We were pleased, when this Psalm was sung: and some things therein were understood by all ; but some, as I think, either by few, or
certainly
not by all.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
Rejoice, because ye have entered into the courts ; re
10. Ver. 9, 10. O worship the Lord in His holy court:
in the Catholic Church ; this is His holy court. Let no
man say, Lo, here is Christ, or there. For there shall aWseMat. 24,
false prophets. Say this unto them, There shall not be left jy^i. here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. t>si*.
Ye are calling me to the whited wall ; His holy court.
Iadore
my
God in
11. Let the whole earth be moved before His face. Tell
it out among the nations, that the Lord reigneth from the wood1: and that it is He Who hath made the round world so ' see p.
fast that it cannot be moved. What testimonies of the build- notJ
present,
which thou
408 Donatists summoned to worship with 'the whole earth. '
Psalm ing of the house of God ! The clouds of heaven thunder out -throughout the world that God's house is being built; and the frogs cry from the marsh, We alone are Christians. What
' Cir- Hodm"?
testimonies do I bring forward ? That of the Psalter. I bring forward what thou singest as one deaf: open thine ears ; thou singest this; thou singest with me, and thou agreest not with me ; thy tongue soundeth what mine doth, and yet thine heart disagreeth with mine. Dost thou not sing this ? Behold the testimonies of the whole world : Let the whole earth be moved before His face: and dost thou say, that thou art not moved? Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord hath reigned from the wood. Shall men perchance prevail here, and say they reign by wood, because they reign by means of the clubs of their bandits 1 ? Reign ? 7 tne Cross of Christ, if thou art to reign by wood. For this wood of thine maketh thee wooden : the wood of Christ passeth thee across the sea. Thou hearest the Psalm saying, He hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved; and thou sayest it hath not only been moved since it was made fast, but hath also decreased. Dost thou speak the truth, and the Psalmist falsehood ? Do the false
Mat. 24, prophets, when they cry out, Lo, here is Christ, and there,
23-
speak truth ; and doth this Prophet lie ? Brethren, against these most open words ye hear in the corners rumours like these ; " such an one was a traditor," and, " such an one was a traditor \" What dost thou say ? Are thy words, or the words of God, to be heard? For, it is He Who hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved. I shew unto thee the round world built: bring thy present, and come into the courts of the Lord. Thou hast no presents : and on that account thou art not willing to enter. What is this? If God were to appoint unto thee a bull, goat, or ram, for a present, thou wouldest find one to bring:
He hath appointed a humble heart, and thou wilt not enter; for thou findest not this in thyself, because thou art swollen
with pride. He hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved: and He shall judge the people righteously. Then shall they mourn, who now refuse to love righteousness.
b Cieoilianus, and others, by com- the universal Church to have fallen, municating with whom they alleged
Joy of the ' Trees. ' Christ's coming in Spiritual ' clouds. ' 409
12. Ver. 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be Ver.
glad. Let the heavens, which declare the glory of God, rejoice ; let the heavens rejoice, which the Lord made ; let the earth be glad, which the heavens rain upon. For the heavens are the preachers, the earth the listeners. Let the sea be stirred up, and the fulness thereof. What sea ? The w orld. The sea hath been stirred up, and the fulness thereof: the whole world was roused up against the Church, -while it was being extended and built over all the earth. Concerning this stirring up, ye have heard in the Gospel,
They shall deliver you up to councils. The sea was stirred Ma*
'
13. Ver. 12, 13. The plains shall be joyful, and all things
that are in them. All the meek, all the gentle, all the righteous, are the ' plains' of God. Then shall all the trees
of the woods rejoice. The trees of the woods are the heathen.
Why do they rejoice ? Because they were cut off from the
wild olive, and engraffed into the good olive. Then skallRom. all the trees of the woods rejoice: because huge cedars and11' ,7' cypresses have been cut down, and undecaying timbers have
been bought for the building of the house. They were trees
of the woods ; but before they were sent to the building :
they were trees of the woods, but before they produced the
olive.
14. Then shall all the trees of the woods rejoice before the face of the Lord. For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the world. He came at first, and will come again. He
first came in His Church in clouds. What are the clouds which bore Him ? The Apostles who preached, respecting whom ye have heard, when the Epistle was being read :
We are ambassadors, he saith, for Christ: we pray you in2Cox. 5, Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. These are the20, clouds in whom He cometh, excepting His last Advent,
when He will come to judge the quick and the dead. He
came first in the clouds. This was His first voice which sounded forth in the Gospel : From this time shall they see Mark the Son of Man coming in the clouds. What is, from this13'^S' time? Will not the Lord come in later times, when all the tribes of the earth shall mourn ? He first came in His own
up : but how should the sea ever conquer Him Who made it?
~
410 They who conceive and bear to this world, unprepared.
Psalm preachers, and filled the whole round world. Let us not
XCVI . ?
'-resist His first coming, that we may not tremble at His
Mark second. But woe to them that are with child, and that
13' 17 ib. 33.
? -
give suck " in those days! Ye have heard but now in the
Gospel : Take ye heed, for ye know not at what hour He cometh. " This is said figuratively. Who arc those with child, and who give suck ? Those who are with child, are the souls whose hope is in the world: but those who have gained what they hoped for, are meant by ' they who give suck. ' For example : one wisheth to buy a country seat ; he is with child, for his object is not gained as yet, the womb swelleth in hope : he buyeth it ; he hath brought forth, he now giveth suck to what he hath bought. Woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days! Woe to those who put their hope in the world; woe to them that cling to those things which they brought forth through hope in the world. What then should the Christian do? He
should use, not serve, the world. What is this ? Those that have as those that have not. Thus he saith, thus he exhorteth those whom he wisheth not to be found by that dayIas it
1 Cor. 7, were with child, and as they that give suck: But this
29--32. ftreinren, the lime is short: it remaineth,that both they that have wives be as though they had none ; and they that weep,
as though they wept not ; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they pos sessed not ; and they that use this world, as not abusing it :
for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I
would have you without carefulness. He who is without careful
ness, waiteth without fear for his Lord's coming. For what sort of love is it of Christ, to fear lest He come ? Brethren, are we not ashamed ? We love Him, and yet we fear lest He come. Are we sure that we love Him ? or do we love our sins more ? Therefore let us hate our sins for their own sake, and love Him Who will come to punish our sins. He will come, whether we like or not : for because He cometh not just now, it is no reason that He will not come at all. He will come, and when thou knowest not ; and if He shall find thee ready, thy ignorance is no hurt to thee. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord ; for He cometh : at His first coming. And what afterwards ?
say,
Sin broke up, Christ united Adam, i. e. Mankind. 411
For He cometh to judge the earth. And all the trees of the Ver.
woods shall rejoice. He came first: and later to judge the earth : He shall find those rejoicing who believed in His first coming, for He cometh.
