Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PsaLmM LXXXIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 399 for he too has his victims ; Salmana, shadow of commotion. All these agree to the evils which the people of God conquer by good. Moreover Kishon, the torrent in which they were conquered, is explained, their hardness. Endor, where they perished, is explained, the Fountain of generation, but of the carnal generation namely, to which they were given up, and therefore perished, not heeding the regeneration which leadeth unto life, where they shall neither marry nor be given in marriage,' for they shall die no more. Rightly then it is said of these: " they became as the dung of the earth," in that nothing was produced of them bnt fruitfulness of the earth. As then all these were in figure conquered by the people of God, as figures, so he prays that those other enemies may be conquered in truth.
another term, the idea of God judging and punishing. But in saying, "with Thy tempest," he means, as he goes on to explain, " Thy anger: " and the former expression, "Thou shalt persecute," answers to, "Thou shalt disturb." We must take care, however, to understand, that the anger of God is free from any turbulent emotion ; for His anger is an expression for His just method of taking vengeance: as the law might be said to be angry when its ministers are moved to punish by its sanction.
11. "Fill their faces with shame, and they shall seek Thy name, O Lord" (ver. 16). Good and desirable is this which he prophesieth for them: and he would not prophesy thus, unless there were even in that company of the enemies of God's people, some men of such kind that this would be granted to them before the last judgment: for now they are mixed together, and
8. "All their princes, who said, Let us take to ourselves the sanctuary of God in possession" this is the body of the enemies, in respect of the envy whereby they rival the people of God. And now, where they can, they make a noise and lift up their head: but severally, not universally as they will do at the end of the world, when the last judgment is about to fall. But it is the same body, even in those who out of this number shall believe and pass into another body (for the faces of these are filled with shame, that they may seek the name of the Lord), as well as in those others who persevere unto the end in the same wickedness, who are made as stubble before the wind, and are consumed like a wood and barren mountains. To these he again returns, saying, '' They shall blush and be vexed for ever and ever" (ver. 17). For those are not vexed for ever and ever who seek the name of the Lord, but having respect unto the shame of their sins, they are vexed for this purpose, that they may seek the name of the Lord, through which they may be no more vexed.
(ver. 12). This is that vain noise, with which, as said above, Thy enemies have made a murmuring. But what must be understood by " the sanctuary of God," except the temple of God? as saith the Apostle: ' For the temple of God is holy,? which temple ye are.""3 For what else do the enemies aim at, but to take into possession, that is, to make subject to themselves the temple of God, that it may give in to their ungodly wills?
g. But what follows? "My God, make them like unto a wheel" (ver. 13). This is fitly taken as meaning that they should be constant in nothing that they think; but I think it may also be rightly explained, make them like unto a wheel, because a wheel is lifted up on the part of what is behind,' is thrown down on the part of what is in front ; and so it happens to all the enemies of the people of God. For this is not a wish, but a prophecy. He adds: "as the stubble in the face of the wind." By face he means presence ; for what face hath the wind, which has no bodily features, being only a motion, in that it is a kind of wave of air? But it is put for temptation, by which light and vain hearts are hurried away.
12. Again, he returns to these last, who in the same company of enemies are to be made ashamed for this purpose, that they may not be ashamed for ever: and for this purpose to be destroyed in as far as they are wicked, that being made good they may be found alive for ever. For having said of them, " Let them be ashamed and perish," he instantly adds, "and let them know that Thy name is the Lord, Thou art only the Most Highest in all the earth" (ver. 18). Coming to this knowledge, let them be so confounded as to please God: let them so perish, as that they may abide. "Let them know," he says, "that Thy name is the Lord:" as if whoever else are called lords are named so not truly but by falsehood, for they rule but as servants, and compared with the true Lord are not lords ; as it is said, I AM THaT I Am:5 as if those things
10. This levity, by which consent is easily given to what is evil, is followed by severe torment; therefore he proceeds : —
"Like as the fire that burneth up the wood, and as the flame that consumeth the mountains " (ver. 14) : "so shalt Thou persecute them with Thy tempest, and in Thy anger shalt disturb them " (ver. 15). Wood, he saith, for its barrenness, mountains for their loftiness ; for such are the enemies of God's people, barren of righteousness, full of pride. When he says, "fire"? and " flame," he means to repeat under
1 Luke xx. 35. 2 Sanctum. 3 x Cor. iii. 17. 4 Ex his que retro sunt extollitur, ex his que ante sunt dejicitur,
5 Exod, iii. 14.