at. " Deliver My soul from the sword." " Deliver My soul " from the tongue of dissension. " And My only One from the hand of the dog " (ver. 20). And from the power of the people, barking after their custom, deliver My Church.
22. "Save Me from the lion's mouth: " save Me from the mouth of the kingdom of this world: " and my humility from the horns of the unicorns " 6 (ver. 21). And from the loftiness of the proud, exalting themselves to special preeminence, and enduring no partakers, save My humility.
23. " I will declare Thy name to My brethren " 7 (ver. 22). I will declare Thy name to the humble,8 and to My Brethren that love one another as they have been beloved by Me.9 " In the midst of the Church will I sing of Thee." In the midst of the Church will I with rejoicing preach Thee.
24. " Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him." " Ye that fear the Lord," seek not your own praise, but " praise Him." " All ye seed of Jacob, magnify Him" (ver. 23). All ye seed of him whom the elder shall serve, magnify Him.
25. " Let all the seed of Israel fear Him." Let all who have been born to a new life, and restored to the vision of God "fear Him." "Since He hath not despised, nor disregarded the prayer of the poor man " (ver. 24). Since He hath not despised the prayer, not of him who, crying unto God in the words of sins was loath to overpass a vain life, but the prayer of the poor man, not swollen up with transitory pomps. " Nor hath He turned away His face * These seven words from the Oxford MS.
5 [The garments he elsewhere makes the sacraments, his vesture the undivided unity of the Church. See his Second Exposition, here omitted. — C] ° [The original Hebrew seems to me a foreshadowing of the Romans, as Peres (Dan. v. 28) points to the Persians. — C J 7 [Here he makes Part II. to begin; i.e., the triumph over death and the grave. — C] 8 Or, " to My Brethren that are humble, and," etc.
9 John xvii. 6, ai.
6o [Psalm XXIII.
from Me." As from him who said, I will cry unto Thee, but Thou wilt not hear. " And when I cried unto Him He heard Me."
26. "With Thee is My praise" (ver. 25). For I seek not Mine own praise," for Thou art My praise, who dwellest in the holy place; and, praise of Israel, Thou hearest The Holy One now beseeching Thee. "In the great Church I will confess Thee." In the Church of the whole world " I will confess Thee." " I will offer My vows in the sight of them that fear Him." I will offer the sacraments of My Body and Blood in the sight of them that fear Him.
27. "The poor shall eat, and be filled" (ver. 26). The humble and the despisers of the world shall eat, and imitate Me. For so they will neither desire this world's abundance, nor fear its want. " And they shall praise the Lord, who seek Him." For the praise of the Lord is the pouring out of that fulness. " Their hearts shall live for ever and ever." For that food is the food of the heart.
28. "All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord " (ver. 27). They shall remember themselves: for, by the Gentiles, born in death and bent on outward things, God had been forgotten; and then shall all the borders of the earth be turned to the Lord. "And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight." And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in their own consciences.
29. " For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations" (ver. 28). For the kingdom is the Lord's, not proud men's: and He shall rule over the nations.
30. " All the rich of the earth have eaten, and worshipped"2 (ver. 29). The rich of the earth too have eaten the Body of their Lord's humiliation, and though they have not, as the poor, been filled even to imitation, yet they have worshipped. " In His sight shall fall all that descend to earth." For He alone seeth how all they fall, who abandoning a heavenly conversation, make choice, on earth, to appear happy to men, who see not their fall.
31. "And My Soul shall live to Him." And My Soul, which in the contempt of this world seems to men as it were to die, shall live, not to itself, but to Him. "And My seed shall serve Him" (ver. 30). And My deeds, or they who through Me believe on Him, shall serve Him.
