Expositions on the Psalms
Digital Psalms version 2007
(public domain)
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2
St. Aurelius Augustin on the Psalms
Compiled
from the public domain on the Internet with great thanks to the
work
of Harry Plantinga and the board of the Christian Classics Ethereal
Library,
an incredible useful digital library residing at
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-08/TOC.htm
Also
New Advent at: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1801.htm
which
also has full text of many of the church fathers.
Augustine’s
commentary on Psalms has also been recently been published in
a
series of 3 volumes available at www.Amazon.com from New City Press,
2000-4
under the title Expositions of the Psalms (vols. 1-3) ed. by John
Rotelle,
Maria Boulding and Michael Fiedrowicz (ca. $16 paperback). It is
also
available in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers classic series of the
Church
Fathers.
published
by Eerdmans. The Greek font used is Greekth.ttf freely available
at:
http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/index.cfm
This
electronic version was compiled from online sources in January 2007
by
Ted Hildebrandt. – Enjoy.
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Table of
Contents: Augustine Psalms:
1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
11,
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21,
22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,
31,
32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,
41,
42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50,
51,
52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60,
61,
62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70,
71,
72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,
81,
82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90,
91,
92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100,
101,
102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110,
111,
112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120,
121,
122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130,
131,
132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140,
141,
142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150.
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Psalm 1
4
Exposition
on Psalm 1
1.
"Blessed is the man that has not gone away in the counsel of the
ungodly" (ver.
1).
This is to be understood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord
the
man that has not gone away in the counsel of the ungodly," as "the
man of
earth
did," 1 Corinthians 15:47 who consented to his wife deceived by the
serpent,
to
the transgressing the commandment of God. "Nor stood in the way of
sinners."
For
He came indeed in the way of sinners, by being born as sinners are; but He
"stood"
not therein, for that the enticements of the world held Him not. "And has
not
sat in the seat of pestilence." He willed not an earthly kingdom, with
pride,
which
is well taken for "the seat of pestilence;" for that there is hardly
any one
who
is free from the love of rule, and craves not human glory. For a
"pestilence" is
disease
widely spread, and involving all or nearly all. Yet "the seat of
pestilence"
may
be more appropriately understood of hurtful doctrine; "whose word spreads
as
a
canker." 2 Timothy 2:17 The order too of the words must be considered:
"went
away,
stood, sat." For he "went away," when he drew back from God. He
"stood,"
when
he took pleasure in sin. He "sat," when, confirmed in his pride, he
could not
go
back, unless set free by Him, who neither "has gone away in the counsel of
the
ungodly,
nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of pestilence."
2.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law will he
meditate by day
and
by night (ver. 2). The law is not made for a righteous man," 1 Timothy 1:9
says
the Apostle. But it is one thing to be in the law, another under the law. Whoso
is
in the law, acts according to the law; whoso is under the law, is acted upon
according
to the law: the one therefore is free, the other a slave. Again, the law,
which
is written and imposed upon the servant, is one thing; the law, which is
mentally
discerned by him who needs not its "letter," is another thing.
"He will
meditate
by day and by night," is to be understood either as without ceasing; or
"by
day" in joy, "by night" in tribulations. For it is said,
"Abraham saw my day,
and
was glad:" John 8:5-6 and of tribulation it is said, "my reins also
have
instructed
me, even unto the night."
3.
"And he shall be like a tree planted hard by the running streams of
waters" (ver.
3);
that is either Very "Wisdom," Proverbs viii which vouchsafed to
assume man's
nature
for our salvation; that as man He might be "the tree planted hard by the
running
streams of waters;" for in this sense can that too be taken which is said
in
another
Psalm, "the
it
is said, "He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost;" Matthew 3:11 and
again, "If
any
man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink;" John 7:37 and again,
"If you
knew
the gift of God, and who it is that asks water of you, you would have asked
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Psalm 1
5
of
Him, and He would have given you living water, of which whoso drinks shall
never
thirst, but it shall be made in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting
life." Or, "by the running streams of waters" may be by the sins
of the
people,
because first the waters are called "peoples" in the Apocalypse;
Revelation
17:15 and again, by "running stream" is not unreasonably understood
"fall,"
which has relation to sin. That "tree" then, that is, our Lord, from
the
running
streams of water, that is, from the sinful people's drawing them by the way
into
the roots of His discipline, will "bring forth fruit," that is, will
establish
Churches;
"in His season," that is, after He has been glorified by His
Resurrection
and
Ascension into heaven. For then, by the sending of the Holy Ghost to the
Apostles,
and by the confirming of their faith in Him, and their mission to the
world,
He made the Churches to "bring forth fruit." "His leaf also
shall not fall,"
that
is, His Word shall not be in vain. For, "all flesh is grass, and the glory
of man
as
the flower of grass; the grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of
the
Lord
abides for ever. Isaiah 40:6-8 And whatsoever He does shall prosper" that
is,
whatsoever
that tree shall bear; which all must be taken of fruit and leaves, that is,
deeds
and words.
4.
"The ungodly are not so," they are not so, "but are like the
dust which the wind
casts
forth from the face of the earth" (ver. 4). "The earth" is here
to be taken as
that
steadfastness in God, with a view to which it is said, "The Lord is the
portion
of
mine inheritance, yea, I have a goodly heritage." With a view to this it
is said,
"Wait
on the Lord and keep His ways, and He shall exalt you to inherit the
earth."
With
a view to this it is said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the
earth."
Matthew 5:5 A comparison too is derived hence, for as this visible earth
supports
and contains the outer man, so that earth invisible the inner man. "From
the
face of" which "earth the wind casts forth the ungodly," that
is, pride, in that it
puffs
him up. On his guard against which he, who was inebriated by the richness
of
the house of the Lord, and drunken of the torrent stream of its pleasures,
says,
"Let
not the foot of pride come against me." From this earth pride cast forth
him
who
said, "I will place my seat in the north, and I will be like the Most
High."
Isaiah
14:13-14 From the face of the earth it cast forth him also who, after that he
had
consented and tasted of the forbidden tree that he might be as God, hid himself
from
the Face of God. Genesis 3:8 That his earth has reference to the inner man,
and
that man is cast forth thence by pride, may be particularly seen in that which
is
written,
"Why is earth and ashes proud? Because, in his life, he cast forth his
bowels."
Sirach 10:9 For, whence he has been cast forth, he is not unreasonably
said
to have cast forth himself.
5.
"Therefore the ungodly rise not in the judgment" (ver. 5):
"therefore," namely,
because
"as dust they are cast forth from the face of the earth." And well
did he
say
that this should be taken away from them, which in their pride they court,
namely,
that they may judge; so that this same idea is more clearly expressed in
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Psalm 1
6
the
following sentence, "nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous."
For it is usual
for
what goes before, to be thus repeated more clearly. So that by
"sinners" should
be
understood the "ungodly;" what is before "in the judgment,"
should be here "in
the
counsel of the righteous." Or if indeed the ungodly are one thing, and
sinners
another,
so that although every ungodly man is a sinner, yet every sinner is not
ungodly;
"The ungodly rise not in the judgment," that is, they shall rise
indeed, but
not
that they should be judged, for they are already appointed to most certain
punishment.
But "sinners" do not rise "in counsel of the just," that
is, that they
may
judge, but peradventure that they may be judged; so as of these it were said,
"The
fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, he
shall
receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall then suffer loss:
but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
6.
"For the Lord knows the way of the righteous" (ver. 6). As it is
said, medicine
knows
health, but knows not disease, and yet disease is recognised by the art of
medicine.
In like manner can it be said that "the Lord knows the way of the
righteous,"
but the way of the ungodly He knows not. Not that the Lord is ignorant
of
anything, and yet He says to sinners, "I never knew you." Matthew
7:23 "But
the
way of the ungodly shall perish;" is the same as if it were said, the way
of the
ungodly
the Lord knows not. But it is expressed more plainly that this should be
not
to be known of the Lord, namely, to "perish;" and this to be known of
the
Lord,
namely, to "abide;" so as that to be should appertain to the
knowledge of
God,
but to His not knowing not to be. For the Lord says, "I Am that I
Am," and,
"I
Am has sent me."
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Psalm 2
7
Exposition
on Psalm 2
1.
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people meditate vain things?" (ver.
1). "The
kings
of the earth have stood up, and the rulers taken counsel together, against the
Lord,
and against His Christ" (ver. 2). It is said, "why?" as if it
were said, in vain.
For
what they wished, namely, Christ's destruction, they accomplished not; for this
is
spoken of our Lord's persecutors, of whom also mention is made in the Acts of
the
Apostles. Acts 4:26
2.
"Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us"
(ver. 3).
Although
it admits of another acceptation, yet is it more fitly understood as in the
person
of those who are said to "meditate vain things." So that "let us
break their
bonds
asunder, and cast away their yoke from us," may be, let us do our
endeavour,
that the Christian religion do not bind us, nor be imposed upon us.
3.
"He that dwells in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord
shall
have
them in derision" (ver. 4). The sentence is repeated; for "He who
dwells in
the
heavens," is afterwards put, "the Lord;" and for "shall
laugh them to scorn," is
afterwards
put, "shall have them in derision." Nothing of this however must be
taken
in a carnal sort, as if God either laughs with cheek, or derides with nostril;
but
it is to be understood of that power which He gives to His saints, that they
seeing
things to come, namely, that the Name and rule of Christ is to pervade
posterity
and possess all nations, should understand that those men "meditate a
vain
thing." For this power whereby these things are foreknown is God's
"laughter"
and "derision." "He that dwells in the heavens shall laugh them
to
scorn."
If by "heavens" we understand holy souls, by these God, as
foreknowing
what
is to come, will "laugh them to scorn, and have them in derision."
4.
"Then He shall speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore
displeasure"
(ver. 5). For showing more clearly how He will "speak unto them," he
added,
He will "vex them;" so that "in His wrath," is, "in
His sore displeasure."
But
by the "wrath and sore displeasure" of the Lord God must not be
understood
any
mental perturbation; but the might whereby He most justly avenges, by the
subjection
of all creation to His service. For that is to be observed and
remembered
which is written in the Wisdom of Solomon, "But You, Lord of
power,
judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour orderest us." Wisdom
12:18
The
"wrath" of God then is an emotion which is produced in the soul which
knows
the
law of God, when it sees this same law transgressed by the sinner. For by this
emotion
of righteous souls many things are avenged. Although the "wrath" of
God
can
be well understood of that darkening of the mind, which overtakes those who
transgress
the law of God.
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Psalm 2
8
5.
"Yet am I set by Him as King upon Sion, His holy hill, preaching His
decree"
(ver.
6). This is clearly spoken in the Person of the very Lord our Saviour Christ.
But
if Sion signify, as some interpret, beholding, we must not understand it of
anything
rather than of the Church, where daily is the desire raised of beholding
the
bright glory of God, according to that of the Apostle, "but we with open
face
beholding
the glory of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18 Therefore the meaning of this
is,
Yet I am set by Him as King over His holy Church; which for its eminence and
stability
He calls a mountain. "Yet I am set by Him as King." I, that is, whose
"bands"
they were meditating "to break asunder," and whose "yoke"
to "cast
away."
"Preaching His decree." Who does not see the meaning of this, seeing
it is
daily
practised?
6.
"The Lord has said unto me, You are My Son, today have I begotten
You" (ver.
7).
Although that day may also seem to be prophetically spoken of, on which Jesus
Christ
was born according to the flesh; and in eternity there is nothing past as if it
had
ceased to be, nor future as if it were not yet, but present only, since
whatever
is
eternal, always is; yet as "today" intimates presentiality, a divine
interpretation
is
given to that expression, "Today have I begotten You," whereby the
uncorrupt
and
Catholic faith proclaims the eternal generation of the power and Wisdom of
God,
who is the Only-begotten Son.
7.
"Ask of Me, and I shall give You the nations for Your inheritance"
(ver. 8). This
has
at once a temporal sense with reference to the Manhood which He took on
Himself,
who offered up Himself as a Sacrifice in the stead of all sacrifices, who
also
makes intercession for us; so that the words, "ask of Me," may be
referred to
all
this temporal dispensation, which has been instituted for mankind, namely, that
the
"nations" should be joined to the Name of Christ, and so be redeemed
from
death,
and possessed by God. "I shall give You the nations for Your
inheritance,"
which
so possess them for their salvation, and to bear unto You spiritual fruit.
"And
the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession." The same repeated,
"The
uttermost parts of the earth," is put for "the nations;" but
more clearly, that
we
might understand all the nations. And "Your possession" stands for
"Your
inheritance."
8.
"You shall rule them with a rod of iron," with inflexible justice,
and "You shall
break
them like a potter's vessel" (ver. 9); that is, "You shall
break" in them
earthly
lusts, and the filthy doings of the old man, and whatsoever has been
derived
and inured from the sinful clay. "And now understand, you kings"
(ver.
10).
"And now;" that is, being now renewed, your covering of clay worn
out, that
is,
the carnal vessels of error which belong to your past life, "now
understand," ye
who
now are "kings;" that is, able now to govern all that is servile and
brutish in
you,
able now too to fight, not as "they who beat the air, but chastening your
bodies,
and bringing them into subjection." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 "Be
instructed,
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Psalm 2
9
all
you who judge the earth." This again is a repetition; "Be
instructed" is instead
of
"understand;" and "ye who judge the earth" instead of
"ye kings." For He
signifies
the spiritual by "those who judge the earth." For whatsoever we
judge, is
below
us; and whatsoever is below the spiritual man, is with good reason called
"the
earth;" because it is defiled with earthly corruption.
9.
"Serve the Lord with fear;" lest what is said, "You kings and
judges of the
earth,"
turn into pride: "And rejoice with trembling" (ver. 11). Very
excellently is
"rejoice"
added, lest "serve the Lord with fear" should seem to tend to misery.
But
again,
lest this same rejoicing should run on to unrestrained inconsiderateness,
there
is added "with trembling," that it might avail for a warning, and for
the
careful
guarding of holiness. It can also be taken thus, "And now ye kings
understand;"
that is, And now that I am set as King, be ye not sad, kings of the
earth,
as if your excellency were taken from you, but rather "understand and be
instructed."
For it is expedient for you, that you should be under Him, by whom
understanding
and instruction are given you. And this is expedient for you, that
you
lord it not with rashness, but that you "serve the Lord" of all
"with fear," and
"rejoice"
in bliss most sure and most pure, with all caution and carefulness, lest ye
fall
therefrom into pride.
10.
"Lay hold of discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you
perish
from
the righteous way" (ver. 12). This is the same as, "understand,"
and, "be
instructed."
For to understand and be instructed, this is to lay hold of discipline.
Still
in that it is said, "lay hold of," it is plainly enough intimated
that there is some
protection
and defence against all things which might do hurt unless with so great
carefulness
it be laid hold of. "Lest at any time the Lord be angry," is
expressed
with
a doubt, not as regards the vision of the prophet to whom it is certain, but as
regards
those who are warned; for they, to whom it is not openly revealed, are
wont
to think with doubt of the anger of God. This then they ought to say to
themselves,
let us "lay hold of discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and
we
perish from the righteous way." Now, how "the Lord be angry" is
to be taken,
has
been said above. And "ye perish from the righteous way." This is a
great
punishment,
and dreaded by those who have had any perception of the sweetness
of
righteousness; for he who perishes from the way of righteousness, in much
misery
will wander through the ways of unrighteousness.
11.
"When His anger shall be shortly kindled, blessed are all they who put
their
trust
in Him;" that is, when the vengeance shall come which is prepared for the
ungodly
and for sinners, not only will it not light on those "who put their trust
in"
the
Lord, but it will even avail for the foundation and exaltation of a kingdom for
them.
For he said not, "When His anger shall be shortly kindled," safe
"are all they
who
put their trust in Him," as though they should have this only thereby, to
be
exempt
from punishment; but he said, "blessed;" in which there is the sum
and
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Psalm 2
10
accumulation
of all good things. Now the meaning of "shortly" I suppose to be
this,
that it will be something sudden, while sinners will deem it far off and long
to
come.
Psalm 3 11
Exposition
on Psalm 3
A
psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son.
1.
The words, "I slept, and took rest; and rose, for the Lord will take me
up," lead
us
to believe that this Psalm is to be understood as in the Person of Christ; for
they
sound
more applicable to the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, than to that
history
in which David's flight is described from the face of his rebellious son.
And,
since it is written of Christ's disciples, "The sons of the bridegroom
fast not
as
long as the bridegroom is with them;" Matthew 9:15 it is no wonder if by
his
undutiful
son be here meant that undutiful disciple who betrayed Him. From
whose
face although it may be understood historically that He fled, when on his
departure
He withdrew with the rest to the mountain; yet in a spiritual sense, when
the
Son of God, that is the Power and Wisdom of God, abandoned the mind of
Judas;
when the Devil wholly occupied him; as it is written, "The Devil entered
into
his heart," John 13:27 may it be well understood that Christ fled from his
face;
not that Christ gave place to the Devil, but that on Christ's departure the
Devil
took possession. Which departure, I suppose, is called a flight in this Psalm,
because
of its quickness; which is indicated also by the word of our Lord, saying,
"That
you do, do quickly." John 13:27 So even in common conversation we say of
anything
that does not come to mind, it has fled from me; and of a man of much
learning
we say, nothing flies from him. Wherefore truth fled from the mind of
Judas,
when it ceased to enlighten him. But Absalom, as some interpret, in the
Latin
tongue signifies, Patris pax, a father's peace. And it may seem strange,
whether
in the history of the kings, when Absalom carried on war against his
father;
or in the history of the New Testament, when Judas was the betrayer of our
Lord;
how "father's peace" can be understood. But both in the former place
they
who
read carefully, see that David in that war was at peace with his son, who even
with
sore grief lamented his death, saying, "O Absalom, my son, would God I had
died
for you!" 2 Samuel 18:33 And in the history of the New Testament by that
so
great
and so wonderful forbearance of our Lord; in that He bore so long with him
as
if good, when He was not ignorant of his thoughts; in that He admitted him to
the
Supper in which He committed and delivered to His disciples the figure of His
Body
and Blood; finally, in that He received the kiss of peace at the very time of
His
betrayal; it is easily understood how Christ showed peace to His betrayer,
although
he was laid waste by the intestine war of so abominable a device. And
therefore
is Absalom called "father's peace," because his father had the peace,
which
he had not.
