Psalm LVII. 2123
1. We have heard in the Gospel just now, brethren, how loveth us our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God with the Father, Man with us, out of our own selves, now at 2124 the right hand of the Father; ye have heard how much He loveth us.…
2. Because then this Psalm is singing of the Passion of the Lord, see what is the title that it hath: “at the end.” The end is Christ. 2125 Why hath He been called end? Not as one that consumeth, but one that consummateth.…
3. “At the end, corrupt not, for David himself, for the inscription of the title; when he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern.” We referring to holy Scripture, do find indeed how holy David, that king of Israel, from whom too the Psalter of David hath received the name thereof, had suffered for persecutor Saul the king of his own people, as many of you know that have either read or have heard the Scriptures. King David had then for persecutor Saul: and whereas the one was most gentle, the other most ferocious: the one mild, the other envious; the one patient, the other cruel; the one beneficent, the other ungrateful: he endured him with so much mildness, that when he had gotten him into his hands him he touched not, hurt not. 2126 …What reference hath this to Christ? If all things which then were being done, were figures of things future, we find there Christ, and by far in the greatest degree. For this, “corrupt not for the inscription of the title,” I see not how it belongeth to that David. For not any “title” was inscribed over David himself which Saul would “corrupt.” But we see in the Passion of the Lord that there had been written a title, “King of the Jews:” 2127 in order that this title might put to the blush these very men, seeing that from their King they withheld not their hands. For in them Saul was, in Christ David was. For Christ, as saith the Apostolic Gospel, is, as we know, as we confess, of the seed of David after the flesh; 2128 for after the Godhead He is above David, above all men, above heaven and earth, above angels, above all things visible and invisible.…And because already it had been sung through the Holy Spirit, “Unto the end, corrupt not, for the inscription of the title:” Pilate answered them, “What I have written, I have written:” 2129 why do ye suggest to me falsehood? I corrupt not truth.
4. What therefore is, “When he fled from the face of Saul into a cavern”? Which thing indeed the former David also did: but because in him we find not the inscription of the title, in the latter let us find the flight into the cavern. 2130
For that cavern wherein David hid himself did figure somewhat. But wherefore hid he himself? It was in order that he might be concealed and not be found. What is to be hidden in a cavern? To be hidden in earth. For he that fleeth into a cavern, with earth is covered so that he may not be seen. But Jesus did carry earth, flesh which He had received from earth: and in it He concealed Himself, in order that by Jews He might not be discovered as God. “For if they had known, never the Lord of glory would they have crucified.” 2131
Why therefore the Lord of glory found they not? Because in a cavern He had hidden Himself, that is, the flesh’s weakness to their eyes He presented, but the Majesty of the Godhead in the body’s clothing, as though in a hiding-place of the earth, He hid.…But wherefore even unto death willed He to be patient? It was in order that He might flee from the face of Saul into a cavern. For a cavern may be understood as a lower part of the earth. And certainly, as is manifest and certain to all, His Body in a Tomb was laid, which was cut in a Rock. This Tomb therefore was the Cavern; thither He fled from the face of Saul.
