Psalm 93 (Vulgate 92)

We heard the title of this Psalm, while it was reading and it is not difficult to understand its meaning from the Rest of God signifies rest after good works. 329 Scripture of God, that is, from the book of Genesis: for in the title we are, as it were, warned upon the threshold what we are to look for within. It is entitled, The Song of praise of David himself on the day before the sabbath, when the earth was founded. Remembering then what God did through all those days, when He made and ordained all things, from the first up to the sixth day, (for the seventh He sanctified, because He rested on that day after all the works, which He made very good,) we find that He created on the sixth day (which day is here mentioned, in that he saith, before the Sabbath) all animals on the earth; lastly, He on that very day created man in His own likeness and image. For these days were not without reason ordained in such order, but for that ages also were to run in a like course, before we rest in God. But then we rest if we do good works. As a type of this, it is written of God, God rested on the seventh day, when He had made all His works very good. For He was not wearied, so as to need rest, nor hath He now left off to work, for our Lord Christ saith openly, My Father worketh hitherto. For He saith this unto the Jews, who thought17, carnally of God, and understood not that God worketh in quiet, and always worketh, and is always in quiet. We also, then, whom God willed then to figure in Himself, shall have rest after all good works. And indeed, our good works, brethren, which we do here in the world before our rest, are in a manner toilsome; and that rest is in hope, it is not attained in its reality: and unless it was in hope, we should fail in our labour; but our toilsome and good works pass over. For what is so good, as to give bread unto the hungred? and what we were listening to just now, whilst the Gospel was reading, what is so good, as that which he advised generally, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat,11' let him do likewise? To clothe the naked, is a good work: will this good work be evermore? It hath a little toil in it; but it hath a solace in the hope of future rest. But how much toil hast thou in clothing the naked? A good work doth not toil much: a bad work hath toil. For he who clotheth the naked, if he hath whence to do so, toileth not: if he hath not whence to do so, Glory to God in the highest, 330 Earth 'founded* on the ' sixth day,9 i. e. in Christ. and on earth peace to men of good will. But who counteth how much he toileth who chooseth to despoil one clothed? and yet these things too will pass away, when we shall have reached that rest, where there is no one hungry to be fed, no one naked to be clothed. And because these good works are doomed to pass away, that sixth day also, when those very good works are perfected, hath an evening; but in the Sabbath we find no evening, because our rest shall have no end: for evening is put for end. As therefore God made man in His own image on the sixth day: thus we find that our Lord Jesus Christ came into the sixth age, that man might be formed anew after the image of God. For the first period, as the first day, was from Adam until Noah: the second, as the second day, from Noah unto Abraham: the third, as the third day, from Abraham unto David: the fourth, as the fourth day, from David unto the removal to Babylon: the fifth period, as the fifth day, from the removal to Babylon unto the preaching of John. The sixth day beginneth from the preaching of John, and lasteth unto the end: and after the end of the sixth day, we reach our rest. The sixth day, therefore, is even now passing. And it is now the sixth day, see what the title hath; On the day before the sabbath, when the earth was founded. Let us now listen to the Psalm itself: let us enquire of it, how the earth was made, whether perhaps the earth was then made: and we do not read so in Genesis. When, therefore, was the earth founded? when, unless when that which hath been but now read in the Apostle taketh place: If he saith, ye are stedfast, immoveable. When all who believe throughout all the earth are stedfast in faith, the earth is founded: then man is made in the image of God. That sixth day in Genesis signifieth this. But how did God make it? How was the earth founded? Christ came, that He might found the earth; For other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Of Him therefore the Psalm singeth.

2. Ver. 1. The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and is girded. We see that He hath clothed Himself with two things: beauty and strength. But why? That He might found What ' world1 it is that c cannot be moved.1 831 the earth. So it followetb, He hath made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved. Whence hath He made it so sure? Because He hath clothed Himself in beauty. He would not make it so sure, if He put on beauty only, and not strength also. Why therefore beauty, why strength? For He hath said both: I7te Lord reigneth, He is clothed with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and is girded. Ye know, brethren, that when our Lord had come in the flesh, of those to whom He preached the Gospel, He pleased some, and displeased others. For the tongues of the Jews were divided against ode another: Some said, He is a good Man; others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people. Some then spoke well, others detracted from Him, tore Him, bit and insulted Him. Towards those therefore whom He pleased, He put on beauty; towards those whom He displeased, He put on strength. Imitate then thy Lord, that thou may est become His garment: be with beauty towards those whom thy good works please: shew thy strength against detractors. Hear the Apostle Paul imitating his Lord, how he too had beauty, had strength. We are unto God, he2Cor.2, saith, a sweet savour in Christ, in them that are saved, andl4~16' in them that perish. For those whom goodness pleaseth, are saved: those who detract from what is good, perish. For his own part, he had a sweet savour: yea, was a sweet savour: but, woe to the wretched who perish even in that sweet savour. For he saith not, " To some we are a sweet savour in Christ, in every place, both in them that are saved, and in them that perish. He addeth instantly; to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other, the savour of life unto life. He had clothed himself with beauty to those to whom the savour was that of life unto life: to those with whom it was the savour of death unto death, he had put on strength. But if thou dost rejoice, when men praise thee, and thy good works please them: but when they revile thee, if thou failest in thy good works, and believest as it were that thou hast lost the fruit of thy good works, because thou findest revilers; thou hast not been stedfast: thou dost not belong to the round world that cannot be moved. 332 f Beauty* and * strength? toward divers characters.

The Lord is clothed with strength; and is girded. The Apostle Paul hath another passage on this very beauty and strength: By the armour of righteousness, on the right hand and on the le/L See where he speaketh of beauty and strength: By honour and dishonour. In honour He is beautiful: in dishonour, strong. Among some he was proclaimed of to his honour: among others he was despised to his dishonour. He displayed beauty to those whom he pleased, strength against those whom he displeased. And thus he enumerateth all things unto the end, where he saith, As having nothing, and yet possessing all things; when he hath all things, he is beautiful: when he hath nothing, he is strong. It is therefore no wonder, if it followeth, For He hath made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved. For how cannot the round world be moved? When all the faithful believe in Christ, and are prepared either to rejoice with those who praise, or to be strong toward those who revile Him: not to be softened by the tongues of those who praise Him, nor to be broken down by the tongues of those who revile Him.

3. Perhaps we should enquire respecting this word also, why he said, He is girded. Girding signifieth work: for every man then girdeth himself, when he is about to work. But wherefore did he use the word pracinctus, instead of For he saith in another Psalm, Gird Thee with Thy sword upon Thy thigh, 0 Thou most mighty: the people shall fall under Thee: using the word accingere, not cingere, nor pr<ecingere: this word being applied to the act of attaching any thing to the side by girding it. The sword of the Lord, wherewith He conquered the round world by killing iniquity, is the Spirit of God in the truth of the word of God. Wherefore is He said to bind His sword around His thigh? In another place, on another Psalm we have spoken in another manner of girding: but nevertheless, since it hath been mentioned, it ought not to be passed over. What is the girding on of the sword around the thigh? He meaneth the flesh by the thigh. For the Lord would not otherwise conquer the round world, unless the sword of truth came into the flesh. Why therefore is He here said to be girded in front (pr<B~ cinctus)? He who girdeth himself before, placeth something before himself, wherewith he is girded; whence it is said, He girded Himself before with a towel, and began to wash the disciples' feet. Because He was humble when He girded Himself with a towel. He washed the feet of His own disciples. But all strength is in humility: because all pride is fragile: therefore when He was speaking of strength, he added, He is girded: that thou mayest remember how thy God was girded in humility, when He washed His disciples' feet. Peter was shocked at his Lord, his4*"16" Master, (why should I say his Master, when I said his Lord?) bending down before his own feet, and washing his feet: he was frightened, and said, Lord, dost Thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto Him, Thou shalt never wash my feet: Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me. Peter, who had at first been shocked at the Lord washing his feet, was more shocked at the words, Thou hast no part with Me, and he believed that there was some mystery in the thing, and that it was not without a meaning that our Lord spoke so: therefore he answered, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head; but Jesus said unto him, He that is washed, needelh not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. His washing their feet, therefore, did not refer to any mystery of cleanliness, but was intended as a pattern of humility: for He had said, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Let us see if they knew afterwards, let us see if He opened to them what He was doing, that we may see the Lord girded with strength; because the whole of strength is in humility. After He had washed their feet, again He sat down; He said unto them, Ye call me Lord and Master: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; how ought ye also to do to one another's feet f If therefore strength is in humility, fear not the proud. The humble are like a rock: the rock seems to lie downwards: but nevertheless it is firm. What are the proud? Like smoke: although they are lofty, they vanish. We ought therefore to ascribe our Lord's being girded to His humility, according to the mention of the Gospel, that He was girded, that He might wash His disciples' feet.

4. There is another thing which we may understand in this word. We have said that he who girdeth himself in front, placeth before him what he attacheth to himself, that he may gird himself. Since then those who revile us sometimes do so when we are absent, as if behind our backs: sometimes before our face, as they did to the Lord when He was hanging on the Cross, If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross: thou hast not need of strength, when any one revileth thee in thy absence, because thou dost not hear, nor dost thou perceive: but if he speaketh to thy face, thou must needs be strong. What does, * Be thou strong,' mean? That thou mayest bear it: lest perhaps thou think thyself strong, as thou hearest, because thou strikest with thy fist when overcome with reviling. That is not strength, if thou strike when reviled, since thou art overcome by anger: and it is very foolish, to call a conquered man strong, when the Scripture saith, He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city* He calleth the conqueror of his anger better than the conqueror of a city. Thou hast therefore a great adversary in thyself. When on hearing a reproach thy anger hath begun to rise, so that thou mayest return evil for evil, remember the Apostle's words, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing. Remembering these words, thou breakest down thy anger, thou preservest thy strength; and since he railed against thee in thy presence, not behind thy back, thou art i girt in front' with it.

5. Let us now hear the rest; the Psalm is short. For He hath made the round world sure, which cannot be moved. Ye see, brethren, many believe in Christ, there is a great multitude of them: and yet in this great crowd, ye have just heard while the Gospel was in reading, our Lord will come with His fan in His hand, and will purge His floor: He will gather His wheat into the garner, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable jfire. There are therefore throughout the whole earth both good and bad: the good are the wheat, the bad are the chaff. The threshing machine cometh into the floor: it bruiseth the chaff, and purgeth the wheat. What then is the round world, which cannot be moved. This He would not mention specially, if there were not also around world that can be moved. There is a round world that shall not be moved. There is a round world that shall be moved. For the good who are stedfast in the faith are the round world: that no man may say!, they are only in part of it; while the wicked who abide not in faith, when they have felt any tribulation, are throughout the whole world. There is therefore a round world moveable: there is a world immoveable: of which the Apostle speaketh. Behold, the round world moveable. I ask thee, of whom speaketh the Apostle in these words, Of whom is Hymen<Bus and Philetus; who concerning the*T\m. truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already: and overthrow the faith of some? Did these belong to the round world, that shall not be moved? But they were chaff: and as he saith, they overthrow the faith of some. He said not, Of all, and if he had said all, we must have understood all who belong to the city of Babylon, which must be condemned together with the devil; yet he said, the faith of some. And as if he were asked, And who can resist them? he addeth immediately, Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure. (Behold thou baat the round world that shall not be moved,) having this seal, — what seal hath it as its sure foundation? — The Lord knoweth them that are His. This is the round world that shall not be moved; The Lord knoweth them that are His. And what seal hath it? And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from unrighteousness. Let him depart from unrighteousness: for he cannot depart from the unrighteous, for the chaff is mixed with the wheat until it is fanned. What say we, brethren? Even in the floor itself, it is a wonderful thing concerning the wheat: it parts from the chaff, when it is stripped, and yet does not leave the floor, when it is threshed. But when will it be altogether separated? When the winnower hath come. As yet therefore the floor is in the round world: it must be that, if thou dost profit thyself, thou live among the unrighteous. From the unrighteous thou canst not depart: from unrighteousness depart. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from unrighteousness, and he will be in the round world that shall not he moved.

6. Ver. 2. Thy throne is established from thence, O Lord. -'What is, from thence? From that time. As if he said, What is the throne of God? Where doth God sit? In His Saints. Dost thou wish to be the throne of God? Prepare a place in thy heart where He may sit. What is the throne of God, except where God dwelleth? Where doth God dwell, except in His temple? What is His temple? Is it surrounded with walls? Far from it. Perhaps this world is His temple, because it is very great, and a thing worthy to contain God. It contains not Him by Whom it was made. And wherein is He contained? In the quiet soul, in the righteous soul: that is it that containeth Him. A great thing, my brethren! surely God is great; on the strong He is heavy: on the weak, light. Whom do I call strong? The proud, who presume in their own strength; for that weakness that is in humility is a greater strength. Hear the Apostle saying, for when I am weak, then am I strong. This is what I have set forth to you, that the Lord was girt with strength, when He was teaching humility. This therefore is the throne of God, which in another passage is openly spoken of iu the prophet, Upon whom shall My Spirit rest? That is, where shall the Spirit of God rest, but on the throne or abode of God? Hear how he describes this seat. Perhaps you thought to hear of a marble house, large and spacious halls, resplendent and lofty ceilings. Hear what q0(j purposes for Himself: Upon whom shall My Spirit rest? Upon the humble and the quiet, who trembleth at My words. Behold, thou art humble and tranquil, and God dwelleth in thee. God is exalted, He dwelleth not in thee, if thou shalt choose to be exalted thyself. Surely thou dost wish to be exalted, that He may dwell in thee; be humble, and tremble at His words; and therein He dwelleth. He feareth not a trembling house, since He Himself strengthened it. Thy throne is established from thence, 0 Lord. 6 From thence,' that is, c from then.' This expression signifieth some particular time. From then. From when? Perhaps from the day before the Sabbath: From thence, because the title of the Psalm certifies us from whence; for on the sixth day, that is, in the sixth period of this world, the Lord came in the flesh. Plainly then, it must mean from the time when He came according to His humility, from the time He came from the womb. For what saith another Psalm? In the~-h^ shining of Saints from the womb; that is, that the saints may be enlightened, that they may see God in the flesh; and that the heart may be cleansed, that He may be seen in the Divine Nature. In the shining of Saints from the womb. But what here followeth? That thou mightest not imagine that Christ had His origin in the womb: Before the morning star I have begotten thee. He subjoined this, after saying, In the shining of saints from the womb9 lest thou shouldest think that Christ began with the time of His birth, as Adam, as Abraham, as David began. Before the morning star have I begotten thee; before every thing that is enlightened. For by the morning star, he either signifieth all the stars; and by the stars, the times; because God made the stars for signs of the seasons, that thou mayest see that Christ was born before all seasons: and He who is born14, before seasons, cannot appear to be born in a season; since the seasons too are God's creation: and indeed, if all things were made by Him, the seasons also were made by Him.3, Or surely, when he saith of Wisdom, Before the morning star I have begotten thee; he meaneth, before every spirit which is enlightened. Listen, beloved. Since he had said, from the womb, as if with due precaution for our faith, that we might not think that Christ began from the time when He was born from a Virgin's womb: he instantly subjoined, Before the morning star I have begotten thee: thus here also, when be had said, from thence, that is, from the day before the Sabbath, from that sixth age of the world, when our Lord Christ came, and was born in the flesh, because He deigned to become a man for us, He Who was God, not only before Abraham, but before heaven and earth; He Who said, Before Abraham was, I am: not before Abraham only, but before Adam: not only before Adam, but before all the angels, before heaven and earth; since all things were made through Him: he added, lest thou, attending to the day of our Lord's nativity, mightest think He commenced from that time, Thy throne is established, O God. But what God? Thou art from everlasting: for which he uses ear aloovo$9 in the Greek version; that word being sometimes used for an age, sometimes for everlasting. Therefore, O Thou Who seemest to be born from thence, Thou art from everlasting! But let not human birth be thought of, but Divine eternity. He began then from the time of His birth; He grew: ye have heard the Gospel. He chose disciples, He replenished them, His disciples began to preach. Perhaps this is what he speaketh of in the following

