Thou shalt not lust.”4298 Now thou hast seen the enemy, fight, deliver thyself, make good
thy liberty, let the suggestions of pleasure be kept down, unlawful delight be utterly destroyed.
Arm thyself, thou hast the Law, march on, conquer if thou canst. For what good is it that
through the little portion of God’s grace thou hast already, thou “delightest in the Law of
God after the inward man? But thou seest another law in thy members resisting the law of
thy mind;” not “resisting” yet powerless for aught, but “leading thee captive in the law of
sin.” Behold, whence to thee who fearest that “plentifulness of sweetness is hidden!” to him
that feareth it “is hidden,” how is it” wrought” out for him that “trusteth”?4299 Cry out under
thine enemy, for that thou hast an assailant, thou hast an Helper too, who looketh upon
thee as thou fightest, who helpeth thee in difficulty; but only if He find thee “trusting;” for
the proud He hateth. What then wilt thou cry under this enemy? “Wretched man that I
am!”4300 Ye see it already, for ye have cried out. Be this your cry, when haply thou art dis-
tressed under the enemy, say ye, in your inmost heart say, in sound faith say, “Wretched
man that I am!” Wretched that I am! “Therefore wretched,” because “I.” “Wretched man
that I am,” both because “I,” and because “man.” For “he is disquieted in vain.”4301 For
though “man walketh in the Image;”4302 yet, “wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death?” Wilt thou thyself? where is thy strength, where is thy
confidence? Of a surety thou both criest out, and art silent; silent, that is, from extolling
thyself, not from calling upon God. Be silent, and cry out. For God Himself too is both silent,
and crieth aloud; He is silent from judgment, He is not silent from precept; so be thou too
silent from elation, not from invocation; lest God say to thee, “I have been silent, shall I be
silent always?”4303 Cry out therefore, “O wretched man that I am!” Acknowledge thyself
conquered, put thine own strength to shame, and say, “Wretched man that I am, who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?” What did I say above? The Law alarmeth him that
relieth upon himself. Behold, man relied upon himself, he attempted to fight, he could not
get the better, he was conquered, prostrated, subjugated, led captive. He learnt to rely upon
God, and it remaineth that him whom the Law alarmed while he relied upon himself, grace
should assist now that he trusteth in God. In this confidence he saith, “Who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? The grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord.”4304 Now see
the sweetness, taste it, relish it; hear the Psalm, “Taste and see that the Lord is sweet.”4305
4298 Rom. vii. 7.
4299 Ps. xxx. 20, Sept. (xxxi. 19, English version).
4300 Rom. vii. 24.
4301 Ps. xxxviii. 7 (xxxix. 6, English version).
4302 i.e. of God. Vid. Enarrat. in Ps. xxxviii.
4303 Isa. xlii. 14, Sept.
4304 Rom. vii. 24, 25, Vulgate.
4305 Ps. xxxiv. 8, Vulgate.
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On the words of the Gospel, John xvi. 24, ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing…