13. For this purpose he briefly sketches in what follows the troubles of Christ's body. For it is not in the Head alone that they took place, since it is said to Saul too, "Why persecutest thou Me?" [4122] and Paul himself, as if placed as an elect member in the same body, saith, "That I may fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh." [4123] "Why then, Lord, hast Thou cast off my soul? why hidest Thou Thy face from me?"
"I am poor, and in toils from my youth up: and when lifted up, I was thrown down, and troubled" (ver. 15).
"Thy wraths went over me: Thy terrors disturbed me" (ver. 16).
"They came round about me all day like water: they compassed me about together" (ver. 17).
"A friend Thou hast put far from me: and mine acquaintance from my misery" (ver. 18). All these evils have taken place, and are happening in the limbs of Christ's body, and God turns away His face from their prayers, by not hearing as to what they wish for, since they know not that the fulfilment of their wishes would not be good for them. The Church is "poor," as she hungers and thirsts in her wanderings for that food with which she shall be filled in her own country: she is "in toils from her youth up," as the very Body of Christ saith in another Psalm, "Many a time have they overcome me from my youth." [4124] And for this reason some of her members are lifted up even in this world, that in them may be the greater lowliness. Over that Body, which constitutes the unity of the Saints and the faithful, whose Head is Christ, go the wraths of God: yet abide not: since it is of the unbelieving only that it is written, that "the wrath of God abideth upon him." [4125] The terrors of God disturb the weakness of the faithful, because all that can happen, even though it actually happen not, it is prudent to fear; and sometimes these terrors so agitate the reflecting soul with the evils impending around, that they seem to flow around us on every side like water, and to encircle us in our fears. And as the Church while on pilgrimage is never free from these evils, happening as they do at one moment in one of her limbs, at another in another, he adds, "all day," signifying the continuation in time, to the end of this world. Often too, friends and acquaintances, their worldly interests at stake, in their terror forsake the Saints; of which saith the Apostle, "all men forsook me: may it not be laid to their charge." [4126] But to what purpose is all this, but that early in the morning, that is, after the night of unbelief, the prayers of this holy Body may in the light of faith prevent God, until the coming of that salvation, which we are at present saved by hoping for, not by having, while we await it with patience and faithfulness. Then the Lord will not repel our prayers, as there will no longer be anything to be sought for, but everything that has been rightly asked, will be obtained: nor will He turn His face away from us, since we shall see Him as He is: [4127] nor shall we be poor, because God will be our abundance, all in all: [4128] nor shall we suffer, as there will be no more weakness: nor after exaltation shall we meet with humiliation and confusion, as there will be no adversity there: nor bear even the transient wrath of God, as we shall abide in His abiding love: nor will His terrors agitate us, because His promises realized will bless us: nor will our friend and acquaintance, being terrified, be far from us, where there will be no foe to dread.
[4070] Lat. LXXXVII. Dictated after the exposition of Ps. xlii. (see § 14), and perhaps after that of Ps. lxviii.
[4071] On Ps. xlvii. p. 160; also xlvi. p. 155, note 8.
[4072] [The author here adds: "What other meaning then can we attach to the words, for the chorus to respond,' but this, that the choir is to make responses with the singer? And thus we must suppose that not this only, but other Psalms were chanted, though they have received different titles, probably for the sake of variety to relieve weariness: for this Psalm was not the only one held worthy of choral responses, since it is not the only one which relates to our Lord's Passion. If indeed there is any other reason for so great a variety in the titles, by which it can be shown that all the Psalms which are distinguished in their titles are so marked, as that the title of no one of them can be fitted to another, I must confess that I could not discover it, though I tried long; and whatever I have read on the subject in the works of my predecessors has not satisfied my hopes, or, perhaps, my slowness of apprehension. I will therefore explain in allusion to what mystery the words, for the choir to respond,' that is, that the singer should be answered by a choir, seem to me to be used."--C.]
[4073] 1 Pet. ii. 21.
[4074] 1 John iii. 16.
[4075] 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
[4076] Matt. xxvii. 33.
[4077] Israelitæ, vulg. Ezrahitæ. See also the title of the next Psalm. Ben. conjectures it may be for Zaraite, as Ethan and Heman are called sons of Zara, 1 Chron. ii. 6, and in 1 Kings iv. 31, where Solomon is said to be "wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman." LXX. has Zarite.
[4078] John i. 47.
[4079] Gen. xxv. 27.
[4080] The words, "O let my prayer enter into Thy presence," being equivalent to, "Incline Thine ear unto my calling."
[4081] Isa. liii. 4.
[4082] Matt. xxvi. 37, 38.
[4083] Rom. ix. 2, 4.
[4084] Luke xxiii. 34.
[4085] Rom. viii. 3.
[4086] John viii. 29.
[4087] Matt. xxvii. 50, 60.
[4088] Ps. cii. 7.
[4089] Rom. vi. 9.
[4090] Ps. lvii. 7.
[4091] Wisd. iii. 1.
[4092] Ps. xci. 1. [Noteworthy as the author's view of the state of the faithful departed.--C.]
[4093] Ps. xl. 3.
[4094] 1 Cor. ii. 8.
[4095] Isa. ix. 2.
[4096] 1 Cor. ii. 8.
[4097] Gal. iii. 13.
[4098] Phil. ii. 8.
[4099] Ps. xlii. 7.