7. Ver. 3. The floods lift up their voices. What are these floods, which have lift up their voices? We heard them not: neither when our Lord was born, did we hear rivers speak, nor when He was baptized, nor when He suffered; we heard not that rivers did speak. Read the Gospel, ye find not that rivers spoke. It is not enough that they spoke: They have lift up their voice: they have not only spoken, but bravely, mightily, in a lofty voice. What are those rivers which have spoken? We have said, that we do not read of them in the Gospel: nevertheless, let us seek for them therein. For if we find them not there, where shall we find them? I could invent them for you, if I chose: but I should at once be not a faithful steward, but an impertinent fabulist. Let us seek in the Gospel: at the same time, let us ask what are the rivers which have lift up their voices. Jesus stood and cried, it is said iu the Gospel. What did He cry? Behold now the head of those rivers crieth out: the very source of life, whence the rivers are to flow, first lifted up His own voice. And what did Jesus stand up and cry? He that believeth on Me, as the gcr{p[Mre hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. The Evangelist subjoineth, But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. But when Jesus was glorified in His resurrection, and ascension into heaven, as ye know, brethren; after ten days bad been fulfilled, on account of some mystery, He sent His Holy Spirit, He filled His disciples. The Spirit itself was a mighty river, whence many rivers were filled. Of that river the Psalmist saith in another passage, The rivers of the flood thereof shall make glad the city of God. Rivers then were made to flow from the belly of the disciples, when they received the Holy Spirit: themselves were rivers, when they had received that Holy Spirit. Whence did those rivers lift their voices? wherefore did they lift them up? Because at first they feared. Peter was not yet a river, when at the question of the maidservant he thrice denied Christ: I do not know theM.nt.26, man. Here he lieth through fear: he lifteth not his voice69""74, as yet: he is not yet the river. But when they were filled With the Holy Spirit, the Jews sent for them, and enjoined {hem not to preach at all, nor to leach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. The floods, then, ha ve lift up their voice, from the voices of many waters. What is here written, pertaineth to that very lifting up of the voice; Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Jade a; and the rest of his14, speech, in which he preacheth Jesus without fear with great confidence. For the floods have lift up their voice, from the voice of many waters. For when the Apostles had been dismissed from the council of the Jews, they came to their own friends, and told them what the priests and elders said unto them: but they on hearing lifted up their voices with one accord unto the Lord, and said, Lord, «7Acts4, is Thou Who hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and24' all that in them is; and the rest which floods lifting up their voices might say, (ver. 4.) Wonderful are the hangings of the sea. For when the disciples had lifted up their voices unto Him, many believed, and many received the Holy Spirit, and many rivers instead of few began to lift up their voice. Hence there followeth, from the voices of many waters, wonderful are the hangings of the sea; that is, the waves of the world. When Christ had begun to be preached by so powerful voices, the sea became enraged, persecutions began to thicken. When therefore the rivers had lift up their voice, from the voices of many waters, wonderful were the hangings of the sea. To be hung aloft is to be lifted up; when the sea rages, the waves are hung as from above. Let the waves hang over as they choose; let the sea roar as it chooseth; the hangings of the sea indeed are mighty, mighty are the threatenings, mighty the persecutions; but see what followeth: but yet the Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier. Let therefore the sea restrain itself, and sometime become calmed; let peace be granted unto Christians. The sea was disturbed, the vessel was tossed; the vessel is the Church: the sea, the world. The Lord came, He walked over the sea, and calmed the waves. How did the Lord walk over the sea? Above the heads of those mighty foaming waves. Principalities and kings believed; they were subdued unto Christ. Let us not therefore be frightened; because the hangings of the sea are mighty: for yet the Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier.

8. Ver. 5. Thy testimonies, O Lord, are very surely believed. The Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier than the mighty overhangings of the sea. Thy testimonies are very surely believed. Thy testimonies, because He had said beforehand, These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation. Because the world will give you tribulation, I tell you this. They began to suffer, and verified in themselves our Lord's predictions, and they became stronger. For when they saw that the sufferings were fulfilled in them, they hoped that the crowns would be fulfilled in them also; and hence, mighty are the overhangings of the sea: but yet the Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier. That in Me, He saith, ye may have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation. What then are we doing? The sea rageth, the waves arise, and roar in fury; we suffer tribulation; do we not, possibly, fail? Never! The Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier. Thus when He was saying, That in Me ye might have peace; but in the world ye shall have tribulation; as if they asked, Dost Thou think the world will not overpower and extinguish us? at once He added, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. If then He saith, / have overcome the world, cling unto Him Who overcame the world, Who overcame the sea. Rejoice in Him, because the Lord, Who dwelleth on high, is mightier, and, Tliy testimonies are very surely believed. And what is the end of all these? Holiness becometh Thine Some impatient at the success of the wicked, 34 house, O Lord! Thine house, the whole of Thine house, not here and there: but the whole of Thine house, throughout the whole world. Why throughout the whole of the round world? Because He hath set aright the round world, which cannot be moved. The Lord's house will be strong: it will prevail throughout the whole world: many shall fall: but that house standeth; many shall be disturbed, but that house shall not be moved. Holiness becoineth Thine house, O Lord! For a short time only? No. Unto length of days.