'---
15. For with righteousness shall He judge the world: not
a part of for He bought not part He will judge the whole, for was the whole of which He paid the price. Ye
have heard the Gospel, where saith, that when He cometh,
He shall gather together His elect from the four winds. He Mark gathereth all His elect from the four winds therefore from 13'
the whole world. For Adam? himself (this had said before) signifieth in Greek the whole world for there are four letters, A, D, and M. But as the Greeks speak, the four quarters of the world have these initial letters, 'AvaToXr), they
call the East; At/o-ic, the West; 'Agxro;, the North; Memifi-
Pgia, the South thou hast the word Adam. Adam there
fore hath been scattered over the whole world. He was in
one place, and fell, and as in a manner broken small he quo- filled the whole world but the mercy of God gathered (i0 C0In^ together the fragments from every side, and forged5 them minutus by the fire of love, and made one what was broken. Thatflavit. Artist knew how to do this let no one despair indeed
a great thing, but reflect Who that Artist was. He Who
made, restored He who formed, reformed With righteous
ness shall He judge the world, and the peoples in His truth.
What righteousness and truth He will gather together
His elect with Him to the judgment, but the rest He will separate one from another for He will place some on the
right, others on the left hand. But what more just, what
more true, than that they shall not expect mercy from their Judge, who have refused to act mercifully, before their Judge
come But those who chose to act with mercy, with mercy
shall be judged. For shall be said unto them placed on
the right hand Come, ye blessed of My Father inherit the Mat. 2fl, kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ^~*6' And He imputeth to them works of mercy For was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat was thirsty, and ye gave
Me drink; and so forth. Again, what imputed unto those who are placed on the left hand? That they refused to do
ViJ. Tract. 9. in Johan. n. 14. and Tract. 10. n. 12. Ben.
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412 How to prepare to meet Judgment without fear.
Psai. m mercifully. And whither shall they go ? Into everlasting
This evil hearing will call forth deep wailings. But
what saith another Psalm? The righteous shall be had in
Ps. U2, everlasting remembrance, He will not be afraid of any evil
''
hearing. What is evil hearing? Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He who shall rejoice in good, shall not fear for evil hearing. How shall they rejoice in good hearing ? Come, ye blessed of My Father. And for what hearing shall they not fear ? Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. This is righteousness, this is truth. For He will judge the world with righteousness, and the
peoples with His truth. Because thou art unrighteous, shall thy Judge not be righteous? Because thou art a liar, shall not Truth be true? But if thou wishest to find Him merciful, be merciful before He cometh : forgive whatever hath been done against thee, give from out of thine abundance. And from whose abundance, but His, dost thou give? If of thine own thou gavest, it would be bounty : since thou givest of
'fire.
1 Cor. 4, His, it is restitution. For what hast thou, that thou hast not
''
Lat. XCVI.
received ? These are the most acceptable offerings unto God, mercy, humility, confession, peace, love. These let us bring, and without fear we shall await the coming of our Judge, Who with righteousness shall judge the world, and the peoples with His truth.
PSALM XCVII. A Ditcourie to the people.
God affordeth mighty spectacles to the Christian heart, than which truly nothing more delightful can be discovered ; if only the palate of faith be at hand to taste the honey of God. We believe that in all of you, who have with all your heart believed in our Saviour, there dwelleth His Spirit, that may delight you when the Prophecies are read, so many
years ago uttered by the mouth of the Saints, and so many years after fulfilled in the faith of nations. For those holy Prophets felt the liveliest joy, when they saw those
The Prophets rejoiced in prospect of what we have. 413
things in the Spirit, not as yet fulfilled, but destined to be Title. fulfilled. They felt great delight: and yet, by reason of the
love with which they were inspired for us, whom they saw not
as yet, but in the Spirit travailed of us; they wished, if possible, to live with us in these times, and to see what they
were prophesying in the Spirit, fulfilled. Thence our Lord
saith unto His disciples, when they began to discern these things: Many righteous men and prophets have desired to Mat. 13, see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and
to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
For although they saw these things in the Spirit, yet they
were figured unto them as future : but to the Apostles they
were fulfilled before their eyes. Whence that Simeon, a righteous old man, rejoiced much when he saw the infant
Jesus, recognising the great in the small, and in that little
body the Creator of heaven and earth. He rejoiced therefore
much, because he had been answered, that he should not
depart from this life, before he should see the salvation of
God. He therefore recognised Him, he was delighted, and exulted with joy ; saying these words, Lord, now leltest Thou Lute 2,
Thy servant depart in peace : for mine eyes have seen Thy25~30' salvation. Great therefore is this gladness ; and love createth
it.
We were pleased, when this Psalm was sung: and some things therein were understood by all ; but some, as I think, either by few, or certainly not by all. Let us therefore at
once consider it in this discourse, in which we are serving you ; and let us see with how great goodness God hath been pleased to make us glad, by making what He hath promised present to us, and by displaying unto us the truth of His promises.
2. (Title. ) This Psalm is entitled, A Psalm ofDavid's, when
his land was restored. Let us refer the whole to Christ, if we
wish to keep the road of a right understanding: let us not de
part from the corner-stone, lest our understanding suffer a fall: Ephes.
'
in Him let that become fixed, which wavered with unstable motion; let that rest upon Him, which before was waving to and fro in uncertainly. Whatever doubt a man hath in his mind when he heareth the Scriptures of God, let him not depart from Christ; when Christ hath been revealed to him in the words, let him then be assured that he hath understood ; but before
414 The 'land" of Judcea 'restored' to the Spiritual David. Psalm he arriveth at the understanding of Christ, let him not pre-
XCVII '
1
--
t; sume that he hath understood. For Christ is the end o~f the
Rom.
