Sermon 91: 1 Samuel 25:28-35

28. For the Lord will surely make for you, my lord, a faithful house: because you, my lord, fight the battles of the Lord; let no evil therefore be found in you all the days of your life. 29. For if a man should rise up at any time pursuing you, and seeking your soul, the soul of my lord shall be kept as in a bundle of the living with the Lord your God: but the soul of your enemies shall be whirled as in the rush and circle of a sling. 30. When therefore the Lord shall do for you, my lord, all these good things which he has spoken concerning you, and shall appoint you leader, 31. This shall not be a sob and a scruple of heart to you, my lord, that you have shed innocent blood, or have avenged yourself with your own hand: and when the Lord shall have done good to my lord, you will remember your handmaid. 32. And David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me: 33. and blessed be your speech, and blessed are you who today have prevented me from going to bloodshed, and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34. Otherwise, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has prevented me from doing you harm: unless you had quickly come to meet me, there would not have remained to Nabal until the morning light one that pisses against the wall. 35. So David received from her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into your house, behold, I have heard your voice, and I have honored your face.

Abigail, about to placate David's anger and persuade him not to carry out the cruelty he had proposed against Nabal and his whole household, used chiefly two reasons:

the former being that David, waging the Lord's wars, defended a good cause, and accordingly was never to be deprived of the help of the Lord, from whom he ought to hope for a happy outcome of all things; the other, that David, well managing a good cause, had also to be endowed with a double grace of the Lord. From which a useful doctrine is to be gathered for us. And in the first place, that those who undertake anything great must be certain of their calling, if they wish to have God as helper: and undertake nothing rashly, but approve their cause to God. Therefore come, let each so order his life that he undertake nothing rashly, nor what desire dictates, but follow what God commands. For often men feign marvelous things to themselves, desiring their deeds to be praised, and relying on their own reasonings. And indeed if we weigh those words of Abigail by which she says David is waging the Lord's wars, it will better appear from them that our deeds cannot be approved by any other reasoning than if they rest on this foundation, that they are not contrary to God's will and ordination, but are regulated by his decree. Furthermore, it must be held that those who can truly profess that, with God as leader, they have undertaken whatever they have undertaken, and have deflected neither to right nor left from the way which he prescribes, although they may be tossed by various tempests, will nonetheless have a happy outcome of their counsels and deeds. But it does not suffice that the cause be good; the same must also be well conducted. For you may see most men defending a good and holy cause, but yet by impatience now to this side, now to that, being borne; and indeed for the most part the sons of God slip into this vice, since it is easy to be carried beyond the limits and to wander. Therefore every effort must be given that, if we have undertaken what God has commanded, we also pursue it by reasonings and means approved by God, and not, under some pretext of the goodness of the cause, follow whatever desire shall dictate: but always look to what is lawful. This therefore is to be fixed in our minds and meditated as long as life remains, and God is to be invoked in all our difficulties: and we must hope that he will be present to us in all straits, and supply whatever shall be necessary for our help: as the prophet sings, that God has commanded his angels that they keep those walking in the ways of the Lord, and bear and protect them with their hands, lest perhaps they strike against a stone. Where it is to be observed that each is bidden to walk in his own ways, that is, in the ways which the Lord himself has prescribed; in which words are contained those things of which we treated above, namely that we obey God, and undertake nothing rashly and inconsiderately: and therefore that, although we proceed according to the calling of the Lord, although we be solicited by various temptations to evil, yet let us put a bridle on our affections and so conduct ourselves that it may truly be said that no evil has befallen us in our days, that is, let us so contain ourselves within limits that we never incline to this or that side, and seek to defend deeds with vain evasions. For perseverance in good is difficult, and the slip into any kind of counsels easy. Therefore so much more must we labor that under God's auspices we wage war, and do nothing except with him consulted and commanding, and have the firmest testimonies of his will.

