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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput IV: De praefigurata commutatione Israelitici regni et sacerdotii et de his, quae Anna, mater Samuelis, personam gerens ecclesiae prophetauit.

Procursus igitur ciuitatis dei ubi peruenit ad regum tempora, quando Dauid Saule reprobato ita regnum primus obtinuit, ut eius deinde posteri in terrena Hierusalem diuturna successione regnarent, dedit figuram, re gesta significans atque praenuntians, quod non est praetereundum silentio, de rerum mutatione futurarum, quod adtinet ad duo testamenta, uetus et nouum, ubi sacerdotium regnumque mutatum est per sacerdotem eundemque regem nouum ac sempiternum, qui est Christus Iesus. nam et Heli sacerdote reprobato substitutus in dei ministerium Samuel simul officio functus sacerdotis et iudicis, et Saule abiecto rex Dauid fundatus in regno hoc quod dico figurauerunt. mater quoque ipsa Samuelis Anna, quae prius fuit sterilis et posteriore fecunditate laetata est, prophetare aliud non uidetur, cum gratulationem suam domino fundit exultans, quando eundem puerum natum et ablactatum deo reddidit eadem pietate, qua uouerat. dicit enim: confirmatum est cor meum in domino, exaltatum est cornu meum in deo meo. dilatatum est super inimicos meos os meum, laetata sum in salutari tuo. quoniam non est sanctus sicut dominus, et non est iustus sicut deus noster; non est sanctus praeter te. nolite gloriari et nolite loqui excelsa, neque procedat magniloquium de ore uestro. quoniam deus scientiarum dominus, et deus praeparans adinuentiones suas. arcum potentium fecit infirmum, et infirmi praecincti sunt uirtute. pleni panibus minorati sunt, et esurientes transierunt terram. quia sterilis peperit septem, et multa in filiis infirmata est. dominus mortificat et uiuificat, deducit ad inferos et reducit. dominus pauperes facit et ditat, humiliat et exaltat. suscitat a terra pauperem et de stercore erigit inopem, ut conlocet eum cum potentibus populi, et sedem gloriae hereditatem dans eis; dans uotum uouenti, et benedixit annos iusti, quoniam non in uirtute potens est uir. dominus infirmum faciet aduersarium suum, dominus sanctus. non glorietur prudens in prudentia sua, et non glorietur potens in potentia sua, et non glorietur diues in diuitiis suis; sed in hoc glorietur, qui gloriatur, intellegere et scire dominum et facere iudicium et iustitiam in medio terrae. dominus ascendit in caelos et tonuit; ipse iudicabit extrema terrae, quia iustus est; et dat uirtutem regibus nostris, et exaltabit cornu christi sui.

ita ne uero uerba haec unius putabuntur esse mulierculae, de nato sibi filio gratulantis? tantum ne mens hominum a luce ueritatis auersa est, ut non sentiat supergredi modum feminae huius dicta quae fudit? porro qui rebus ipsis, quae iam coeperunt etiam in hac terrena peregrinatione conpleri, conuenienter mouetur, nonne intendit et adspicit et agnoscit per hanc mulierem, cuius etiam nomen, id est Anna, gratia eius interpretatur, ipsam religionem Christianam, ipsam ciuitatem dei, cuius rex est et conditor Christus, ipsam postremo dei gratiam prophetico spiritu sic locutam, a qua superbi alienantur, ut cadant, qua humiles inplentur, ut surgant, quod maxime hymnus iste personuit? nisi quisquam forte dicturus est nihil istam prophetasse mulierem, sed deum tantummodo propter filium, quem peccata inpetrauit, exultanti praedicatione laudasse. quid ergo sibi uult quod ait: arcum potentium fecit infirmum, et infirmi praecincti sunt uirtute; pleni panibus minorati sunt, et esurientes transierunt terram; quia sterilis peperit septem, et multa in filiis infirmata est? numquid septem ipsa pepererat, quamuis sterilis fuerit? unicum habebat, quando ista dicebat; sed nec postea septem peperit, siue sex, quibus septimus esset ipse Samuel, sed tres mares et duas feminas. deinde in illo populo cum adhuc nemo regnaret, quod in extremo posuit: dat uirtutem regibus nostris, et exaltabit cornu christi sui, unde dicebat, si non prophetabat?

