Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up. The church speaks of those whom it tolerates, and as if it were asked, Is it now? The church is of ancient birth. As long as saints have been so called, the church has been on earth. At one time the church was in Abel only, and he was fought against by his wicked and lost brother Cain.^[1] At one time the church was in Enoch alone, and he was translated from the unright-eous.^[2] At one time the church was in the house of Noah alone and endured all who perished by the flood, and the ark alone swam on the waves and escaped to shore.^[3] At one time the church was in Abraham alone, and we know what he endured from the wicked. The church was in his brother’s son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom; and he endured the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed him from their midst.^[4] The church also began to exist in the people of Israel: they endured Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The number of the saints began to be also in the church, that is, in the people of Israel. Moses and the rest of the saints endured the wicked Jews, the people of Israel. We come to our Lord Jesus Christ: The gospel was preached in the Psalms.^[5] . . . For this reason, lest the church wonder now, or lest any one wonder in the church who wishes to be a good member of the church, let him hear the church his mother saying to him, Marvel not at these things, my child: many a time have they fought against me from my youth up.

They have often attacked me from my youth, but as a matter of fact they did not prevail against me. And in the earlier, fifth psalm of ascent there is a similar beginning.^[1] This figure of speech is called anaphora, that is, a repetition of the same word at the beginning of a number of verses. Now we must understand the advanced age of the church when the apostle says, Little children, it is the very last hour.^[2] For whatever transpires at the end of the world proclaims its old age most aptly. Therefore, the church says that she has been well attacked from her youth so that you may understand that what has always been attacked has never come to an end. For she grows by the persecutions of the wicked and she grows larger by her own contrition. For even if she seems to lose holy men in this life, nonetheless she is shown to acquire them for a future homeland; and thus she cannot be brought to an end when it is agreed that she grows by her losses. Also the following words declare this to be the case; he says, But as a matter of fact they did not prevail against me. He says that the ones whom he had mentioned earlier as having fought against him were not able to overcome him. An attack is not completed, if further conflict breaks out. Nor should it be called a victory when it is certain that a renewed battle may take place.

You accuse a person of greed, and he accuses God on the ground that he made gold.^[1] Do not be covetous. And God, you reply, should not make gold. This now remains, because you can not restrain your evil deeds, you accuse the good works of God: the creator and architect of the world displeases you. He ought not to make the sun either; for many contend concerning the lights of their windows and drag each other before courts of law.^[2] Oh, if we could restrain our vices! For all things are good, because a good God made all things; and his works praise him, when their goodness is considered by him who has the spirit of discerning them, the spirit of piety and wisdom.^[3]

Let them be like the grass on buildings, which dries up before it is plucked up. Abandoned buildings usually produce frail grass on their peaks. Before it can be gathered, it dries up and goes to ruin because it never flourished with a solid root. Stubborn sinners are most aptly linked to such grass because they often go to ruin here before they can be removed from this light; they are born on the peaks of arrogance where they do not stand on any solid foundation. If they had sprouted in the valley of tears, they would have brought their fruit to maturity with the help of the Lord.