Moreover, Abigail, proceeding to confirmation of her opinion, adds: 'For if a man should rise up at any time pursuing you and seeking your soul, the soul of my lord shall be kept as in a bundle of the living with the Lord your God.' She uses, moreover, a similitude which might rightly seem to us harder, but which nevertheless has nothing of obscurity in it, when she says the soul of David shall be guarded as in a bundle with God. But since the secrets of God's providence are so sublime that we do not sufficiently grasp them with our senses, therefore Scripture, as it were stammering with us, expresses them with certain phrases customary among us. Thus Abigail in this place represents the care of God's providence by this similitude, as if God wraps in a bundle those whom he guards, and lays them up like some precious gem in some purer and holier place, lest there be need to seek them long when they have been cast aside and neglected. Thus God is said to have the souls of his elect compacted as it were in a bundle, because by his providence he protects them: and so Abigail says David's soul is to be protected by God. Moreover, although we hear a woman speaking here, nevertheless her doctrine is to be received as proceeding from the Spirit of God himself, of which she was the organ and instrument. Therefore let us observe that our life, which seems to be nothing but a certain breath, and is wont to flow away like water, is nevertheless most firm because God deigns to take care of it. Therefore the prophet sings in the psalms that God's mercy is far more excellent than all life. For if we should seem to be furnished with many means for the safeguarding and protection of our life, and seriously incumbent on that pursuit, that labor will nevertheless be vain and empty, unless God himself guards us: but when we know that we are a care to God, and that since he has placed us in this world, he also nurtures us under the shadow of his wings, until from the same he will recall us, every occasion of fear seems removed: and that custody of the Lord is to be made more of than all other human arts and warnings by which we should desire to be protected. God therefore pursues us with singular care, since he loves us. And unless our life were precious to him, he would surely not arrogate that office of protecting to himself. Nor indeed is his goodness and mercy toward us to be ascribed to our merits, but rather to his immense clemency, who lowers himself to such a degree that he loves such wretched manikins, and takes us into his protection -- us, I say, not only manikins, but most wretched creatures, worms of the earth, subject to vanity and corruption, and to keep us as his own treasure, and to wish to lay up our life as it were compacted in a bundle, in a safe place as in his ark, lest it always lie open to the prey and rapine of enemies, but be as if placed in safety, secure. Yet these things are not to be said of all in general, since this sentence depends on what we heard a little before, namely that David's soul, to whom God had promised so many things, is contained by the same as in the bundle of the living. Therefore let us learn to walk in simplicity before God, and commit ourselves to his clientship, certainly persuaded that we shall be partakers of the same benefit, and that our life will be laid up by him in the bundle of the living. Moreover, if God bears so great a care of his own, and of this fading life that falls like a little flower, what are we to judge concerning the eternal salvation of souls? Indeed, if God deigns to care for and protect this fragile and fading life, it is certain that the life of our souls is far more highly commended to him: and as much as that [life of the soul] is more excellent than this fragile one, so also it is far more precious. Therefore let us not doubt but that he protects those who flee under the protection of his wings, so that, although exposed to many dangers, they are nevertheless in the safest place, and as it were in port, because God undertakes their care and defense. The better to comprehend which doctrine, come, let us institute a comparison between these contraries. The life of man according to outward appearance, I ask, what is it? Is it not smoke or a breath, that easily goes off into the air? Is it not inconstant and fragile, so that nothing more uncertain can seem to exist? Indeed even the life of our souls is most fragile, exposed to a thousand dangers, with the devil and those depraved spirits in a thousand ways laying snares against it and contriving its destruction. Therefore if you inspect human life, both of soul and of body, and judge of the state of men from the aspect of external things, we shall seem to have been forsaken by God, and not to have even a moment of time secure, but perpetually to fluctuate uncertainly, and for a life which we reckon to be the space of a single hour to be surrounded by a thousand dangers of death, and to be the most unhappy of all, so that we pass no day on which our life is not endangered a hundred thousand times: it must be concluded that we are nothing in respect to our soul and body, and are fragile, weak and fading, and accordingly slip away and flow off in a moment, and finally are a vapor that immediately departs into the air. Thus on the other hand we must rise to God, who has our life in his hand, and guards it as a deposit, as Peter teaches in his first epistle, and accordingly protects and defends [it] against any dangers whatever. Thus souls are most firm and most secure with God. Worthy therefore of diligent consideration is that voice, 'with God,' by which we are admonished that even in matters of men deplorable in opinion God nevertheless brings a remedy, and salvation where only despair seemed left. Therefore let us learn to deposit ourselves and all our things in the hands of God, that we may truly and without dissimulation be able to say with David, 'Lord, I commend my life into your hands.' Furthermore, when God is said to be about to guard the soul or life of David against the man pursuing it, by this we are taught, when men are leveling threats against us, and persecuting us in various ways, and the conspiring enemies of the church are preparing teeth and throat to gulp us down, to flee to God, to him with ardent vows, since then is the opportune time in which God is to manifest himself in deed itself as our defender and protector, if ever otherwise. Therefore when adversaries -- ours, namely, and those who persecute us -- rise up, let us never lose heart, but flee to God, who will so well compose our souls into a bundle, and lay them up in a hidden place, that no one can snatch them out of his hands: but although the enemies be furnished with great forces, he will nevertheless be far superior to them, and whatever they shall contrive, will dissipate by his power, and stretch forth his unconquered might against them for our protection.

Moreover, from these words of Abigail it appears that she wished as it were with her finger to point out Saul, then plotting against David's life, and tracking and pursuing him for slaughter like some rabid and furious lion. But she calls him a man, in order by that word to denote that he would by no means accomplish his counsels and attempts, since the affair is for him with God, who easily resists his attempts. Therefore that word 'Man' is to be diligently observed, so that if it should ever befall us to be pressed by grave dangers, so that our salvation should seem to be done with, persuaded that our salvation is placed in God, and that we are in his custody, let us call to memory what we are taught in this place, that the enemies are nothing but men. And what is man? Surely he is dust, vanity and corruption. Shall we then fear the little manikin, the worm of the earth, rising against God in our persons, which he has already taken into his protection and clientship? Finally, from this place that other saying of David is confirmed, 'Since the Lord stands for me, what shall flesh do to me? God is for me a bulwark and a most safe citadel.' Therefore when wicked men rise up against us, and conspire together, and enter into depraved counsels against our souls, and seek our slaughter, so that now ultimate destruction seems to threaten our heads, and fires blaze on every side, and we now seem to have come into the very jaws of the enemies to be torn: yet we can truly affirm that they are nothing but men, and excrements of the earth, who rage against us. For although we be unequal to them in strength, so much so so that, since we cannot resist by our own strength, we may be solicitous in remembering that God watches over us, and is for us a shield and most certain rampart, who keeps souls bound in the bundle of the living like most precious gems. Resting on these most certain reasons, let us conclude that these created mortal things can do nothing against God, and accordingly nothing against us; and therefore with present mind let us follow our calling, persuaded that God will perfect the work begun in us. Indeed in these times this doctrine is very necessary for us, in which we experience with what fury the enemies of truth rise up against us and seek our life to death, and threaten dire things. But what would happen to us wretches if this present remedy were not offered, namely the power of God, to which fleeing for refuge we know we shall never be deserted, since God never forgets his own? Therefore though our life seem about to be taken away in a small moment, let us not however doubt that it is most safe, of which God has undertaken the protection: trusting in this aid it is certain that we shall constantly fight against all our enemies and insult the same, and have their strength and power as a mockery. For what else are they but petty men who can do nothing, just as in another psalm the prophet says: Lord, make the nations know that they are men -- that is, exercise your power, and uncover their madness; make them understand that rising up against me, whom you have taken into your protection, they are deceived in their long opinion. Indeed if this is fixed more deeply in our minds, however great the storms that arise, nevertheless undaunted we will go on in our calling, resting in God as in a most certain protection, and so calling upon him that we are not held by any chances whatever that befall. I confess indeed that we ought not to be stupefied like cowards and sit down like the dim-witted: for this would be brute stupidity. But yet we ought to be moved by imminent dangers in such a way that we firmly resolve in our minds that God can bring a most present remedy to all things; and let us solicit him with assiduous prayers, since we know that he is the defender of our cause in court, which rests on his most certain will; and let us await the fruit of our prayers at the opportune time.