[4100] Matt. vii. 23.
[4101] Matt. xxvi. 56.
[4102] 1 Cor. xii. 17-21.
[4103] 1 Cor. xii. 27.
[4104] Matt. xvi. 16.
[4105] In suis interioribus.
[4106] Matt. xii. 40.
[4107] Matt. xxvii. 52.
[4108] John vi. 38.
[4109] Isa. lxv. 2.
[4110] 1 Cor. i. 20.
[4111] Ps. iv. 8.
[4112] Ps. xix. 5.
[4113] Isa. ii. 2.
[4114] Rom. xi. 14.
[4115] John vi. 44.
[4116] Ben. refers to P. Lombard, 4 Sent. Dist. 18, Hîc quæritur.
[4117] Ecclus. xvii. 26.
[4118] Matt. xxiii. 27, 28.
[4119] Eph. v. 8.
[4120] Ps. xiv. 1.
[4121] Ps. xxii. 1.
[4122] Acts ix. 4.
[4123] Col. i. 24.
[4124] Ps. cxxix. 1.
[4125] John iii. 36.
[4126] 2 Tim. iv. 16.
[4127] 1 John iii. 2.
[4128] 1 Cor. xv. 28.
Psalm LXXXIX. [4129]
1. Understand, beloved, this Psalm, which I am about to explain, by the grace of God, of our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be of good cheer, because He who promised, will fulfil all, as He has fulfilled much: for it is not our own merit, but His mercy, that gives us confidence in Him. He Himself is meant, in my belief, by "the understanding of Æthan the Israelite:" [4130] which has given this Psalm its title. You see then, who is meant by Æthan: but the meaning of the word is "strong." No man in this world is strong, except in the hope of God's promises: for as to our own deservings, we are weak, in His mercy we are strong. Weak then in himself, strong in God's mercy, the Psalmist thus begins: "I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy truth unto all generations" (ver. 1).
2. Let my limbs, he saith, serve the Lord: I speak, but it is of Thine I speak. "With my mouth will I make known Thy truth:" if I obey not Thee, I am not Thy servant: if I speak on my own part, I am a liar. To speak then from Thee, [4131] and in my own person, are two things: one mine, one Thine: Truth Thine, language mine. Let us hear then what faithfulness he maketh known, what mercies he singeth.
3. "For Thou hast said, Mercy shall be built up for ever" (ver. 2). It is this that I sing: this is Thy truth, for the making known of which my mouth serveth. In such wise Thou sayest, I build, as not to destroy: for some Thou destroyest and buildest not; and some whom Thou destroyest Thou dost rebuild. For unless there were some who were destroyed to be rebuilt, Jeremiah would not have written, "See, I have this day set thee to throw down and to build." [4132] And indeed all who formerly worshipped images and stones could not be built up in Christ, without being destroyed as to their old error. While, unless some were destroyed not to be built up, it would not be written, "He shall destroy them, and not build them up." [4133] ... In what follows, he joins these two words, mercy and faithfulness; "For Thou hast said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: Thy truth shall be established in the Heavens:" in which mercy and truth are repeated, "for all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth," [4134] for truth in the fulfilment of promises could not be shown, unless mercy in the remission of sins preceded. Next, as many things were promised in prophecy even to the people of Israel that came according to the flesh from the seed of Abraham, and that people was increased that the promises of God might be fulfilled in it; while yet God did not close the fountain of His goodness even to the Gentiles, whom He had placed under the rule of the Angels, while He reserved the people of Israel as His own portion: the Apostle expressly mentions the Lord's mercy and truth as referring to these two parties. For he calls Christ "a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." [4135] See how God deceived not; see how He cast not off His people, whom He foreknew. For while the Apostle is treating of the fall of the Jews, to prevent any from believing them so far disowned [4136] of God, that no wheat from that floor's fanning could reach the granary, he saith, "God hath not cast away His people, whom He foreknew; for I also am an Israelite." [4137] If all that nation are thorns, how am I who speak unto you wheat? So that the truth of God was fulfilled in those Israelites who believed, and one wall from the circumcision is thus brought to meet the corner stone. But this stone would not form a corner, unless it received another wall from the Gentiles: so that the former wall relates in a special manner to the truth, the latter to the mercy of God. "Now I say," says the Apostle, "that Jesus Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." [4138] Justly then is it added, "Thy truth shalt Thou stablish in the Heavens:" for all those Israelites who were called to be Apostles became as Heavens which declare the glory of God: as it is written by them, "The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handywork." [4139] ...Since, although they were taken up from hence before the Church filled the whole world, yet as "their words reached to the ends of the world," we are right in supposing this which we have just read, "Thy truth shalt Thou stablish in the Heavens," fulfilled in them.
4. "Thou hast said, I have made a covenant with My chosen" (ver. 3). What covenant, but the new, by which we are renewed to a fresh inheritance, in our longing desire and love of which we sing a new song. "I have made a covenant with My chosen," saith the Psalmist: "I have sworn unto David My servant." How confidently does he speak, who understands, whose mouth serves truth! I speak without fear; since "Thou hast said." If Thou makest me fearless, because Thou hast said, how much more so dost Thou make me, when Thou hast sworn! For the oath of God is the assurance of a promise. Man is justly forbidden to swear: [4140] lest by the habit of swearing, since a man may be deceived, he fall into perjury. God alone swears securely, because He alone is infallible.