Each one therefore is
needfully
scourged for his own sins ; but the mercy of God is not taken away from him, if he be a Christian.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
lo.
own, but in Thine: lest they have a zeal of God, but not
2-3'
entirely
according to knowledge. For some are noted by the Apostle, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own, and not rejoicing in Thy light, and thus not submitting themselves unto the righteousness of God. And why ? because they have a zeal of God, but not accord ing to knowledge. But the people who knoweth glad shouting, (for the former err from want of knowledge, but blessed is the people not that knoweth not, but that knoweth
glad shouting,) whence ought it to shout, whence to rejoice, but in Thy name, walking in the light of Thy countenance ? And it shall deserve to be exalted, but in Thy righteousness : let every man take away altogether his own righteousness, and be humbled: the righteousness of God shall come, and he shall be exalted, and in Thy righteousness sfiall th y be exalted.
18. Ver. 17. For lhou art the glory of their strength : and in Thy good pleasure 'Thou sluilt lift up our horns: because it has seemed good to Thee, not because we are worthy.
Prophecy fulfilled in Christ taking up Man. 253
19. Ver. 18. For of the Lord is our taking up. For I was Ver. moved like a heap of sand, that I might fall ; and I should I8~22, have fallen, had not the Lord taken me up. For of the Lord
is (our) taking up ; and of the Holy One of Israel our King'. lOxt.
"? ur
20. Ver. 19. Thou spakest sometime in vision unto Thy sons,
and saidst. Thou spakest in Thy vision. Thou didst reveal
this to Thy Prophets. For this reason Thou spakest in vision, that in revelation whence Prophets were called seers. They saw something within, which they were to Sam. speak without and secretly they heard what they preached 19' 9- openly. Then Thou spakest in vision unto Thy sons, and saidst, hare laid help upon One that is mighty. Ye un derstand Who meant by mighty have exalted One chosen out of the people. And Who meant by chosen One
Who, ye rejoice, already exalted.
21. Ver. 20. have found David My servant: that David
from David's seed: with My holy oil have anointed Him:
for said of Him, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Tliee Ps. 46,7. with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
22. Ver. 21. My hand shall hold Him fast, and My arm shall strengthen Him: because there was taking up of man; because flesh was assumed in the Virgin's womb, because by Luke Him Who in the form of God coequal with the Father, the form of servant was taken, and He became obedient unto 8. death, even the death of the Cross.
23. Ver. 22. The enemy shall not be able to do Him violence. The enemy rages indeed but he shall not be able to do Him violence he wont to hurt, but he shall not hurt. How then shall he afflict Him he will exercise Him, but he shall not hurt Him. There shall be profit in his raging; for those against whom he rages shall be crowned in their conquering. For how he conquered, he rages not against us or where God our helper, we fight not The enemy therefore shall do what in his power but he shall not be able to do Him violence the son of wickedness shall not come nigh to hurl Him.
Himself is thy taking up, himself thy illumination: in His light thou art safe, in His light thou walkest, in His righteous ness thou art exalted. He took thee up, He guards thy weakness: He gives thee strength of Himself, not of thyself.
: is
is
is: is
? /
?
I is
: is
is,
is
is
:
if
? aI
if ;
?
I
:
a
it I is
6.
'2 l,
?
254 Enemies broken and subdued. Mercy and Truth.
24. Ver. 23. / will cut in pieces His enemies before His
They are cut in pieces from their conspiracy, and in that they believe they are cut in pieces ; for they believe by degrees; as when the calfshead was ground small, they will come to be the drink of God's people. For Moses ground
Exod. down the calfs head, and sprinkled it upon the water, and
Psalm
32' 20'
made the children of Israel drink it. All the unbelieving are ground: they believe by degrees; and they are drunk by the people of God, and pass into Christ's body. / will cut in pieces His foes before His face: and put to flight them that hate Him. That they hurt Him not. But possibly some of
face.
I
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. Remember, as much as ye can, how often these two attributes are urged upon us, that we render them back to God. For as He shewed us mercy that He might blot out our sins, and truth in fulfilling His promises; so also we, walking in His path, ought to give back to Him mercy and truth ; mercy, in pitying the wretched ; truth, in not judging unjustly. Let not truth rob you of mercy, nor mercy hinder truth : for if through mercy you shall have judged contrary to truth, or by rigorous truth shall have forgotten mercy, you will not be walking in the path of God, where " mercy and truth meet
Ps. 86, together. " And in My name shall His horn be exalted. Why should I say more ? Ye are Christians, recognise
those put to flight say, Whither shall
go then Thy from
I
seeing that they cannot fly from the Almighty, turning they
Ps. 139, Spirit? or whither shall
go then
from
Thy presence9. And
'I fly to Him. And
will put to flight them that hate Him. 25. Ver. 24. My truth also and My mercy is with Him.
Christ. Iwill set His hand also in the sea: that
26. Ver. 25.
He shall rule over the Gentiles; and His right hand in the
Rivers run into the sea avaricious men roll onwards into the bitterness of this world yet all these kinds of men will be subject to Christ.
27. Ver. 26. He shall call me, Thou art My Father, and the lifter up of My salvation.
Ver. 27. And will make Him my flrst-born; higher than the kings of the earth. Our Martyrs, whose birthdays we are celebrating, shed their blood on account of these things,
floods.
I
: :
is,
Promise of Kingdom fulfilled. It is for ever. 255
which were believed though not yet seen ; how much more Vrr. brave ought we to be, as we see what they believed? For -2-8' 29- they had not yet seen Christ raised on high among the
kings of the earth : as yet princes were taking counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed : what follows
in the same Psalm was not then fulfilled, Be trise now there- p>>- 2, 2.
'
fore, O ye kings: be learned, ye that are judges of the earth. Now indeed Christ has been exalted among the kings of the earth.
28. Ver. 28. My mercy will I
my Testament faithful with Him. On His account, the Testament is faithful : in Him the Testament is mediated : He is the Sealer, the Mediator of the Testament, the Surety of the Testament, the Witness of the Testament, the Heritage of the Testament, the Coheir of the Testament.
keep Him ever: and for for
29. Ver. 29. His seed will I
without end. Not only for this world, but unto the world without end1: whither His seed, which is His heritage, thel'lnse- seed of Abraham, which is Christ, will pass. But if ye are l^cxM. ' Christ's, ye are also Abraham's seed : and if ye are des- Gal. 4, tined His heirs for ever, He will establish His seed unto 16 29
world without end : and His throne as the days of Heaven.