Proceeding, Abigail adds: When the Lord shall have appointed you leader over Israel, this will not be to you for an offense, that you have shed innocent blood. How full of singular doctrine these words are! For although Abigail was speaking to David and was pleading her own case before him, yet from David's response it will appear that she spoke by the impulse of the Spirit of God. Therefore in this place she sets forth a general doctrine, namely that those who have committed some crime, even if they obtain mercy from the Lord, are nonetheless pricked by the stings of conscience, and we see that Abigail had Saul in mind, established king of Israel, and yet meanwhile she says that if he commits any crime, hereafter he will be led by repentance for the deed, and thus the peace and tranquility which God himself granted to him will be disturbed. Thus therefore we are taught that our perfect blessedness and felicity is a right conscience, conscious to itself of no crime or injury inflicted on anyone, but maintaining itself by its integrity and sincerity before God and men. Although I confess that the most upright of men, if they were forced to render an account of their life before God, would be guilty of a thousand sins; and accordingly they must flee to his mercy, and with David acknowledge that the sole felicity of a Christian man is placed in the divine clemency, by which our sins are buried and consigned to oblivion, that they no longer come into the reckoning before him. But we are speaking about that integrity by which we converse among men, willing to do injury to none, neither repaying evil with evil, nor recompensing enemies according to their deserts, nor extorting anything by frauds and rapines: but rather making up evil with good. Then truly we shall lead a quiet and tranquil life, and ample matter of joy will be offered to us, when, even with God himself as witness, we shall be well conscious to ourselves that we have wished to satisfy our duty toward our neighbor in all simplicity, and to have injured our neighbors with neither injuries nor frauds. On the contrary it is certain that those conscious to themselves of injuries and contumelies, of rapines and fraud, although they enjoy prosperity, are nonetheless always urged on by the stings of conscience, so that in the highest abundance of things they are nonetheless wasted by sadness and grief over things past. Therefore let us learn so to bear ourselves toward our neighbors that no one has occasion to complain of us, that we have afflicted him with contumely or injuries. But especially let us abstain from all violence, and beware of shedding human blood, that with peaceful and tranquil conscience we may be able to use the gifts of God, to enjoy them without the gnawing of conscience, and without any disquiet or impediment. These things therefore must be retained from those words of Abigail, in which she expressly admonishes David to beware of injury and the shedding of blood for himself, that when he comes to the royal dignity, he may be pressed by no stings of conscience on account of human blood shed. Further, since here it is a question of the shedding of human blood, let us observe that, just as the blood of Abel demanded vengeance from the Lord against his brother, so also it will happen that if we afflict any with injury, who however do not complain, or even are killed, their death and blood may sufficiently cry out before God to accuse us, and to convict us before God, and render us inexcusable. Therefore by these reins our desires must be bridled, that among men we may live without injury and contumely; and if this is done, our conscience will be peaceful and tranquil, free from all scruple and gnawing, and we shall enjoy the gifts of God in peace.

Meanwhile let us observe that Abigail addresses David, and holds him for king, although he was then needy and a fugitive, because she looks upon the promises made by the Lord. But that promise was hidden, as we saw before, although it was not so hidden as not to have come to the ears of Saul, who was not ignorant of it. For although Samuel had been sent to David as if to anoint him secretly, Saul nevertheless was made certain of this fact, so that he could pretend no ignorance for rejecting that visible sign conferred upon David, since he knew Samuel to be a faithful servant and messenger of God. Resting on this foundation, therefore, Abigail concludes that David will be king, since God has so decreed, whose will is irrevocable. Let us therefore learn from this so to lean on God's promises that we do not pass judgment on their outcome from the present state of affairs. For otherwise the state of the church would seem to be condemned: indeed even of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is its head. For who, I beseech, does not notice with what contempt the enemies of the gospel reject sound doctrine; indeed with what fury and madness of mind they trample it under foot, and attack it as if to overturn it utterly? Then if we consider those whom God has called to the knowledge of himself, we shall find a small band of men, ignoble and for the most part hated by the world and at every moment in danger, and exposed to the hatreds and injuries of the malevolent, and as it were buried under iniquitous judgments. The condition of our Lord Jesus Christ is no better, whom we see so assailed on every side by the satellites of the so-called catholic Roman faith and those exteriorly professing a certain sanctity, joined with iniquitous judges themselves and those holding the word of God in hatred, that they seem to wish to drag him from his throne and cast him down. Therefore if from the external sense of things we wish to pass judgment on Christ and his church, it is certain that the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will be foolishness to us, nor will his power be reckoned by us as much as is fitting, and the wretched church will be despised as an abject thing, and his name will be buried as if in perpetual oblivion. But it befits us to use Abigail as the best teacher and master, that we may direct the eyes of faith and all our senses to the promises of God. For it is not here a question of a promise made by mortal man, nor of an earthly and perishable kingdom. For David's kingdom indeed was not long-lasting, although it was a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. But now the Son of God has been revealed to us, and the promise of his kingdom openly proclaimed, and indeed by his own mouth, just as the prophet beautifully teaches in Psalm 2 that Christ received this office from the Father, when he says: I will declare from a decree, Jehovah said to me, You are my Son: today I have begotten you; ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your possession, the right, I say, of your possession, the ends of the earth. Since therefore the sound of the gospel like a trumpet has resounded throughout the whole world, and the voice of God himself has sounded forth, it is fitting that we venerate and worship our Lord Jesus Christ as Son of God, and willingly bow our necks to him, and adore him, endowed with majesty, power, and the highest virtue: and by this goad let us be more urged than by all admonitions, because we know that this kingdom of our Lord is not momentary but eternal: whose head is the Son of God himself: and of which we know we are members: sent to us from heaven by no doubtful or uncertain testimony. Therefore the greater the storms and tempests we see this world raging against this kingdom, and pressing the Christian church, the more ardently let us lift our eyes on high, and contemplate the goodness and clemency of God, and entreat him with suppliant vows that he have mercy on the church, and break all the assaults of Satan against it, and remove according to his mercy whatever may lead us into temptation. Finally, as often as we see the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ despised, and his word trampled under foot, and the church pressed by the threats of conspiring enemies, let us never therefore waver, or shrink from our purpose: but let us flee to him, certainly persuaded that he will never fail us at the opportune time, and trusting in his power let us remain undaunted: and since we know that he holds the threats of enemies, and all their force and power as a mockery, let us, safe in this impregnable bulwark, boldly insult all the counsels and attempts of the lost.