dicat ergo ecclesia Christi, ciuitas regis magni, gratia plena, prole fecunda, dicat quod tanto ante de se prophetatum per os huius piae matris agnoscit: confirmatum est cor meum in domino, exaltatum est cornu meum in deo meo. uere confirmatum cor et cornu uere exaltatum, quia non in se, sed in domino deo suo. dilatatum est super inimicos meos os meum; quia et in angustiis pressurarum sermo dei non est adligatus nec in praeconibus adligatis. laetata sum, inquit, in salutari tuo. Christus est iste Iesus, quem Simeon, sicut in euangelio legitur, senex amplectens paruum, agnoscens magnum: nunc dimittis, inquit, domine, seruum tuum in pace, quoniam uiderunt oculi mei salutare tuum. dicat itaque ecclesia: laetata sum in salutari tuo; quoniam non est sanctus, sicut dominus, et non est iustus, sicut deus noster; tamquam sanctus et sanctificans, iustus et iustificans. non est sanctus praeter te, quia nemo fit nisi abs te. denique sequitur: nolite gloriari et nolite loqui excelsa, neque exeat magniloquium de ore uestro; quoniam deus scientiarum dominus. ipse uos scit, et ubi nemo scit; quoniam qui putat se aliquid esse, cum nihil sit, se ipsum seducit. haec dicuntur aduersariis ciuitatis dei ad Babyloniam pertinentibus, de sua uirtute praesumentibus, in se, non in domino gloriantibus; ex quibus sunt etiam carnales Israelitae, terrenae Hierusalem ciues terrigenae, qui, ut dicit apostolus, ignorantes dei iustitiam - id est, quam dat homini deus, qui solus est iustus atque iustificans - et suam uolentes constituere - id est uelut a se sibi partam, non ab illo inpertitam - iustitiae dei non sunt subiecti, utique quia superbi, de suo putantes, non de dei, posse placere se deo, qui est deus scientiarum atque ideo et arbiter conscientiarum, ibi uidens cogitationes hominum, quoniam uanae sunt, si hominum sunt et ab illo non sunt. et praeparans, inquit, adinuentiones suas. quas adinuentiones putamus, nisi ut superbi cadant et humiles surgant? has quippe adinuentiones exsequitur dicens: arcus potentium infirmatus est, et infirmi praecincti sunt uirtute. infirmatus est arcus, id est intentio eorum, qui tam potentes sibi uidentur, ut sine dei dono atque adiutorio humana sufficientia diuina possint inplere mandata, et praecinguntur uirtute, quorum interna uox est: *miserere mei, domine, quoniam infirmus sum.

pleni panibus, inquit, minorati sunt, et esurientes transierunt terram. qui sunt intellegendi pleni panibus, nisi idem ipsi quasi potentes, id est Israelitae, quibus credita sunt eloquia dei? sed in eo populo ancillae filii minorati sunt - quo uerbo minus quidem Latino, bene tamen expressum est, quod ex maioribus minores facti sunt - , quia et in ipsis panibus, id est diuinis eloquiis, quae Israelitae soli tunc ex omnibus gentibus acceperunt, terrena sapiunt. gentes autem, quibus lex illa non erat data, posteaquam per nouum testamentum ad eloquia illa uenerunt, multum esuriendo terram transierunt, quia in eis non terrena, sed caelestia sapuerunt. et hoc uelut quaereretur causa cur factum sit: quia sterilis, inquit, peperit septem, et multa in filiis infirmata est. hic totum quod prophetabatur eluxit agnoscentibus numerum septenarium, quo est uniuersae ecclesiae significata perfectio. propter quod et Iohannes apostolus ad septem scribit ecclesias, eo modo se ostendens ad unius plenitudinem scribere; et in prouerbiis Salomonis hoc antea praefigurans sapientia aedificauit sibi domum et subfulsit columnas septem.* sterilis enim erat in omnibus gentibus dei ciuitas, antequam iste fetus, quem cernimus, oreretur. cernimus etiam, quae multa in filiis erat, nunc infirmatam Hierusalem terrenam; quoniam quicumque filii liberae in ea erant, uirtus eius erant; nunc uero ibi quoniam littera est et spiritus non est, amissa uirtute infirmata est.