The thrones of earthly kings are as the days of earth : different
are the days of Heaven from those of earth. The days of Heaven are those years of which it is said, Thou art the Ps. 102, same, and Thy years shall not fail. The days of the earth 28-
are soon overtaken by their successors: those which precede
are shut out from us : nor do those which succeed remain :
but they come that they may go, and are almost gone before
they are come. Such are the days of earth. But the days
of Heavent which are also the 'One day' of Heaven*, and>>oxf. the never failing years, have neither beginning nor end : nor
is any day there narrowed between yesterday and to-morrow: 'wh'ich no one there expects the future, nor loses the past : but the are &0, days of Heaven are always present, where His throne shall
be for ever and ever. Let us, if you please, reserve what re mains; since the Psalm is a long one, and we have yet some farther opportunity of speaking with you in Christ's name. Refresh your strength therefore : I do not mean that of your mind, for in mind I see that you are incapable of fatigue ;
make to endure world
256 Promises of chastisement to God's Children.
Psalm but on account of the slaves of the soul, that your bodies lxxx1x. may be sustained in their service, refresh yourselves for a
little, and being refreshed return to your meal.
Lat. *xx,rI"
PSALM LXXXIX.
Second Discourse on the second part of the Psalm. Delivered on the same day with the former Discourse.
1 . Attend now to the rest of the Psalm, of which we spoke in the morning, and require the pious debt : since He will repay through me, Who made both me and you. In the former part of the Psalm our Lord Christ was announced according to God's promise, and He is still announced in these words, of which I am about to treat. A little above, it had been said of Him amongst other truths, (ver. 27--29. ) And
I trill make Him my first-born, higher than the kings of the
keep Him evermore, and earth. My mercy will I for for
My Testament faithful tvith Him. His seed also trill I establish unto world without end: and His throne as the days of Heaven. I have said what was in my power on these words and all above, from the very beginning.
2. It goes on, (ver. 30. ) If his children forsake My law,
and walk not in M y judgments ; (ver. 31. ) if they profane
My statutes, and keep not My commandments ; (ver. 32. ) /
will visit their offences with the rod, and theIir sin with
scourges, Nevertheless, My mercy will
not utterly take from him : truth, (ver. 34. )
Inor will I
Testament will
out of My lips. This is a strong pledge of the promise of
God. The sons of this David, are the children of the Bride groom: all Christians therefore are called His sons. But it is much indeed that God promises, that if Christians, that His children, forsake My law, and walk not in Myjudg ments; they break My statutes, and keep not My com mandments will not spurn them, nor will send them away from Me in perdition but what will do will visit their offences with the rod, and their sin with scourges.
not the mercy of one that calls them only but also that
(ver. 33. )
hurt in My My not profane, nor alter the thing that is gone
is
;
?
It
is,
I :
I
I 1
if ;
Christ, in His Members, mercifully chastised. 257 chastises and scourges them. Let therefore thy Father's hand Ver.
be upon thee, and if thou art a good son, repel not chasten-
ing; for what son is iliere, to whom his father giveih notHeb. 12, chastening? Let Him chasten him, so long as He takes not7' from him His mercy : let Him beat him when obstinate, as
long as He does not disinherit him. If thou hast well under
stood the promises of thy Father, fear not to be scourged,
but to be disinherited ; for whom the Lord loveth He chasten- ib. 6. eth : and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Does the
sinful son spurn chastening, when he sees the only Son with
/ will visit their I
out sin scourged ?
Thus too the Apostle threatens : What will ye? shall come 1 Cot. 4, unto you with a rod? Let not pious sons say, if Thou art21, coming with a rod, come not at all. For it is better to be taught with the Father's rod, than to perish in the caresses
ofthe robber.
anointed with My
Whom I gave these promises, Whom holypsA5,7.
oil of gladness above His fellows. Do you recognise Him from Whom God will not utterly take away His mercy ? That no one may anxiously say, since He speaks of Christ as Him from Whom He will not take away His mercy, What then will become of the sinner ? Did He say any thing like this, " I
will not take My loving-kindness utterly from them ? "
visit, He saith, their offences with the rod, and their sin with scourges. Thou didst expect for thy own security, I will
not utterly lake My loving-kindness from them. And indeed
this is the reading of some books, but not of the most accurate : though, where they have a reading by no means inconsistent with the real meaning. For how can
be said that He will not utterly take His mercy from Christ?
Has the Saviour of the body committed aught of sin either in Heaven or in earth, Who sitteth even at the right hand Rom. God, Who also maketh intercession for us Yet from 34,
Christ: but from His members, His body which the Church. For in this sense He speaks of as a great thing that He will not take away His mercies from Him, supposing
us not to recognise the only Son, Who in the bosom of the John
VOL. ir.
offences
with the rod.
33,
/will visit, He saith, their
with the rod, and not
3.
their sin with scourges. Nevertheless, My mercy will I utterly take from Him. From whomI? From that David to
offences
/ will
s
is
it? is
1,
of it 8,
it is is
it, it
*'
persecutest thou Me ? As then, while no one persecuted Him when sitting in Heaven, He cried out, " Why persecutest thou Me ? " when the Head recognised its limbs, and His love allowed not the Head to separate Himselffrom the union of the body : so, when He taketh not away His mercies from Him, it is surely that He taketh it not from us,who are His limbs and body. Yet ought we not on that account to sin without apprehension, and perversely to assure ourselves that we shall not perish, be our actions what they may. For there are certain sins and certain offences, to define and discourse of which it is either impossible for me, or if it were possible, it would be too tedious for the time we have at present For no man can say that he is without sin ; for if he says so, he will lie ; ifwe say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Each one therefore is needfully scourged for his own sins ; but the mercy of God is not taken away from him, if he be a Christian. Certainly if thou commiltest such offences as to repel the hand of Him Who chasteneth, the rod of Him Who scourgeth thee, and art angry at the correction of God, and fliest from thy Father when He chasteneth thee, and wilt not suffer Him to be thy Father, because He spares thee not when thou dost sin; thou hast estranged thyself from thy heritage, He has not thrown thee off; for if thou wouldest abide being scourged, thou wouldest not abide disinherited.
258 Mercy not taken from Christ in His Members.
P--salm Father ; for there the Man is not counted for His Person,
Man. He therefore does not utterly take His mercies from Him, when He takes not His mercy from His body, His members', in which, even
while He was enthroned in Heaven, He was still suffering persecutions on earth ; and when He cried from Heaven, Saul, Saul, not why persecutest thou My servants, nor why
Acts 9, persecutest thou My saints, nor My disciples, but, why
but the One Person is God and
I John 1>>8,
Nevertheless, My mercies
I will not take utterly
him : nor
will I
not be taken away, lest His truth in tIaking vengeance do harm.
do hurt in My truth. For His
mercy
in
from setting
free shall
4. Ver. 34. My covenant will
>> i. e. we may consider it as not said His own Person, need assurance ; of Him at all, for though He is Man, therefore it is said of Him in His mem- yet being God also He would not, in bers.
not profane, nor
reject
God's covenant fails not though some fall away. 259
the thing tftat is gone out of my lips. Because his sons sin, Ver.