10,4. law for righteousness to every one that believeth. What
doth this mean, and how are these words understood in Christ, When his land was restored ? For it is easy to understand how Christ is represented by David ; for Christ was born of Mary, and from David's seed; and since He was to be born of David's seed, on that account He is prophesied of, figuratively, under David's name. David is therefore Christ ; because also the signification of David is Strong of Hand : and who is so strong, as He Who by the Cross conquered the world ? For after His resurrection and ascen sion, when the Holy Spirit had been received, and the
Acts 2, Apostles were speaking with different tongues, a multitude 4. 37. &0. 0f tnose verv persons who had crucified Him, were roused
to seek the counsel of salvation ; received and believed they were forgiven, their guilt in the blood of Christ was remitted unto them, the drinking of His blood imparted unto them they became faithful disciples of Him whose per-
Mat. 27, secutors they had been; they believed in Him Whom they crucified, and before Whom they bowed their heads in mockery; Himself they chose to hold as their Head. Thus then in the words of the title of the Psalm, was His land restored; for this land was Judsea, all of which had been lost, when in their ignorance they crucified their Lord, like delirious men raving against their physician, and in their frenzy rejecting the means of safety. The whole of Judaea then had as were been lost: how the whole? The very Apostles even wavered Peter, who was following Him with
courageous devotion, thrice in the confusion of fear denied Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, on His resurrection, found some of them talking together about Himself in the road, in such state as to reply unto Him on His asking
Lnlie24, them the subject of their conversation Art thou alone a ig 21 stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that are come to pass there in these days? And He said unto
them, What things? And they said unto Him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to
:
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it ;
a
;
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it,
Many of the Jews believed. The Gentiles called in. 415
- death, and have crucified Him. But we hoped that it had Title. been He that should have redeemed Israel. They had already
lost their hope in Christ. For they said not, we hope that
He shall redeem Israel ; but, ue hoped that it had been He
that should have redeemed Israel. He was with them in Person, and hope in Him was not in them. He shewed Himself unto them, He was manifested even to the rest of His disciples, seen, touched, and found by those to whom He seemed already to have perished : the faith of those who had fallen was brought back ; His land was restored. Then after speaking forty days with them, He ascended into heaven ; and,
Aots 1, as 1 mentioned a little before, by sending His Holy Spirit, He3'9'2'4'
caused His disciples, unlearned men, to speak with the tongues of all nations. Then they, in whose behalf He had prayed not in vain, Father, forgive them, for they know not Luke23, what they do, moved, as I have said, sought for safety,34, received counsel to believe in Him ; three thousand be- Acts 2, lieved in one day, and again five thousand; the Church^,
of Christ began to be rife throughout Judaea, where the reproach of Christ had been rife ; and His land was restored.
But since He had Himself said, IOther sheep 1 have which John 10,
are not of this fold; them also
shall be one fold, and one Shepherd; the Apostles were sent to the Gentiles also, to whom the Prophets had not been sent. They were sought, who had not sought; they were found, who were expecting nothing ; that God, Whom they knew not as Promiser, they found a Redeemer. For the Jews before His advent held Him bounden unto them by promises, because the Prophets had there preached
Christ, there had promised Christ ; but they had not recog nised Him when present Whom they had heard promised ; while to the Gentiles no promise was made ; although that they should believe also had been mentioned in the Pro phets. Though not addressed to them, it was said of them. The Gospel was sent unto them also : and ye have heard this from the dispensation of God ; for that lesson hath just been read unto you in the Acts of the Apostles, how the centurion Cornelins believed : for Cornelins the centurion was not of the Jewish nation. He prayed, fasted, gave alms. God deserted him not, although placed among the
must bring; and there16'
416 Christ's ' earth? His Body, restored. His Reign.
Psalm Gentiles : and an Angel was sent to announce unto him, XCVII '- that his prayer and his alms were had in remembrance in Acis 10. the sight of God ; he believed, when he had invited Peter unto
him. Could not the Angel teach him ? He sent him unto Peter, that his faith might be the rather made sure unto him by a man, that God had deigned to visit men : nor did He, Who deigned to be Man, disdain to teach by means of men. Thus then was His land restored; one wall coming from the Jews, another wall from the Gentiles ; which two walls meeting from opposite sides, He was Himself the corner
Eph. 2, stone, where both should be joined together.
3. Again, how do we understand the words, when His
earth was restored ? When His Flesh was raised again.
For another interpretation, not departing from Christ, may thus occur to us: the earth restored is the resurrection of the flesh ; for after His resurrection, all those things which are sung of in the Psalm were done. Let us then hear a Psalm full of joy on the restoration of the Earth. Let the Lord our God excite in us a hope and a pleasure worthy of so great a thing ; may He rule our discourse, that it be fit for your hearts, that whatever joy our heart doth feel in such sights, He may bring on to our tongue, and thence conduct it into your ears, then to your heart, thence to your
actions.
4. Ver. 1. The Lord is King. He Who stood before the
judge, He Who received blows, He Who was scourged, He Who was spit upon, He Who was crowned with thorns, He Who was struck with fists, He Who hung upon the cross, He Who as He hung upon the wood was mocked, He Who died upon the cross, He Who was pierced with the spear, He W7ho
was buried, Himself arose from the dead. The Lord is King. Let kingdoms rage as much as they can ; what can they do to the King of kingdoms, the Lord of all kings, the Creator of all worlds? Is He despised, because He appeared so submissive, so humble ? That was His mercy, not His want of power : for He appeared humble, that we might take Him. But let us now see: The Lord is King, let the earth be
glad: yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous. It is so indeed, because the word of God hath been preached not in the continent alone, but also in those isles which lie in mid
The ' Isles. ' Darknessfor the wicked, the good God's seat. 4 IT
sea : even these are full of Christians, full of the servants of Ver.
'---
God. For the sea doth not retard Him Who made it. Where ships can approach, can not the words of God ? The isles are filled. But figuratively the isles may be taken for all the Churches. Why isles ? Because the waves of all temptations roar around them. But as an isle may be beaten by the waves which on every side dash around yet cannot be broken, and rather itself dolh break the advancing waves, than by them broken so also the Churches of God, springing up throughout the world, have suffered the persecutions of the ungodly, who roar around them on every side and behold the isles stand fixed, and at last the sea calmed. Yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous. Him;
5. Ver. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about righteousness and judgment are the direction of His seat. For whom are clouds and darkness round about Him For whom are righteousness and judgment the direction of His seat? Clouds and darkness for the ungodly, who have not understood Him: righteousness and judgment for the faithful, who have believed in Him for the former have not seen through pride, the latter have deserved to be guided by their humility. Hear the clouds and darkness, and hear righteous
ness and judgment. The Lord Himself saith For judg- John merit am come into this world; that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made- blind. What meaneth, that they which see might be made blind? They who seem unto themselves to see, who think themselves wise, who think healing not needful for them, that they may
be made blind, may not understand. And that they which see not may see; that they who confess their blindness may obtain to be enlightened. Let there be therefore clouds and darkness round about Him, for those who have not understood Him for those who confess and humble them selves, righteousness and judgment are the direction of His seat. He called those who believe in Him His seat: for
from them hath He made Himself seat, since in them Wisdom sitteth for the Son of God the Wisdom of God.
But we have heard from another passage of Scripture
strong confirmation of this interpretation. The soul of Me^rov. i2,
righteous the seat of Wisdom. Because then they whoirjor-
vol. iv.
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418 Fire goes ' before Christ, before Judgment.
Psalm have believed in Him have been made righteous : justified ^'AHby failh, they have become His own seat: He sitteth in them, judging from them, and guiding them. Wherefore ? because He found them meek, like obedient cattle, not kicking backward, not shaking their heads in pride against His yoke, not refusing His scourge : they became good and obedient cattle of His; and deserved what is said in another Ps. 26,8. Psalm, " Them that are meek shall He guide in judgment ;
and such as are gentle, them shall He learn His way. " Clouds and darkness, therefore, are around Him, unto them who are not righteous ; but to the meek, righteousness and
judgment shall be the habitation of His seat.