2.
"O Lord, how are they multiplied that trouble me!" (ver. 1). So
multiplied
indeed
were they, that one even from the number of His disciples was not wanting,
who
was added to the number of His persecutors. "Many rise up against me; many
say
unto my soul, There is no salvation for him in his God" (ver. 2). It is
clear that
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Psalm 3
12
if
they had had any idea that He would rise again, assuredly they would not have
slain
Him. To this end are those speeches, "Let Him come down from the cross, if
He
be the Son of God;" and again, "He saved others, Himself He cannot
save."
Matthew
27:42 Therefore, neither would Judas have betrayed Him, if he had not
been
of the number of those who despised Christ, saying, "There is no salvation
for
Him in His God."
3.
"But You, O Lord, art my taker." It is said to God in the nature of
man, for the
taking
of man is, the Word made Flesh. "My glory." Even He calls God his
glory,
whom
the Word of God so took, that God became one with Him. Let the proud
learn,
who unwillingly hear, when it is said to them, "For what have you that
thou
did
not receive? Now if you received it, why do you glory as if you had not
received
it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7 "And the lifter up of my head" (ver. 3).
I think that
this
should be here taken of the human mind, which is not unreasonably called the
head
of the soul; which so inhered in, and in a sort coalesced with, the
supereminent
excellency of the Word taking man, that it was not laid aside by so
great
humiliation of the Passion.
4.
"With my voice have I cried unto the Lord" (ver. 4); that is, not
with the voice
of
the body, which is drawn out with the sound of the reverberation of the air;
but
with
the voice of the heart, which to men speaks not, but with God sounds as a cry.
By
this voice Susanna was heard; and with this voice the Lord Himself
commanded
that prayer should be made in closets, Matthew 6:6 that is, in the
recesses
of the heart noiselessly. Nor would one easily say that prayer is not made
with
this voice, if no sound of words is uttered from the body; since even when in
silence
we pray within the heart, if thoughts interpose alien from the mind of one
praying,
it cannot yet be said, "With my voice have I cried unto the Lord."
Nor is
this
rightly said, save when the soul alone, taking to itself nothing of the flesh,
and
nothing
of the aims of the flesh, in prayer, speaks to God, where He only hears.
But
even this is called a cry by reason of the strength of its intention. "And
He
heard
me out of His holy mountain." We have the Lord Himself called a mountain
by
the Prophet, as it is written, "The stone that was cut out without hands
grew to
the
size of a mountain." Daniel 2:34-35 But this cannot be taken of His
Person,
unless
peradventure He would speak thus, out of myself, as of His holy mountain
He
heard me, when He dwelt in me, that is, in this very mountain. But it is more
plain
and unembarrassed, if we understand that God out of His justice heard. For it
was
just that He should raise again from the dead the Innocent who was slain, and
to
whom evil had been recompensed for good, and that He should render to the
persecutor
a meet reward, who repaid Him evil for good. For we read, "Your
justice
is as the mountains of God."
5.
"I slept, and took rest" (ver. 5). It may be not unsuitably remarked,
that it is
expressly
said, "I," to signify that of His own Will He underwent death,
according
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Psalm 3
13
to
that, "Therefore does My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that
I
might
take it again. No man takes it from Me; I have power to lay it down, and I
have
power to take it again." John 10:17-18 Therefore, says He, you have not
taken
Me as though against My will, and slain Me; but "I slept, and took rest;
and
rose,
for the Lord will take me up." Scripture contains numberless instances of
sleep
being put for death; as the Apostle says, "I would not have you to be
ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep." Nor need we make any
question
why it is added, "took rest," seeing that it has already been said,
"I slept."
Repetitions
of this kind are usual in Scripture, as we have pointed out many in the
second
Psalm. But some copies have, "I slept, and was cast into a deep
sleep." And
different
copies express it differently, according to the possible renderings of the
Greek
words, egw de ekokoimhqhn kei upnwse. Unless perhaps sleeping may be
taken
of one dying, but sleep of one dead: so that sleeping may be the transition
into
sleep, as awakening is the transition into wakefulness. Let us not deem these
repetitions
in the sacred writings empty ornaments of speech. "I slept, and took
rest,"
is therefore well understood as "I gave Myself up to My Passion, and death
ensued."
"And I rose, for the Lord will take Me up." This is the more to be
remarked,
how that in one sentence the Psalmist has used a verb of past and future
time.
For he has said, both "I rose," which is the past, and "will
take Me up,"
which
is the future; seeing that assuredly the rising again could not be without that
taking
up. But in prophecy the future is well joined to the past, whereby both are
signified.
Since things which are prophesied of as yet to come in reference to time
are
future; but in reference to the knowledge of those who prophesy they are
already
to be viewed as done. Verbs of the present tense are also mixed in, which
shall
be treated of in their proper place when they occur.
6.
"I will not fear the thousands of people that surround me" (ver. 6).
It is written
in
the Gospels how great a multitude stood around Him as He was suffering, and
on
the cross. "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God" (ver. 7). It is not
said to God,
"Arise,"
as if asleep or lying down, but it is usual in holy Scripture to attribute to
God
what He does in us; not indeed universally, but where it can be done suitably;
as
when He is said to speak, when by His gift Prophets speak, and Apostles, or
whatsoever
messengers of the truth. Hence that text, "Would you have proof of
Christ,
who speaks in me?" 2 Corinthians 13:3 For he does not say, of Christ, by
whose
enlightening or order I speak; but he attributes at once the speaking itself to
Him,
by whose gift he spoke.
7.
"Since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause." It is not
to be
pointed
as if it were one sentence, "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God; since You
have
smitten all who oppose me without a cause." For He did not therefore save
Him,
because He smote His enemies; but rather He being saved, He smote them.
Therefore
it belongs to what follows, so that the sense is this; "Since You have
smitten
all who oppose me without a cause, You have broken the teeth of the
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 3
14
sinners;"
that is, thereby have You broken the teeth of the sinners, since You have
smitten
all who oppose me. It is forsooth the punishment of the opposers, whereby
their
teeth have been broken, that is, the words of sinners rending with their
cursing
the Son of God, brought to nought, as it were to dust; so that we may
understand
"teeth" thus, as words of cursing. Of which teeth the Apostle speaks,
"If
you bite one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another."
Galatians
5:15 The teeth of sinners can also be taken as the chiefs of sinners; by
whose
authority each one is cut off from the fellowship of godly livers, and as it
were
incorporated with evil livers. To these teeth are opposed the Church's teeth,
by
whose authority believers are cut off from the error of the Gentiles and
various
opinions,
and are translated into that fellowship which is the body of Christ. With
these
teeth Peter was told to eat the animals when they had been killed, that is, by
killing
in the Gentiles what they were, and changing them into what he was
himself.
Of these teeth too of the Church it is said, "Your teeth are as a flock of
shorn
sheep, coming up from the bath, whereof every one bears twins, and there is
not
one barren among them." These are they who prescribe rightly, and as they
prescribe,
live; who do what is written, "Let your works shine before men, that
they
may bless your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 For moved by their
authority,
they believe God who speaks and works through these men; and
separated
from the world, to which they were once conformed, they pass over into
the
members of the Church. And rightly therefore are they, through whom such
things
are done, called teeth like to shorn sheep; for they have laid aside the
burdens
of earthly cares, and coming up from the bath, from the washing away of
the
filth of the world by the Sacrament of Baptism, every one bears twins. For they
fulfil
the two commandments, of which it is said, "On these two commandments
hang
all the Law and the Prophets;" Matthew 22:40 loving God with all their
heart,
and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and their neighbour as
themselves.
"There is not one barren among them," for much fruit they render unto
God.
According to this sense then it is to be thus understood, "You have broken
the
teeth of the sinners," that is, You have brought the chiefs of the sinners
to
nought,
by smiting all who oppose Me without a cause. For the chiefs according to
the
Gospel history persecuted Him, while the lower people honoured Him.
8.
"Salvation is of the Lord; and upon Your people be Your blessing"
(ver. 8). In
one
sentence the Psalmist has enjoined men what to believe, and has prayed for
believers.
For when it is said, "Salvation is of the Lord," the words are
addressed
to
men. Nor does it follow, "And upon Your people" be "Your
blessing," in such
wise
as that the whole is spoken to men, but there is a change into prayer
addressed
to God Himself, for the very people to whom it was said, "Salvation is
of
the Lord." What else then does he say but this? Let no man presume on
himself,
seeing
that it is of the Lord to save from the death of sin; for, "Wretched man
that I
am,
who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm
3
15
Jesus
Christ our Lord." Romans 7:24-25 But do Thou, O Lord, bless Your people,
who
look for salvation from You.
9.
This Psalm can be taken as in the Person of Christ another way; which is that
whole
Christ should speak. I mean by whole, with His body, of which He is the
Head,
according to the Apostle, who says, "You are the body of Christ, and the
members."
1 Corinthians 12:27 He therefore is the Head of this body; wherefore in
another
place he says, "But doing the truth in love, we may increase in Him in all
things,
who is the Head, Christ, from whom the whole body is joined together and
compacted."
Ephesians 4:15-16 In the Prophet then at once, the Church, and her
Head
(the Church founded amidst the storms of persecution throughout the whole
world,
which we know already to have come to pass), speaks, "O Lord, how are
they
multiplied that trouble me! many rise up against me;" wishing to
exterminate
the
Christian name. "Many say unto my soul, There is no salvation for him in
his
God."
For they would not otherwise hope that they could destroy the Church,
branching
out so very far and wide, unless they believed that God had no care
thereof.
"But You, O Lord, art my taker;" in Christ of course. For into that
flesh
the
Church too has been taken by the Word, "who was made flesh, and dwelt in
us;"
John 1:14 for that "In heavenly places has He made us to sit together with
Him."
Ephesians 2:6 When the Head goes before, the other members will follow;
for,
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:35 Justly then
does
the Church say, "You are my taker. My glory;" for she does not
attribute her
excellency
to herself, seeing that she knows by whose grace and mercy she is what
she
is. "And the lifter up of my head," of Him, namely, who, "the
First-born from
the
dead," Colossians 1:18 ascended up into heaven. "With my voice have I
cried
unto
the Lord, and He heard me out of His holy mountain." This is the prayer of
all
the Saints, the odour of sweetness, which ascends up in the sight of the Lord.
For
now the Church is heard out of this mountain, which is also her head; or, out
of
that justice of God, by which both His elect are set free, and their
persecutors
punished.
Let the people of God also say, "I slept, and took rest; and rose, for the
Lord
will take me up;" that they may be joined, and cleave to their Head. For
to
this
people is it said, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
Christ
shall lay hold on you." Ephesians 5:14 Since they are taken out of
sinners,
of
whom it is said generally, "But they that sleep, sleep in the night."
Let them say
moreover,
"I will not fear the thousands of people that surround me;" of the
heathen
verily that compass me about to extinguish everywhere, if they could, the
Christian
name. But how should they be feared, when by the blood of the martyrs
in
Christ, as by oil, the ardour of love is inflamed? "Arise, O Lord, save
me, O my
God."
The body can address this to its own Head. For at His rising the body was
saved;
who "ascended up on high, led captivity captive, gave gifts unto
men." For
this
is said by the Prophet, in the secret purpose of God, until that ripe harvest
Matthew
9:37 which is spoken of in the Gospel, whose salvation is in His
Resurrection,
who vouchsafed to die for us, shed out our Lord to the earth. "Since
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 3
16
You
have smitten all who oppose me without a cause, You have broken the teeth
of
the sinners." Now while the Church has rule, the enemies of the Christian
name
are
smitten with confusion; and, whether their curses or their chiefs, brought to
nought.
Believe then, O man, that "salvation is of the Lord: and," Thou, O
Lord,
may
"Your blessing" be "upon Your people."
10.
Each one too of us may say, when a multitude of vices and lusts leads the
resisting
mind in the law of sin, "O Lord, how are they multiplied that trouble me!
many
rise up against me." And, since despair of recovery generally creeps in
through
the accumulation of vices, as though these same vices were mocking the
soul,
or even as though the Devil and his angels through their poisonous
suggestions
were at work to make us despair, it is said with great truth, "Many say
unto
my soul, There is no salvation for him in his God. But You, O Lord, art my
taker."
For this is our hope, that He has vouchsafed to take the nature of man in
Christ.
"My glory;" according to that rule, that no one should ascribe ought
to
himself.
"And the lifter up of my head;" either of Him, who is the Head of us
all,
or
of the spirit of each several one of us, which is the head of the soul and
body.
For
"the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is
Christ."
1
Corinthians 11:3 But the mind is lifted up, when it can be said already,
"With the
mind
I serve the law of God;" Romans 7:25 that the rest of man may be reduced
to
peaceable
submission, when in the resurrection of the flesh "death is swallowed up
in
victory." 1 Corinthians 15:54 "With my voice I have cried unto the
Lord;" with
that
most inward and intensive voice. "And He heard me out of His holy
mountain;"
Him, through whom He has succoured us, through whose mediation
He
hears us. "I slept, and took rest; and rose, for the Lord will take me
up." Who
of
the faithful is not able to say this, when he calls to mind the death of his
sins,
and
the gift of regeneration? "I will not fear the thousands of people that
surround
me."
Besides those which the Church universally has borne and bears, each one
also
has temptations, by which, when compassed about, he may speak these
words,
"Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God:" that is, make me to arise.
"Since You
have
smitten all who oppose me without a cause:" it is well in God's
determinate
purpose
said of the Devil and his angels; who rage not only against the whole
body
of Christ, but also against each one in particular. "You have broken the
teeth
of
the sinners." Each man has those that revile him, he has too the prime
authors of
vice,
who strive to cut him off from the body of Christ. But "salvation is of
the
Lord."
Pride is to be guarded against, and we must say, "My soul cleaved after
You."
"And upon Your people" be "Your blessing:" that is, upon
each one of us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 4 17
Exposition on Psalm 4
To
the end, a psalm song to David.
1.
"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believes."
Romans
10:4 For this "end" signifies perfection, not consumption. Now it may
be
a
question, whether every Song be a Psalm, or rather every Psalm a Song; whether
there
are some Songs which cannot be called Psalms, and some Psalms which
cannot
be called Songs. But the Scripture must be attended to, if haply
"Song" do
not
denote a joyful theme. But those are called Psalms which are sung to the
Psaltery;
which the history as a high mystery declares the Prophet David to have
used.
Of which matter this is not the place to discourse; for it requires prolonged
inquiry,
and much discussion. Now meanwhile we must look either for the words
of
the Lord Man after the Resurrection, or of man in the Church believing and
hoping
on Him.
2.
"When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me" (ver. 1). When
I called,
God
heard me, the Psalmist says, of whom is my righteousness. "In tribulation
You
have enlarged me." You have led me from the straits of sadness into the
broad
ways of joy. For, "tribulation and straitness is on every soul of man that
does
evil." Romans 2:9 But he who says, "We rejoice in tribulations,
knowing that
tribulation
works patience;" up to that where he says, "Because the love of God
is
shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us;" he has no
straits
of heart, they be heaped on him outwardly by them that persecute him. Now
the
change of person, for that from the third person, where he says, "He
heard," he
passes
at once to the second, where he says, "You have enlarged me;" if it
be not
done
for the sake of variety and grace, it is strange why the Psalmist should first
wish
to declare to men that he had been heard, and afterwards address Him who
heard
him. Unless perchance, when he had declared how he was heard, in this very
enlargement
of heart he preferred to speak with God; that he might even in this
way
show what it is to be enlarged in heart, that is, to have God already shed
abroad
in the heart, with whom he might hold converse interiorly. Which is rightly
understood
as spoken in the person of him who, believing on Christ, has been
enlightened;
but in that of the very Lord Man, whom the Wisdom of God took, I
do
not see how this can be suitable. For He was never deserted by It. But as His
very
prayer against trouble is a sign rather of our infirmity, so also of that
sudden
enlargement
of heart the same Lord may speak for His faithful ones, whom He has
personated
also when He said, "I was an hungered, and you gave Me no meat; I
was
thirsty, and you gave Me no drink," Matthew 25:42 and so forth. Wherefore
here
also He can say, "You have enlarged me," for one of the least of His,
holding
converse
with God, whose "love" he has "shed abroad in his heart by the
Holy
Ghost,
which is given unto us." Romans 5:5 "Have mercy upon me and hear my
prayer."
Why does he again ask, when already he declared that he had been heard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 4 18
and
enlarged? It is for our sakes, of whom it is said, "But if we hope for
that we
see
not, we wait in patience;" Romans 8:25 or is it, that in him who has
believed
that
which is begun may be perfected?
3.
"O you sons of men, how long heavy in heart" (ver. 2). Let your
error, says he,
have
lasted at least up to the coming of the Son of God; why then any longer are
you
heavy in heart? When will you make an end of crafty wiles, if now when the
truth
is present ye make it not? "Why do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?"
Why
would
ye be blessed by the lowest things? Truth alone, from which all things are
true,
makes blessed. For, "vanity is of deceivers, and all is vanity."
Ecclesiastes
1:2 "What profit has a man of all his labour, wherewith he labours
under
the sun?" Why then are you held back by the love of things temporal? Why
follow
ye after the last things, as though the first, which is vanity and a lie? For
you
would have them abide with you, which all pass away, as does a shadow.
4.
"And know ye that the Lord has magnified his Holy One" (ver. 3). Whom
but
Him,
whom He raised up from below, and placed in heaven at His right hand?
Therefore
does he chide mankind, that they would turn at length from the love of
this
world to Him. But if the addition of the conjunction (for he says, "and
know
ye")
is to any a difficulty, he may easily observe in Scripture that this manner of
speech
is usual in that language, in which the Prophets spoke. For you often find
this
beginning, "And" the Lord said unto him, "And" the word of
the Lord came to
him.
Which joining by a conjunction, when no sentence has gone before, to which
the
following one may be annexed, peradventure admirably conveys to us, that the
utterance
of the truth in words is connected with that vision which goes on in the
heart.
Although in this place it may be said, that the former sentence, "Why do
ye
love
vanity, and seek a lie?" is as if it were written, Do not love vanity, and
seek a
lie.
