will be like to the Most High,21 he fell from the fellowship of the angels; condemned by the worthy reward of his crime, he sought a partner for himself in man, into whom the partnership of his offense should be poured.

9. What, then, can be worse than this sin, which began from injury to God? And so Scripture also says: the Lord resisteth the proud.22 As the avenger of his own contumely, he as it were takes up a special contest against pride — as if he were saying: 'this is my adversary, who provokes me; this contest is owed to me.' Whence the Apostle also declared pride to be the matter of manifold guilt, saying of the heretic that he doth not consent to the wholesome doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but languishing about questions and strifes of words; from which arise envies, contentions, sacrileges, evil suspicions, conflicts of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who suppose godliness to be gain.23 Of how many delicts, then, did he set forth pride to be the cause! Whence David, wishing to commend his own devotion as untempted by any iniquity of the proud, says: the proud have done iniquitously above measure.24 He declared not only that they did iniquity, but also iniquity above measure, which would befit the proud. Lest he should be tempted by any contagion of theirs, hear him saying elsewhere: with the proud eye and the insatiable heart, with this man I would not eat.25

10. Therefore, since he had set forth how great a force of evil was in pride, he ought to teach us how it might be overcome; and rightly, like a good doctor, he points out the remedy who has set forth the venom. Hear, then, how you may shut out the poison of pride: I have not declined, he says, from thy law.26 The law of God alone, then, can blunt the venom of pride — the law which has formed the man given over to devotion, by what caution he ought to govern himself. For many — not only those alien from the faith, but even those who seem to have tasted no mean part of the precepts of the Scriptures — are wont to be tempted by the prosperous successes of the proud, seeing those who transgress the law, abiters of impiety, arrogant, contemners of the faithful, exalting themselves against those who humble their heart according to the fear of God and the heavenly precepts, abound in this world with riches, with renown, with honors, with powers; seeing those men, the more grievously they have committed crimes, prosper in worldly conveniences with the more abundant successes; while on the other hand they see just men often labor under want, under loss of children, under the barrenness of their wives — by which, agitated and disturbed, they incline the sense of their mind to suppose that the judgment of God in this is, as it were, going astray,27 not holding fast the head of truth,28 by which it is most evidently grasped that the recompense of our merits is laid up not in this world, but in that to come.

11. But this is for few to mark. Indeed in his beginnings David himself was tempted, as you have it written: Behold the very sinners, abounding in this world, have obtained riches. And I said: Then is it in vain that I have justified my heart and washed my hands among the innocent? And I have been scourged all the day long.29 So too each of us who are not perfect, when seeing such things, says: 'Where is the providence of God, where is justice? This proud man abounds, this arrogant man is enriched, this impious man is happy and powerful — but that just man, you see how he lies cast down and exhausted, how he stands in need of his very food; he is afflicted with insults by this impious man, he is trampled by this insolent man, he is shut out.' This is no trifling temptation, unless you look forward to the things that are coming, unless you be more fully instructed in the heavenly precepts.

12. Indeed David himself supposed he knew these things before, but did not, and therefore, anxious, was laboring with a wavering mind. Whence he says: And I esteemed that I knew this; it is a labor in my sight, until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends,30 in which, by that very means by which the proud lifted themselves up, he saw by the prophetic spirit they would be more cast down, and he said: How are they brought to desolation? They have suddenly failed and have been exterminated for their iniquity, like a dream of one rising up.31 He recognized, then, that the successes of the impious in this world are like a dream's, not the truth's; their gains seem to be only as long as they sleep. When they shall have slept off their dream, those who seemed to themselves to be drinking now thirst, those who feasted now hunger, bringing back nothing solid or perfected from that dream. And rightly do men of this world sleep their dream, who, although they wake to the world, sleep to God; of whom holy Job, who once marveled at their abundance, well says, that as straw they are cast forth by the wind, and as dust by the whirlwind they are scattered; and they die in the bitterness of their soul, eating nothing and having nothing of good things.32 But the just man, having the confidence of a good conscience, rejoices the more in his last things and understands that by the exit of this life he is freed from labors, and demands the wage of his good work and deeds, saying: There is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord will render to me in that day, the just judge — and not only to me, but also to those that love his coming.33

13. But this he says who could say: I have not declined from thy law,34 in whom shines forth not only the grace of good work, but also the purity of an inward conscience. For the law forms not only the office of acting, but also cleanses the affect of the secret mind. For not only in works, but in those very things which are hidden, we soldier for the Lord according to the law, since the law says: Let there not be in thy heart a hidden word of injustice,35 that not only by act and deed do you not transgress when you see the proud glorying, nor slip in speech, but that not even in your inmost heart, while you debate concerning God's judgment, do you contract the offense of iniquity — which the more it is supposed hidden, the more frequently it is wont to be, because each man supposes himself safe in entrusting debates of this kind, as it were fenced in his own bowels, to his own conscience, when he himself shall be his own accuser on the day of judgment,36 when the hidden things of the heart are revealed, while conscience bears witness to our accusations.

14. Of what sort, therefore, is the resolve of the holy man, is set forth more evidently in this place. For first, he ought to be mindful of the heavenly promises, according to which the wage owed to those living rightly is fixed. Then another resolve of the holy man is, that even though he be set in perils and adversities, he ought yet to console himself by that hope which he has drawn from the sequence of the Scriptures. The third resolve, that even if he see the impious and the sacrilegious and the proud doing iniquity to abound with riches in this world, he should not, as one without faith, decline from the law, but persevere in its paths and flee the contagions of the proud. For every unclean man defiles, and the proud man is unclean, of whom it is written: Unclean before God is every swelling of the heart.37

15. The fourth resolve of the man is that he be mindful of the heavenly judgments, as David asserts when he said: I have been mindful of thy judgments which are from of old, and I have been consoled.38 For unless each one, instructed and shaped by examples of the law, believe that the judgments of God are always true, he quickly declines from the law. But he who recalls past examples and gathers the sequence of antiquity, recognizes that neither does the sinner escape the punishment of his wickedness, nor is the just man defrauded of the rewards of his fairness. For he weaves over in his mind that from the beginning Adam, on account of the transgression of the heavenly commandment, was cast out from the dwelling-place of paradise,39 and Cain paid out the price of his parricidal crime, condemned by the authority of the divine sentence,40 and Enoch, on account of his devotion, snatched up to heaven, escaped the venom of earthly malice,41 and Noah, on account of his justice, became victor of the flood and surviving father of the human race,42 and Abraham, on account of his faith, scattered the seed-plot of his posterity over the whole earth,43 and Israel, on account of his patience in labors, consecrated the people of believers with the seal of his proper name,44 and David himself, on account of his meekness, endowed with royal honor, was preferred to his elder brothers,45 and Elijah, on account of his zeal for God, lifted up by chariot into the air, gained the lodging of the heavenly seat as the inhabitant of a new race.46

16. He who knows how to weave over these things has whence to gain the grace of his consolation; and on the contrary, he who does not know, has not whence to be consoled. Wherefore let us keep the judgments of God, since the judgments of God are true, as you have it: The judgments of God are true, justified in themselves, more to be desired than gold and the precious stone, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. For thy servant keepeth them.47 To the keeper, then, the divine judgments are sweet; but to the negligent there is no doubt that they are bitter, since he marks that the issue of the divine sentence is set before him in the disgrace of the shame of sinners. But he who is well conscious to himself is not at all troubled, saying: We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.48

17. But which of us is of such a sort that he should console himself with the sequence of the divine judgments? Even human judgments are terrible to sinners; how much more are divine ones a cause of dread! Indeed, that we may gather by this example things eternal, we see in this world the innocent hasten with joy to judgment, hate delays, eagerly desire the swiftness of the verdict; but the guilty flee and tremble, defer, avoid, become sorrowful in fine, when they hear the day of judgment fixed. Blessed, then, is he who awaits that heavenly judgment with joy; for he knows that the kingdom of heaven, the fellowship of the angels, the crown also is laid up for the rewards of his good merits.