6. Ver. 8. There shall go a fire before Him, and burn up
His enemies on every side. Of what fire doth he say, brethren, a fire shall go before Him, and burn up His enemies on every aide ? I do not think it is said of that fire, into which the ungodly are to be sent by that sentence of the last judgment, to whom when set apart on the left, as we remember having read in the Gospel, He shall say,
Mat. ? 6, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
4I-
angels. I do not think it is said of that fire. Why do I not? Because he spcaketh of some fire, which shall go before Him, before He cometh to judgment. For it is said, that the fire goeth before Him, and burueth up His enemies on every side, that is, throughout the whole world. That
fire will burn after His advent: this, on the contrary, will go before Him. What fire then is this ? We may understand it of the punishment of the wicked, we may understand it of the salvation of the redeemed. Of the punishment of the wicked, how ? Because when Christ was preached, the heathen were enraged, and stirred up persecution : which was the fury of fire, consuming rather those who persecuted, than those whom they persecuted. For when we see two persons, the one enraged, the other meekly enduring, it is for you to judge, which of them is on fire. Ye may behold such a spectacle in the human race. Place before your eves an unjust man, excited in mind, savage in countenance, with flaming eyes, with flashing words, carried on to another's death, to depredations, injury, insult, not able to hold, to restrain himself; the other patiently enduring his words, his
The tricked devoured by fire of evil passions. 4 19
blows, whatsoever he chooseth to inflict
when he striketh his cheek, offering unto him the other: ---- when thou hast seen on the one side fury, on the other mildness ; on the one anger, on the other endurance : on the
one flames, on the other patience ; wilt thou hesitate to pro nounce which of these is on fire, and snffereth punishment ?
He whose body is assaulted, or he whose mind is laid
waste ? On which account the prophet Isaiah also saith,
The fire of thine enemies shall devour them, even now. Is. 26,
What is, even now? Before that great day of judg-11'
ment cometh, those who will afterwards burn punishment of eternal fire, already burn in their own rage. Unless indeed ye imagine, brethren, that injustice, which
proceedeth out of one man to the injury of another, hurteth him to whom it proceedeth, and hurteth not him from whom it proceedeth. How can it be so ? Some times a burning brand is applied to a damp and green log of wood, without burning though on fire itself thus also thine enemy. If perchance there be any unjust man who plotteth snares against thee, or deviseth any trouble, he unjust: then thou art green wood, that is, vigorous and flourishing with spiritual sap, thou shalt resist
the fire of his hostilities, by praying for him who perseouteth thee he on fire, thou remainest whole and his injustice hurteth him, thee not al all. Unless indeed thou thinkest that hurteth thee, he hath doue ought unto thy body, and thy soul hath come patient and incorrupt to be crowned before God, following the example of its Lord, Who chose rather to suffer from the Jews, and who could have avoided death, but yet died, just as He was born, though He needed not to have been born. For thou wast born by the law of thy nature, He of His own will thou diest from thy nature, He from His mercy. As then the Jews did Him no harm so neither doth any persecuting enemy hurt thee, thou
hast chosen to be member of Him thy Head.
7. Behold, we have understood the fire that goeth before
Him, that to be understood of kind of temporal punish ment of the unbelieving and ungodly let us understand the fire, possible, of the salvation of the redeemed also for thus we had proposed. The Lord Himself saith
upon him, and Ver. -
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420 Fire ofgrace and Divine Love in the Elect.
Psalm / am come to send fire on the earth : ' fire' in the same way
xcvn. as a , gword i as in anoiner passage He saith, that He was Luke I --? 49. not come to send peace, but sword, upon earth. Ine
^at-10' sword to divide, the fire to burn but each salutary for the sword of His own word hath in salutary wise separated us from evil habits. For He brought sword, and separated every believer either from his father who believed not in Christ, or from his mother in like manner unbelieving or at least, we were born of Christian parents, from his ancestors. For no man among us had not either a grandsire, or great grandsire, or some ancestry among the heathen, and in that unbelief which accursed before God. We are separated from that which we were before but the sword which separateth, but slayeth not, hath cut between us. In the same way the fire also am come to send fire upon the earth. Believers in Him were set on fire, they received the
Acts
flame of love and for this reason when the Holy Spirit itself had been sent to the Apostles, It thus appeared There appeared, he saith, unto them cloven tongues, like as offire, and sat upon each of them. Burning with this fire they set out on their march through the world, to burn and set on fire His enemies on every side. What enemies of His They who forsaking the God Who made them, adored the idols they had made. They were burnt, they were
evil, unto their consumption good, unto their restoration either the man was burnt, who refused to believe, by that fire, becoming worse when he heard the word of God, being burnt up and consumed by his own malice or he were converted and believed, yet was not as nothing had burnt within him. For the grass had burnt, that the gold might be
ls. 40, refined. Faith gold, carnal lust grass. All flesh is grass, e' saith Isaiah, and all the goodliness thereof as theflower
the grass. Whatever there therefore in carnal man lusting for things vain and worldly, grass. How many perchance, even brethren of ours, have been to the theatre they were led by grass. Is not this fire to be desired by them, that the grass may burn, and the gold be refined? For what ever faith there be in them, choked by the grass. It therefore good for them to burn with holy fire, that when the grass hath been consumed, the treasure which Christ
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Lightnings of Christ, from the clouds, holy Preachers. 421
redeemed may shine. Therefore, there shall go afire before Him, and shall burn up His enemies on every side. There are some who have burned for their own health, they are to-day His faithful; they were His enemies, and they are now at last His faithful : thou seekest for enemies, they are not; they are consumed, they have been on fire; love hath consumed in them that which made them persecute Christ, and halh refined within them their belief in Christ. And it
shall burn up His enemies on every side.
8. Ver. 4. His lightnings gave shine unto the world.
This is great joy. Do we not see? is it not clear? His lightnings have shined unto the whole world : His enemies have been set on fire, and burnt. All that gainsaid hath been burnt, and His lightnings have given shine unto the world. How have they shone ? That the world might at length believe. Whence were the lightnings? From the clouds. What are the clouds of God ? The preachers of the truth. But thou seest a cloud, misty and dark in the sky, and it hath I know not what hidden within it. If there be lightning from the cloud, a brightness shineth forth : from that which thou didst despise, hath burst forth that
which thou mayest dread. Our Lord Jesus Christ therefore sent His Apostles, as His preachers, like clouds : they were seen as men, and were despised ; as clouds appear, and are despised, until what thou wonderest at gleameth from them. For they were in the first place men encumbered with flesh, weak ; then, men of low station, unlearned, ignoble : but there was within what could lighten forth ; there was in them what could flash abroad. Peter a fisherman ap
proached, prayed, and the dead arose. His human form Acts was a cloud, the splendour of the miracle was the lightning. 40- So in their words, so in their deeds, when they do things to
be wondered at, and utter words to be wondered at, His lightnings gave shine unto the world; the earth saw it, and was afraid. Is it not true ? Doth not the whole Christian world at length exclaim, Amen, afraid at the lightnings which burst forth from those clouds 1 The earth saw it,
and was afraid.
