Expositions on the Book of Psalms
Psaim L.] ON: THE PSALMS. 179
For " He hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down." There is no place where may lurk the conspiracies of heretics, they have no place wherein they may hide themselves under the shadow of falsehood ; for "there is none that can hide himself from the heat thereof." He that hath called the world, hath called even the whole world: He that hath called the world, hath called as much as He hath formed. Why do false christs and false prophets rise up against me? why is it that they strive to ensnare me with captious words, saying, " Lo! here is Christ, Lo! He is there !"? I hear not them that point out portions: the God of gods hath pointed out the whole: " He" that "hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down," hath redeemed the whole ; but hath condemned them that lay false claim to3 portions.
His resurrection. Thence the Gospel, thence the preaching, thence the whole world filled, and that in the Grace of Faith.
5. For when the Lord Himself had come, because He came to suffer, He came hidden: and though He was strong in Himself, He appeared in the flesh weak. For He must needs appear in order that He might not be perceived ; be despised, in order that He might be slain. There was semblance of glory in divinity, but it lay concealed in flesh. " For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." 9 So then He walked hidden among the Jews, arnong His enemies, doing marvels, suffering ills, until He was hanged on the tree, and the Jews seeing Him hanging both despised Him the more, and before the Cross wagging their heads they said, "If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross." !° Hidden then was the God of gods, and He gave forth words more out of compassion for us than out of His own majesty. For whence, unless assumed from us, were those words, '' My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" ™ But when hath the Father forsaken the Son, or the Son the Father? Are not Father and Son one God? Whence then, " My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me," save that in the Flesh of infirmity there was acknowledged the voice of a sinner? For as He took upon Him the likeness of the flesh of sin,' why should He not take upon Him the voice of sin? Hidden then was the God of gods, both when He walked among men, and when He hungered, and when
4. But we have heard the world called from the rising of the sun unto the going down: whence doth He begin to call, who hath called? This thing also hear ye: " Out of Sion is the semblance of His beauty" (ver. 2). Evidently the Psalm doth agree with the Gospel, which saith, "Throughout all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." 4 Hear, " Throughout all nations :" He hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down." Hear, " Beginning at Jerusalem: " " Out of Sion is the semblance of His beauty." Therefore, " He hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down," agreeth with the words of the Lord, who saith, "It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name throughout all nations." 5 For all nations are from the rising of the sun unto the going down. But that, "Out of Sion is the semblance of His beauty," that thence beginneth the beauty of His Gospel, that thence He began to be preached, being " beautiful in form beyond the sons of men," °® agreeth with the words of the Lord, who saith, " Beginning at Jerusalem." New things are in tune with old, old things with new: the two Seraphim say to one another, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth."7 The two Testaments are both in tune, and the two Testaments have one voice: let the voice of the Testaments in tune be heard, not that of pretenders disinherited. This thing then hath the God of gods done, " He hath called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down, His semblance going before out of Sion." For in that place were His disciples,' who received the Holy Ghost sent from heaven on the fiftieth day after He thirsted, and when fatigued He sat, and when with wearied body He slept, and when taken, and when scourged, and when standing before the judge, and when He made answer to him in his pride, "Thou couldest have no power against Me, except it had been given thee from above ;"' 73 and while led as a victim " before His shearer He opened not His mouth," '4 and while crucified, and while buried, He was always hidden God of gods. What took place after He rose again? 'The disciples marvelled, and at first believed not, until they touched and handled.'5 But flesh had risen, because flesh had been dead: Divinity which could not die, even still lay hid in the flesh of Him rising. Form could be seen, limbs held, scars handled: the Word by whom all things were made, who doth see? who doth hold? who doth handle? And yet "the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us." ?© And Thomas, that was holding Man, understood God as he was able. For when he had handled the scars, he cried out, 10 Matt. xxvil. 39, 40. 12 Rom. viii. 3, 14 Tsa, liii. 7. 16 John i. 14.
9 1 Cor. ii. 8. Il Ps, xxii. 1; Matt. xxvii. 46.
2 Matt. xxiv. 23. 5 Luke xxiv. 46, 47. 8 Acts i. 4.
3 Calumniantes. 6 Ps, xlv, 2. 1 Ps. xix. 6. 4 Luke xxiv. 47. Psa vig.
3 John xix. 11. uke xxiv. 37-40+