And thus far concerning these words of Abigail. Let us proceed to the following part of her speech in which she insinuates herself into David's favor, with these words: When Jehovah my Lord shall have done well to you, that you may remember your handmaid. From which words it appears that she pleads her cause and patronizes her family in such a way -- that David might not avenge the injury done to him -- that she also exhibits a testimony of her excellent faith, looking to the promises of God. For if she had judged from external things, like her husband Nabal, she could indeed have held David as a mockery, and received his messengers with derisions. What could that fugitive, what could that exile do against my family? He who among the dens of wild beasts, hated by all, is forced to sustain his life: would he, I say, that wretch frighten me? But Abigail not only feared lest David should suddenly avenge the injury done him: but extended the eyes of her mind much further, and asks him that when he is sent into possession of the kingdom by the Lord, he remember and have mercy on her. But what then was men's judgment of David's kingdom? Who would ever have hoped that he would attain to royal dignity? Therefore the more remarkable is Abigail's faith, the more constant it was, in that overcoming all those difficulties by which she saw David exercised, she simply acquiesces in the promises of God: whom she had known to be faithful, and accordingly to fulfill in their time the things foretold by his command. Therefore Abigail conceived in her mind David's kingdom, of which by men's judgment there was no hope.

Next follows that David blessed her: but in the first place praised God, and gave thanks to Abigail herself and congratulated her, because she had been the author to him of the best counsel, and had turned him aside from shedding human blood. From which it appears that David did not indulge his affections, but as if reins were thrown on him, restrained his anger from the Lord, and was deterred from the proposed slaughter, and gave thanks to God that by his providence he had met so great an evil. A deed worthy of singular observation. For commonly men greedy of vengeance, and giving place to their affections, never rest until the thing is done, and the vengeance they have determined upon is carried out: indeed so much so that if God puts upon them any delay or impediment, they gnash their teeth, and like savage beasts champ the bit, and snarl against God himself. But on the contrary David here openly professes himself most alien from such affections, unwilling to rise up against God: and although he had suffered something human, with placid mind he admitted the woman's counsel, whom he recognized as sent ahead by God to meet the highest evil. Therefore in the first place he blesses God, recognizing that Abigail's encounter, by which his anger had been calmed, was not by chance. A rare virtue indeed in men, whom we mostly see so transversed and preoccupied by their affections that they leave no place for any admonitions, nor allow themselves to be moved from their purpose. From there therefore from the very vehemence of the affections is born obstinacy in carrying out wicked counsels. Let us therefore learn, when admonished of duty, to desist from what we have begun, lest we provoke God more against us, but rather pray him to rule us by his Spirit, without whose help we always turn aside from the right way. For, I ask, would David not have yielded to the woman, unless God had put a good mind into him, and engraved his fear in his soul? Indeed since without dispute he allowed himself to be calmed by the words of that woman, and obeyed her counsels, it was a sign that he did not stop in this woman: but rose higher to God, by whose providence and not by chance she had met him. Hence let us learn, when prohibited from carrying out what we had determined in our mind, to recognize that God has had pity on us, and put on us a delay so that we should not go further. And if our counsels are broken, let us not bear it grievously, nor be indignant that our wrath has been restrained and repressed, nor contend against God: but rather let us proclaim his name with praises and thanksgivings for his actions, because he has not permitted us to be carried away by our desires.

There follows next David's congratulation to Abigail: Blessed be your counsel, and blessed are you yourself, who have kept me back this very day from going to bloodshed, and from my hand avenging me. Blessing Abigail's counsel, he professes to recognize that it came forth from the Lord, and thereby he also bears witness blessing her, that he is willing to admit her holy admonitions, and willingly to yield, and ready to obey one who admonishes well. Which is worthy of the highest observation: since it is certain that men by nature are carried in the contrary direction. For you may see almost all, even when convicted of their malice and restrained by the Lord himself that they may return to a better mind, nevertheless become angry at those whose ministry God has used to admonish them, and chide them with these and similar words: What has he to do with me? Why does he not look to his own affairs and leave mine to me? But on the contrary we see David so giving thanks to God: that he restrained him from committing the slaughter, and put reins on his depraved desire: and at the same time also blessing that woman who came to meet him as he was hastening to slaughter, and by faithful warnings moved him from his purpose. Further, by these words David attributes to Abigail what Abigail had earlier attributed to God, when speaking to him above she said: Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, since Jehovah restrains you from bloodshed. For Abigail professes that it was done by divine providence, that David was restrained from committing slaughter, and from destroying Nabal's family, as he had purposed. But David on the contrary says that by Abigail's work and counsel he abstained from slaughter and vengeance. But these things nevertheless agree beautifully among themselves. For God uses the work of mortals in such a way, while he works, that men appear to do what is properly the work of the Lord. For example, if anyone has suggested good counsel to us, and turned us aside from a depraved deliberation and purpose, we ought to acknowledge ourselves greatly bound to him on this account: for otherwise it would be a testimony of the highest ingratitude not to acknowledge and testify a grateful mind toward him by whose work and counsel we have escaped the highest danger that was hanging over us: and so we see men magnified as vicars of God and doing his work. Yet men are not to be praised in such a way that meanwhile God is consigned to oblivion, and all the glory of his work is transferred to mortal man: for we must rise higher, to God, who willed to use such an instrument for our salvation. And indeed this doctrine must be observed the more diligently, the more it is variously sinned against by many. Some indeed bear admonition with equanimity, others impatiently, others finally bear it ungratefully. For they say, these fanatics: Granted, he suggested a good counsel to me, by sound counsel he restored my life -- but how? Was not God himself the author of my salvation? And so they show themselves ungrateful to those who do them good, whose work God has used in promoting their salvation. But men of this sort swell with ambition and arrogance, and seem to wish to resist God himself, hindering his gifts from appearing in men. Others rush headlong into the contrary vice, valuing so highly the men from whom they have received certain benefits, that they do not remember God. Let us therefore learn so to reconcile these things, that whatever benefits we receive, we attribute to God as author and bestower, who alone is the fount and spring of all good things, to whom therefore we owe the praise of thanksgivings. And yet let us recognize men as his ministers and instruments, and give them due honor and glory, in such a way that nothing is detracted from his glory, to whom all honor and glory is due: but rather let the goodness of God be proclaimed, who uses his created things for our usefulness and advantage. As to the fact that here it is called Counsel, it can be taken for something wisely said or for prudence. But in whatever sense it is said, we see David greatly proclaim and admit the counsel suggested to him by the woman. Therefore let us learn not to blush when admonished, and to subject ourselves to the sound counsels of those who sincerely admonish us: or who reprove us for sins committed, or hinder those ready to commit them, of whatever sex or condition they may be: but rather let us receive them as sent to us divinely, and willingly confess our sins, imitating the example of David, who, having praised the counsel of Abigail, confesses that he had been restrained from doing evil, and from destroying the whole house of Nabal, as he had purposed in his mind. For, he says, unless you had come hastening to meet me, certainly there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light one urinating against the wall. Indeed, those who display some boldness and wish to terrify others often speak thus: but David's intent here was far other. For the fact that he confesses he had been ready to shed blood, makes for proclaiming more and more the glory and mercy of God, by whose grace he had been restrained from shedding blood, and therefore he gives thanks to God that by the woman's sound counsel he was hindered from defiling his hands with innocent blood. Therefore he was not so blinded by pride as to plunge himself headlong into evil. For, I beseech, with what crime, how abominable and detestable, would he have polluted himself, worthy of eternal punishments, although he should pass the rest of his life in highest innocence: just as we see he was made guilty before God by the death of Uriah, which he procured for that faithful servant after violating and corrupting his wife by adultery, by which crime he called eternal disgrace upon his head, had not God had pity on him? For this cause therefore he gives thanks to God, that he did not allow him to come to such madness as to defile his life with human and innocent blood, and to be overwhelmed with perpetual disgrace, but willed that this woman should meet him, to turn aside from his head this evil, which he was contriving under the false pretext of avenging an injury. Let us therefore by David's example learn so to acknowledge sins, that we extol God's grace with the praises of our mind, and not confess them with feigned and fictitious words, but ingenuously acknowledge that we shall be wretched and lost, without God's mercy, who comes to meet us, that we may not rush into crimes, and stretches out his hand that we may emerge from the gulfs of the abyss.