9. Ver. 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of
the Lord. Who are the hills? The proud. Every high
422 Melting of the hills.
10. Ver. 9, 10. O worship the Lord in His holy court:
in the Catholic Church ; this is His holy court. Let no
man say, Lo, here is Christ, or there. For there shall aWseMat. 24,
false prophets. Say this unto them, There shall not be left jy^i. here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. t>si*.
Ye are calling me to the whited wall ; His holy court.
Iadore
my
God in
11. Let the whole earth be moved before His face. Tell
it out among the nations, that the Lord reigneth from the wood1: and that it is He Who hath made the round world so ' see p.
fast that it cannot be moved. What testimonies of the build- notJ
present,
which thou
408 Donatists summoned to worship with 'the whole earth. '
Psalm ing of the house of God ! The clouds of heaven thunder out -throughout the world that God's house is being built; and the frogs cry from the marsh, We alone are Christians. What
' Cir- Hodm"?
testimonies do I bring forward ? That of the Psalter. I bring forward what thou singest as one deaf: open thine ears ; thou singest this; thou singest with me, and thou agreest not with me ; thy tongue soundeth what mine doth, and yet thine heart disagreeth with mine. Dost thou not sing this ? Behold the testimonies of the whole world : Let the whole earth be moved before His face: and dost thou say, that thou art not moved? Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord hath reigned from the wood. Shall men perchance prevail here, and say they reign by wood, because they reign by means of the clubs of their bandits 1 ? Reign ? 7 tne Cross of Christ, if thou art to reign by wood. For this wood of thine maketh thee wooden : the wood of Christ passeth thee across the sea. Thou hearest the Psalm saying, He hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved; and thou sayest it hath not only been moved since it was made fast, but hath also decreased. Dost thou speak the truth, and the Psalmist falsehood ? Do the false
Mat. 24, prophets, when they cry out, Lo, here is Christ, and there,
23-
speak truth ; and doth this Prophet lie ? Brethren, against these most open words ye hear in the corners rumours like these ; " such an one was a traditor," and, " such an one was a traditor \" What dost thou say ? Are thy words, or the words of God, to be heard? For, it is He Who hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved. I shew unto thee the round world built: bring thy present, and come into the courts of the Lord. Thou hast no presents : and on that account thou art not willing to enter. What is this? If God were to appoint unto thee a bull, goat, or ram, for a present, thou wouldest find one to bring:
He hath appointed a humble heart, and thou wilt not enter; for thou findest not this in thyself, because thou art swollen
with pride. He hath set aright the round world, that it cannot be moved: and He shall judge the people righteously. Then shall they mourn, who now refuse to love righteousness.
b Cieoilianus, and others, by com- the universal Church to have fallen, municating with whom they alleged
Joy of the ' Trees. ' Christ's coming in Spiritual ' clouds. ' 409
12. Ver. 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be Ver.
glad. Let the heavens, which declare the glory of God, rejoice ; let the heavens rejoice, which the Lord made ; let the earth be glad, which the heavens rain upon. For the heavens are the preachers, the earth the listeners. Let the sea be stirred up, and the fulness thereof. What sea ? The w orld. The sea hath been stirred up, and the fulness thereof: the whole world was roused up against the Church, -while it was being extended and built over all the earth. Concerning this stirring up, ye have heard in the Gospel,
They shall deliver you up to councils. The sea was stirred Ma*
'
13. Ver. 12, 13. The plains shall be joyful, and all things
that are in them. All the meek, all the gentle, all the righteous, are the ' plains' of God. Then shall all the trees
of the woods rejoice. The trees of the woods are the heathen.
Why do they rejoice ? Because they were cut off from the
wild olive, and engraffed into the good olive. Then skallRom. all the trees of the woods rejoice: because huge cedars and11' ,7' cypresses have been cut down, and undecaying timbers have
been bought for the building of the house. They were trees
of the woods ; but before they were sent to the building :
they were trees of the woods, but before they produced the
olive.
14. Then shall all the trees of the woods rejoice before the face of the Lord. For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the world. He came at first, and will come again. He
first came in His Church in clouds. What are the clouds which bore Him ? The Apostles who preached, respecting whom ye have heard, when the Epistle was being read :
We are ambassadors, he saith, for Christ: we pray you in2Cox. 5, Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. These are the20, clouds in whom He cometh, excepting His last Advent,
when He will come to judge the quick and the dead. He
came first in the clouds. This was His first voice which sounded forth in the Gospel : From this time shall they see Mark the Son of Man coming in the clouds. What is, from this13'^S' time? Will not the Lord come in later times, when all the tribes of the earth shall mourn ? He first came in His own
up : but how should the sea ever conquer Him Who made it?
~
410 They who conceive and bear to this world, unprepared.
Psalm preachers, and filled the whole round world. Let us not
XCVI . ?
'-resist His first coming, that we may not tremble at His
Mark second. But woe to them that are with child, and that
13' 17 ib. 33.
? -
give suck " in those days! Ye have heard but now in the
Gospel : Take ye heed, for ye know not at what hour He cometh. " This is said figuratively. Who arc those with child, and who give suck ? Those who are with child, are the souls whose hope is in the world: but those who have gained what they hoped for, are meant by ' they who give suck. ' For example : one wisheth to buy a country seat ; he is with child, for his object is not gained as yet, the womb swelleth in hope : he buyeth it ; he hath brought forth, he now giveth suck to what he hath bought. Woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days! Woe to those who put their hope in the world; woe to them that cling to those things which they brought forth through hope in the world. What then should the Christian do? He
should use, not serve, the world. What is this ? Those that have as those that have not. Thus he saith, thus he exhorteth those whom he wisheth not to be found by that dayIas it
1 Cor. 7, were with child, and as they that give suck: But this
29--32. ftreinren, the lime is short: it remaineth,that both they that have wives be as though they had none ; and they that weep,
as though they wept not ; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they pos sessed not ; and they that use this world, as not abusing it :
for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I
would have you without carefulness. He who is without careful
ness, waiteth without fear for his Lord's coming. For what sort of love is it of Christ, to fear lest He come ? Brethren, are we not ashamed ? We love Him, and yet we fear lest He come. Are we sure that we love Him ? or do we love our sins more ? Therefore let us hate our sins for their own sake, and love Him Who will come to punish our sins. He will come, whether we like or not : for because He cometh not just now, it is no reason that He will not come at all. He will come, and when thou knowest not ; and if He shall find thee ready, thy ignorance is no hurt to thee. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord ; for He cometh : at His first coming. And what afterwards ?
say,
Sin broke up, Christ united Adam, i. e. Mankind. 411
For He cometh to judge the earth. And all the trees of the Ver.
woods shall rejoice. He came first: and later to judge the earth : He shall find those rejoicing who believed in His first coming, for He cometh.
