8. "And He shall endure to the sun," or, "shall endure with the sun " (ver. 5). For thus some of our writers have thought would be more exactly translated that which in the Greek is o-vfiLTrapafKvtL. But if in Latin it could have been expressed in one word, it must have been expressed by compermanebit: however, because in Latin the word cannot be expressed, in order that the sense at least might be translated, it hath been expressed by, " He shall endure with the sun." For He shall co-endure to the sun is nothing else but, " He shall endure with the sun." But what great matter is it for Him to endure with the sun, through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made," save that this prophecy hath been sent before for the sake of those who think that the religion of the Christian name up to a particular time in this world will live, and afterwards will be no more?'2 "He shall endure" therefore " with the sun," so long as the sun riseth and setteth, that is, so long as these times revolve, there shall not be wanting the Church of God, that is, Christ's body on earth. But that which he addeth, " and before the moon, generations of generations: " he might have expressed by, and before the sun, that is, both with the sun and before the sun: which would have been understood by both with times and before times. That then which goeth before time is eternal; * Matt. xxv. 32. 9 John xiv. 30.
■ See on Ps. xli. p. 138, note 9 Psalm LXXII.]
and that is truly to be held eternal which by no time is changed, as, " in the beginning was the Word." ' But by the moon he hath chosen rather to intimate the waxings and wanings of things mortal. Lastly, when he had said, " before the moon," wishing in a manner to explain for what purpose he inserted the moon, " generations," he saith, " of generations." As though he were saying, before the moon, that is, before the generations of generations which pass away in the departure and succession of things mortal, like the lunar wanings and waxings. And thus what is better to be understood by His enduring before the moon, than that He taketh precedence of all mortal things by immortality? Which also as followeth may not impertinently be taken, that whereas now, having humbled the falseaccuser, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father, this is to endure with the sun. For the brightness of the eternal glory is understood to be the Son: 2 as though the Sun were the Father, and the Brightness of Him His Son. But as these things may be spoken of the invisible Substance of the Creator, not as of that visible creation wherein are bodies celestial, of which bright bodies the sun hath the pre-eminence, from which this similitude hath been drawn: just as they are drawn even from things earthly, to wit, stone, lion, lamb, man having two sons, and the like: therefore having humbled the false-accuser, He endureth with the sun: because having vanquished the devil by the Resurrection, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father,3 where He dieth no more, and death no longer over Him shall have dominion.4 This too is before the moon, as though the First-born from the dead were going before the Church, which is passing on in the departure and succession of mortals. These are " the generations of generations." Or perchance it is because generations are those whereby we are begotten mortally; but generations of generations those whereby we are begotten again immortally. And such is the Church which He went before, in order that He might endure before the moon, being the First-born of the dead. To be sure, that which is in the Greek yevtai ywtwv, some have interpreted, not " generations," but, " of a generation of generations: " because yevtas is of ambiguous case in Greek, and whether it be the genitive singular ttji ycvtas, that is, of the generation, or the accusative plural ras yevtas, that is, the generations, doth not clearly appear, except that deservedly that sense hath been preferred wherein, as though explaining what he had called " the moon," he added in continuation, " generations of generations," 9. " And He shall come down like rain into a ' Heb. i. 3.