dominus mortificat et uiuificat; mortificauit illam, quae multa erat in filiis, et uiuificauit hanc sterilem, quae peperit septem. quamuis commodius possit intellegi eosdem uiuificare, quos mortificauerit. id enim uelut repetiuit addendo: deducit ad inferos et reducit. quibus enim dicit apostolus: si mortui estis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera dei sedens, salubriter utique mortificantur a domino; quibus adiungit: quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram; ut ipsi sint illi, qui esurientes transierunt terram. mortui enim estis, inquit; ecce quomodo salubriter mortificat deus; deinde sequitur: et uita uestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo; ecce quomodo eosdem ipsos uiuificat deus. sed numquid eosdem deduxit ad inferos et reduxit? hoc utrumque sine controuersia fidelium in illo potius uidemus inpletum, capite scilicet nostro, cum quo uitam nostram in deo apostolus dixit absconditam. nam cum proprio filio non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit eum, isto modo utique mortificauit eum; et quia resuscitauit a mortuis, eundem rursus uiuificauit. et quia in prophetia uox eius agnoscitur: non derelinques animam meam in inferno, eundem deduxit ad inferos et reduxit. hac eius paupertate ditati sumus. dominus enim pauperes facit et ditat. nam quid hoc sit ut sciamus, quod sequitur audiamus: humiliat et exaltat; utique superbos humiliat et humiles exaltat. quod enim alibi legitur: deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam, hoc totus habet sermo huius, cuius nomen interpretatur gratia eius.

iam uero quod adiungitur: suscitat a terra pauperem, de nullo melius quam de illo intellego, qui propter nos pauper factus est, cum diues esset, ut eius paupertate, sicut paulo ante dictum est, ditaremur. ipsum enim de terra suscitauit tam cito, ut caro eius non uideret corruptionem. nec illud ab illo alienabo, quod additum est: et de stercore erigit inopem. inops quippe idem, qui pauper; stercus uero, unde erectus est, rectissime intelleguntur persecutores Iudaei, in quorum numero cum se dixisset apostolus ecclesiam persecutum: quae mihi fuerunt, inquit, lucra, haec propter Christum damna esse duxi; nec solum detrimenta, uerum etiam stercora existimaui esse, ut Christum lucri facerem. de terra ergo suscitatus est ille supra omnes diuites pauper, et de illo stercore erectus est supra omnes opulentos ille inops, ut sedeat cum potentibus populi, quibus ait: sedebitis super duodecim sedes, et sedem gloriae hereditatem dans eis; dixerant enim potentes illi: ecce nos dimisimus omnia et secuti sumus te. hoc uotum potentissime uouerant. sed unde hoc eis, nisi ab illo, de quo hic continuo dictum est: dans uotum uouenti? alioquin ex illis essent potentibus, quorum infirmatus est arcus. dans, inquit, uotum uouenti. non enim domino quisquam quidquam rectum uoueret, nisi qui ab illo acciperet quod uoueret. sequitur: et benedixit annos iusti, ut cum illo scilicet sine fine uiuat, cui dictum est: et anni tui non deficient. ibi enim stant anni, hic autem transeunt, immo pereunt; antequam ueniant enim, non sunt; cum autem uenerint, non erunt, quia cum suo fine ueniunt. horum autem duorum, id est dans uotum uouenti, et benedixit annos iusti, unum est quod facimus, alterum quod sumimus. sed hoc alterum deo largitore non sumitur, nisi cum ipso adiutore primum illud efficitur: quia non in uirtute potens est uir. dominus infirmum faciet aduersarium eius; illum scilicet, qui homini uouenti inuidet et resistit, ne ualeat inplere quod uouit. potest ex ambiguo Graeco intellegi et aduersarium suum. cum enim dominus possidere non coeperit, profecto aduersarius, qui noster fuerat, ipsius fit, et uincetur a nobis, sed non uiribus nostris, quia non in uirtute potens est uir. dominus ergo infirmum faciet aduersarium suum, dominus sanctus; ut uincatur a sanctis, quos dominus sanctus sanctorum efficit sanctos.