32. "The generation to come shall be declared to the Lord " (ver. 31). The generation of the New Testament shall be declared to the honour of the Lord. "And the heavens shall declare 1 John viii. 50. ,'IHe . ^re the African Psalter reads, "divite: ttrrtr," the counterpart of pauptrci in ver. i6. Would this had been followed in our English, which makes a ludicrous transition in this sublime prophecy. — C.J His righteousness." And the Evangelists shall declare His righteousness. " To a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made." To a people that shall be born to the Lord through faith.
PSALM XXIII.3 A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. The Church speaks to Christ: "The Lord feedeth me, and I shall lack nothing" (ver. 1). The Lord Jesus Christ is my Shepherd, " and I shall lack nothing."
2. " In a place of pasture there hath He placed me" (ver. 2). In a place of fresh pasture, leading me to faith,4 there hath He placed me to be nourished. " By the water of refreshing hath He brought me up." By the water of baptism, whereby they are refreshed who have lost health and strength, hath He brought me up.
3. " He hath converted my soul: He hath led me forth in the paths of righteousness, for His Name's sake" (ver. 3). He hath brought me forth in the narrow ways, wherein few walk, of His righteousness; not for my merit's sake, but for His Name's sake.
4. " Yea, though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death" (ver. 4). Yea, though I walk in the midst of this life, which is the shadow of death. 5 "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." I will fear no evil, for Thou dwellest in my heart by faith: and Thou art now with me, that after the shadow of death I too may be with Thee. " Thy rod and Thy staff, they have comforted me." Thy discipline, like a rod for a flock of sheep, and like a staff for children of some size, and growing out of the natural into spiritual life, they have not been grievous to me; rather have they comforted me: because Thou art mindful of me.
5. "Thou hast prepared a table in my sight, against them that trouble me" (ver. 5). Now after the rod, whereby, whilst a little one, and living the natural life, I was brought up among the flock in the pastures; after that rod, I say, when I began to be under the staff, Thou hast prepared a table in my sight, that I should no more be fed as a babe with milk,6 but being older should take meat, strengthened against them that trouble me. " Thou hast fattened my head with oil." Thou hast gladdened my mind with spiritual joy. " And Thy inebriating cup, how excellent is it! " And Thy cup yielding forgetfulness of former vain delights, how excellent is it!
6. "And Thy mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: " that is, as long as I live in this mortal life, not Thine, but mine. " That I may * Lat. XXII. * Pascua incipientis.
5 [Note this very comprehensive comment on the real meaning of the valley. —C.J 6 1 Cor. iii. a.
Psalm XXIV.]
dwell in the house of the Lord ' for length of days " (ver. 6). Now Thy mercy shall follow nie not here only, but also that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
PSALM XXIV."
A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF, ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.5 1. A Psalm of David himself, touching the glorifying and resurrection of the Lord, which took place early in the morning on the first day of the week, which is now called the Lord's Day.
2. " The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, the compass of the world, and all they that dwell therein" (ver. i); when the Lord, being glorified, is announced for the believing of all nations; and the whole compass of the world becomes His Church. " He hath founded it above the seas." He hath most firmly established it above all the waves of this world, that they should be subdued by it, and should not hurt it. "And hath prepared it above the rivers" (ver. 2). The rivers flow into the sea, and men of lust lapse into the world: these also the Church, which, when worldly lusts have been conquered by the grace of God, hath been prepared by love for the reception of immortality, subdues.
3. " Who shall ascend into the mount of the Lord? " Who shall ascend to the height of the righteousness of the Lord? " Or who shall stand in His holy place? " (ver. 3). Or who shall abide in that place, whither He shall ascend,4 founded above the seas, and prepared above the rivers?
4. " The innocent of hand, and the pure in heart " (ver. 4). Who then shall ascend thither, and abide there, but the guiltless in deed, and pure in thought? "Who hath not received his soul in vain." Who hath not reckoned his soul among things that pass away, but feeling it to be immortal, hath longed for an eternity stedfast and unchangeable. "And hath not sworn in deceit to his neighbour." And therefore without deceit, as things eternal are simple and undeceiving, hath so behaved himself to his neighbour.