Now then, come, etc.

## Homilia 92.

28. For the Lord will certainly make a lasting house for you, my lord, because you, my lord, fight the battles of the Lord. Therefore let no evil be found in you all your days. 29. And should anyone rise up to pursue you and seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. But the lives of your enemies He will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. 30. When the Lord has done to my lord all the good He has spoken concerning you and has appointed you ruler over Israel, 31. this will not cause you grief or a troubled conscience, my lord — that you shed blood without cause or that my lord took vengeance himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, please remember your servant. 32. Then David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. 33. And blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from taking vengeance with my own hand. 34. For as surely as the Lord the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one male. 35. So David received from her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to you and honored your request.

Abigail, in her effort to calm David's anger and persuade him not to carry out the cruelty he had planned against Nabal and his entire household, relied mainly on two arguments:

The first was that David, waging the Lord's battles, was defending a right cause — and therefore would never be deprived of the Lord's help, from whom he should hope for a good outcome of all things. The second was that David, managing a right cause well, must also be endowed with a double portion of the Lord's grace. From this we can draw a valuable lesson. First, those who undertake anything of importance must be certain of their calling if they want God as their helper — they must not rush into things rashly, but must bring their cause before God. Let each person therefore order his life so that he undertakes nothing rashly or out of mere desire, but follows only what God commands. People often imagine wonderful things about themselves, wanting their deeds to be praised, and they rely on their own reasoning. But if we weigh Abigail's words where she says David is waging the Lord's battles, it becomes clear that our deeds can be approved in no other way than when they rest on this foundation: they are not contrary to God's will and order, but are directed by His decree. Furthermore, it must be held that those who can truly say that they have undertaken everything with God as their guide — deflecting neither to the right nor to the left from the path He prescribes — will have a good outcome for their plans and deeds, even if they are tossed by many storms along the way. But it is not enough for the cause to be good — it must also be well conducted. You may see most people defending a good and holy cause, yet carried now one way and now another by impatience — and in fact God's own children often fall into this vice, since it is easy to go beyond the limits and wander off. Every effort must therefore be made so that if we have undertaken what God has commanded, we also pursue it by means and reasoning approved by God — not using the goodness of our cause as a pretext to follow whatever desire dictates. We must always keep asking what is actually lawful. This must be fixed in our minds and meditated on as long as life lasts. God must be called on in all our difficulties, and we must hope that He will be present to us in every tight place and supply whatever we need — as the Psalmist sings, that God has commanded His angels to guard those who walk in the Lord's ways, to bear them up so that they do not strike their foot against a stone. Note that each person is told to walk in their own ways — that is, in the ways the Lord Himself has prescribed. This contains what we treated above: that we obey God and undertake nothing rashly and carelessly. And therefore, though we proceed according to God's calling, though we are solicited by various temptations to evil, let us put a bridle on our passions and so conduct ourselves that it may truly be said that no evil has befallen us in our days — meaning, let us keep within our limits, never leaning to this side or that, never trying to defend our deeds with hollow excuses. Perseverance in good is hard, and the slide into all kinds of schemes is easy. So much more must we labor to wage our battles under God's direction, to do nothing without His guidance and command, and to have the surest possible testimony of His will.