3 Markxvi. 19.
fleece, and like drops distilling upon the earth " (ver. 6). He hath called to our minds and admonished us, that what was done by Gedeon the Judge, in Christ hath its end. For he asked a sign of the Lord, that a fleece laid on the floor should alone be rained upon, and the floor should be dry; and again, the fleece alone should be dry, and the floor should be rained upon; and so it came to pass.s Which thing signified, that, being as it were on a floor in the midst of the whole round world, the dry fleece was the former people Israel. The same Christ therefore Himself came down like rain upon a fleece, when yet the floor was dry: whence also He said, " I am not sent but to the sheep which were lost of the house of Israel." 5 There He chose out a Mother by whom to receive the form of a servant, wherein He was to appear to men: there the disciples, to whom He gave this same injunction, saying, " Into the way of the nations go ye not away, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not: go ye first to the sheep which are lost of the house of Israel." 7 When He saith, go ye first to them, He showeth also that hereafter, when at length the floor was to be rained upon, they would go to other sheep also, which were not of the old people Israel, concerning whom He saith, " I have other sheep which are not of this fold, it behoveth Me to bring in them also, that there may be one flock and one Shepherd." 8 Hence also the Apostle: " for I say," he saith, " that Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the fathers." 9 Thus rain came down upon the fleece, the floor being yet dry. But inasmuch as he continueth, " but that the nations should glorify God for His mercy: " IO that when the time came on, that should be fulfilled which by the Prophet He saith, " a people whom I have not known hath served Me, in the hearkening of the ear it hath obeyed Me: " " we now see, that of the grace of Christ the nation of the Jews hath remained dry, and the whole round world through all nations is being rained upon by clouds full of Christian grace. For by another word he hath indicated the same rain, saying, " drops distilling: " no longer upon the fleece, but " upon the earth." For what else is rain but drops distilling? But that the above nation under the name of a fleece is signified, I think is either because they were to be stripped of the authority of teaching, just as a sheep is stripped of its skin; or because in a secret place He was hidkng that same rain, which He willed not should be preached to uncircumcision, that is, be revealed to uncircumcised nations.
io. "There shall arise in His days justice 36-38.
6 Matt. xv. 24. 9 Rom. xv. 8.
33° [Psalm I.XXII.
and abundance of peace, until the moon be taken away" (ver. 7). The expression tollatur some have interpreted by "be taken away," but others by "be exalted," translating one Greek word, which is there used, avravaiptO-fj, just as each of them thought good. But they who have said, 'be removed," and they who have said, " be taken away," do not so very much differ. For by the expression, "be removed," custom doth teach us that there should be rather implied, that a thing is taken away and is no more, than that it is raised to a higher place: but " be taken away " can be understood in no other way at all, than that a thing is destroyed: that is, it is no more: but by " be exalted," only that it is raised to a higher place. Which indeed when it is put in a bad sense is wont to signify pride: as is the passage, " In thy wisdom be not exalted." ■ But in a good sense it belongeth to a more exceeding honour, as, for instance, when anything is being raised; as is, " In the nights exalt ye your hands unto holy places, and bless ye the Lord." 2 Here then if we have understood the expression, "be removed," what will be, " until the moon be removed," but that it be so dealt with that it be no more? For perchance he willed this also to be perceived, that mortality is to be no longer, " when the last enemy shall be destroyed, death: " ' so that abundance of peace may be brought down so far as that nothing may withstand the felicity of the blessed from the infirmity of mortality: which will come to pass in that age, of which we have the faithful promise of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, concerning which it is said, "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace: " until, death being utterly overcome and destroyed, all mortality be consumed. But if under the term moon, not the mortality of the flesh through which the Church is now passing, but the Church Herself in general hath been signified, which is to endure for everlasting, being delivered from this mortality, thus must be taken the expression, "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace, until the moon be exalted; " as though it were said, There shall arise in His days justice, to conquer the contradiction and rebellion of the flesh, and whereby there may be made a peace so increasing and abundant, until the moon be exalted, that is, until the Church be lifted up, through the glory of the Resurrection to reign with Him, who went before Her in this glory, the firstborn of the dead, that He might sit at the right hand of the Father; 4 thus with the sun ' enduring before the moon, in the place whereunto hereafter was to be exalted the moon also.