5. "This man shall receive blessing from the Lord, and mercy from the God of his salvation " 5 (ver. s).
6. " This is the generation of them that seek the Lord " (ver. 6). For thus are they born that seek Him. " Of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.6 Diapsalma." Now they seek 1 [He applies the figures of ver. 5 and here to the Lord's Table, the chrism {i.e., confirmation), and the Church in time and eternity. — C.1 * Lat. XXIII.
3 [Surely a foretokening of our Sunday. — C] * At. "hath ascended.
* [Light, resurrection, and sanctification are the glories of the Lord's Day, and " this man " inherits all this. — C.l 6 [" Cod of Jacob." So the Vulgate, after the Septuagint. — C] the face of God, who gave the pre-eminence to the younger born.7 7. " Take away your gates, ye princes " (ver. 7). All ye, that seek rule among men, remove, that they hinder not, the entrances which ye have made, of desire and fear. " And be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates." And be ye lift up, ye entrances of eternal life, of renunciation of the world, and conversion to God. " And the King of glory shall come in." And the King, in whom we may glory without pride, shall come in: who having overcome the gates of death, and having opened for Himself the heavenly places, fulfilled that which He said, " Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." 8 8. "Who is this King of glory?" Mortal nature is awe-struck in wonder, and asks, " Who is this King of glory? " " The Lord strong and mighty." He whom thou didst deem weak and overwhelmed. " The Lord mighty in battle " (ver. 8). Handle the scars, and thou wilt find them made whole, and human weakness restored to immortality. The glorifying of the Lord, which was owing to earth, where It warred with death, hath been paid.
9. " Take away your gates, ye princes." ' Let us go hence straightway into heaven. Again, let the Prophet's trumpet cry aloud, " Take away too, ye princes of the air, the gates, which ye have in the minds of men who ' worship the host of heaven.' " '° " And be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates." And be ye lift up, ye doors of everlasting righteousness, of love, and chastity, through which the soul loveth the One True God, and goeth not a-whoring with the many that are called gods. " And the King of glory shall come in" (ver. 9). "And the King of glory shall come in," that He may at the right hand of the Father intercede for us.
10. "Who is this King of glory?" What! dost thou too, prince of the power of this air," marvel and ask, " Who is this King of glory? " " The Lord of powers, He is the King of glory " (ver. 10). Yea, His Body now quickened, He who was tempted marches above thee; He who was tempted by the angel, the deceiver, goes above all angels. Let none of you put himself before us and stop our way, that he may be worshipped as a god by us: neither principality, nor angel, nor power, separateth us from the love of Christ.'2 It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in a prince; '3 that he who glorieth, should glory in the Lord.14 These indeed are powers in the administration of this world, but " the Lord of powers, He is the King of glory."
7 Rom. ix. 13. 8 John xvi. 33.
9 [" Ye princes." So Septuagint and Vulgate. — C] [Psalm XXV.
PSALM XXV.'
TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF.* i. Christ speaks, but in the person of the Church: for what is said has reference rather to the Christian People turned unto God.
2. "Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up my soul" (ver. i): with spiritual longing have I lift up the soul, that was trodden down on the earth with carnal longings. " O my God, in Thee I trust, I shall not be ashamed " (ver. 2).
0 my God, from trusting in myself I was brought even to this weakness of the flesh; and 1 who on abandoning God wished to be as God, fearing death from the smallest insect, was in derision ashamed for my pride; now, therefore, " in Thee I trust, I shall not be ashamed."
3. " And let not my enemies mock me." And let them not mock me, who by ensnaring me with serpent-like and secret suggestions, and prompting me with "Well done, well done," have brought me down to this. " For all that wait upon Thee shall not be confounded " (ver. 3).