ac per hoc non glorietur prudens in sua prudentia, et non glorietur potens in sua potentia, et non glorietur diues in diuitiis suis; sed in hoc glorietur, qui gloriatur, intellegere et scire dominum et facere iudicium et iustitiam in medio terrae. non parua ex parte intellegit et scit dominum, qui intellegit et scit etiam hoc a domino sibi dari, ut intellegat et sciat dominum. quid enim habes, ait apostolus, quod non accepisti? si autem et accepisti, quid gloriaris, quasi non acceperis? id est, quasi a te ipso tibi sit, unde gloriaris. facit autem iudicium et iustitiam, qui recte uiuit. recte autem uiuit, qui obtemperat praecipienti deo; et finis praecepti, id est, ad quod refertur praeceptum, caritas est de corde puro et conscientia bona a fide non ficta. porro ista caritas, sicut Iohannes apostolus testatur, ex deo est. facere igitur iudicium et iustitiam ex deo est. sed quid est: in medio terrae? neque enim non debent facere iudicium et iustitiam qui habitant in extremis terrae. quis hoc dixerit? cur ergo additum est: in medio terrae? quod si non adderetur et tantummodo diceretur: facere iudicium et iustitiam, magis hoc praeceptum ad utrosque homines pertineret, et mediterraneos et maritimos. sed ne quisquam putaret post finem uitae, quae in hoc agitur corpore, superesse tempus iudicium iustitiamque faciendi, quam dum esset in carne non fecit, et sic diuinum euadi posse iudicium: in medio terrae mihi uidetur dictum cum quisque uiuit in corpore. in hac quippe uita suam terram quisque circumfert, quam moriente homine recipit terra communis, resurgenti utique redditura. proinde in medio terrae, id est, cum anima nostra isto terreno clauditur corpore, faciendum est iudicium atque iustitia, quod nobis prosit in posterum, quando recipit quisque secundum ea, quae per corpus gessit, siue bonum siue malum. per corpus quippe ibi dixit apostolus per tempus, quo uixit in corpore. neque enim si quis maligna mente atque inpia cogitatione blasphemet aeque id ullis membris corporis operetur, ideo non erit reus, quia id non motu corporis gessit, cum hoc per illud tempus gesserit, quo gessit et corpus. isto modo congruenter intellegi potest etiam illud, quod in psalmo legitur: deus autem rex noster ante saecula operatus est salutem in medio terrae; ut dominus Iesus accipiatur deus noster, qui est ante saecula, quia per ipsum facta sunt saecula, operatus salutem nostram in medio terrae, cum uerbum caro factum est et terreno habitauit in corpore.