Abigail then adds a further confirmation: 'If a man should rise up at any time pursuing you and seeking your life, the life of my lord shall be kept as in a bundle of the living with the Lord your God.' She uses a figure of speech that might seem difficult at first, but it is not obscure: she says David's soul will be guarded as in a bundle with God. The secrets of God's providence are so high above us that our senses cannot fully grasp them, so Scripture comes down to our level and expresses these truths through familiar images. Here Abigail pictures God's providential care this way: God wraps those He guards in a bundle, setting them aside like precious gems in a pure and holy place — so they are never lost or forgotten. God is said to hold the souls of His elect compacted in a bundle because He protects them by His providence. That is exactly what Abigail says about David's soul. Although we hear a woman speaking here, her teaching comes from the Spirit of God, whose instrument she was. We must receive it accordingly. Notice this: our life, which seems nothing but a breath and flows away like water, is nevertheless secure — because God deigns to care for it. The psalmist therefore sings that God's mercy is far more excellent than all life. We may equip ourselves with every means of self-preservation and work hard to protect ourselves, but that labor will be empty unless God Himself guards us. When we know that we are a concern to God — that since He placed us in this world He also shelters us under the shadow of His wings until He calls us home — every cause for fear is removed. That custody of the Lord is worth more than all human skill and every precaution by which we try to protect ourselves. God pursues us with singular care because He loves us. If our life were not precious to Him, He would not take upon Himself the office of protecting it. His goodness and mercy toward us come not from our merits but from His immense grace — He stoops so low as to love such miserable creatures, worms of the earth, subject to decay and corruption. He takes us into His protection, lays up our life as in a bundle in a safe place, as in His own ark — so that it does not lie exposed to the plunder of enemies but rests in safety and security. Yet this does not apply to everyone indiscriminately, for this promise flows from what we heard just before: David's soul, to whom God had made so many promises, is held by God in the bundle of the living. Let us therefore learn to walk before God in simplicity and commit ourselves to His care, fully confident that we will share in this same blessing — that our life will be laid up by Him in the bundle of the living. Moreover, if God cares so greatly for His own even in this fading life, which falls like a small flower, what should we think about the eternal salvation of our souls? If God deigns to care for and protect this fragile and passing life, how much more is the life of our souls commended to Him? As much as the soul's life surpasses this fragile bodily life, so much more precious is it to Him. Do not doubt, then, that He protects those who flee under the shelter of His wings — though they are exposed to many dangers, they are in the safest place, as if already in harbor, because God has taken their care and defense upon Himself. To grasp this teaching better, consider the contrast. What is human life as it appears outwardly? Is it not smoke or breath, easily dissolved into the air? Is it not unstable and fragile — nothing more uncertain could exist? Even the life of our souls is most fragile, exposed to a thousand dangers, with the devil and his evil spirits constantly laying traps against it and plotting its ruin. If you look at human life — body and soul alike — and judge our condition from outward appearances, we seem forsaken by God, without a single secure moment, perpetually tossed about in uncertainty. The life we call our own for one hour is surrounded by a thousand mortal dangers, and we are the most miserable of all — not a day passes when our life is not endangered a hundred thousand times. Seen this way, we are nothing in body and soul: fragile, weak, and fading — vanishing in a moment, a vapor that immediately dissolves into air. Yet on the other hand we must rise to God, who holds our life in His hand and guards it as a deposit — as Peter teaches in his first epistle — protecting and defending it against every danger. With God, souls are most secure and most firm. That phrase 'with God' deserves careful attention. It reminds us that even in the most desperate human situations, God brings remedy and salvation where only despair seemed left. Let us therefore learn to deposit ourselves and all that we have into God's hands, so that we can say with David, truly and without pretense, 'Lord, I commend my life into Your hands.' When God is said to guard David's soul against the man pursuing it, we are taught this: when people threaten us, persecute us in various ways, and enemies of the church gather with open mouths to devour us — we must flee to God with fervent prayer. This is exactly when He is most ready to show Himself in action as our defender and protector. When adversaries rise up against us and pursue us, let us never lose heart. Let us flee to God, who will so fully compose our souls into a bundle and lay them up in a hidden place that no one can snatch them from His hands. Though enemies come with great force, He is far superior to them all — whatever they plot, He will scatter by His power and extend His unconquered strength against them for our protection.

From Abigail's words it is clear that she was pointing, as if with her finger, to Saul — who was at that moment plotting against David's life, tracking and pursuing him for slaughter like a rabid and furious lion. But she calls him simply 'a man' — by that word indicating that he would never accomplish his plans, because he is dealing not with David alone but with God, who easily defeats his attempts. That word 'man' deserves careful attention. If we are ever pressed by grave dangers so that our salvation seems lost, let us remember that we are in God's custody — and call to mind what we are taught here: our enemies are nothing but men. And what is man? Nothing but dust, vanity, and corruption. Shall we then fear this little creature, this worm of the earth, rising up against God on behalf of those He has already taken into His protection? This confirms that saying of David: 'Since the Lord stands for me, what shall flesh do to me? God is for me a stronghold and a most secure fortress.' When wicked men rise up against us, conspire together, devise evil plans against us, and seek our destruction — so that ruin seems to hang over our heads, fires blaze on every side, and we seem about to be swallowed by our enemies — we can still truly say that those raging against us are nothing but men, the dust of the earth. Though we are no match for them in strength and cannot resist by our own power, let us remember that God watches over us. He is our shield and our surest defense, the One who keeps souls bound in the bundle of the living like most precious gems. Resting on these sure foundations, let us conclude that created and mortal things can do nothing against God — and therefore nothing against us. With steady minds, let us pursue our calling, confident that God will complete the work He has begun in us. This teaching is especially necessary in our time, when we see with what fury the enemies of truth rise up against us and threaten our lives. What would become of us if we did not have this remedy: the power of God, to whom we flee knowing we will never be abandoned — for God never forgets His own? Though our life may seem about to be taken away at any moment, let us not doubt that it is completely safe — God has taken its protection upon Himself. Trusting in this help, we will steadily fight against all our enemies, treating their strength and power as nothing. For what are they but petty men who can do nothing? As the prophet says in another psalm: 'Lord, make the nations know that they are men' — that is, exercise Your power and expose their madness; let them understand that in rising up against those whom You have taken under Your protection, they are deceiving themselves. If this truth is fixed deeply in our minds, then however great the storms that arise, we will press on undaunted in our calling, resting in God as in the surest refuge — calling on Him and holding firm no matter what circumstances befall us. I am not saying we should be numb like cowards and sit passively like the dim-witted — that would be sheer stupidity. But we should be moved by danger in this way: firmly resolved in our minds that God can bring a most immediate remedy to any situation. Let us seek Him with earnest and persistent prayer, knowing that He is the defender of our cause — a cause that rests on His sure will — and let us wait for the fruit of our prayers at the right time.