4. " Let them be confounded who do vain things unrighteously." Let them be confounded who act unrighteously for the acquiring things that pass away. " Make Thy ways, O Lord, known to me, and teach me Thy paths " (ver. 4): not those which are broad, and lead the many to destruction; 3 but Thy paths, narrow, and known to few, teach Thou me.
5. " In Thy truth guide me: " avoiding error. " And teach me: " for by myself I know nothing, but falsehood. " For Thou art the God of my salvation; and for Thee have I waited all the day" (ver. 5). For dismissed by Thee from Paradise, and having taken my journey into a far country,* I cannot by myself return, unless Thou meetest the wanderer: for my return hath throughout the whole tract of this world's time waited for Thy mercy.
6. " Remember Thy compassions, O Lord " (ver. 6). Remember the works of Thy mercy, O Lord; for men deem of Thee as though Thou hadst forgotten. " And that Thy mercies are from eternity." And remember this, that Thy mercies are from eternity. For Thou never wast without them, who hast subjected even sinful man to vanity indeed, but in hope; * and not deprived him of so many and great consolations of Thy creation.
7. " Remember not the offences of my youth and of my ignorance" (ver. 7). The offences of my presumptuous boldness and of my ignorance reserve not for vengeance, but let them be as if forgotten by Thee. "According to Thy mercy, be mindful of me, O God." Be mindful > Lat XXIV. 3 Matt. vii. 13.
* Luke av. 13. 5 Rom. viii. ao.
indeed of me, not according to the anger of which I am worthy, but according to Thy mercy which is worthy of Thee. " For Thy goodness, O Lord." Not for my deservings, but for Thy goodness, O Lord.
8. " Gracious and upright is the Lord " (ver. 8). The Lord is gracious, since even sinners and the ungodly He so pitied, as to forgive all that is past; but the Lord is upright too, who after the mercy of vocation and pardon, which is of grace without merit, will require merits meet for the last judgment. "Wherefore He will establish a law for them that fail in the way." For He hath first bestowed mercy to bring them into the way.
9. " He will guide the meek in judgment." He will guide the meek, and will not confound in the judgment those that follow His will, and do not, in withstanding It, prefer their own. "The gentle He will teach His ways" (ver. 9). He will teach His ways, not to those that desire to run before, as if they were better able to rule themselves; but to those who do not exalt the neck, nor lift the heel, when the easy yoke and the light burden is laid upon them.6 10. " All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth " (ver. 10). And what ways will He teach them, but mercy wherein He is placable, and truth wherein He is incorrupt? Whereof He hath exhibited the one in forgiving sins, the other in judging deserts. And therefore " all the ways of the Lord " are the two advents of the Son of God, the one in mercy, the other in judgment. He then attaineth unto Him holding on His ways, who seeing himself freed by no deserts of his own, lays pride aside, and henceforward bewares of the severity of His trial, having experienced the clemency of His help. " To them that seek His testament and His testimonies." For they understand the Lord as merciful at His first advent, and as the Judge at His second, who in meekness and gentleness seek His testament, when with His Own Blood He redeemed us to a new life; and in the Prophets and Evangelists, His testimonies.
11. "For Thy Name's sake, O Lord, Thou wilt be favourable to my sin; for it is manifold " (ver. 11). Thou hast not only forgiven my sins, which I committed before I believed; but also to my sin, which is manifold, since even in the way there is no lack of stumbling, Thou wilt be made favourable by the sacrifice of a troubled spirit.'
12. "Who is the man that feareth the Lord?" from which fear he begins to come to wisdom. " He shall establish a law for him in the way, which he hath chosen" (ver. 12). He shall establish a law for him in the way, which in his 6 Matt. xi. 30.
' [Here our author, as did St. Chrysostom, treats true contrition as completed by pardon, without sacramental absolution. — C] Psalm XXVI.]
freedom he has taken, that he may not sin now with impunity.
13. " His soul shall dwell in good, and his seed shall, by inheritance, possess the earth "(ver. 13). And his work shall possess the stable inheritance of a renewed body.