1 Ecclus. xxxii. 4; Vulgate, xxxii. 6. * x Car. xv. 26. 4 Mark xvi. 19.
2 Ps. cxxxiv. a. * Or, "abiding."
11. "And He shall be Lord from sea even unto sea, and from the river even unto the ends of the round world " (ver. 8): He to wit concerning whom he had said, "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace, until the moon be exalted."6 If the Church here is properly signified under the term moon, in continuation he showed how widely that same Church He was going to spread abroad, when He added, "and He shall be Lord from sea even unto sea." For the land is encircled by a great sea which is called the Ocean: from which there floweth in some small part in the midst of the lands, and maketh those seas known to us, which are frequented by ships. Again, in " from sea even unto sea " He hath said, that from any one end of the earth even unto any other end, He would be Lord, whose name and power in the whole world were to be preached and to prevail exceedingly. To which, that there might not be understood in any other manner, " from sea even unto sea: " He immediately added, "and from the river even unto the ends of the round world." Therefore that which He saith in " even unto the ends of the round world," the same He had said before in " from sea even unto sea." But in that which now He saith, " from the river," He hath evidently expressed that He willed Christ to publish at length His power from that place from whence also He began to choose His disciples, to wit from the river Jordan, where upon the Lord, on His baptism, when the Holy Ghost descended, there sounded a voice from Heaven, " This is My beloved Son." t From this place then His doctrine and the authority of the heavenly ministry setting out, is enlarged even unto the ends of the round world, when there is preached the Gospel of the kingdom in the whole world, for a testimony unto all nations: and then shall come the end.8 12. "In His presence shall fall down the Ethiopians, and His enemies shall lick the earth" (ver. 9). By the Ethiopians, as by a part the whole, He hath signified all nations, selecting that nation to mention especially by name, which is at the ends of the earth. By " in His presence shall fall down " hath been signified, shall adore Him. And because there were to be schisms in divers quarters of the world, which would be jealous of the Church Catholic spread abroad in the whole round world, and again those same schisms dividing themselves into the names of men, and by loving the men under whose authority they had been rent, opposing themselves to the glory of Christ which is throughout all lands; so when He had said, " in His presence shall fall down the Ethi- 6 P». lxxii. 7.
f Matt. iii. 17.
8 Matt. xxiv. 14.
Psalm LXXII.]
opians," He added, "and His enemies shall lick the earth: " that is, shall love men, so that they shall be jealous of the glory of Christ, to whom hath been said, " Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory." ' For man earned to hear, " Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shalt go." 2 By licking this earth, that is, being delighted with the vainly talking authority of such men, by loving them, and by counting them for the most pleasing of men, they gainsay the divine sayings, whereby the Catholic Church hath been foretold, not as to be in any particular quarter of the world, as certain schisms are, but in the whole universe by bearing fruit and growing so as to attain even unto the very Ethiopians, to wit, the remotest and foulest of mankind.3 13. 4"The kings of Tharsis and the isles shall offer gifts, the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall lead5 presents" (ver. 10). This no longer requireth an expounder but a thinker; yea it doth thrust itself upon the sight not only of rejoicing believers, but also of groaning unbelievers — except perchance we must inquire why there hath been said, "shall lead presents." For there are wont to be led those things which can walk. For could it by any means have been spoken with reference to the sacrifice of victims? Far be it that such "righteousness " should arise in His days. But those gifts which have been foretold as to be led, seem to me to signify men, whom into the fellowship of the Church of Christ the authority of kings doth lead: although even persecuting kings have led gifts, knowing not what they did, in sacrificing the holy Martyrs. " And there shall adore Him all kings of the earth, all nations shall serve Him" (ver. 11).
14. But while he is explaining the reasons why so great honour is paid Him by kings, and He is served of all nations: " because He hath delivered," he saith, " the needy man from the mighty, and the poor man, to whom was no helper" (ver. 12). This needy and poor man is the people of men believing in Him. In this people are also kings adoring Him. For they do not disdain to be needy and poor, that is, humbly confessing sins, and needing the glory of God 6 and the grace of God, in order that this King, Son of the King, may deliver them from the mighty one. For this same mighty one is he who above was called the Slanderer: whom mighty to subdue men to himself, and to hold them bound in captivity, not his virtue did make, but men's sins. The 1 Ps. cviii. 5. 2 Gen. iii. 19.
