Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PsaLm CXXXVI] ON THE PSALMS. 627 "They have a mouth, and will not speak; they have eyes, and will not see" (ver. 16) ; "they have ears, and will not hear ; neither is there any breath in their mouth" (ver. 17) ; "they have nostrils, and will not smell; they have hands, and will not work ; they have feet, and will not walk." All these things could the carpenter, the silversmith, the goldsmith make, both eyes, and ears, and nostrils, and mouth, and hands, and feet, but he could give neither sight to the eyes, nor hearing to the ears, nor speech to the mouth, nor smell to the nostrils, nor motion to the hands, or going to the feet.
16. Let us also with one voice say what follows: "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem" (ver. 21). Out of Zion is Jerusalem too. Zion is " watching," Jerusalem the "vision of peace." In what Jerusalem will He dwell now? In that which has fallen? Nay, but in that which is our mother, which is in the heavens, of which it is said, "' The desolate hath more children than she which hath a husband." ¢ For now the Lord is from Zion, because we watch when He will come; now as long as we live in hope, we are in Zion. When our way is ended, we shall dwell in that city which will never fall, because the Lord dwelleth in her, and keepeth her, which is the vision of peace, the eternal Jerusalem ; for the praise of which, my brethren, language sufficeth not ; where we shall find no enemy, either within the Church or without the Church, neither in our flesh, nor in our thoughts. For "death shall be swallowed up in victory," 5 and we shall be free to see God in eternal peace, being made citizens of Jerusalem, 'the city of God.
14. And man, thou laughest doubtless at what thou hast made, if thou knowest by whom thou art made. But of them who know not, what is said? 'All they who make them, and all they who trust in them, are like them" (ver. 18). And ye believe, brethren, that there is a likeness to. these idols expressed not in their flesh, but in their inner man. For "they have ears, and hear not." God calls to them indeed, 'He who hath ears to hear, let him hear."' They have eyes, and see not, for they have the eyes of the body, and not the eyes of faith. Lastly, this prophecy is fulfilled among all the nations... . Is it not fulfilled? Is it not seen, as it is written? And they who remain have eyes, and see not; have nostrils, and smell not. They perceive not that savour. ' We are a good savour of Christ,"' ? as the apostle says everywhere. What profiteth it, that they have nostrils, and smell not that so sweet savour of Christ? 'Truly it is done in them, and truly it is said of them, "All they who make them," etc.
PSALM CXXXVI¢
1. "Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is ' good, for His mercy endureth for ever" (ver. 1).
This Psalm contains the praise of God, and all its verses finish in the' same way. Wherefore although many things are related here in praise of God, yet His mercy is most commended ;7 for without this plain commendation, he, whom the Holy Spirit used to utter this Psalm, would have no verse be ended. Although after the judgment, by which at the end of the world the quick and the dead must be judged, the just being sent into life eternal, the unjust into everlasting fire,® there will not afterwards be those, whom God will have mercy on, yet rightly may His future mercy be understood to be for ever, which He bestows on His saints and faithful ones, not because they will be miserable for ever, and therefore will need His mercy for ever, but because that very blessedness, which He mercifully bestows on the miserable, that they cease to be miserable, and begin to be happy, will have no end, and therefore "' His mercy is for ever." For that we shall be just from being unjust, whole from being unsound, alive from being dead, immortal from being mortal, happy from being wretched, is of His mercy. But this that we
15. But daily do men believe through the miracles of Christ our Lord; daily the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf are opened, the nostrils of the senseless are breathed into, the tongues of the dumb are loosed, the hands of the palsied are strengthened, the feet of the lame are guided ; sons of Abraham are raised up of these stones,3 to all of whom be it said, " Bless the Lord, ye house of Israel" (ver. 19). All are sons of Abraham ; and if sons of Abraham are raised up from these stones, it is plain that they are rather the house of Israel who belong to the house of Israel, the seed of Abraham, not by the flesh, but by faith. But even granting that it is said of that house, and the people of Israel is meant, from thence did the Apostles and thousands of the circumcised believe? "Bless the Lord, ye house of Aaron. Bless the Lord, ye house of Levi" (ver. 20). Bless the Lord, ye nations, this is, the '' house of Israel"' generally ; bless Hitn, ye leaders, this is, the '" house of Aaron ;" bless Him, ye servants, this: is, the "house of Levi."" 'What of the other nations? " Ve that fear the Lord, bless the Lord."
4 Isa. liv. 1; Gal. iv. 27. 6 Lat. CKXXV. 7 [He says: '' I remember, in the hundred and sixth Psalm, which begins in the same way, because the manuscript which I read had not 'for ever,' but, ' for ages' (2 s@cudumz), ' His mercy,' that I enquired what we had better understand. For, in the Greek language, it is written, eis Tov atwva, which may be interpreted, 'for ages' and (zx eternum) 'for ever.' But it would be tedious to renew the enquiries I made as best I could in that place. But in this Psalm the same manuscript has not ' for ages,' which most have, but, ' for ever His mercy.' " —C.]
8 Matt. xxv. 46.
T Matt, xi. 15. 2 2 Cor. ii. 15. 3 Matt. iii. 9.