I will not on this account be found false :
Iwill do. Suppose they choose to sin even as past hope,
and so fall into sins as to offend their father's countenance,
and deserve to be disinherited ; is it not still God Himself, of Whom it is said, From these stones He will raise up sons to Matt. 3, Abraham? Therefore I tell you, brethren, many Christians9'
sin venially *, many are scourged and so corrected for their sin, Uoiera- chastened, and cured ; many turn away altogether, striving blllter
with a stiff neck against the discipline of the Father, even wholly refusing God as their Father, though they have the mark
of Christ, and so fall into such sins, that it can only be an nounced against them, that they who do such things shall Ghd. 6, not inherit the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, Christ shall
not be destitute of an inheritance on their account : not for
the chaffs sake shall the wheat also perish : nor on account Matt. 3, of bad fish shall nothing be cast into the vessels from that Mat. is, net. The Lord knows them that are His. For He Who pre- destined us before we were born, promised undoubtingly : 2, 19. For whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and Ron1, 8i whom He called, them He also justified: and whom Hejusti 29 31
fied, them He also glorified. Let desperate sinners sin as far as they choose : let the members of Christ reply, If God is with us, who shall be against us ? God will not therefore do hurt in His truth, nor will He 'profane His Testament. ' His Testament remains immovable, because " in His fore knowledge He predestined His heirs; and He will not reject the thing that is gone out of His lips. "
Iwill not lie unto David. Dost thou wait till God swear
that
a second time ? How often is He to swear, if in one oath He is false ? One oath /He made for our life, Who sent His I
Only have sworn once by My holiness, that
One to die for us.
will not lie unto David. (Ver. 36. ) His seed shall endure for ever. His seed endures for ever ; because the Lord knows them that are His. And His seat is like as the sun before me: (ver. 38. ) And as the moon perfect for evermore : and the faithful witness in heaven. They are His seat, in whom
s2
I have
promised ;
3tl3--
5. Ver. 34 -- 37. Listen for thy confirmation in hope, for thy security, if thou knowcst thyself to be among the mem bers of Christ. (Ver. 35. ) / have sworn once by My holiness
260 The soul to be perfected as the sun, theflesh as the moon.
Psaim He sits and reigns. But if His seat, His members also; be- y**1*- cause even our members are the seat of our head. See how
all our other members sustain our head : but the head supports nothing above itself, but is itself supported by the rest of our limbs, as if the whole body of a mau were the seat of his head. His seat, therefore, all in whom God reigns, ' shall belike as the sun before Me,' He saith: because the righteous in the
Mat. 13,kingdom of My Father shall shine like the sun. But the sun
43'
is meant in a spiritual, not a bodily sense, as that which shines 6. 46. from Heaven, which He maketh to rise upon the just and unjust. Finally, that sun is not before men's eyes only, but even those of cattle and the smallest insects; for which of the
vilest animals sees not that sun ? What does he say to dis tinguish the sun meant here ? Like as the sun before Me. Not before men, before the flesh, before mortal animals, but before Me, and as the moon. But what moon ? one that is perfect for evermore. For although that moon which we know becomes perfect, the next day she begins to wane, after her orb is full. He shall be as the moon perfect for evermore, He saith. His seat shall be made perfect as the moon, but that moon is one which will be perfect for evermore. If as the sun,
why also as the moon ? the Scriptures usually signify by the moon the mortality of this flesh, because of its increasings and decreasings, because of its transitory nature. The moon is also interpreted as Jericho : one who was descending from
Luteio, Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers: for he was descend-
30,
ing from immortality to mortality. Similar then is the flesh to that moon, which every month suffers increase and de crease : but that flesh of ours will be perfect in the resurrec tion : and a faithful witness in heaven. Thus then, if it was our mind only that would be perfected, he would compare us onlytothesun: ifourbodyonly,tothemoon; butasGod will perfect us in both, in respect of the mind it is said, like as the sun before Me, because God only seeth the mind : and as the moon, so is the flesh: which shall be made perfect for evermore, in the resurrection of the dead : and a faithful witness in Heaven, because all that was asserted of the resurrection of the dead was tru<<ut I beseech you, hear this again more clearly, and remember it : for I know that some understand, while others are yet enquiring perhaps what I
Resurrection of the body to be proved against Heathens. 26 1
meant. There is no article of the Christian faith which has Ver. encountered such contradiction as that of the resurrection of38~45' the flesh. Finally, He Who was born for a sign that should Luke 2, be spoken against, resumed His own flesh after death to34, meet the caviller ; and He Who could have so completely-
cured His wounds that their scars would have entirely vanished, retained those scars in His body, that He might cure the wounds of doubt in the heart. Indeed nothing has been attacked with the same pertinacious, contentious contradic tion, in the Christian faith, as the resurrection of the flesh. On the immortality of the soul many Gentile philosophers have disputed at great length, and in many books they have left it written that the soul is immortal : when they come to the resurrection of the flesh, they doubt not indeed, but they most openly deny declaring to be absolutely impossible that this earthly flesh can ascend to Heaven. Thus that moon shall be perfect for evermore, and-shall be the faithful witness in heaven against all gainsayers.
6. These promises, so sure, so firm, so open, so unques tioned, were made concerning Christ. For although some are mysteriously veiled, yet some are so clear, that all that obscure easily revealed by them. Such being the case, see what follows. (Ver. 38. ) But Thou hast approved and brought to nothing and forsaken Thine Anointed. (Ver. 39. ) Thou hast overthrown the testament of Thy servant, and profaned His holiness on the ground. (Ver. 40. ) Thou hast broken down all His hedges, and made His strongholds a terror. (Ver. 41. ) All they that go by the way spoil Him, and He become a reproach to His neighbours. (Ver. 42. ) Thou hast set up the right hand of His enemies, and made all His adver
saries to rejoice. (Ver. 43. ) Thou hast taken away the help ofHis sword, and givest Him not help in the battle. (Ver. 44. ) Thou hast set Him free from cleansing, and cast His throne down to the ground. (Ver. 45. ) The days of His seat hast Thou shortened, and covered Him with dishonour. How this Thou hast promised all those things and Thou hast
brought to pass their reverse. Where are now the promises
which but a little before filled us with delight which we so joyfully applauded, which we so fearlessly made our boast of? It as one promised, and another destroyed. And this the mystery for the words are not another, but Thou,
is
? is
if :
it,
: ?