18. Let us now consider what is another resolve of the holy man, and let us weigh it from what follows. Faintheartedness, he says, hath taken hold of me, because of the sinners forsaking thy law.49 This is not common with the many. For it is the way of most to be saddened if they suffer some injury from anyone, if they are hurt, if they are attacked, if they are blackened; for our own cause makes us weaker, and we grieve that any have been the means of fraud against us. But he who is stronger does not grieve over his own contumely, but over others' sins, and laments another's lapse in his own injury, and bewails that he was the occasion of an injurer's error. Take an apostolic example. Paul wept over another's sin, as he himself says: for out of much tribulation and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears,50 and when he himself was saddened, he did not wish those very ones whom he was rebuking to be saddened. Indeed he added: not that you should be saddened, but that you may know what charity I have more abundantly toward you.51 He wished those who had lapsed to be saddened only unto repentance, not unto a deeper sadness — only that the sadness of the rebuked might become joy to the rebuker. Whence he says: For if I sadden you, who is there that can make me glad, but he who is saddened by me?52 He rebukes, therefore, that he may lighten the long endurance of sadness, that repentance might be unto salvation; he condemns to absolve, he excludes to receive, he does not pardon that he may set free. Such was Paul, who, well versed in the law, had recognized the precept of the one saying: Faintheartedness hath taken hold of me, because of the sinners forsaking thy law.53

19. David grieved, not because he was being despised, not because he himself was being attacked, but because the law of God was being abandoned, and he grieved over the loss of those who did this — that they were perishing to God. Just as a good father, when his son is set in a frenzy and curses him, beats him, afflicts him with injuries, weeps not his own but the sick man's calamity, and grieves over the contumely, not because it has been inflicted on him, but because in his fury the sick man does not know what he is doing — so the good man, when he sees a sinner not stand in awe, not honor even the gray hairs of an elder before whom he does something unworthy, not recognize, by a kind of madness of sinning, what unseemly and dishonorable things he commits, grieves over him as one about to die, groans for him as one despaired of by the doctors, and like a good physician first warns him, then, even if he should suffer grave things, yet, just as that man bears with the sick — even if he be struck, he endures; even if he be cursed, he does not abandon him — and whatever of medicine he can apply, he does not refuse, nor does he forsake him as obstinate, but as one who has deserved well of him strives with every effort to heal him, exercising not only the skill of his art, but also the kindness of his mind.

20. So, then, the just man also, even when he is despised by the sinner, is not turned away; and when he is hurt, he reckons that to be of frenzy, not of wickedness, and the more desires to bring medicine to his wound, and feels with him and grieves not for himself but for him, who labors under a desperate harm; and he says, 'this brother of mine labors thus, is afflicted thus, that he should do me an injury — who, if he recognized me, surely would honor me, and certainly would not hurt me. For in what has he been hurt by my deed, that he should have the affect of one hurting? Since, then, no cause for hurting is forthcoming, there can be no fault of resolve. Therefore, if I am just, I am afflicted on account of charity, on account of love, on account of the loss to the Church, on account of the harm to the body. I can also grieve at this, that even though I have not hurt the one hurting me, and am not conscious to myself that I have stirred him against me by any injuries, yet I have been the cause to him of his lapse, in that, by hurting an innocent man, he sins, and that I have been made for him the matter of sin.'

21. This, then, is what David grieves over, and grieves over for this reason, because when one member suffers, all the other members suffer with it.54 Wherefore perhaps that other saying too is set down: The just man is the accuser of himself in the beginning of his speech.55 For though the just man may have in himself something that he might accuse, and yet be just, since no one is without sin save the one God; and though even a sinner may be just by this very fact, that he is the accuser of himself, according to that saying: Tell thy iniquities, that thou mayest be justified56 — yet perhaps to some it would not seem absurd that this also should be said of him, that he is just who accuses himself for another, even if he have nothing in himself that he might accuse.

22. Let us consider, therefore, how in all these things the foremost person of a just man, of holy David, is fitting. He accused himself with no accuser; he confessed his own sin, when he was struck in the heart, because he had numbered the people.57 He also said to the Lord: I have sinned, O Lord, that I have done this thing. And now, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have grievously offended.58 Therefore, although Scripture has it that the wrath of God was kindled, that he was angry against Israel,59 by which the lapse of the king might seem to be excused, yet, when he saw the angel who was making the slaughter of the people, he himself put himself in the way of the striker's blow, saying: Behold, I have sinned, and I, the shepherd, have done evil; and this flock, what hath it done? Let thy hand be against me and against my father's house.60 Just, therefore, as one who is the accuser of himself in the very beginning of his speech,61 he both acknowledged his sin and, by confessing his proper iniquity, was justified in himself. Elsewhere too, when convicted by the prophet of the death of Uriah, he says: I have sinned to the Lord;62 to whom it was answered that, on account of his repentance, his sin had been taken away from him by the Lord.

23. Likewise in another place, when Shimei was cursing him and stoning him though hedged about with warriors by whom he could have avenged himself, he bore it patiently, returning the contumely not even with a word. Indeed, when Abishai his commander wished to take off the head of the curser, the king said: What is between me and thee, son of Zeruiah? Because he curseth me, the Lord hath bidden him to curse David.63 First, therefore, he excused his fault, and referred the cause to the will of the Lord; second, he turned it back to his own deserving, that he might signify not that the man had erred, but that he had deserved it; third, he set down that the cursing of that man not only did not harm him, but even profited him, as it is written: And David said to Abishai and to all his servants: Behold, my son, who came forth from my loins, seeketh my soul; how much more this son of Iemini!64 In a great way he broke the assault of the avenger; for how could he avenge a stranger's curse on behalf of a king's injury, when his son's parricide still remained unavenged? Surely the curse of a stranger and the parricide of a son were not to be weighed in equal balance.65 And he added: Suffer him to curse, since the Lord hath bidden him, until he see my humiliation, and the Lord render me good for the curse.66 There is also another resolve of the just man, far more perfect and powerful than all, to intervene for persecutors, to excuse those sinning — which we read in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus saying when he had been crucified by the perfidious: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.67

24. It is plain, therefore, by these schools of heavenly doctrine, that the just man would rather accuse himself than disfigure another. Indeed of Joseph, to whom Mary the mother of the Lord had been betrothed, it is written that, when he had seen her great with child, since he was just, he was unwilling to expose her to defamation,68 and surely he had not yet heard any oracle. So the person of the just man is alien not only to the harshness of vengeance, but also to the severity of accusation; he prefers rather that his own remission be accused, in that he did not avenge himself, than to press the crime of another. But you will say: 'How then did David himself say: The just man shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance of the impious?'69 To me it seems that he rejoices that he himself has escaped, not that the impious are punished. Let us seek another resolve of the just man from what follows.

25. And so he says: Thy justifications were songs to me in the place of my pilgrimage.70 Rightly was he not broken by his pilgrimages; he avoided the proud and was not moved by their prosperous successes; he consoled himself in the heavenly judgments,71 he was anguished over others' sins, because he had the justifications of God as songs. For what we hold well we are wont to sing, and what is sung clings the better to our senses. Let us not pass over what we read perfunctorily, that we may seem to have those things in memory only when we are reading them; but even when the codex is absent from our hands, like the living things which are approved and held to be clean in the law,72 which are wont to ruminate even when they are not feeding, bringing forth from themselves stored-up nourishment for themselves — so let us also bring forth from the treasure of our memory, from our inward parts, the spiritual fodder to be ruminated. Let hymns to us, song to us, psalms to us73 be the justifications of the Lord. Let us sing in spirit, let us sing also with the mind,74 lest, if we have forgotten, in the time of necessity it be said to each of us: Thou hast cast my words behind thee.75

26. And so, that forgetfulness might be expelled and driven out from his holy house, the true Solomon made for himself singers, who should be intent with all their spirit on the knowledge of divinity to be sought, lest singers be lacking to his Church76 — by whose song the wicked spirit might be put to flight, as we are taught by the example of holy David, by whose singing that evil spirit was driven away which used to vex the heart of king Saul.77 The prophets too, that they might prophesy, used to bid one skilled in singing sing, that, invited by the sweet sweetness, spiritual grace might be poured in.78 And in the Gospel we read that in the house of that father recovering his son the symphony sounded forth,79 by which the feasting faithful were delighted, but the perfidious one heard impatiently. Sweet, then, is the song which does not effeminate the body, but confirms the mind and soul. And so the testament of the Lord is called a song, because we sing together in the Scriptures of the Gospel the remission of all sins and the justifications of the Lord with the sweet exultation of the mind. The Lord himself too did not disdain to say: We have sung to you, and you have not danced.80 He sang to us in the Gospel the pardon of offenses; the Jews ought to have lifted up their mind, not by the histrionic motion of the body, but by the holy spirit. They did not; therefore they are reproved.