deinde posteaquam prophetatum est in his uerbis Annae, quomodo gloriari debeat, qui gloriatur, non in se utique, sed in domino, propter retributionem, quae in die iudicii factura est: dominus ascendit, inquit, in caelos et tonuit; ipse iudicabit extrema terrae, quia iustus est. prorsus ordinem tenuit confessionis fidelium. ascendit enim in caelum dominus Christus, et inde uenturus est ad uiuos et mortuos iudicandos. nam quis ascendit, sicut dicit apostolus, nisi qui et descendit in inferiores partes terrae? qui descendit, ipse est qui ascendit super omnes caelos, ut adinpleret omnia. per nubes ergo suas tonuit, quas sancto spiritu cum ascendisset inpleuit. de quibus ancillae Hierusalem, hoc est ingratae uineae, comminatus est apud Esaiam prophetam, ne pluant super eam imbrem. sic autem dictum est: ipse iudicabit extrema terrae, ac si diceretur: etiam extrema terrae. non enim alias partes non iudicabit, qui omnes homines procul dubio iudicabit. sed melius intelleguntur extrema terra hominis; quoniam non iudicabuntur, quae in melius uel in deterius medio tempore commutantur, sed in quibus extremis inuentus fuerit, qui iudicabitur. Propter quod dictum est: Qui perseuerauerit usque in finem, hic saluus erit. Qui ergo perseueranter facit iudicium et iustitiam in medio terrae, non damnabitur, cum iudicabuntur extrema terrae. Et dat, inquit, uirtutem regibus nostris; ut non eos iudicando condemnet. Dat eis uirtutem, qua carnem sicut reges regant et in illo mundum, qui propter eos fudit sanguinem, uincant. Et exaltabit cornum christi sui. Quo modo Christus exaltabit cornum christi sui? De quo enim supra dictum est: Dominus ascendit in caelos, et intellectus est Dominus Christus: ipse, sicut hic dicitur, exaltabitt cornum christi sui. Quis ergo est christus Christi? An cornum exaltabit uniuscuiusque fidelis sui, sicut ista ipsa in principio huius hymni ait: Exaltatum est cornum meum in Deo meo? Omnes quippe unctos eius chrismate recte christos possumus dicere; quod tamen totum cum suo capite corpus unus est Christus. Haec Anna prophetauit, Samuelis mater, sancti uiri multumque laudati; in quo quidem tunc figurata est mutatio ueteris sacerdotii et nunc impleta, quando infirmata est quae multa erat in filiis, ut nouum haberet in Christo sacerdotium sterilis, quae peperit septem.

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The City of God

Chapter 4.--About the Prefigured Change of the Israelitic Kingdom and Priesthood, and About the Things Hannah the Mother of Samuel Prophesied, Personating the Church.

Therefore the advance of the city of God, where it reached the times of the kings, yielded a figure, when, on the rejection of Saul, David first obtained the kingdom on such a footing that thenceforth his descendants should reign in the earthly Jerusalem in continual succession; for the course of affairs signified and foretold, what is not to be passed by in silence, concerning the change of things to come, what belongs to both Testaments, the Old and the New,--where the priesthood and kingdom are changed by one who is a priest, and at the same time a king, new and everlasting, even Christ Jesus. For both the substitution in the ministry of God, on Eli's rejection as priest, of Samuel, who executed at once the office of priest and judge, and the establishment of David in the kingdom, when Saul was rejected, typified this of which I speak. And Hannah herself, the mother of Samuel, who formerly was barren, and afterwards was gladdened with fertility, does not seem to prophesy anything else, when she exultingly pours forth her thanksgiving to the Lord, on yielding up to God the same boy she had born and weaned with the same piety with which she had vowed him. For she says, "My heart is made strong in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; I am made glad in Thy salvation. Because there is none holy as the Lord; and none is righteous as our God: there is none holy save Thee. Do not glory so proudly, and do not speak lofty things, neither let vaunting talk come out of your mouth; for a God of knowledge is the Lord, and a God preparing His curious designs. The bow of the mighty hath He made weak, and the weak are girded with strength. They that were full of bread are diminished; and the hungry have passed beyond the earth: for the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth and maketh alive: He bringeth down to hell, and bringeth up again. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, that He may set him among the mighty of [His] people, and maketh them inherit the throne of glory; giving the vow to him that voweth, and He hath blessed the years of the just: for man is not mighty in strength. The Lord shall make His adversary weak: the Lord is holy. Let not the prudent glory in his prudence and let not the mighty glory in his might; and let not the rich glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, to understand and know the Lord, and to do judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. The Lord hath ascended into the heavens, and hath thundered: He shall judge the ends of the earth, for He is righteous: and He giveth strength to our kings, and shall exalt the horn of His Christ." ¹