is is
is
is
it
262 Promises not fulfilled to David point out Christ.
Psalm Thou Who didst promise, Who didst even swear in conde- scension to human doubt, Thou hast promised this, and done thus ! Whence shall I get Thy oath, where shall I find Thy promise fulfilled ? Would then God promise, or swear thus falsely ? and yet why then these promises, and these acts? I answer, that He acted thus in fulfilment of those promises. But who am I , to say this ? Let us see therefore whether it is the language of the Truth ; what I say will not then be without foundation. It was David to whom the fulfilment of these promises in his seed, that is, in Christ, was promised : and as they were addressed to David, men expected their com pletion in David. Further, lest when any Christian asserted these promises to have referred to Christ, another by applying them to David, because he descried the fulfilment of all of them in David, might thus err ; He cancelled, them in David, thus obliging us when we see them unfulfilled in David, to look to another quarter for their fulfilment. Thus also in the case of Esau and Jacob, we find the elder worshipped by
g<<d. 26, the younger, though it is written, The elder shall serve the
23'
younger; so when you see it unfulfilled in those two brothers,
you look for two peoples in whom to discover the completion Ps. 132, 0f wnal God in His truth deigns to promise. From the fruit
of thy body, saith the Lord unto David, shall I
set upon thy seat. He promised from his seed something for evermore:
1Oxf. and Solomon, bom to him, became master of such wisdom
'and tnat tne promise of God respecting the fruit of David's body
such
pru-
Hence. ' and gave room for hoping for Christ; that since God can
was believed to have been fulfilled in him : but Solomon fell,
}iKJngs neither be deceived nor deceive, He might not make His &c. promise to rest in one who He knew would fall, but you might after the fall of Solomon look back to God, and demand His promise. Hast Thou, O Lord, deceived ? Hast Thou failed to fulfil Thy promise ? Dost Thou not exhibit what Thou
hast sworn ? Perhaps God might reply, I swore and promised : but Solomon would not persevere. What then ? Didst not Thou, Lord God, know beforehand that he would not per severe ? Indeed Thou didst know. Why then didst Thou promise me what should be eternal in one who would not persevere? Hast Thou not answered; But ifhis children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they keep not My statutes, and profane My testament ; yet My
Failure ofcarnal sense leads to the spiritual. 263
promise shall remain, and My oath shall be fulfilled : /have Ver. sworn once in My Holiness, within, in a certain mystery, in -- the very spring whence the Prophets drank, whence they burst forth to us of these things, / have sworn once that I will
not fail David. Shew forth then what Thou hast sworn, give us what Thou hast promised. The fulfilment is taken from that David, that it might not be looked for in that David : wait therefore for what I have promised.
7. Even David himself knew this. Consider his words ; Thou hast rejected and brought him down to nothing. Where then is Thy promise? Thou hast put off Thine anointed. This
expression cheers us, among much that is sorrowful: for the promise of God is still valid; for1 Thou hast put off Thine inon Anointed, not taken Him away. See then what was the fate
of that David, in whom the ignorant hoped for the fulfilment sed of the promises of God, in order that those promises might be ^"(u- more firmly relied upon for their fulfilment in another. Thou
hast put off Thine Anointed: Thou hast overthrown the testa
ment of Thy servant. For where is the Old Testament of the
Jews? where that land of promise, in which they sinned while they dwelt in on the overthrow of which they wandered afar Ask you for the kingdom of the Jews; exists not: you ask for the altar of the Jews; not: you ask for the sacrifice of the Jews; not: you ask for the priesthood of the Jews; itisnot.
Thou hast overthrown the testament of Thy servant, and pro faned his holiness on the earth. Thou bast shewn that what they thought holy, was earthly. Thou hast broken down all his hedges, with which Thou hadst entrenched him for how could he have been spoiled unless his hedges had been broken down Thou hast made his strongholds a terror.
Why terror? That should be said to the sinners, ForsLom. God spared not the natural Irranches, take heed lest Hell,21-
also spare not thee.
All they that go the way have spoiled him that is, all
the heathen that go by the way, meaning, all who pass through
this life, have spoiled Israel, have spoiled David. First of all,
see his fragments in all nations for of the Jews that
said, They shall be a portion forfoxes. For the Scripture calls Ps. 63,
wicked, crafty, and cowardly kings, whom another's virtue terrifies, foxes. Thus when our Lord Himself was speaking of
the threatening Herod, He said, Go ye, and tell that fox. The Lukei3,
:
it is
it
it is
?
by
it
it is
:
if
?
it,
:
it is
QC4 Calamities of the Jewish state.
Psalm king who fears no man, is not a fox: like that Lion of Judab, l"""^' of Whom it is said, Stooping down TIiou didst rise up, and 9. 'didst sleep as a lion. At Thy will Thou didst stoop down, at
Thy will didst rise ; because Thou wouldest, Thou didst sleep.
/'
4' 8' sentence complete, " 1 slept, and took rest, and rose up again,
1 Ego. And thus in another Psalm he says,
slept. Was not the
because the Lord shall uphold Me ? " Why is the word ego added ? and thus with a strong emphasis on the word I, theyI
/
had not slept. Those then concerning whom it was declared that they should be a portion for foxes, are now spoken of as
follows ; All they that go by have spoiled him : and he is become a reproach to his neighbours. (Ver. 42. ) Thou hast
raged against Me, they troubled Me: but had
not willed,
set up the right hand of his enemies, and made all his adver saries to rejoice. Look at the Jews, and see all things fulfilled that were predicted. Thou hast turned away the help ofhis sword. How they were used to fight few in number, and to strike down many. Tftou hast turned away the help
of his sword, and Thou givest him not victory in the battle.
* merito Naturally s then is he conquered, naturally taken prisoner, naturally made an outcast from his kingdom, naturally scat tered abroad : for he lost that land, for which he slew the Lord.
Thou hast turned away the help of his sword, and hast not given him victory in the battle. (Ver. 43. ) Thou hast loosed him from cleansing. What is this ? Amongst all the evils, this is a matter for great fear ; for howsoever God may beat, howsoever He may be wroth, howsoever
He may flog and scourge, yet let Him scourge him bound, whom He is to cleanse, not ' loose him from cleansing. ' For if He loose him
from being purified, he becomes incapable of cleansing,
and must be an outcast. From what cleansing then is the Gal. 3, Jew loosed ? From faith ; for by faith we live : and it is Acts 16 sa^ of ft"1*1, purifying their hearts by faith: and as it 9. is only the faith of Christ that cleanses ; by disbelief in
Christ, they are loosed from purification. Thou hast loosed him from cleansing, and cast his throne down to the ground. And so Thou hast broken it. (Ver. 44. ) The days of his seat hast Thou shortened.