27. But even bodily dancing too is held praiseworthy in honor of God. Indeed David danced before the ark of the Lord,81 and Michal the daughter of Saul saw him dancing and playing on harmonized instruments in the sight of the Lord, and said to him after he had returned home: How was the king of Israel honored to-day, who was uncovered to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants like one of the dancers? And David said to Michal in the sight of the Lord: Blessed is the Lord, who chose me above thy father and above all his house, to set me prince over his people Israel; and I will play in the sight of the Lord, and I will be uncovered yet more thus, and I will be a trifler in thy sight, and with the handmaids with whom thou hast said I was uncovered, I shall be glorified. And to Michal, he says, the daughter of Saul there was no son until the day of her death.82 An evident example, therefore, that both the prophet, who was both playing on instruments and danced before the ark of the Lord, was justified, and she who reproved him was condemned with barrenness.

28. But it is not enough that one have the justifications of God as songs, unless he go forth from the bondage of earthly solicitudes. And so he added: in the place of my pilgrimage.83 He agrees with himself, since elsewhere also he says: I am a stranger in this land.84 Whence the Apostle too does not wish us, in the household of God and the calling of faith, to be strangers and pilgrims, but fellow-citizens of the saints and of the household of God.85 For he who is of the household of God is an exile to the world; he who lives his life in heavenly things is a pilgrim on earth. The Hebrews were on pilgrimage in this world,86 not feeling the nature of the burning; they had the justifications of God as songs,87 when they were singing a hymn to God from the praise of the creatures.

29. Indeed, he who sings is empty, and casts away the cares of diverse thoughts, sets aside avarice, and soothes himself not only by the voice of the body, but also by the liveliness of the mind. For not as one sad with the solicitude of want, but as one free from all the affections of bodily passions, the same prophet was singing: I will sing to thee, O God, on the harp, holy one of Israel. My lips shall rejoice when I shall sing to thee, and my soul which thou hast redeemed.88 He sang these things with joy, as one who was being fed at these better feasts; for his mind was feasting on the nourishment of pious devotion. Therefore not only hymns and psalms, but also the precepts of the law are matters of song to the holy. Indeed Moses, who received the law, sang, when, having crossed over the sea on foot, as the leader of the saved people he was proclaiming the justifications of the Lord.89

30. There remains yet another excellent resolve of the just man — that he ought to be intent on the praises of God in every time, not only by day, but also by night. So he added: I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and I have kept thy law.90 Let us see whether he too is mindful, who calls upon the Lord in word, but does not keep the divine commandments. Of whom enough has been said, that not whoever says, "Lord, Lord," is acceptable to Christ,91 but he who by good works can prove his affection to be faithful. Faith, therefore, uprightness, innocence, prove the mindful man. But that he says: I have remembered thy name, is full devotion, because no one calleth Jesus Lord but in the Holy Spirit.92 Let this name be invoked by day and by night; let holy devotion suffer no time of praying to pass empty.

31. If, then, those who study worldly doctrines indulge in very little sleep, how much more ought those who long to know God to be hindered by bodily sleep no further than nature requires! David through every night was washing his bed with tears,93 and was rising even at midnight to confess to the Lord;94 and you reckon the whole night must be set down for sleep? Then rather must the Lord be entreated by you, then must aids be sought, fault be cautiously avoided, when secrecy seems to be at hand; then most of all, when darkness is round about me and the walls cover me,95 must it be considered that God beholds all hidden things. Do not say, then: 'I am surrounded by darkness; who sees me, and whom do I fear, fenced by walls and shut in?'96 — because the face of the Lord is upon them that do evils.97 Then, if you do not see the judge, do you not see yourself, and do you not stand in awe of the testimony of your own conscience? Do you not know that the gloom of night is no covering, but rather an incentive of sin? When bodies are hot with sleep and food, then the vigor of the mind too is loosened by drowsiness, dissolved by sleep; then creeps in the lust of impure intercourse, then the heart is troubled, the squalor of uncleanness is not feared, the purity of chastity is not considered, the glory of modesty is not weighed. It was night when Judas betrayed, when Peter denied.

32. At that time, then, especially, must the justifications of God be woven over in the soul, the exhortatory commandments be re-read, those precepts of chastity not be absent, that the mind, occupied with these, may quench the burning of lust, the ardor of the flesh. Hold this in your mind: I will wash my bed every night.98 For he who is given to debaucheries, wrapped in shameful deeds, does not wash his bed every night; he knows not how to weep who commits things to be wept over, and, though he himself is to be lamented, has no tears for his own punishment. But he who chastises his body99 and is solicitous in his own governance, and groaning and grieving over the offense of an earlier lapse, seeks how he may wash it away with the tears of repentance — this man washes his bed every night. Let us not, then, sleep through whole nights, but let us appoint the greater part of them for reading and prayer.

33. Hear the voice of the Church seeking Christ even in the nights: In my bed, she says, in the nights I sought him whom my soul loveth.100 Take it according to the letter. She sought in the nights, by praying, by beseeching, also by deploring with tears. She sought in the nights, because he hath made darkness his hiding-place,101 that we might learn to seek him the more solicitously. She sought, then, in the prophets — the Church gathered from the Gentiles — and so she believed. Indeed the testimonies of the Lord's coming the evangelists and Paul set down from the prophets, whence it is written that night unto night sheweth knowledge.102 She sought in the nights, in persecutions and adversities, in tribulations and hard labors. It is night for all those for whom there is no perfect security. Whence the Lord says: The night cometh, when no man can work. So long as I am in this world, I am the light of this world.103 Let us not, then, work in the darkness. For if our works shine,104 we work not in darkness, but in the light of God; in the light of God is he with whom Christ is.

34. It is no great matter, then, if you give thanks to the Lord at the time when you are in prosperity and in second things; but if then you cleave to Christ when the persecutor harasses you, when some storm troubles you. You have lost a son: in that grief, in that night, in that destitution, remember the Lord thy God, lest as one not heard you be ungrateful and transgress in your calamity. You have been driven into exile: remember the Lord thy God, lest you prefer to God the love of a country interdicted to you. Oppressed by the power of some rich man, you have lost your own substance, you stand in need of expense: remember the Lord thy God, lest the night of want lead you away from the affect of devotion. For this is the commandment of the law, that you should the more seek in the night, that, when you are the more heard by the Lord, you can also say: In tribulation I called upon the Lord, and he heard me at large.105

35. But neither does it suffice for grace to seek perfunctorily, but that you press on and intend the office. Indeed this woman — whether the Church or the soul — who sought in her bed, sought in the nights,106 did not at first find, because perhaps she sought in her bed; but after she rose and went into the city — see lest into that city into which the Lord, about to celebrate the Pasch, dispatched his disciples: Go ye into the city to a certain man107 —, after she sought, as I said, in the marketplace, where oil is sold, which they that await the bridegroom are wont to buy,108 where right is, where the laws are. If the law is spiritual,109 the marketplace too is surely spiritual, where those skilled in the eternal law dispute, a marketplace not noisy with lawsuits but glorious with the tribunals of Christ. Where she sought, I say, in the marketplace, and after she sought in the streets — from which they who would come to the supper of the householder of the Gospel were gathered, who, called, did not think they should excuse themselves from feasts of this kind110 — after she sought, I say, in the marketplace and the streets, she fell upon those who go round about the city,111 and only then could she find what she sought, perhaps because, set in tribulation and fear, she rather found grace. Indeed in what follows she says: They who go round about the city found me; they took away from me my mantle.112 She had a contest, then; but by what reason they did not take away the mantle above I am at a loss to find, unless perhaps because there she said she had asked: Have ye seen him whom my soul loveth?113 She who was speaking Christ was not stripped of her mantle, and found him whom she sought.