3 [It must be borne in mind that the Hindoos as well as the sons of Phut were so called. — C] * Oxf. mss. add here: " Observe, brethren, that it is said in this Psalm."
same is himself also called strong; therefore here mighty also. But He that hath humbled the slanderer and hath entered into the house of the strong man to bind him and to spoil his vessels,7 He " hath delivered the needy and the poor man." For this neither the virtue of any one could accomplish, nor any just man, nor any Angel. When then there was no helper, by His coming He saved them Himself.
15. But it might occur to one; if because of sins man was held by the devil, have sins pleased Christ, who saved the needy man from the mighty? Far be it. But " He it is that shall spare the helpless and poor man " (ver. 13): that is, shall remit sins to the man, humble and not trusting in his own merits, or hoping for salvation because of his own virtue, but needing the grace of his Saviour. But when he hath added, "and the souls of the poor He shall save: " he hath recommended to our notice both the aids of grace; both that which is for the remission of sins, when he saith, " He shall spare the poor and needy man; " and that which doth consist in the imparting of righteousness, when he hath added, " and the souls of the poor He shall save." For no one is meet of himself for salvation (which salvation is perfect righteousness), unless God's grace aid: because the fulness of the law is nought but love, which doth not exist in us of ourselves, but is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which hath been given unto us.8 16. " From usuries and iniquity He shall redeem the souls of them " (ver. 14). What are these usuries but sins, which are also called debts?9 But I think they have been called usuries, because more of ill is found in the punishments than hath been committed in the sins. For, for example's sake, while a man-slayer killeth only the body of a man, but can no wise hurt the soul; of himself both soul and body is destroyed in hell. Because of such despisers of present commandment and deriders of future punishment hath been said, " I coming would have exacted with usuries," '" from these usuries are redeemed the souls of the poor by that blood which hath been shed for the remission of sins. He shall redeem, I say, from usuries, by remitting sins which owed larger punishments: but He shall redeem from iniquity, by helping them by grace even to do righteousness. Therefore the same two things have been repeated which were said above. For in that which is above, " He- shall spare the helpless and poor man,"" there is understood " from usuries: " but in that which there he saith, " and the souls of the poor He shall save; " there seemeth to have been implied, " from iniquity: " so that the words " He shall 7 Matt. xii. 29. 10 Matt. xxv. 27.
• Matt. vi. J2.
[Psalm LXXII.
redeem," are understood with both. So when He shall spare the poor and helpless man, and shall save, the souls of the poor: thus "from usuries and iniquity He shall redeem the souls of them. And honourable shall be the name of Him in the presence of them." For they give honour to His name for so great benefits, and they respond that " meet and right it is " ' to render thanks to the Lord their God. Or, as some copies have' it, " and honourable is the name of them in the presence of Him: " for even if Christians seem despicable to this world, the name of them in the presence of Him is honourable, who to them hath given it, no longer remembering those names in His lips, whereby before they used to be called, when they were bound fast by the superstitions of the Gentiles, or signed with names derived from their own evil deserts, before they were Christians, which name is honourable in the presence of Him, even if it seemeth despicable to enemies.
17. "And He shall live, and there shall be given to Him of the gold of Arabia" (ver. 15). There would not have been said, " and He shall live "(for of whom could not this be said, though living for ever so brief a space of time on this earth?) unless that life were being recommended to our notice, wherein He " dieth no more, and death over Him shall have no more dominion." 2 And thus, " and He shall live," that was despised in death: for, as another Prophet saith, " there shall be taken away from the earth the life of Him." 3 But what is, " and there shall be given to Him of the gold of Arabia "? For the fact that from thence even the former Salomon received gold, in this Psalm hath been in a figure transferred unto another true Salomon, that is, the true Peace-maker. For the former did not have dominion " from the river even unto the ends of the round world." * Thus then hath been prophesied, that even the wise men of this world in Christ would believe. But by Arabia we understand the Gentiles; by gold wisdom, which doth as much excel among all doctrines as gold among metals. Whence hath been written, " Receive ye prudence as silver,5 and wisdom as proved gold." 6 " And they shall pray concerning Himself alway." That which the Greek hath, irtpl airou, some have interpreted by " concerning Himself," some " for Himself," or " for Him."