Do you say that these are the words of a single weak woman giving thanks for the birth of a son? Can the mind of men be so much averse to the light of truth as not to perceive that the sayings this woman pours forth exceed her measure? Moreover, he who is suitably interested in these things which have already begun to be fulfilled even in this earthly pilgrimage also, does he not apply his mind, and perceive, and acknowledge, that through this woman--whose very name, which is Hannah, means "His grace"--the very Christian religion, the very city of God, whose king and founder is Christ, in fine, the very grace of God, hath thus spoken by the prophetic Spirit, whereby the proud are cut off so that they fall, and the humble are filled so that they rise, which that hymn chiefly celebrates? Unless perchance any one will say that this woman prophesied nothing, but only lauded God with exulting praise on account of the son whom she had obtained in answer to prayer. What then does she mean when she says, "The bow of the mighty hath He made weak, and the weak are girded with strength; they that were full of bread are diminished, and the hungry have gone beyond the earth; for the barren hath born seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble?" Had she herself born seven, although she had been barren? She had only one when she said that; neither did she bear seven afterwards, nor six, with whom Samuel himself might be the seventh, but three males and two females. And then, when as yet no one was king over that people, whence, if she did not prophesy, did she say what she puts at the end, "He giveth strength to our kings, and shall exalt the horn of His Christ?"

Therefore let the Church of Christ, the city of the great King, ² full of grace, prolific of offspring, let her say what the prophecy uttered about her so long before by the mouth of this pious mother confesses, "My heart is made strong in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God." Her heart is truly made strong, and her horn is truly exalted, because not in herself, but in the Lord her God. "My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;" because even in pressing straits the word of God is not bound, not even in preachers who are bound. ³ "I am made glad," she says, "in Thy salvation." This is Christ Jesus Himself, whom old Simeon, as we read in the Gospel, embracing as a little one, yet recognizing as great, said, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." ⁴ Therefore may the Church say, "I am made glad in Thy salvation. For there is none holy as the Lord, and none is righteous as our God;" as holy and sanctifying, just and justifying. ⁵ "There is none holy beside Thee;" because no one becomes so except by reason of Thee. And then it follows, "Do not glory so proudly, and do not speak lofty things, neither let vaunting talk come out of your mouth. For a God of knowledge is the Lord." He knows you even when no one knows; for "he who thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing deceiveth himself." ⁶ These things are said to the adversaries of the city of God who belong to Babylon, who presume in their own strength, and glory in themselves, not in the Lord; of whom are also the carnal Israelites, the earth-born inhabitants of the earthly Jerusalem, who, as saith the apostle, "being ignorant of the righteousness of God," ⁷ that is, which God, who alone is just, and the justifier, gives to man, "and wishing to establish their own," that is, which is as it were procured by their own selves, not bestowed by Him, "are not subject to the righteousness of God," just because they are proud, and think they are able to please God with their own, not with that which is of God, who is the God of knowledge, and therefore also takes the oversight of consciences, there beholding the thoughts of men that they are vain, ⁸ if they are of men, and are not from Him. "And preparing," she says, "His curious designs." What curious designs do we think these are, save that the proud must fall, and the humble rise? These curious designs she recounts, saying, "The bow of the mighty is made weak, and the weak are girded with strength." The bow is made weak, that is, the intention of those who think themselves so powerful, that without the gift and help of God they are able by human sufficiency to fulfill the divine commandments; and those are girded with strength whose in ward cry is, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak." ⁹

"They that were full of bread," she says, "are diminished, and the hungry have gone beyond the earth." Who are to be understood as full of bread except those same who were as if mighty, that is, the Israelites, to whom were committed the oracles of God? ¹⁰ But among that people the children of the bond maid were diminished,--by which word minus, although it is Latin, the idea is well expressed that from being greater they were made less,--because, even in the very bread, that is, the divine oracles, which the Israelites alone of all nations have received, they savor earthly things. But the nations to whom that law was not given, after they have come through the New Testament to these oracles, by thirsting much have gone beyond the earth, because in them they have savored not earthly, but heavenly things. And the reason why this is done is as it were sought; "for the barren," she says, "hath born seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble." Here all that had been prophesied hath shone forth to those who understood the number seven, which signifies the perfection of the universal Church. For which reason also the Apostle John writes to the seven churches, ¹¹ showing in that way that he writes to the totality of the one Church; and in the Proverbs of Solomon it is said aforetime, prefiguring this, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath strengthened her seven pillars." ¹² For the city of God was barren in all nations before that child arose whom we see. ¹³ We also see that the temporal Jerusalem, who had many children, is now waxed feeble. Because, whoever in her were sons of the free woman were her strength; but now, forasmuch as the letter is there, and not the spirit, having lost her strength, she is waxed feeble.