5. “Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me, for in Thee hath trusted my Soul” (Psa. 57.1). Christ in the Passion saith, “Have pity on Me, O God.” To God, God saith, “Have pity on Me!” He that with the Father hath pity on thee, in thee crieth, “Have pity on Me.” For that part of Him which is crying, “Have pity on Me,” is thine: from thee this He received, for the sake of thee, that thou shouldest be delivered, with Flesh He was clothed. The flesh itself crieth: “Have pity on Me, O God, have pity on me:” Man himself, soul and flesh. For whole Man did the Word take upon Him, and whole Man the Word became. Let it not therefore be thought that there Soul was not, because the Evangelist thus saith: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelled in us.” 2134 For man is called flesh, as in another place saith the Scripture, “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” 2135 Shall anywise flesh alone see, and shall Soul not be there?…Thou hearest the Master praying, learn thou to pray. For to this end He prayed, in order that He might teach how to pray: because to this end He suffered, in order that He might teach how to suffer; to this end He rose again, in order that He might teach how to hope for rising again. “And in the shadow of Thy wings I will hope, until iniquity pass over.” This now evidently whole Christ doth say: here is also our voice. For not yet hath passed over, still rife is iniquity. And in the end our Lord Himself said there should be an abounding of iniquity: “And since iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold; but he that shall have persevered unto the end, the same shall be saved.” 2136 But who shall persevere even unto the end, even until iniquity pass over? He that shall have been in the Body of Christ, he that shall have been in the members of Christ, and from the Head shall have learned the patience of persevering. Thou passest away, and behold passed are thy temptations; and thou goest into another life whither have gone holy men, if holy thou hast been. Into another life have gone Martyrs; if Martyr thou shalt have been, thou also goest into another life. Because “thou” hast passed away hence, hath by any means iniquity therefore passed away? There are born other unrighteous men, as there die some unrighteous men. In like manner therefore as some unrighteous men die and others are born: so some just men go, and others are born. Even unto the end of the world neither iniquity will be wanting to oppress, nor righteousness to suffer.…
6. “I will cry to God most high” (Psa. 57.2). If most high He is, how heareth He thee crying? Confidence hath been engendered by experience: “to God,” he saith, “who had done good to me.” If before that I was seeking Him, He did good to me, when I cry shall He not hearken to me? For good to us the Lord God hath done in sending to us our Saviour Jesus Christ, that He might die for our offences, and rise again for our justification. 2137 For what sort of men hath He willed His Son to die? For ungodly men. But ungodly men were not seeking God, and have been sought of God. For He is Most High in such sort, as that not far from Him is our misery and our groaning: because “near is the Lord to them that have bruised the heart.” 2138 “God that hath done good to me.”
7. “He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me” (Psa. 57.3). Now the Man Himself, now the Flesh Itself, now the Son of God after His partaking of ourselves, of Him it is manifest, how He was saved, and hath sent from heaven the Father and hath saved Him, hath sent from heaven, and hath raised Him again: but in order that ye may know, that also the Lord Himself hath raised again Himself; both truths are written in Scripture, both that the Father hath raised Him again, and that Himself Himself hath raised again. Hear ye how the Father hath raised Him again: the Apostle saith, “He hath been made,” he saith, “obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above every name.” 2139
Ye have heard of the Father raising again and exalting the Son; hear ye how that He too Himself His flesh hath raised again. Under the figure of a temple He saith to the Jews, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 2140
But the Evangelist hath explained to us what it
8. Thou wast inquiring perhaps when he said, “He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me.” What hath He sent from heaven? Whom hath He sent from heaven? An Angel hath He sent, to save Christ, and through a servant is the Lord saved? For all Angels are creatures 2142 serving Christ. For obedience there might have been sent Angels, for service they might have been sent, not for succour: as is written, “Angels ministered unto Him,” 2143 not like men merciful to one indigent, but like subjects to One Omnipotent. What therefore “hath He sent from heaven, and hath saved me”? Now we hear in another verse what from heaven He hath sent. “He hath sent from heaven His mercy and His truth.” 2144 For what purpose? “And hath drawn out my soul from the midst of the lions’ whelps.” 2145 “Hath sent,” he saith, “from heaven His mercy and His truth:” and Christ Himself saith, “I am Truth.” There was sent therefore Truth, that it should draw out my soul hence from the midst of the lions’ whelps: there was sent mercy. Christ Himself we find to be both mercy and truth; mercy in suffering with us, and truth in requiting us.…Who are the lions’ whelps? That lesser 2146 people, unto evil deceived, unto evil led away by the chiefs of the Jews: so that these are lions, those lions’ whelps. All roared, all slew. For we are to hear even here the slaying of these very men, presently in the following verses of this Psalm.