'---
15. For with righteousness shall He judge the world: not
a part of for He bought not part He will judge the whole, for was the whole of which He paid the price. Ye
have heard the Gospel, where saith, that when He cometh,
He shall gather together His elect from the four winds. He Mark gathereth all His elect from the four winds therefore from 13'
the whole world. For Adam? himself (this had said before) signifieth in Greek the whole world for there are four letters, A, D, and M. But as the Greeks speak, the four quarters of the world have these initial letters, 'AvaToXr), they
call the East; At/o-ic, the West; 'Agxro;, the North; Memifi-
Pgia, the South thou hast the word Adam. Adam there
fore hath been scattered over the whole world. He was in
one place, and fell, and as in a manner broken small he quo- filled the whole world but the mercy of God gathered (i0 C0In^ together the fragments from every side, and forged5 them minutus by the fire of love, and made one what was broken. Thatflavit. Artist knew how to do this let no one despair indeed
a great thing, but reflect Who that Artist was. He Who
made, restored He who formed, reformed With righteous
ness shall He judge the world, and the peoples in His truth.
What righteousness and truth He will gather together
His elect with Him to the judgment, but the rest He will separate one from another for He will place some on the
right, others on the left hand. But what more just, what
more true, than that they shall not expect mercy from their Judge, who have refused to act mercifully, before their Judge
come But those who chose to act with mercy, with mercy
shall be judged. For shall be said unto them placed on
the right hand Come, ye blessed of My Father inherit the Mat. 2fl, kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ^~*6' And He imputeth to them works of mercy For was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat was thirsty, and ye gave
Me drink; and so forth. Again, what imputed unto those who are placed on the left hand? That they refused to do
ViJ. Tract. 9. in Johan. n. 14. and Tract. 10. n. 12. Ben.
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412 How to prepare to meet Judgment without fear.
Psai. m mercifully. And whither shall they go ? Into everlasting
This evil hearing will call forth deep wailings. But
what saith another Psalm? The righteous shall be had in
Ps. U2, everlasting remembrance, He will not be afraid of any evil
''
hearing. What is evil hearing? Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He who shall rejoice in good, shall not fear for evil hearing. How shall they rejoice in good hearing ? Come, ye blessed of My Father. And for what hearing shall they not fear ? Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. This is righteousness, this is truth. For He will judge the world with righteousness, and the
peoples with His truth. Because thou art unrighteous, shall thy Judge not be righteous? Because thou art a liar, shall not Truth be true? But if thou wishest to find Him merciful, be merciful before He cometh : forgive whatever hath been done against thee, give from out of thine abundance. And from whose abundance, but His, dost thou give? If of thine own thou gavest, it would be bounty : since thou givest of
'fire.
1 Cor. 4, His, it is restitution. For what hast thou, that thou hast not
''
Lat. XCVI.
received ? These are the most acceptable offerings unto God, mercy, humility, confession, peace, love. These let us bring, and without fear we shall await the coming of our Judge, Who with righteousness shall judge the world, and the peoples with His truth.
PSALM XCVII. A Ditcourie to the people.
God affordeth mighty spectacles to the Christian heart, than which truly nothing more delightful can be discovered ; if only the palate of faith be at hand to taste the honey of God. We believe that in all of you, who have with all your heart believed in our Saviour, there dwelleth His Spirit, that may delight you when the Prophecies are read, so many
years ago uttered by the mouth of the Saints, and so many years after fulfilled in the faith of nations. For those holy Prophets felt the liveliest joy, when they saw those
The Prophets rejoiced in prospect of what we have. 413
things in the Spirit, not as yet fulfilled, but destined to be Title. fulfilled. They felt great delight: and yet, by reason of the
love with which they were inspired for us, whom they saw not
as yet, but in the Spirit travailed of us; they wished, if possible, to live with us in these times, and to see what they
were prophesying in the Spirit, fulfilled. Thence our Lord
saith unto His disciples, when they began to discern these things: Many righteous men and prophets have desired to Mat. 13, see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and
to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
For although they saw these things in the Spirit, yet they
were figured unto them as future : but to the Apostles they
were fulfilled before their eyes. Whence that Simeon, a righteous old man, rejoiced much when he saw the infant
Jesus, recognising the great in the small, and in that little
body the Creator of heaven and earth. He rejoiced therefore
much, because he had been answered, that he should not
depart from this life, before he should see the salvation of
God. He therefore recognised Him, he was delighted, and exulted with joy ; saying these words, Lord, now leltest Thou Lute 2,
Thy servant depart in peace : for mine eyes have seen Thy25~30' salvation. Great therefore is this gladness ; and love createth
it.
We were pleased, when this Psalm was sung: and some things therein were understood by all ; but some, as I think, either by few, or certainly not by all. Let us therefore at
once consider it in this discourse, in which we are serving you ; and let us see with how great goodness God hath been pleased to make us glad, by making what He hath promised present to us, and by displaying unto us the truth of His promises.
2. (Title. ) This Psalm is entitled, A Psalm ofDavid's, when
his land was restored. Let us refer the whole to Christ, if we
wish to keep the road of a right understanding: let us not de
part from the corner-stone, lest our understanding suffer a fall: Ephes.
'
in Him let that become fixed, which wavered with unstable motion; let that rest upon Him, which before was waving to and fro in uncertainly. Whatever doubt a man hath in his mind when he heareth the Scriptures of God, let him not depart from Christ; when Christ hath been revealed to him in the words, let him then be assured that he hath understood ; but before
414 The 'land" of Judcea 'restored' to the Spiritual David. Psalm he arriveth at the understanding of Christ, let him not pre-
XCVII '
1
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t; sume that he hath understood. For Christ is the end o~f the
Rom.
10,4. law for righteousness to every one that believeth. What
doth this mean, and how are these words understood in Christ, When his land was restored ? For it is easy to understand how Christ is represented by David ; for Christ was born of Mary, and from David's seed; and since He was to be born of David's seed, on that account He is prophesied of, figuratively, under David's name. David is therefore Christ ; because also the signification of David is Strong of Hand : and who is so strong, as He Who by the Cross conquered the world ? For after His resurrection and ascen sion, when the Holy Spirit had been received, and the
Acts 2, Apostles were speaking with different tongues, a multitude 4. 37. &0. 0f tnose verv persons who had crucified Him, were roused
to seek the counsel of salvation ; received and believed they were forgiven, their guilt in the blood of Christ was remitted unto them, the drinking of His blood imparted unto them they became faithful disciples of Him whose per-
Mat. 27, secutors they had been; they believed in Him Whom they crucified, and before Whom they bowed their heads in mockery; Himself they chose to hold as their Head. Thus then in the words of the title of the Psalm, was His land restored; for this land was Judsea, all of which had been lost, when in their ignorance they crucified their Lord, like delirious men raving against their physician, and in their frenzy rejecting the means of safety. The whole of Judaea then had as were been lost: how the whole? The very Apostles even wavered Peter, who was following Him with
courageous devotion, thrice in the confusion of fear denied Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, on His resurrection, found some of them talking together about Himself in the road, in such state as to reply unto Him on His asking
Lnlie24, them the subject of their conversation Art thou alone a ig 21 stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that are come to pass there in these days? And He said unto
them, What things? And they said unto Him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to
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Many of the Jews believed. The Gentiles called in. 415
- death, and have crucified Him. But we hoped that it had Title. been He that should have redeemed Israel. They had already
lost their hope in Christ. For they said not, we hope that
He shall redeem Israel ; but, ue hoped that it had been He
that should have redeemed Israel. He was with them in Person, and hope in Him was not in them. He shewed Himself unto them, He was manifested even to the rest of His disciples, seen, touched, and found by those to whom He seemed already to have perished : the faith of those who had fallen was brought back ; His land was restored. Then after speaking forty days with them, He ascended into heaven ; and,
Aots 1, as 1 mentioned a little before, by sending His Holy Spirit, He3'9'2'4'
caused His disciples, unlearned men, to speak with the tongues of all nations. Then they, in whose behalf He had prayed not in vain, Father, forgive them, for they know not Luke23, what they do, moved, as I have said, sought for safety,34, received counsel to believe in Him ; three thousand be- Acts 2, lieved in one day, and again five thousand; the Church^,
of Christ began to be rife throughout Judaea, where the reproach of Christ had been rife ; and His land was restored.
