Expositions on the Book of Psalms
Psalm CXXIL] ON THE
PSALMS. 595. . . Wherefore do they go up? 'To confess unto Thy Name, O Lord." It could not be more nobly expressed. As pride presumeth, so doth humility confess. As he is a presumer, who wishes to appear what he is not, so is he a confessor, who does not wish that to be seen which himself is, and loves That which He is. To this therefore do Israelites go up, in whom is no guile, because they are truly Israelites, because in them is the testimony of Israel. selves, " Enquire ye the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem" (ver. 6). O ye seats, who now sit unto judgment, and are made the seats of the Lord who judgeth (since they who judge, enquire ; they who are judged, are enquired of), "Enquire ye," he saith, " the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem." What will they find by asking? That some have done deeds of charity, that others have not. Those whom they shall find to have done deeds of charity, they will summon them unto Jerusalem; for these deeds are "for the peace of Jerusalem." Love is a powerful thing, my brethren, love is a powerful thing. Do ye wish to see how powerful a thing love is? . . . If charity be destitute of means, so that it cannot find what to bestow upon the poor, let it love: let it give "one cup of cold water ;" 4 as much shall be laid to its account, as to Zaccheus who gave half his patrimony to the poor.s Wherefore this? The one gave so g. 'For there were seated seats for judgment" (ver. 5). This is a wonderful riddle, a wonderful question, if it be not understood. He calleth those seats, which the Greeks call thrones. The Greeks call chairs thrones, as a term of honour. Therefore, my brethren, it is not wonderful if even we should sit on seats, or chairs ; but that these seats themselves should sit, when shall we be able to understand this? As if some one should say: let stools or chairs sit here. We sit on chairs, we sit on seats, we sit on stools; the seats themselves sit not. What then meaneth this, "For there were seated seats for judgment"? . . . If therefore heaven be the seat of God, and the Apostles are heaven; they themselves are become the seat of God, the throne of God. It is said in another passage:* "The soul of the righteous is the throne of wisdom." A great truth, a great truth, is declared; the throne of wisdom is the soul of the righteous; that is, wisdom sitteth in the soul of the righteous. as it were in her chair, in her throne, and thence judgeth whatsoever she judgeth. There were therefore thrones of wisdom, and therefore the Lord said unto them, " Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." ? So they also shall sit upon twelve seats, and they are themselves the seats of God ; for of them it is said, " For there were seated seats." Who sat? 'Seats.' And who are the seats? They of whom it is said, "The soul of the righteous is the seat of wisdom." Who are the seats? 'The heavens. Who are the heavens? Heaven. What is heaven? That of which the Lord saith, " Heaven is My seat."3 The righteous then themselves are the seats; and have seats ; and seats shall be seated in that Jerusalem. For what purpose? 'For judgment.'"' Ye shall sit, He saith, on twelve thrones, O ye thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Judging whom? 'Those who are below on earth. Who will judge? They who have become heaven. But they who shall be judged, will be divided into two bodies: one will be on the right hand, the other on the left... . 10. Heat once addeth, as unto the seats themlittle, the other so much, and shall so much be imputed to the former? Just so much. For though his resources are unequal, his charity is not unequal.
11.... "And plenteousness," he addeth, " for them that love thee." He addresses Jerusalem herself, They have plenteousness who love her. Plenteousness after want: here they are destitute, there they are affluent ; here they are weak, there they are strong; here they want, there they are rich. How have they become rich? Because they gave here what they received from God for a season, and received there what God will afterwards pay back for evermore. Here, my brethren, even rich men are poor. It is a good thing for a rich man to acknowledge himself poor: for if he think himself full, that is mere puffing, not plenteousness. Let him own himself empty, that he may be filled. What hath he? Gold. What hath he not yet? Everlasting life. Let him consider what he hath, and see what he hath not. Brethren, of that which he hath, let him give, that he may receive what he hath not; let him purchase out of that which he hath, that which he hath not, "and plenteousness for them that love thee."
124)". Peace be inthy strength" (verapya.,O Jerusalem, O city, who art being built as a city, whose partaking is in "The Same:" " Peace be in thy strength:" peace be in thy love; for thy strength is thy love. Hear the Song of songs: "Love is strong as death."® A great saying that, brethren, "' Love is strong as death." The strength of charity could not be expressed in grander terms than these, " Love is stroug as death." ' For who resisteth death, my brethren? Consider, my brethren. Fire, waves, the sword, are resisted: we resist principalities, we resist
I [See p. 475, note 6. References there do not satisfy the Oxford editor, and here he puts a mark of inquiry; thus, "—?"—C.]
§ Cant. viii. 6, 4 Matt. x. 42. 5 Luke xix. 8.
2 Matt. xix. 28. 3 Isa, Ixvi. x.