But what is, " concerning Himself," except perchance that for which we pray, saying, "Thy kingdom come"?' For Christ's coming shall make present to believers the kingdom of God. But how to understand " for Him " is difficult; 1 Dig^num et jitstiim, used then, as still, in the service for Holy Communion [In all the liturgies, according to Sir William Palmer See A. N. F. vol. vii. p. 532, note 9. — C. J 2 Rom vi. 9. 3 Isa. liii. 8.
except that when prayer is made for the Church, for Himself prayer is made, because she is His Body. For concerning Christ and the Church hath been sent before a great Sacrament," " there shall be two in one flesh." But now that which followeth, " all the day long," that is, in all time, " they shall bless Him," is sufficiently evident.
18. " And there shall be a firmament on the earth, on the tops of the mountains" (ver. 16). For, " all the promises of God in Him are Yea," » that is, in Him are confirmed: because in Him hath been fulfilled whatever hath been prophesied for our salvation. For the tops of the mountains it is meet to understand as the authors of the divine Scriptures, that is, those persons through whom they were supplied: wherein He is indeed Himself the Firmament: for unto Him all things that have been divinely written are ascribed. But this He willed should be on earth; because for the sake of those that are upon earth, they were written. Whence He came also Himself upon earth, in order that He might confirm all these things, that is, in Himself might show them to have been fulfilled. " For it was necessary," He saith, " for all things to be fulfilled which were written in the Law, and the Prophets, and Psalms, concerning Me: " IO that is, "in the tops of the mountains." " For so there cometh in the last times the evident Mount of the Lord, prepared on the summit of the mountains: of which here he speaketh, " in the tops of the mountains." " Highly superexalted above Libanus shall be His fruit." Libanus we are wont to take as this world's dignity: for Libanus is a mountain bearing tall trees, and the name itself is interpreted whiteness.12 For what marvel, if above every brilliant state of this world there is superexalted the fruit of Christ, of which fruit the lovers have contemned all secular dignities? But if in a good sense we take Libanus, because of the " cedars of Libanus which He hath planted: ",3 what other fruit must be understood, that is being exalted above this Libanus, except that whereof the Apostle speaketh when he is going to speak concerning that love of his, "yet a pre-eminent way to you I show "? '4 For this is put forward even in the first rank of divine gifts, in the place where he saith, " but the fruit of the Spirit is love: " '5 and with this are conjoined the remaining words as consequent. " And they shall flourish from the city like hay of the earth." Because city is used ambiguously, and there is not annexed of Him, or of God, for there hath not been said, " from the city " of Him, or " from the city " of God, but only " from the city: " in a good sense it is understood, in order that from the city of God, 10 Luke xxiv. 44. 13 Ps. civ. 10.
Psalm LXXIII.]
that is, from the Church, they may flourish like grass; but grass bearing fruit, as is that of wheat: for even this is called grass ' in Holy Scripture; as in Genesis 2 there is a command for the earth to bring forth every tree and every grass, and there is not added every wheat: which without doubt would not have been passed over unless under the name of grass this also were understood; and in many other passages of the Scriptures this is found. But if we must take, " and they shall flourish like the grass of the earth," in the same manner as is said, " all flesh is grass, and the glory of a man like the flower of grass: "3 certainly then that city must be understood which doth intimate this world's society: for it was not to no purpose that Cain was the first to build a city.4 Thus the fruit of Christ being exalted above Libanus, that is, above enduring trees and undecaying timbers, because He is the everlasting fruit, all the glory of a man according to the temporal exaltation of the world is compared to grass; for by believers and by men already hoping for life eternal temporal felicity is despised, in order that there may be fulfilled that which hath been written, " all flesh is grass, and all the glory of flesh as the flower of grass: the grass hath dried, the flower hath fallen off, but the word of the Lord doth endure for ever." There is the fruit of Him exalted above Libanus.