Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
Psatm CXXXII.] ON THE
PSALMS. ° 617
Consider this vow, that is, with what ardour he vowed what he vowed, with what love, with what longing ; nevertheless, he prayeth the Lord to fulfil it in these words, "'O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness." In this temper he vowed his vow, and there should be a house of God: "I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house, nor climb up into my bed" (ver. 3). "Iwill not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber"' (ver. 4). This seemeth not enough ; he adds, '" Neither the temples of my head to take any rest, until I find out a place for the Lord; an habitation for the God of Jacob" (ver. 5). Where did he seek a place for the Lord? If he was meek, he sought it in himself. For how is one a place for the Lord? Hear the Prophet: "Upon whom shall My Spirit rest? Even upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My words." ! Dost thou wish to be a place for the Lord? Be thou poor in spirit, and contrite, and trembling at the word of God, and thou wilt thyself be made what thou seekest. For if what thou seekest be not realized in thyself, what doth it profit thee in another. . . 3. How many thousands believed, my brethren, when they laid down the price of their possessions at the Apostles' feet! But what saith Scripture of them? Surely they are become a temple of God; not only each respectively a temple of God, but also all a temple of God together. They have therefore become a place for the Lord. And that ye may know that one place is made for the Lord in all, Scripture saith, They were of one heart and one soul toward God.?__ But many, so as not to make a place for the Lord, seek their own things, love their own things, delight in their own power, are greedy for | their private interests. Whereas he who wisheth to make a place for the Lord, should rejoice not in his private, but the common good. .. . 4. Let us therefore, brethren, abstain from the possession of private property ; or from the love of it, if we may not from its possession ; and we make a place for the Lord. It is too much for me, saith some one. But consider who thou art, who art about to make a place for the Lord. If any senator wished to be entertained at your house, I say not senator, the deputy of some great man of this world, and should say, something offends me in thy house; though thou shouldest love it, thou wouldest remove it, nevertheless, lest thou shouldest offend him, whose friendship thou wast courting. And what doth man's friendship profit thee? . . . Desire the friendship of Christ without fear: He wishes to) be entertained at thy house; make room for Him. What is, make room for Him? Love not thyself, love Him. If thou love thyself, thou shuttest the door against Him; if thou love Him, thou openest unto Him: and if thou open and He enter, thou shalt not be lost by loving thyself, but shalt find thyself with Him who loveth thee: ions.
5. "Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata" (ver. 6). What? A place forthe Lord. "We heard of it at Ephrata: and found it in the plains of the forests."3 Did he hear it where he found it? or did he hear it in one place, find it in another? Let us therefore enquire what Ephrata is, where he heard it; let us also enquire what mean the plains of the forests, where he foundit. Epnrata, a Hebrew word, is rendered in Latin by Speculum,' as the translators of Hebrew words in the Scriptures have handed down to us, that we might understand them. They have translated from Hebrew into Greek, and from Greek we have versions into Latin. For there have been who watched in the Scriptures. If therefore Ephrata meaneth a mirror, that house which was found in the woodland plains, was heard of ina mirror. A mirror hath an image: all prophecy is an image of things future. The future house of God, therefore, was declared in the image of prophecy. '" We have found it in the plains of the forests."" What are the "plains of the forests" ?5 Se/fus is not here used in its common sense, as a plot of ground of so many hundred acres ;° sa/¢us properly signifies a spot as yet untilled and woody. For some copies read, in the plains of the wood. What then were the woodland plains, save nations yet untilled ? what were they, save regions yet covered with the thorns of idolatry? Thus, though there were thorns.of idolatry there, still we find a place for the Lord there, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. What was declared in the image to the Jews, was manifested in the faith of the Gentiles.
6. "We will go into His tabernacles" (ver. 7). Whose? Those of the Lord God of Jacob. They who enter to dwell therein, are the very same who enter that they may be dwelt in. Thou enterest into thy house, that thou mayest dwell therein ; into the house of God, that thou mayest be dwelt in. For the Lord is better, and when He hath begun to dwell in thee, He will make thee happy. For if thou be not dwelt in by Him, thou wilt be miserable. That son who said, " Father, give me the portion of the goods," etc.,7 wished to be his own master. It was well kept in his father's hands, that it might not be wasted with harlots. He received it, it was given into his own power ; going to a far country,
3 Oxf. mss add these words: '' We hear those things in Ephrata, we find them in the woodland plains." [Note 1 Kings vi. 7. —C.] 4 Mirror. altuum. 6 Centuriarum — then 200 acres. See Isid. Ztymz. xv.c. 15, § 7. 7 Luke xy. 12-20.
1 Isa. Ixvi. 2. 2 Acts iv. 4, 32, 35+ |