36. Learn how Christ is sought by those, namely, who do not seek perfunctorily, who hold him violently, as this woman who says: I held him and I let him not go,114 found him by faith, bound him fast by meditation. If we take them as good guardians, surely they are angels.115 He, then, who passes by the angels, finds the Word. So there was no great interval, when she passed by these and found Jesus. How, then, below did they take away the mantle, unless perhaps because, by the progress of laborious faith, the Church, while she is stripped, is the more loved by the Lord, putting off the old man, that she may put on the new,116 whom garments do not cover, but the secrets of the mind illuminate; or because she laid aside the mantle of worldly wisdom in coming to Christ? Noah too was stripped of his mantle after he began to be more perfect.117

37. Let us, then, be mindful of the heavenly justifications, that, while we sing them with the secret voice of the mind, we may be mindful by night of the name of the Lord, and may say, as it is written: This was made unto me, because I have sought thy justifications,118 that is: this remembrance has been made for me, that I might be mindful even in the night of thy name — not lulled by drunkenness, not loosened by feasts into sleep, not occupied with worldly cares, that forgetfulness of thy veneration should creep upon me, but, by daily meditation chastising my members and exercising the intention of my mind, that by assiduity this solemn course may become ours, that we may venerate the Lord Jesus, even in the nights, with all our affect — to whom is glory, praise, perpetuity from ages past, and now and always and unto all ages of ages.