They imagined that they should reign for ever. And covered him with confusion. All these things happened to the Jews, Christ yet not being taken
away, but His advent deferred.
2-3'
entirely
according to knowledge. For some are noted by the Apostle, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own, and not rejoicing in Thy light, and thus not submitting themselves unto the righteousness of God. And why ? because they have a zeal of God, but not accord ing to knowledge. But the people who knoweth glad shouting, (for the former err from want of knowledge, but blessed is the people not that knoweth not, but that knoweth
glad shouting,) whence ought it to shout, whence to rejoice, but in Thy name, walking in the light of Thy countenance ? And it shall deserve to be exalted, but in Thy righteousness : let every man take away altogether his own righteousness, and be humbled: the righteousness of God shall come, and he shall be exalted, and in Thy righteousness sfiall th y be exalted.
18. Ver. 17. For lhou art the glory of their strength : and in Thy good pleasure 'Thou sluilt lift up our horns: because it has seemed good to Thee, not because we are worthy.
Prophecy fulfilled in Christ taking up Man. 253
19. Ver. 18. For of the Lord is our taking up. For I was Ver. moved like a heap of sand, that I might fall ; and I should I8~22, have fallen, had not the Lord taken me up. For of the Lord
is (our) taking up ; and of the Holy One of Israel our King'. lOxt.
"? ur
20. Ver. 19. Thou spakest sometime in vision unto Thy sons,
and saidst. Thou spakest in Thy vision. Thou didst reveal
this to Thy Prophets. For this reason Thou spakest in vision, that in revelation whence Prophets were called seers. They saw something within, which they were to Sam. speak without and secretly they heard what they preached 19' 9- openly. Then Thou spakest in vision unto Thy sons, and saidst, hare laid help upon One that is mighty. Ye un derstand Who meant by mighty have exalted One chosen out of the people. And Who meant by chosen One
Who, ye rejoice, already exalted.
21. Ver. 20. have found David My servant: that David
from David's seed: with My holy oil have anointed Him:
for said of Him, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Tliee Ps. 46,7. with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
22. Ver. 21. My hand shall hold Him fast, and My arm shall strengthen Him: because there was taking up of man; because flesh was assumed in the Virgin's womb, because by Luke Him Who in the form of God coequal with the Father, the form of servant was taken, and He became obedient unto 8. death, even the death of the Cross.
23. Ver. 22. The enemy shall not be able to do Him violence. The enemy rages indeed but he shall not be able to do Him violence he wont to hurt, but he shall not hurt. How then shall he afflict Him he will exercise Him, but he shall not hurt Him. There shall be profit in his raging; for those against whom he rages shall be crowned in their conquering. For how he conquered, he rages not against us or where God our helper, we fight not The enemy therefore shall do what in his power but he shall not be able to do Him violence the son of wickedness shall not come nigh to hurl Him.
Himself is thy taking up, himself thy illumination: in His light thou art safe, in His light thou walkest, in His righteous ness thou art exalted. He took thee up, He guards thy weakness: He gives thee strength of Himself, not of thyself.
: is
is
is: is
? /
?
I is
: is
is,
is
is
:
if
? aI
if ;
?
I
:
a
it I is
6.
'2 l,
?
254 Enemies broken and subdued. Mercy and Truth.
24. Ver. 23. / will cut in pieces His enemies before His
They are cut in pieces from their conspiracy, and in that they believe they are cut in pieces ; for they believe by degrees; as when the calfshead was ground small, they will come to be the drink of God's people. For Moses ground
Exod. down the calfs head, and sprinkled it upon the water, and
Psalm
32' 20'
made the children of Israel drink it. All the unbelieving are ground: they believe by degrees; and they are drunk by the people of God, and pass into Christ's body. / will cut in pieces His foes before His face: and put to flight them that hate Him. That they hurt Him not. But possibly some of
face.
I
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. Remember, as much as ye can, how often these two attributes are urged upon us, that we render them back to God. For as He shewed us mercy that He might blot out our sins, and truth in fulfilling His promises; so also we, walking in His path, ought to give back to Him mercy and truth ; mercy, in pitying the wretched ; truth, in not judging unjustly. Let not truth rob you of mercy, nor mercy hinder truth : for if through mercy you shall have judged contrary to truth, or by rigorous truth shall have forgotten mercy, you will not be walking in the path of God, where " mercy and truth meet
Ps. 86, together. " And in My name shall His horn be exalted. Why should I say more ? Ye are Christians, recognise
those put to flight say, Whither shall
go then Thy from
I
seeing that they cannot fly from the Almighty, turning they
Ps. 139, Spirit? or whither shall
go then
from
Thy presence9. And
'I fly to Him. And
will put to flight them that hate Him. 25. Ver. 24. My truth also and My mercy is with Him.
Christ. Iwill set His hand also in the sea: that
26. Ver. 25.
He shall rule over the Gentiles; and His right hand in the
Rivers run into the sea avaricious men roll onwards into the bitterness of this world yet all these kinds of men will be subject to Christ.
27. Ver. 26. He shall call me, Thou art My Father, and the lifter up of My salvation.
Ver. 27. And will make Him my flrst-born; higher than the kings of the earth. Our Martyrs, whose birthdays we are celebrating, shed their blood on account of these things,
floods.
I
: :
is,
Promise of Kingdom fulfilled. It is for ever. 255
which were believed though not yet seen ; how much more Vrr. brave ought we to be, as we see what they believed? For -2-8' 29- they had not yet seen Christ raised on high among the
kings of the earth : as yet princes were taking counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed : what follows
in the same Psalm was not then fulfilled, Be trise now there- p>>- 2, 2.
'
fore, O ye kings: be learned, ye that are judges of the earth. Now indeed Christ has been exalted among the kings of the earth.
28. Ver. 28. My mercy will I
my Testament faithful with Him. On His account, the Testament is faithful : in Him the Testament is mediated : He is the Sealer, the Mediator of the Testament, the Surety of the Testament, the Witness of the Testament, the Heritage of the Testament, the Coheir of the Testament.
keep Him ever: and for for
29. Ver. 29. His seed will I
without end. Not only for this world, but unto the world without end1: whither His seed, which is His heritage, thel'lnse- seed of Abraham, which is Christ, will pass. But if ye are l^cxM. ' Christ's, ye are also Abraham's seed : and if ye are des- Gal. 4, tined His heirs for ever, He will establish His seed unto 16 29
world without end : and His throne as the days of Heaven.