And being thus read, it follows in the most direct construction, "and know
ye
that
the Lord has magnified His Holy One." But the interposition of the
Diapsalma
forbids
our joining this sentence with the preceding one. For whether this be a
Hebrew
word, as some would have it, which means, so be it; or a Greek word,
which
marks a pause in the psalmody (so as that Psalma should be what is sung in
psalmody,
but Diapsalma an interval of silence in the psalmody; that as the
coupling
of voices in singing is called Sympsalma, so their separation Diapsalma,
where
a certain pause of interrupted continuity is marked): whether I say it be the
former,
or the latter, or something else, this at least is probable, that the sense
cannot
rightly be continued and joined, where the Diapsalma intervenes.
5.
"The Lord will hear me, when I cry unto Him." I believe that we are
here
warned,
that with great earnestness of heart, that is, with an inward and
incorporeal
cry, we should implore help of God. For as we must give thanks for
enlightenment
in this life, so must we pray for rest after this life. Wherefore in the
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 4
19
person,
either of the faithful preacher of the Gospel, or of our Lord Himself, it may
be
taken, as if it were written, the Lord will hear you, when you cry unto Him.
6.
"Be angry, and sin not" (ver. 4). For the thought occurred, Who is
worthy to be
heard?
or how shall the sinner not cry in vain unto the Lord? Therefore, "Be
angry,"
says he, "and sin not." Which may be taken two ways: either, even if
you
be
angry, do not sin; that is, even if there arise an emotion in the soul, which
now
by
reason of the punishment of sin is not in our power, at least let not the
reason
and
the mind, which is after God regenerated within, that with the mind we should
serve
the law of God, although with the flesh we as yet serve the law of sin,
Romans
7:25 consent thereunto; or, repent ye, that is, be ye angry with yourselves
for
your past sins, and henceforth cease to sin. "What you say in your
hearts:"
there
is understood, "say ye:" so that the complete sentence is, "What
ye say in
your
hearts, that say ye;" that is, be ye not the people of whom it is said,
"with
their
lips they honour Me, but their heart is far from
chambers
be ye pricked." This is what has been expressed already "in
heart." For
this
is the chamber, of which our Lord warns us, that we should pray within, with
closed
doors. Matthew 6:6 But, "be ye pricked," refers either to the pain of
repentance,
that the soul in punishment should prick itself, that it be not
condemned
and tormented in God's judgment; or, to arousing, that we should
awake
to behold the light of Christ, as if pricks were made use of. But some say
that
not, "be ye pricked," but, "be ye opened," is the better
reading; because in the
Greek
Psalter it is katanughte, which refers to that
enlargement of the heart, in
order
that the shedding abroad of love by the Holy Ghost may be received.
7.
"Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord" (ver.
5). He says the
same
in another Psalm, "the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit."
Wherefore that
this
is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not
unreasonably
here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one should
be
angry with his own sins, rather than those of others, and that in
self-punishment
he
should sacrifice himself unto God? Or are righteous works after repentance the
sacrifice
of righteousness? For the interposition of Diapsalma not unreasonably
perhaps
intimates even a transition from the old life to the new life: that on the old
man
being destroyed or weakened by repentance, the sacrifice of righteousness,
according
to the regeneration of the new man, may be offered to God; when the
soul
now cleansed offers and places itself on the altar of faith, to be encompassed
by
heavenly fire, that is, by the Holy Ghost. So that this may be the meaning,
"Offer
the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord;" that is, live
uprightly,
and
hope for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that the truth, in which you have
believed,
may
shine upon you.
8.
But yet, "hope in the Lord," is as yet expressed without explanation.
Now what
is
hoped for, but good things? But since each one would obtain from God that
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm
4
20
good,
which he loves; and they are not easy to be found who love interior goods,
that
is, which belong to the inward man, which alone should be loved, but the rest
are
to be used for necessity, not to be enjoyed for pleasure; excellently did he
subjoin,
when he had said, "hope in the Lord" (ver. 6), "Many say, Who
shows us
good
things?" This is the speech, and this the daily inquiry of all the foolish
and
unrighteous;
whether of those who long for the peace and quiet of a worldly life,
and
from the frowardness of mankind find it not; who even in their blindness dare
to
find fault with the order of events, when involved in their own deservings they
deem
the times worse than these which are past: or, of those who doubt and
despair
of that future life, which is promised us; who are often saying, Who knows
if
it's true? or, who ever came from below, to tell us this? Very exquisitely
then,
and
briefly, he shows (to those, that is, who have interior sight), what good
things
are
to be sought; answering their question, who say, "Who shows us good
things?"
"The
light of Your countenance," says he, "is stamped on us, O Lord."
This light is
the
whole and true good of man, which is seen not with the eye, but with the mind.
But
he says, "stamped on us," as a penny is stamped with the king's
image. For
man
was made after the image and likeness of God, Genesis 1:26 which he
defaced
by sin: therefore it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he be
stamped.
And I believe this to be the bearing of that which some understand
skilfully;
I mean, what the Lord said on seeing Cćsar's tribute money, "Render to
Cćsar
the things that are Cćsar's; and to God the things that are God's."
Matthew
22:21 As if He had said, In like manner as Cćsar exacts from you the
impression
of his image, so also does God: that as the tribute money is rendered to
him,
so should the soul to God, illumined and stamped with the light of His
countenance.
(Ver. 7.) "You have put gladness into my heart." Gladness then is not
to
be sought without by them, who, being still heavy in heart, "love vanity,
and
seek
a lie;" but within, where the light of God's countenance is stamped. For
Christ
dwells
in the inner man, Ephesians 3:16-17 as the Apostle says; for to Him does it
appertain
to see truth, since He has said, "I am the truth." John 14:6 And
again,
when
He spoke in the Apostle, saying, "Would you receive a proof of Christ, who
speaks
in me?" 2 Corinthians 13:3 He spoke not of course from without to him,
but
in his very heart, that is, in that chamber where we are to pray.
9.
But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not
to
say anything else, than, "Who shows us good things?" when the true
and certain
good
within their very selves they cannot see. Of these accordingly is most justly
said,
what he adds next: "From the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, they have
been
multiplied." For the addition of His, is not superfluous. For the corn is
God's:
inasmuch
as He is "the living bread which came down from heaven." John 6:51
The
wine too is God's: for, "they shall be inebriated," he says,
"with the fatness of
your
house." The oil too is God's: of which it is said, "You have fattened
my head
with
oil." But those many, who say, "Who shows us good things?" and
who see
not
that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, "from the time of His
corn,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 4
21
of
wine, and oil, are multiplied." For multiplication does not always betoken
plentifulness,
and not, generally, scantiness: when the soul, given up to temporal
pleasures,
burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with
manifold
and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good. Such is the
soul
of which it is said, "For the corruptible body presses down the soul, and
the
earthly
tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses on many things."
Wisdom
9:15 A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods,
that
is, "from the time of His corn, wine, and oil," filled with
numberless idle
fancies,
is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which is commanded, "Think on the
Lord
in goodness, and in simplicity of heart seek Him." Wisdom 1:1 For this
multiplicity
is strongly opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these,
who
are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say,
"Who
shows us good things?" which are to be sought not with the eyes without,
but
with simplicity of heart within, the faithful man rejoices and says, "In
peace,
together,
I will sleep, and take rest" (ver. 8). For such men justly hope for all
manner
of estrangement of mind from things mortal, and forgetfulness of this
world's
miseries; which is beautifully and prophetically signified under the name
of
sleep and rest, where the most perfect peace cannot be interrupted by any
tumult.
But this is not had now in this life, but is to be hoped for after this life.
This
even the words themselves, which are in the future tense, show us. For it is
not
said, either, I have slept, and taken rest; or, I do sleep, and take rest; but,
"I
will
sleep, and take rest." Then shall "this corruptible put on
incorruption, and this
mortal
shall put on immortality; then shall death be swallowed up in victory."
1
Corinthians 15:54 Hence it is said, "But if we hope for that we see not,
we wait
in
patience." Romans 8:25
10.
Wherefore, consistently with this, he adds the last words, and says,
"Since
Thou,
O Lord, in singleness hast made me dwell in hope." Here he does not say,
wilt
make; but, "hast made." In whom then this hope now is, there will be
assuredly
that which is hoped for. And well does he say, "in singleness." For
this
may
refer in opposition to those many, who being multiplied from the time of His
corn,
of wine, and oil, say, "Who shows us good things?" For this
multiplicity
perishes,
and singleness is observed among the saints: of whom it is said in the
Acts
of the Apostles, "and of the multitude of them that believed, there was
one
soul,
and one heart." Acts 4:32 In singleness, then, and simplicity, removed,
that
is,
from the multitude and crowd of things, that are born and die, we ought to be
lovers
of eternity, and unity, if we desire to cleave to the one God and our Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 5
22
Exposition on
Psalm 5
1.
The title of the Psalm is, "For her who receives the inheritance."
The Church
then
is signified, who receives for her inheritance eternal life through our Lord
Jesus
Christ; that she may possess God Himself, in cleaving to whom she may be
blessed,
according to that, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the
earth."
Matthew
5:5 What earth, but that of which it is said, "You are my hope, my
portion
in the land of the living"? And again more clearly, "The Lord is the
portion
of
mine inheritance and of my cup." And conversely the word Church is said to
be
God's
inheritance according to that, "Ask of Me, and I shall give you the
heathen
for
your inheritance." Therefore is God said to be our inheritance, because He
feeds
and sustains us: and we are said to be God's inheritance, because He orders
and
rules us. Wherefore it is the voice of the Church in this Psalm called to her
inheritance,
that she too may herself become the inheritance of the Lord.
2.
"Hear my words, O Lord" (ver. 1). Being called she calls upon the
Lord; that the
same
Lord being her helper, she may pass through the wickedness of this world,
and
attain unto Him. "Understand my cry." The Psalmist well shows what
this cry
is;
how from within, from the chamber of the heart, without the body's utterance,
it
reaches
unto God: for the bodily voice is heard, but the spiritual is understood.
Although
this too may be God's hearing, not with carnal ear, but in the
omnipresence
of His Majesty.
3.
"Attend Thou to the voice of my supplication;" that is, to that
voice, which he
makes
request that God would understand: of which what the nature is, he has
already
intimated, when he said, "Understand my cry. Attend Thou to the voice of
my
supplication, my King, and my God" (ver. 2). Although both the Son is God,
and
the Father God, and the Father and the Son together One God; and if asked of
the
Holy Ghost, we must give no other answer than that He is God; and when the
Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are mentioned together, we must
understand
nothing else, than One God; nevertheless Scripture is wont to give the
appellation
of King to the Son. According then to that which is said, "By Me man
comes
to the Father," John 14:6 rightly is it first, "my King;" and
then, "my God."
And
yet has not the Psalmist said, Attend You; but, "Attend Thou." For
the
Catholic
faith preaches not two or three Gods, but the Very Trinity, One God. Not
that
the same Trinity can be together, now the Father, now the Son, now the Holy
Ghost,
as Sabellius believed: but that the Father must be none but the Father, and
the
Son none but the Son, and the Holy Ghost none but the Holy Ghost, and this
Trinity
but One God. Hence when the Apostle had said, "Of whom are all things,
by
whom are all things, in whom are all things," Romans 11:36 he is believed
to
have
conveyed an intimation of the Very Trinity; and yet he did not add, to Them
be
glory; but, "to Him be glory."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 5
23
4.
"Because I will pray unto You (ver. 3). O Lord, in the morning You will
hear
my
voice." What does that, which he said above, "Hear Thou," mean,
as if he
desired
to be heard immediately? But now he says, "in the morning You will
hear;"
not, hear Thou: and, "I will pray unto You;" not, I do pray unto You:
and, as
follows,
"in the morning I will stand by You, and will see;" not, I do stand
by You,
and
do see. Unless perhaps his former prayer marks the invocation itself: but being
in
darkness amidst the storms of this world, he perceives that he does not see
what
he
desires, and yet does not cease to hope, "For hope that is seen, is not
hope."
Romans
8:24 Nevertheless, he understands why he does not see, because the night
is
not yet past, that is, the darkness which our sins have merited. He says
therefore,
"Because
I will pray unto You, O Lord;" that is, because You are so mighty to
whom
I shall make my prayer, "in the morning You will hear my voice." You
are
not
He, he says, that can be seen by those, from whose eyes the night of sins is
not
yet
withdrawn: when the night then of my error is past, and the darkness gone,
which
by my sins I have brought upon myself, then "You will hear my voice."
Why
then did he say above not, "You will hear," but "hear
Thou"? Is it that after
the
Church cried out, "hear Thou," and was not heard, she perceived what
must
needs
pass away to enable her to be heard? Or is it that she was heard above, but
does
not yet understand that she was heard, because she does not yet see by whom
she
has been heard; and what she now says, "In the morning You will
hear," she
would
have thus taken, In the morning I shall understand that I have been heard?
Such
is that expression, "Arise, O Lord," that is, make me arise. But this
latter is
taken
of Christ's resurrection: but at all events that Scripture, "The Lord your
God
proves
you, that He may know whether ye love Him," Deuteronomy 13:3 cannot
be
taken in any other sense, than, that you by Him may know, and that it may be
made
evident to yourselves, what progress you have made in His love.
5.
"In the morning I will stand by You, and will see" (ver. 3). What is,
"I will
stand,"
but "I will not lie down"? Now what else is, to lie down, but to take
rest on
the
earth, which is a seeking happiness in earthly pleasures? "I will stand
by," he
says,
"and will see." We must not then cleave to things earthly, if we
would see
God,
who is beheld by a clean heart. "For You are not a God who hast pleasure
in
iniquity.
The malignant man shall not dwell near You, nor shall the unrighteous
abide
before Your eyes. You have hated all that work iniquity, You will destroy all
that
speak a lie. The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will
abominate"
(vers.
4-6). Iniquity, malignity, lying, homicide, craft, and all the like, are the
night
of
which we speak: on the passing away of which, the morning dawns, that God
may
be seen. He has unfolded the reason, then, why he will stand by in the
morning,
and see: "For," he says, "You are not a God who hast pleasure in
iniquity."
For if He were a God who had pleasure in iniquity, He could be seen
even
by the iniquitous, so that He would not be seen in the morning, that is, when
the
night of iniquity is over.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm
5
24
6.
"The malignant man shall not dwell near You:" that is, he shall not
so see, as to
cleave
to You. Hence follows, "Nor shall the unrighteous abide before Your
eyes."
For
their eyes, that is, their mind is beaten back by the light of truth, because
of the
darkness
of their sins; by the habitual practice of which they are not able to sustain
the
brightness of right understanding. Therefore even they who see sometimes,
that
is, who understand the truth, are yet still unrighteous, they abide not therein
through
love of those things, which turn away from the truth. For they carry about
with
them their night, that is, not only the habit, but even the love, of sinning.
But
if
this night shall pass away, that is, if they shall cease to sin, and this love
and
habit
thereof be put to flight, the morning dawns, so that they not only understand,
but
also cleave to the truth.
7.
"You have hated all that work iniquity." God's hatred may be
understood from
that
form of expression, by which every sinner hates the truth. For it seems that
she
too hates those, whom she suffers not to abide in her. Now they do not abide,
who
cannot bear the truth. "You will destroy all that speak a lie." For
this is the
opposite
to truth. But lest any one should suppose that any substance or nature is
opposite
to truth, let him understand that "a lie" has relation to that which
is not,
not
to that which is. For if that which is be spoken, truth is spoken: but if that
which
is not be spoken, it is a lie. Therefore says he, "You will destroy all
that
speak
a lie;" because drawing back from that which is, they turn aside to that
which
is not. Many lies indeed seem to be for some one's safety or advantage,
spoken
not in malice, but in kindness: such was that of those midwives in Exodus,
Exodus
1:19 who gave a false report to Pharaoh, to the end that the infants of the
children
of
for
the disposition shown; since those who only lie in this way, will attain in
time
to
a freedom from all lying. For in those that are perfect, not even these lies
are
found.
For to these it is said, "Let there be in your mouth, yea, yea; nay, nay;
whatsoever
is more, is of evil." Matthew 5:37 Nor is it without reason written in
another
place, "The mouth that lies slays the soul:" Wisdom 1:11 lest any
should
imagine
that the perfect and spiritual man ought to lie for this temporal life, in the
death
of which no soul is slain, neither his own, nor another's. But since it is one
thing
to lie, another to conceal the truth (if indeed it be one thing to say what is
false,
another not to say what is true), if haply one does not wish to give a man up
even
to this visible death, he should be prepared to conceal what is true, not to
say
what
is false; so that he may neither give him up, nor yet lie, lest he slay his own
soul
for another's body. But if he cannot yet do this, let him at all events admit
only
lies of such necessity, that he may attain to be freed even from these, if they
alone
remain, and receive the strength of the Holy Ghost, whereby he may despise
all
that must be suffered for the truth's sake. In fine, there are two kinds of
lies, in
which
there is no great fault, and yet they are not without fault, either when we are
in
jest, or when we lie that we may do good. That first kind, in jest, is for this
reason
not very hurtful, because there is no deception. For he to whom it is said
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 5
25
knows
that it is said for the sake of the jest. But the second kind is for this
reason
the
more inoffensive, because it carries with it some kindly intention. And to say
truth,
that which has no duplicity, cannot even be called a lie. As if, for example, a
sword
be intrusted to any one, and he promises to return it, when he who intrusted
it
to him shall demand it: if he chance to require his sword when in a fit of
madness,
it is clear it must not be returned then, lest he kill either himself or
others,
until soundness of mind be restored to him. Here then is no duplicity,
because
he, to whom the sword was intrusted, when he promised that he would
return
it at the other's demand, did not imagine that he could require it when in a
fit
of madness. But even the Lord concealed the truth, when He said to the
disciples,
not yet strong enough, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot
bear them now:" John 16:12 and the Apostle Paul when he said, "I
could
not
speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal." 1 Corinthians 3:1
Whence
it
is clear that it is not blamable, sometimes not to speak what is true. But to
say
what
is false is not found to have been allowed to the perfect.
8.
