Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PsaLm CXLVIL] ON THE PSALMS. 669 not think themselves uplifted by their distinctions ; let them beware lest they be thrown by an untamed horse.' . . . " Nor in the tabernacle of a man will He delight." For the tabernacle of the Lord is the Holy Church spread throughout the whole world. Heretics, separating themselves from the Church's tabernacles, have set up tabernacles for themselves. For if perchance it be the lot of any, who is good and pious, who confesseth his own weakness, who is "the young of a raven that calleth on God," not to enjoy worldly distinction, he goeth not out of the Church, he setteth not up for himself a tent outside the Church, wherein God will not delight. But what saith he? "TI have chosen to be cast away in the house of God, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners." ?
hold, this is thy business. As is wont to be said in inscriptions, "' Use it and be happy." 3
18. Be ye Jerusalem ; remember of whom it is said, " Lord, in Thy city their image Thou shalt bring to nought." 4 These are they who now rejoice in such pomps; among them are they who have not come hither to-day because there is a show. To whom is it a gift?5 to whomis it a loss? or why is it a gift? why is it a loss? For not they only who exhibit such shows are smitten with loss, but with much greater loss are they smitten who delight in gazing on them. 'The former have their chest drained of its gold, the latter have their breast robbed of the riches of
'righteousness.
Most of the exhibiters of shows have to mourn for selling their estates; how ought the sinners to mourn, for losing their souls ! Was it then for this that the Lord cried out on the Lord's Day, " Watch ye," that to-day men should watch in this way. I beseech you, ye citizens of Jerusalem, I beseech you by the peace of Jerusalem, by the Redeemer, the Builder, the Ruler of Jerusalem, that ye address your prayers to God for them. May they see, may they feel, that they are trifling ; and, intent as they are on the sights which please them, may at length look on themselves, and be displeased. For in many we rejoice that this has already been done: and once we too sat there and were mad: and how many think we now sit there, who shall yet be, not only Christians, but also Bishops! From what is past, we conjecture what is to be: from what has already been done, we announce beforehand what God will do. Let your prayers be wakeful, ye groan not for nothing. Certainly they who have already escaped, praying for those who are still in danger, because they too having been among those in danger, are heard ; and God shall drag His people out of the captivity of Babylon; by all means He shall redeem and deliver them, and the number of the saints who bear the image of God shall be perfected. . . . " Praise in unison," because thou consistest of many:
16. But what addeth he? "The Lord will delight in them that fear Him, and in them that hope in His mercy" (ver. 11). A robber is feared, and a wild beast is feared, and an unjust and powerful man is much feared. 'The Lord will delight in them that hope in His mercy." Behold, Judas, who betrayed our Lord, feared, but he did not hope in His mercy. . . . Itis well indeed that thou hast feared, but only if thou trustedst in His mercy, whom thou hast feared. Hein despair " went and hanged himself." In such wise then fear the Lord, that thou trust in "Hiswmerey:'. %.!. 17. " Praise in unison, O Jerusalem, thy God"' (ver. 12). Abiding yet in captivity, they behold those flocks, or rather, the one flock of all its citizens, gathered from all sides into that city ; they see the joy of the mass, now after threshings and winnowings placed in the garner, fearing nothing, suffering no toil nor trouble ; and, as yet abiding here, in the midst of the threshing they send forward their joy of hope, and pant for it, joining as it were their hearts to the Angels of God, and to that people which shall abide with them in joy for ever. For what wilt thou then do, O Jerusalem? Surely toil and groaning will pass away. What wilt thou do? wilt thou plough, or sow, or plant vines, or make voyages, or trade? What wilt thou do? Will it still be thy duty to be engaged in the works thou now doest, good though they are, and spring from mercy? Consider thy numbers, consider on all sides thy company: see whether any hungers, for thee to give bread to; see whether any thirsts, for thee to give a cup of cold water to; see whether any is a stranger, for thee to take in; see whether any is sick, for thee to visit ; see whether any is at strife, for thee to reconcile him ; see whether any is dying, for thee to bury him. What then wilt thou do? * Praise in unison, O Jerusalem, thy God." Be-
"' praise," because thou hast been made one.® "We being many," saith the Apostle, "are one in Christ." 7 As then we are many, " we praise in unison ;"' as we are one, we " praise."" —The same are many and one, because He in whom they are one® is ever One.®
1g. Wherefore, saith this Jerusalem, do I praise in unison the Lord, and, as Sion, praise my God ? Jerusalem is the same as Sion. For different reasons has it the twonames. Jerusalem meaneth
3 Utere felix. This and other like expr'ssions seem, from Morcelli, Opera Epigraphica, vol. i. p. 415, to have been usual in inscriptions upon cups and like works of art, probably when given as presents.
4 Ps. Ixxiii. 20. 5 A play on the double meaning of the word #zu2xs, which, meaning literally '' a gift," is also used in a special sense for '' as how of gladiators."
8 Unus. & Unum. 7 x Cor. x.17.
I Ps. xx. 7. 2 Ps, Ixxxiv. 10.