Abigail goes on to add: 'When the Lord has appointed you leader over Israel, this will not be a cause of grief to you, that you have shed innocent blood.' How much sound teaching is packed into these words! Though Abigail was speaking to David and pleading her own case before him, David's response will show that she spoke by the impulse of God's Spirit. She sets forth a general principle here: those who have committed some wrong, even if they receive mercy from the Lord, are still pricked by the stings of conscience. Abigail had Saul in mind — a king already established over Israel — and yet she says that if someone commits a crime, repentance over that deed will later come and disturb whatever peace and tranquility God had granted them. We are taught, then, that perfect blessedness is a clear conscience — one that knows it has done no wrong or injury to anyone, and that stands with integrity and sincerity before God and men. I must acknowledge that even the most upright people, if forced to give a full account of their lives before God, would be guilty of countless sins. They must therefore flee to His mercy, and with David confess that the true happiness of a Christian rests in God's grace — by which our sins are buried and forgotten, so they are no longer brought up in the reckoning before Him. But here we are speaking about the integrity by which we live among other people: not willing to harm anyone, not repaying evil with evil, not treating enemies as they deserve, not seizing anything by fraud or force — but rather repaying evil with good. When we live this way, we will enjoy a quiet and peaceful life with genuine reason for joy. Even with God Himself as our witness, we will be honestly satisfied in knowing that we have tried to do our duty to our neighbors in all sincerity, and have harmed no one by injury or deceit. On the other hand, those who are guilty in their consciences of cruelty, insult, fraud, and theft — even if they prosper outwardly — are always driven by the stings of conscience. In the midst of great abundance they are still consumed by grief and sorrow over what they have done. Let us therefore conduct ourselves toward our neighbors in such a way that no one has cause to complain that we have treated them with contempt or injured them. Above all, let us abstain from all violence and beware of shedding human blood — so that with a peaceful and clear conscience we may enjoy God's gifts freely, without the gnawing of guilt and without any inner disturbance. This is what Abigail's words teach us — she directly warned David to avoid injury and bloodshed, so that when he came to royal dignity he would not be tormented by a guilty conscience over blood he had shed. Since the question here is about the shedding of human blood, notice this: just as Abel's blood cried out to the Lord against his brother Cain, so also if we harm those who cannot complain — or even those who are put to death — their death and blood will cry out before God, accuse us, and leave us without excuse. Let these truths bridle our desires, so that we may live among people without injury or contempt. If we do this, our conscience will be peaceful and free from all guilt and gnawing, and we will enjoy God's gifts in peace.

Notice that Abigail addresses David and treats him as king — even though he was at that moment a needy fugitive. She does this because she fixes her eyes on the promises the Lord had made. That promise was hidden, as we have seen before — though not so hidden that it had not reached Saul's ears. Saul was not ignorant of it. Although Samuel had been sent to anoint David quietly, Saul knew the truth of it. He could not pretend ignorance when rejecting that visible sign given to David, for he knew Samuel to be a faithful servant and messenger of God. Resting on this foundation, Abigail concludes that David will be king, because God has decreed it — and God's will is irrevocable. Let us learn from her to lean on God's promises in such a way that we do not judge their outcome by present circumstances. If we judged by appearances, the state of the church would seem hopeless — and even the state of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is its head. Who does not see with what contempt the enemies of the Gospel reject sound doctrine, and with what fury and madness they trample it underfoot and attack it as if to destroy it utterly? And if we look at those whom God has called to the knowledge of Himself, we find a small and obscure company — mostly hated by the world, in danger at every moment, exposed to the hostility and injuries of the malicious, and buried under unjust condemnations. The condition of our Lord Jesus Christ is no better. We see Him assailed on every side by the followers of the so-called Catholic Roman faith, by those who profess an outward holiness, by corrupt judges, and by those who hate God's Word — all seemingly bent on dragging Him from His throne. If we judge Christ and His church by external appearances, then the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will seem foolish to us, His power will be underestimated, His church will be despised as a wretched thing, and His name will seem buried in perpetual obscurity. But we must use Abigail as our teacher and example — directing the eyes of faith and all our senses to the promises of God. For the promise here is not the word of a mortal man, nor is it an earthly and perishable kingdom. David's kingdom did not last long, though it was a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. But now the Son of God has been revealed to us, and the promise of His kingdom has been openly proclaimed — indeed, by His own mouth. As the prophet beautifully teaches in Psalm 2, Christ received this office from the Father: 'I will declare the decree: the Lord said to me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your possession, the very ends of the earth.' Since the sound of the Gospel has rung out like a trumpet throughout the whole world, and God's own voice has spoken, we must honor and worship our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We must willingly bow our necks to Him and adore Him, clothed in majesty, power, and supreme glory. Let this truth drive us more than all other admonitions — we know His kingdom is not temporary but eternal. Its head is the Son of God Himself, and we know we are its members. This kingdom comes to us from heaven on no uncertain or doubtful testimony. Therefore, the greater the storms and tempests this world raises against His kingdom and presses against the Christian church, the more earnestly let us lift our eyes on high and contemplate God's goodness and grace. Let us cry to Him with urgent prayer that He have mercy on the church, break every assault of Satan against it, and remove in His mercy whatever may lead us into temptation. Whenever we see the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ despised, His Word trampled underfoot, and His church threatened by conspiring enemies — let us never waver or turn back from our purpose. Let us flee to Him, fully confident that He will never fail us at the right time. Trusting in His power, let us remain undaunted. And since we know that He holds the threats of enemies and all their force as nothing, let us, sheltered in this unconquerable fortress, boldly look down on all the plans and attempts of those who are lost.

So much for these words of Abigail. Let us move to the next part of her speech, where she appeals to David's favor with these words: 'When the Lord has dealt well with my lord, remember your servant.' These words show that Abigail pleaded her own cause and protected her household — urging David not to avenge the injury done to him — while at the same time giving a remarkable display of her faith by looking to God's promises. Had she judged by outward circumstances, as her husband Nabal did, she could have dismissed David as a joke and sent his messengers away with contempt. What could that fugitive do against her household? That exile, skulking among wild beasts, hated by all, barely able to sustain his own life — would such a man be a threat to her? But Abigail looked far beyond that. She did not merely fear that David might take sudden revenge — she lifted her eyes much further and asked him that when the Lord brought him into the kingdom, he would remember her and show her mercy. And what was the common verdict on David's kingdom at that time? Who would ever have believed he would attain royal dignity? All the more remarkable, then, is Abigail's faith — constant and unwavering. She overcame all the difficulties she saw pressing on David and simply rested in God's promises, knowing God to be faithful and certain to fulfill in His time everything He had foretold. Abigail saw David's kingdom in her mind even when there was no human hope of it.