14. " The Lord is the stay of them that fear Him" (ver. 14). Fear seems to belong to the weak, but the Lord is the stay of them that fear Him. And the Name of the Lord, which hath been glorified throughout the whole world, is a stay to them that fear Him. " And His testament, that it may be manifested unto them." And He maketh His testament to be manifested unto them, for the Gentiles and the bounds of the earth are Christ's inheritance.
15. " Mine eyes are ever unto the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare " (ver. 15). Nor would I fear the dangers of earth, while I look not upon the earth: for He upon whom I look, will pluck my feet out of the snare.
16. " Look upon me, and have mercy upon me; for I am single and poor" (ver. 16). For I am a single people, keeping the lowliness of Thy single Church, which no schisms or heresies possess.
1 7. " The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied" (ver. 17). The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love.1 " O bring Thou me out of my necessities." Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessities.
18. "See my humility and my travail" (ver. 18). See my humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, break off from unity; and my travail, wherein I bear with the unruly ones that are mingled with me. " And forgive all my sins." And, propitiated by these sacrifices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before I believed, but those also which, living now by faith, I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life.
19. "Consider mine enemies, how they are multiplied" (ver. 19). For not only without, but even within, in the Church's very communion, they are not wanting. " And with an unrighteous hate they hate me." And they hate me who love them.
20. " Keep my soul, and deliver me." Keep my soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them; and draw me out from the confusion wherein they are mingled with me. " Let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in Thee " (ver. 20). Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me: for not in myself, but in Thee have I put my trust.
1 Matt. xxiv. xa.
21. "The innocent and the upright have cleaved to me, for I have waited for Thee, O Lord " (ver. 21). The innocent and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the same innocence and uprightness cleave to me: for I have not fallen away to imitate the evil; but I have waited for Thee, expecting the winnowing of Thy last harvest.2 22. "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles " (ver. 22). " Redeem Thy people, O God," whom Thou hast prepared to see Thee, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within.
PSALM XXVI.J OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. It may be attributed to David himself, not the Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus, but the whole Church now perfectly established in Christ.
2. " Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence" (ver. 1). Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which Thou first showedst 4 me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof I have kept. "And trusting in the Lord I shall not be moved." And yet not even so trusting in myself, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.
3. " Prove me, O Lord, and try me " (ver. 2). Lest, however, any of my secret sins should be hid from me, prove me, O Lord, and try me, making me known, not to Thee from whom nothing is hid, but to myself, and to men. " Burn my reins and my heart." Apply a remedial purgation, as it were fire, to my pleasures and thoughts. " For Thy mercy is before mine eyes " (ver. 3). For, that I be not consumed by that fire, not my merits, but Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast brought me on to such a life, is before my eyes. "And I have been pleasing in Thy truth." And since my own falsehood hath been displeasing to me, but Thy truth pleasing, I have myself been pleasing also with it and in it.
4. " I have not sat with the council of vanity " (ver. 4). I have not chosen to give my heart to them who endeavour to provide, what is impossible, how they may be blessed in the enjoyment of things transitory. " And I will not enter in with them that work wickedly." And since this is the very cause of all wickedness, therefore I will not have my conscience hid, with them that work wickedly.
5. " I have hated the congregation of evil doers." But to arrive at this council of vanity, congregations of evil doers are formed, which I have hated. " And I will not sit with the un- " [So the dying Jacob, Gen. xlix. 18. — C. ] * Prarogasti.
3 Lat. XXV.
[Psalm XXVII.
godly" (ver. 5). And, therefore, with such a council, with the ungodly, I will not sit, that is, I will not place my consent.' "And I will not sit with the ungodly."
6. " I will wash mine hands amid the innocent" (ver. 6). I will make clean my works among the innocent: among the innocent will I wash mine hands, with which I shall embrace Thy glorious gifts.2 " And I will compass Thy altar, O Lord." J 7. " That I may hear the voice of Thy praise." That I may learn how to praise Thee. " And that I may declare all Thy wondrous works " (ver. 7). And after I have learnt, I may set forth all Thy wondrous works.