"The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate." What
he said
above,
"You have hated all that work iniquity, You will destroy all that speak a
lie,"
may well seem to be repeated here: so that one may refer "the man of
blood"
to
"the worker of iniquity," and "the crafty man" to the
"lie." For it is craft, when
one
thing is done, another pretended. He used an apt word too, when he said,
"will
abominate."
For the disinherited are usually called abominated. Now this Psalm is,
"for
her who receives the inheritance;" and she adds the exulting joy of her
hope,
in
saying, "But I, in the multitude of Your mercy, will enter into Your
house" (ver.
7).
"In the multitude of mercy:" perhaps he means in the multitude of
perfected
and
blessed men, of whom that city shall consist, of which the Church is now in
travail,
and is bearing few by few. Now that many men regenerated and perfected,
are
rightly called the multitude of God's mercy, who can deny; when it is most
truly
said, "What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that
Thou
visitest
him? I will enter into Your house:" as a stone into a building, I suppose,
is
the
meaning. For what else is the house of God than the
it
is said, "for the
are"?
Of which building He is the cornerstone, Ephesians 2:20 whom the Power
and
Wisdom of God coeternal with the Father assumed.
9.
"I will worship at Your holy temple, in Your fear." "At the
temple," we
understand
as, "near" the temple. For he does not say, I will worship
"in" Your
holy
temple; but, "I will worship at Your holy temple." It must be
understood too
to
be spoken not of perfection, but of progress toward perfection: so that the
words,
"I will enter into Your house," should signify perfection. But that this
may
come
to a happy issue, "I will" first, he says, "worship at Your holy
temple." And
perhaps
on this account he added, "in Your fear;" which is a great defence to
those
that
are advancing toward salvation. But when any one shall have arrived there, in
Psalm 5
26
him
comes to pass that which is written, "perfect love casts out fear." 1
John 4:18
For
they do not fear Him who is now their friend, to whom it is said,
"henceforth I
will
not call you servants, but friends," John 15:15 when they have been
brought
through
to that which was promised.
10.
"O Lord, lead me forth in Your justice because of mine enemies" (ver.
8). He
has
here sufficiently plainly declared that he is on his onward road, that is, in
progress
toward perfection, not yet in perfection itself, when he desires eagerly
that
he may be led forth. But, "in Your justice," not in that which seems
so to men.
For
to return evil for evil seems justice: but it is not His justice of whom it is
said,
"He
makes His sun to rise on the good and on the evil:" for even when God
punishes
sinners, He does not inflict His evil on them, but leaves them to their
own
evil. "Behold," the Psalmist says, "he travailed with injustice,
he has
conceived
toil, and brought forth iniquity: he has opened a ditch, and dug it, and
has
fallen into the pit which he wrought: his pains shall be turned on his own
head,
and
his iniquity shall descend on his own pate." When then God punishes, He
punishes
as a judge those that transgress the law, not by bringing evil upon them
from
Himself, but driving them on to that which they have chosen, to fill up the
sum
of their misery. But man, when he returns evil for evil, does it with an evil
will:
and on this account is himself first evil, when he would punish evil.
11.
"Direct in Your sight my way." Nothing is clearer, than that he here
sets forth
that
time, in which he is journeying onward. For this is a way which is traversed
not
in any regions of the earth, but in the affections of the heart. "In Your
sight,"
he
says, "direct my way:" that is, where no man sees; who are not to be
trusted in
their
praise or blame. For they can in no wise judge of another man's conscience,
wherein
the way toward God is traversed. Hence it is added, "for truth is not in
their
mouth" (ver. 9). To whose judgment of course then there is no trusting,
and
therefore
must we fly within to conscience, and the sight of God. "Their heart is
vain."
How then can truth be in their mouth, whose heart is deceived by sin, and
the
punishment of sin? Whence men are called back by that voice, "Wherefore do
ye
love vanity, and seek a lie?"
12.
"Their throat is an open sepulchre." It may be referred to signify
gluttony, for
the
sake of which men very often lie by flattery. And admirably has he said,
"an
open
sepulchre:" for this gluttony is ever gaping with open mouth, not as
sepulchres,
which, on the reception of corpses, are closed up. This also may be
understood
hereby, that with lying and blind flattery men draw to themselves those
whom
they entice to sin; and as it were devour them, when they turn them to their
own
way of living. And when this happens to them, since by sin they die, those by
whom
they are led along, are rightly called open sepulchres: for themselves too are
in
a manner lifeless, being destitute of the life of truth; and they take in to
themselves
dead men, whom having slain by lying words and a vain heart, they
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 5
27
turn
unto themselves. "With their own tongues they dealt craftily:" that
is, with
evil
tongues. For this seems to be signified, when he says "their own."
For the evil
have
evil tongues, that is, they speak evil, when they speak craftily. To whom the
Lord
says, "How can you, being evil, speak good things?" Matthew 12:34
13.
"Judge them, O God: let them fall from their own thoughts" (ver. 10).
It is a
prophecy,
not a curse. For he does not wish that it should come to pass; but he
perceives
what will come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he
appears
to have wished for it, but because they are such as to deserve that it should
happen.
For so also what he says afterwards, "Let all that hope in You
rejoice," he
says
by way of prophecy; since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise is it
said
prophetically, "Stir up Your strength, and come:" for he saw that He
would
come.
Although the words, "Let them fall from their own thoughts," may be
taken
thus
also, that it may rather be believed to be a wish for their good by the Psalmist,
while
they fall from their evil thoughts, that is, that they may no more think evil.
But
what follows, "drive them out," forbids this interpretation. For it
can in no
wise
be taken in a favourable sense, that one is driven out by God. Wherefore it is
understood
to be said prophetically, and not of ill will; when this is said, which
must
necessarily happen to such as chose to persevere in those sins, which have
been
mentioned. "Let them," therefore, "fall from their own
thoughts," is, let them
fall
by their self-accusing thoughts, "their own conscience also bearing
witness,"
as
the Apostle says, "and their thoughts accusing or excusing, in the
revelation of
the
just judgment of God." Romans 2:15-16
14.
"According to the multitude of their ungodlinesses drive them out:"
that is,
drive
them out far away. For this is "according to the multitude of their
ungodlinesses,"
that they should be driven out far away. The ungodly then are
driven
out from that inheritance, which is possessed by knowing and seeing God:
as
diseased eyes are driven out from the shining of the light, when what is
gladness
to others is pain to them. Therefore these shall not stand in the morning,
and
see. And that expression is as great a punishment, as that which is said,
"But
for
me it is good to cleave to the Lord," is a great reward. To this
punishment is
opposed,
"Enter thou into the joy of Your Lord;" Matthew 25:21 for similar to
this
expulsion
is, "Cast him into outer darkness." Matthew 25:30
15.
"Since they have embittered You, O Lord: I am," says He, "the
Bread which
came
down from heaven;" John 6:51 again, "Labour for the meat which wasts
not;"
John 6:27 again, "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." But to
sinners the
bread
of truth is bitter. Whence they hate the mouth of him that speaks the truth.
These
then have embittered God, who by sin have fallen into such a state of
sickliness,
that the food of truth, in which healthy souls delight, as if it were bitter
as
gall, they cannot bear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 5
28
16.
"And let all rejoice that hope in You;" those of course to whose
taste the Lord
is
sweet. "They will exult for evermore, and You will dwell in them"
(ver. 11).
This
will be the exultation for evermore, when the just become the
and
He, their Indweller, will be their joy. "And all that love Your name shall
glory
in
You:" as when what they love is present for them to enjoy. And well is it
said,
"in
You," as if in possession of the inheritance, of which the title of the
Psalm
speaks:
when they too are His inheritance, which is intimated by, "You will dwell
in
them." From which good they are kept back, whom God, according to the
multitude
of their ungodlinesses, drives out.
17.
"For You will bless the just man" (ver. 12). This is blessing, to
glory in God,
and
to be inhabited by God. Such sanctification is given to the just. But that they
may
be justified, a calling goes before: which is not of merit, but of the grace of
God.
"For all have sinned, and want the glory of God." Romans 3:23
"For whom
He
called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also
glorified."
Romans
8:30 Since then calling is not of our merit, but of the goodness and mercy
of
God, he went on to say, "O Lord, as with the shield of Your good will You
have
crowned
us." For God's good will goes before our good will, to call sinners to
repentance.
And these are the arms whereby the enemy is overcome, against
whom
it is said, "Who will bring accusation against God's elect?" Again,
"if God
be
for us, who can be against us? Who spared not His Only Son, but delivered
Him
up for us all." "For if, when we were enemies, Christ died for us;
much more
being
reconciled shall we be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:10 This is
that
unconquerable shield, whereby the enemy is driven back, when he suggests
despair
of our salvation through the multitude of tribulations and temptations.
18.
The whole contents of the Psalm, then, are a prayer that she may be heard,
from
the words, "hear my words, O Lord," unto, "my King, and my
God." Then
follows
a view of those things which hinder the sight of God, that is, a knowledge
that
she is heard, from the words, "because I shall pray unto You, O Lord, in
the
morning
You will hear my voice," unto, "the man of blood and the crafty man
the
Lord
will abominate." Thirdly, she hopes that she, who is to be the house of
God,
even
now begins to draw near to Him in fear, before that perfection which casts
out
fear, from the words, "but I in the multitude of Your mercy," unto,
"I will
worship
at Your holy temple in Your fear." Fourthly, as she is progressing and
advancing
amongst those very things which she feels to hinder her, she prays that
she
may be assisted within, where no man sees, lest she be turned aside by evil
tongues,
for the words, "O Lord, lead me forth in Your justice because of my
enemies,"
unto, "with their tongues they dealt craftily." Fifthly, is a
prophecy of
what
punishment awaits the ungodly, when the just man shall scarcely be saved;
and
of what reward the just shall obtain, who, when they were called, came, and
bore
all things manfully, till they were brought to the end, from the words,
"judge
them,
O God," unto the end of the Psalm.
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Psalm 6
29
Exposition
on Psalm 6
To
the end, in the hymns of the eighth, a psalm to David.
1.
"Of the eighth," seems here obscure. For the rest of this title is
more clear. Now
it
has seemed to some to intimate the day of judgment, that is, the time of the
coming
of our Lord, when He will come to judge the quick and dead. Which
coming,
it is believed, is to be, after reckoning the years from Adam, seven
thousand
years: so as that seven thousand years should pass as seven days, and
afterwards
that time arrive as it were the eighth day. But since it has been said by
the
Lord, "It is not yours to know the times, which the Father has put in His
own
power:"
Acts 1:7 and, "But of the day and that hour knows no man, no, neither
angel,
nor Power, neither the Son, but the Father alone:" Mark 13:32 and again,
that
which is written, "that the day of the Lord comes as a thief," shows
clearly
enough
that no man should arrogate to himself the knowledge of that time, by any
computation
of years. For if that day is to come after seven thousand years, every
man
could learn its advent by reckoning the years. What comes then of the Son's
even
not knowing this? Which of course is said with this meaning, that men do not
learn
this by the Son, not that He by Himself does not know it: according to that
form
of speech, "the Lord your God tries you that He may know;"
Deuteronomy
13:3 that is, that He may make you know: and, "arise, O Lord;" that
is,
make us arise. When therefore the Son is thus said not to know this day; not
because
He knows it not, but because He causes those to know it not, for whom it
is
not expedient to know it, that is, He does not show it to them; what does that
strange
presumption mean, which, by a reckoning up of years, expects the day of
the
Lord as most certain after seven thousand years?
2.
Be we then willingly ignorant of that which the Lord would not have us know:
and
let us inquire what this title, "of the eighth," means. The day of
judgment may
indeed,
even without any rash computation of years, be understood by the eighth,
for
that immediately after the end of this world, life eternal being attained, the
souls
of the righteous will not then be subject unto times: and, since all times have
their
revolution in a repetition of those seven days, that peradventure is called the
eighth
day, which will not have this variety. There is another reason, which may
be
here not unreasonably accepted, why the judgment should be called the eighth,
because
it will take place after two generations, one relating to the body, the other
to
the soul. For from Adam unto Moses the human race lived of the body, that is,
according
to the flesh: which is called the outward and the old man, and to which
the
Old Testament was given, that it might prefigure the spiritual things to come
by
operations, albeit religious, yet carnal. Through this entire season, when men
lived
according to the body, "death reigned," as the Apostle says,
"even over those
that
had not sinned." Now it reigned "after the similitude of Adam's
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Psalm 6
30
transgression,"
Romans 5:14 as the same Apostle says; for it must be taken of the
period
up to Moses, up to which time the works of the law, that is, those
sacraments
of carnal observance, held even those bound, for the sake of a certain
mystery,
who were subject to the One God. But from the coming of the Lord, from
whom
there was a transition from the circumcision of the flesh to the circumcision
of
the heart, the call was made, that man should live according to the soul, that
is,
according
to the inner man, who is also called the "new man" Colossians 3:10 by
reason
of the new birth and the renewing of spiritual conversation. Now it is plain
that
the number four has relation to the body, from the four well known elements
of
which it consists, and the four qualities of dry, humid, warm, cold. Hence too
it
is
administered by four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, winter. All this is very
well
known. For of the number four relating to the body we have treated elsewhere
somewhat
subtly, but obscurely: which must be avoided in this discourse, which
we
would have accommodated to the unlearned. But that the number three has
relation
to the mind may be understood from this, that we are commanded to love
God
after a threefold manner, with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the
whole
mind: of each of which severally we must treat, not in the Psalms, but in the
Gospels:
for the present, for proof of the relation of the number three to the mind, I
think
what has been said enough. Those numbers then of the body which have
relation
to the old man and the Old Testament, being past and gone, the numbers
too
of the soul, which have relation to the new man and the New Testament, being
past
and gone, a septenary so to say being passed; because everything is done in
time,
four having been distributed to the body, three to the mind; the eighth will
come,
the day of judgment: which assigning to deserts their due, will transfer at
once
the saint, not to temporal works, but to eternal life; but will condemn the
ungodly
to eternal punishment.
3.
In fear of which condemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says,
"Reprove
me not, O Lord, in Your anger" (ver. 1). The Apostle too mentions the
anger
of the judgment; "Thou treasurest up unto yourself," he says,
"anger against
the
day of the anger of the just judgment of God." Romans 2:5 In which he
would
not
be reproved, whosoever longs to be healed in this life. "Nor in Your rage
chasten
me." "Chasten," seems rather too mild a word; for it avails
toward
amendment.
For for him who is reproved, that is, accused, it is to be feared lest his
end
be condemnation. But since "rage" seems to be more than
"anger," it may be a
difficulty,
why that which is milder, namely, chastening, is joined to that which is
more
severe, namely, rage. But I suppose that one and the same thing is signified
by
the two words. For in the Greek qumoj, which is in the first
verse, means the
same
as orgh,
which is in the second verse. But when the Latins themselves too
wished
to use two distinct words, they looked out for what was akin to
"anger,"
and
"rage" was used. Hence copies vary. For in some "anger" is
found first, and
then
"rage:" in others, for "rage," "indignation" or
"choler" is used. But whatever
the
reading, it is an emotion of the soul urging to the infliction of punishment.
Yet
Psalm 6 31
this
emotion must not be attributed to God, as if to a soul, of whom it is said,
"but
Thou,
O Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity." Wisdom 12:18 Now that which
is
tranquil, is not disturbed. Disturbance then does not attach to God as judge:
but
what
is done by His ministers, in that it is done by His laws, is called His anger.
In
which
anger, the soul, which now prays, would not only not be reproved, but not
even
chastened, that is, amended or instructed. For in the Greek it is, Paideuhj,
that
is, instruct. Now in the day of judgment all are "reproved" that hold
not the
foundation,
which is Christ. But they are amended, that is, purged, who "upon this
foundation
build wood, hay, stubble. For they shall suffer loss, but shall be saved,
as
by fire." What then does he pray, who would not be either reproved or
amended
in
the anger of the Lord? what else but that he may be healed? For where sound
health
is, neither death is to be dreaded, nor the physician's hand with caustics or
the
knife.
4.
He proceeds accordingly to say, "Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me,
O
Lord,
for my bones are troubled" (ver. 2), that is, the support of my soul, or
strength:
for this is the meaning of "bones." The soul therefore says, that her
strength
is troubled, when she speaks of bones. For it is not to be supposed, that
the
soul has bones, such as we see in the body. Wherefore, what follows tends to
explain
it, "and my soul is troubled exceedingly" (ver. 3), lest because he
mentioned
bones, they should be understood as of the body. "And You, O Lord,
how
long?" Who does not see represented here a soul struggling with her
diseases;
but
long kept back by the physician, that she may be convinced what evils she has
plunged
herself into through sin? For what is easily healed, is not much avoided:
but
from the difficulty of the healing, there will be the more careful keeping of
recovered
health. God then, to whom it is said, "And You, O Lord, how long?"
must
not be deemed as if cruel: but as a kind convincer of the soul, what evil she
has
procured for herself. For this soul does not yet pray so perfectly, as that it
can
be
said to her, "Whilst you are yet speaking I will say, Behold, here I
am."
Isaiah
65:24 That she may at the same time also come to know, if they who do
turn
meet with so great difficulty, how great punishment is prepared for the
ungodly,
who will not turn to God: as it is written in another place, "If the
righteous
scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and ungodly appear?"
1
Peter 4:18
5.
"Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul" (ver. 4). Turning herself she
prays that God
too
would turn to her: as it is said, "Turn ye unto Me, and I will turn unto
you,
says
the Lord." Zechariah 1:3 Or is it to be understood according to that way
of
speaking,
"Turn, O Lord," that is make me turn, since the soul in this her
turning
feels
difficulty and toil? For our perfected turning finds God ready, as says the
Prophet,
"We shall find Him ready as the dawn." Since it was not His absence
who
is
everywhere present, but our turning away that made us lose Him; "He was in
this
world," it is said, "and the world was made by Him, and the world
knew Him
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Psalm 6
32
not."
