(36.) The Difference Between the Upright in Heart and the Clean in Heart.

I suppose, too, that there is a difference between one who is upright in heart and one who is clean in heart. A man is upright in heart when he “reaches forward to those things which are before, forgetting those things which are behind”171    Phil. iii. 13. so as to arrive in a right course, that is, with right faith and purpose, at the perfection where he may dwell clean and pure in heart. Thus, in the psalm, the conditions ought to be severally bestowed on each separate character, where it is said, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that is innocent in his hands, and clean in his heart.”172    Ps. xxiv. 3, 4. He shall ascend, innocent in his hands, and stand, clean in his heart,—the one state in present operation, the other in its consummation. And of them should rather be understood that which is written: “Riches are good unto him that hath no sin on his conscience.”173    Ecclus. xiii. 24. Then indeed shall accrue the good, or true riches, when all poverty shall have passed away; in other words, when all infirmity shall have been removed. A man may now indeed “leave off from sin,” when in his onward course he departs from it, and is renewed day by day; and he may “order his hands,” and direct them to works of mercy, and “cleanse his heart from all wickedness,”174    Ecclus. xxxviii. 10.—he may be so merciful that what remains may be forgiven him by free pardon. This indeed is the sound and suitable meaning, without any vain and empty boasting, of that which St. John said: “If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him.”175    1 John iii. 21, 22. The warning which he clearly has addressed to us in this passage, is to beware lest our heart should reproach us in our very prayers and petitions; that is to say, lest, when we happen to resort to this prayer, and say, “Forgive us, even as we ourselves forgive, we should have to feel compunction for not doing what we say, or should even lose boldness to utter what we fail to do, and thereby forfeit the confidence of faithful and earnest prayer.

0311 36. Puto autem interesse inter rectum corde, et mundum corde. Nam et rectus corde in ea quae ante sunt extenditur, ea quae retro sunt obliviscens, ut recto cursu, id est recta fide atque intentione perveniat, ubi habitet mundus corde (Philipp. III, 13, 14). Sicut illa singula reddenda sunt singulis, ubi dictum est, Quis ascendet in montem Domini? aut qui stabit in loco sancto ejus? Innocens manibus et mundus corde. Innocens manibus ascendet, et mundus corde stabit: illud in opere est, illud in fine . Et illic magis intelligendum quod dictum est, Bona est substantia, cui non est peccatum in conscientia. Tunc enim erit vere bona substantia, id est, verae divitiae, cum transierit tota paupertas, id est, cum consumpta fuerit omnis infirmitas. Nunc vero avertat se homo a delicto, cum proficiendo inde discedit, et renovatur de die in diem; et dirigat manus in opera misericordiae, et ab omni delicto mundet cor suum; misereatur, ut quod restat , per veniam dimittatur. Hoc enim salubriter et sine vana inanique jactantia bene intelligitur, in eo quod dixit sanctus Joannes, Si cor nostrum nos non reprehendat, fiduciam habemus ad Deum, et quaecumque petierimus, accipiemus ab eo. Hoc enim videtur isto loco admonuisse, ne cor nostrum nos in ipsa oratione et petitione reprehendat: hoc est, ne forte cum coeperimus dicere, Dimitte nobis, sicut et nos dimittimus; compungamur non facere quod dicimus, aut etiam non audeamus dicere quod non facimus, et fiduciam petendi amittamus.