"The Lord killeth and maketh alive:" He has killed her who had many children, and made this barren one alive, so that she has born seven. Although it may be more suitably understood that He has made those same alive whom He has killed. For she, as it were, repeats that by adding, "He bringeth down to hell, and bringeth up." To whom truly the apostle says, "If ye be dead with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." ¹⁴ Therefore they are killed by the Lord in a salutary way, so that he adds, "Savor things which are above, not things on the earth;" so that these are they who, hungering, have passed beyond the earth. "For ye are dead," he says: behold how God savingly kills! Then there follows, "And your life is hid with Christ in God:" behold how God makes the same alive! But does He bring them down to hell and bring them up again? It is without controversy among believers that we best see both parts of this work fulfilled in Him, to wit our Head, with whom the apostle has said our life is hid in God. "For when He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all," ¹⁵ in that way, certainly, He has killed Him. And forasmuch as He raised Him up again from the dead, He has made Him alive again. And since His voice is acknowledged in the prophecy, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell," ¹⁶ He has brought Him down to hell and brought Him up again. By this poverty of His we are made rich; ¹⁷ for "the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich." But that we may know what this is, let us hear what follows: "He bringeth low and lifteth up;" and truly He humbles the proud and exalts the humble. Which we also read elsewhere, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." ¹⁸ This is the burden of the entire song of this woman whose name is interpreted "His grace."

Farther, what is added, "He raiseth up the poor from the earth," I understand of none better than of Him who, as was said a little ago, "was made poor for us, when He was rich, that by His poverty we might be made rich." For He raised Him from the earth so quickly that His flesh did not see corruption. Nor shall I divert from Him what is added, "And raiseth up the poor from the dunghill." For indeed he who is the poor man is also the beggar. ¹⁹ But by the dunghill from which he is lifted up we are with the greatest reason to understand the persecuting Jews, of whom the apostle says, when telling that when he belonged to them he persecuted the Church, "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ; and I have counted them not only loss, but even dung, that I might win Christ." ²⁰ Therefore that poor one is raised up from the earth above all the rich, and that beggar is lifted up from that dunghill above all the wealthy, "that he may sit among the mighty of the people," to whom He says, "Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones," ²¹ "and to make them inherit the throne of glory." For these mighty ones had said, "Lo, we have forsaken all and followed Thee." They had most mightily vowed this vow.

