Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PsALM CXIX.] ON THE PSALMS.
148. "They draw nigh, that of malice persecute me:' or, as some copies read, " maliciously " grounded them," are nghtly thus understood, because they are shown to be true in Christ.' Whence then did the Psalmist know this in the beginning, save because the Church speaketh, which was not wanting to the earth from the commencement of the human race, the first-fruits whereof was the holy Abel, himself sacrificed in testimony of the future blood of the Mediator that should be shed by a wicked brother?' For this also was at the beginning, "They two shall be one flesh :"'9 which great mystery the Apostle Paul expounding, saith, "I speak concerning Christ and the Church." '°
(ver. 150). Then they that persecute draw nigh, when they go the length of torturing and destroying the flesh: whence the twenty-first Psalm, wherein the Lord's Passion is prophesied, saith, "O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand ;"' ' where those things are spoken of which He suffered when His Passion was not imminent upon Him, but actually realized. "And are far from Thy law." The nearer they drew to the persecuting the righteous, so much the farther were they from righteousness. But what harm did they do unto those, to whom they drew near by persecution; since the approach of their Lord is nearer unto their souls, by whom they no wise are forsaken?
Resch.
151. Let no man, set in Christ's body, imagine these words to be alien from himself, since in truth it is the whole body of Christ placed in this humble state that speaketh: "O consider my humiliation, and deliver me: for I forget not Thy law" (ver. 153). In this place we cannot understand any law of God so suitably, as that whereby it is immutably determined that "every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased ; and every one that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."
149. Lastly, it followeth, "Thou art nigh at hand, O Lord, and all Thy ways are truth" (ver. 151). Even in their troubles, it hath been a wonted confession of the saints, to ascribe truth unto God, because they suffer them not undeservedly. So did Queen Esther,? so did holy Daniel,3 so did the three men in the furnace,* so do other associates in their sanctity confess. But it may be asked, in what sense it is here said, " All Thy ways are truth;" since in another Psalm it is read, " All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth."5 But towards the saints, All the ways of the Lord are at once mercy and truth: since He aideth them even in judgment, and thus mercy is not wanting ; and in having mercy upon them, He performeth that which He hath promised, so that truth is not wanting. But towards all, both those whom He freeth, and those whom He condemneth, all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth; because where He doth not show mercy, the truth of His vengeance is displayed. For He freeth many who have not deserved, but He condemneth none who hath not deserved it.
152. " Avenge Thou," he saith, " my cause, and deliver me" (ver. 154). The former sentence is here almost repeated. And what is there said, "For I do not forget Thy law," agreeth with what we read here, '"' Quicken me, according to Thy word." For these words are the \law of God, which he hath not forgot, so that he hath abased himself, and will therefore be exalted. But the words, " Quicken me," pertain to this very exaltation; for the exaltation of the saints is everlasting life.
153. " Health," he saith, "is far from the ungodly: for they regard not Thy righteousnesses' (ver. 155). This separateth thee, that what they have not done, thou hast done, that is, thou hast regarded the righteousnesses of God. But "what hast thou that thou hast not received?" '?. Art thou not he who a little before didst say, "I will keep Thy righteousnesses "' ? Thou therefore hast received from Him, unto whom thou didst call, the power to keep them.
150. " From the beginning I have known," he saith, "as concerning Thy testimonies, that Thou hast grounded them for ever" ® (ver. 152)... . What are these testimonies, save those wherein God hath declared that He will give an everlasting kingdom unto His sons? And since He hath declared that He will give this in His onlybegotten Son, he said that the testimonies themselves were grounded for ever. For that which God hath promised through them, was everlasting. And for this reason the words, "Thou hast
He therefore doth Himself separate thee from those from whom health is far, because they have not regarded the righteousnesses of God.
154. This he saw himself also. For I should not see it, save I saw it in Him, save I were in
Him. For these are the words of the Body of Christ, whose members we are. He saw this, I say, and at once added, " Great are Thy mercies, O Lord" (ver. 156). Even our seeking out Thy righteousnesses, then, cometh of Thy
1 Ps. xxii. 11. 2 Esth. xiv. 6, 7. 2 Dan. ix. 4, 16. 4 Song of 3 Chil. 2-10. 5 Ps. xxv. Io, 6 [Here the author says: '' The Greek word xarapyas hath been variously rendered by the Latin translators by ad znztzo, zuztzo, and zu inttizs, Vhose who rendered it in the plural, have followed the Greek phrase. But it is more usual in the Latin tongue to express the idea conveyed by xatapxas, which in Greek is used in the plural or adverbially, by the words aé zuztzo, or 7xztzo s just as with us, when we say, Otherwise I do this (alzas hoc facto), we seem to be using the plural of the feminine gender, whereas the word is an adverb, and signifies, at another time." — C.]
8 Gen. iv. 8. 9 Gen. ii. 24. 11 Luke xiv. 11 and xvili. 14. 7 x Cor. it. 116 10 Eph. v. 32. 12 1 Cor. iv. 7.