The thrones of earthly kings are as the days of earth : different
are the days of Heaven from those of earth. The days of Heaven are those years of which it is said, Thou art the Ps. 102, same, and Thy years shall not fail. The days of the earth 28-
are soon overtaken by their successors: those which precede
are shut out from us : nor do those which succeed remain :
but they come that they may go, and are almost gone before
they are come. Such are the days of earth. But the days
of Heavent which are also the 'One day' of Heaven*, and>>oxf. the never failing years, have neither beginning nor end : nor
is any day there narrowed between yesterday and to-morrow: 'wh'ich no one there expects the future, nor loses the past : but the are &0, days of Heaven are always present, where His throne shall
be for ever and ever. Let us, if you please, reserve what re mains; since the Psalm is a long one, and we have yet some farther opportunity of speaking with you in Christ's name. Refresh your strength therefore : I do not mean that of your mind, for in mind I see that you are incapable of fatigue ;
make to endure world
256 Promises of chastisement to God's Children.
Psalm but on account of the slaves of the soul, that your bodies lxxx1x. may be sustained in their service, refresh yourselves for a
little, and being refreshed return to your meal.
Lat. *xx,rI"
PSALM LXXXIX.
Second Discourse on the second part of the Psalm. Delivered on the same day with the former Discourse.
1 . Attend now to the rest of the Psalm, of which we spoke in the morning, and require the pious debt : since He will repay through me, Who made both me and you. In the former part of the Psalm our Lord Christ was announced according to God's promise, and He is still announced in these words, of which I am about to treat. A little above, it had been said of Him amongst other truths, (ver. 27--29. ) And
I trill make Him my first-born, higher than the kings of the
keep Him evermore, and earth. My mercy will I for for
My Testament faithful tvith Him. His seed also trill I establish unto world without end: and His throne as the days of Heaven. I have said what was in my power on these words and all above, from the very beginning.
2. It goes on, (ver. 30. ) If his children forsake My law,
and walk not in M y judgments ; (ver. 31. ) if they profane
My statutes, and keep not My commandments ; (ver. 32. ) /
will visit their offences with the rod, and theIir sin with
scourges, Nevertheless, My mercy will
not utterly take from him : truth, (ver. 34. )
Inor will I
Testament will
out of My lips. This is a strong pledge of the promise of
God. The sons of this David, are the children of the Bride groom: all Christians therefore are called His sons. But it is much indeed that God promises, that if Christians, that His children, forsake My law, and walk not in Myjudg ments; they break My statutes, and keep not My com mandments will not spurn them, nor will send them away from Me in perdition but what will do will visit their offences with the rod, and their sin with scourges.
not the mercy of one that calls them only but also that
(ver. 33. )
hurt in My My not profane, nor alter the thing that is gone
is
;
?
It
is,
I :
I
I 1
if ;
Christ, in His Members, mercifully chastised. 257 chastises and scourges them. Let therefore thy Father's hand Ver.
be upon thee, and if thou art a good son, repel not chasten-
ing; for what son is iliere, to whom his father giveih notHeb. 12, chastening? Let Him chasten him, so long as He takes not7' from him His mercy : let Him beat him when obstinate, as
long as He does not disinherit him. If thou hast well under
stood the promises of thy Father, fear not to be scourged,
but to be disinherited ; for whom the Lord loveth He chasten- ib. 6. eth : and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Does the
sinful son spurn chastening, when he sees the only Son with
/ will visit their I
out sin scourged ?
Thus too the Apostle threatens : What will ye? shall come 1 Cot. 4, unto you with a rod? Let not pious sons say, if Thou art21, coming with a rod, come not at all. For it is better to be taught with the Father's rod, than to perish in the caresses
ofthe robber.
anointed with My
Whom I gave these promises, Whom holypsA5,7.
oil of gladness above His fellows. Do you recognise Him from Whom God will not utterly take away His mercy ? That no one may anxiously say, since He speaks of Christ as Him from Whom He will not take away His mercy, What then will become of the sinner ? Did He say any thing like this, " I
will not take My loving-kindness utterly from them ? "
visit, He saith, their offences with the rod, and their sin with scourges. Thou didst expect for thy own security, I will
not utterly lake My loving-kindness from them. And indeed
this is the reading of some books, but not of the most accurate : though, where they have a reading by no means inconsistent with the real meaning. For how can
be said that He will not utterly take His mercy from Christ?
Has the Saviour of the body committed aught of sin either in Heaven or in earth, Who sitteth even at the right hand Rom. God, Who also maketh intercession for us Yet from 34,
Christ: but from His members, His body which the Church. For in this sense He speaks of as a great thing that He will not take away His mercies from Him, supposing
us not to recognise the only Son, Who in the bosom of the John
VOL. ir.
offences
with the rod.
33,
/will visit, He saith, their
with the rod, and not
3.
their sin with scourges. Nevertheless, My mercy will I utterly take from Him. From whomI? From that David to
offences
/ will
s
is
it? is
1,
of it 8,
it is is
it, it
*'
persecutest thou Me ? As then, while no one persecuted Him when sitting in Heaven, He cried out, " Why persecutest thou Me ? " when the Head recognised its limbs, and His love allowed not the Head to separate Himselffrom the union of the body : so, when He taketh not away His mercies from Him, it is surely that He taketh it not from us,who are His limbs and body. Yet ought we not on that account to sin without apprehension, and perversely to assure ourselves that we shall not perish, be our actions what they may. For there are certain sins and certain offences, to define and discourse of which it is either impossible for me, or if it were possible, it would be too tedious for the time we have at present For no man can say that he is without sin ; for if he says so, he will lie ; ifwe say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Each one therefore is needfully scourged for his own sins ; but the mercy of God is not taken away from him, if he be a Christian. Certainly if thou commiltest such offences as to repel the hand of Him Who chasteneth, the rod of Him Who scourgeth thee, and art angry at the correction of God, and fliest from thy Father when He chasteneth thee, and wilt not suffer Him to be thy Father, because He spares thee not when thou dost sin; thou hast estranged thyself from thy heritage, He has not thrown thee off; for if thou wouldest abide being scourged, thou wouldest not abide disinherited.
258 Mercy not taken from Christ in His Members.
P--salm Father ; for there the Man is not counted for His Person,
Man. He therefore does not utterly take His mercies from Him, when He takes not His mercy from His body, His members', in which, even
while He was enthroned in Heaven, He was still suffering persecutions on earth ; and when He cried from Heaven, Saul, Saul, not why persecutest thou My servants, nor why
Acts 9, persecutest thou My saints, nor My disciples, but, why
but the One Person is God and
I John 1>>8,
Nevertheless, My mercies
I will not take utterly
him : nor
will I
not be taken away, lest His truth in tIaking vengeance do harm.
do hurt in My truth. For His
mercy
in
from setting
free shall
4. Ver. 34. My covenant will
>> i. e. we may consider it as not said His own Person, need assurance ; of Him at all, for though He is Man, therefore it is said of Him in His mem- yet being God also He would not, in bers.
not profane, nor
reject
God's covenant fails not though some fall away. 259
the thing tftat is gone out of my lips. Because his sons sin, Ver.