But since He had Himself said, IOther sheep 1 have which John 10,
are not of this fold; them also
shall be one fold, and one Shepherd; the Apostles were sent to the Gentiles also, to whom the Prophets had not been sent. They were sought, who had not sought; they were found, who were expecting nothing ; that God, Whom they knew not as Promiser, they found a Redeemer. For the Jews before His advent held Him bounden unto them by promises, because the Prophets had there preached
Christ, there had promised Christ ; but they had not recog nised Him when present Whom they had heard promised ; while to the Gentiles no promise was made ; although that they should believe also had been mentioned in the Pro phets. Though not addressed to them, it was said of them. The Gospel was sent unto them also : and ye have heard this from the dispensation of God ; for that lesson hath just been read unto you in the Acts of the Apostles, how the centurion Cornelins believed : for Cornelins the centurion was not of the Jewish nation. He prayed, fasted, gave alms. God deserted him not, although placed among the
must bring; and there16'
416 Christ's ' earth? His Body, restored. His Reign.
Psalm Gentiles : and an Angel was sent to announce unto him, XCVII '- that his prayer and his alms were had in remembrance in Acis 10. the sight of God ; he believed, when he had invited Peter unto
him. Could not the Angel teach him ? He sent him unto Peter, that his faith might be the rather made sure unto him by a man, that God had deigned to visit men : nor did He, Who deigned to be Man, disdain to teach by means of men. Thus then was His land restored; one wall coming from the Jews, another wall from the Gentiles ; which two walls meeting from opposite sides, He was Himself the corner
Eph. 2, stone, where both should be joined together.
3. Again, how do we understand the words, when His
earth was restored ? When His Flesh was raised again.
For another interpretation, not departing from Christ, may thus occur to us: the earth restored is the resurrection of the flesh ; for after His resurrection, all those things which are sung of in the Psalm were done. Let us then hear a Psalm full of joy on the restoration of the Earth. Let the Lord our God excite in us a hope and a pleasure worthy of so great a thing ; may He rule our discourse, that it be fit for your hearts, that whatever joy our heart doth feel in such sights, He may bring on to our tongue, and thence conduct it into your ears, then to your heart, thence to your
actions.
4. Ver. 1. The Lord is King. He Who stood before the
judge, He Who received blows, He Who was scourged, He Who was spit upon, He Who was crowned with thorns, He Who was struck with fists, He Who hung upon the cross, He Who as He hung upon the wood was mocked, He Who died upon the cross, He Who was pierced with the spear, He W7ho
was buried, Himself arose from the dead. The Lord is King. Let kingdoms rage as much as they can ; what can they do to the King of kingdoms, the Lord of all kings, the Creator of all worlds? Is He despised, because He appeared so submissive, so humble ? That was His mercy, not His want of power : for He appeared humble, that we might take Him. But let us now see: The Lord is King, let the earth be
glad: yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous. It is so indeed, because the word of God hath been preached not in the continent alone, but also in those isles which lie in mid
The ' Isles. ' Darknessfor the wicked, the good God's seat. 4 IT
sea : even these are full of Christians, full of the servants of Ver.
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God. For the sea doth not retard Him Who made it. Where ships can approach, can not the words of God ? The isles are filled. But figuratively the isles may be taken for all the Churches. Why isles ? Because the waves of all temptations roar around them. But as an isle may be beaten by the waves which on every side dash around yet cannot be broken, and rather itself dolh break the advancing waves, than by them broken so also the Churches of God, springing up throughout the world, have suffered the persecutions of the ungodly, who roar around them on every side and behold the isles stand fixed, and at last the sea calmed. Yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous. Him;
5. Ver. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about righteousness and judgment are the direction of His seat. For whom are clouds and darkness round about Him For whom are righteousness and judgment the direction of His seat? Clouds and darkness for the ungodly, who have not understood Him: righteousness and judgment for the faithful, who have believed in Him for the former have not seen through pride, the latter have deserved to be guided by their humility. Hear the clouds and darkness, and hear righteous
ness and judgment. The Lord Himself saith For judg- John merit am come into this world; that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made- blind. What meaneth, that they which see might be made blind? They who seem unto themselves to see, who think themselves wise, who think healing not needful for them, that they may
be made blind, may not understand. And that they which see not may see; that they who confess their blindness may obtain to be enlightened. Let there be therefore clouds and darkness round about Him, for those who have not understood Him for those who confess and humble them selves, righteousness and judgment are the direction of His seat. He called those who believe in Him His seat: for
from them hath He made Himself seat, since in them Wisdom sitteth for the Son of God the Wisdom of God.
But we have heard from another passage of Scripture
strong confirmation of this interpretation. The soul of Me^rov. i2,
righteous the seat of Wisdom. Because then they whoirjor-
vol. iv.
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418 Fire goes ' before Christ, before Judgment.
Psalm have believed in Him have been made righteous : justified ^'AHby failh, they have become His own seat: He sitteth in them, judging from them, and guiding them. Wherefore ? because He found them meek, like obedient cattle, not kicking backward, not shaking their heads in pride against His yoke, not refusing His scourge : they became good and obedient cattle of His; and deserved what is said in another Ps. 26,8. Psalm, " Them that are meek shall He guide in judgment ;
and such as are gentle, them shall He learn His way. " Clouds and darkness, therefore, are around Him, unto them who are not righteous ; but to the meek, righteousness and
judgment shall be the habitation of His seat.