Then David blessed Abigail — but first he praised God, then thanked Abigail and congratulated her for giving him such excellent counsel and turning him away from shedding blood. This shows that David did not simply give in to his emotions. It was as though reins were thrown on him — he held back his anger through the Lord's intervention, was stopped from the slaughter he had planned, and gave thanks to God for providentially sparing him from so great an evil. This is a deed worthy of careful attention. People who crave vengeance and give free rein to their passions almost never stop until they have carried out what they resolved to do. If God places any obstacle in their way, they gnash their teeth, champ at the bit like wild animals, and snarl against God Himself. But David here openly shows he was nothing like that. He was unwilling to rise up against God, and though he had acted in a very human way, he received the woman's counsel with a calm mind — recognizing her as one God had sent ahead of him to prevent the gravest evil. So he blesses God first, acknowledging that Abigail's meeting with him was no accident — it was God who calmed his anger through her. This is a rare virtue. Most people are so overtaken and controlled by their passions that they leave no room for any counsel and refuse to be moved from their chosen course. That very vehemence of passion breeds a stubbornness that drives people to carry out their wicked plans. Let us therefore learn, when warned of our duty, to stop what we have begun — lest we provoke God further against us — and pray that He will govern us by His Spirit, without whose help we always wander from the right path. Would David have yielded to this woman if God had not put a right mind in him and engraved His fear on his soul? Never. The fact that he allowed himself to be calmed so readily by her words and followed her counsel was a sign that he did not simply stop at this woman — he looked higher, to God, whose providence, not chance, had brought her to him. Let us learn from this: when we are prevented from carrying out what we had determined, let us recognize that God has had mercy on us and put a delay on our plans so we would not go further. And if our plans are broken apart, let us not take it badly or be angry that our wrath was restrained. Let us not contend against God. Instead, let us praise His name with thanksgiving for what He has done — because He did not allow us to be swept away by our own desires.

Then David adds his congratulation to Abigail: 'Blessed be your counsel, and blessed are you yourself, who have kept me back this very day from going to bloodshed and taking vengeance with my own hand.' In blessing Abigail's counsel, David acknowledges that it came from the Lord. And in blessing her personally, he shows himself willing to receive her godly warning, freely to yield, and ready to obey someone who admonishes well. This is worth the highest attention, since it is certain that people by nature move in exactly the opposite direction. Almost everyone, when convicted of wrongdoing and restrained by the Lord to turn back to a better mind, becomes angry at the very person God used to admonish them — saying things like: 'What business is it of his? Why doesn't he mind his own affairs and leave mine alone?' But David does the opposite. He gives thanks to God for restraining him from the slaughter and putting a bridle on his corrupt desire — and at the same time blesses the woman who met him as he was rushing toward bloodshed and faithfully moved him from his purpose. Notice also that David attributes to Abigail what Abigail had earlier attributed to God. Abigail had said: 'As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, the Lord has restrained you from bloodshed.' She credited it all to divine providence — that David was held back from destroying Nabal's household. But David says that through Abigail's work and counsel he abstained from slaughter and revenge. These two accounts agree perfectly. God works through human instruments in such a way that while He is truly at work, people appear to be doing what is properly the Lord's work. For example, if someone has offered good counsel and turned us from a wrong decision, we owe them genuine gratitude. To fail to acknowledge and thank the person through whose effort and counsel we escaped a great danger would be the highest ingratitude. In this way, people are honored as representatives of God, doing His work. Yet we must not praise human instruments in such a way that God is forgotten and all the glory of His work is transferred to mortal people. We must rise higher — to God, who chose to use such an instrument for our good. This teaching must be observed with special care, since it is violated in many different ways. Some receive correction with patience, some with impatience, and some with ingratitude. The ungrateful ones say: 'Granted, he gave me good counsel and helped save my life through sound advice — but wasn't God the real author of my salvation?' And with that reasoning they show themselves ungrateful to those God used to do them good. People like this are swollen with pride and ambition, and they seem to want to resist God Himself — preventing His gifts from being recognized in the people through whom He works. Others rush to the opposite extreme: they value so highly the people from whom they received help that they forget God entirely. Let us therefore learn to hold both truths together: whatever good we receive, attribute it to God as its author and source — for He alone is the fountain and spring of all good things, and all praise and thanksgiving belongs to Him. And yet also recognize people as His ministers and instruments, giving them due honor — while taking nothing away from God's glory, to whom all honor is due. Instead, let God's goodness be proclaimed all the more, because He uses His created things for our benefit. The word 'counsel' here can mean either a specific wise word or wisdom in general. In either case, we see David warmly praising and accepting the counsel this woman gave him. Let us therefore learn not to be ashamed when corrected, and to submit ourselves to the sound counsel of those who sincerely admonish us — whether they rebuke sins already committed or hold us back from sins we are about to commit — whatever their sex or station. Let us receive them as sent to us by God. Let us willingly confess our sins, imitating David, who, having praised Abigail's counsel, openly confesses that she held him back from evil and from destroying the whole house of Nabal, as he had intended. He says: had you not come hastening to meet me, there would certainly not have been a single man left of all who belong to Nabal by the time morning came. Those who want to appear bold and frighten others often speak this way. But David's purpose here was very different. By confessing he had been ready to shed blood, he magnifies all the more the glory and mercy of God, by whose grace he was restrained. He gives thanks to God that through the woman's sound counsel he was prevented from defiling his hands with innocent blood. He was not so blinded by pride as to plunge headlong into evil. Think of what a terrible and abominable crime he would have committed — worthy of eternal punishment — even if the rest of his life had been spent in perfect innocence. We see how he was already made guilty before God by the death of Uriah, that faithful servant whose wife he had violated and taken through adultery. That sin would have called eternal disgrace upon his head had God not had mercy on him. For this reason he gives thanks to God for not allowing him to sink into such madness as to stain his life with innocent blood and bring perpetual disgrace upon himself — but instead sending this woman to meet him and turn from his head the evil he was plotting under the false pretense of avenging an injury. By David's example let us learn to acknowledge our sins in such a way that we lift up God's grace with genuine praise — not confessing them with hollow and pretended words, but honestly admitting that we are lost without God's mercy, which comes to meet us before we rush into ruin and reaches out its hand to pull us from the depths of the abyss.

Now then, come, etc.

## Homilia 92.