John 1:10 If, then, He was in this world, and the world knew Him not, our
impurity
does not endure the sight of Him. But while we are turning ourselves,
that
is, by changing our old life are fashioning our spirit; we feel it hard and
toilsome
to be wrested back from the darkness of earthly lusts, to the serene and
quiet
and tranquillity of the divine light. And in such difficulty we say,
"Turn, O
Lord,"
that is, help us, that that turning may be perfected in us, which finds You
ready,
and offering Yourself for the fruition of them that love You. And hence
after
he said, "Turn, O Lord," he added, "and deliver my soul:"
cleaving as it were
to
the entanglements of this world, and suffering, in the very act of turning,
from
the
thorns, as it were, of rending and tearing desires. "Make me whole,"
he says,
"for
Your pity's sake." He knows that it is not of his own merits that he is
healed:
for
to him sinning, and transgressing a given command, was just condemnation
due.
Heal me therefore, he says, not for my merit's sake, but for Your pity's sake.
6.
"For in death there is no one that is mindful of You" (ver. 5). He
knows too that
now
is the time for turning unto God: for when this life shall have passed away,
there
remains but a retribution of our deserts. "But in hell who shall confess
to
You?"
Luke xvi That rich man, of whom the Lord speaks, who saw Lazarus in
rest,
but bewailed himself in torments, confessed in hell, yea so as to wish even to
have
his brethren warned, that they might keep themselves from sin, because of
the
punishment which is not believed to be in hell. Although therefore to no
purpose,
yet he confessed that those torments had deservedly lighted upon him;
since
he even wished his brethren to be instructed, lest they should fall into the
same.
What then is, "But in hell who will confess to You?" Is hell to be
understood
as that place, whither the ungodly will be cast down after the
judgment,
when by reason of that deeper darkness they will no more see any light
of
God, to whom they may confess anything? For as yet that rich man by raising
his
eyes, although a vast gulf lay between, could still see Lazarus established in
rest:
by comparing himself with whom, he was driven to a confession of his own
deserts.
It may be understood also, as if the Psalmist calls sin, that is committed in
contempt
of God's law, death: so as that we should give the name of death to the
sting
of death, because it procures death. "For the sting of death is sin."
1
Corinthians 15:56 In which death this is to be unmindful of God, to despise His
law
and commandments: so that by hell the Psalmist would mean that blindness of
soul
which overtakes and enwraps the sinner, that is, the dying. "As they did
not
think
good," the Apostle says, "to retain God in" their
"knowledge, God gave them
over
to a reprobate mind." Romans 1:28 From this death, and this hell, the soul
earnestly
prays that she may be kept safe, while she strives to turn to God, and
feels
her difficulties.
7.
Wherefore he goes on to say, "I have laboured in my groaning." And as
if this
availed
but little, he adds, "I will wash each night my couch" (ver. 6). That
is here
called
a couch, where the sick and weak soul rests, that is, in bodily gratification
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Psalm 6
33
and
in every worldly pleasure. Which pleasure, whoso endeavours to withdraw
himself
from it, washes with tears. For he sees that he already condemns carnal
lusts;
and yet his weakness is held by the pleasure, and willingly lies down therein,
from
whence none but the soul that is made whole can rise. As for what he says,
"each
night," he would perhaps have it taken thus: that he who, ready in spirit,
perceives
some light of truth, and yet, through weakness of the flesh, rests
sometime
in the pleasure of this world, is compelled to suffer as it were days and
nights
in an alternation of feeling: as when he says, "With the mind I serve the
law
of
God," he feels as it were day; again when he says, "but with the
flesh the law of
sin,"
Romans 7:25 he declines into night: until all night passes away, and that one
day
comes, of which it is said, "In the morning I will stand by You, and will
see."
For
then he will stand, but now he lies down, when he is on his couch; which he
will
wash each night, that with so great abundance of tears he may obtain the most
assured
remedy from the mercy of God. "I will drench my bed with tears." It
is a
repetition.
For when he says, "with tears," he shows with what meaning he said
above,
"I will wash." For we take "bed" here to be the same as
"couch" above.
Although,
"I will drench," is something more than, "I will wash:"
since anything
may
be washed superficially, but drenching penetrates to the more inward parts;
which
here signifies weeping to the very bottom of the heart. Now the variety of
tenses
which he uses; the past, when he said, "I have laboured in my
groaning;"
and
the future, when he said, "I will wash each night my couch;" the
future again,
"I
will drench my bed with tears;" this shows what every man ought to say to
himself,
when he labours in groaning to no purpose. As if he should say, It has not
profited
when I have done this, therefore I will do the other.
8.
"My eye is disordered by anger" (ver. 7): is it by his own, or God's
anger, in
which
he makes petition that he might not be reproved, or chastened? But if anger
in
that place intimate the day of judgment, how can it be understood now? Is it a
beginning
of it, that men here suffer pains and torments, and above all the loss of
the
understanding of the truth; as I have already quoted that which is said,
"God
gave
them over to a reprobate mind"? Romans 1:28 For such is the blindness of
the
mind. Whosoever is given over thereunto, is shut out from the interior light of
God:
but not wholly as yet, while he is in this life. For there is "outer
darkness,"
Matthew
25:30 which is understood to belong rather to the day of judgment; that
he
should rather be wholly without God, whosoever while there is time refuses
correction.
Now to be wholly without God, what else is it, but to be in extreme
blindness?
If indeed God "dwell in inaccessible light," 1 Timothy 6:16 whereinto
they
enter, to whom it is said, "Enter thou into the joy of your Lord." It
is then the
beginning
of this anger, which in this life every sinner suffers. In fear therefore of
the
day of judgment, he is in trial and grief; lest he be brought to that, the
disastrous
commencement of which he experiences now. And therefore he did not
say,
my eye is extinguished, but, "my eye is disordered by anger." But if
he mean
that
his eye is disordered by his own anger, there is no wonder either in this. For
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Psalm 6
34
hence
perhaps it is said, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;"
Ephesians
4:26 because the mind, which, from her own disorder, is not permitted
to
see God, supposes that the inner sun, that is, the wisdom of God, suffers as it
were
a setting in her.
9.
"I have grown old in all mine enemies." He had only spoken of anger
(if it were
yet
of his own anger that he spoke): but thinking on his other vices, he found that
he
was entrenched by them all. Which vices, as they belong to the old life and the
old
man, which we must put off, that we may put on the new man, Colossians 3:9-
10
it is well said, "I have grown old." But "in all mine
enemies," he means, either
amidst
these vices, or amidst men who will not be converted to God. For these,
even
if they know them not, even if they bear with them, even if they use the same
tables
and houses and cities, with no strife arising between them, and in frequent
converse
together with seeming concord: notwithstanding, by the contrariety of
their
aims, they are enemies to those who turn unto God. For seeing that the one
love
and desire this world, the others wish to be freed from this world, who sees
not
that the first are enemies to the last? For if they can, they draw the others
into
punishment
with them. And it is a great grace, to be conversant daily with their
words,
and not to depart from the way of God's commandments. For often the
mind
which is striving to go on to God-ward, being rudely handled in the very
road,
is alarmed; and generally fulfils not its good intent, lest it should offend
those
with whom it lives, who love and follow after other perishable and transient
goods.
From such every one that is whole is separated, not in space, but in soul.
For
the body is contained in space, but the soul's space is her affection.
10.
Wherefore after the labour, and groaning, and very frequent showers of tears,
since
that cannot be ineffectual, which is asked so earnestly of Him, who is the
Fountain
of all mercies, and it is most truly said, "the Lord is nigh unto them
that
are
of a broken heart:" after difficulties so great, the pious soul, by which
we may
also
understand the Church, intimating that she has been heard, see what she adds:
"Depart
from me, all you that work iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of
my
weeping" (ver. 8). It is either spoken prophetically, since they will depart,
that
is,
the ungodly will be separated from the righteous, when the day of judgment
arrives,
or, for this time present. For although both are equally found in the same
assemblies,
yet on the open floor the wheat is already separated from the chaff,
though
it be hid among the chaff. They can therefore be associated together, but
cannot
be carried away by the wind together.
11.
"For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping; The Lord has heard my
supplication;
the Lord has received my prayer" (ver. 9). The frequent repetition of
the
same sentiments shows not, so to say, the necessities of the narrator, but the
warm
feeling of his joy. For they that rejoice are wont so to speak, as that it is
not
enough
for them to declare once for all the object of their joy. This is the fruit of
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm
6
35
that
groaning in which there is labour, and those tears with which the couch is
washed,
and bed drenched: for, "he that sows in tears, shall reap in joy:"
and,
"blessed
are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
12.
"Let all mine enemies be ashamed and vexed" (ver. 10). He said above,
"depart
from
me all you:" which can take place, as it has been explained, even in this
life:
but
as to what he says, "let them be ashamed and vexed," I do not see how
it can
happen,
save on that day when the rewards of the righteous and the punishments
of
the sinners shall be made manifest. For at present so far are the ungodly from
being
ashamed, that they do not cease to insult us. And for the most part their
mockings
are of such avail, that they make the weak to be ashamed of the name of
Christ.
Hence it is said, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me before men, of him
will
I be ashamed before My Father." But now whosoever would fulfil those
sublime
commands, to disperse, to give to the poor, that his righteousness may
endure
for ever; and selling all his earthly goods, and spending them on the needy,
would
follow Christ, saying, "We brought nothing into this world, and truly we
can
carry nothing out; having food and raiment, let us be therewith content;"
1
Timothy 6:7-8 incurs the profane raillery of those men, and by those who will
not
be made whole, is called mad; and often to avoid being so called by desperate
men,
he fears to do, and puts off that, which the most faithful and powerful of all
physicians
has ordered. It is not then at present that these can be ashamed, by
whom
we have to wish that we be not made ashamed, and so be either called back
from
our proposed journey, or hindered, or delayed. But the time will come when
they
shall be ashamed, saying as it is written, "These are they whom we had
sometimes
in derision, and a parable of reproach: we fools counted their life
madness,
and their end to be without honour: how are they numbered among the
children
of God, and their lot is among the saints? Therefore have we erred from
the
way of truth, and the light of righteousness has not shined into us, nor the
sun
risen
upon us: we have been filled with the way of wickedness and destruction,
and
have walked through rugged deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not
known.
What has pride profited us, or what has the vaunting of riches brought us?
All
those things are passed away like a shadow." Wisdom 5:3-9
13.
But as to what he says, "Let them be turned and confounded," who
would not
judge
it to be a most righteous punishment, that they should have a turning unto
confusion,
who would not have one unto salvation? After this he added,
"exceeding
quickly." For when the day of judgment shall have begun to be no
longer
looked for, when they shall have said, "Peace, then shall sudden
destruction
come
upon them." Now whensoever it come, that comes very quickly, of whose
coming
we give up all expectation; and nothing makes the length of this life be felt
but
the hope of living. For nothing seems more quick, than all that has already
passed
in it. When then the day of judgment shall come, then will sinners feel how
that
all the life which passes away is not long. Nor will that any way possibly
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Psalm 6
36
seem
to them to have come tardily, which shall have come without their desiring,
or
rather without their believing. Although it can too be taken in this place
thus,
that
inasmuch as God has heard, so to say, her groans, and her long and frequent
tears,
she may be understood to be freed from her sins, and to have tamed every
disordered
impulse of carnal affection: as she says, "Depart from me, all you that
work
iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping:" and when she
has
had
this happy issue, it is no marvel if she be already so perfect as to pray for
her
enemies.
The words then, "Let all mine enemies be ashamed, and vexed," may
have
this meaning; that they should repent of their sins, which cannot be effected
without
confusion and vexation. There is then nothing to hinder us from taking
what
follows too in this sense, "let them be turned and ashamed," that is,
let them
be
turned to God, and be ashamed that they sometime gloried in the former
darkness
of their sins; as the Apostle says, "For what glory had ye sometime in
those
things of which you are now ashamed?" Romans 6:21 But as to what he
added,
"exceeding quickly," it must be referred either to the warm affection
of her
wish,
or to the power of Christ; who converts to the faith of the Gospel in such
quick
time the nations, which in their idols' cause did persecute the Church.
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Psalm 7
37
Exposition on Psalm 7
A
psalm to David himself, which he sung to the Lord, for the words of Chusi, son
of
Jemini.
1.
Now the story which gave occasion to this prophecy may be easily recognised
in
the second book of Kings. 2 Samuel 15:34-37 For there Chusi, the friend of
king
David, went over to the side of Absalom, his son, who was carrying on war
against
his father, for the purpose of discovering and reporting the designs which
he
was taking against his father, at the instigation of Achitophel, who had
revolted
from
David's friendship, and was instructing by his counsel, to the best of his
power,
the son against the father. But since it is not the story itself which is to be
the
subject of consideration in this Psalm, from which the prophet has taken a veil
of
mysteries, if we have passed over to Christ, let the veil be taken away.
2
Corinthians 3:16 And first let us inquire into the signification of the very
names,
what
it means. For there have not been wanting interpreters, who investigating
these
same words, not carnally according to the letter, but spiritually, declare to
us
that
Chusi should be interpreted silence; and Gemini, right-handed; Achitophel,
brother's
ruin. Among which interpretations, Judas, that traitor, again meets us,
that
Absalom should bear his image, according to that interpretation of it as a
father's
peace; in that his father was full of thoughts of peace toward him: although
he
in his guile had war in his heart, as was treated of in the third Psalm. Now as
we
find in the Gospels that the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ are called
sons,
Matthew
9:15 so in the same Gospels we find they are called brethren also. For the
Lord
on the resurrection says, "Go and say to My brethren." John 20:17 And
the
Apostle
calls Him "the first begotten among many brethren." The ruin then of
that
disciple,
who betrayed Him, is rightly understood to be a brother's ruin, which we
said
is the interpretation of Achitophel. Now as to Chusi, from the interpretation
of
silence,
it is rightly understood that our Lord contended against that guile in
silence,
that is, in that most deep secret, whereby "blindness happened in part to
Gentiles
might enter in, and "so all
to
this profound secret and deep silence, he exclaimed, as if struck with a kind
of
awe
of its very depth, "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge
of
God!
how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For
who
has known the wind of the Lord, or who has been His counsellor?"
Romans
11:33-34 Thus that great silence he does not so much discover by
explanation,
as he sets forth its greatness in admiration. In this silence the Lord,
hiding
the sacrament of His adorable passion, turns the brother's voluntary ruin,
that
is, His betrayer's impious wickedness, into the order of His mercy and
providence:
that what he with perverse mind wrought for one Man's destruction,
He
might by providential overruling dispose for all men's salvation. The perfect
soul
then, which is already worthy to know the secret of God, sings a Psalm unto
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Psalm 7
38
the
Lord, she sings "for the words of Chusi," because she has attained to
know the
words
of that silence: for among unbelievers and persecutors there is that silence
and
secret. But among His own, to whom it is said, "Now I call you no more
servants;
for the servant knows not what his lord does; but I have called you
friends,
for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you:
John
15:15 among His friends, I say, there is not the silence, but the words of the
silence,
that is, the meaning of that silence set forth and manifested. Which
silence,
that is, Chusi, is called the son of Gemini, that is, righthanded. For what
was
done for the Saints was not to be hidden from them. And yet He says, "Let
not
the
left hand know what the right hand does." Matthew 6:3 The perfect soul
then,
to
which that secret has been made known, sings in prophecy "for the words of
Chusi,"
that is, for the knowledge of that same secret. Which secret God at her
right
hand, that is, favourable and propitious unto her, has wrought. Wherefore this
silence
is called the Son of the right hand, which is, "Chusi, the son of
Gemini."
2.
"O Lord my God, in You have I hoped: save me from all them that persecute
me,
and deliver me" (ver. 1). As one to whom, already perfected, all the war
and
enmity
of vice being overcome, there remains no enemy but the envious devil, he
says,
"Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me (ver. 2): lest at
any
time
he tear my soul as a lion." The Apostle says, "Your adversary the
devil, as a
roaring
lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8 Therefore
when
the Psalmist said in the plural number, "Save me from all them that
persecute
me:" he afterwards introduced the singular, saying, "lest at any time
he
tear
my soul as a lion." For he does not say, lest at any time they tear: he
knew
what
enemy and violent adversary of the perfect soul remained. "Whilst there be
none
to redeem, nor to save:" that is, lest he tear me, while Thou redeemest
not,
nor
savest. For, if God redeem not, nor save, he tears.
3.
And that it might be clear that the already perfect soul, which is to be on her
guard
against the most insidious snares of the devil only, says this, see what
follows.
"O Lord my God, if I have done this" (ver. 3). What is it that he
calls
"this"?
Since he does not mention the sin by name, are we to understand sin
generally?
If this sense displease us, we may take that to be meant which follows:
as
if we had asked, what is this that you say, "this"? He answers,
"If there be
iniquity
in my hands." Now then it is clear that it is said of all sin, "If I
have repaid
them
that recompense me evil" (ver. 4). Which none can say with truth, but the
perfect.
For so the Lord says, "Be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven; who
makes
His sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and rains on the just and the
unjust."
Matthew 5:43, 45 He then who repays not them that recompense evil, is
perfect.
When therefore the perfect soul prays "for the words of Chusi, the son of
Jemini,"
that is, for the knowledge of that secret and silence, which the Lord,
favourable
to us and merciful, wrought for our salvation, so as to endure, and with
all
patience bear, the guiles of this betrayer: as if He should say to this perfect
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
39
soul,
explaining the design of this secret, For you ungodly and a sinner, that your
iniquities
might be washed away by My blood-shedding, in great silence and great
patience
I bore with My betrayer; will you not imitate me, that you too may not
repay
evil for evil? Considering then, and understanding what the Lord has done
for
him, and by His example going on to perfection, the Psalmist says, "If I
have
repaid
them that recompense me evil:" that is, if I have not done what You have
taught
me by Your example: "may I therefore fall by mine enemies empty." And
he
says well, not, If I have repaid them that do me evil; but, who "recompense."
For
who so recompenses, had received somewhat already. Now it is an instance of
greater
patience, not even to repay him evil, who after receiving benefits returns
evil
for good, than if without receiving any previous benefit he had had a mind to
injure.
If therefore he says, "I have repaid them that recompense me evil:"
that is,
If
I have not imitated You in that silence, that is, in Your patience, which You
have
wrought for me, "may I fall by mine enemies empty." For he is an
empty
boaster,
who, being himself a man, desires to avenge himself on a man; and while
he
openly seeks to overcome a man, is secretly himself overcome by the devil,
rendered
empty by vain and proud joy, because he could not, as it were, be
conquered.
