Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PSALM LXVIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 293
"Why do ye imagine?"* For as they are a light, because to themselves also hath been said, " Ye are the Light of the world," but something different hath been called " the true Light which enlighteneth every man.''3 so they are mountains ; but far different is the Mountain " prepared on the top of the mountains."+ These mountains therefore in bearing that Mountain are glorious: one of which mountains saith, '" but from me far be it to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to me the world hath been crucified, and I to the world: ''5 so that " he hath glorieth, not in himself, but in the Lord may glory."°® "Why" then "do ye imagine mountains full of curds," that '" Mountain wherein it hath pleased God to dwell therein'? Not because in other men He dwelleth not, but because in them through Him. ' For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead,''7 not in a shadow, as in the temple made by king Solomon,® but " bodily," that is, solidly and truly. ... "For there is One God, and One Mediator of God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,'' 9 Mountain of mountains, as Saint of saints. Whence He saith, "I in them and Thou in Me."''° " Why then do ye imagine mountains full of curds, the mountain wherein it hath pleased God to dwell in Him?" For those mountains full of curds that Mountain the Lord shall inhabit even unto the end, that something they may be to whom He saith, " for without Me notbing ye are able to do." ™ admirably, when he had said, " Thousands of men rejoicing:"' immediately he added, "The Lord is in them." That we may not wonder why they rejoice, " The Lord is in them." For through many tribulations we must needs enter into the kingdom of God,'s but, "The Lord is in them." Therefore even if they are as it were sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing,*® though not now in that same end, to which they have not yet come, yet in hope they are rejoicing, and in tribulation patient: for, "The Lord is in them, in Sina in the holy place." In the interpretations of Hebrew names, we find Sina interpreted commandment: and some other interpretations it has, but I think this to be more agreeable to the present passage. For giving a reason why those thousands rejoice, whereof the Chariot of God doth consist, 'The Lord," he saith, "is in them, in Sina in the holy place:" that is, the Lord is in them, in the commandment ; which commandment is holy, as saith the Apostle: " Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good.""7 ...
22. In the next place, turning his address to the Lord Himself, "Thou hast gone up," he saith, "on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts in men" (ver.18). Of this the Apostle thus maketh mention, thus expoundeth in speaking of the Lord Christ: " But unto each one of us," he saith, "is given grace after the measure of the giving of Christ: for which cause he saith, He hath gone up on high, He hath led captive captivity, He hath given gifts to men." '® . . . And let it not move us that the Apostle making mention of that same testimony saith not, 'Thou hast received gifts in men ;" but, " He hath given gifts unto men." For he with Apostolic authority hath spoken thus according to the faith that the Son is God with the Father. For in respect of this He hath given gifts to men, sending to them the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. But forasmuch as the self-name Christ is understood in His Body which is the Church, wherefore also His members are His saints and believers, whence to them is said, '' But ye are the Body of Christ, and the members," '9 doubtless He hath Himself also received gifts in men. Now Christ hath gone up on high, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father: ?° but unless He were here also on the earth, He would not thence have cried, " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" ?? When the Same saith Himself, " Inasmuch as to one of My least ye have done it, to Me ye have done it:"?? why do we doubt that He receiveth in His members, the gifts which the members of Him receive?
21. Thus cometh to pass that also which followeth: "The Chariot of God is of ten thousands manifold:" or "of tens of thousands manifold :" or, "ten times thousand times manifold" (ver. 17). For one Greek word, which hath there been used, prpror Adcuov, each Latin interpreter hath rendered as best he could, but in Latin it could not be adequately expressed : for a thousand with the Greeks is called yéAra, but prpiddes are a number of tens of thousands : for one prpids are ten thousands. Thus a vast number of saints and believers, who by bearing God become in a manner the chariot '? of God, he hath signified under this name. By abiding in and guiding this, He conducteth it, as though it were His Chariot, unto the end, as if unto some appointed place. For, "the beginning is Christ ; secondly, that are of Christ, at the appearing of Him; then the end." "3 This is Holy Church: which is that which followeth, " thousands of men rejoicing." For in hope they are joyful, until they be conducted unto the end, which now they look for through patience."4 For
1 Or, 'look up to." 2 Matt. v. 14. 3 John i. 9. 4 Isa, ii. 2. 5 Gal. vi. 14, 6 > Cor. i. 31. 7 Col. il. 9. 8 x Kings viii, 27. 9 1 Tim. ii. 5. 10 John xvii, 23. _ 11 John xv. 5. 12 See St. Macarius, Hom. 1 14 Rom, xii. 12. :
17 Rom-vii. 12. 20 Mark xvi. 19. 16 2 Cor. vi. 10. 19 1 Cor. xii. 27. 22 Matt. xxv. 40.
1S Acts xiv. 22. 18 Eph. iv. 7, 8 2t Acts ix. 4.
13 x Cor. xv. 23,24.