But whence do they receive this, except from Him of whom it is here immediately said, "Giving the vow to him that voweth?" Otherwise they would be of those mighty ones whose bow is weakened. "Giving," she saith, "the vow to him that voweth." For no one could vow anything acceptable to God, unless he received from Him that which he might vow. There follows, "And He hath blessed the years of the just," to wit, that he may live for ever with Him to whom it is said, "And Thy years shall have no end." For there the years abide; but here they pass away, yea, they perish: for before they come they are not, and when they shall have come they shall not be, because they bring their own end with them. Now of these two, that is, "giving the vow to him that voweth," and "He hath blessed the years of the just," the one is what we do, the other what we receive. But this other is not received from God, the liberal giver, until He, the helper, Himself has enabled us for the former; "for man is not mighty in strength." "The Lord shall make his adversary weak," to wit, him who envies the man that vows, and resists him, lest he should fulfill what he has vowed. Owing to the ambiguity of the Greek, it may also be understood "his own adversary." For when God has begun to possess us, immediately he who had been our adversary becomes His, and is conquered by us; but not by our own strength, "for man is not mighty in strength." Therefore "the Lord shall make His own adversary weak, the Lord is holy," that he may be conquered by the saints, whom the Lord, the Holy of holies, hath made saints. For this reason, "let not the prudent glory in his prudence, and let not the mighty glory in his might, and let not the rich glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this,--to understand and know the Lord, and to do judgment and justice in the midst of the earth." He in no small measure understands and knows the Lord who understands and knows that even this, that he can understand and know the Lord, is given to him by the Lord. "For what hast thou," saith the apostle, "that thou hast not received? But if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?" ²² That is, as if thou hadst of thine own self whereof thou mightest glory. Now, he does judgment and justice who lives aright. But he lives aright who yields obedience to God when He commands. "The end of the commandment," that is, to which the commandment has reference, "is charity out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned." Moreover, this "charity," as the Apostle John testifies, "is of God." ²³ Therefore to do justice and judgment is of God. But what is "in the midst of the earth?" For ought those who dwell in the ends of the earth not to do judgment and justice? Who would say so? Why, then, is it added, "In the midst of the earth?" For if this had not been added, and it had only been said, "To do judgment and justice," this commandment would rather have pertained to both kinds of men,--both those dwelling inland and those on the sea-coast. But lest any one should think that, after the end of the life led in this body, there remains a time for doing judgment and justice which he has not done while he was in the flesh, and that the divine judgment can thus be escaped, "in the midst of the earth" appears to me to be said of the time when every one lives in the body; for in this life every one carries about his own earth, which, on a man's dying, the common earth takes back, to be surely returned to him on his rising again. Therefore "in the midst of the earth," that is, while our soul is shut up in this earthly body, judgment and justice are to be done, which shall be profitable for us hereafter, when "every one shall receive according to that he hath done in the body, whether good or bad." ²⁴ For when the apostle there says "in the body," he means in the time he has lived in the body. Yet if any one blaspheme with malicious mind and impious thought, without any member of his body being employed in it, he shall not therefore be guiltless because he has not done it with bodily motion, for he will have done it in that time which he has spent in the body. In the same way we may suitably understand what we read in the psalm, "But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth;" ²⁵ so that the Lord Jesus may be understood to be our God who is before the worlds, because by Him the worlds were made, working our salvation in the midst of the earth, for the Word was made flesh and dwelt in an earthly body.

Then after Hannah has prophesied in these words, that he who glorieth ought to glory not in himself at all, but in the Lord, she says, on account of the retribution which is to come on the day of judgment, "The Lord hath ascended into the heavens, and hath thundered: He shall judge the ends of the earth, for He is righteous." Throughout she holds to the order of the creed of Christians: For the Lord Christ has ascended into heaven, and is to come thence to judge the quick and dead. ²⁶ For, as saith the apostle, "Who hath ascended but He who hath also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up above all heavens, that He might fill all things." ²⁷ Therefore He hath thundered through His clouds, which He hath filled with His Holy Spirit when He ascended up. Concerning which the bond maid Jerusalem--that is, the unfruitful vineyard--is threatened in Isaiah the prophet that they shall rain no showers upon her. But "He shall judge the ends of the earth" is spoken as if it had been said, "even the extremes of the earth." For it does not mean that He shall not judge the other parts of the earth, who, without doubt, shall judge all men. But it is better to understand by the extremes of the earth the extremes of man, since those things shall not be judged which, in the middle time, are changed for the better or the worse, but the ending in which he shall be found who is judged. For which reason it is said, "He that shall persevere even unto the end, the same shall be saved." ²⁸ He, therefore, who perseveringly does judgment and justice in the midst of the earth shall not be condemned when the extremes of the earth shall be judged. "And giveth," she saith, "strength to our kings," that He may not condemn them in judging. He giveth them strength whereby as kings they rule the flesh, and conquer the world in Him who hath poured out His blood for them. "And shall exalt the horn of His Christ." How shall Christ exalt the horn of His Christ? For He of whom it was said above, "The Lord hath ascended into the heavens," meaning the Lord Christ, Himself, as it is said here, "shall exalt the horn of His Christ." Who, therefore, is the Christ of His Christ? Does it mean that He shall exalt the horn of each one of His believing people, as she says in the beginning of this hymn, "Mine horn is exalted in my God?" For we can rightly call all those christs who are anointed with His chrism, forasmuch as the whole body with its head is one Christ. ²⁹ These things hath Hannah, the mother of Samuel, the holy and much-praised man, prophesied, in which, indeed, the change of the ancient priesthood was then figured and is now fulfilled, since she that had many children is waxed feeble, that the barren who hath born seven might have the new priesthood in Christ.