Apparatus Criticus
  1. Scr. cf. Gen. 2, 2–3 (the seventh-day rest as the numerological link between the Hebrew letter Zain — seventh in sequence — and the requies the psalmist requests).
    cf. Genesis 2, 2–3 (the seventh-day rest as the numerological link between the Hebrew letter Zain — seventh in sequence — and the requies the psalmist requests). Var. djvu apparatus l. 5 affectu] add. Explicit de littera VI (sexta P). Incipit de littera VII (septima P) APR, om. cet.; l. 8 Incipit littera. VII O; zae G; zai MN; zae uel zain O; Saen a; ducte OmlP; l. 9 hic N; l. 10 doctor Rml; l. 11 id est] idem R; quod GmlPRml; l. 13 ut om. T; l. 14 gratiae MNPmlRT; et om. MTm2.
  2. Scr. Ps. 118, 49.
    Psalm 118, 49. Var. l. 18 temporalia MNPT; incursiones G; recusemus MNPT; incursionum si a; l. 20 habet a; l. 21 reficiam uos Mav; l. 23 nouerimus] nolumus G, nolimus (del.) R, ualeamus MNPTa.
  3. Scr. Matth. 11, 28.
    Matthew 11, 28.
  4. Scr. II Reg. 7, 8–9.
    2 Samuel 7, 8–9. Var. djvu apparatus l. 24 Dauid] add. uocatus erat dei uerbo (uerbo dei a) et spem in eo habuit Gm2Tm2a; quia M; l. 25 forte O; l. 1 (p. 128) domino MN; profetam R; l. 2 pr. in eras. G; princeps G; l. 3 populo meo MNT.
  5. Scr. II Reg. 7, 11.
    2 Samuel 7, 11.
  6. Scr. II Reg. 7, 18–19.
    2 Samuel 7, 18–19. Var. l. 7 meus domine] meus GO; deus meus MNav; l. 9 memorati Rml; l. 10 tuo om. M; ll. 10.13.16 loquutus P.
  7. Scr. II Reg. 7, 28–29.
    2 Samuel 7, 28–29. Var. l. 11 domine meus] domine deus meus Na; l. 13 bona om. N; l. 16 pr. domine] deus N; meus domine] deus meus a; l. 16 a] et a; l. 17 tui] tuo Rml.
  8. Scr. Esai. 43, 25–26.
    Isaiah 43, 25–26. Var. l. 18 uocitatus a; ll. 20–22 esse — inmemor om. N; l. 21 sanctis] deus MT; quocumque PmlR; quaecumque OPm2v; l. 25 minatus G; l. 26 fuerat MNT; uias] add. suas O; conuenire AR; conuerti O; l. 27 ut sunt] sicut Gml, om. av; secutus Gm2MNPmlTav; secus Gml; uirtutes GMm2.
  9. Scr. II Tim. 4, 7–8.
    2 Timothy 4, 7–8. Var. l. 1 certamen] add. bonum Oav; consummaui] add. de cetero O; l. 2 non] add. est Gm2av; l. 4 ammonet MNO; l. 5 uerbi sui dominus M; qui MNml; l. 7 certamen] certaui codd. praeter A; certatus sum om. O; l. 8 uerbi tui om. MmlNT; l. 11 postulo] apostolus codd. praeter G, om. O; promissum] add. posco AMNPRT, postulo O; l. 15 promta AGP; propinata MNT.
  10. Scr. Ps. 122, 2 (Vulg. 123, 2).
    Psalm 122, 2 (Vulg. 123, 2).
  11. Scr. Deut. 33, 8.
    Deuteronomy 33, 8.
  12. Scr. Deut. 33, 17.
    Deuteronomy 33, 17. Var. l. 20 in tribu i ex suis codd., correxi in typo meiosi; alt. tribuum a; l. 22 unicornui cornua v; rinocerotis cornua Mm2N, om. cet. a; l. 23 eius] illius N, add. cornua rinocerotis Gm2Tm2; uentilauit NPml; l. 25 totu Mml; totum NPT; per om. R; orbem NPT; fundentum O.
  13. Scr. Ps. 118, 50.
    Psalm 118, 50.
  14. Scr. Rom. 8, 35–36.
    Romans 8, 35–36. Phase-B note: Petschenig prints fidere (his conjecture, marked fidere scripsi) against MSS fideles / fidelis / fidelibus / fidere / factus; Zelzer 1999 (printed p. 130, l. 18) retains fidere without further annotation. The body translation reflects fidere (= "to trust [in things to come]"). Var. l. 6 facit] fecit Oml, add. dum facit hoc, sed del. G, deinde add. Paulus contra nomen, non habet spei consolationem: dum patitur pro nomine, haurit spem de consolatione Gm2Tm2av; fidere scripsi; fideles AOR; fidelis Gm2MNPTav; fidelibus Gml; futuris GmlP; futuros AORa; futuris MNT; factus Gm2v; l. 7 separauit GPml, add. a caritate MN; a dilectione om. MN; l. 9 persequutio AR; famis A; l. 10 morti tradimur] mortificamur O.
  15. Scr. Rom. 8, 37.
    Romans 8, 37. Var. l. 14 dilexit nos O; eos dilexit a; superare] tollerare O; l. 16 quidquid v; l. 19 sunt GNPR.
  16. Scr. Rom. 8, 18.
    Romans 8, 18. Var. cf. Rom. 5, 5 (l. 22) — Petschenig flags as related cross-reference (spes non confundit in §7).
  17. Scr. cf. Rom. 5, 5 (spes non confundit).
    cf. Romans 5, 5 (spes non confundit).
  18. Scr. Ps. 118, 50 (recapitulated as conclusion of §7).
    Psalm 118, 50 (recapitulated as conclusion of §7). Var. l. 24 anima nostra MNav; l. 25 trahitur AmlR; certet] exercet a; l. 26 congressu NmlT; congressus Nm2; l. 2 (p. 131) qualiter P; qua alatur Rml; alt. et om. a; quidquam v; est om. M; aliud est Av; l. 3 facit MNmlT; l. 7 uitae MmlNP; et om. O; l. 9 dei om. P; l. 11 nobis] inc. alt. fragm. Cantabrigiense (= C); congregamus Cml; congregemus MNT; l. 13 ne O; l. 14 nostri—uideantur Ov; l. 16 est] add. III R.
  19. Scr. Ps. 118, 51.
    Psalm 118, 51. Var. l. 17 maximum] add. enim N; l. 20 occasione O; l. 22 quod GMNPv.
  20. Scr. cf. Gen. 3, 5.
    cf. Genesis 3, 5. Var. l. 23 sede CO; amoenitate AmlGm2MT; patria Nm2; felicitate av, om. cet.; l. 25 ferales Cml; et om. a; l. 26 suae naturae O; ammisit C.
  21. Scr. Esai. 14, 13–14.
    Isaiah 14, 13–14. Var. l. 27 nubes] aquilonem O; l. 28 a consortiis O.
  22. Scr. Prou. 3, 34 = Iac. 4, 6 = I Petr. 5, 5 (the proverb cited as a triple-attested apostolic commonplace).
    Proverbs 3, 34 = Iac. 4, 6 = I Petr. 5, 5 (the proverb cited as a triple-attested apostolic commonplace). Var. l. 2 transfunderet AMOav; l. 3 esse deterius potest O; l. 4 et om. COav.
  23. Scr. I Tim. 6, 3–5.
    1 Timothy 6, 3–5. Var. l. 6 suscepit Gav; l. 8 materiem a; l. 9 quia] qui O; l. 10 non adquiescit Gm2Tv, post est add. MN, om. cet. a; l. 12 contentiones inuidiae O; l. 18 nonnulla a; adtemptatus Mm2N; adtentatus T; l. 20 etiam om. AR; l. 21 conuenerit AMNP.
  24. Scr. Ps. 118, 51 (recapitulated as the verse-lemma anchor for §§9–10).
    Psalm 118, 51 (recapitulated as the verse-lemma anchor for §§9–10).
  25. Scr. Ps. 100, 5 (Vulg. 101, 5).
    Psalm 100, 5 (Vulg. 101, 5).
  26. Scr. Ps. 118, 51 (third partial citation; the non declinaui clause).
    Psalm 118, 51 (third partial citation; the non declinaui clause). Var. l. 26 exagerauit CGMmlR; l. 27 excludat (ex-it) O; uiris C; inquit] autem P; l. 28 uiros Cml.
  27. Scr. (no scripture lemma) — Ambrose's own polemical formulation against complaint about divine justice.
    (no scripture lemma) — Ambrose's own polemical formulation against complaint about divine justice; the errare iudicium phrasing recurs at Vau §11 in similar terms (theodicy of the prosperity of the wicked). Phase-B note: Petschenig prints no marginal citation here; Zelzer 1999 (printed p. 133, l. 12) confirms the absence of a scripture lemma.
  28. Scr. cf. Col. 2, 19 (non tenens caput). Petschenig flags this Pauline echo at apparatus l. 12.
    cf. Colossians 2, 19 (non tenens caput). Petschenig flags this Pauline echo at apparatus l. 12.
  29. Scr. Ps. 72, 12–14 (Vulg. 73, 12–14).
    Psalm 72, 12–14 (Vulg. 73, 12–14). Var. djvu apparatus l. 1 isto] ipso G ita a; temptatio ista MN; l. 2 alt. nisi] add. in MNT; l. 7 intrem N; l. 8 nouissimis] add. eorum MNT; l. 9 profetico C; l. 10 sunt om. CMNPRa; desolatione C; l. 12 somnum MNPmlRml; exurgentis CMOa.
  30. Scr. Ps. 72, 16–17 (Vulg. 73, 16–17).
    Psalm 72, 16–17 (Vulg. 73, 16–17). Var. l. 1 isto] ipso G ita a; temptatio ista MN; l. 13 somnio—ueritati O; l. 15 somnum MNOPRTa; uidebatur ARml; l. 16 somno CPml; l. 17 somnum CMNOT; l. 18 antea a.
  31. Scr. Ps. 72, 19–20 (Vulg. 73, 19–20).
    Psalm 72, 19–20 (Vulg. 73, 19–20). Var. l. 19 afluentiam sic Cml; Affluentiam a; l. 20 turbidine GPmlR; dissipatur AM.
  32. Scr. cf. Hiob 21, 18.25 (Vulgate Job 21:18 + 21:25 stitched).
    cf. Job 21, 18.25 (Vulgate Job 21:18 + 21:25 stitched). Var. l. 23 si Cm2PR; l. 24 -que om. A.
  33. Scr. II Tim. 4, 8 (continuation/rephrase of 9).