6. Ver. 8. There shall go a fire before Him, and burn up
His enemies on every side. Of what fire doth he say, brethren, a fire shall go before Him, and burn up His enemies on every aide ? I do not think it is said of that fire, into which the ungodly are to be sent by that sentence of the last judgment, to whom when set apart on the left, as we remember having read in the Gospel, He shall say,
Mat. ? 6, Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
4I-
angels. I do not think it is said of that fire. Why do I not? Because he spcaketh of some fire, which shall go before Him, before He cometh to judgment. For it is said, that the fire goeth before Him, and burueth up His enemies on every side, that is, throughout the whole world. That
fire will burn after His advent: this, on the contrary, will go before Him. What fire then is this ? We may understand it of the punishment of the wicked, we may understand it of the salvation of the redeemed. Of the punishment of the wicked, how ? Because when Christ was preached, the heathen were enraged, and stirred up persecution : which was the fury of fire, consuming rather those who persecuted, than those whom they persecuted. For when we see two persons, the one enraged, the other meekly enduring, it is for you to judge, which of them is on fire. Ye may behold such a spectacle in the human race. Place before your eves an unjust man, excited in mind, savage in countenance, with flaming eyes, with flashing words, carried on to another's death, to depredations, injury, insult, not able to hold, to restrain himself; the other patiently enduring his words, his
The tricked devoured by fire of evil passions. 4 19
blows, whatsoever he chooseth to inflict
when he striketh his cheek, offering unto him the other: ---- when thou hast seen on the one side fury, on the other mildness ; on the one anger, on the other endurance : on the
one flames, on the other patience ; wilt thou hesitate to pro nounce which of these is on fire, and snffereth punishment ?
He whose body is assaulted, or he whose mind is laid
waste ? On which account the prophet Isaiah also saith,
The fire of thine enemies shall devour them, even now. Is. 26,
What is, even now? Before that great day of judg-11'
ment cometh, those who will afterwards burn punishment of eternal fire, already burn in their own rage. Unless indeed ye imagine, brethren, that injustice, which
proceedeth out of one man to the injury of another, hurteth him to whom it proceedeth, and hurteth not him from whom it proceedeth. How can it be so ? Some times a burning brand is applied to a damp and green log of wood, without burning though on fire itself thus also thine enemy. If perchance there be any unjust man who plotteth snares against thee, or deviseth any trouble, he unjust: then thou art green wood, that is, vigorous and flourishing with spiritual sap, thou shalt resist
the fire of his hostilities, by praying for him who perseouteth thee he on fire, thou remainest whole and his injustice hurteth him, thee not al all. Unless indeed thou thinkest that hurteth thee, he hath doue ought unto thy body, and thy soul hath come patient and incorrupt to be crowned before God, following the example of its Lord, Who chose rather to suffer from the Jews, and who could have avoided death, but yet died, just as He was born, though He needed not to have been born. For thou wast born by the law of thy nature, He of His own will thou diest from thy nature, He from His mercy. As then the Jews did Him no harm so neither doth any persecuting enemy hurt thee, thou
hast chosen to be member of Him thy Head.
7. Behold, we have understood the fire that goeth before
Him, that to be understood of kind of temporal punish ment of the unbelieving and ungodly let us understand the fire, possible, of the salvation of the redeemed also for thus we had proposed. The Lord Himself saith
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420 Fire ofgrace and Divine Love in the Elect.
Psalm / am come to send fire on the earth : ' fire' in the same way
xcvn. as a , gword i as in anoiner passage He saith, that He was Luke I --? 49. not come to send peace, but sword, upon earth. Ine
^at-10' sword to divide, the fire to burn but each salutary for the sword of His own word hath in salutary wise separated us from evil habits. For He brought sword, and separated every believer either from his father who believed not in Christ, or from his mother in like manner unbelieving or at least, we were born of Christian parents, from his ancestors. For no man among us had not either a grandsire, or great grandsire, or some ancestry among the heathen, and in that unbelief which accursed before God. We are separated from that which we were before but the sword which separateth, but slayeth not, hath cut between us. In the same way the fire also am come to send fire upon the earth. Believers in Him were set on fire, they received the
Acts
flame of love and for this reason when the Holy Spirit itself had been sent to the Apostles, It thus appeared There appeared, he saith, unto them cloven tongues, like as offire, and sat upon each of them. Burning with this fire they set out on their march through the world, to burn and set on fire His enemies on every side. What enemies of His They who forsaking the God Who made them, adored the idols they had made. They were burnt, they were
evil, unto their consumption good, unto their restoration either the man was burnt, who refused to believe, by that fire, becoming worse when he heard the word of God, being burnt up and consumed by his own malice or he were converted and believed, yet was not as nothing had burnt within him. For the grass had burnt, that the gold might be
ls. 40, refined. Faith gold, carnal lust grass. All flesh is grass, e' saith Isaiah, and all the goodliness thereof as theflower
the grass. Whatever there therefore in carnal man lusting for things vain and worldly, grass. How many perchance, even brethren of ours, have been to the theatre they were led by grass. Is not this fire to be desired by them, that the grass may burn, and the gold be refined? For what ever faith there be in them, choked by the grass. It therefore good for them to burn with holy fire, that when the grass hath been consumed, the treasure which Christ
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Lightnings of Christ, from the clouds, holy Preachers. 421
redeemed may shine. Therefore, there shall go afire before Him, and shall burn up His enemies on every side. There are some who have burned for their own health, they are to-day His faithful; they were His enemies, and they are now at last His faithful : thou seekest for enemies, they are not; they are consumed, they have been on fire; love hath consumed in them that which made them persecute Christ, and halh refined within them their belief in Christ. And it
shall burn up His enemies on every side.
8. Ver. 4. His lightnings gave shine unto the world.
This is great joy. Do we not see? is it not clear? His lightnings have shined unto the whole world : His enemies have been set on fire, and burnt. All that gainsaid hath been burnt, and His lightnings have given shine unto the world. How have they shone ? That the world might at length believe. Whence were the lightnings? From the clouds. What are the clouds of God ? The preachers of the truth. But thou seest a cloud, misty and dark in the sky, and it hath I know not what hidden within it. If there be lightning from the cloud, a brightness shineth forth : from that which thou didst despise, hath burst forth that
which thou mayest dread. Our Lord Jesus Christ therefore sent His Apostles, as His preachers, like clouds : they were seen as men, and were despised ; as clouds appear, and are despised, until what thou wonderest at gleameth from them. For they were in the first place men encumbered with flesh, weak ; then, men of low station, unlearned, ignoble : but there was within what could lighten forth ; there was in them what could flash abroad. Peter a fisherman ap
proached, prayed, and the dead arose. His human form Acts was a cloud, the splendour of the miracle was the lightning. 40- So in their words, so in their deeds, when they do things to
be wondered at, and utter words to be wondered at, His lightnings gave shine unto the world; the earth saw it, and was afraid. Is it not true ? Doth not the whole Christian world at length exclaim, Amen, afraid at the lightnings which burst forth from those clouds 1 The earth saw it,
and was afraid.
9. Ver. 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of
the Lord. Who are the hills? The proud. Every high
422 Melting of the hills.