The Psalmist knows then where a greater victory may be obtained, and
where
"the Father which sees in secret will reward." Matthew 6:6 Lest then
he
repay
them that recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another man,
being
instructed too by those writings, wherein it is written, "Better is he
that
overcomes
his anger, than he that takes a city." Proverbs 16:32 "If I have
repaid
them
that recompense me evil, may I therefore fall by my enemies empty." He
seems
to swear by way of execration, which is the heaviest kind of oath, as when
one
says, If I have done so and so, may I suffer so and so. But swearing in a
swearer's
mouth is one thing, in a prophet's meaning another. For here he mentions
what
will really befall men who repay them that recompense evil; not what, as by
an
oath, he would imprecate on himself or any other.
4.
"Let the enemy" therefore "persecute my soul and take it"
(ver. 5). By again
naming
the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out
him
whom he spoke of above as a lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has
deceived
it, will take it. For the limit of men's rage is the destruction of the body;
but
the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas
whatever
souls the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. "And
let
him tread my life upon the earth:" that is, by treading let him make my
life
earth,
that is to say, his food. For he is not only called a lion, but a serpent too,
to
whom
it was said, "Earth shall you eat." Genesis 3:14 And to the sinner
was it
said,
"Earth you are, and into earth shall you go." Genesis 3:19 "And
let him bring
down
my glory to the dust." This is that dust which "the wind casts forth
from the
face
of the earth," to wit, vain and silly boasting of the proud, puffed up,
not of
solid
weight, as a cloud of dust carried away by the wind. Justly then has he here
spoken
of the glory, which he would not have brought down to dust. For he would
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
40
have
it solidly established in conscience before God, where there is no boasting.
"He
that glories," says the Apostle, "let him glory in the Lord." 1
Corinthians 1:31
This
solidity is brought down to the dust if one through pride despising the secrecy
of
conscience, where God only proves a man, desires to glory before men. Hence
comes
what the Psalmist elsewhere says, "God shall bruise the bones of them that
please
men." Now he that has well learned or experienced the steps in overcoming
vices,
knows that this vice of empty glory is either alone, or more than all, to be
shunned
by the perfect. For that by which the soul first fell, she overcomes the
last.
"For the beginning of all sin is pride:" and again, "The
beginning of man's
pride
is to depart from God."
5.
"Arise, O Lord, in Your anger" (ver. 6). Why yet does he, who we say
is
perfect,
incite God to anger? Must we not see, whether he rather be not perfect,
who,
when he was being stoned, said, "O Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge"?
Acts
7:60 Or does the Psalmist pray thus not against men, but against the devil and
his
angels, whose possession sinners and the ungodly are? He then does not pray
against
him in wrath, but in mercy, whosoever prays that that possession may be
taken
from him by that Lord "who justifies the ungodly." Romans 4:5 For
when
the
ungodly is justified, from ungodly he is made just, and from being the
possession
of the devil he passes into the
punishment
that a possession, in which one longs to have rule, should be taken
away
from him: this punishment, that he should cease to possess those whom he
now
possesses, the Psalmist calls the anger of God against the devil. "Arise,
O
Lord;
in Your anger." "Arise" (he has used it as "appear"),
in words, that is, human
and
obscure; as though God sleeps, when He is unrecognised and hidden in His
secret
workings. "Be exalted in the borders of mine enemies." He means by
borders
the possession itself, in which he wishes that God should be exalted, that
is,
be honoured and glorified, rather than the devil, while the ungodly are justified
and
praise God. "And arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that You have
given:"
that is, since You have enjoined humility, appear in humility; and first
fulfil
what You have enjoined; that men by Your example overcoming pride may
not
be possessed of the devil, who against Your commandments advised to pride,
saying,
"Eat, and your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods."
Genesis 3:5
6.
"And the congregation of the people shall surround You." This may be
understood
two ways. For the congregation of the people can be taken, either of
them
that believe, or of them that persecute, both of which took place in the same
humiliation
of our Lord: in contempt of which the multitude of them that persecute
surrounded
Him; concerning which it is said, "Why have the heathen raged, and
the
people meditated vain things?" But of them that believe through His
humiliation
the multitude so surrounded Him, that it could be said with the
greatest
truth, "blindness in part is happened unto
Gentiles
might come in:" Romans 11:25 and again, "Ask of me, and I will give
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7 41
You
the Gentiles for Your inheritance, and the boundaries of the earth for Your
possession."
"And for their sakes return Thou on high:" that is, for the sake of
this
congregation
return Thou on high: which He is understood to have done by His
resurrection
and ascension into heaven. For being thus glorified He gave the Holy
Ghost,
which before His exaltation could not be given, as it is written in the
Gospel,
"for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet
glorified."
John 7:39 Having then returned on high for the sake of the
congregation
of the people, He sent the Holy Ghost: by whom the preachers of the
Gospel
being filled, filled the whole world with Churches.
7.
It can be taken also in this sense: "Arise, O Lord, in Your anger, and be
exalted
in
the borders of mine enemies:" that is, arise in Your anger, and let not
mine
enemies
understand You; so that to "be exalted," should be this, become high,
that
You
may not be understood; which has reference to the silence spoken of above.
For
it is of this exaltation thus said in another Psalm, "And He ascended upon
Cherubim,
and flew:" and, "He made darkness His secret place." In which
exaltation,
or concealment, when for their sins' desert they shall not understand
You,
who shall crucify You, "the congregation" of believers "shall
surround You."
For
in His very humiliation He was exalted, that is, was not understood. So that,
"And
arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that You have given:" may
have
reference to this, that is, when Thou showest Yourself, be high or deep that
mine
enemies may not understand You. Now sinners are the enemies of the just
man,
and the ungodly of the godly man. "And the congregation of the people
shall
surround
You:" that is, by this very circumstance, that those who crucify You
understand
You not, the Gentiles shall believe in You, and so "shall the
congregation
of the people surround You." But what follows, if this be the true
meaning,
has in it more pain, that it begins already to be perceived, than joy that it
is
understood. For it follows, "and for their sakes return Thou on
high," that is, and
for
the sake of this congregation of the human race, wherewith the Churches are
crowded,
return Thou on high, that is, again cease to be understood. What then is,
"and
for their sakes," but that this congregation too will offend You, so that
You
may
most truly foretell and say, "Thinkest Thou when the Son of man shall
come,
He
will find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8 Again, of the false prophets, who
are
understood
to be heretics, He says, "Because of their iniquity the love of many
shall
wax cold." Matthew 24:12 Since then even in the Churches, that is, in that
congregation
of peoples and nations, where the Christian name has most widely
spread,
there shall be so great abundance of sinners, which is already, in great
measure,
perceived; is not that famine of the word Amos 8:11 here predicted,
which
has been threatened by another prophet also? Is it not too for this
congregation's
sake, who, by their sins, are estranging from themselves that light
of
truth, that God returns on high, that is, so that faith, pure and cleansed from
the
corruption
of all perverse opinions, is held and received, either not at all, or by the
very
few of whom it was said, "Blessed is he that shall endure to the end, the
same
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
42
shall
be saved"? Mark 13:13 Not without cause then is it said, "and for the
sake of
this"
congregation "return Thou on high:" that is, again withdraw into the
depth of
Your
secrecy, even for the sake of this congregation of the peoples, that has Your
name,
and does not Your deeds.
8.
But whether the former exposition of this place, or this last be the more
suitable,
without
prejudice to any one better, or equal, or as good, it follows very
consistently,
"the Lord judges the people." For whether He returned on high,
when,
after the resurrection, He ascended into heaven, well does it follow, "The
Lord
judges the people:" for that He will come from thence to judge the quick
and
the
dead. Or whether He return on high, when the understanding of the truth leaves
sinful
Christians, for that of His coming it has been said, "Do you think the Son
of
Man
on His coming will find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8 "The
Lord" then
"judges
the people." What Lord, but Jesus Christ? "For the Father judges no
man,
but
has committed all judgment unto the Son." John 5:22 Wherefore this soul
which
prays perfectly, see how she fears not the day of judgment, and with a truly
secure
longing says in her prayer, "Your kingdom come: judge me," she says,
"O
Lord,
according to my righteousness." In the former Psalm a weak one was
entreating,
imploring rather the mercy of God, than mentioning any desert of his
own:
since the Son of God came "to call sinners to repentance." Matthew
9:13
Therefore
he had there said, "Save me, O Lord, for Your mercy's sake;" that is,
not
for
my desert's sake. But now, since being called he has held and kept the
commandments
which he received, he is bold to say, "Judge me, O Lord,
according
to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, that is upon
me."
This is true harmlessness, which harms not even an enemy. Accordingly,
well
does he require to be judged according to his harmlessness, who could say
with
truth, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil." As for what
he added,
"that
is upon me," it can refer not only to harmlessness, but can be understood
also
with
reference to righteousness; that the sense should be this, Judge me, O Lord,
according
to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, which
righteousness
and harmlessness is upon me. By which addition he shows that this
very
thing, that the soul is righteous and harmless, she has not by herself, but by
God
who gives brightness and light. For of this he says in another Psalm,
"You, O
Lord,
wilt light my candle." And of John it is said, that "he was not the
light, but
bore
witness of the light." John 1:8 "He was a burning and shining
candle."
John
5:35 That light then, whence souls, as candles, are kindled, shines forth not
with
borrowed, but with original, brightness, which light is truth itself. It is
then so
said,
"According to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, that is
upon
me," as if a burning and shining candle should say, Judge me according to
the
flame which is upon me, that is, not that wherewith I am myself, but that
whereby
I shine enkindled of you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
43
9.
"But let the wickedness of sinners be consummated" (ver. 9). He says,
"be
consummated,"
be completed, according to that in the Apocalypse, "Let the
righteous
become more righteous, and let the filthy be filthy still."
Revelation
22:11 For the wickedness of those men appears consummate, who
crucified
the Son of God; but greater is theirs who will not live uprightly, and hate
the
precepts of truth, for whom the Son of God was crucified. "Let the
wickedness
of
sinners," then he says, "be consummated," that is, arrive at the
height of
wickedness,
that just judgment may be able to come at once. But since it is not
only
said, "Let the filthy be filthy still;" but it is said also,
"Let the righteous
become
more righteous;" he joins on the words, "And You shall direct the
righteous,
O God, who searches the hearts and reins." How then can the righteous
be
directed but in secret? when even by means of those things which, in the
commencement
of the Christian ages, when as yet the saints were oppressed by the
persecution
of the men of this world, appeared marvellous to men, now that the
Christian
name has begun to be in such high dignity, hypocrisy, that is pretence,
has
increased; of those, I mean, who by the Christian profession had rather please
men
than God. How then is the righteous man directed in so great confusion of
pretence,
save while God searches the hearts and reins; seeing all men's thoughts,
which
are meant by the word heart; and their delights, which are understood by the
word
reins? For the delight in things temporal and earthly is rightly ascribed to
the
reins;
for that it is both the lower part of man, and that region where the pleasure
of
carnal generation dwells, through which man's nature is transferred into this
life
of
care, and deceiving joy, by the succession of the race. God then, searching our
heart,
and perceiving that it is there where our treasure is, that is, in heaven;
searching
also the reins, and perceiving that we do not assent to flesh and blood,
but
delight ourselves in the Lord, directs the righteous man in his inward
conscience
before Him, where no man sees, but He alone who perceives what each
man
thinks, and what delights each. For delight is the end of care; because to this
end
does each man strive by care and thought, that he may attain to his delight. He
therefore
sees our cares, who searches the heart. He sees too the ends of cares, that
is
delights, who narrowly searches the reins; that when He shall find that our
cares
incline
neither to the lust of the flesh, nor to the lust of the eyes, nor to the pride
of
life,
1 John 2:16 all which pass away as a shadow, but that they are raised upward
to
the joys of things eternal, which are spoilt by no change, He may direct the
righteous,
even He, the God who searches the hearts and reins. For our works,
which
we do in deeds and words, may be known unto men; but with what mind
they
are done, and to what end we would attain by means of them, He alone
knows,
the God who searches the hearts and reins.
10.
"My righteous help is from the Lord, who makes whole the upright in
heart"
(ver.
10). The offices of medicine are twofold, on the curing infirmity, the other
the
preserving health. According to the first it was said in the preceding Psalm,
"Have
mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;" according to the second it is said in
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm
7
44
this
Psalm, "If there be iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid them that
recompense
me evil, may I therefore fall by my enemies empty." For there the
weak
prays that he may be delivered, here one already whole that he may not
change
for the worse. According to the one it is there said, "Make me whole for
Your
mercy's sake;" according to this other it is here said, "Judge me, O
Lord,
according
to my righteousness." For there he asks for a remedy to escape from
disease;
but here for protection from falling into disease. According to the former
it
is said, "Make me whole, O Lord, according to Your mercy:" according
to the
latter
it is said, "My righteous help is from the Lord, who makes whole the
upright
in
heart." Both the one and the other makes men whole; but the former removes
them
from sickness into health, the latter preserves them in this health. Therefore
there
the help is merciful, because the sinner has no desert, who as yet longs to be
justified,
"believing on Him who justifies the ungodly;" Romans 4:5 but here the
help
is righteous, because it is given to one already righteous. Let the sinner then
who
said, "I am weak," say in the first place, "Make me whole, O
Lord, for Your
mercy's
sake;" and here let the righteous man, who said, "If I have repaid
them
that
recompense me evil," say, "My righteous help is from the Lord, who
makes
whole
the upright in heart." For if he sets forth the medicine, by which we may
be
healed
when weak, how much more that by which we may be kept in health. For if
"while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, how much more being now
justified
shall we be kept whole from wrath through Him." Romans 5:8-9
11.
"My righteous help is from the Lord, who makes whole the upright in
heart."
God,
who searches the hearts and reins, directs the righteous; but with righteous
help
makes He whole the upright in heart. He does not as He searches the hearts
and
reins, so make whole the upright in heart and reins; for the thoughts are both
bad
in a depraved heart, and good in an upright heart; but delights which are not
good
belong to the reins, for they are more low and earthly; but those that are good
not
to the reins, but to the heart itself. Wherefore men cannot be so called
upright
in
reins, as they are called upright in heart, since where the thought is, there
at
once
the delight is too; which cannot be, unless when things divine and eternal are
thought
of. "You have given," he says, "joy in my heart," when he
had said, "The
light
of Your countenance has been stamped on us, O Lord." For although the
phantoms
of things temporal, which the mind falsely pictures to itself, when tossed
by
vain and mortal hope, to vain imagination oftentimes bring a delirious and
maddened
joy; yet this delight must be attributed not to the heart, but to the reins;
for
all these imaginations have been drawn from lower, that is, earthly and carnal
things.
Hence it comes, that God, who searches the hearts and reins, and perceives
in
the heart upright thoughts, in the reins no delights, affords righteous help to
the
upright
in heart, where heavenly delights are coupled with clean thoughts. And
therefore
when in another Psalm he had said, "Moreover even to-night my reins
have
chided me;" he went on to say as touching help, "I foresaw the Lord
alway in
my
sight, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved." Where he
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
45
shows
that he suffered suggestions only from the reins, not delights as well; for he
had
suffered these, then he would of course be moved. But he said, "The Lord
is
on
my right hand, that I should not be moved;" and then he adds,
"Wherefore was
my
heart delighted;" that the reins should have been able to chide, not
delight him.
The
delight accordingly was produced not in the reins, but there, where against the
chiding
of the reins God was foreseen to be on the right hand, that is, in the heart.
12.
"God the righteous judge, strong (in endurance) and long-suffering"
(ver. 11).
What
God is judge, but the Lord, who judges the people? He is righteous; who
"shall
render to every man according to his works." Matthew 16:27 He is strong
(in
endurance); who, being most powerful, for our salvation bore even with
ungodly
persecutors. He is long-suffering; who did not immediately, after His
resurrection,
hurry away to punishment, even those that persecuted Him, but bore
with
them, that they might at length turn from that ungodliness to salvation: and
still
He bears with them, reserving the last penalty for the last judgment, and up to
this
present time inviting sinners to repentance. "Not bringing in anger every
day."
Perhaps
"bringing in anger" is a more significant expression than being angry
(and
so
we find it in the Greek copies); that the anger, whereby He punishes, should
not
be
in Him, but in the minds of those ministers who obey the commandments of
truth
through whom orders are given even to the lower ministries, who are called
angels
of wrath, to punish sin: whom even now the punishment of men delights
not
for justice' sake, in which they have no pleasure, but for malice' sake. God
then
does
not "bring in anger every day," that is, He does not collect His
ministers for
vengeance
every day. For now the patience of God invites to repentance: but in the
last
time, when men "through their hardness and impenitent heart shall have
treasured
up for themselves anger in the day of anger, and revelation of the
righteous
judgment of God, Romans 2:5 then He will brandish His sword."
13.
"Unless ye be converted," He says, "He will brandish His
sword" (ver. 12).
The
Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His
spear,
which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hides as it were in the
sheath
of humiliation: but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge
the
quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on
His
righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other copies, instead of,
"He
shall
brandish His sword," it has been written, "He shall make bright His
spear:"
by
which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately
signified:
seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has,
"Deliver,
O Lord, my soul from the ungodly, Your spear from the enemies of Your
hand.
He has bent His bow, and made it ready." The tenses of the words must not
be
altogether overlooked, how he has spoken of "the sword" in the
future, "He will
brandish;"
of "the bow" in the past, "He has bent:" and these words of
the past
tense
follow after.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7 46
14.
"And in it He has prepared the instruments of death: He has wrought His
arrows
for the burning" (ver. 13). That bow then I would readily take to be the
Holy
Scripture, in which by the strength of the New Testament, as by a sort of
string,
the hardness of the Old has been bent and subdued. From thence the
Apostles
are sent forth like arrows, or divine preachings are shot. Which arrows
"He
has wrought for the burning," arrows, that is, whereby being stricken they
might
be inflamed with heavenly love. For by what other arrows was she stricken,
who
says, "Bring me into the house of wine, place me among perfumes, crowd me
among
honey, for I have been wounded with love"? By what other arrows is he
kindled,
who, desirous of returning to God, and coming back from wandering,
asks
for help against crafty tongues, and to whom it is said, "What shall be
given
you,
or what added to you against the crafty tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty,
with
devastating coals:" that is, coals, whereby, when you are stricken and set
on
fire,
you may burn with so great love of the kingdom of heaven, as to despise the
tongues
of all that resist you, and would recall you from your purpose, and to
deride
their persecutions, saying, "Who shall separate me from the love of
Christ?
shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
For I am persuaded," he says, "that neither death, nor life, nor
angel, nor
principality,
nor things present, not things to come, nor power, nor height, nor
depth,
nor other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which
is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thus for the burning has He wrought His arrows.