    2 Timothy 4, 8 (continuation/rephrase of 9). Var. l. 25 corona iustitiae CGMav; l. 27 etiam] et Ov; illis AOR; iis v.
  34. Scr. Ps. 118, 51 (fourth partial recapitulation).
    Psalm 118, 51 (fourth partial recapitulation). Var. l. 1 dicere] desinit C (end of Cantabrigiense fragment); l. 2 elucit Pml; l. 3 conscientia Pm2; l. 4 emundat av; l. 5 solum enim MN; occultis] add. in quibus MNPRT.
  35. Scr. Deut. 15, 9.
    Deuteronomy 15, 9. Var. l. 6 deo O; l. 9 leueris Pml; in om. MN; quidem] quod in O; dum de] cum O; de om. N; l. 10 disceptes O; l. 11 tuto] puto codd. praeter O, del. P, add. uiri sancti hoc esse propositum quo Gm2Tm2; l. 12 huiusmodi disceptationes Ov; huius disceptatione cet. a; septus codd. av.
  36. Scr. cf. Rom. 2, 15–16 (testimonium conscientiae).
    cf. Romans 2, 15–16 (testimonium conscientiae). Var. l. 13 in die Ov; diei P; qua scripsi; quia codd. av; l. 14 testimonio AGPmlRml; l. 16 sit om. O.
  37. Scr. Prou. 16, 6 (5) (inmunda ante deum).
    Proverbs 16, 6 (5) (inmunda ante deum). Var. l. 17 debet esse memor MN; l. 18 secundo Ov; uidentibus A; l. 20 propositus T; l. 22 habundare GMPml; l. 23 incredulis Pml; fugiat av; l. 24 contaminatur O; l. 25 inmundus GOav; inmundas Pml, add. est MNT; l. 26 tumidi GOav; l. 27 uiri] add. sancti Ov.
  38. Scr. Ps. 118, 52.
    Psalm 118, 52. Var. l. 1 me om. N; l. 2 informatus Ov; l. 3 exemplo G, add. plus codd. praeter O; l. 4 exempla et scripsi; eximit ARm2; exemit Rml; et eximit Pm2; ex semit Pml; ex semet MmlNT; et ex semet Mm2v; et ex semet ipso (ipso m2) O; et semper Ga; pretexit O; l. 6 defrudetur Mml.
  39. Scr. cf. Gen. 3, 24 (Adam expelled from paradise; the eiectus de paradisi incolatu citation).
    cf. Genesis 3, 24 (Adam expelled from paradise; the eiectus de paradisi incolatu citation). Var. l. 8 paradysi AMN; erectus a; chain AR; kain M; caim O; paricidalis a.
  40. Scr. cf. Gen. 4, 11–12 (Cain's punishment).
    cf. Genesis 4, 11–12 (Cain's punishment).
  41. Scr. cf. Gen. 5, 24 + Sap. 4, 11 (Enoch translated; uirus malitiae).
    cf. Genesis 5, 24 + Sap. 4, 11 (Enoch translated; uirus malitiae). Var. l. 9 exoluerit a; l. 10 uirus malitiae M.
  42. Scr. cf. Gen. 6, 9 sqq. (Noah and the flood).
    cf. Genesis 6, 9 sqq. (Noah and the flood). Var. l. 12 sit om. MN.
  43. Scr. cf. Gen. 22, 17–18 (Abraham's seed promise).
    cf. Genesis 22, 17–18 (Abraham's seed promise).
  44. Scr. cf. Gen. 32, 28 (Jacob renamed Israel).
    cf. Genesis 32, 28 (Jacob renamed Israel). Var. l. 13 israhel P.
  45. Scr. cf. I Reg. 16, 11 sqq. (David anointed over his elder brothers).
    cf. 1 Samuel 16, 11 sqq. (David anointed over his elder brothers). Var. l. 16 datus R.
  46. Scr. cf. IV Reg. 2, 11 (Elijah's chariot).
    cf. 2 Kings 2, 11 (Elijah's chariot). Var. l. 17 curru] add. igneo Gm2Tm2; l. 18 incolatum R.
  47. Scr. Ps. 18, 10–12 (Vulg. 19, 10–12).
    Psalm 18, 10–12 (Vulg. 19, 10–12). Var. l. 20 e contra MNOa; qui non nouit—21 custodiamus iudicia dei om. cet.; l. 21 alt. dei iudicia O; sunt—22 uera om. a; l. 24 pretiosum] add. dei Tm2a, om. cet. v; multum MNO.
  48. Scr. Rom. 8, 17.
    Romans 8, 17. Var. l. 1 quia] add. non a; aduertent G; aduertet PR; obprobrio in O; peccator 4 codd. apud b; ll. 2–5 qui—glorificemur om. N.
  49. Scr. Ps. 118, 53 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes).
    Psalm 118, 53 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes). Var. l. 6 sed] si O; huiusmodi] add. est O; habet gratiam Tm2; ut del. R; l. 7 peccatoribus om. MNT; l. 8 formidinis MNT; quae] add. uere Ov; l. 9 uideamus MNT; l. 10 iudicia MN; l. 11 fugere O; uitare] add. iurare a; l. 17 et om. A; ex om. N; inquid Mm2, om. MmlNPT; detenuit GRml; tenuit MNPT; l. 18 a] pro MNPT.
  50. Scr. II Cor. 2, 4.
    2 Corinthians 2, 4. Var. l. 21 decolerati GMN; causa] add. est GmlNav; l. 24 ingemiscit AOPm2Rm2av; errore a; l. 26 ipse ait av; l. 28 tristaretur a; contristare MNOPml.
  51. Scr. II Cor. 2, 4 (continuation/recapitulation of 50).
    2 Corinthians 2, 4 (continuation/recapitulation of 50). Var. l. 2 contristare MNPRml; l. 3 ut] add. ex MNT; l. 4 gaudio P; l. 5 quis] et quis O; l. 6 diuturnitate A.
  52. Scr. II Cor. 2, 2.
    2 Corinthians 2, 2.
  53. Scr. Ps. 118, 53 (third partial recapitulation).
    Psalm 118, 53 (third partial recapitulation). Var. l. 8 tales MNPmlRT; l. 9 quia Ov (non a); l. 10 detenuit MNPml; l. 12 Dauid om. MNT; ipse appetebatur av; l. 14 frenesi N; l. 17 quo] quod ab facit N; aeger ignorat om. N; l. 18 etiam om. MmlN; l. 19 senis O; faciat aliquid av; l. 20 peccati O; indecora] inhonora a; l. 21 ingemiscit AGm2OPm2Rm2av; l. 23 derelinquit OP; l. 29 laeditur] maledicitur P.
  54. Scr. cf. I Cor. 12, 26 (one member suffers, the rest suffer with it).
    cf. 1 Corinthians 12, 26 (one member suffers, the rest suffer with it).
  55. Scr. Prou. 18, 17 (iustus in exordio sermonis).
    Proverbs 18, 17 (iustus in exordio sermonis). Var. l. 1 uulneris codd. praeter OPm2, a; cumpatitur OR; l. 5 meo] in eo a; laedentis AR; l. 6 quoniam] cum GMNOPT; ergo cum av; l. 8 quod om. AMmlNOPR; l. 10 eum] ea AGNPR; eam M; l. 11 fuerim illi O; innocentem] add. me a; l. 12 sum O; peccati materia MNP; l. 13 dauid dolet P; l. 14 pr. et om. MNT.
  56. Scr. Esai. 43, 26 (dic iniquitates tuas, ut iustificeris).
    Isaiah 43, 26 (dic iniquitates tuas, ut iustificeris). Var. l. 16 habere] add. nihil MNPR; alt. iustus] add. non AMNPR; l. 18 ipsum N; l. 19 tamen O; l. 20 uidetur O; eo M; l. 23 uiri om. Rml; uiro iusto Mml; iusti uiri Rm2; prima] superna G; primatus Mm2; l. 24 persona om. GMNPTa; conueniant GPm2a; l. 25 alt. est] add. in a.
  57. Scr. cf. II Reg. 24 (David's census + repentance, percussus est corde).
    cf. 2 Samuel 24 (David's census + repentance, percussus est corde).
  58. Scr. II Reg. 24, 10.
    2 Samuel 24, 10. Var. l. 26 numerauit Oa; qui et dixit] cum ita dicit O.
  59. Scr. cf. I Par. 21, 7 (the ira dei upon Israel for David's census).
    cf. 1 Chronicles 21, 7 (the ira dei upon Israel for David's census).
  60. Scr. II Reg. 24, 17.
    2 Samuel 24, 17. Var. l. 1 aufers R; l. 3 israhel P; quod MNOTa; prolapso GNmlPmlRmlT; prolapsum Nm2a; prolapsus O; prolapsu Pm2Rm2; excusare codd. praeter R, a; l. 4 uidetur AR; l. 5 ictu Pml; l. 6 malum O; l. 7 alt. in om. MNP; domum AMNOPRav.
  61. Scr. Prou. 18, 17 (recapitulated; cf. 55).
    Proverbs 18, 17 (recapitulated; cf. 55). Var. l. 8 sui] add. fuit Ov; sermonis exordio] initio sermonis MNT.
  62. Scr. II Reg. 12, 13 (Nathan's confrontation re: Uriah).
    2 Samuel 12, 13 (Nathan's confrontation re: Uriah). Var. l. 10 uri ARml; coarguitur Mml; coarguitus NPT; a om. MN; l. 12 a domino ablatum MN.
  63. Scr. II Reg. 16, 10.
    2 Samuel 16, 10. Var. l. 13 loco om. MmlN; eum] ei A; l. 14 septum codd.; bellatoribus] add. cum (eum M) AGMNPRTa, del. M, exp. R; quosdam T; possit GPml; l. 15 contumelias O; abessai P; abesai R; Abessa v; l. 16 eius om. O; l. 17 sarbiae P; l. 18 eius malediceret MNT; l. 20 se om. MmlN; l. 21 tertio om. MN.
  64. Scr. II Reg. 16, 11 (David shielding Semei from Abishai).
    2 Samuel 16, 11 (David shielding Semei from Abishai). Var. l. 23 abisam A; abessam P; abesam R; Abessa v; l. 25 quanto—Iemini om. AGmlMNO; iemini G; gemini a.
  65. Scr. cf. Plin. Nat. hist. 7, 7, 5 (aequa lance pensandum — Petschenig flags the Plinian classical echo at apparatus l. 3).