9. “And hath drawn out,” he saith, “my soul from the midst of the lions’ whelps” (Psa. 57.4). Why sayest thou, “And hath drawn out my soul”? For what hadst thou suffered, that thy soul should be drawn out? “I have slept troubled.” Christ hath intimated His death.…
10. Whence “troubled”? Who troubling? Let us see in what manner he brandeth an evil conscience upon the Jews, wishing to excuse themselves of the slaying of the Lord. For to this end, as the Gospel speaketh, to the judge they delivered Him, that they might not themselves seem to have killed Him.…Let us question Him, and say, since Thou hast slept troubled, who have persecuted Thee? who have slain Thee? was it perchance Pilate, who to soldiers gave Thee, on the Tree to be hanged, with nails to be pierced? Hear who they were, “Sons of men” (Psa. 57.5). Of them He speaketh, whom for persecutors He suffered. But how did they slay, that steel bare not? They that sword drew not, that made no assault upon Him to slay; whence slew they? “Their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” Do not consider the unarmed hands, but the mouth armed: from thence the sword proceeded, wherewith Christ was to be slain: in like manner also as from the mouth of Christ, that wherewith the Jews were to be slain. For He hath a sword twice whetted: 2147
and rising again He hath smit
11. And what have they done to Thee, O Lord? Let the Prophet here exult! For above, all those verses the Lord was speaking: a Prophet indeed, but in the person of the Lord, because in the Prophet is the Lord.…“Be exalted,” he saith, “above the Heavens, O God.” Man on the Cross, and above the Heavens, God. Let them continue on the earth raging, Thou in Heaven be judging. Where are they that were raging? where are their teeth, the arms and arrows? Have not “the stripes of them been made the arrows of infants”? For in another place a Psalm 2149 this saith, desiring to prove them vainly to have raged, and vainly unto frenzies to have been driven headlong: for nothing they were able to do to Christ when for the time crucified, and afterwards when He was rising again, and in Heaven was sitting. How do infants make to themselves arrows? Of reeds? 2150 But what arrows? or what powers? or what bows? or what wound? “Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory” (Psa. 57.6). Wherefore exalted above the Heavens, O God? Brethren, God exalted above the Heavens we see not, but we believe: but above all the earth His glory to be not only we believe, but also see. But what kind of madness heretics are afflicted with, I pray you observe. They being cut off from the bond of the Church of Christ, and to a part holding, the whole losing, will not communicate with the whole earth, where is spread abroad the glory of Christ. 2151 But we Catholics are in all the earth, because with all the world we communicate, wherever the Glory of Christ is spread abroad. 2152 For we see that which then was sung, now fulfilled. There hath been exalted above the Heavens our God, and above all the earth the Glory of the Same. O heretical insanity! That which thou seest not thou believest with me, that which thou seest thou deniest: thou believest with me in Christ exalted above the Heavens, a thing which we see not; and deniest His Glory over all the earth, a thing which we see.
12. …Let your Love see the Lord speaking to us, and exhorting us by His example: “A trap 2153 they have prepared for My feet, and have bowed down My Soul” (Psa. 57.7). They wished to bring It down as if from Heaven, and to the lower places to weigh It down: “They have bowed My Soul: they have digged before My face a pit and themselves have fallen into it.” Me have they hurt, or themselves? Behold He hath been exalted above the Heavens, God, and behold above all the earth the Glory of the Same: the kingdom of Christ we see, where is the kingdom of the Jews? Since therefore they did that which to have done they ought not, there hath been done in their case that which to have suffered they ought: themselves have dug a ditch, and themselves have fallen into it. For their persecuting Christ, to Christ did no hurt, but to themselves did hurt. And do not suppose, brethren, that themselves alone hath this befallen. Every one that prepareth a pit for his brother, it must needs be that himself fall into it.…
13. But the patience of good men with preparation of heart accepteth the will of God: and glorieth in tribulations, saying that which followeth: “Prepared is my heart, O God, I will sing and play” (Psa. 57.8). What hath he done to me? He hath prepared a pit, my heart is prepared. He hath prepared pit to deceive, shall I not prepare heart to suffer? He hath prepared pit to oppress, shall I not prepare heart to endure? Therefore he shall fall into it, but I will sing and play. Hear the heart prepared in an Apostle, because he hath imitated his Lord: “We glory,” he saith, “in tribulations: because tribulation worketh patience: patience probation, probation hope, but hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which hath been given to us.” 2154 He was in oppressions, in chains, in prisons, in stripes, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, 2155 in every wasting of toils and pains, and he was saying, “We glory in tribulations.” Whence, but that prepared was his heart? Therefore he was singing and playing.