For
in
the Greek copies it is found thus, "He has wrought His arrows for the
burning."
But
most of the Latin copies have "burning arrows." But whether the
arrows
themselves
burn, or make others burn, which of course they cannot do unless they
burn
themselves, the sense is complete.
15.
But since he has said that the Lord has prepared not arrows only, but
"instruments
of death" too, in the bow, it may be asked, what are "instruments of
death"?
Are they, per-adventure, heretics? For they too, out of the same bow, that
is,
out of the same Scriptures, light upon souls not to be inflamed with love but
destroyed
with poison: which does not happen but after their deserts: wherefore
even
this dispensation is to be assigned to the Divine Providence, not that it makes
men
sinners, but that it orders them after they have sinned. For through sin
reaching
them with an ill purpose, they are forced to understand them ill, that this
should
be itself the punishment of sin: by whose death, nevertheless, the sons of
the
Catholic Church are, as it were by certain thorns, so to say, aroused from
slumber,
and make progress toward the understanding of the holy Scriptures. "For
there
must be also heresies, that they which are approved," he says, "may
be made
manifest
among you:" 1 Corinthians 11:19 that is, among men, seeing they are
manifest
to God. Or has He haply ordained the same arrows to be at once
instruments
of death for the destruction of unbelievers, and wrought them burning,
or
for the burning, for the exercising of the faithful? For that is not false that
the
Apostle
says, "To the one we are the savour of life unto life, to the other the
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7 47
savour
of death unto death; and who is sufficient for these things?"
2
Corinthians 2:16 It is no wonder then if the same Apostles be both instruments
of
death in those from whom they suffered persecution, and fiery arrows to
inflame
the hearts of believers.
16.
Now after this dispensation righteous judgment will come: of which the
Psalmist
so speaks, as that we may understand that each man's punishment is
wrought
out of his own sin, and his iniquity turned into vengeance: that we may
not
suppose that that tranquillity and ineffable light of God brings forth from
Itself
the
means of punishing sin; but that it so orders sins, that what have been
delights
to
man in sinning, should be instruments to the Lord avenging. "Behold,"
he says,
"he
has travailed with injustice." Now what had he conceived, that he should
travail
with injustice? "He has conceived," he says, "toil." Hence
then comes that,
"In
toil shall you eat your bread." Genesis 3:17 Hence too that, "Come
unto Me all
you
that toil and are heavy laden; for My yoke is easy, and My burden light."
For
toil
will never cease, except one love that which cannot be taken away against his
will.
For when those things are loved which we can lose against our will, we must
needs
toil for them most miserably; and to obtain them, amid the straitnesses of
earthly
cares, while each desires to snatch them for himself, and to be beforehand
with
another, or to wrest it from him, must scheme injustice. Duly then, and quite
in
order, has he travailed with injustice, who has conceived toil. Now he brings
forth
what, save that with which he has travailed, although he has not travailed
with
that which he conceived? For that is not born, which is not conceived; but
seed
is conceived, that which is formed from the seed is born. Toil is then the seed
of
iniquity, but sin the conception of toil, that is, that first sin, to
"depart from
God."
Sirach 10:12 He then has travailed with injustice, who has conceived toil.
"And
he has brought forth iniquity." "Iniquity" is the same as
"injustice:" he has
brought
forth then that with which he travailed. What follows next?
17.
"He has opened a ditch, and dug it" (ver. 15). To open a ditch is, in
earthly
matters,
that is, as it were in the earth, to prepare deceit, that another fall therein,
whom
the unrighteous man wishes to deceive. Now this ditch is opened when
consent
is given to the evil suggestion of earthly lusts: but it is dug when after
consent
we press on to actual work of deceit. But how can it be, that iniquity
should
rather hurt the righteous man against whom it proceeds, than the
unrighteous
heart whence it proceeds? Accordingly, the stealer of money, for
instance,
while he desires to inflict painful harm upon another, is himself maimed
by
the wound of avarice. Now who, even out of his right mind, sees not how great
is
the difference between these men, when one suffers the loss of money, the other
of
innocence? "He will fall" then "into the pit which he has
made." As it is said in
another
Psalm, "The Lord is known in executing judgments; the sinner is caught in
the
works of his own hands."
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Psalm 7
48
18.
"His toil shall be turned on his head, and his iniquity shall descend on
his pate"
(ver.
16). For he had no mind to escape sin: but was brought under sin as a slave,
so
to say, as the Lord says, "Whosoever sinneth is a slave." John 8:34
His iniquity
then
will be upon him, when he is subject to his iniquity; for he could not say to
the
Lord, what the innocent and upright say, "My glory, and the lifter up of
my
head."
He then will be in such wise below, as that his iniquity may be above, and
descend
on him; for that it weighs him down and burdens him, and suffers him not
to
fly back to the rest of the saints. This occurs, when in an ill regulated man
reason
is a slave, and lust has dominion.
19.
"I will confess to the Lord according to His justice" (ver. 17). This
is not the
sinner's
confession: for he says this, who said above most truly, "If there be
iniquity
in my hands:" but it is a confession of God's justice, in which we speak
thus,
Verily, O Lord, You are just, in that Thou both so protectest the just, that
Thou
enlightenest them by Yourself; and so orderest sinners, that they be punished
not
by Yours, but by their own malice. This confession so praises the Lord, that
the
blasphemies of the ungodly can avail nothing, who, willing to excuse their evil
deeds,
are unwilling to attribute to their own fault that they sin, that is, are
unwilling
to attribute their fault to their fault. Accordingly they find either fortune
or
fate to accuse, or the devil, to whom He who made us has willed that it should
be
in our power to refuse consent: or they bring in another nature, which is not
of
God:
wretched waverers, and erring, rather than confessing to God, that He should
pardon
them. For it is not fit that any be pardoned, except he says, I have sinned.
He,
then, that sees the deserts of souls so ordered by God, that while each has his
own
given him, the fair beauty of the universe is in no part violated, in all
things
praises
God: and this is not the confession of sinners, but of the righteous. For it is
not
the sinner's confession when the Lord says, "I confess to You, O Lord of
heaven
and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise, and revealed
them
to babes." Matthew 11:25 Likewise in Ecclesiasticus it is said,
"Confess to
the
Lord in all His works: and in confession you shall say this, All the works of
the
Lord
are exceeding good." Which can be seen in this Psalm, if any one with a
pious
mind, by the Lord's help, distinguish between the rewards of the righteous
and
the penalties of the sinners, how that in these two the whole creation, which
God
made and rules, is adorned with a beauty wondrous and known to few. Thus
then
he says, "I will confess to the Lord according to His justice," as
one who saw
that
darkness was not made by God, but ordered nevertheless. For God said, "Let
light
be made, and light was made." Genesis 1:3 He did not say, Let darkness be
made,
and darkness was made: and yet He ordered it. And therefore it is said,
"God
divided between the light, and the darkness: and God called the light day,
and
the darkness He called night." Genesis 1:4-5 This is the distinction, He
made
the
one and ordered it: but the other He made not, but yet He ordered this too. But
now
that sins are signified by darkness, so is it seen in the Prophet, who says,
"And
your darkness shall be as the noon day:" Isaiah 5 8: 10 and in the
Apostle,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 7
49
who
says, "He that hates his brother is in darkness:" 1 John 2:11 and
above all that
text,
"Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light."
Romans
13:12 Not that there is any nature of darkness. For all nature, in so far as
it
is nature, is compelled to be. Now being belongs to light: not being to
darkness.
He
then that leaves Him by whom he was made, and inclines to that whence he
was
made, that is, to nothing, is in this sin endarkened: and yet he does not
utterly
perish,
but he is ordered among the lowest things. Therefore after the Psalmist
said,
"I will confess unto the Lord:" that we might not understand it of
confession
of
sins, he adds lastly, "And I will sing to the name of the Lord most
high." Now
singing
has relation to joy, but repentance of sins to sadness.
20.
This Psalm can also be taken in the person of the Lord Man: if only that which
is
there spoken in humiliation be referred to our weakness, which He bore.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 8
50
Exposition on Psalm 8
To
the end, for the wine-presses, a psalm of David himself.
1.
He seems to say nothing of wine-presses in the text of the Psalm of which this
is
the
title. By which it appears, that one and the same thing is often signified in
Scripture
by many and various similitudes. We may then take wine-presses to be
Churches,
on the same principle by which we understand also by a threshing-floor
the
Church. For whether in the threshing-floor, or in the wine-press, there is
nothing
else done but the clearing the produce of its covering; which is necessary,
both
for its first growth and increase, and arrival at the maturity either of the
harvest
or the vintage. Of these coverings or supporters then; that is, of chaff, on
the
threshing-floor, the corn; and of husks, in the presses, the wine is stripped:
as
in
the Churches, from the multitude of worldly men, which is collected together
with
the good, for whose birth and adaptating to the divine word that multitude
was
necessary, this is effected, that by spiritual love they be separated through
the
operation
of God's ministers. For now so it is that the good are, for a time,
separated
from the bad, not in space, but in affection: although they have converse
together
in the Churches, as far as respects bodily presence. But another time will
come,
the corn will be stored up apart in the granaries, and the wine in the cellars.
"The
wheat," says he, "He will lay up in garners; but the chaff He will
burn with
fire
unquenchable." Luke 3:17 The same thing may be thus understood in another
similitude:
the wine He will lay up in cellars, but the husks He will cast forth to
cattle:
so that by the bellies of the cattle we may be allowed by way of similitude
to
understand the pains of hell.
2.
There is another interpretation concerning the wine-presses, yet still keeping
to
the
meaning of Churches. For even the Divine Word may be understood by the
grape:
for the Lord even has been called a Cluster of grapes; which they that were
sent
before by the people of
staff,
crucified as it were. Numbers 13:23 Accordingly, when the Divine Word
makes
use of, by the necessity of declaring Himself, the sound of the voice,
whereby
to convey Himself to the ears of the hearers; in the same sound of the
voice,
as it were in husks, knowledge, like the wine, is enclosed: and so this grape
comes
into the ears, as into the pressing machines of the wine-pressers. For there
the
separation is made, that the sound may reach as far as the ear; but knowledge
be
received in the memory of those that hear, as it were in a sort of vat; whence
it
passes
into discipline of the conversation and habit of mind, as from the vat into
the
cellar: where if it do not through negligence grow sour, it will acquire
soundness
by age. For it grew sour among the Jews, and this sour vinegar they
gave
the Lord to drink. John 19:29 For that wine, which from the produce of the
vine
of the New Testament the Lord is to drink with His saints in the kingdom of
His
Father, Matthew 26:29 must needs be most sweet and most sound.
Psalm 8
51
3.
"Wine-presses" are also usually taken for martyrdoms, as if when they
who
have
confessed the name of Christ have been trodden down by the blows of
persecution,
their mortal remains as husks remained on earth, but their souls
flowed
forth into the rest of a heavenly habitation. Nor yet by this interpretation do
we
depart from the fruitfulness of the Churches. It is sung then, "for the
wine-
presses,"
for the Church's establishment; when our Lord after His resurrection
ascended
into heaven. For then He sent the Holy Ghost: by whom the disciples
being
fulfilled preached with confidence the Word of God, that Churches might be
collected.
4.
Accordingly it is said, "O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Your Name in
all
the
earth!" (ver. 1). I ask, how is His Name wonderful in all the earth? The
answer
is,
"For Your glory has been raised above the heavens." So that the
meaning is
this,
O Lord, who art our Lord, how do all that inhabit the earth admire You! for
Your
glory has been raised from earthly humiliation above the heavens. For hence
it
appeared who You were that descended, when it was by some seen, and by the
rest
believed, whither it was that You ascended.
5.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have made perfect praise,
because
of Your enemies" (ver. 2). I cannot take babes and sucklings to be any
other
than those to whom the Apostle says, "As unto babes in Christ I have given
you
milk to drink, not meat." 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Who were meant by those who
went
before the Lord praising Him, of whom the Lord Himself used this
testimony,
when He answered the Jews who bade Him rebuke them, "Have ye not
read,
out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have made perfect praise?"
Matthew
21:16 Now with good reason He says not, You have made, but, "You
have
made perfect praise." For there are in the Churches also those who now no
more
drink milk, but eat meat: whom the same Apostle points out, saying, "We
speak
wisdom among them that are perfect;" 1 Corinthians 2:6 but not by those
only
are the Churches perfected; for if there were only these, little consideration
would
be had of the human race. But consideration is had, when they too, who are
not
as yet capable of the knowledge of things spiritual and eternal, are nourished
by
the faith of the temporal history, which for our salvation after the Patriarchs
and
Prophets was administered by the most excellent Power and Wisdom of God,
even
in the Sacrament of the assumed Manhood, in which there is salvation for
every
one that believes; to the end that moved by Its authority each one may obey
Its
precepts, whereby being purified and "rooted and grounded in love,"
he may be
able
to run with Saints, no more now a child in milk, but a young man in meat,
"to
comprehend
the breadth, the length, the height, and depth, to know also the
surpassing
knowledge of the love of Christ." Ephesians 3:17-19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 8
52
6.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have made perfect praise,
because
of Your enemies." By enemies to this dispensation, which has been
wrought
through Jesus Christ and Him crucified, we ought generally to understand
all
who forbid belief in things unknown, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 and promise certain
knowledge:
as all heretics do, and they who in the superstition of the Gentiles are
called
philosophers. Not that the promise of knowledge is to be blamed; but
because
they deem the most healthful and necessary step of faith is to be
neglected,
by which we must needs ascend to something certain, which nothing
but
that which is eternal can be. Hence it appears that they do not possess even
this
knowledge,
which in contempt of faith they promise; seeing that they know not so
useful
and necessary a step thereof. "Out of the mouth," then "of babes
and
sucklings
You have made perfect praise," Thou, our Lord, declaring first by the
Apostle,
"Except ye believe, you shall not understand;" and saying by His own
mouth,
"Blessed are they that have not seen, and shall believe." John 20:29
"Because
of the enemies:" against whom too that is said, "I confess to You, O
Lord
of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise, and
revealed
them unto babes." Matthew 11:25 "From the wise," he says, not
the really
wise,
but those who deem themselves such. "That You may destroy the enemy and
the
defender." Whom but the heretic? For he is both an enemy and a defender,
who
when he would assault the Christian faith, seems to defend it. Although the
philosophers
too of this world may be well taken as the enemies and defenders:
forasmuch
as the Son of God is the Power and Wisdom of God by which every
one
is enlightened who is made wise by the truth: of which they profess
themselves
to be lovers, whence too their name of philosophers; and therefore they
seem
to defend it, while they are its enemies, since they cease not to recommend
noxious
superstitions, that the elements of this world should be worshipped and
revered.
7.
"For I shall see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers" (ver. 3).
We read that
the
law was written with the finger of God, and given through Moses, His holy
servant:
by which finger of God many understand the Holy Ghost. Wherefore if,
by
the fingers of God, we are right in understanding these same ministers filled
with
the Holy Ghost, by reason of this same Spirit which works in them, since by
them
all holy Scripture has been completed for us; we understand consistently
with
this, that, in this place, the books of both Testaments are called "the
heavens."
Now
it is said too of Moses himself, by the magicians of king Pharaoh, when they
were
conquered by him, "This is the finger of God." Exodus 8:19 And what
is
written,
"The heavens shall be rolled up as a book." Although it be said of
this
ćthereal
heaven, yet naturally, according to the same image, the heavens of books
are
named by allegory. "For I shall see," he says, "the heavens, the
works of Your
fingers:"
that is, I shall discern and understand the Scriptures, which Thou, by the
operation
of the Holy Ghost, hast written by Your ministers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 8
53
8.
Accordingly the heavens named above also may be interpreted as the same
books,
where he says, "For Your glory has been raised above the heavens:" so
that
the
complete meaning should be this, "For Your glory has been raised above the
heavens;"
for Your glory has exceeded the declarations of all the Scriptures: "Out
of
the mouth of babes and sucklings You have made perfect praise," that they
should
begin by belief in the Scriptures, who would arrive at the knowledge of
Your
glory: which has been raised above the Scriptures, in that it passes by and
transcends
the announcements of all words and languages. Therefore has God
lowered
the Scriptures even to the capacity of babes and sucklings, as it is sung in
another
Psalm, "And He lowered the heaven, and came down:" and this did He
because
of the enemies, who through pride of talkativeness, being enemies of the
cross
of Christ, even when they do speak some truth, still cannot profit babes and
sucklings.
So is the enemy and defender destroyed, who, whether he seem to
defend
wisdom, or even the name of Christ, still, from the step of this faith,
assaults
that truth, which he so readily makes promise of. Whereby too he is
convicted
of not possessing it; since by assaulting the step thereof, namely faith,
he
knows not how one should mount up thereto. Hence then is the rash and blind
promiser
of truth, who is the enemy and defender, destroyed, when the heavens,
the
works of God's fingers, are seen, that is, when the Scriptures, brought down
even
to the slowness of babes, are understood; and by means of the lowness of the
faith
of the history, which was transacted in time, they raise them, well nurtured
and
strengthened, unto the grand height of the understanding of things eternal, up
to
those things which they establish. For these heavens, that is, these books, are
the
works
of God's fingers; for by the operation of the Holy Ghost in the Saints they
were
completed. For they that have regarded their own glory rather than man's
salvation,
have spoken without the Holy Ghost, in whom are the bowels of the
mercy
of God.
9.
"For I shall see the heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the
stars,
which
You have ordained." The moon and stars are ordained in the heavens; since
both
the Church universal, to signify which the moon is often put, and Churches in
the
several places particularly, which I imagine to be intimated by the name of
stars,
are established in the same Scriptures, which we believe to be expressed by
the
word heavens. But why the moon justly signifies the Church, will be more
seasonably
considered in another Psalm, where it is said, "The sinners have bent
their
bow, that they may shoot in the obscure moon the upright in heart."