    cf. Pliny the Elder, Natural History 7, 7, 5 (the juridical idiom to weigh in equal balance; Petschenig identifies this as a classical echo, the only such pagan-classical citation in Zain — comparable to the Vergilian density-zone in Vau pp. 115–116). Var. l. 26 grandem Ga; fregit Ga.
  66. Scr. II Reg. 16, 11–12 (continuation of David's response).
    2 Samuel 16, 11–12 (continuation of David's response). Var. l. 3 lance pensandum esset O; l. 4 illi dixit A; l. 5 retribuit Rml.
  67. Scr. Luc. 23, 34 (pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciunt quid faciunt).
    Luke 23, 34 (pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciunt quid faciunt). Var. l. 7 pro persequentibus post peccantes tr. O; l. 8 et excusare Oav; l. 9 perfidis] add. iudaeis MNPT; ignosce AR (cf. p. 45, 7); l. 11 magisterii AR; l. 12 aliunde formare P; iosep MN; l. 13 domini] add. sicut R.
  68. Scr. cf. Matth. 1, 19 (Joseph's resolution to eam traducere).
    cf. Matthew 1, 19 (Joseph's resolution to eam traducere). Var. l. 16 persona iusti aliena v; l. 17 suam ducit MN; uindicauerit ed. Romana; indicauerit Ov; iudicauerit cet. a; l. 18 urguere GMNPR; arguere Ta.
  69. Scr. Ps. 57, 11 (Vulg. 58, 11).
    Psalm 57, 11 (Vulg. 58, 11). Var. l. 21 iusti om. GMNOPRa; l. 23 ita AO.
  70. Scr. Ps. 118, 54 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes).
    Psalm 118, 54 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes). Var. l. 25 peregrinantibus O.
  71. Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 52 (recapitulation of the consolatus clause).
    cf. Psalm 118, 52 (recapitulation of the consolatus clause).
  72. Scr. cf. Lev. 11 (the animantia munda — clean animals — that ruminate). Ambrose's spiritual-rumination metaphor draws on Levitical clean-animal taxonomy.
    cf. Leviticus 11 (the animantia munda — clean animals — that ruminate). Ambrose's spiritual-rumination metaphor draws on Levitical clean-animal taxonomy. Var. l. 3 sed] si Gml; adest GmlP; l. 5 quando Ov; curando Gml; currendo cet.; cum a; sed ruminare ANPT; consueuerunt Av; l. 6 proferentes AGMNPRa; l. 7 pabulum] parabolam Gml; l. 8 promanus ARml; l. 9 si] cum a; l. 10 necessitatis tempore M; dicamur AmlR; nostrum om. MN; l. 11 post te—cap. 31, 2 dixerit ergo circum desunt in A (Petschenig flags significant lacuna in MS A, p. 142 → p. 145).
  73. Scr. cf. Eph. 5, 19 (hymnis et canticis et psalmis).
    cf. Ephesians 5, 19 (hymnis et canticis et psalmis).
  74. Scr. cf. I Cor. 14, 15 (psallam spiritu, psallam et mente).
    cf. 1 Corinthians 14, 15 (psallam spiritu, psallam et mente).
  75. Scr. Ps. 49, 17 (Vulg. 50, 17).
    Psalm 49, 17 (Vulg. 50, 17). Var. l. 12 expelleret Gb; eliminaret GPb; elimaretur OR; obliuia GPb; l. 13 fecit] add. rex a; solomon R; inquirendo Ga; anquirendae Pml; l. 14 cognitionem Ga; l. 15 Spiritus nequam M; l. 17 uersabat O; l. 20 praecrepuisse b; l. 22 est om. Ga; qua R; effeminatur PmlR; l. 24 remissionem] remissio est MNPm2T; dominique] denique MNPT.
  76. Scr. cf. II Par. 5, 12 (Solomon's appointed temple cantors).
    cf. 2 Chronicles 5, 12 (Solomon's appointed temple cantors).
  77. Scr. cf. I Reg. 16, 23 (David's harp expelling the malus spiritus from Saul).
    cf. 1 Samuel 16, 23 (David's harp expelling the malus spiritus from Saul).
  78. Scr. cf. IV Reg. 3, 14 sqq. (Elisha calling for a harpist to receive prophecy — adfer mihi psaltem).
    cf. 2 Kings 3, 14 sqq. (Elisha calling for a harpist to receive prophecy — adfer mihi psaltem).
  79. Scr. cf. Luc. 15, 25 (the prodigal's return — symphonia heard from the elder son).
    cf. Luke 15, 25 (the prodigal's return — symphonia heard from the elder son).
  80. Scr. Luc. 7, 32 (= Matth. 11, 17 cantauimus uobis et non saltastis).
    Luke 7, 32 (= Matth. 11, 17 cantauimus uobis et non saltastis).
  81. Scr. cf. II Reg. 6, 14 (David dancing before the ark).
    cf. 2 Samuel 6, 14 (David dancing before the ark).
  82. Scr. II Reg. 6, 20–23 (Michal's reproach + David's reply + Michal's barrenness).
    2 Samuel 6, 20–23 (Michal's reproach + David's reply + Michal's barrenness). Phase-B note: the Greek-derived musical term organis harmonizatis is textually unstable across the witnesses (Petschenig prints harmonizatis P, ex cod. Remig.; manuscripts read variously amizatis / ormizotis / armizatis / armigatis / ferro ligatis / armzatis); we follow Petschenig's reading. The marginal gloss id est de ormonte factis in Gm2 N suggests medieval scribes themselves no longer recognized the technical term and substituted folk-etymological glosses. Var. def. A (= deficit — A continues to be lacunose); l. 3 spiritu] add. sed quia MNP; l. 4 et om. Ga; honorem GOav; l. 5 archam MOm2R; eum post saltantem tr. a; melchol Pml; michol cet. (av); l. 6 harmonizatis P ex cod. Remig.; amizatis GmlMmlPmlRmlTml; ormizotis, add. id est de ormonte factis Gm2; armizatis Mm2ORm2; ormizatis mg. MNTm2, add. de ormonte factis N; armigatis Pm2; ferro ligatis mg. T; armzatis a; ll. 8.14 israhel P; l. 11 michol codd. praeter P, item lin. 18; add. saltabo ed. Romana; post domini add. Engelbrecht; l. 12 elegit me om. N; l. 13 illius] add. uoluit a; me constituere Nm2; in om. MmlN; l. 14 suam om. a; et ludam Ballerinii codd.; et iuda AGMOPRa; et iudam NT (p), add. saltabo p; et ludam: et ludam b; l. 16 nugax Ov (non a); conspectu tuo] conspectuo G; l. 17 duxisti N; nudatus MmlP; nudatas N; l. 19 in] ad MNP; l. 20 quod] quo Tm2; et (post qui) om. MNOv; l. 21 archam R; sterelitate Rml; l. 24 exuat MOR v, add. se Ov; seruitio] se uitio R (cf. p. 56, 25).
  83. Scr. Ps. 118, 54 (recapitulated; the peregrinationis clause).
    Psalm 118, 54 (recapitulated; the peregrinationis clause).
  84. Scr. Ps. 38, 13 (Vulg. 39, 13) — David's own aduena ego sum.
    Psalm 38, 13 (Vulg. 39, 13) — David's own aduena ego sum. Var. def. A; l. 1 sum ego GNPav; l. 2 deuotione G; l. 3 atque] et Gav; l. 4 dei est GMNPav.
  85. Scr. cf. Eph. 2, 19 (non estis hospites et aduenae, sed ciues sanctorum et domestici dei).
    cf. Ephesians 2, 19 (non estis hospites et aduenae, sed ciues sanctorum et domestici dei).
  86. Scr. cf. Dan. 3, 24 sqq. (the three Hebrew youths in the fiery furnace — naturam incendii non sentientes).
    cf. Daniel 3, 24 sqq. (the three Hebrew youths in the fiery furnace — naturam incendii non sentientes). Var. l. 5 Hebraei] add. id est tres pueri NPTa; l. 7 ymnum O; l. 8 deinde GNOPav.
  87. Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 54 (recapitulated; cf. 70, 83).
    cf. Psalm 118, 54 (recapitulated; cf. 70, 83).
  88. Scr. Ps. 70, 22–23 (Vulg. 71, 22–23).
    Psalm 70, 22–23 (Vulg. 71, 22–23). Var. l. 9 culpas a; religat GOa, add. id est abicit MNP; et om. GMNP; uoce corporis M; uocem NTa; l. 10 mentis] add. suae a; uanitate ex uacitate G; uanitates emulcet a; l. 13 deus om. Na; cythara MNR, add. deus MN; israhel P; l. 17 ymni MNO; etiam] et MN; l. 18 cantauit GMNTa.
  89. Scr. cf. Ex. 15 (Moses singing the Sea-Crossing canticle).
    cf. Exodus 15 (Moses singing the Sea-Crossing canticle). Var. l. 22 laudem MNT; debet esse O; l. 23 ideoque av; in nocte MN; l. 25 uocat] custodit O; l. 26 mandata] uerba M; dictum est satis av; l. 27 dixerit MNT; Christo om. a.
  90. Scr. Ps. 118, 55 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes — memor fui nocte nominis tui, domine, et custodiui legem tuam).
    Psalm 118, 55 (the verse Ambrose now exegetes — memor fui nocte nominis tui, domine, et custodiui legem tuam).
  91. Scr. cf. Matth. 7, 21 (non omnis qui dicit mihi 'domine domine' intrabit).
    cf. Matthew 7, 21 (non omnis qui dicit mihi 'domine domine' intrabit).