8. " O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house: " of Thy Church. " And the place of the habitation of Thy glory " (ver. 8): where Thou dwellest, and art glorified.
9. " Destroy not my soul with the ungodly " (ver. 9). Destroy not then, together with them that hate Thee, my soul, which hath loved the beauty of Thy house. " And my life with the men of blood." And with them that hate their neighbour. For Thy house is beautified with the two commandments.4 10. " In whose hands is wickedness." Destroy me not then with the ungodly and the men of blood, whose works are wicked. " Their right hand is full of gifts" (ver. 10). And that which was given them to obtain eternal salvation, they have converted into the receiving this world's gifts, " supposing that godliness is a trade." 5 11. "But I have walked in mine innocence: deliver me, and have mercy on me" (ver. 11). Let so great a price of my Lord's Blood avail for my complete deliverance: and in the dangers of this life let not Thy mercy leave me.
12. "My foot hath stood in uprightness." My Love hath not withdrawn from Thy righteousness. " In the Churches I will bless Thee, O Lord" (ver. 12). I will not hide Thy blessing, O Lord, from those whom Thou hast called; for next to the love of Thee I join the love of my neighbour.
PSALM XXVII.6 OF DAVID HIMSELF, BEFORE HE WAS ANOINTED.7 i. Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the faith. " The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom shall I fear?" (ver. 1). The Lord will give me both knowledge of Himself, and salvation: who shall take me from Him?
1 Placitum non collocabo. into 1 -C] ' [We are " made unto our Goi, priests. " — C.J 4 [Matt. xxii. 40. • Lat. XXVI.
' [In the Second Exposition he dwells on the spiritual chrism, from which the Son of David is called Christ; affirms that Christians partake of the tame anointing; speaking of confirmation as their sacramental anointing and what it implies. — C.J " The Lord is the Protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? " The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. " Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh" (ver. 2). Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. " Mine enemies who trouble me." Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recall me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. " They became weak, and fell." 8 Whilst then they do this with the desire of defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. " If camps stand together against me, my heart will not fear." But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to go over to their side. " If war rise up against me, in this will I trust " (ver. 3). If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope.
4. " One have I asked of the Lord, this will I require." For one petition have I asked the Lord, this will I require. " That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life " (ver. 4). That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them who hold the unity and the truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. " That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord." With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may contemplate face to face. " And I shall be protected, His temple." And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.'
5. " For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils" (ver. 5). For He hath hidden me in the dispensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. " He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle." He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. " On a rock hath He exalted me." And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. " And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies " (ver. 6). What doth He reserve for me 9 [The Old Latin of this charming verse seems to have read, "One hope have I desired," etc. See Cyprian, A. N. F. vol. v. p. 501. — C] Psalm XXVIII.]
at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive under the rebellious law of sin? " I have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing." I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. " I will sing and give praises to the Lord." In heart and in deed I will be glad in the Lord.
7. " Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee" (ver. 7). Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. " Have mercy upon me, and hear me." Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein.
8. " My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy countenance" (ver. 8). For I have not exhibited myself to men; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee; I have not sought from Thee aught without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. " Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek." In this search will I perseveringly persist: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more precious do I find.
9. "Turn not away Thy face from me" (ver. 9): that I may find what I seek. "Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: " lest, while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance? "Be Thou my Helper." How shall I find it, if Thou help me not? "Leave me not, neither despise me, O God my Saviour." Scorn not that a mortal dares to seek the Eternal; for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. " For my father and my mother have left me" (ver. 10). For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which I was born in time and mortality, have left me seeking Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what I seek. " But the Lord took me up." But the Lord, who can give me Himself, took me up.
n. " Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way " (ver. 11). For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and commencing so great a profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, O Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wandering Thy rule abandon me. " And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies." And direct me in the right way of its straits. For it is not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end is attained.