10.
"What is man, that You are mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou
visitest
him?" (ver. 4). It may be asked, what distinction there is between man and
son
of man. For if there were none, it would not be expressed thus, "man, or
son of
man,"
disjunctively. For if it were written thus, "What is man, that You are
mindful
of him, and son of man, that Thou visitest him?" it might appear to be a
repetition
of the word "man." But now when the expression is, "man or son
of-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 8
54
man,"
a distinction is more clearly intimated. This is certainly to be remembered,
that
every son of man is a man; although every man cannot be taken to be a son of
man.
Adam, for instance, was a man, but not a son of man. Wherefore we may
from
hence consider and distinguish what is the difference in this place between
man
and son of man; namely, that they who bear the image of the earthy man, who
is
not a son of man, should be signified by the name of men; but that they who
bear
the image of the heavenly Man, 1 Corinthians 15:49 should be rather called
sons
of men; for the former again is called the old man and the latter the new; but
the
new is born of the old, since spiritual regeneration is begun by a change of an
earthy,
and worldly life; and therefore the latter is called son of man.
"Man" then
in
this place is earthy, but "son of man" heavenly; and the former is
far removed
from
God, but the latter present with God; and therefore is He mindful of the
former,
as in far distance from Him; but the latter He visits, with whom being
present
He enlightens him with His countenance. For "salvation is far from
sinners;"
and, "The light of Your countenance has been stamped upon us, O
Lord."
So
in another Psalm he says, that men in conjunction with beasts are made whole
together
with these beasts, not by any present inward illumination, but by the
multiplication
of the mercy of God, whereby His goodness reaches even to the
lowest
things; for the wholeness of carnal men is carnal, as of the beasts; but
separating
the sons of men from those whom being men he joined with cattle, he
proclaims
that they are made blessed, after a far more exalted method, by the
enlightening
of the truth itself, and by a certain inundation of the fountain of life.
For
he speaks thus: "Men and beasts You will make whole, O Lord, as Your
mercy
has been multiplied, O God. But the sons of men shall put their trust in the
covering
of Your wings. They shall be inebriated with the richness of Your house,
and
of the torrent of Your pleasures You shall make them drink. For with You is
the
fountain of life, and in Your light shall we see light. Extend Your mercy to
them
that know You." Through the multiplication of mercy then He is mindful of
man,
as of beasts; for that multiplied mercy reaches even to them that are afar off;
but
He visits the son of man, over whom, placed under the covering of His wings,
He
extends mercy, and in His light gives light, and makes him drink of His
pleasures,
and inebriates him with the richness of His house, to forget the sorrows
and
the wanderings of his former conversation. This son of man, that is, the new
man,
the repentance of the old man begets with pain and tears. He, though new, is
nevertheless
called yet carnal, while he is fed with milk; "I would not speak unto
you
as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal," says the Apostle. And to show that
they
were
already regenerate, he says, "As unto babes in Christ, I have given you
milk
to
drink, not meat." And when he relapses, as often happens, to the old life,
he
hears
in reproof that he is a man; "Are ye not men," he says, "and
walk as men?"
11.
Therefore was the son of man first visited in the person of the very Lord Man,
born
of the Virgin Mary. Of whom, by reason of the very weakness of the flesh,
which
the Wisdom of God vouchsafed to bear, and the humiliation of the Passion,
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Psalm 8
55
it
is justly said, "You have lowered Him a little lower than the Angels"
(ver. 5).
But
that glorifying is added, in which He rose and ascended up into heaven;
"With
glory,"
he says, "and with honour have You crowned Him; and hast set Him over
the
works of Thine hands" (ver. 6). Since even Angels are the works of God's
hands,
even over Angels we understand the Only-begotten Son to have been set;
whom
we hear and believe, by the humiliation of the carnal generation and
passion,
to have been lowered a little lower than the Angels.
12.
"You have put," he says, "all things in subjection under His
feet." When he
says,
"all things," he excepts nothing. And that he might not be allowed to
understand
it otherwise, the Apostle enjoins it to be believed thus, when he says,
"He
being excepted which put all things under Him." 1 Corinthians 15:27 And to
the
Hebrews he uses this very testimony from this Psalm, when he would have it
to
be understood that all things are in such sort put under our Lord Jesus Christ,
as
that
nothing should be excepted. Hebrews 2:8 And yet he does not seem, as it
were,
to subjoin any great thing, when he says, "All sheep and oxen, yea,
moreover,
the beasts of the field, birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, which
walk
through the paths of the sea" (ver. 7). For, leaving the heavenly
excellencies
and
powers, and all the hosts of Angels, leaving even man himself, he seems to
have
put under Him the beasts merely; unless by sheep and oxen we understand
holy
souls, either yielding the fruit of innocence, or even working that the earth
may
bear fruit, that is, that earthly men may be regenerated unto spiritual
richness.
By
these holy souls then we ought to understand not those of men only, but of all
Angels
too, if we would gather from hence that all things are put under our Lord
Jesus
Christ. For there will be no creature that will not be put under Him, under
whom
the pre-eminent spirits, that I may so speak, are put. But whence shall we
prove
that sheep can be interpreted even, not of men, but of the blessed spirits of
the
angelical creatures on high? May we from the Lord's saying that He had left
ninety
and nine sheep in the mountains, that is, in the higher regions, and had
come
down for one? For if we take the one lost sheep to be the human soul in
Adam,
since Eve even was made out of his side, Genesis 2:21-22 for the spiritual
handling
and consideration of all which things this is not the time, it remains that,
by
the ninety and nine left in the mountains, spirits not human, but angelical,
should
be meant. For as regards the oxen, this sentence is easily despatched; since
men
themselves are for no other reason called oxen, but because by preaching the
Gospel
of the word of God they imitate Angels, as where it is said, "You shall
not
muzzle
the ox that treads out the corn." How much more easily then do we take
the
Angels themselves, the messengers of truth, to be oxen, when Evangelists by
the
participation of their title are called oxen? "You have put under"
therefore, he
says,
"all sheep and oxen," that is, all the holy spiritual creation; in
which we
include
that of holy men, who are in the Church, in those wine-presses to wit,
which
are intimated under the other similitude of the moon and stars.
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Psalm 8
56
13.
"Yea moreover," says he, "the beasts of the field." The
addition of "moreover"
is
by no means idle. First, because by beasts of the plain may be understood both
sheep
and oxen: so that, if goats are the beasts of rocky and mountainous regions,
sheep
may be well taken to be the beasts of the field. Accordingly had it been
written
even thus, "all sheep and oxen and beasts of the field;" it might be
reasonably
asked what beasts of the plain meant, since even sheep and oxen could
be
taken as such. But the addition of "moreover" besides, obliges us,
beyond
question,
to recognise some difference or another. But under this word,
"moreover,"
not only "beasts of the field," but also "birds of the air, and
fish of the
sea,
which walk through the paths of the sea" (ver. 8), are to be taken in.
What is
then
this distinction? Call to mind the "wine-presses," holding husks and
wine; and
the
threshing-floor, containing chaff and corn; and the nets, in which were
enclosed
good fish and bad; and the ark of Noah, in which were both unclean and
clean
animals: and you will see that the Churches for a while, now in this time,
unto
the last time of judgment, contain not only sheep and oxen, that is, holy
laymen
and holy ministers, but "moreover beasts of the field, birds of the air,
and
birds
of the sea, that walk through the paths of the sea." For the beasts of the
field
were
very fitly understood, as men rejoicing in the pleasure of the flesh where they
mount
up to nothing high, nothing laborious. For the field is also "the broad
way,
that
leads to destruction:" Matthew 7:13 and in a field is Abel slain. Genesis
4:8
Wherefore
there is cause to fear, lest one coming down from the mountains of
God's
righteousness ("for your righteousness," he says, "is as the
mountains of
God")
making choice of the broad and easy paths of carnal pleasure, be slain by
the
devil. See now too "the birds of heaven," the proud, of whom it is
said, "They
have
set their mouth against the heaven." See how they are carried on high by
the
wind,
"who say, We will magnify our tongue, our lips are our own, who is our
Lord?"
Behold too the fish of the sea, that is, the curious; who walk through the
paths
of the sea, that is, search in the deep after the temporal things of this
world:
which,
like paths in the sea, vanish and perish, as quickly as the water comes
together
again after it has given room, in their passage, to ships, or to whatsoever
walks
or swims. For he said not merely, who walk the paths of the sea; but "walk
through,"
he said; showing the very determined earnestness of those who seek
after
vain and fleeting things. Now these three kinds of vice, namely, the pleasure
of
the flesh, and pride, and curiosity, include all sins. And they appear to me to
be
enumerated
by the Apostle John, when he says, "Love not the world; for all that is
in
the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life."
1
John 2:15-16 For through the eyes especially prevails curiosity. To what the
rest
indeed
belong is clear. And that temptation of the Lord Man was threefold: by
food,
that is, by the lust of the flesh, where it is suggested, "command these
stones
that
they be made bread:" Matthew 4:3 by vain boasting, where, when stationed
on
a
mountain, all the kingdoms of this earth are shown Him, and promised if He
would
worship: Matthew 4:8-9 by curiosity, where, from the pinnacle of the
temple,
He is advised to cast Himself down, for the sake of trying whether He
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Psalm 8
57
would
be borne up by Angels. Matthew 4:6 And accordingly after that the enemy
could
prevail with Him by none of these temptations, this is said of him, "When
the
devil had ended all his temptation." Luke 4:13 With a reference then to
the
meaning
of the wine-presses, not only the wine, but the husks too are put under
His
feet; to wit, not only sheep and oxen, that is, the holy souls of believers,
either
in
the laity, or in the ministry; but moreover both beasts of pleasure, and birds
of
pride,
and fish of curiosity. All which classes of sinners we see mingled now in the
Churches
with the good and holy. May He work then in His Churches, and
separate
the wine from the husks: let us give heed, that we be wine, and sheep or
oxen;
not husks, or beasts of the field, or birds of heaven, or fish of the sea,
which
walk
through the paths of the sea. Not that these names can be understood and
explained
in this way only, but the explanation of them must be according to the
place
where they are found. For elsewhere they have other meanings. And this rule
must
be kept to in every allegory, that what is expressed by the similitude should
be
considered agreeably to the meaning of the particular place: for this is the
manner
of the Lord's and the Apostles' teaching. Let us repeat then the last verse,
which
is also put at the beginning of the Psalm, and let us praise God, saying,
"O
Lord
our Lord, how wonderful is Your name in all the earth!" For fitly, after
the
matter
of the discourse, is the return made to the heading, whither all that
discourse
must be referred.
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Psalm
9
58
Exposition on Psalm 9
1.
The inscription of this Psalm is, "To the end for the hidden things of the
Son, a
Psalm
of David himself." As to the hidden things of the Son there may be a
question:
but since he has not added whose, the very only-begotten Son of God
should
be understood. For where a Psalm has been inscribed of the son of David,
"When,"
he says, "he fled from the face of Absalom his son;" although his
name
even
was mentioned, and therefore there could be no obscurity as to whom it was
spoken
of: yet it is not merely said, from the face of son Absalom; but
"his" is
added.
But here both because "his" is not added, and much is said of the
Gentiles,
it
cannot properly be taken of Absalom. 2 Samuel xv For the war which that
abandoned
one waged with his father, no way relates to the Gentiles, since there
the
people of
for
the hidden things of the only-begotten Son of God. For the Lord Himself too,
when,
without addition, He uses the word Son, would have Himself, the Only-
begotten
to be understood; as where He says, "If the Son shall make you free, then
shall
you be free indeed." John 8:36 For He said not, the Son of God; but in
saying
merely,
Son, He gives us to understand whose Son it is. Which form of expression
nothing
admits of, save His excellency of whom we so speak, that, though we
name
Him not, He can be understood. For so we say, it rains, clears up, thunders,
and
such like expressions; and we do not add who does it all; for that the
excellency
of the doer spontaneously presents itself to all men's minds, and does
not
want words. What then are the hidden things of the Son? By which expression
we
must first understand that there are some things of the Son manifest, from
which
those are distinguished which are called hidden. Wherefore since we
believe
two advents of the Lord, one past, which the Jews understood not: the
other
future, which we both hope for; and since the one which the Jews understood
not,
profited the Gentiles; "For the hidden things of the Son" is not
unsuitably
understood
to be spoken of this advent, in which "blindness in part is happened to
For
notice of two judgments is conveyed to us throughout the Scriptures, if any
one
will give heed to them, one hidden, the other manifest. The hidden one is
passing
now, of which the Apostle Peter says, "The time is come that judgment
should
begin from the house of the Lord." 1 Peter 4:17 The hidden judgment
accordingly
is the pain, by which now each man is either exercised to purification,
or
warned to conversion, or if he despise the calling and discipline of God, is
blinded
unto damnation. But the manifest judgment is that in which the Lord, at
His
coming, will judge the quick and the dead, all men confessing that it is He by
whom
both rewards shall be assigned to the good, and punishments to the evil. But
then
that confession will avail, not to the remedy of evils, but to the accumulation
of
damnation. Of these two judgments, the one hidden, the other manifest, the
Lord
seems to me to have spoken, where He says, "Whoso believes in Me has
passed
from death unto life, and shall not come into judgment;" John 5:24 into
the
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Psalm 9
59
manifest
judgment, that is. For that which passes from death unto life by means of
some
affliction, whereby "He scourges every son whom He receives,"
Hebrews
12:6 is the hidden judgment. "But whoso believes not," says He,
"has
been
judged already:" John 3:18 that is, by this hidden judgment has been
already
prepared
for that manifest one. These two judgments we read of also in Wisdom,
whence
it is written, "Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of
reason,
You gave a judgment to mock them; But they that have not been corrected
by
this judgment have felt a judgment worthy of God." Wisdom 12:25-26 Whoso
then
are not corrected by this hidden judgment of God, shall most worthily be
punished
by that manifest one....
2.
"I will confess unto You, O Lord, with my whole heart" (ver. 1). He
does not,
with
a whole heart, confess unto God, who doubts of His Providence in any
particular:
but he who sees already the hidden things of the wisdom of God, how
great
is His invisible reward, who says, "We rejoice in tribulations;"
Romans 5:3
and
how all torments, which are inflicted on the body, are either for the
exercising
of
those that are converted to God, or for warning that they be converted, or for
just
preparation of the obdurate unto their last damnation: and so now all things
are
referred to the governance of Divine Providence, which fools think done as it
were
by chance and at random, and without any Divine ordering. "I will tell all
Your
marvels." He tells all God's marvels, who sees them performed not only
openly
on the body, but invisibly indeed too in the soul, but far more sublimely
and
excellently. For men earthly, and led wholly by the eye, marvel more that the
dead
Lazarus rose again in the body, than that Paul the persecutor rose again in
soul.
But since the visible miracle calls the soul to the light, but the invisible
enlightens
the soul that comes when called, he tells all God's marvels, who, by
believing
the visible, passes on to the understanding of the invisible.
3.
"I will be glad and exult in You" (ver. 2). Not any more in this
world, not in
pleasure
of bodily dalliance, not in relish of palate and tongue, not in sweetness of
perfumes,
not in joyousness of passing sounds, not in the variously coloured forms
of
figure, not in vanities of men's praise, not in wedlock and perishable
offspring,
not
in superfluity of temporal wealth, not in this world's getting, whether it
extend
over
place and space, or be prolonged in time's succession: but, "I will be
glad and
exult
in You," namely, in the hidden things of the Son, where "the light of
Your
countenance
has been stamped on us, O Lord:" for, "You will hide them," says
he,
"in
the hiding place of Your countenance." He then will be glad and exult in
You,
who
tells all Your marvels. And He will tell all Your marvels (since it is now
spoken
of prophetically), "who came not to do His own will, but the will of Him
who
sent Him." John 6:3 8
4.
For now the Person of the Lord begins to appear speaking in this Psalm. For it
follows,
"I will sing to Your Name, O Most High, in turning mine enemy
behind."
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Psalm 9
60
His
enemy then, where was he turned back? Was it when it was said to him, "Get
behind,
Satan"? Matthew 16:23 For then he who by tempting desired to put
himself
before, was turned behind, by failing in deceiving Him who was tempted,
and
by availing nothing against Him. For earthly men are behind: but the heavenly
man
is preferred before, although he came after. For "the first man is of the
earth,
earthy:
the second Man is from heaven, heavenly." 1 Corinthians 15:47 But from
this
stock he came by whom it was said, "He who comes after me is preferred
before
me." John 1:15 And the Apostle forgets "those things that are behind,
and
reaches
forth unto those things that are before." Philippians 3:13 The enemy,
therefore,
was turned behind, after that he could not deceive the heavenly Man
being
tempted; and he turned himself to earthy men, where he can have
dominion
.... For in truth the devil is turned behind, even in the persecution of the
righteous,
and he, much more to their advantage, is a persecutor, than if he went
before
as a leader and a prince. We must sing then to the Name of the Most High
in
turning the enemy behind: since we ought to choose rather to fly from him as a
persecutor,
than to follow him as a leader. For we have whither we may fly and
hide
ourselves in the hidden things of the Son; seeing that "the Lord has been
made
a refuge for us."
5.
"They will be weakened, and perish from Your face" (ver. 3). Who will
be
weakened
and perish, but the unrighteous and ungodly? "They will be weakened,"
while
they shall avail nothing; "and they shall perish," because the
ungodly will
not
be; "from the face" of God, that is, from the knowledge of God, as he
perished
who
said, "But now I live not, but Christ lives in me." Galatians 2:20
But why will
the
ungodly "be weakened and perish from your face?" "Because,"
he says, "You
have
made my judgment, and my cause:" that is, the judgment in which I seemed
to
be judged, You have made mine; and the cause in which men condemned me
just
and innocent, You have made mine. For such things served Him for our
deliverance:
as sailors too call the wind theirs, which they take advantage of for
prosperous
sailing.
6.
"Thou sat on the throne Who judgest equity" (ver. 4). Whether the Son
say this
to the Father, who said also, "You could have no power against Me, except it were