  92. Scr. cf. I Cor. 12, 3 (nemo potest dicere dominum Iesum nisi in spiritu sancto).
    cf. 1 Corinthians 12, 3 (nemo potest dicere dominum Iesum nisi in spiritu sancto). Var. l. 1 effectum GmlPR; l. 4 noctibus et diebus GMNP; et] ac Oav; l. 5 praedicandi MNTa; l. 8 dominum Oml.
  93. Scr. cf. Ps. 6, 7 (lauabo per singulas noctes lectum meum, lacrimis stratum meum rigabo).
    cf. Psalm 6, 7 (lauabo per singulas noctes lectum meum, lacrimis stratum meum rigabo). Var. l. 10 deluebat GmlPm2.
  94. Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 62 (anticipated; media nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi).
    cf. Psalm 118, 62 (anticipated; media nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi).
  95. Scr. Eccli. 23, 18 (26) (tenebrae in circuitu meo et parietes me operiunt).
    Sirach 23, 18 (26) (tenebrae in circuitu meo et parietes me operiunt). Var. l. 11 et] ut Gml; tu] nec O, ne a, cum PR; sopire Gml; l. 12 existimes a; orandus est tibi O; l. 13 haberi Ov.
  96. Scr. cf. Eccli. 23, 18 (26) (continuation/internal monologue framed by the Eccli. citation; cf. 95).
    cf. Sirach 23, 18 (26) (continuation/internal monologue framed by the Eccli. citation; cf. 95).
  97. Scr. Ps. 33, 17 (Vulg. 34, 17).
    Psalm 33, 17 (Vulg. 34, 17). Var. l. 16 dominus av; -fusus] pergit A (the lacuna in MS A ends here at p. 145, line 16 — A resumes); sum om. a; l. 22 uigor mentis av; lapsatur O; l. 23 squalore MNPR; squalorem Ta; l. 24 ueretur] uidetur Ov; consideratus Rml; l. 28 retegenda MNT.
  98. Scr. Ps. 6, 7 (recapitulated; cf. 93).
    Psalm 6, 7 (recapitulated; cf. 93). Var. l. 1 ut om. v; l. 2 restringat Oa; l. 3 quis GMm2NOav; deditus] add. est Rm2; l. 4 codd. praeter A, av; non om. GMNOPRmlav; meum Rml; l. 6 suae lacrimas MN; l. 7 suis PmlR; ingemiscens AMRm2OPm2Rm2av; l. 8 offensae v; abluat] add. eam Mv; fluctibus a; l. 9 singulos Rml; meum Rml.
  99. Scr. cf. I Cor. 9, 27 (castigo corpus meum).
    cf. 1 Corinthians 9, 27 (castigo corpus meum).
  100. Scr. Cant. 3, 1 (the Bride seeking the Beloved in the night).
    Song of Songs 3, 1 (the Bride seeking the Beloved in the night). Var. l. 13 inquid M; l. 14 accipite T; litteram] add. quia O; quaesiuit—deplorando om. MmlNT; l. 16 in om. N; in tenebras Pml.
  101. Scr. Ps. 17, 12 (Vulg. 18, 12).
    Psalm 17, 12 (Vulg. 18, 12).
  102. Scr. Ps. 18, 3 (Vulg. 19, 3).
    Psalm 18, 3 (Vulg. 19, 3). Var. l. 20 Paulusque] psalmisque a; l. 23 caritas OT; l. 24 uox O.
  103. Scr. Ioh. 9, 4–5.
    John 9, 4–5. Phase-B note: Petschenig flags alt. in lumine dei addidi, om. codd. — the second in lumine dei is Petschenig's editorial supplement (not in any MS), restored to balance the antithesis of the sentence (non operamur in tenebris, sed in lumine dei; in lumine dei est cui adest Christus). Zelzer 1999 (printed p. 146) retains the supplement in parentheses, (in lumine dei) est cui adest Christus, signaling the conjectural status. Var. l. 27 sed in lumine. dies est quibus adest Christus, nox est quibus se denegat Oav; alt. in lumine dei addidi, om. codd.; est om. AR, del. G; cui] quibus AR.
  104. Scr. cf. Matth. 5, 16 (sic luceat lux uestra coram hominibus).
    cf. Matthew 5, 16 (sic luceat lux uestra coram hominibus).
  105. Scr. Ps. 117, 5 (Vulg. 118, 5).
    Psalm 117, 5 (Vulg. 118, 5). Var. l. 1 ergo av; si—2 sed om. N; l. 7 ne] ut ne T; interdictam A; tibi om. a; l. 10 adfectu R; in om. GMml; queras magis O; l. 11 ut om. GMOav; quando] tanto T.
  106. Scr. cf. Cant. 3, 1–2.
    cf. Song of Songs 3, 1–2. Var. l. 15 quae (quaere R) requisiuit uel ecclesia uel anima AOR; l. 18 alt. in om. v; illa ciuitate AGOR; qua GNOPTaβ.
  107. Scr. Matth. 26, 18 (ite in ciuitatem ad quendam).
    Matthew 26, 18 (ite in ciuitatem ad quendam). Var. l. 19 destinauit] add. dicens av; l. 20 quaesiuit] add. inuenit quem dilexit Gm2Tm2av.
  108. Scr. cf. Matth. 25, 9 (the wise virgins and the oil-merchants).
    cf. Matthew 25, 9 (the wise virgins and the oil-merchants). Var. l. 22 est om. N; l. 23 periti] petrosi Gml; piriti Pml; petosi R; leges R.
  109. Scr. cf. Rom. 7, 14 (scimus enim quia lex spiritalis est).
    cf. Romans 7, 14 (scimus enim quia lex spiritalis est). Var. l. 24 est om. O; tribulationibus O; l. 25 forum O.
  110. Scr. cf. Luc. 14, 21 (the Great Banquet — servants compelled to bring in those from plateas et uicos).
    cf. Luke 14, 21 (the Great Banquet — servants compelled to bring in those from plateas et uicos). Var. l. 26 conuenerunt A; qui uocati om. O; l. 27 excusandum] add. se v; reputarunt Mm2Ta.
  111. Scr. cf. Cant. 3, 3 (the city-watchmen who circumeunt ciuitatem).
    cf. Song of Songs 3, 3 (the city-watchmen who circumeunt ciuitatem). Var. l. 1 et] add. in O; circueunt a; l. 2 quod om. a; quaereret MNTa; quaerit a; l. 3 fortasse] add. eo v; inueniat GMav; l. 4 in] is A; his GMNP, om. a; posterius GMNPRTa; circueunt Om2a; l. 6 tulerunt O.
  112. Scr. Cant. 3, 3 (recapitulated) + Cant. 5, 7 (tulerunt mihi pallium — Petschenig stitches Cant. 3, 3 finder-clause to Cant. 5, 7 pallium-removal).
    Song of Songs 3, 3 (recapitulated) + Cant. 5, 7 (tulerunt mihi pallium — Petschenig stitches Cant. 3, 3 finder-clause to Cant. 5, 7 pallium-removal). Var. l. 7 fortasse N; ibi om. O; se interrogasse N; interrogans (se om.) O.
  113. Scr. Cant. 3, 3.
    Song of Songs 3, 3.
  114. Scr. Cant. 3, 4.
    Song of Songs 3, 4. Var. l. 10 quaerebatur AGR; quaerebat M; quaeratur (quaeretur a) Christus av; l. 11 quaerunt] add. sed v; l. 13 accipiamus N; accepimus a; l. 14 ergo] uero a; transiuit av; l. 15 transiit O.
  115. Scr. cf. Cant. 3, 4 (the city-watchmen identified typologically as angeli).
    cf. Song of Songs 3, 4 (the city-watchmen identified typologically as angeli).
  116. Scr. cf. Col. 3, 9–10 (ueterem hominem … nouum).
    cf. Colossians 3, 9–10 (ueterem hominem … nouum). Phase-B note: operosae is Petschenig's reading (with apparatus marginal note "operosae (uel ostensae) quidam codd. apud u"); the codices divide chaotically between opem (ope) se / operis sue / opem suae / operum / oppressae / opere suae — a textual crux. The Latin metaphor (the Church stripped by the progress of laborious faith) is itself daring — pallium-removal as Christological intensification, not exposure. Var. l. 16 pallium om. P; operosae (uel ostensae) quidam codd. apud u; opem (ope A) se AGmlMmlRml; operis sue Gm2Mm2Tm2; opem suae NPTml; operum Rm2; oppressae Ov; opere suae a; l. 17 a domino ed. Romana et v; dominus codd. a.
  117. Scr. cf. Gen. 9, 21 (Noah's nakedness as a typological exutus est pallium).
    cf. Genesis 9, 21 (Noah's nakedness as a typological exutus est pallium). Striking inversion of the standard Ham-shame reading: Ambrose makes Noah's nakedness a POSITIVE figure of post-baptismal / post-conversion stripping (cf. parallel Christological move in De Noe 30, 113–114, where Noah's stripping is read against Adam's lost glory). Among the most distinctive Genesis-typological loci in Expos.
  118. Scr. Ps. 118, 56 (final verse of Zain — haec facta est mihi, quoniam iustificationes tuas exquisiui).
    Psalm 118, 56 (final verse of Zain — haec facta est mihi, quoniam iustificationes tuas exquisiui). Var. l. 22 ut] et T; l. 23 secreto ANOPT; et uoce O; l. 24 dei O; pr. est] add. VIII GMmlOR; l. 25 exquisiuit O; (p. 149) l. 2 ut om. MNPTa; obliuio Mm2Rm2; l. 3 inreperet Mm2; intentione T; l. 4 fiat] faciat AMm2R; l. 7 saeculorum] add. amen Oav; add. Explicit de littera septima P; Incipit de (om. O) littera octaua AOPR.
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