14. “Rise up, my glory” (Psa. 57.9). He that had fled from the face of Saul into a cavern, saith, “Rise up, my glory:” glorified be Jesus after His Passion. “Rise up, psaltery and harp.” He calleth upon what to rise? Two organs I see: but Body of Christ one I see, one flesh hath risen again, and two organs have risen. The one organ then is the psaltery, the other the harp. Organs 2156
is the word used for
15. Therefore there hath risen psaltery and harp in the dawn, and he confesseth to the Lord; and saith what? “I will confess to Thee among the peoples, O Lord, and will play to Thee among the nations: for magnified even unto the Heavens hath been Thy mercy, and even unto the clouds Thy truth” (Psa. 58.10). Heavens above clouds, and clouds below heavens: and nevertheless to this nearest heaven belong clouds. But sometimes clouds rest upon the mountains, even so far in the nearest air are they rolled. But a Heaven above there is, the habitations of Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers. This therefore may perchance seem to be what should have been said: “Unto the Heavens Thy truth, and even unto the clouds Thy mercy.” For in Heaven Angels praise God, seeing the very form of truth, without any darkness of vision, without any admixture of unreality: they see, love, praise, are not wearied. There is truth: but here in our own misery surely there is mercy. For to a miserable one must be rendered mercy. For there is no need of mercy above, where is no miserable one. I have said this because that it seemeth as though it might have been more fittingly said, “Magnified even unto the Heavens hath been Thy truth, and even unto the clouds Thy mercy.” For “clouds” we understand to be preachers of truth, men bearing that flesh in a manner dark, whence God both gleameth in miracles, and thundereth in precepts. 2160 …Glory to our Lord, and to the Mercy of the Same, and to the Truth of the Same, because neither hath He forsaken by mercy to make us blessed through His Grace, nor defrauded us of truth: because first Truth veiled in flesh came to us and healed through His flesh the interior eye of our heart, in order that hereafter face to face we may be able to see It. 2161 Giving therefore to Him thanks, let us say with the same Psalm the last verses, which sometime since too I have said, “Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Thy glory” (Psa. 58.11). For this to Him the Prophet said so many years before; this now we see; this therefore let us also say.
Lat. LVI. Sermon to the Commonalty.
225:2124 225:2125 225:21261 Sam. 24:4, 7.
225:2127 225:2128 225:2129 225:2130 225:2131 226:2132 226:2133 226:2134 226:2135Isa. 40:5, Isa. 52:10, Luke 3:6.
226:2136 226:2137 226:2138 226:2139 226:2140 227:2141[See p. 132, note 3, supra.—C.]
227:2142 227:2143 227:2144 227:2145 227:2146 227:2147 228:2148 228:2149[Vulgate and Septuagint, Ps. lxiv. 7.—C.]
228:2150 228:2151 228:2152[This comes home with terrible import to that portion of the Church which has made itself the whole Church with a novel creed, and broken communion with the Easterns.—C.]
228:2153 228:2154 228:2155 228:2156 229:2157[Of which see a primitive example in Parker’s Glossary of Architecture (vol. i. p. 264), Oxford, 1845. The use of organs in churches is very modern. The Greeks exclude them still. St. Thomas Aquinas testifies their non-use in the Latin churches in the thirteenth century.—C.]
229:2158 229:2159 229:2160[Psa. xxxvi. p. 88, § 7, supra.—C.]
229:2161