I will not on this account be found false :
Iwill do. Suppose they choose to sin even as past hope,
and so fall into sins as to offend their father's countenance,
and deserve to be disinherited ; is it not still God Himself, of Whom it is said, From these stones He will raise up sons to Matt. 3, Abraham? Therefore I tell you, brethren, many Christians9'
sin venially *, many are scourged and so corrected for their sin, Uoiera- chastened, and cured ; many turn away altogether, striving blllter
with a stiff neck against the discipline of the Father, even wholly refusing God as their Father, though they have the mark
of Christ, and so fall into such sins, that it can only be an nounced against them, that they who do such things shall Ghd. 6, not inherit the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, Christ shall
not be destitute of an inheritance on their account : not for
the chaffs sake shall the wheat also perish : nor on account Matt. 3, of bad fish shall nothing be cast into the vessels from that Mat. is, net. The Lord knows them that are His. For He Who pre- destined us before we were born, promised undoubtingly : 2, 19. For whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and Ron1, 8i whom He called, them He also justified: and whom Hejusti 29 31
fied, them He also glorified. Let desperate sinners sin as far as they choose : let the members of Christ reply, If God is with us, who shall be against us ? God will not therefore do hurt in His truth, nor will He 'profane His Testament. ' His Testament remains immovable, because " in His fore knowledge He predestined His heirs; and He will not reject the thing that is gone out of His lips. "
Iwill not lie unto David. Dost thou wait till God swear
that
a second time ? How often is He to swear, if in one oath He is false ? One oath /He made for our life, Who sent His I
Only have sworn once by My holiness, that
One to die for us.
will not lie unto David. (Ver. 36. ) His seed shall endure for ever. His seed endures for ever ; because the Lord knows them that are His. And His seat is like as the sun before me: (ver. 38. ) And as the moon perfect for evermore : and the faithful witness in heaven. They are His seat, in whom
s2
I have
promised ;
3tl3--
5. Ver. 34 -- 37. Listen for thy confirmation in hope, for thy security, if thou knowcst thyself to be among the mem bers of Christ. (Ver. 35. ) / have sworn once by My holiness
260 The soul to be perfected as the sun, theflesh as the moon.
Psaim He sits and reigns. But if His seat, His members also; be- y**1*- cause even our members are the seat of our head. See how
all our other members sustain our head : but the head supports nothing above itself, but is itself supported by the rest of our limbs, as if the whole body of a mau were the seat of his head. His seat, therefore, all in whom God reigns, ' shall belike as the sun before Me,' He saith: because the righteous in the
Mat. 13,kingdom of My Father shall shine like the sun. But the sun
43'
is meant in a spiritual, not a bodily sense, as that which shines 6. 46. from Heaven, which He maketh to rise upon the just and unjust. Finally, that sun is not before men's eyes only, but even those of cattle and the smallest insects; for which of the
vilest animals sees not that sun ? What does he say to dis tinguish the sun meant here ? Like as the sun before Me. Not before men, before the flesh, before mortal animals, but before Me, and as the moon. But what moon ? one that is perfect for evermore. For although that moon which we know becomes perfect, the next day she begins to wane, after her orb is full. He shall be as the moon perfect for evermore, He saith. His seat shall be made perfect as the moon, but that moon is one which will be perfect for evermore. If as the sun,
why also as the moon ? the Scriptures usually signify by the moon the mortality of this flesh, because of its increasings and decreasings, because of its transitory nature. The moon is also interpreted as Jericho : one who was descending from
Luteio, Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers: for he was descend-
30,
ing from immortality to mortality. Similar then is the flesh to that moon, which every month suffers increase and de crease : but that flesh of ours will be perfect in the resurrec tion : and a faithful witness in heaven. Thus then, if it was our mind only that would be perfected, he would compare us onlytothesun: ifourbodyonly,tothemoon; butasGod will perfect us in both, in respect of the mind it is said, like as the sun before Me, because God only seeth the mind : and as the moon, so is the flesh: which shall be made perfect for evermore, in the resurrection of the dead : and a faithful witness in Heaven, because all that was asserted of the resurrection of the dead was tru<<ut I beseech you, hear this again more clearly, and remember it : for I know that some understand, while others are yet enquiring perhaps what I
Resurrection of the body to be proved against Heathens. 26 1
meant. There is no article of the Christian faith which has Ver. encountered such contradiction as that of the resurrection of38~45' the flesh. Finally, He Who was born for a sign that should Luke 2, be spoken against, resumed His own flesh after death to34, meet the caviller ; and He Who could have so completely-
cured His wounds that their scars would have entirely vanished, retained those scars in His body, that He might cure the wounds of doubt in the heart. Indeed nothing has been attacked with the same pertinacious, contentious contradic tion, in the Christian faith, as the resurrection of the flesh. On the immortality of the soul many Gentile philosophers have disputed at great length, and in many books they have left it written that the soul is immortal : when they come to the resurrection of the flesh, they doubt not indeed, but they most openly deny declaring to be absolutely impossible that this earthly flesh can ascend to Heaven. Thus that moon shall be perfect for evermore, and-shall be the faithful witness in heaven against all gainsayers.
6. These promises, so sure, so firm, so open, so unques tioned, were made concerning Christ. For although some are mysteriously veiled, yet some are so clear, that all that obscure easily revealed by them. Such being the case, see what follows. (Ver. 38. ) But Thou hast approved and brought to nothing and forsaken Thine Anointed. (Ver. 39. ) Thou hast overthrown the testament of Thy servant, and profaned His holiness on the ground. (Ver. 40. ) Thou hast broken down all His hedges, and made His strongholds a terror. (Ver. 41. ) All they that go by the way spoil Him, and He become a reproach to His neighbours. (Ver. 42. ) Thou hast set up the right hand of His enemies, and made all His adver
saries to rejoice. (Ver. 43. ) Thou hast taken away the help ofHis sword, and givest Him not help in the battle. (Ver. 44. ) Thou hast set Him free from cleansing, and cast His throne down to the ground. (Ver. 45. ) The days of His seat hast Thou shortened, and covered Him with dishonour. How this Thou hast promised all those things and Thou hast
brought to pass their reverse. Where are now the promises
which but a little before filled us with delight which we so joyfully applauded, which we so fearlessly made our boast of? It as one promised, and another destroyed. And this the mystery for the words are not another, but Thou,
is
? is
if :
it,
: ?
