De Profundis (4)

[Neale's next paragraph, still referring to verse 1, has marginal
references to Augustine, Jonah ii.2, "Hugo Card.", Gregory the Great,
Matthew xi.12, "Genebrardus" and "Guil. Pepin."]

It is spoken, in the first historical sense, by the Hebrew people, out
of the deep of their captivity in Babylon, imploring pardon and
obedience from God, and not obscurely intreating for the advent of the
promised Messiah.  For us it is the cry of any one striving to ascend
out of the abyss of sin;  even as Jonah cried unto the Lord out of the
belly of the fish.  The deep in which we find ourselves is this mortal
life,  and every one who thoroughly understands that he is in the deep,
cries, groans, and sighs, till he be delivered out of it, and come to
Him who sitteth over the depths, and upon the Cherubim.  Whence then
does the cry come?  Out of the deep.  Who is it that cries?  A sinner. 
And with what hope does he cry?  Because He, who came to loose the
bonds of sin, hath also given hope even to a sinner in the bonds of
sin.  Man must needs call too out of the deep of humility, since God
beholdeth the proud afar off, and out of the deep of his heart, not
honouring the Lord with his lips only while his heart is far from him. 
Out of the deep, moreover, of his present misery, and above all, out of
the deep of God's infinite compassion and mercy.  Note too, that it is
said, I have called, not "I am calling," teaching us not to leave off
our prayer if it seem at first to be unheard, but to persevere till it
has been answered.  God loves to be asked, to be constrained, to be
overcome, as it were, by our importunity.  And therefore he saith to
us, "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it
by storm."  That is a righteous violence, wherewith God is not
offended, but pleased;  especially when, as here, the eager repetition
of His holy name  marks the loving affection of His petitioner, and
confidence in His goodwill and power.  The use of the Psalm in the
Western Church at burials, and in the Office of the Dead, points to
another sense of it, the prayer of all expectant souls, whether of
martyrs under the altar or others further from their consummation, that
they may be taken up by the Lord out of their state of waiting, into
the bliss of His presence.  It has been well said that the verse puts
before us six conditions of true prayer:  it is lowly, 'out of the
deep';  fervent, 'have I called';  direct to God Himself, 'unto Thee'; 
reverent, 'O Lord';  awed, 'Lord' is again said;  one's very own, hear
'my voice'.

Oriens.


____________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%