and those who are delivered from sins to remain in the best change, so that all may obtain together the heavenly goods; which may it be granted to us all to enjoy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
ON PSALM CXXII
1. *Unto thee have I lifted up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in heaven.* A You see everywhere the benefit of captivity shining forth. For they who were fixed upon worldly things, and trusted in the Assyrians and Egyptians, as well as in the circuit of walls and the abundance of money, tearing themselves away from all those things, flee to the invincible hand, and hang upon that hope; and being instructed with a lofty mind, and pulled away from earthly things—not being able to approach the temple according to their custom, because it had been overturned—they invoke God at last from the heaven. But he is said to dwell in heaven, not as if circumscribed by place, far from it: for he himself fills all things; but as if he rests and remains in those heavenly powers; for he is said to dwell also in men: *For I will dwell in them and walk among them* (2 Cor. VI, 16). Since, therefore, they were dwelling in the land of the barbarians, they were imbued with no mediocre doctrine: for this reason, that they had been sequestered from all worldly advantages, and were learning that God, if he is invoked, readily listens to prayers everywhere. For because B it was about to be that the light of a new way of life would at last arise, the prophet begins to touch upon the things which were to come, solving and removing the observation of places slowly and as if by an enigma. 2. *Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters; as the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.* See here also piety thriving and firm: for they do not hope for a brief time only, but are fixed and panting for a longer one. And for this reason they brought the example into the midst, judging this same thing: that they had no hope of help and support from elsewhere, and that they looked to nothing else; since a maiden and a servant have this one recourse, by which they obtain food and clothing and other necessities, that they look to their masters; and they do not withdraw, but wait until they receive, and when they receive, they give thanks; and they do this same thing assiduously. In order therefore to show this—that they themselves looked to him, and did this assiduously, and had no other hope, but were fixed in the expectation of this support, as though all their goods were his—he commemorated the maiden and the servants. See in what way those who were formerly invited C to run to God, and heard these things with nausea and loathing, have now become better through calamity; so that they do not wish to desist from him, but remain, serve, and entreat until he have mercy upon them. He did not say, "Until he pays the wages, until he gives the reward," but, "Until he have mercy." You therefore, O man, remain assiduously, whether you receive or do not receive: even if you do not receive, do not withdraw, and you shall receive altogether. For if the assiduity of the widow swayed that cruel prince, what favor would you obtain, you who so quickly shrink, grow sluggish, and fail (Luke XVIII)? Do you not see how maidens depend on their mistresses, while they permit neither their mind nor their eye to wander elsewhere? So do you act: follow God alone, and, having dismissed all other things, be among the number of his servants, and whatever useful things you petition for, you shall obtain.
On mercy we attain salvation.
3. *Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled.* Did you see the contrite soul? They ask to obtain salvation from mercy; indeed, not even from mercy, as though they deserved it; but because they have suffered great punishments, as Daniel says: *We are become few before all the nations which are upon the earth* (Dan. III, 37): this same thing they say in their prayer. We have suffered the utmost misery, we have fallen from country and liberty; we have remained servants of barbarians, in reproaches, consumed by famine, D need, and thirst: we have spent all the time spit upon and trampled: therefore spare and have mercy upon us. But what does *Our soul is exceedingly filled* mean? Our soul, he says, is dissolved, wasted by the magnitude of evils. One may see many who are severely vexed and bear it bravely. But we, they say, have lost this: we bear our affliction heavily, we are broken. For because they had not used honors as they ought, God corrects them with contrary things, which we may see him doing everywhere. Thus also he corrected Adam with expulsion because he had not used the habitation of paradise rightly, and he made the wife, who had become worse from the equality of honor, better through servitude and subjection. He corrects the Jews also, who had been changed for the worse by liberty and long-standing security at home, and who had become unbridled and dissolute, through contraries. These, moreover, asking to obtain mercy, address God thus: *Our soul is exceedingly filled. Contempt to the abundant, and neglect to the proud.* Another: *Our soul is satiated with the speaking, the abundance, and the despising of the proud.* Another: *With the mocking of the arrogant.* Another: *With the contempt of those who abound in goods.* These, therefore, hold to the same opinion. For they deplore their calamity when they say: *Our soul is satiated with those who despise us.* The Septuagint, however, say another thing: Let these things pass to them, and let them enjoy the same things they did to others, and let their pride and swelling be depressed. Which we see has often happened: for God is frequently accustomed to do this, namely, taking up the high-minded he depresses them, and humbles the puffed up, that he may turn them from the path leading to destruction. For nothing is worse than pride. Therefore temptations and troubles, the mortal body, and many coming calamities: therefore sicknesses and diseases; so that numberless bridles are applied to the soul that is proud and inflated with swelling. Therefore do not be troubled, beloved, when in...