is is
is
is
it
262 Promises not fulfilled to David point out Christ.
Psalm Thou Who didst promise, Who didst even swear in conde- scension to human doubt, Thou hast promised this, and done thus ! Whence shall I get Thy oath, where shall I find Thy promise fulfilled ? Would then God promise, or swear thus falsely ? and yet why then these promises, and these acts? I answer, that He acted thus in fulfilment of those promises. But who am I , to say this ? Let us see therefore whether it is the language of the Truth ; what I say will not then be without foundation. It was David to whom the fulfilment of these promises in his seed, that is, in Christ, was promised : and as they were addressed to David, men expected their com pletion in David. Further, lest when any Christian asserted these promises to have referred to Christ, another by applying them to David, because he descried the fulfilment of all of them in David, might thus err ; He cancelled, them in David, thus obliging us when we see them unfulfilled in David, to look to another quarter for their fulfilment. Thus also in the case of Esau and Jacob, we find the elder worshipped by
g<<d. 26, the younger, though it is written, The elder shall serve the
23'
younger; so when you see it unfulfilled in those two brothers,
you look for two peoples in whom to discover the completion Ps. 132, 0f wnal God in His truth deigns to promise. From the fruit
of thy body, saith the Lord unto David, shall I
set upon thy seat. He promised from his seed something for evermore:
1Oxf. and Solomon, bom to him, became master of such wisdom
'and tnat tne promise of God respecting the fruit of David's body
such
pru-
Hence. ' and gave room for hoping for Christ; that since God can
was believed to have been fulfilled in him : but Solomon fell,
}iKJngs neither be deceived nor deceive, He might not make His &c. promise to rest in one who He knew would fall, but you might after the fall of Solomon look back to God, and demand His promise. Hast Thou, O Lord, deceived ? Hast Thou failed to fulfil Thy promise ? Dost Thou not exhibit what Thou
hast sworn ? Perhaps God might reply, I swore and promised : but Solomon would not persevere. What then ? Didst not Thou, Lord God, know beforehand that he would not per severe ? Indeed Thou didst know. Why then didst Thou promise me what should be eternal in one who would not persevere? Hast Thou not answered; But ifhis children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they keep not My statutes, and profane My testament ; yet My
Failure ofcarnal sense leads to the spiritual. 263
promise shall remain, and My oath shall be fulfilled : /have Ver. sworn once in My Holiness, within, in a certain mystery, in -- the very spring whence the Prophets drank, whence they burst forth to us of these things, / have sworn once that I will
not fail David. Shew forth then what Thou hast sworn, give us what Thou hast promised. The fulfilment is taken from that David, that it might not be looked for in that David : wait therefore for what I have promised.
7. Even David himself knew this. Consider his words ; Thou hast rejected and brought him down to nothing. Where then is Thy promise? Thou hast put off Thine anointed. This
expression cheers us, among much that is sorrowful: for the promise of God is still valid; for1 Thou hast put off Thine inon Anointed, not taken Him away. See then what was the fate
of that David, in whom the ignorant hoped for the fulfilment sed of the promises of God, in order that those promises might be ^"(u- more firmly relied upon for their fulfilment in another. Thou
hast put off Thine Anointed: Thou hast overthrown the testa
ment of Thy servant. For where is the Old Testament of the
Jews? where that land of promise, in which they sinned while they dwelt in on the overthrow of which they wandered afar Ask you for the kingdom of the Jews; exists not: you ask for the altar of the Jews; not: you ask for the sacrifice of the Jews; not: you ask for the priesthood of the Jews; itisnot.
Thou hast overthrown the testament of Thy servant, and pro faned his holiness on the earth. Thou bast shewn that what they thought holy, was earthly. Thou hast broken down all his hedges, with which Thou hadst entrenched him for how could he have been spoiled unless his hedges had been broken down Thou hast made his strongholds a terror.
Why terror? That should be said to the sinners, ForsLom. God spared not the natural Irranches, take heed lest Hell,21-
also spare not thee.
All they that go the way have spoiled him that is, all
the heathen that go by the way, meaning, all who pass through
this life, have spoiled Israel, have spoiled David. First of all,
see his fragments in all nations for of the Jews that
said, They shall be a portion forfoxes. For the Scripture calls Ps. 63,
wicked, crafty, and cowardly kings, whom another's virtue terrifies, foxes. Thus when our Lord Himself was speaking of
the threatening Herod, He said, Go ye, and tell that fox. The Lukei3,
:
it is
it
it is
?
by
it
it is
:
if
?
it,
:
it is
QC4 Calamities of the Jewish state.
Psalm king who fears no man, is not a fox: like that Lion of Judab, l"""^' of Whom it is said, Stooping down TIiou didst rise up, and 9. 'didst sleep as a lion. At Thy will Thou didst stoop down, at
Thy will didst rise ; because Thou wouldest, Thou didst sleep.
/'
4' 8' sentence complete, " 1 slept, and took rest, and rose up again,
1 Ego. And thus in another Psalm he says,
slept. Was not the
because the Lord shall uphold Me ? " Why is the word ego added ? and thus with a strong emphasis on the word I, theyI
/
had not slept. Those then concerning whom it was declared that they should be a portion for foxes, are now spoken of as
follows ; All they that go by have spoiled him : and he is become a reproach to his neighbours. (Ver. 42. ) Thou hast
raged against Me, they troubled Me: but had
not willed,
set up the right hand of his enemies, and made all his adver saries to rejoice. Look at the Jews, and see all things fulfilled that were predicted. Thou hast turned away the help ofhis sword. How they were used to fight few in number, and to strike down many. Tftou hast turned away the help
of his sword, and Thou givest him not victory in the battle.
* merito Naturally s then is he conquered, naturally taken prisoner, naturally made an outcast from his kingdom, naturally scat tered abroad : for he lost that land, for which he slew the Lord.
Thou hast turned away the help of his sword, and hast not given him victory in the battle. (Ver. 43. ) Thou hast loosed him from cleansing. What is this ? Amongst all the evils, this is a matter for great fear ; for howsoever God may beat, howsoever He may be wroth, howsoever
He may flog and scourge, yet let Him scourge him bound, whom He is to cleanse, not ' loose him from cleansing. ' For if He loose him
from being purified, he becomes incapable of cleansing,
and must be an outcast. From what cleansing then is the Gal. 3, Jew loosed ? From faith ; for by faith we live : and it is Acts 16 sa^ of ft"1*1, purifying their hearts by faith: and as it 9. is only the faith of Christ that cleanses ; by disbelief in
Christ, they are loosed from purification. Thou hast loosed him from cleansing, and cast his throne down to the ground. And so Thou hast broken it. (Ver. 44. ) The days of his seat hast Thou shortened.
They imagined that they should reign for ever. And covered him with confusion. All these things happened to the Jews, Christ yet not being taken
away, but His advent deferred.