12. "Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me" (ver. 12). Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. " For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me." For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee, as if I seek glory of men. " And iniquity hath lied unto itself." Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me it hath not moved, to whom because of this there hath been promised a greater reward in heaven.
13. "I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living" (ver. 13). And since my Lord hath first suffered these things, if I too despise the tongues of the dying (" for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul" ■), I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there is no place for falsity.
14. "Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man: and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord" (ver. 14). But when shall this be? It is arduous for a mortal, it is slow to a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him that saith, " Wait on the Lord." Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burning of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee. That thou faint not in despair, see how it is said, " Wait on the Lord." 2 PSALM XXVIII.3 OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. It is the Voice of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand in the conflict of the Passion. Now what He seems to wish for against His enemies, is not the wish of malevolence, but the declaration of their punishment; as in the Gospel,4 with the cities, in which though He had performed miracles, yet they had not believed on Him, He doth not wish in any evil will what He saith, but predicteth what is impending over them.
2. " Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried; 5 My God, be not silent from me " (ver. 1 ). Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried; My God, separate not the unity of Thy Word from that which as Man I am. " Lest at any time Thou be silent from me: and I shall be like them that go down into the pit." For from this, that the Eternity of Thy Word ceaseth not to unite Itself to Me, it comes that I am not such a man as the rest of men, who are born into the deep misery of this ■ Wisd. i. It.
2 JOn the first three verses of this Psalm, see Origen, A. N. F. vol. iv. pp. 333, 575, 649. Compare Cyprian, A. N. F. vol. iv. p. 501. — C.l 3 Lat. XXVII. „ < Matt. xi. 20-24.
5 f The Greek and Vulgate omit the epithet of the Hebrew, " My Rock, which is the link with the Psalm foregoing (ver. 5), and the key to other parallels. St. Jerome renders \\tfortti mens. — C] [Psalm XXIX.
world: where, as if Thou art silent, Thy Word is not recognised. " Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, whilst I pray unto Thee, whilst I hold up my hands to Thy holy temple "(ver. 2). Whilst I am crucified for their salvation, who on believing become Thy holy temple.
3. " Draw not My Soul away with sinners, and destroy me not with them that work iniquity, with them that speak peace with their neighbours " (ver. 3). With them that say unto Me, "We know that Thou art a Master come from God." ' " But evil in their hearts." But they speak evil in their hearts.
4. " Give unto them according to their works " (ver. 4). Give unto them according to their works, for this is just. " And according to the malice of their affections." ' For aiming at evil, they cannot discover good. " According to the works of their hands give Thou unto them." Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto them according to the works of their wills. " Pay them their recompense." Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.
5. " For they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord " (ver. 5). And whence is it clear that this hath befallen them? From this forsooth, " for they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord." This very thing, in truth, hath been, even now, their recompense, that in Him whom they tempted with malicious intent as a Man, they should not recognise God, with what design the Father sent Him in the Flesh. " And the works of His hands." Nor be moved by those visible works, which are laid out before their very eyes. " Thou shalt destroy them, and not build them up." Let them do Me no hurt, nay, nor again in their endeavour to raise engines against My Church, let them aught avail.
6. " Blessed be the Lord, for He hath heard the voice of My prayer " (ver. 6).
7. "The Lord My Helper and My Protector" (ver. 7). The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. " In Him hath My Heart trusted, and I have been helped." i' And My Flesh hath flourished again: " that is, and My Flesh hath risen again. " And of my will I will confess unto Him." Wherefore, the fear of death being now destroyed, not by the necessity of fear under the Law, but with a free will with the Law, shall they who believe on Me, confess unto Him; and because I am in them, I will confess.
8. "The Lord is the strength of His people " (ver. 8). Not that people "ignorant of the > John iii. 3.