December 29

He also exalteth the horn of his people.—Psalm exlviii. 14.

Now the horn of his people is humble in afflictions, in tribulations, in temptations, in beating of the breast; when will he exalt the horn of his people? When the Lord hath come, and our Sun is risen, not the sun which is seen with the eye, and riseth upon the good and the evil, but that whereof is said, To you that fear God, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise, and healing in his wings; and of whom the proud and wicked shall hereafter say, "The light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us." This shall be our summer. Now, during the winter weather the fruits appear not on the stock; thou observest, so to say, dead trees during the winter. He who can not see truly, thinketh the vine dead; perhaps there is one near it, which is really dead; both are alike during winter; the one is alive, the other is dead, but both the life and death are hidden: summer advanceth; then the life of one shineth brightly, the death of the other is manifested: the splendor of leaves, the abundance of fruit, cometh forth, the vine is clothed in outward appearance from what it hath in its stock. Therefore, brethren, now we are the same as other men: just as they are born, eat, drink, are clothed, pass their life, so also do the saints. Sometimes the very truth deceiveth men, and they say, "Lo, he hath begun to be a Christian: hath he lost his headache?" or, "because he is a Christian, what gaineth be from me?" O dead vine, thou observest near thee a vine that is bare indeed in winter, yet not dead. Summer will come, the Lord will come, our splendor, that was hidden in the stock, and then He shall exalt the horn of his people, after the captivity wherein we live in this mortal life. Wherefore the apostle saith, Judge nothing before the time, till the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and then shall every one have praise of God. But thou sayest unto me, Where is my stock? where is my fruit? If thou believest, thou knowest where thy root is. For it is there, where thy faith is, where thy hope and charity are. Hear the apostle: For ye are dead. In the winter they seemed to be dead; hear that they are alive: and your life is hid with Christ in God. There is where thou hast thy root. When, then, shalt thou be adorned with splendor? when shalt thou be made abundant with fruit? Hear how he goeth on: When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. And he shall exalt the horn of his people.